ESPN.com – MLB – Recap

Andruw hit a two-run homer in the ninth, off of Trevor Hoffman, to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead. Since, as we all know, Andruw never comes through in the clutch, the only answer is that being down a run in the ninth inning isn’t a clutch situation. And why didn’t he hit more home runs to stay out of that problem in the first place, huh?

Then, with two out in the bottom of the ninth and a runner on first, Brian Giles doubled, but the runner was thrown out at the plate by the combined efforts of JD Drew and Marcus Giles, ending the game. Marcus’ big brother was 3-3 and missed the cycle by a single; Smoltz tied Gene Garber’s franchise record for saves.

The Braves had led 3-1 entering the fifth, but the Padres tied it with two homers, and then took the lead in the sixth via Marcus’ sloppy defense, when once again he tried to get a double play but instead didn’t get anyone. They whittled it to 5-4 in the eighth, setting the stage for Andruw’s totally non-clutch heroics.

Chipper wasn’t in the starting lineup due to a migraine, but did drive in a run with a pinch-hit sac-fly. His streak of games with a homer, though, comes to an end… Reitsma pitched an inning to pick up the win.

The Marlins rallied off of Gagne to win, staying eight games back. The increasingly irrelevant Phillies lost again. The Braves now head to LA for four.