ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Athletics at Braves

Continuing his legacy of smiley failure, Andruw Jones only hit two two-run homers today. If he were any good, he’d have hit at least three three-run homers, and to be worthy of his contract he’d have to hit four grand slams. His first homer gave the Braves a 2-0 lead in the fourth. His second gave them a 4-3 lead after the A’s scored three runs to take the lead in the sixth. Brian McCann followed with his first career homer to account for the pivotal insurance run far more important than Andruw’s piddling go-ahead shots.

John Smoltz was pretty super in every inning but the sixth, throwing 106 pitches in his first complete game since 1999. He allowed four hits and an intentional walk in that inning, but just a second-inning single and two other walks in the rest of the game, retiring eleven of the last twelve batters. He also singled in the fifth.

Adam LaRoche had a big day, going 3-4 and scoring in front of both of Andruw’s homers; he really should have been 4-4 but what I thought should have been called an infield hit was called an error. Andy Marte had his first hit, a fifth-inning single. Kelly Johnson had two walks hitting in the two spot but still can’t buy a hit, and I don’t really understand it.

Rubber game tomorrow. Hopefully the Braves can break their recent trend of loss-win-loss in every series. TBS, Ramirez versus Barry Zito, who is 2-7 with a 4.41 ERA this season but pitching much better now.