Braves 4, Dodgers 3

The Braves fought and pulled this one out, rebounding nicely from last night's game. Greg Norton made use of himself by driving in the go-ahead run, evening the series with a 4-3 win.

Adam LaRoche & Chipper Jones (AP - John Bazemore)

The Braves started the scoring in the third on an RBI double by Chipper Jones. The Dodgers tied it and took the lead in the fourth when Casey Blake sac flied a run in and James Loney singled in a run. Jones singled in a run in the fifth to tie it at two.

Andre Ethier struck again with a long ball, hitting a solo homer in the sixth to put the Dodgers ahead 3-2. But the Braves answered for good in the home half on an RBI single by Diory Hernandez and an RBI single by Norton for the 4-3 lead.

Derek Lowe: W (11-7), 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Mike Gonzalez: H (11), 1 IP
Rafael Soriano: S (16) 1 IP, K

Derek Lowe got his quality start in, earning his 11th win due to the two-run sixth for the Braves. Lowe wasn't spot on with control but did what he needed to do to keep the Braves in the game. I didn't see the game so I don't know if there was some reason to pull him after six, but he was only at 85 pitches so it seems there must have been something. Peter Moylan allowed a double and got two outs in the seventh. He was bailed out by a diving catch by Nate McLouth that saved the tying run from scoring.

Chipper Jones: 2-4, 2 RBI
Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche: 2 hits each
Diory Hernandez, Greg Norton: RBI each

Adam LaRoche picked up two hits in his return to the Braves, scoring the tying run. Hernandez and Norton recorded the tying and go-ahead RBIs. The Braves had 10 hits but struck out eight times, including three from David Ross.

Notable Dodgers:
Andre Ethier: 2-4, HR
Randy Wolf: 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Notable Stat:
Peter Moylan, Eric O' Flaherty, Mike Gonzalez: Combined 39 holds.

Next Game:
8/2: Dodgers, 8:10 (Chad Billingsley vs. Jair Jurrjens)

Final Roundup (7/31)

The Phillies and Marlins inched another game away from the Braves with wins on Friday night. On the farm, Mississippi won and Myrtle Beach swept a doubleheader.

NL East Notables:
The Phillies evened the series against the Giants with a 5-1 win. Cliff Lee dominated in his Philly debut, allowing one run on four hits over a complete game outing, walking two and striking out six. Jayson Werth went 2-5 with a homer and three RBIs.

The Marlins beat the Cubs, 5-2. Chris Volstad allowed two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings, not walking any and striking out five. Wes Helms drove in two as a pinch hitter and Jorge Cantu went deep for the Fish.

The Braves are now eight games out of first and two back from the Marlins. The Rockies are tied with the Giants for the WC lead again and the Braves are four out.

Notable Lines:
PHI - Cliff Lee: 9 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K
PHI - Jayson Werth: 2-5, HR, 3 RBI
FLA - Chris Volstad: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 K
NYM - Livan Hernandez: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

NL East Top Performer:

Cliff Lee
SP - Phillies
(9 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K) vs. Giants

Braves MiL Notables:
AA Mississippi defeated West Tennessee, 5-4, behind another solid game from the two-headed monster. Jason Heyward went 2-4 with a double and RBI. Freddie Freeman went 2-5 with a double and two RBIs. Brandon Hicks added three hits and two RBIs. Scott Diamond allowed two runs in six innings.

A+ Myrtle Beach beat Kinston two straight in a doubleheader, including 3-0 in the night game. Robert Marcial drove in all three runs on a home run. Chris Shehan went 3-3 with two doubles after going 2-3 with a double and home run in the day game. Brandon Beachy pitched four shutout innings.

Notable Lines:
AAA - Chris Burke: 2-4, 2B, HR
AA - Jason Heyward: 2-4, 2B, RBI
AA - Freddie Freeman: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI
AA - Brandon Hicks: 3-5, 2 RBI
A+ - Cole Miles: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI
A+ - Chris Shehan: 2-3, 2B, HR; 3-3, 2 2B

Braves MiL Top Performer:

Chris Shehan
CF - A+ Myrtle Beach
(2-3, 2B, HR; 3-3, 2 2B) vs. Kinston

The First Basemen Swap

While Casey Kotchman is under team control for two more years, Adam LaRoche is a free agent at season's end. It's almost as if the Braves are trading Kotchman to get rid of the obligation of paying him. But LaRoche does pose a greater power threat than Kotchman so I can understand the move.

Kotchman and LaRoche have a similar OPS due to Kotchman's higher OBP and LaRoche's higher SLG. So basically what the Braves are getting is the potential for 10 more home runs and a few more doubles, and what the Red Sox are getting is a solid pinch hitter who doesn't strike out.

I don't mind the fact that LaRoche's contract is up because there's a good chance he could re-sign at a decent amount. Even if he doesn't, Freddie Freeman is waiting for his shot at Mississippi. The deal doesn't improve one team more than the other, it just helps both of them in areas where they needed it.

Dodgers 5, Braves 0

This could possibly be the most depressing game I've seen this season. It completely does away with any hopes of the Braves actually being able to carry a hot streak.

Andre Ethier (AP - John Bazemore)

The game was scoreless through four, but the Dodgers put three on the board in the fifth on a three-run home run by Andre Ethier. Rafael Furcal singled in a run in the seventh and Ethier doubled in a run in the ninth for a five-run lead.

Tommy Hanson: L (5-2), 6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K
Kris Medlen: 2 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K

It seems like Tommy Hanson didn't really pitch that bad. He cruised through the first four innings with minimal trouble, made a big mistake to Ethier in the fifth, and was charged with a run in the sixth just because he allowed a leadoff walk. Eric O' Flaherty allowed the run to score. Hanson threw strikes and only gave up one extra base hit, but the home run to Ethier ruined his night.

Chipper Jones and Diory Hernandez were the only starters with a hit. Jones also walked twice. Greg Norton recorded the other hit. The Braves left 10 on base and were 0-6 with runners in scoring position.

Notable Dodgers:
Jason Schmidt: W (2-1), 6 IP, H, 5 BB, 3 K
Andre Ethier: 2-5, HR, 4 RBI

Notable Stat:
The Braves can't hit.

Next Game:
8/1: Dodgers, 4:10 (Randy Wolf vs. Derek Lowe)

7/31: Dodgers @ Braves Game Preview

July 31, 2009 - 7:30 (Peachtree TV)
Dodgers (63-39) vs. Braves (52-50)
@


Jason Schmidt
(1-1, 7.88 ERA, 4 BB, 3 K, 1.75 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 5-8, 5.00 ERA in 18 starts
vs.

Tommy Hanson
(5-1, 2.95 ERA, 25 BB, 37 K, 1.31 WHIP)
Career vs. Dodgers: First start

Braves vs. Schmidt:
Chipper Jones: 47 PA, 16-42, 5 HR, 14 RBI
Greg Norton: 8 PA, 4-8, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Brian McCann: 8 PA, 1-6
Nate McLouth: 7 PA, 3-7

Team Standings:
Dodgers: 1st NL West
Braves: 3rd NL East, 7 GB; 4th WC, 4 GB

Season Series:
0-0

What to Look For:
Whether Jason Schmidt can rebound and save his job in Los Angeles. Joe Torre apparently is giving him one more shot at staying in the rotation. The Braves are entering a stretch of seven games against the Dodgers within two weeks so getting off on the right foot is important.

Stat to Consider:
The Braves are 6-1 in their past seven home games against the Dodgers. They swept them at home last season.

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Braves get back LaRoche from Red Sox
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7/31-8/2: Dodgers @ Braves Series Preview

Los Angeles Dodgers (63-39, 1st NL West)
@
Atlanta Braves (52-50, 3rd NL East)

The Braves crawl out of Florida and head home to host the Dodgers for three games.

(2009 stats followed by career stats vs. opposing team)
7/31 - 7:30
Jason Schmidt (1-1, 7.88 ERA...5-8, 5.00 ERA in 18 starts)
vs.
Tommy Hanson (5-1, 2.95 ERA)

Jason Schmidt might be pitching for his job in this start. He has made two starts since coming off the disabled list, allowing seven earned runs in eight innings. He only lasted three innings in his last start against the Marlins, giving up four earned runs. Tommy Hanson was finally tagged with his first career loss in his last start, giving up two runs in seven innings to the Brewers.

8/1 - 4:10
Randy Wolf (5-5, 3.43 ERA...4-11, 5.36 ERA in 23 starts, 25 total games)
vs.
Derek Lowe (10-7, 4.20 ERA...0-1, 3.21 ERA in 2 starts)

Randy Wolf has been a consistent starter for the Dodgers this season despite poor run support. He ranks seventh in the league in WHIP at 1.15 and is coming off six innings of two-run ball against the Cardinals. Derek Lowe had another good start but fell victim to facing Yovani Gallardo. He allowed two runs in six innings to the Brewers.

8/2 - 8:10
Chad Billingsley (10-6, 3.96 ERA...0-2, 5.93 ERA in 2 starts, 4 total games)
vs.
Jair Jurrjens (9-7, 2.69 ERA...2-0, 1.38 ERA in 2 starts)

Somehow Chad Billingsley has terrible career numbers against the Braves, going 0-2 in two career starts. Billingsley has struggled in July and has seen his ERA jump from mid-two to almost four. He allowed six runs in 5.2 innings against the Cardinals in his last start. Jair Jurrjens continues to cruise, giving up two runs in six innings to the Marlins.

Key Dodgers Relievers:
CL - Jonathan Broxton (47.2 IP, 2.83 ERA, 24 SV...6.1 IP, 1.42 ERA)
SU - Ramon Troncoso (62.1 IP, 2.02 ERA, 10 HLD...1.2 IP, 0.00 ERA)
MR - Guillermo Mota (50.1 IP, 3.04 ERA, HLD...38.2 IP, 1.86 ERA, 9 HLD)

Key Dodgers Hitters:
LF - Manny Ramirez (.317, 11 HR, 37 RBI....271, 4 HR, 14 RBI in 23 games)
CF - Matt Kemp (.316, 13 HR, 59 RBI....256, 2 HR, 8 RBI in 13 games)
1B - James Loney (.289, 7 HR, 63 RBI....167, 0 HR, 2 RBI in 12 games)

Adam LaRoche Traded to Braves

Here I am sitting on my butt all day and not even realizing the deadline is within the half hour. The Braves have apparently traded Casey Kotchman for Adam LaRoche.

This deal makes no sense to me. The Braves are paying more for a few more home runs and the same OPS. How does Frank Wren think this is an improvement?

Update: The Gwinnett Daily Post tweets Barbaro Canizares has been called up due to the LaRoche/Kotchman trade.

Final Roundup (7/30)

The Phillies and Giants began an important series on Thursday. Recapping it along with the Mets/Rockies doubleheader. On the farm, Danville's starter flirted with a no-hitter.

The Phillies remained six games up on the Marlins despite losing to the Giants, 7-2. Three errors led to seven runs but only three earned over four innings for Rodrigo Lopez. For the Giants, Pablo Sandoval hit a homer and drove in four, and Eugenio Velez went 3-5 with three RBIs. The Giants remain in first in the Wild Card, a game ahead of the Rockies.

The Mets and Rockies split a doubleheader, with the Mets taking the day game, 7-0. Johan Santana pitched seven shutout innings, striking out eight. David Wright and Angel Berroa each had two RBIs. The Rockies beat the Mets in the night game, 4-2. Jonathan Niese allowed four runs in 6.1 innings. For the Rockies, Jorge De La Rosa allowed two runs on three hits in 6.1 innings. Clint Barmes hit a homer and drove in two. The Mets are 9.5 out in the East, 6.5 out in the WC.

Notable Lines:
NYM - Johan Santana: 7 IP, 4 H, BB, 8 K
ATL - Brian McCann: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI
ATL - Javier Vazquez: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 8 K
FLA - Rick VandenHurk: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 9 K
WAS - Ryan Zimmerman: HR, 3 RBI

NL East Top Performer:

Johan Santana
SP - Mets
(7 IP, 4 H, BB, 8 K) vs. Rockies

Braves MiL Notables:
AAA Gwinnett scored the go-ahead run in the seventh, beating Rochester, 2-1. Todd Redmond allowed one unearned run on six hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out seven. Brian Barton hit a solo homer and Gregor Blanco picked up the winning RBI.

Notable Lines:
AAA - Todd Redmond: 7 IP, 6 H, R, BB, 7 K
AA - Ryne Reynoso: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB
A- - Luis Sumoza: 3-4, RBI
A- - Adam Milligan: 2-4, 3B, RBI
Rk - Julio Teheran: 8 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 11 K

Braves MiL Top Performer:
Julio Teheran
SP - Rk Danville
(8 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 11 K) vs. Burlington
Took no-hitter into 6th.

Braves 6, Marlins 3

Brian McCann bailed the Braves out of a sweep by hitting a three-run homer in the 10th, giving the Braves a 6-3 win.

Brian McCann (AP - J Pat Carter)

The Braves started the scoring in the second on a two-run double by Casey Kotchman. They kept the two-run lead through four, but the Marlins cut the lead in half in the fifth on an RBI single by Ronny Paulino. Nate McLouth got the run back in the seventh on an RBI single for a 3-1 lead.

Cody Ross hit a solo homer in the eighth to cut the lead in half again, knocking Javier Vazquez out. The Marlins loaded the bases and tied the game on a cheap dribbler down the line. The teams went to extras and McCann quickly ended it on a three-run home run.

Javier Vazquez: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 8 K
Mike Gonzalez: BSV (5), 0.2 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K
Peter Moylan: W (3-2), 1 IP, H
Rafael Soriano: S (15), 1 IP, H, 3 K

Vazquez gave up one hit through the first four innings. He cruised through seven and wasn't really pitching bad when he was taken out, but he was up to 110 pitches and had allowed a home run and walk. Mike Gonzalez made a mistake on an 0-2 count that allowed a single to Wes Helms. It eventually came back to bite him when he loaded the bases and gave up the tying run on a dribbler. At least he was able to get out of it without giving up the winning run. Rafael Soriano struck out the side in the ninth.

Brian McCann: 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Casey Kotchman: 2-3, 2 RBI
Nate McLouth: 2-5, RBI

McCann recorded two doubles along with the winning homer in the 10th. All six runs were crucial to the win. Kotchman's gave the Braves an early lead that they needed after going into hibernation in the middle innings. McLouth's kept the Braves ahead for the time being and kept them in the game for the extra innings. Yunel Escobar was hit on the wrist in the second inning and came out. He, along with Martin Prado, are listed as day-to-day. Check my previous post if you haven't heard about Prado yet.

Notable Marlins:
Rick VandenHurk: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 9 K

Notable Stat:
Kelly Johnson has seven errors.

Kelly Johnson Play of the Day:
Committed error on grounder that could have potentially cost them the game in the ninth.

Next Game:
7/31: Dodgers, 7:30 (Jason Schmidt vs. Tommy Hanson)

Bennett Released; Prado Not Playing

As expected, the Braves released Jeff Bennett today. What wasn't known is the Braves suspended his pay beginning June 25. Bennett filed a grievance and the MLBPA ordered the Braves to either pay back what was owed or release him. Good move for the Braves.

According to Mark Bowman's Twitter stream, Martin Prado was hit by a line drive on the ankle during batting practice prior to tonight's game and limped off. X-ray results have yet to be posted. Kelly Johnson is starting tonight.

7/30: Braves @ Marlins Game Preview

July 30, 2009 - 7:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (51-50) vs. Marlins (53-48)
@


Javier Vazquez
(8-7, 2.98 ERA, 27 BB, 150 K, 1.07 WHIP)
Career vs. Marlins: 6-6, 4.67 ERA in 17 starts, 18 total games
vs.

Rick VandenHurk
(1-0, 2.45 ERA, 5 BB, 7 K, 1.36 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 2-0, 4.19 ERA in 4 starts, 5 total games

Braves vs. VandenHurk:
Kelly Johnson: 11 PA, 0-9
Yunel Escobar: 8 PA, 2-7, 2 2B
Brian McCann: 8 PA, 3-6, HR
Chipper Jones: 7 PA, 0-4, 3 BB

Marlins vs. Vazquez:
Ross Gload: 26 PA, 10-25, 4 RBI
Wes Helms: 11 PA, 1-11, HR
Hanley Ramirez: 3 PA, 0-3
Dan Uggla: 3 PA, 1-3, 2 RBI

Team Standings:
Braves: 3rd NL East, 8 GB; T-4th Wild Card, 4 GB
Marlins: 2nd NL East, 6 GB; 3rd Wild Card, 2 GB

Season Series:
2-5 (Last Game: 7/29, L 6-3)

What to Look For:
The Braves must salvage a win today. This was an important series for both teams and the Braves stumbled through it, but losing all three could be devastating to their recent boost in confidence. The Braves have who they want on the mound in a must-win game. Javier Vazquez has earned wins in his past three outings and the Braves have won in each of his past four starts.

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Infante set to begin rehab stint
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Final Roundup (7/29)

The Marlins took a step forward in the standings while the Braves took another step backward. Gwinnett and Danville picked up wins on the farm.

NL East Notables:
Tuesday's game was the expected loss for the Phillies with Dan Haren going for the Diamondbacks, but the Phillies were shut down last night by Yusmeiro Petit, who pitched six shutout innings. J.A. Happ allowed two runs in six innings for the Phillies, who got two hits each from Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez but no runs. The Phillies remain six games up on the Marlins.

The Marlins moved to two games out in the Wild Card with a 6-3 win over the Braves. The Braves are now four games out in the Wild Card, remaining eight games back in the East.

WC Notables: The Giants defeated the Pirates in 10, 1-0, taking the WC lead. The Rockies were rained out. The Cubs blew out the Astros, 12-0, to remain one game back.

Notable Lines:
FLA - Josh Johnson: 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, BB, K; HR, 3 RBI
FLA - Hanley Ramirez: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
ATL - Garret Anderson: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI
PHI - J.A. Happ: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
WAS - Ryan Zimmerman: 2-3, 2 RBI
WAS - Nick Johnson: 2-4, 2 RBI

NL East Top Performer:

Josh Johnson
SP - Marlins
(6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, BB, K; HR, 3 RBI) vs. Braves

Braves MiL Notables:
AAA Gwinnett defeated Rochester, 4-1. Barbaro Canizares had three hits, two doubles, and three RBIs. Chris Burke picked up an RBI on two hits. John Halama allowed one run on four hits in six innings.

Rk Danville beat Burlington, 6-3. Matt Crim allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out four. Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg picked up two RBIs on two hits. Osman Marval added two hits and an RBI.

Notable Lines:
AAA - Barbaro Canizares: 3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI
AAA - John Halama: 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 K
AA - Greg Creek: 4-5, 3 RBI
AA - Matt Young, Jason Heyward: 2 RBI each
A+ - Gerardo Rodriguez: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
Rk - Matt Crim: 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K
Rk - Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg: 2-5, 2 RBI

Braves MiL Top Performer:

Greg Creek
1B - Mississippi
(4-5, 3 RBI) vs. West Tennessee

Marlins 6, Braves 3

Kenshin Kawakami was bombed for six runs, leading the Marlins to a second straight win over the Braves, 6-3.

The Clown & Bobby Cox (AP - J Pat Carter)

The Marlins struck first in the third on an RBI triple by Hanley Ramirez. The big blow came in the fourth when Josh Johnson hit a three-run homer for a four-run lead. The Braves did get one run back in the fifth with a solo homer by Casey Kotchman, but the Marlins got it right back and added another in the sixth with solo homers by Ramirez and Dan Uggla. Garret Anderson hit a two-run home run in the sixth.

Kenshin Kawakami: L (5-8), 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Kris Medlen: 1.1 IP, BB, K
Manny Acosta: 1.1 IP, 2 BB

Kawakami threw 89 pitches and only 48 were strikes. Nuff said. He gave up three home runs and walked three. Definitely not up to the task of facing the ace this time, and it's a third straight loss for the Braves when Kawakami starts. This could be factored into the Braves' decision when Tim Hudson returns.

Garret Anderson: 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Casey Kotchman: 2-4, HR

The Braves actually had more hits than the Marlins at 10, but they left seven on base and went 1-7 with runners in scoring position. Every starter had a hit but Brian McCann and Yunel Escobar. If you haven't read my Twitter updates, it must be said that Bill Hohn is a complete joke of an umpire. I just needed to get that in somewhere.

Notable Marlins:
Josh Johnson: W (10-2), 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, BB, K
Hanley Ramirez: 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 RBI

Notable Stat:
Hanley Ramirez's triple was his first this season.

Next Game:
7/30: @ Marlins, 7:10 (Javier Vazquez vs. Rick VandenHurk)

7/29: Braves @ Marlins Game Preview

July 29, 2009 - 7:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (51-49) vs. Marlins (52-48)
@


Kenshin Kawakami
(5-7, 4.04 ERA, 43 BB, 72 K, 1.36 WHIP)
Career vs. Marlins: 0-1, 6.00 ERA in 1 start
vs.

Josh Johnson
(9-2, 2.80 ERA, 35 BB, 113 K, 1.10 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 3-1, 2.45 ERA in 8 starts, 9 total games

Braves vs. Johnson:
Chipper Jones: 25 PA, 6-20, RBI
Brian McCann: 21 PA, 5-21, HR, 2 RBI
Kelly Johnson: 11 PA, 4-10, RBI

Marlins vs. Kawakami:
Jeremy Hermida: 3 PA, 1-3, RBI
Hanley Ramirez: 3 PA, 0-3
Cody Ross: 3 PA, 2-2, HR, 4 RBI

Team Standings:
Braves: 3rd NL East, 8 GB; 4th Wild Card, 3 GB
Marlins: 2nd NL East, 7 GB; 3rd Wild Card, 2 GB

Season Series:
2-4 (Last Game: 7/28, L 4-3)

What to Look For:
Another start, another mountain to climb for Kenshin Kawakami. It seems as if he has faced the best of every club's pitching staff every time out and it is no different tonight as he goes against Josh Johnson. Johnson has only one career loss against the Braves along with a mid-two ERA, while Kawakami struggled against the Marlins in his second career start as a Brave. This is a must-win for the Braves to remain close to the Marlins before they head out west.

Stat to Consider:
Josh Johnson has 17 straight quality starts, a Marlins record.

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Marlins 4, Braves 3

If there's a such thing as a big blow, this would be it. Ross Gload hit a game-winning homer in the ninth to beat the Braves, 4-3.

Ross Gload (AP - J Pat Carter)

The Braves started the scoring in the third on an RBI single by Martin Prado. The Marlins answered in the home half with two runs on a double by Hanley Ramirez. They remained on top until the sixth, when Chipper Jones hit a solo homer to tie it at two.

The game was tied at two until the ninth, when Garret Anderson hit a solo homer to break it. But neither Rafael Soriano nor the umpire were on tonight, and Gload launched a winning two-run shot in the home half. I say this is a big blow not only because it gives the Marlins second place for a day, it puts the Braves a game down in a big series with Josh Johnson taking the mound for the Marlins the next day.

Jair Jurrjens: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K
Mike Gonzalez: 1 IP, H, 3 K
Peter Moylan: 1 IP, H, K
Rafael Soriano: L (1-2); BSV (2), 0.1 IP, H, 2 ER, BB

Jair Jurrjens gave up a good number of hits but his only mistake came in the third on the two-run double by Ramirez. He pitched out of trouble very well, avoiding threatening innings in the first, fifth, and sixth. A good stat for him tonight was only one walk to five strikeouts. Mike Gonzalez gave up a hit but struck out the side. Soriano couldn't find the strike zone but he had plenty to argue about due to more than one borderline call that didn't go his way, leading to a leadoff walk. He couldn't argue the home run, though, which was a fastball grooved down the middle and turned around over 400 feet the other way. It's just his second blown save and I would probably attribute it to being rusty before I would say fatigue. Soriano hasn't pitched since the first game of the Brewers series.

Garret Anderson: 2-4, HR
Chipper Jones: HR
Martin Prado: RBI

The Braves had eight hits and did enough to win the game behind strong pitching. They received clutch homers from Jones and Anderson and an RBI from a bitofa scuffling Prado. Yunel Escobar added two hits.

Notable Marlins:
Hanley Ramirez: 2 RBI
Ross Gload: PH HR, 2 RBI
Ricky Nolasco: 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K

Notable Stat:
OF assist to Garret Anderson for catching Jeremy Hermida napping on the way back to first after a single.

Next Game:
7/29: @ Marlins, 7:10 (Kenshin Kawakami vs. Josh Johnson)

7/28: Braves @ Marlins Game Preview

July 28, 2009 - 7:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (51-48) vs. Marlins (51-48)
@


Jair Jurrjens
(9-7, 2.67 ERA, 47 BB, 88 K, 1.20 WHIP)
Career vs. Marlins: 2-1, 6.14 ERA in 4 starts
vs.

Ricky Nolasco
(7-7, 5.42 ERA, 26 BB, 105 K, 1.36 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 1-4, 5.18 ERA in 7 starts, 8 total games

Braves vs. Nolasco:
Brian McCann: 21 PA, 7-19, 2 HR, 7 RBI
Chipper Jones: 18 PA, 9-16, 3 HR, 6 RBI
Ryan Church: 16 PA, 2-12, HR
Yunel Escobar: 10 PA, 5-10, HR, 3 RBI

Marlins vs. Jurrjens:
Jorge Cantu: 12 PA, 2-11, RBI
Hanley Ramirez: 12 PA, 4-12, 3 HR, 3 RBI
Dan Uggla: 11 PA, 5-11, RBI
Cody Ross: 5 PA, 2-5, HR, 3 RBI

Season Series: 2-3 (Last Game: 5/7, W 4-2)

What to Look For:
How Jair Jurrjens handles the Marlins. He has terrible career numbers against the Marlins but that changed in a start earlier in the season in which he allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings. Any time they face the Marlins the player to watch is Hanley Ramirez, who currently leads the league in batting average at .348. Ramirez has three career homers off Jurrjens. On the other side, Chipper Jones has rocked Ricky Nolasco for nine hits in 16 at bats, including three homers and six RBIs.

Stat to Consider:
Dan Uggla has 14 career homers against the Braves and is 5-11 in his career off Jurrjens.

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The Braves at the Deadline

The Braves appear to be hands off for the deadline this year, though you can never know for sure until that last day passes. They have inquired about Freddy Sanchez and Michael Wuertz, and Troy Glaus has been in the news as well.

Michael Wuertz

Trading for outfielders Nate McLouth and Ryan Church filled the biggest holes the team had and the offense has responded since the break. Not to mention replacing the three glaring holes in the lineup in Jeff Francoeur, Jordan Schafer, and Kelly Johnson. But another bat could always help, and the Braves realize the door shouldn't be shut completely on adding one more.

Troy Glaus:
The first thing that must be noted is a statement from Frank Wren that has been repeated many times, which is the Braves can't add payroll. So a move involving Glaus is a longshot. He would be a power upgrade at first over Casey Kotchman but would cost some defense. Also, you never know for sure how he would return from his shoulder surgery, and it would be a risk to give players away for a possible rental coming off surgery. On the flip side, Glaus probably would not command much in return because of his situation. Glaus' rehab has been put off due to back pain, but he would more than likely pass through waivers after the deadline, so a deal doesn't have to be completed before then.

Freddy Sanchez:
Sanchez has a $8.1MM option that will kick in next year, so the Pirates would have to help the Braves and it is reported that the Pirates wouldn't be able to do much. Not only that, the Braves don't even need a middle infielder. Reports that the Braves talked to the Pirates regarding him are mind boggling to me, but I guess it doesn't hurt to call either way.

Michael Wuertz:
Wuertz is an excellent reliever with the Athletics that would help take some of the load off the late-inning relievers. This is the most logical of the names mentioned in reports, though he is also logical for just about every other team in baseball. The A's have had a lot of calls about him lately so it will be a competition for his services.

Other relievers that are possible include George Sherrill, John Grabow, Chad Qualls, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, and Brandon League. There is just no way of knowing who the Braves have inquired about, but I would bet they have been busy calling several teams. A lefty reliever might cost more and may not be needed as long as Eric O' Flaherty can hold up, and Boone Logan isn't exactly trash as a backup option. Just a solid arm for the late innings would do wonders for the fatigued bullpen down the stretch.

7/28-7/30: Braves @ Marlins Series Preview

Atlanta Braves (51-48, T-2nd NL East)
@
Florida Marlins (51-48, T-2nd NL East)

The Braves wrap up their road trip with three games in Miami against the Marlins.

The Braves are coming off a third straight series win, taking two of three from the Brewers in Milwaukee. The two wins saw tremendous offense from the Braves in which they scored nine and 10 runs. The one loss was by the score of 2-0 due to a shutout performance by Yovani Gallardo. Despite two wins, the Braves were unable to move closer to the Phillies in the East.

The Marlins are in the exact same position as the Braves, with the same record and same number of games behind the Phillies. However, they only have eight more runs scored as a team while allowing more than 50 runs. The Marlins are coming off a series win against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Hanley Ramirez continues to cruise, including driving in three runs on Sunday. They also had the day off Monday as they traveled from the West Coast.

(2009 stats followed by career stats vs. opposing team)
7/28 - 7:10
Jair Jurrjens (9-7, 2.67 ERA...2-1, 6.14 ERA in 4 starts)
vs.
Ricky Nolasco (7-7, 5.42 ERA...1-4, 5.18 ERA in 7 starts, 8 total games)

Jair Jurrjens earned his ninth win of the season with 7.2 innings of one-run ball against the Giants in his last start. Ricky Nolasco has been riding a severe rollercoaster this year, allowing eight runs in one start, giving up two in the next, and giving up seven a few starts later. Nolasco is coming off 6.1 shutout innings against the Padres. Jurrjens allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings against the Marlins on May 7. Nolasco has yet to start against the Braves this season.

7/29 - 7:10
Kenshin Kawakami (5-7, 4.04 ERA...0-1, 6.00 ERA in 1 start)
vs.
Josh Johnson (9-2, 2.80 ERA...3-1, 2.45 ERA in 8 starts, 9 total games)

Kenshin Kawakami struggled with command in his last start, only going five innings despite allowing just one run to the Giants. Josh Johnson continues to impress as one of the top young pitchers in the game today, allowing three runs in seven innings against the Dodgers in his last start. Kawakami struggled in his first start against the Marlins on April 16, allowing four earned runs in six innings. Johnson hasn't made a start against the Braves this season.

7/30 - 7:10
Javier Vazquez (8-7, 2.98 ERA...6-6, 4.67 ERA in 17 starts, 18 total games)
vs.
Rick VandenHurk (1-0, 2.45 ERA...2-0, 4.19 ERA in 4 starts, 5 total games)

Javier Vazquez pitched much better than his numbers show in his last start, allowing four runs in seven innings against the Brewers and still earning his eighth win. Rick VandenHurk has made two starts since getting called up on July 20 for the first time this season. He has made the most of it, allowing a total of three runs in 11 innings against the Padres and Dodgers. Vazquez saw the Marlins on April 14, allowing three runs in six innings and striking out 12, still tied for his season high in punch outs.

Key Marlins Relievers:
CL - Leo Nunez (44 IP, 3.89 ERA, 7 SV...4 IP, 0.00 ERA)
SU - Dan Meyer (38 IP, 2.13 ERA, 13 HLD...4.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2 HLD)
MR - Kiko Calero (36.2 IP, 1.72 ERA, 9 HLD...7 IP, 2.57 ERA, 3 HLD)

Key Marlins Hitters:
SS - Hanley Ramirez (.348, 15 HR, 65 RBI....251, 7 HR, 22 RBI in 59 games)
2B - Dan Uggla (.229, 17 HR, 52 RBI....288, 14 HR, 42 RBI in 58 games)
1B - Jorge Cantu (.290, 10 HR, 57 RBI....250, 2 HR, 16 RBI in 26 games)

Marlins Injuries:
RP - Matt Lindstrom (15-day, elbow strain)
SP - Anibal Sanchez (60-day, shoulder sprain)
RP - Dave Davidson (60-day, shoulder strain)
CF - Alfredo Amezaga (60-day, knee contusion)
RP - Scott Proctor (60-day, elbow surgery)

Final Roundup (7/27)

With the Braves and Marlins taking the day off, the Phillies continued to stretch their division lead with another win. The Mets and Nationals also picked up wins. Tim Hudson made a start at Gwinnett and Rome received a solid start.

NL East Notables:
The Phillies extended their lead to seven with a 6-2 win over the D-Backs. Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer and Raul Ibanez added two hits and an RBI. Jamie Moyer pitched 6.2 scoreless innings for his 10th win.

The Nationals blew out the Brewers, 14-6. Josh Willingham hit two grand slams, driving in eight runs on three hits and two homers. Adam Dunn and Cristian Guzman each drove in two, and Ryan Zimmerman added a solo homer.

Notable Lines:
PHI - Ryan Howard: HR, 2 RBI
PHI - Jamie Moyer: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 5 K
WAS - Josh Willingham: 3-5, 2 HR, 8 RBI
WAS - Adam Dunn, Cristian Guzman: 2 RBI each
NYM - Fernando Tatis: PH HR, 4 RBI

NL East Top Performer:

Josh Willingham
OF - Nationals
(3-5, 2 HR, 8 RBI) vs. Brewers

Braves MiL Notables:
AAA Gwinnett defeated Lehigh Valley, 7-2, behind a strong rehab start by Tim Hudson. He pitched four shutout innings on four hits, not walking any and striking out two. Brooks Conrad went 3-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Chris Burke added three hits and Gregor Blanco drove in two.

A- Rome beat Kannapolis, 5-2. Randall Delgado allowed two unearned runs on four hits in six innings, walking two and striking out 10. Adam Milligan went 2-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Chais Fuller added two RBIs.

Notable Lines:
AAA - Tim Hudson: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 K
AAA - Brooks Conrad: 3-3, HR, 2 RBI
A+ - Cody Johnson: 2-4, 2 RBI
A+ - Randy Gress: 2-5, 2 RBI
A+ - Donell Linares: 2 RBI
A- - Randall Delgado: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K
A- - Adam Milligan: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI

Braves MiL Top Performer:

Randall Delgado
SP - A- Rome
(6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K) vs. Kannapolis

Braves 10, Brewers 2

The Braves scored nine runs in the last four innings to lead them to a 10-2 win, taking the series in Milwaukee.

Casey Kotchman (AP - Morry Gash)

Only one run was scored through five innings and it came in the first on an RBI double by Brian McCann. The Braves added four runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Matt Diaz and a three-run home run by Casey Kotchman. The Brewers scored their only two runs in the sixth on a two-run home run by Corey Hart.

The Braves answered Hart's homer in the seventh with a solo homer by McCann for a 6-2 lead. They broke it open in the eighth with two runs due to mistakes by the Brewers. Martin Prado earned an RBI on a sac fly, though the ball was dropped by Jody Gerut that allowed the run to score. Yunel Escobar walked with the bases loaded for their eighth run. Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer in the ninth for insurance.

Derek Lowe: W (10-7), 6 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 K
Mike Gonzalez, Peter Moylan, Kris Medlen: Scoreless inning each

Lowe gave up nine hits but the only two runs to score came on a home run. This is due in large part to only one of the hits being an extra base hit. A couple mistakes ran Lowe's pitch count up in the sixth and prevented him from going seven, though he probably could have at least started the inning with a four-run lead. However, Gonzalez was called on a day before he was originally supposed to, and he pitched a perfect seventh. Both he and Moylan were the relievers who entered for no reason today. Is there really any need for Moylan to enter the game with a six-run lead? I'm sure he was already warming up when it was a four-run lead, but that's why there are two mounds in the bullpen.

Casey Kotchman: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
Kelly Johnson: 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Brian McCann: 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI

Despite 10 runs, the Braves really didn't take advantage of scoring opportunities well. They went 3-14 w/RISP and left eight on base. But I guess I shouldn't nit-pick. The trio of Kotchman, Johnson, and McCann all had great days, combining for seven of the 10 runs scored. Even with 10 runs, the top three hitters, McLouth, Prado, and Escobar, all went hitless. Probably the worst double digit score this year.

Notable Brewers:
Braden Looper: L (9-5), 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Corey Hart: HR, 2 RBI

Notable Stat:
The Brewers had 10 hits but were only 0-3 w/RISP.

Kelly Johnson Play of the Day:
Grounder ate him up with Lowe fighting it in the 6th. Hey, I know he went crazy at the plate, but I don't care.

Next Game:
7/28: @ Marlins, 7:10 (Jair Jurrjens vs. Ricky Nolasco)