ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Phillies
ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Phillies
Well, I see I didn’t miss much in the second game.
The Braves trailed for nearly all of the first game. Villarreal was adequate, going five and giving up three runs. He had homer issues, allowing a first-inning two-run shot and a fifth-inning solo homer, both to Ace Chutley. Seven hits in all, three strikeouts, only one walk. He certainly didn’t pitch his way out of the rotation (not that there was much danger of that after the second game.)
But the Braves couldn’t get any runs for him. Finally, in the seventh, Francoeur and LaRoche (The French Connection, as someone said in comments) got on second and third, and Daryle Ward made his Braves debut with a pinch-hit two-run single.
Still 3-2. But Flash Gordon is on the DL, and the Phillies are doing the closer-by-committee thing which as we know works so well. Ryan Madson started the inning. Francoeur reached on an infield single. This led Manuel to go to the lefty, Arthur Rhodes. LaRoche promptly hit a two-run homer, his third hit of the game, to make it 4-3. Wickman nailed it down; Kali got the win for somehow not giving up any runs in the eighth, striking out Chutley with two out and the bases loaded.
Do I have to talk about the nightcap? I guess I do. Ugh.
Started well; Chipper homered in Orr (Marcus is “under the weather”, which is often code for “hung over”, but let’s not speculate) in the first. Davies had nothing. Run in the first, three in the second, and he didn’t get out of the third, eventually being charged with three more runs. He allowed ten hits, including a homer. Not good.
Ken “Tampa Bay Devil” Ray gave up two more runs in the fourth, then Bobby hung poor Anthony Lerew out there to take one for the team, giving up five runs in two innings. Devine, who had pitched a scoreless inning in the first game, pitched another in the second (striking out two each time) and Paronto pitched the ninth unscathed.
I’m just glad I didn’t have to see it. LaRoche did have two more hits, is up to .296 for the season, and is officially the best player in the league right now. Bobby is so intent on getting McCann a shot at the batting title that he caught both games, but the batting title really isn’t in the cards when you go 1-8, and he needs a rest.
I was at the Alabama game and have recapped it. Mike Shula is a terrific recruiter, he’s established some professionalism (not that kind, Wryn!) in a program that needed it, and I actually like the design of his offense. But God, is he a terrible playcaller.
1st comment, YAY!!!!
OK, I’m officially gonna put up a picture of Adam LaRoche in my dorm room. This guy is a stud! Not to bask in my own glory (is that how that saying goes? bask?), but I’m really glad I stuck with Adam and defended him fervently, or else I would be eating some serious crow. Speaking of which, where’s Landogarner these days? I haven’t read every comment, but I haven’t seen him much lately.
I wonder if Bobby will start Jordan at all at first? It would be pretty dumb.
It would be dumb to start Jordan at first. Expect it to happen for at least one game tomorrow.
At least we now have Brayan Pena to catch instead of Pratt, which makes sitting McCann tolerable.
Mike Shula’s a much better coach without a salary cap.
Actually, Marcus Giles might need heart surgery so it wasn’t a hangover. Something might be wrong with one of the valves in his heart, and he might need to have a staple put in it. He is flying back to Atlanta tomorrow for more tests. Here’s hoping it’s what they’re saying and not something more serious.
http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2006/09/02/0903bravesheart.html
or
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060902&content_id=1642714&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
A comment of mine will pop up after Mac approves it because I put an AJC link and one from atlantabraves.com, but Marcus Giles is flying to Atlanta tomorrow and will probably need minor surgery on his heart.
If you can see my original, sorry. I just thought I’d post this again so people can see it now.
Pac Ten football is for girls. GO VOLS!
Well, that is very very bad. As Jenny would say, what else can go wrong?