Atlanta Braves Season of Sunday Surrenders Continues
By Fred Owens
Gant Can’t Stop The Bleeding
After striking Grandal out to start the inning Hernandez dropped a bloop double down the right field line. Pitcher Scott Kazmir singled sending Hernandez to third but when he tried to score instead of stopping Francoeur showed off his famous right arm and threw him out by six feet.
Gant had trouble finding the zone and walked Chase Utley and Seager dropped a mirror image of the Hernadez bloop hit down the left field line for a single scoring Kazmir and sending Utley to third. Thompson finally struck out to end the inning but by then Gant had thrown 30 pitches, given up three hits, a walk and a run.
In the sixth the scorching hot Francoeur led off with his second double of the day and Markakis followed with a single scoring him. At that point Kazmir called for the trainer and left the game with cramps in his quad. He was replaced by J.P. Howell.
Howell coaxed a popup from Garcia and a double play ground ball from Pierzynski to end fledgling rally.
Gant had a surprisingly easy bottom of the sixth retiring the side in order. After Kelly reached first on an error by Utley Howell struck out Snyder but walked Smith after getting ahead of his 1-2. That was end of his outing as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts brought in Casey Fien who got d’Arnaud to fly out to center advancing Johnson to third.
With Ender Inciarte at the plate to hit for Gant, Grandal picked Smith off first ending the inning and wasting the pinch hit appearance. When the braves took the field in the bottom Smith was running onto the field when Snitker called him back and Inciarte went out to play center. A message to Smith that he has to keep his head in the game if he wants to play.
Next: We Score A Few