ESPN – Pirates vs. Braves Box Score, July 14 2007 – MLB
So the rest doesn’t seem to have done the bullpen a whole lot of good, but the offense, eventually, picked them up. The Braves took a 3-0 lead in the first once again, Escobar scoring on a wild pitch and Andruw hitting a two-run homer. But in a bases-loaded situation in the third, they could only get one run on a Francoeur sac fly, and it stayed 4-0.
That was plenty for Chuck James, who sparkled through six innings, allowing just two hits, walking three, and striking out four. I’m in favor of the quick hook on Chuck that Bobby’s shown in recent starts, and he’d thrown 94 pitches, but I probably would have at least let him start the seventh.
Kali got the first man, but then allowed two straight singles, followed by a chopper that Chipper probably should have gotten an out on but threw away, allowing a run to score. Yates struck out the next guy, but Bobby came in with Soriano, who got ahead 1-2, then threw two balls, then allowed a homer to tie the game.
After a rain delay (it was raining throughout the top of the seventh, but they only stopped it one pitch into the bottom of the inning) the Braves went 1-2-3. The Vulture did a good job, getting the Pirates in order in turn. The Braves loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the bottom of the inning, but McCann popped up with one out and Saltalamacchia struck out to end it.
Wickman and Saltalamacchia got all discombobulated at first, allowing the second man to reach, but Bob struck out two in the inning and looked sharp. The Braves loaded the bases again, this time with two outs, but Francoeur worked the count, then lined to center to win the game.
Chipper had three hits and a walk, but somehow didn’t score; he was on base at the end and would have scored if the game hadn’t been over.
It would have been really bad to let that one get away from us. I couldn’t get it on TV, so I don’t know how hard it was raining, but does anyone think the rain contributed to the poor outings of Yates/Soriano? Or were they just not making their pitches?
Great win, perhaps the greatest of all wins.
I wonder who would have pitched the 10th if the game had gone to extras.
@ #3 Moylan most likely.
Great win by the Braves.
Or at least I would have put Moylan out there.
Nice win, but it is the Pirates. What’s the contract situation for Damaso Marte? Can we just keep him when the Pirates leave? We are owned a functioning Pirates lefty.
It’s so nice to not have to slog through the Andruw bashing posts anymore. A breath of fresh air.
He’s still fat and smiles too much.
//just kidding.
That’s 3 good outings in a row for Chuckie.
Also, Francoeur showed some nice patience in the ninth. I’m glad he didn’t win it on a bases loaded walk as that is certainly a Biblical sign of the apocalypse.
And while Ledezma has visa problems (wink, wink), Stockman pitched a perfect inning, striking out two in Mississippi and Startup delievered a scoreless inning in Richmond.
Here’s something good for a laugh:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/AR2007071301870.html
“Langerhans, acquired by the Nationals from Oakland on May 2, has managed a respectable .370 slugging percentage and 19 walks in 56 games for Washington.”
A respectable .370 slugging average?! Scott Thorman has .388 and we hate his guts!!
Sam, it’s not that bad considering he’s hitting .211. With the Natspos, Ryan’s slugging percentage is listed at B-R at .394, his OBP at .326. Both are pretty lousy, but if he was hitting .260 and kept the walks and power he’d be useful. This is basically the Ryan Langerhans Experience.
Rissa, I don’t know about the pitchers. It probably hurt Chipper when he was trying to make the throw in the seventh, and that caused a lot of the problems. Without that, Yates probably gets out of the inning (he struck out the next batter) and Soriano doesn’t come in until the eighth.
A great win for the Braves….Speaking of the Ryan Langerhans Experience–does anybody know what we got for him?
I was at tonight’s game – I have seen both of Francoeur’s ML career walk-off hits in person.
Quite funny too, Spotlight: Jeff Francoeur was shown during the rain delay, Frenchie got laughs seeing his parents and friends on the jumbotron.
Here is a good obiturary on Shag Crawford:
What sweet words!
“…Francouer worked the count, then lined to center to win the game.”
I always heard that Langy was traded for a PTBNL OR cash. My guess is we probably got about $49.50 for him. Enough to help us so we can get Griffey or resign Andruw (-;
I agree, Yates probably would have gotten out of it. His one mistake was walking Jason Bay after the first out. The two hits they got off of him weren’t really hard…in fact, that home run that Doumit hit looked like a pop fly off of his bat, so it was a weird inning.