Braves 7, Cardinals 6

The Braves and Cardinals exchanged late-inning runs in a tight game to the finish. In the end, a Brian McCann two-run double in the ninth gave the Braves a second straight win over the Cards, 7-6.

Brian McCann (AP - Jeff Roberson)

RBI singles by Matt Holliday and Colby Rasmus gave the Cardinals a two-run lead in the first. Adam LaRoche tripled in a run and Tim Hudson hit a two-run homer in the second to put the Braves ahead 3-2. Nate McLouth singled in a run in the fourth but the Cards got it back in the home half for a 4-3 Braves lead.

With a 5-3 lead in the sixth, Mark DeRosa singled in a run to cut the lead to one. They tied it in the eighth on an infield RBI single by Yadier Molina, and took the lead on a Brendan Ryan RBI groundout in the same inning. But the Braves came back in the ninth, loading the bases and scoring the tying and go-ahead runs on a McCann double that just missed being a grand slam.

Tim Hudson: 5 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, BB, K
Peter Moylan: H (22), 2 IP, BB, 4 K
Mike Gonzalez: W (4-4), BS (7), 1 IP, H, 2 R, ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Rafael Soriano: S (24), 1 IP, K

Hudson was not as spot on as in his past two starts, giving up two early runs in the first. He settled down to pitch well in the second and third, but gave up a run in the fourth on a walk and two hits. After a scoreless fifth, Hudson gave up three straight hits in the sixth and was pulled. Peter Moylan was absolutely perfect over two innings, bailing Hudson out in the sixth by getting three straight outs with two runners in scoring position. He pitched a perfect seventh by getting Albert Pujols to line out and striking out Holliday and Rasmus. Mike Gonzalez walked the tying run to lead off the eighth, and I don't care what happens after that, it's your fault for starting an inning like that. Rafael Soriano pitched a perfect ninth for the second straight day, meaning we won't see him tomorrow no matter what.

Brian McCann: 3-5, 2 RBI
Tim Hudson: HR, 2 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 2 RBI
Nate McLouth: 3-5, RBI

Everybody had a hit except Yunel, who walked twice and scored. Even old man Chipper got in on the action by going 2-4, but he got too excited and pulled a hammy. McCann saved the day by driving in the winning run in the ninth.

Notable Cardinals:
Albert Pujols: 1-4
Colby Rasmus: 2-4, RBI

Notable Stat:
The homer is Hudson's first career long ball.

Next Game:
9/13: @ Cardinals, 2:15 (Javier Vazquez vs. Chris Carpenter)

9/12: Braves @ Cardinals Game Preview

September 12, 2009 - 4:10 (FOX)
Braves (73-68) vs. Cardinals (84-58)
@


Tim Hudson
(1-0, 2.19 ERA, 4 BB, 11 K, 1.14 WHIP)
Career vs. Cardinals: 3-2, 4.74 ERA in 6 starts
vs.

Kyle Lohse
(5-8, 4.62 ERA, 31 BB, 63 K, 1.34 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 2-1, 4.15 ERA in 6 starts

Braves vs. Lohse:
Garret Anderson: 27 PA, 9-25, HR, 3 RBI
Omar Infante: 19 PA, 3-19, HR, 2 RBI
Adam LaRoche: 18 PA, 3-17
Chipper Jones: 15 PA, 5-9, HR, 5 RBI
Ryan Church: 14 PA, 6-13, HR, 4 RBI
Nate McLouth: 14 PA, 2-13, HR, 2 RBI
Brian McCann: 11 PA, 3-10

Cardinals vs. Hudson:
Troy Glaus: 65 PA, 10-57, HR, 6 RBI
Albert Pujols: 19 PA, 7-17, HR, 3 RBI
Matt Holliday: 10 PA, 2-8, RBI
Mark DeRosa: 4 PA, 2-3, 2 RBI

Season Series:
2-2 (Last Game: 9/11, W 1-0)

What to Look For:
Tim Hudson improved even more on his second start back with seven innings of one-run ball against the Reds, giving up just four hits and striking out six. It's pretty remarkable how sharp he is this early after surgery. Kyle Lohse has apparently had groin problems and is making his first start since August 21. He made a relief appearance three days ago. Lohse has been Lohse this season: an overpaid fifth starter. But to the Braves he's Cy Young because he pitched six shutout innings against them earlier this season. Advantage: Braves

Matchup to Watch:
Kyle Lohse vs. Ryan Church, Chipper Jones

Braves 1, Cardinals 0

Pitch a shutout and you win most of the time. I think Jair Jurrjens finally figured it out, throwing eight shutout innings to beat the best team in the league, 1-0.

Jair Jurrjens (AP - Jeff Roberson)

The lone run came in the second when Omar Infante hit a grounder that was scored an error due to Albert Pujols not being able to find the bag with his foot. The Cardinals had runners on the corners and no outs in the home half of the second, but Jurrjens struck out the next two and got Yadier Molina to ground out to end the inning. They put another runner in scoring position in the third but Pujols fouled out to first base to end the threat.

The sixth was the biggest threat to the one-run lead. With runners on first and second and no outs, Pujols was hit by a ground ball as he ran to third, preventing the double play due to the dead ball call (personally I think he got hit on purpose). Cory Rasmus followed with a single but Ryan Church threw Matt Holliday out at home to hold the lead. With runners on second and third and two outs, Jurrjens got Mark DeRosa to ground out to end the inning.

Jair Jurrjens: W (11-10), 8 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Rafael Soriano: S (23), 1 IP, K

Jurrjens completely dominated the Cardinals and seemed to get the strikeout or groundout when he wanted it. He held Pujols to an 0-4 game with two strikeouts, and Holliday to one hit and a strikeout. Probably the best I've seen him this year, and Brian McCann agreed. Just to prove he's capable of making a move that works, Bobby Cox brought in Rafael Soriano to pitch the ninth again, and this time Soriano got them in order.

Omar Infante: RBI
Yunel Escobar, Adam LaRoche: 2 hits each

The thing that kept the Braves from scoring was all six of the hits were bunched in the 4-7 hitters. Nate McLouth, Martin Prado, and Garret Anderson all went hitless in front of them, and Church went hitless behind them. Chipper Jones got the night off and pinch hit, getting out somehow. I must have flipped it to 300 at the time. Good movie.

Notable Cardinals:
Joel Pineiro: L (14-10), 7 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Albert Pujols: 0-4, 2 K, 2 errors

Notable Stat:
First time in Pujols' career that he went hitless and had two errors in the same game.

Next Game:
9/12: @ Cardinals, 4:10 (Tim Hudson vs. Kyle Lohse)

9/11-9/13: Braves @ Cardinals Series Preview

Atlanta Braves (72-68, 3rd NL East)
vs.
St. Louis Cardinals (84-57, 1st NL Central)
@

The Braves wrap up a Central division stretch with three games against the best team in the league, the Cardinals.

The Braves Lately:
The Braves finally won a series for a change, taking two of three from the Astros. After a terrible stretch of not scoring more than three runs in a game that lasted six games, the Braves broke out for nine runs in the series finale in Houston. The pitching has been spot on as usual, and the offense can't buy a hit as usual.

The Cardinals Lately:
They're good. They lost six games in the entire month of August and have only lost twice so far in September. The Cardinals' last series loss was in JULY. They swept the Brewers in their most recent series.

9/11 - 8:15
Jair Jurrjens (10-10, 2.93 ERA, 64 BB, 126 K, 1.25 WHIP)
Career vs. Cardinals: 0-2, 3.46 ERA in 2 starts
vs.
Joel Pineiro (14-9, 3.28 ERA, 20 BB, 87 K, 1.11 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 1-1, 6.75 ERA in 3 starts, 6 total games

Jair Jurrjens had a pretty efficient start against the Reds last time out, giving up three runs on four hits in seven innings. He allowed two runs in six innings in his one start against the Cardinals this season. Joel Pineiro is what Derek Lowe wishes he could be. He is a groundball machine who has to average around 15 groundouts a game while hardly ever recording double digit flyouts. Pineiro has struggled in his last two starts, allowing four runs in each to the Brewers and Pirates. He allowed two runs in 6.2 innings in his one start against the Braves this season. Advantage: Cardinals

9/12 - 4:10
Tim Hudson (1-0, 2.19 ERA, 4 BB, 11 K, 1.14 WHIP)
Career vs. Cardinals: 3-2, 4.74 ERA in 6 starts
vs.
Kyle Lohse (5-8, 4.62 ERA, 31 BB, 63 K, 1.34 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 2-1, 4.15 ERA in 6 starts

Tim Hudson improved even more on his second start back with seven innings of one-run ball against the Reds, giving up just four hits and striking out six. It's pretty remarkable how sharp he is this early after surgery. Kyle Lohse has apparently had groin problems and is making his first start since August 21. He made a relief appearance three days ago. Lohse has been Lohse this season: an overpaid fifth starter. But to the Braves he's Cy Young because he pitched six shutout innings against them earlier this season. Advantage: Braves

9/13 - 2:15
Javier Vazquez (12-9, 3.06 ERA, 40 BB. 208 K, 1.06 WHIP)
Career vs. Cardinals: 2-7, 4.21 ERA in 10 starts
vs.
Chris Carpenter (16-3, 2.16 ERA, 30 BB, 129 K, 0.97 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 2-1, 5.46 ERA in 6 starts

Javier Vazquez was almost perfect in his last start against the Astros, pitching seven shutout innings on three hits while striking out nine. He did walk four but all of them came in the last two innings. Vazquez gave up five runs over eight innings (he was left in that long?) in his one start against the Cardinals this season. Lord help us, Chris Carpenter is pitching against Vazquez. If you don't know what he's doing this season just look it up. The Braves will lose. Advantage: Cardinals

Key Cardinals Relievers:
CL - Ryan Franklin (54 IP, 1.67 ERA, 37 SV, 3 BSV)
Career vs. Braves: 15.1 IP, 4.70 ERA, 2 SV
SU - Kyle McClellan (58.1 IP, 3.09 ERA, 14 HLD, 3 BSV)
Career vs. Braves: 4.1 IP, 8.31 ERA, 2 HLD, BSV
MR - Trever Miller (38.2 IP, 1.86 ERA, 12 HLD, BSV)
Career vs. Braves: 11.2 IP, 7.71 ERA, 7 HLD, BSV

Key Cardinals Hitters:
1B - Albert Pujols (.331, 47 HR, 124 RBI)
Career vs. Braves: .364, 15 HR, 45 RBI in 52 games
LF - Matt Holliday (.379, 12 HR, 42 RBI)
Career vs. Braves: .355, 7 HR, 27 RBI in 30 games
RF - Ryan Ludwick (.274, 20 HR, 87 RBI)
Career vs. Braves: .288, 0 HR, 6 RBI in 19 games

Astros 2, Braves 1

The only reason I'm writing anything about this game is Tommy Hanson.

Tommy Hanson (AP - David J. Phillip)

The Braves scored their lone run in the second on an RBI single by Matt Diaz. The Braves held the one-run lead through eight but Rafael Soriano gave up the game in the ninth. Miguel Tejada singled in two for the Astros win.

Tommy Hanson: 8 IP, 5 H, 7 K
Rafael Soriano: L (1-5), BSV (4), 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K

Hanson pitched one of the best games of his life. He gave up singles in the second and third but induced double plays both times. An infield single by Lance Berkman and a single by Wandy Rodriguez were the only other hits Hanson allowed. He was perfect for the last two innings and actually struck out two in the eighth for a total of seven along with no walks. While many will complain about Hanson getting pulled after eight, I do understand the move. There is no need for him to push 100 pitches now that the season is lost.

Matt Diaz: 2-3, RBI

The Braves really cannot hit. They had a total of three hits and struck out 10 times. I don't know when was the last time a middle of the order hitter actually got a hit, and I don't really feel like looking it up either.

Notable Astros:
Wandy Rodriguez: 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Notable Stat:
There was one extra base hit between the two teams (Berkman double off Soriano).

Next Game:
9/10: @ Astros, 8:05 (Derek Lowe vs. Roy Oswalt)

9/9: Braves @ Astros Game Preview

September 9, 2009 - 8:05 (SportSouth)
Braves (71-67) vs. Astros (67-71)
@


Tommy Hanson
(9-3, 3.07 ERA, 36 BB, 78 K, 1.25 WHIP)
Career vs. Astros: First start
vs.

Wandy Rodriguez
(13-9, 2.82 ERA, 57 BB, 162 K, 1.22 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 2-1, 5.79 ERA in 5 starts, 6 total games

Braves vs. Rodriguez:
Adam LaRoche: 6-15, 4 RBI
Nate McLouth: 4-14
Chipper Jones: 4-9, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Matt Diaz: 3-9, 2 RBI
Yunel Escobar: 4-8, 2 RBI

Astros vs. Hanson:
None

Season Series:
2-2 (Last Game: 9/8, W 2-1)

What to Look For:
The Braves always seem to catch Wandy Rodriguez when these two teams face off, and we have watched him develop into a top-notch starter. He ranks in the top 10 in the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, and is coming off seven shutout innings against the Phillies. Rodriguez still deals with control problems but can rack up eight strikeouts on you without any problem. His last start against the Braves was May 3, allowing three runs in five innings. The Braves are absolutely horrible on offense so anything would be a blessing tonight.

Matchup to Watch:
Yunel Escobar in the fourth spot vs. Wandy Rodriguez

Braves 2, Astros 1

They still can't hit but at least Javier Vazquez can pitch. Nate McLouth and Adam LaRoche hit a homer each as the Braves beat the Astros, 2-1.

Javier Vazquez (AP - David Phillip)

LaRoche's solo homer came in the second and McLouth's came in the fifth. The Braves held the two-run lead through eight, but Rafael Soriano allowed a run in the ninth to cut the lead to one, where it remained.

Javier Vazquez: W (12-9), 7 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 9 K
Mike Gonzalez: H (15), 1 IP, H
Rafael Soriano: S (22), 1 IP, 3 H, ER

Vazquez walked four but only allowed three hits over seven shutout innings. He struck out nine and now has 208 on the season. He cruised through five, giving up just two singles and not walking any, but apparently began getting tired in the sixth, walking three but pitching out of trouble. Vazquez allowed a single and walk in the seventh but again pitched out of trouble in his last inning. Mike Gonzalez allowed a single in the eighth but induced a double play. Soriano gave up a triple to Miguel Tejada, who eventually scored on an RBI single by Hunter Pence. After inducing a double play, Soriano allowed another single before shutting the door.

Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche: HR

Vazquez actually had two of the team's five hits. The two home runs were the only offense and the team only went to the plate three times with a runner in scoring position.

Notable Astros:
Felipe Paulino: L (2-8), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Notable Stat:
Javier Vazquez is the fifth active pitcher with five or more 200-strikeout seasons.

Next Game:
9/8: @ Astros, 8:05 (Derek Lowe vs. Wandy Rodriguez)

9/8-9/10: Braves @ Astros Series Preview

@
Atlanta Braves (70-67, 3rd NL East)
vs.
Houston Astros (67-70, 3rd NL Central)

The Braves enter Houston in the midst of a season-high-tying five game losing streak.

The Braves Lately:
After taking two of three from the Marlins to end a road trip on a promising note, the Braves went home and were swept by the Reds in fine fashion, scoring a total of four runs in the series. They have dropped all the way to 7.5 games out in the wild card, almost as far down as they are in the East, which is eight games back. I have a feeling some different guys might be seeing some playing time soon.

The Astros Lately:
Like the Reds, the Astros have nothing to play for from here on out, and it is showing in their play as of late. They are coming off a very impressive four-game sweep of the Phillies to begin their homestand, bringing them up to three games behind .500.

8/8 - 8:05
Javier Vazquez (11-9, 3.18 ERA, 36 BB, 199 K, 1.06 WHIP)
Career vs. Astros: 2-5, 4.81 ERA in 12 starts
vs.
Felipe Paulino (2-7, 6.62 ERA, 24 BB, 65 K, 1.66 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 2-0, 1.13 ERA in 1 start, 2 total games

The one highlight of this coming series is seeing Javier Vazquez reach 200 K's for the third straight year. His last start against the Marlins was his first start without finishing six innings since July 2. He allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings, throwing 120 pitches. Hopefully watching Felipe Paulino will give me a better idea of who he is because I can't picture him for the life of me. Apparently he has done very well against the Braves in one start and one relief appearance, and he tossed two innings against the Braves in May, allowing a run. Paulino has been up and down between Houston and Round Rock and has been in and out of the rotation. He allowed two runs on four hits in six innings against the Cubs in his last start.

8/9 - 8:05
Derek Lowe (13-9, 4.36 ERA, 52 BB, 92 K, 1.45 WHIP)
Career vs. Astros: 3-3, 3.10 ERA in 8 starts
vs.
Wandy Rodriguez (13-9, 2.82 ERA, 57 BB, 162 K, 1.22 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 2-1, 5.79 ERA in 5 starts, 6 total games

I thought Derek Lowe looked a LITTLE better in his last start, at least an improvement over the past couple months. He completed seven innings for the first time since early August and only needed 97 pitches to do it, allowing three runs to the Reds. The Braves always seem to catch Wandy Rodriguez when these two teams face off, and we have watched him develop into a top-notch starter. He ranks in the top 10 in the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, and is coming off seven shutout innings against the Phillies. Rodriguez still deals with control problems but can rack up eight strikeouts on you without any problem. His last start against the Braves was May 3, allowing three runs in five innings.

8/10 - 8:05
TBD
vs.
Roy Oswalt (8-5, 3.77 ERA, 41 BB, 130 K, 1.19 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 0-2, 6.18 ERA in 6 starts

The Braves have yet to announce a starter for the series finale, but the Astros will send Roy Oswalt to the mound. Oswalt pulled himself from Saturday's game with back spasms but apparently won't miss a start. He allowed two runs on four hits in 6.1 innings against the Phillies. A rain delay knocked Oswalt out of the game after one inning in his previous start against the Braves.

Key Astros Relievers:
CL - Jose Valverde (46 IP, 1.96 ERA, 22 SV)
Career vs. Braves: 15 IP, 4.80 ERA, SV, 4 BSV
SU - LaTroy Hawkins (54.2 IP, 2.47 ERA, 11 SV, 16 HLD)
Career vs. Braves: 18.1 IP, 1.47 ERA, 2 SV
MR - Jeff Fulchino (67.1 IP, 3.48 ERA, 9 HLD)
Career vs. Braves: 1.1 IP, 13.50 ERA, HLD

Key Astros Hitters:
LF - Carlos Lee (.306, 23 HR, 88 RBI)
Career vs. Braves: .308, 2 HR, 16 RBI in 27 games
SS - Miguel Tejada (.303, 10 HR, 70 RBI)
Career vs. Braves: .214, 0 HR, 6 RBI in 21 games
RF - Hunter Pence (.286, 23 HR, 67 RBI)
Career vs. Braves: .304, HR, 3 RBI in 12 games

Reds 4, Braves 2 (12 Innings)

Tim Hudson looked as good as I've ever seen from him, but the Braves offense was shut down again by someone who shouldn't, giving the Reds the 4-2 win and series sweep.

Tim Hudson (AP - John Amis)

Hudson allowed three straight singles in the third to plate a run on an RBI single by Darnell McDonald. He then set down 14 consecutive hitters, not giving up another hit the rest of the way. The Braves were silent until the fifth, when Martin Prado singled in a run to tie it at one. Garret Anderson flied out with two in scoring position to end the inning.

David Ross put the Braves ahead in the seventh with a solo homer, but the Reds answered right back in the eighth with a solo homer by Drew Stubbs. Neither team managed anything the rest of the nine innings. Stubbs tripled in the 11th but was thrown out at home by Nate McLouth when he attempted to score on a sac fly. It fell apart for Kenshin Kawakami in the 12th, however. The Reds loaded the bases on two walks and a single, and Kawakami drilled Micah Owings in the ear to plate the go-ahead run. Corky Miller added a sac fly RBI for a 4-2 lead. But the Braves went down gloriously in the bottom of the 12th by striking out three straight times.

Tim Hudson: 7 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 6 K
Mike Gonzalez: 1 IP, H, ER, 2 K
Kenshin Kawakami: L (7-11), 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB

Hey, look on the bright side, at least Hudson didn't get tagged with a loss. He pitched perfect from the fourth to the seventh and threw just 90 pitches. Mike Gonzalez gave up the home run to Stubbs in the eighth that tied the game, his sixth blown save of the season. Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan each pitched a scoreless inning. Kawakami escaped trouble in the 11th but failed in the 12th.

David Ross: HR
Martin Prado: RBI

The Braves had five hits this time. Getting better. They were without Chipper, Yunel, and McCann, so I can't blame them entirely, but it was still pitiful to watch. They struck out 13 times as a team, went 1-8 w/RISP, and left eight on base. Matt Diaz has cooled off since moving down in the order; seriously, why not put him in Prado's spot? Couldn't hurt.

Notable Reds:
Johnny Cueto: 6 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Drew Stubbs: 3-5, HR

Notable Stat:
Kelly Johnson snapped an 0-20 skid with a PH single.

Next Game:
9/8: @ Astros, 8:05 (Javier Vazquez vs. Felipe Paulino)

Reds 3, Braves 1

Hear that? That's right, nothing. Just like the sound of the Braves clubhouse.

Jair Jurrjens (AP - Erik Lesser)

Neither team scored until the sixth, when Joey Votto hit a two-run home run and Scott Rolen singled in a run for a 3-0 Reds lead. The Braves scored their lone run in the seventh on an RBI single by Nate McLouth, who has now driven in the only two runs in this series. The Braves stink.

Jair Jurrjens: L (10-10), 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

The fact that Jair Jurrjens has 10 losses is just embarrasing. He received zero run support due to the best start of Kip Wells' life. He did walk three but allowed just four hits, the one true mistake coming on the two-run homer by Votto. And he only threw 91 pitches over the seven innings, so it was an efficient start that deserved a win...or at least not a loss. Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano each pitched a scoreless inning because they haven't been needed lately.

Nate McLouth: RBI

The Braves managed four hits. Going down the lineup: McLouth has been the offense for the team since coming back yesterday. Martin Prado's magic has left him and he has now dipped below .300, not to mention his OBP is sitting at .350. Chipper Jones is quietly putting together the worst season of his career and is officially showing his age. Brian McCann is so tired he can't catch up to an 85 MPH fastball. And I'm now tired of doing this.

Notable Reds:
Kip Wells: W (1-3), 6 IP, H, 4 BB, 4 K

Notable Stat:
Do I really have to?

Next Game:
9/6: Reds, 1:30 (Johnny Cueto vs. Tim Hudson)