Braves 4, Marlins 3

It took Tommy Hanson's presence on the mound for the Braves to wake up and win a big game. Four first inning runs gave the Braves the 4-3 win.

Tommy Hanson (AP - John Bazemore)

The Braves scored all four runs in the first inning. Omar Infante led it off with a solo homer. Adam LaRoche followed with an RBI single and Yunel Escobar capped it with a two-run home run.

The score remained 4-0 until the fifth, when the Marlins scored all three of their runs. Wes Helms doubled in a run and Jorge Cantu singled in two. Neither team threatened after that except for the Braves in the seventh, when they left the bases loaded due to an Adam LaRoche strikeout.

Tommy Hanson: W (9-2), 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Mike Gonzalez: H (13), 1 IP, K
Rafael Soriano: S (19), 1 IP, K

Hanson only allowed four hits along with the three runs. He did walk three but struck out seven, and he pitched great after giving up the three runs in the fifth. He seriously has nine wins already? He might end up leading the staff in wins. Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano each had a perfect inning in their roles, which is a welcomed sight.

Yunel Escobar: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 2-4, RBI

Another hitless game for Chipper Jones, though he walked twice. LaRoche, Escobar, and Matt Diaz all had two hits apiece. David Ross went 0-4 in a spot start and Reid Gorecki went 1-4.

Notable Marlins:
Chris Volstad: L (9-10), 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Notable Stat:
Braves had three stolen bases (must be a team record)

Next Game:
8/23: Marlins, 1:30 (Ricky Nolasco vs. Derek Lowe)

8/22: Marlins @ Braves Game Preview

August 22, 2009 - 7:10 (Peachtree TV)
Marlins (65-57) vs. Braves (64-58)
@


Chris Volstad
(9-9, 4.61 ERA, 48 BB, 101 K, 1.33 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 1-1, 3.32 ERA in 3 starts
vs.

Tommy Hanson
(8-2, 3.05 ERA, 29 BB, 62 K, 1.28 WHIP)
Career vs. Marlins: First start

Braves vs. Volstad:
Kelly Johnson: 9 PA, 2-8, HR, 3 RBI
Brian McCann: 9 PA, 1-8
Ryan Church: 6 PA, 0-5
Chipper Jones: 6 PA, 1-6, RBI
Martin Prado: 4 PA, 2-4

Marlins vs. Hanson:
Nick Johnson: 3 PA, 1-3 (Not available today)

Season Series:
3-6 (Last Game: 8/21, L 5-3)

What to Look For:
Chris Volstad has struggled in recent weeks, giving up a total of 10 earned runs in two starts before allowing one run in five innings against the Rockies in his last start. Despite his struggles, the Marlins have won five of his last six starts. The Braves have to get to Volstad today and right the ship after a bad loss last night. Tommy Hanson makes his first career start against the Marlins.

Marlins 5, Braves 3

Not able to take advantage of a situation much? Don't call the Braves for advice. With a chance to gain a game closer to the Phillies and leapfrog the Marlins, the Braves fell on their face, losing 5-3.

The game was scoreless through five, but the Marlins broke the tie in the sixth when Hanley Ramirez singled in a run. It all fell apart in the seventh, beginning with a solo homer by Jeremy Hermida. Ross Gload singled in a run, and Ramirez capped it with a two-run home run. Adam LaRoche hit a three-run home run in the seventh to cut the lead to two.

Javier Vazquez: L (10-9), 6.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, BB, 8 K

No doubt Javier Vazquez's line would have been different if the Braves had given him run support. He did allow four singles through five innings, but none ever threatened to score. A single in the sixth resulted in a run due to a wild pitch that put the runner in scoring position. The leadoff homer by Hermida in the seventh really got to Vazquez, enough to prevent him from calming down and rebounding.

Adam LaRoche: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI

Apparently having everything in your favor means nothing. Making his first start since early June, Anibal Sanchez took a no-hitter into the sixth. Vazquez broke it up with a single. Dan Meyer gave up the home run to LaRoche in the seventh, the only Braves runs in the game. The Braves struck out 10 times.

Notable Marlins:
Anibal Sanchez: W (2-4), 6 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Hanley Ramirez: 3-4, HR, 3 RBI

Notable Stat:
The Braves have homered in seven straight games.

Next Game:
8/22: Marlins, 7:10 (Chris Volstad vs. Tommy Hanson)

8/21-8/23: Marlins @ Braves Series Preview

Florida Marlins (64-57, T-2nd NL East)
vs.
Atlanta Braves (64-57, T-2nd NL East)

In what seems to be a regular occurence these days, the Braves face another tough test with a three-game series against the team they are tied with in the division and wild card, the Florida Marlins.

The Marlins Lately:
The Marlins are coming off a series loss to the Astros that pushed them back to a tie for second with the Braves. Their last series loss before that was August 4-6 against the Nationals. The Marlins are 64-57, tied for second in the East and four games back in the wild card.

The Braves Lately:
After a disappointing loss to begin their most recent series, the Braves won the next two to take two of three from the Mets, vaulting them to a tie for second. They are 64-57, tied for second in the East and four games back in the wild card.

(2009 stats followed by career stats vs. opposing team)
8/21 - 7:30
Anibal Sanchez (1-4, 5.55 ERA...2-3, 5.08 ERA in 6 starts)
vs.
Javier Vazquez (10-8, 2.99 ERA...6-6, 4.61 ERA in 18 starts, 19 total games)

Anibal Sanchez is making his first start since June 2nd due to a shoulder injury that put him on the 60-day DL. Not only are the Braves catching Sanchez at a good time, he also has not had much success in his career against the Braves. He has made two starts against the Braves this season, allowing two runs in six innings and four runs in 4.2 innings. Javier Vazquez is coming off seven innings of four-run ball against the Phillies, with all four runs scoring on Ryan Howard homers. Vazquez has made two starts against the Marlins this season, allowing three runs in six innings and three runs in 7.1 innings.

8/22 - 7:10
Chris Volstad (9-9, 4.61 ERA...1-1, 3.32 ERA in 3 starts)
vs.
Tommy Hanson (8-2, 3.05 ERA)

Chris Volstad had a rough couple of starts in early August, allowing four earned runs and six earned runs in two straight starts before giving up one run in five innings against the Rockies in his most recent start. He allowed one run in seven innings in his one start against the Braves this season. Tommy Hanson has yet to face the Marlins. He allowed two runs in six innings against the D-Backs in his last start.

8/23 - 1:30
Ricky Nolasco (9-8, 5.22 ERA...1-4, 4.79 ERA in 8 starts, 9 total games)
vs.
Derek Lowe (12-8, 4.45 ERA...6-4, 4.90 ERA in 11 starts, 16 total games)

Ricky Nolasco did a complete 180 from his second most recent start to his most recent one. He gave up 10 runs to the Astros before turning around and allowing two runs in a complete game outing against the same team. Nolasco allowed two runs in seven innings in his one start against the Braves this season. Derek Lowe finally blew up in his last start, allowing eight runs to the Mets in a terrible loss. He needs to get his butt on track.

Key Marlins Relievers:
CL - Leo Nunez (52.1 IP, 4.13 ERA, 13 SV...6 IP, 1.50 ERA, SV)
SU - Dan Meyer (45.2 IP, 2.76 ERA, 16 HLD...6 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 HLD)
MR - Kiko Calero (43.2 IP, 1.85 ERA, 9 HLD...8 IP, 3.38 ERA, 3 HLD)

Key Marlins Hitters:
SS - Hanley Ramirez (.357, 18 HR, 82 RBI....252, 8 HR, 26 RBI in 62 games)
CF - Cody Ross (.271, 20 HR, 66 RBI....311, 8 HR, 27 RBI in 45 games)
2B - Dan Uggla (.242, 22 HR, 65 RBI....287, 15 HR, 43 RBI in 61 games)

Braves 3, Mets 2

Kenshin Kawakami outdueled Johan Santana over seven innings, giving the Braves the rubber game by the score of 3-2.

Kenshin Kawakami (AP - Frank Franklin)

The Braves started the scoring in the third on an RBI double by Ryan Church and a sac fly RBI by Omar Infante. The Mets got a run back in the home half of the third on an RBI single by Cory Sullivan.

Brian McCann gave the Braves an insurance run in the fourth on a solo homer, which proved to be big after the Mets scored a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Omir Santos, cutting the lead to a run. The Braves held on after that.

Kenshin Kawakami: W (6-9), 7 IP, 7 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Mike Gonzalez: H (12), 0.2 IP, R, BB, K
Peter Moylan: H (19), 0.1 IP, H
Rafael Soriano: S (18), 1 IP, H

Facing another big matchup, Kawakami was flawless over seven innings. He loaded the bases in the first but struck out two in the inning. Three weak singles in the third inning led to the only run he allowed. Kawakami also gave up a couple doubles in the later innings but pitched out of it. An error led to an unearned run for Mike Gonzalez after Peter Moylan allowed the run to score. The tying run reached first base in the ninth for the Mets but Rafael Soriano shut the door.

Ryan Church: 2-4, RBI
Brian McCann: HR

Chipper Jones is now 0-17 in his last five games after an 0-4 night tonight. Church and Adam LaRoche each had two hits, including a double apiece, with Church recording an RBI on his double. Garret Anderson left after his first at bat with a lower back strain of some sort. Getting old, I guess. Reid Gorecki went 1-3 and will probably start tomorrow.

Notable Mets:
Johan Santana: L (13-9), 7 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 K

Notable Stat:
The win is the first for Kawakami since July 8th.

Next Game:
8/21: Marlins, 7:30 (Anibal Sanchez vs. Javier Vazquez)

8/20: Braves @ Mets Game Preview

August 20, 2009 - 7:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (63-57) vs. Mets (56-64)
@


Kenshin Kawakami
(5-9, 4.13 ERA, 49 BB, 85 K, 1.35 WHIP)
Career vs. Mets: 0-2, 3.09 ERA in 2 starts
vs.

Johan Santana
(13-8, 3.10 ERA, 46 BB, 144 K, 1.21 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 1-4, 1.96 ERA in 7 starts

Braves vs. Santana:
Garret Anderson: 29 PA, 7-26, HR, 4 RBI
Omar Infante: 26 PA, 2-24, 2 RBI
Matt Diaz: 21 PA, 11-20, HR, 3 RBI
Brian McCann: 19 PA, 5-19, HR
Kelly Johnson: 18 PA, 7-18, RBI
Chipper Jones: 16 PA, 5-14, RBI

Mets vs. Kawakami:
Luis Castillo: 7 PA, 1-5
Daniel Murphy: 6 PA, 1-6
Angel Pagan: 4 PA, 2-3
Jeff Francoeur: 3 PA, 1-3

Season Series:
6-5 (Last Game: 8/19, W 15-2)

What to Look For:
Johan Santana is starting, so obviously the focus is on him. He has yet to give up an earned run in two starts against the Braves this season. Santana has seen more consistent days than what has transpired this season, no more evident than his past five starts. He has allowed five runs, no runs, five runs, one run, and four runs in the past five. Six starts ago was seven shutout innings against the Braves. It has been a similar case for Kenshin Kawakami, who seems to face every ace the opposing teams throw at the Braves. After seven shutout innings against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers, Kawakami allowed three runs in 6.1 innings against Cole Hamels and the Phillies. This is not a new matchup for the two teams, either, as both squared off July 18th. It was then that Santana pitched seven shutout innings, while Kawakami allowed two runs in 6.2 innings.

Braves 15, Mets 2

Got 'em back. The Braves scored eight in the second in route to a route, winning 15-2.

Brian McCann (AP - Frank Franklin)

The Braves scored eight in the second inning on a two-run single by Matt Diaz, back-to-back infield RBI singles by Omar Infante and Garret Anderson, a wild pitch that scored Infante, and a three-run bomb by Brian McCann. Infante added an RBI double in the third for a nine-run lead.

Diaz added a two-run homer and Adam LaRoche added a solo homer in the later innings. Ryan Church also doubled in a run and said nanny nanny boo boo to Jerry Manuel.

Jair Jurrjens: W (10-8), 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K

Jair Jurrjens pitched an efficient six innings and that's about all I can say about it because I was more focused on the offense. One walk again is always a good sign for Jurrjens.

Matt Diaz: 2-4, HR, 4 RBI
Brian McCann: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
Omar Infante: 3-6, 3 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 3-5, HR

The Braves had 14 runs on 18 hits so pretty much everybody contributed in one way or another. Chipper Jones was the only starter without a hit. I don't get a chance to say that very often. Reid Gorecki knocked in his first run in front of the hometown crowd. Infante, LaRoche, Church, and Yunel Escobar each had three hits.

Notable Mets:
Bobby Parnell: L (3-5), 3 IP, 9 H, 9 ER, 2 BB, K

Notable Stat:
Not a stat, but Tim Hudson's next rehab start is scheduled against Jake Peavy on Sunday. Good ticket to get.

Next Game:
8/20: @ Mets, 7:10 (Kenshin Kawakami vs. Johan Santana)

8/19: Braves @ Mets Game Preview

August 19, 2009 - 7:10 (SportSouth)
Braves (62-57) vs. Mets (56-63)
@


Jair Jurrjens
(9-8, 2.99 ERA, 54 BB, 109 K, 1.26 WHIP)
Career vs. Mets: 3-1, 2.84 ERA in 5 starts
vs.

Bobby Parnell
(3-4, 3.50 ERA, 25 BB, 46 K, 1.54 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 0-0, 0.00 ERA in 7 games

Braves vs. Parnell:
Yunel Escobar: 3 PA, 1-3
Omar Infante: 2 PA, 1-2
Chipper Jones: 2 PA, 1-1, RBI

Mets vs. Jurrjens:
Luis Castillo: 9 PA, 1-7
Daniel Murphy: 8 PA, 1-7, 2 RBI
Jeremy Reed: 6 PA, 2-5, RBI
Fernando Tatis: 6 PA, 2-6, RBI

Season Series:
5-5 (Last Game: 8/18, L 9-4)

What to Look For:
Bobby Parnell's stamina. This is his third start after 54 relief appearances and he threw 86 pitches over six shutout innings in his most recent start. Whether he can keep the momentum going is important tonight. Jair Jurrjens has a bit of momentum coming into tonight's game as well after allowing two runs in seven innings against the Phillies. Could be a good matchup.

Mets 9, Braves 4

Have the Mets scored nine runs all year? Combined?

Derek Lowe (AP - Frank Franklin)

The Braves actually had a four-run lead early, scoring three in the second on a three-run home run by Matt Diaz. Adam LaRoche hit a solo homer in the third.

It all blew up in the fourth when the Mets scored eight runs. Gary Sheffield had a two-run double, Jeff Francoeur doubled in a run, Fernando Tatis singled in the tying run, Anderson Hernandez singled in the go-ahead run, and blah blah blah after that. In the end, the Mets had a 9-4 lead.

Derek Lowe: L (12-8), 3.2 IP, 11 H, 8 ER

Derek Lowe sucks. He truly hasn't had a great start since mid-July and it finally blew up.

Matt Diaz: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
Adam LaRoche: HR

Martin Prado left after one at bat due to headaches again. Seriously not a good thing to suffer from. He's going back to Atlanta for tests. LaRoche went 1-3 with a solo homer in his spot. Diaz had the only big hit for the Braves, a three-run shot in the second inning. Garret Anderson went 2-4 with a double as well.

Notable Stat:
Braves only went 1-4 w/RISP.

Next Game:
8/19: @ Mets, 7:10 (Jair Jurrjens vs. Bobby Parnell)

8/18: Braves @ Mets Game Preview

August 18, 2009 - 7:10 (
Braves (62-56) vs. Mets (55-63)
@


Derek Lowe
(12-7, 4.08 ERA, 49 BB, 79 K, 1.41 WHIP)
Career vs. Mets: 2-2, 6.23 ERA in 4 starts, 10 total games
vs.

Oliver Perez
(2-3, 5.97 ERA, 55 BB, 58 K, 1.91 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 6-4, 3.53 ERA in 15 starts

Braves vs. Perez:
Chipper Jones: 37 PA, 11-29, HR, 3 RBI
Matt Diaz: 23 PA, 4-22, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Brian McCann: 23 PA, 5-22, HR, 4 RBI
Yunel Escobar: 14 PA, 5-10, HR, 2 RBI
Garret Anderson: 6 PA, 3-6, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Mets vs. Lowe:
Gary Sheffield: 22 PA, 9-19, 2 HR, 9 RBI
Jeff Francoeur: 20 PA, 3-18, HR, 3 RBI
Luis Castillo: 17 PA, 3-16, 2 RBI

I have a meeting to attend so this is all you get. Go Braves.

8/18-8/20: Braves @ Mets Series Preview

Atlanta Braves (62-56, 3rd NL East)
vs.
New York Mets (55-63, 4th NL East)
@

The roll through the NL East continues with a quick road trip to New York for three games.

The Mets Lately:
The Mets are coming off a four-game split with the Giants at home, beginning a long homestand for the struggling bunch. The Mets haven't won a series since taking three of four from the Rockies in the last week of July. They sit 12.5 out in the East and 10 out in the Wild Card.

The Braves Lately:
The Braves took plenty of momentum into the big Philadelphia series but lost two of three, both losses by a combined five runs and the win by one run. They played on their scheduled off-day yesterday, making up a game with the D-Backs and winning. The Braves are 5.5 out in the East and three out in the Wild Card.

(2009 stats followed by career stats vs. opposing team)
8/18 - 7:10
Derek Lowe (12-7, 4.08 ERA...2-2, 6.23 ERA in 4 starts, 10 total games)
vs.
Oliver Perez (2-3, 5.97 ERA...6-4, 3.53 ERA in 15 starts)

Derek Lowe worked another high-wire act in his last start against the Nationals, allowing seven hits and four walks but only two runs in seven innings. He has bad career numbers against the Mets but has done well in two starts against them this season, giving up two runs in 6.2 innings and three runs in six innings, both Braves wins. Oliver Perez had a solid start (whoa) against the Padres (ohhh), allowing one run on two hits and walking only two on August 7. However, he went back to his old ways in his most recent start, walking six and allowing six hits yet somehow allowing just one run. It may have something to do with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings.

8/19 - 7:10
Jair Jurrjens (9-8, 2.99 ERA...3-1, 2.84 ERA in 5 starts)
vs.
Bobby Parnell (3-4, 3.50 ERA...0-0, 0.00 ERA in 7 games)

Jair Jurrjens fared much better in his most recent start, allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings, and most importantly just one walk to six strikeouts. The Bobby Parnell to the rotation experiment proved to be a smart move the second time around. He pitched six shutout innings and struck out seven against the Giants. I think Parnell's goal is at least six innings again, especially since he threw 86 pitches in his last start.

8/20 - 7:10
Kenshin Kawakami (5-9, 4.13 ERA...0-2, 3.09 ERA in 2 starts)
vs.
Johan Santana (13-8, 3.10 ERA...1-4, 1.96 ERA in 7 starts)

Why does Kenshin Kawakami face every single ace? Kawakami went 6.1 innings and threw only 79 pitches in his last start, allowing three runs to the Phillies. He has allowed two runs in both starts against the Mets this season. After two straight eight inning starts, Johan Santana allowed four runs in 6.2 innings against the Giants in his last start. The guy still hasn't given up an earned run to the Braves in two starts this year. Good luck again, Kawakami.

Key Mets Relievers:
CL - Francisco Rodriguez (55 IP, 3.27 ERA, 26 SV...9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 4 SV)
SU - Pedro Feliciano (47 IP, 2.87 ERA, 20 HLD...34.2 IP, 3.12 ERA, 6 HLD)
MR - Brian Stokes (50.2 IP, 3.02 ERA, 6 HLD...8.1 IP, 1.08 ERA, 2 HLD)

Key Mets Hitters:
LF - Gary Sheffield (.283, 10 HR, 41 RBI....276, 20 HR, 52 RBI in 109 games)
RF - Jeff Francoeur (.294, 5 HR, 21 RBI....188, 0 HR, 3 RBI in 4 games) (Hahahaha)
1B - Daniel Murphy (.252, 7 HR, 40 RBI....140, 0 HR, 5 RBI in 16 games)

Key Mets Injuries:
The whole team

Braves 9, D-Backs 4

Tommy Hanson pitched six strong in a 9-4 Braves win over the Diamondbacks.

Ryan Church (AP - John Amis)

Garret Anderson got the Braves going in the second with a solo homer. They scored six in the third thanks in part to Max Scherzer, who committed an error that led to six unearned runs. Chipper Jones sac flied a run in, Adam LaRoche walked to bring home a run, and Ryan Church doubled home three.

The D-Backs got on the board in the fifth on a solo homer by Stephen Drew and an RBI single by Miguel Montero. A two-run home run by LaRoche in the bottom of the fifth gave the Braves the two runs back. But Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the seventh to gain the two runs back again.

Tommy Hanson: W (8-2), 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 7 K
Boone Logan: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, K
Eric O' Flaherty: 1 IP, H, BB
Mike Gonzalez:1 IP, H, BB, K

Hanson's control was spot on again, resulting in six solid innings. He did give up six hits but struck out seven. Boone Logan served up the home run to Reynolds in the seventh. Mike Gonzalez was everywhere in the ninth but got the final out with the bases loaded.

Adam LaRoche: HR, 3 RBI
Ryan Church: 3 RBI
Garret Anderson: 2-4, HR

Kelly Johnson lived his nightmare today, batting leadoff. He went 0-4 with two strikeouts. Everybody had a hit except the top three hitters: Johnson, Matt Diaz, and Chipper Jones, though Jones drove in a run on a sac fly. Brian McCann got the day off and David Ross went 1-3 with a walk in his place. Martin Prado sat out again.

Notable D-Backs:
Mark Reynolds: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI

Notable Stat:
Tommy Hanson has one less win than Jair Jurrjens despite having 12 fewer starts.

Next Game:
8/18: @ Mets, 7:10 (Derek Lowe vs. Oliver Perez)

McLouth to DL

The Braves have placed Nate McLouth on the 15-day DL and called up Reid Gorecki. He experienced discomfort while running this morning and they are said to possibly be without Martin Prado for another couple days, leaving the Braves no choice but to put him on the DL.

Not much on the blog over the past day or two due to my college life being back in session. I will have the series preview for the Mets series tonight.

8/16: Phillies @ Braves Game Preview

August 16, 2009 - 8:00 (ESPN)
Phillies (65-49) vs. Braves (61-55)
@


J.A. Happ
(8-2, 2.75 ERA, 41 BB, 89 K, 1.16 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 1-0, 2.49 ERA in 3 starts, 4 total games
vs.

Javier Vazquez
(10-7, 2.90 ERA, 32 BB, 171 K, 1.04 WHIP)
Career vs. Phillies: 11-7, 4.41 ERA in 26 starts

Braves vs. Happ:
Martin Prado: 10 PA, 1-8
Kelly Johnson: 7 PA, 1-7, HR, 2 RBI
Chipper Jones: 7 PA, 2-7
Brian McCann: 7 PA, 0-7

Phillies vs. Vazquez:
Jimmy Rollins: 55 PA, 10-53, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Matt Stairs: 27 PA, 2-24, HR, 2 RBI
Pedro Feliz: 22 PA, 4-19
Raul Ibanez: 21 PA, 7-19, 4 HR, 6 RBI
Chase Utley: 18 PA, 6-18, HR, 5 RBI

Season Series:
8-3 (Last Game: 8/15, W 4-3)

What to Look For:
J.A. Happ vs. Javier Vazquez is a huge matchup for the nationally televised game tonight. Both pitchers are among the hottest in the game. Just look at the numbers to get a better understanding of how big this matchup may be. My guess is no Nate McLouth after getting pulled out of yesterday's game with more hamstring problems, not to mention he's a lefty.

NL East Roundup (8/15)

The Marlins game was postponed, leaving them four games behind the Phillies after their tough loss to the Braves.

Giants vs. Mets:
The Giants squeaked by the Mets in 10 innings, 5-4. Johan Santana allowed four runs on nine hits in 6.2 innings. Luis Castillo went 3-4. For the Giants, Matt Cain allowed three runs on six hits in 7.1 innings. Bengie Molina went 3-4 with a homer and two RBIs. Pablo Sandoval also had three hits and a homer.

Nationals vs. Reds:
The Nationals defeated the Reds, 10-6. J.D. Martin allowed one unearned run in six innings. Elijah Dukes and Alberto Gonzalez each had two hits and three RBIs. Ryan Zimmerman and Ronnie Belliard each had two hits and an RBI.

The Braves moved back to five games behind the Phillies in the East and three games back in the Wild Card.

Braves MiL Lines:
AAA - Reid Gorecki, Brooks Conrad, Barbaro Canizares: 2 RBI each
AAA - Todd Redmond: 6 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K
AA - Brandon Hicks: 2-5, 2 RBI
A+ - Donell Linares: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI
A+ - Cole Rohrbough: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, ER, 3 K
A- - J.J. Hoover: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K
Rk - Matt Crim: 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 4 K
(9-0, Danville record)