50th Post

Well ya'll, borrowing words from Franklin D. Roosevelt (modified), "Today, March 13, 2008- a date which will live in infamy..." OK, not really. But, it's my 50th post ya'll! (Which, because I'm ME, counts for something, right? Of course it does... who am I kidding.) What a topic I have for you today! The Atlanta Braves (#1 Baseball team of past, present, and future, no matter what Joe Morgan says) WON last night. OK, let me re-phrase that. KILLED the Cleveland Indians. (It was 11-4, come on, they really did kill them.)

So here's my rundown of the game. I didn't get to watch all of it, or any of it actually, because I was at church for the first half of the game. So... here goes!

The Braves scored two runs in the first inning, thanks to catcher Brian McCann. With his RBI double, he brought in the first run of the game, then scored the Braves second. In the 2nd inning, Cleveland's Ascrubal Cabrara nailed a solo shot. Cleveland did it again in the 3rd inning, with solo homers by both Grady Sizemore and Beau Mills. 1st baseman Mark Texiera contributed to the 9-run 4th inning with a double, and McCann sent a 2-run shot out of the park. After that monstrous inning, Cleveland only brought in one more run, making the final score 11-4.

Braves pitchers are very happy right now, and manager Bobby Cox has a good kind of problem for a change: too many pitching prospects. Here's the scoop of the game last night, pitching-wise. (Please keep in mind that these games are spring training games, and pitchers do not have to go 6-plus innings for fear of running down the bullpen.)

Starter Buddy Carlyle watched three solo home runs go over the fence in his three innings pitched, which didn't matter, due to outstanding bullpen work. Then, Blaine Boyer came into the game at the start of the 4th, and put together two scoreless innings, with no hits or walks. Francisley Bueno (1 error) put together two solid innings, allowing just 2 hits, which resulted in 1 run for Cleveland. Tyler Yates then came to the mound, and made short work of the Indians with just two walks. And, in the ninth, Jorge Campillo finished out the game for the Braves with a no-hit-ninth inning.

Overall, I'm pleased with the Braves this season, and feel that we have a better chance of getting into the playoffs this year. I wonder if they remember what the playoffs are...

Our pitching staff has made great strides, as far as depth is concerned. Last year, if we lost Hudson or Smoltz, our rotation would pitch on short rest, or we would bring kids up from the minors who would pitch 3 innings or less. This put a strain on our bullpen, especially after Mike Gonzalez had Tommy John surgery. This year, we have starters to fall back on if someone is injured. Our bullpen looks strong as well, and Cox has relievers galore. If Mike Hampton is healthy, we can count on him pitching 8 innings a week, with closer Rafael Soriano almost always shutting down the opposing team.

That's all for now, and be sure to check out the MLB website (http://www.mlb.com/) for the latest in baseball news, scores, and upcoming games.