Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets – Box Score – August 11, 2012 – ESPN.

IWOTM, but Kris Medlen had another impressive start that suffered only from brevity and makes it more and more likely that he’s going to stay in the rotation for the forseeable future. And again, IWOTM, but the Braves put up nine runs in the first two innings, handing Johan Santana the worst start of his career.

The Braves put up two runs in the first, when Freddie Freeman picked up Jason Heyward and Chipper Jones (who had both struck out with two men on) with a double, scoring Michael Bourn and Reed Johnson. A good start, but only an appetizer for the main dish in the second.

Dan Uggla led off with a walk. Paul Janish singled softly to center, and then Medlen helped himself with a single to score Uggla. Bourn hit the third straight single to score Janish before Johnson’s foulout gave Santana the last out he would get. Back to the singles: Heyward to score Medlen, Chipper to score Bourn, and that was it for Santana. (Game Score: 7. I thought it might have wound up negative.) The singles then ceased, as Freddie hit a three-run homer off the reliever to make it 9-0 before Brian McCann and Uggla were retired.

Medlen allowed three singles of his own in the second to score a run, but he allowed only two hits — both of them, of course, singles — the rest of the 6 1/3 innings he pitched. He struck out seven and walked only one, throwing 88 pitches, 56 strikes.

After a one-out hit in the seventh, Fredi brought in Luis Avilan, who struck out the next two Mets. But with one out in the eighth he allowed a walk and a double to make it 9-2. With two out Fredi went with Cory Gearrin to face David Wright, the Mets’ good player, who singled to make it 9-3. Gearrin did get the lefthanded-hitting Ike Davis, who grounded into a fielder’s choice. In the ninth, he had two strikeouts then allowed a triple before ending the game with a groundout

Brian McCann was 0-5; everyone else had at least one hit and scored at least one run. The thing about this offense when it’s clicking is its balance; there are no reasonable MVP candidates, though any of the first four hitters in the usual batting order could make an argument. But there are no holes but Janish, and he’s not a total zero at a position where these days few teams are getting very much.