ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Mets at Braves

Wilson Betemit isn’t going to get traded for relief pitching. For one thing, Chipper Jones reinjured his side swinging in the fifth inning. For another, the bullpen really doesn’t seem to be the problem. Tonight, they went 5 2/3 and allowed one run on three hits while striking out seven. But the starting pitcher, the Bad Horacio, who gave up five runs.

What’s worse, the Braves scored four runs in the first inning and were shut down from there. At one point, 17 Braves in a row made outs, and they were hitless after the third. They hit some balls hard, but mostly hard and up in the air, which most of the time winds up in outfielders’ gloves. Chipper’s double in the third was their last baserunner until his replacement Betemit walked in the eighth.

Nice relief work from Paronto (who got out of Horacio’s last jam) and the Vulture (two perfect innings followed by allowing a solo homer to Wright).

Yuck. The third reason Betemit isn’t going anywhere is that the Braves have just fallen behind the Marlins (never count out the Marlins, they’re the Rasputin of baseball) and are in danger of getting buried.