(Image: Yahoo! Sports)
It’s nice to see the Braves take a series, but when you lose both Chipper and Huddy during the game, it is hard to get excited about it. Chipper went down due to a hamstring injury in the fourth, not believed to be too serious. Huddy was pulled due to elbow tightness. I just don’t like to hear the word “tightness” with a pitcher. It just never seems to end well. If Huddy goes down for a time, that leaves only Jurrjens who started as a starter at the beginning of the season.
Despite Huddy’s short outing, overall the Braves pitchers did pretty well. Before he was pulled, Huddy pitched six innings of three-hit shutout ball. So, at least he qualified for the win. Boyer then went an innings, didn’t allow a run, hit or walk. Ohman was almost as good, he allowed only a walk, but struck out two. Carlyle was the lone black spot. He allowed four runs on three hits and a walk, only managing .1 inning. Gonzo had to come in to finish the game, which he did.
The bats woke up a good bit today, pounding out twelve hits and scoring nine times. Blanco was amazing. He went four for five, with a triple, three runs scored, and three RBI. Escobar had two hits, one for a double, with three RBI. The rest of the hits were spread out by just about everyone.
Braves win, 9 - 4.
No game today, tomorrow’s game 7:05 PM, not nationally televised.
First, the injuries. Huddy didn’t seem too worried after the game. The forearm tightened up near the elbow, but you gotta admit, didn’t it scare the heck out of you when you saw him pointing to his elbow on the bench? The only starter with one year or more of major-league starting experience, pointing to his ‘bow … frightening!
I’m worried about Chipper, though. Even if it’s just a strain or a slight pull, hammys can take a while to heal. Braves absolutely gotta have him in the lineup, especially this weekend.
Good win last night, though. Blanco and Escobar did their job very, very well.
Bud
http://braves.today.com
Comment by Bud — July 24, 2008 @ 7:07 am
It was very nice to get a series win. I just wish we could get them without incident.
Have you heard rumors of a Hampton start on Saturday? I don’t know if that’s likely but I picked that up somewhere. Maybe my imagination.
~JB
Comment by ~JB — July 24, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
I’ve heard that, as apparently it was reported on the team’s site. I really want to see him pitch, because it seems like I’ve been waiting for two years, but I’m not going to hold my breath. He’s already gotten out of two starts this season, and if he fails to go Saturday, they should really consider releasing him.
Comment by BenMurphy — July 24, 2008 @ 3:50 pm
Yeah, I wrote yesterday it appeared Hammy MAY — and that’s always the caveat with Hammy, he may or he could — start on Saturday in Philly. Wouldn’t that be something, for Hampton to make his first appearance in the majors in 35 months in a game the Braves HAVE to win, and he goes out there and locks down that great hitting team in that cracker-jack sized ballyard.
Or, more likely, Hampton trips on the top step of the dugout running onto the field for the bottom of the first, tears his ACL, and is gone for the year.
Chipper or not, gotta win tonight.
Bud.
http://braves.today.com
Comment by Bud — July 25, 2008 @ 7:14 am