Series 8: at San Diego

April 25, 2011
Tim Hudson vs. Simon Castro (MLB debut)

Not as magical as yesterday, but Atlanta pulls off back-to-back shutouts as they roll 2-0. Again, the offense struggled, even lining into a triple play. So, yeah, after being no hit, they follow that up with a triple play being turned against them. Yet, they win both games. Fluky game, this baseball is.

Braves scored their first run in the third. Alex Gonzalez singled and after he was bunted to second, Martin Prado hit a two-out double. In the seventh, Chipper Jones drew a bases loaded walk to plate Freddie Freeman. Offense!

Meanwhile, Hudson was superb. He yielded four hits, walked a pair, and struck out seven over his seven frames. He added two sacrifice bunts and even beat out a bunt. After 97 pitches, the Braves went to the pen. Jonny Venters tossed a perfect 8th and while Craig Kimbrel gave up a two-out triple, he worked a scoreless ninth for his sixth save.

2-0 WIN (14-10)
W - T. Hudson (3-1)
L - S. Castro (0-1)
SV - C. Kimbrel (6)

April 26, 2011
Derek Lowe vs. Mat Latos

Frustrating loss as Derek Lowe lacked any ability to get through an inning without putting on at least 743 runners. Surprisingly, that's not a winning formula. After Atlanta gave him an early run with a Jason Heyward triple and a two-out Chipper Jones single, Lowe gave up a single and a double. I guess on the bright side, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs and only allowing one run is awesome?

In the fifth, after a single by Nate McLouth gave him a lead, Lowe would have none of that. A single, a sacrifice bunt that ended up being a single, another single...two-run double, RBI single, and it was 4-2. Brad Hawpe added a two-run homer off Cristhian Martinez, who sucks by the way.

Atlanta stranded 11 runners.

6-2 LOSS (14-11)
W - M. Latos (1-1)
L - D. Lowe (1-3)
SV - H. Bell (7)

April 27, 2011
Tommy Hanson vs. Clayton Richard

Losing a series against the lowly Padres really put us in our place. After wasting a chance in the first when we had two runners on and one out, the game was scoreless until the fourth when, with no outs, Will Venable hit a two-run shot off Tommy Hanson. He missed the zone on his next four and after a sacbunt and needless stolen base, Aaron Cunningham picked up a RBI double. A two-out RBI made it 4-0 and ended Hanson's day.

Julio Teheran, who was getting skipped because of an off day tomorrow, got out of the inning. The Braves finally scored in the sixth, but it was bittersweet. With the bases loaded, Chipper Jones, whose double play killed the Braves in the first, grounded into another twin killing. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Braves got one run from the inning. The Padres would get that run back in the 8th off Scott Linebrink.

Teheran was pretty awesome, striking out five in 2.1 innings. He gave up a hit, walked a batter, and struck out five. But the offense was way too loaded at the top. Today's top three hitters - Martin Prado, Alex Gonzalez, and Nate McLouth, combined to go 7 for 12 with all three picking up multi-hit games. The rest of the lineup was 0 for 20 with a walk, five K's, and three double plays.

5-1 LOSS (14-12)
W - N. Figueroa (2-1)
L - T. Hanson (0-1)