Mark Kotsay and Jeff Francoeur had big nights at the plate for the Atlanta Braves on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs but it still wasn’t enough as the Cubs beat the Braves 11-7. It seemed like everytime the Braves would score, the Cubs would come right back and score again and just kept the pressure on the Braves the entire game. With the loss, the Braves were swept in the three game series.

Tom Glavine only lasted four innings as he gave up seven hits and seven runs. Glavine wasn’t getting some of the calls he usually gets from umps and walked four batters while giving up two home runs. He is now 2-4 on the year. Buddy Carlyle and Blaine Boyer both gave up two runs each as well out of the bullpen.

Kotsay led the Braves at the plate by hitting for the cycle and finishing the game with two rbi as he went 5-5. Jeff Francoeur hit a three run home run that got the team back in the game but it still wasn’t enough to catch the high powered Cubs offense. Martin Prado and Chipper Jones both added single rbi’s as well in the game.

It was definately not the way the Braves wanted to play the series. Hopefully they can play better this weekend against the San Francisco Giants.

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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.

Number 32 for the Reds had a stellar performance Friday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Jay Bruce, a 21 year old native of Beaumont, Texas sparked the Cincinnati Reds with two hits and two runs helping in a three to two victory over the Braves. The center-fielder helped himself to a game tying RBI in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a sacrifice fly by Brandon Phillips the score was two to one in favor of the Reds. Tom Glavine who started the day was able to get through the sixth but the damage was done as the Braves were unable to finish the deal. Mark Teixeira opened the scoring a with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, Kelly Johnson who had doubled to open the inning scored on the play. The Braves then answered the Reds in the seventh inning with a run scoring double play by Reuben Gotay. The Reds won it in eleven innings, scoring off two defensive miscues by Chipper Jones who also went 0 for 5 for the day, striking out once and grounding into two double plays.

Notes: Mark Kotsay was put on the DL list today. Josh Anderson was called up and has taken his place on the roster. John Smoltz is to pitch one more minor league assignment and may be available for action on Monday.

The Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets if the first game of their double header on Monday.  Tom Glavine said that he wasn’t feeling that good in the bullpen and was shacky in the first inning but then settled down to pitch the Braves past the Mets by the score of 6-1.

Glavine tossed six innings while giving up three hits and one run to improve his record to 2-1 on the season.  The one run that Glavine gave up came in the first inning with Luis Castillo took him deep for a solo home run.

Will Ohman, Blaine Boyer, and Manny Acosta pitched the final three innings in the game and all did a fairly good job.

The Braves were led at the plate by Brian McCann who had a two run home run and a rbi single to finish the game with three rbi.  Yunel Escobar, Mark Teixeira, and Kelly Johnson, all chipped in with one rbi as well.

It was a good win for the Braves as they are now 1.5 games back in the division.  The Braves, Mets, and Phillies are all 1.5 games back of the Marlins right now.  Braves Blog

The Atlanta Braves hit three home runs as they beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-6.  The Braves avoided he the three game sweep by getting this win over the Phillies.  Good win for the Braves as they didn’t want to drop all three games.

The Braves hit three home runs as Chipper Jones, Kelly Johnson, and Yunel Escobar all went deep.  Mark Kotsay, Brian McCann, Jones and Johnson all finished the game with two rbi.  Escobar, Jeff Francoeur, Gregor Blanco, and Tom Glavine all had one rbi in the game as the Braves really spread about the offense.

Glavine was able to pick up the win in the game as he pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up four hits and four runs.  Two of those runs came on a two run home run by Chase Utley in the sixth inning.

Royce King was the only Braves reliever to give up a run as he let a run in in the eighth inning.  Blaine Boyer pitched the ninth inning to record the save for the Braves even though he gave up one run and had to get out of a big jam to hold the Phillies off.

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The Atlanta Braves struggled against the Washington Nationals on Tueday night as they lost 6-3.  One area that you can look at is the 21 runners that were left on base by the Braves.  Usually if you leave that many runners on base, you will not win the game and that was the case with the Braves.

One bright spot for the Braves was Chipper Jones who hit a solo home run in the sixth inning.  Kelly Johnson and Matt Diaz had the other RBI’s for the Braves as they just never could get that big hit with runners on base that they needed to get.

Starting pitcher Tom Glavine pitched six innings and gave up six hits and two runs.  Glavine got the no decision in the game as Blaine Boyer gave up three hits and four runs to take the loss.  Boyer is now 0-3 on the season and really needs to pick things up.

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