The Atlanta Braves offense sputtered on Wednesdsay night as they only came up with four hits and lost to the Florida Marlins by the score of 4-1. The three game series is now tied up at one game each and the two teams will play the rubber match on Thursday.

Mike Hampton got the start for the Braves and pitched eight innings. It was bad that Hampton ended up with the loss even though he only gave up three runs and eight hits. Hampton deserved a much better outcome in my opinion. Blaine Boyer gave up one run in the ninth inning when Dan Uggla hit a solo home run.

The offense was shut down by Josh Johnson who tossed a complete game for the Marlins. The Braves just couldn’t get any rallies going against him to score any runs. The one run that they did get came in the fifth inning when Martin Prado grounded out to shortstop and Kelly Johnson scored.

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Jair Jurrjens struggled with his control in the first inning of last night’s game.  Jurrjens, who has really been the ace of this staff this season, allowed five runs in the first inning.  All of the runs scored with two out.  Chipper Jones and Yunel Escobar committed throwing errors in the inning so only four of those runs were earned.

The Braves scored one run in the third inning off a single by Grego Blanco.  In the sixth, Blanco was in the mix again, he bunted for a base hit to lead off the inning.  Mike Pelfrey then walked Yunel Escobar and Chipper Jones.  Brian McCann grounded into a double play, but that scored Blanco and moved Escobar to third.  Escobar then scored on a wild pitch by Pelfrey.  However, Mark Kotsay lined out to left to end the inning.  The Braves didn’t really get much on Pelfrey as he allowed only three hits. 

The Braves wrap up the series at Shea tonight.  Mike Hampton will be on the mound for the Braves and the Mets will counter with Pedro Martinez.  The Braves have an opportunity to play spoiler as the Mets are in a fight for first with the Phillies holding only a game and a half lead over them.  The Phillies are playing the Nationals who have now lost something like 12 in a row.

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The Chipper Jones-less Braves showed tonight that they are not going to make GM Frank Wren’s job any easier, as they played one of their gutsiest games of the season against the division rival Philadelphia Phillies. With the trade deadline looming at the end of next week, and Braves Brass being pushed to decide whether to buy or sell, tonight’s game was a perfect example of why Wren’s decision may be harder than any other GM’s in MLB.

It is no secret this Braves team has a dearth of talent.  They have flashed signs of that talent at times this season, but, to date, have failed to put together a stretch of consistent play.  Now, after an inspired performance like tonight’s game, and with reinforcements to the starting rotation in Mike Hampton and Tom Glavine ready to make an impact the final two months, we all have to wonder if that stretch may be imminent.  At the very least, Wren will have to hold the dogs at bay for another day or two.

To the game.  Rookie Jair “Surgeon” Jurrjens pitched the game of his young career.  Surgeon struck out 6 in 8 innings, allowing only 4 Phillies base runners all night.  He was absolutely brilliant.  Everything he threw dipped and dived with ridiculous movement, and his fastball had as much life on it as it has at any point this season, as he was routinely touching the mid 90s.  In all honesty, he looked like Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez’s illegitimate love child.

Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick was good as well, allowing only a lone run on a 4th inning homer to Brian McCann. It appeared as though that might be the only run scored the entire game by either team, a true rarity in hitter friendly Citizen Bank, until the Braves erupted for 7 in the top of the 9th.  B Mac, who is quickly establishing himself as the Captain of this team, capped the Braves impressive, and much needed, win with a 4-run bomb off Phillies closer Brad Lidge in the final frame. His two homer night raised his batting average to .302 for the season, to go along with his 20 jacks and 62 ribbies.  He leads all catchers in MLB in the latter two categories, and he is on the short list of most underrated players in the game.

What else?

The Braves played possibly their most crisp defensive game of the season.  Omar Infante made two professional bare-handed plays at third. In the bottom of the 5th, Yunel Escobar executed a sublime double play, fielding a grounder up the middle, stepping on 2d base, while simultaneously releasing a dart to the first baseman to complete the twin killing.

The play of the night, however, was made by the star of the night, the Surgeon.  With 2 outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 8th, Jaysen Worth hit a frozen rope back up the middle.  Jair got a glove on it, knocking the ball towards third base.  He then sprinted off the mound, made a fielding slide, popped up and threw a 100 mph heater to first base, getting Worth by a step.

It was a bad night for the Atlanta Braves right from the start as Mike Hampton left the game without even throwing an official pitch.  Hampton sustained some sort of chest injury during warmups.  Instead of Hampton pitching, the Braves used seven different pitchers in the game.

Jeff Bennett took the starting place of Hampton and threw the ball for four innings giving up four hits and two earned runs.  Chris Resop ended up taking the loss for the Braves as he gave up the earned run in the 10th inning.

Matt Diaz and Corky Miller had an RBI each for the Braves.  The big bats for the Braves never showed up tonight and they could have really used them.

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