Jo-Jo Reyes Pitches Extremely Well
by Tim Evearitt
posted April 28, 2009
) Photo by Tim Evearitt Rick Ankiel stretches out to catch Greg Norton's line drive. |
Jo-Jo Reyes did not allow a baserunner from the third inning through the sixth, and he finished with three hits and one walk charged to him over seven innings. Reyes was 0-8 with a 7.82 ERA in his previous 14 Major League appearances.
Kyle Lohse pitched six excellent innings, but he was lifted after 95 pitches. Lohse allowed four hits and four walks.
Jason Motte pitched a shutout seventh before McClellan got into trouble in the eighth.
In the eighth, McClellan loaded the bases with three walks and then allowed Diaz to direct a 3-2 pitch through the middle of the infield. The 31-year-old left fielder's game-winning single was just his fourth hit in his past 20 at-bats.
The Braves, who have scored two runs or less in eight of their past 12 games, allowed Lohse to toss six scoreless innings, despite the fact that they allowed two baserunners to reach during each of the first three innings. But they managed the clutch hit when it counted and set the stage for Mike Gonzalez to notch a save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Gonzalez struck out Colby Rasmus to start the ninth. Pujols appeared headed for a walk when Gonzalez struck him out looking. Ryan Ludwick, the Cards final hope, went down swinging to end the game.
Peter Moylan (1-1) picked up the win in relief. He pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Gonzalez collected his third save.
Yadier Molina's first-inning single provided the Cards' only run. After a hit batter and a walk put two men on, Molina hit a grounder to the left side. It bounced off the glove of third baseman Jones, and once redirected squirted away from shortstop Escobar as Rasmus motored around to score.
Rick Ankiel, playing center field in the eighth, made an outstanding catch of pinch-hitter Greg Norton's line drive to left-center. With two outs, had he missed the ball, Jordan Schafer would have scored from first. Schafer went 2-for-3 in the game and is now 3-for-6 in the series.
For the fourth time in his career, Chipper Jones walked four times in a game.
The three hits allowed by the Braves marks the fewest allowed in a game this season.
* * * * *
Wednesday night, Javier Vazquez (2-1) faces former Brave Adam Wainwright (2-0) in the rubber game of the series.
) Photo by Tim Evearitt Jo-Jo Reyes |
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