ESPN – Braves vs. Nationals Box Score, September 14 2007 – MLB

I am not recapping that whole thing. Hitting the highlights, such as they were… The Braves opened up a 3-0 lead in the first, Teixeira the big blow with a two-run double. Chipper, back in the lineup, scored on an Andruw sac fly.

Chuck James couldn’t hold it, though. He allowed a solo homer in the first and another run in the third. In the fourth, he gave up a leadoff double and Bobby yanked him at 70 pitches, 56 of them strikes. He didn’t walk anyone, I guess that’s something. Villarreal gave up a Grybo to tie it.

The game went on and on from there. The Nats got a two-run homer in the seventh (after the Braves had left the bases loaded on a truly dubious 3-2 strikeout of Teixeira in the top of the inning) to take a 5-3 lead. The Braves got a run back in the eighth, Diaz singling in Andruw. In the ninth, Stinky Pete (pinch-running for Renteria) scored from first on a Chipper double.

And then it went on and on from there. Finally, the Braves got hits from Prado and Chipper with one out in the thirteenth. Teixeira was walked, semi-intentionally, and Francoeur — 0-5 to that point — singled to score two. Andruw added a sac fly for 8-5. The Nats got the leadoff man on but that was it.

Ascanio wound up with the win, his first, pitching the 12th and 13th. Each team played 23 players. Escobar, Renteria, and Chipper all had three hits, but McCann was 0-7.