I'm bored, so let's chat about the game as it happens...
Atlanta called up Barbaro Canizares 1B to replace Greg Norton who went on the D.L.
Barbaro will wear #25. the first player to wear that number since Andruw left.
Apparently, Canizares is a monster hitter, but wouldn't know which end of the glove to hold if you drew him a map. He gets the start today at 1st base... sounds like fun.
Top of 1st
- Javier Vazquez comes out nasty, striking out the first three batters on 11 pitches.
Bottom of 1st
- Braves go quietly. Pirates pitcher Maholm gets a fly out and two ground outs.
Top of 2nd
- one of several "A. LaRoche"s in Pittsburgh's lineup grounds out to short.
- another "A. LaRoche" singles to right.
- Vazquez then strikes out Young and Diaz to end it.
- that's 5 strikeouts for Vazquez already
Bottom of 2nd
- Barbaro strikes out. Welcome to the Big Leagues kid...
- Matt Diaz strikes out. Looks like the pitchers are serious today....
- Francoeur with another infield single. We'll take what we can get at this point.
- with McCann getting the day off, backup David Ross strikes out in his first at bat.
Top of 3rd
- Jack Wilson strikes out
- Maholm grounds out to 1st base unassisted. Canizares figured it out all by himself. Way to go kid!
- McCutchen flies out to McLouth.
Bottom of 3rd
- Kelly Johnson strikes out
- Javy Vazquez strikes out.
- Nate McLouth walks, 1st walk of the game for either pitcher...
- Yunel Escobar strikes out.
Jesus. 12 K's through 3 innings? Great pitching or poor hitting?
Top o' 4
- Nyjer Morgan *surprise!* strikes out.
- Freddy Sanchez grounds out to short.
- Roach lines out to the pitcher.... only one K this half inning.
Bottom 4
- Chipper pops out to LaRoche
- Canizares grounds out LaRoche to LaRoche (they're everywhere!!!!)
- Matt Diaz an infield single
- I don't know how it happened, but Matt Diaz STEALS SECOND BASE!
-
Frenchy singles to right, Diaz SCORES! Braves up 1-0- Francoeur STEALS SECOND BASE! It's an epidemic!
- David Ross walks on a full count
- Kelly Johnson grounds out to end the inning...
Top of the 5th- LaRoche flies out to right
-
Young HOMERS to right. BOOOOO!!! - Diaz flies out to right
- Wilson strikes out.
Score tied 1-1
Bottom of the 5th
- Vazquez grounds out to his counterpart
- McLouth grounds out to 2nd
- Escobar strikes out
that's 15 K's through 5 if you're scoring at home. Maholm 7 Vazquez 8
Top 6
- Maholm flies out to center
- McCutchen strikes out
- Morgan grounds out to Canizares. Alright! That's two in the same game! Gold Glove anyone?
Bottom 6
- Chipper grounds out to short
- Barbaro Canizares singles to left... his FIRST BIG LEAGUE HIT!
- Diaz grounds out to first, Canizares to 2nd
- Francoeur walks
- Ross pops out to 2nd
Top of 7
- Sanchez safe at first on throwing error by SS Escobar. Either that or Canizares forgot to catch it. I'm not sure which...
- LaRoche the elder flies out to CF
- LaRoche the younger sacrifices, out at first, Sanchez to 2nd.
- Young strikes out.
That's 10 K's for Vazquez, 7 for Maholm
Bottom of 7
- Kelly Johnson doubles to center
- Javier Vazquez sacrifices, out at 1st, Johnson to 3rd
- McLouth strikes out
- Escobar flies out to center. CRAP!
8th
- Diaz strikes out
- Wilson grounds out to short
- Brandon Moss pinch hitting for Paul Maholm
- Moss strikes out.
Final Line for Maholm - 7IP 4H 1R 3BB 8K no decision
Bottom 8
- Steven Jackson in to pitch for the Pirates
- Chipper lines out to 2nd
- Barbaro strikes out
- Matt Diaz singles to left. Will he steal 2nd again?!?!?!
- YES!!!! Diaz steals 2nd again!
- Francoeur grounds out to short....
Top 9
- Rafael Soriano pitching for the Braves
- McCutchen singles to left
- Morgan sacrifices, out at 1st, McCutchen advances to 2nd
- Sanchez grounds out, McCutchen to 3rd
- Senior LaRoche intentionally walked
-
LaRoche Junior singles to center, McCutchen scores, LaRoche scores.
- CRAP!
- Young singles to center, LaRoche to 3rd
- Diaz flies out to right
Score Pittsburgh 3 Atlanta 1
Final Line on Vazquez - 8IP 2H 1R 0BB 12K No decision....awesome.
Bottom of the 9th
- Matt Capps pitching for the Pirates
- Gregor Blanco pinch hitting for David Ross
- Blanco grounds out to LaRoche
- Kelly Johnson grounds out to LaRoche
- Brian McCann pinch hitting for Rafael Soriano
- McCann strikes out. Fitting.
Final Score Pirates 3 Braves 1
Jackson (1-1) the win in relief, Soriano (1-1) the loss, Capps the save (15)
Well, this was going to be a chat about the game as it happens, and turned into a talk to myself for two hours. And the Bravos offense lets down another superb effort from their starting pitcher. Vazquez was awesome today. 8 innings, 2 hits, 1 run 12 K's.
On to Baltimore.
Ahoy ya land lubbing bilge rat lovers. It be the special day.
so have your favourite lass bring ya yer favourite grog,
while you kick back and enjoy some football.
a special prize of a dozen internet cookies for anyone who can identify this last Pirate logo....
hopefully you've figured out what day this is by now....
so c'mere me wee beauty, and do it smartly lass.... smartly......
our old buddy Zane Smith.... Zane was one of those guys that could've been really good had he ever pitched for a good team.
100-115 over 13 seasons for Atlanta, Montreal, and Pittsburgh. Oh, and one year with Boston.
a 3.74 ERA, and a 1.30 whip for his career. Not bad Mr. Smith.
we sent Scmidt to the Bucs for Denny Neagle. A great move at the time.
take a close look. Raffy has taken a beating, but is still in the game. This is one of theose bicycle spoke cards I think.
moving on.....
and we end up with not a former Brave, but a card that just doesn't look right.
Kirk played a whopping 16 games for Pittsburgh in 1992. Then back to Detroit.
An awesome deal for the Pirates. Unfortunately, this means yet another year when he won't be signed by the Braves and be re-united with his best friend Chipper Jones. Although the way things are going..... Chipper may be signing with Pittsburgh next season......
