SI.com – Major League Baseball – Box Score – Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta Braves

This was the sort of game that’s aggravating to watch, even when you win. The offense did well — even scoring more than they left on base — but there was some really sloppy play by both sides.

John Thomson wasn’t sharp early on, allowing two runs in the third (and getting out of it only because of a lucky bounce on a wild pitch that got a baserunner thrown out trying to score from third) and a two-run homer in the fourth. When he did settle down, with a 5-4 lead, Andruw, of all people, butchered a two-out fly ball into a two-base error, letting a runner score from first. No decision for Thomson. his final line wasn’t too bad, despite the five runs/four earned — eight hits, five strikeouts, no walks in six innings.

The Braves took the lead in the first, Julio hitting a sac fly RBI. They took it again in the third, Julio hitting a three-run homer. They took it again in the fifth, Furcal tripling and scoring on Pete Orr’s groundout. They took it for good in the seventh, Chipper doubling to the gap to score Furcal and Orr. They got two more in the eighth, Francouer doubling and being doubled home by McCann, who was singled home by Furcal.

Orr started at second, Julio at first, despite Russ Ortiz, who is of course a righthander, getting the start. They had big games, as you see above. Marcus is probably safe, but that might not be true of LaRoche. Chipper had three hits and a walk (he’s 5-8 since returning to the lineup) while Furcal, Orr, and Andruw had two hits each.

Boyer and Foster combined to pitch the seventh, Foster getting the win. Kolb pitched the eighth, getting a double play to erase one of his leadoff walks. Reitsma got them 1-2-3 in the non-save ninth.

Kyle Davies was sent down to make room for Thomson… The Mets just started, the rest of the division plays tonight. The Phillies are now in second, 5 1/2 back. With the Mets’ and Marlins’ injury problems, and the Natspos just not being that good, the Phillies are the only team really worth worrying about right now… Hampton will return tomorrow (I have no idea who will be sent down) against Javier Vazquez on TBS.