This game started out really bad, but let’s be honest, not really a surprise. As soon as I turned the game on, it was being announced that Hampton was a late scratch, the announcers didn’t know why. Bennett was being called in to make the emergency start. Of course, this would be the third day in a row he pitched. The pen, which has already carried far too big a load was surely going to be called on, again. The Braves rose to the challenge and made a game out of it, but fell a bit short in the end. This is getting to be a broken record, but, once again, if it weren’t for an error…
Bennett rose to the challenge as well as anyone could expect him to. He managed 4 innings, pitching in and out of trouble. He allowed 4 hits, 2 walks which drove his pitch count up. In the end, he gave up 2 runs. Boyer came in, went 2 great innings. He didn’t allow a hit or a walk. I guess all the starting he did in Richmond did him some good. Ohman came in and pitched .2 innings, didn’t allow an earned run to cross, one unearned. Acosta continues to show his first outing was a fluke. He went 1.1 innings, zero hits. Soriano was just plain dominate, 1 inning, no hits, no walks, 2 Ks. Here is where things got silly. Resop came in, pitched to a few batters, then he was put in left so Ring could get LaRoche out. Then, Resop came back in to give up the losing run. It was a wild and crazy night on the mound.
The bats were pretty quiet, Tex really needs to step it up a notch, his .105 average just isn’t cutting it. With Prado batting .273, Escobar batting .375 and Chipper batting .444, Tex is getting lots of chances to bat with runners on, he just isn’t getting it done (yet). Chipper continues to be the most professional hitter on the team, going 3 for 5 tonight. Diaz is starting to get his stroke back with 2 hits. Kotsay may be coming around too, he had 2 hits tonight, lifting his average to .250.
Tomorrow’s game 7:35 PM, not nationally televised.
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