ESPN.com – MLB – MLB RECAP

It’s possible to beat a real major league team with a lineup of scrubs. But it’s not easy, and you better get a good pitching performance. Hampton allowed three runs in the first and that pretty much did it for their chances. It was actually about an average outing for him this year, 6 1/3 IP, six runs. He’s really not pitching well at all. Base12 allowed an inherited runner to score. Juan Cruz got in early trouble in the eighth, but got a triple play to get out of it.

Yeah, they turned a triple play. So what? The defense was still lousy, committing three errors, one by Hessman, one by Garcia, and one by DeRosa. None of whom is really a major league caliber regular, but there they were.

Andruw, the lone estabilished major leaguer in the lineup, was 0-3 but did walk and score a run. As befit a lineup of players who resembled the R-Braves, the Mayor, Damon Hollins, led the team with two hits. Julio Franco, a single beacon of professionalism in this mess, pinch-hit and homered.

The Braves fall to a game below .500. At least the Phillies are losing. The Astros now come to town for three. Hopefully Chipper, at least, will be in the lineup tomorrow night. Furcal apparently can hit but not throw, I guess because he can’t grip the ball. I don’t know when Marcus will be ready and Drew, of course, is made from spun candy and could break if anyone breathes wrong.