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

Miserable Braves Loss Type 4.2(c): “Starting Pitcher Doesn’t Have It, Team Way Behind Early, Can’t Get Hit To Come All The Way Back.”

You all probably are passingly familiar with the story of Pandora. Supposedly, she opened a box (or, actually, a jar of the sort that large amounts of wine or oil are kept in) and released a plague of demons to afflict men. (Meaning: “Everything is women’s fault”.) The story as usually told goes that she closed the lid on the box on top of the last demon. She felt sorry for the demon and nursed it back to health, whereupon it escaped. This demon, called Hope, made life worth living even with all the new afflictions.

The other version, which isn’t usually told, is that she actually kept Hope trapped in the box, and that this is a good thing, because if people had hope, they’d really be screwed.

The relationship to the Braves should be obvious; every time you start to have hope, they slam you back down.

John Smoltz had good innings in the first, third, and fifth — 1-2-3 innings, actually, and quick ones. But he gave up two in the second, one in the fourth, and four in the sixth (in which he didn’t record an out). Virtually everyone who reached off him scored — six hits and three walks in five innings isn’t that bad. It’s not good. I think John is pressuring himself so much that he’s having these out of gas outings every few times out.

After Ray allowed a Grybo with two out in the sixth, the bullpen actually got through the seventh and eighth unscathed. The Braves, trailing 7-1, rallied for four runs in the seventh. Marcus drove in one with a sac fly, Renteria singled in one, Andruw hit a two out double to score the third, and after McCann was walked to load the bases, Francoeur was hit by a pitch to score the fourth. But our old friend Mike Stanton was brought in as the LOOGY and struck out LaRoche. Then Stanton let two one with two out in the eighth, but Chipper flew out on the first pitch.

francoeur.PNGFranklin came on to allow a homer, because somebody had to pitch and everyone else is worn out, but he sucks all the same. Andruw singled leading off the ninth, stole second, went to third when McCann flew out on a 3-1 count, and scored on a Francoeur single. (Jeff had a good game, 2-3 and even drew a walk.) But LaRoche hit a hard grounder for the game-ending double play, the Braves’ third of the night.

Avoid hope. It’s for the best, really.