Series 7: at San Francisco

April 22
Before the game, Christhian Martinez was activated and Anthony Varvaro, who did not appear in any games, was demoted. Tomorrow, the Braves will make another move to call up a starter.

Tommy Hanson vs. Jonathan Sanchez

Frustrating game, but at least it's a win. Atlanta strands 16 runners in 12 innings, but escapes with the 2-1 win after rookie Freddie Freeman singled in Chipper Jones and George Sherrill worked a quiet 12th for the save. Jones had opened up the inning with a grounder that Mark DeRosa threw away.

Tommy Hanson worked into the 7th, leaving with two runners on and a lefty at the plate. Eric O'Flaherty gave up a single to Nate Shierholtz to score one of the runners and only Nate McLouth's brilliant throw home to gun down a second runner kept the game tied.

Atlanta had so many scoring chances, it was pretty sad that they scored all of two runs.

2nd, runners on the corners and two outs, stranded.
4th, runners on second-and-third and one out, stranded.
5th, bases loaded and two outs, one run scores on a BB and three stranded.
7th, runners on second-and-third and two outs, stranded.
9th, runners on first-and-second and two outs, stranded.
10th, bases loaded and one out, stranded.

But a win's a win? For the first time since taking their first series with the Nats 2 games to 1, the Braves are above .500.

2-1 WIN - 12 INNINGS (11-10)
W - C. Kimbrel (2-0)
L - J. Affeldt (1-1)
SV - G. Sherrill (1)

April 23, 2011
Due to a mishap, Mike Minor started a game in Gwinnett three days ago. Julio Teheran was called up to get the start today. How long he holds Jair Jurrjens spot will likely be answered by how well he performs. If he struggles, he likely will head back down and Minor will get the call.

Julio Teheran vs. Barry Zito

Welcome to Atlanta, Teheran. Keep pitching like that and you may stick around for awhile. Teheran worked five scoreless, walking three and striking out five. He gave up a pair of singles and was lifted after 82 pitches. Atlanta wasted a bases loaded, nobody out opportunity in the fourth, put made good on it in the fifth. With two outs and the bases juiced, Freddie Freeman pulled a double that cleared the bases and made it 3-0.

Alex Gonzalez, in the sixth, and David Ross, in the seventh, added solo bombs to up the lead to 5-0. It stayed that way until the Giants' third hit, a two-run shot by Buster Posey in the eighth off Cristhian Martinez, who was making his first appearance since he was activated off the DL. Martinez got the next hitter and Eric O'Flaherty finished off the eighth before giving way to Craig Kimbrel in the ninth. He hit a batter, but worked a quiet ninth for his fifth save.

Ross had a perfect day with the bat, finishing with three hits and a triple short of the cycle. He also walked twice. Brooks Conrad had his first hit of the year. At two games over .500, the Braves have set a new high for the season.

5-2 WIN (12-10)
W - J. Teheran (1-0)
L - B. Zito (2-1)
SV - C. Kimbrel (5)

April 24, 2011
Brandon Beachy vs. Tim Lincecum
*sorry Brandon...starting a j.v. lineup. Prado, Heyward, Gonzalez, Freeman, Conrad, Hinske, Ramirez, Boscan, Beachy.

You don't win many games in which you fail to get a hit.

However, Atlanta used a balk by Tim Lincecum to score the only run of a 1-0 game that sent the Braves to a season-best three games over .500.

The Braves seemed more focused on forcing Lincecum to throw a lot of pitches and they succeeded. Unfortunately, they couldn't bust threw against the right-hander. After 7.1 ING, Lincecum was lifted with no hits against him, two walks, and ten K's. An error forced the Giants bullpen to face one over the minimum, but no hits came out of it.

Brandon Beachy was close to Lincecum's equal, going six innings, yielding a single, a walk, and striking out six. Scott Linebrink and Peter Moylan tossed perfect innings and it looked like there would only be one hit throughout the entire game, but Jonny Venters gave up a single and walked the bases loaded before striking out the final two hitters.

The only score of the game came in the fourth. Jason Heyward led it off with a walk. With Alex Gonzalez at the plate and a fullcount, the Braves rolled the dice and sent Heyward. That proved to be very important as Gonzalez grounded right back to Lincecum and the Braves avoided a double play. Heyward would reach third on a Freddie Freeman grounder. With Brooks Conrad at the plate, the umpire came out of his crouch and called balk. Heyward scored. And thus, that's how you win a game without getting a hit.

1-0 WIN (13-10)
W - B. Beachy (1-3)
L - T. Lincecum (2-2)
SV - J. Venters (2)