April 18, 2011
Jair Jurrjens vs. Chad Billingsley
Despite losing Jair Jurrjens in the third, the Braves cruise to a 11-3 throttling of the Dodgers. Jairo Asencio gave up a homer that initially gave the Dodgers 3-2 lead in the fourth, but the Braves would erase that in the sixth and with a pair of three-run shots in the seventh and eighth, this game became a laugher.
Juan Uribe hit a two-run bomb off Jurrjens in the second to start the scoring. Nate McLouth matched that with a two-run shot in the third. After Asencio gave up Rod Barajas's fourth homer of the year in the fourth, David Ross doubled in Chipper Jones to tie it up in the sixth. After a walk, a flyout got Ross to third and he scored on a balk. The Braves used their muscle the rest of the way. Martin Prado reached to open the seventh. On a busted hit-and-run, Prado stole second. Possibly to put a double play in order, Blake Hawkesworth walked Jason Heyward intentionally to bring up McLouth. Bad idea. Three-run bomb, 7-3. In the 8th, Dan Uggla walked and Diory Hernandez sneaked a single through. Wilkin Ramirez, who entered during the previous inning during a double switch, launched a 1-0 pitch for his first hit in his first at-bat as a Brave. That homer made it 10-3. Jones added an RBI double to make it 11-3.
Asencio went 2-1 ING to pick up his first win. Scott Linebrink tossed a scoreless inning and Peter Moylan struck out two, but his two walks brought in former Dodger George Sherrill (and Ramirez), who got Moylan out of the 7th and worked a quiet 8th. Jonny Venters finished up. In addition to McLouth's five ribbies, Jones had a four hit game, Heyward scored three times, and Hernandez had his first two-hit game. Ramirez added a single in his second at-bat.
11-3 WIN (8-9)
W - J. Asencio (1-0)
L - C. Billingsley (2-2)
April 19
The story on Jurrjens is a strained shoulder. He will hit the DL and probably return in mid-May. Anthony Varvaro was promoted for the time being. When Jurrjens' spot comes up, Mike Minor will be called up.
April 19
Brandon Beachy vs. Hiroki Kuroda
Atlanta had absolutely no answer for Kuroda and Brandon Beachy, despite going seven innings, put the Braves in too big of a hole as they fall 4-0. Really, the solo shots to Rod Barajas in the second and Andre Ethier in the fourth are forgivable, but walking Kuroda to open the fifth, an inning that led to the other two runs? And on four pitches?
Atlanta managed all of two singles off Kuroda. They did get four walks and a hit-by-pitch, but simply could not come up with a big hit. They loaded the bases in the second on a single, a walk, and a HBP, but Beachy fouled off a squeeze bunt before grounding into a twin killing. Only Freddie Freeman reached base twice. He singled and walked.
Beachy's seven innings at least helped the bullpen. Scott Linebrink tossed a scoreless 8th in relief.
4-0 LOSS (8-10)
W - H. Kuroda (1-2)
L - B. Beachy (0-3)
SV - J. Broxton (5)
April 20, 2011
Alex Gonzalez was activated off the DL and Diory Hernandez, his replacement, will stick with the team since he was 6-of-19. Brandon Hicks, 3-of-30, will head to Gwinnett.
Tim Hudson vs. Jon Garland
Despite leaving eleven runners on base, the offense did just enough to get by the Dodgers today, 5-2. Tim Hudson gave up an early run as Xavier Paul doubled, reached third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. In the third, the Braves responded. Dan Uggla doubled and after a wild pitch, scored on Alex Gonzalez's single. It was Gonzalez's first at-bat after being activated earlier that day. Hudson bunted and Garland went for the play at second, throwing wildly. Martin Prado beat out a grounder to load them and Jason Heyward walked in Gonzalez. After an out, David Ross singled in Hudson to make it 3-1. The Braves would load the bases again in the fourth, but failed to score after Nate McLouth K'd looking.
Paul homered off Hudson in the fifth to make it a one-run game, but Hudson kept the Dodgers at bay. In the seventh, he gave up a leadoff single and a wild pitch, but got a pop-up for the first out and with back-to-back lefties due up, Eric O'Flaherty finished off the inning with the tying run stranded at third.
Prado doubled to open the ninth. After an intentional pass to Heyward and an unintentional pass to McLouth, Chipper Jones grounded into a fielder's choice, eliminating Prado. But Ross singled and an error on the play helped a second runner to score. Craig Kimbrel gave up a single, but K'd the side in the ninth for his fourth save. Ross and Prado had three hits with Ross picking up three RBI's. Uggla had a two-hit game to get back over .200.
5-2 WIN (9-10)
W - T. Hudson (2-1)
L - J. Garland (0-1)
SV - C. Kimbrel (4)
April 21, 2011
Derek Lowe vs. Ted Lilly
He needed just 97 pitches to hurl nine solid innings and Derek Lowe breaks into the win column with a complete game eight-hitter. Lowe gave up two unearned runs via a Diory Hernandez error in the second, but the Braves gave him plenty of support. He walked one and struck out three and got 16 ground ball outs.
Braves took the early lead after Alex Gonzalez, getting a shot to hit second with the lefty starting in Ted Lilly, singled with one out and Nate McLouth continued his torrid start with a two-run homer, his seventh. He hit six last year. After Hernandez threw one away, leading to the Dodgers' two runs in the second, Gonzalez hit his first homer to give the Braves the lead they would not give up. Hernandez made up for his mistake with a two-out double in the fourth to plate Dan Uggla. Lowe followed with an RBI single. Jason Heyward belted a two-run bomb in the fifth for his first homer and the ultimate edge in the 7-2 win.
Gonzalez finished a triple short of the cycle, but did pick up four hits. Hernandez had three and McLouth added a double to his solid day. For the first time since April 4th, when they were 2-2, the Braves are again at .500. They look to continue the good times on this 10 day, 10 game road trip through California with three in San Francisco.
7-2 WIN (10-10)
W - D. Lowe (1-2)
L - T. Lilly (1-1)
No comments:
Post a Comment