Game 4: 4/4 @ Milwaukee
Final: Braves win (2-1)
Record: 3-1
Headline: Braves get a pair of late homers and hang on to steal the opener in Milwaukee.
Recap
The Braves got a standout performance from Brandon Beachy on Monday, but he looked destined to be a tough luck loser as the team trailed 1-0 with only 6 outs to play. That was before the Braves got solo shots to tie it and then take the lead in the 8th off a former teammate. They then slammed the door shut in the 8th and 9th to win the opener in Milwaukee, 2-1.
Martin Prado homered for the first time on the season leading off the 8th against former teammate Takashi Saito to tie it at 1-1. Two outs later, Dan Uggla took Saito yard for what turned out to be his first game winning homer as a Brave. Once the Braves had the lead, their young end-of-game combo of Johnny Venters and Craig Kimbrel finished the deal to give Atlanta a 3-1 record on the season.
Beachy was shaky early on and he had to do some good pitching just to avoid putting his team in a big hole. Ricky Weeks led off the bottom of the 1st with a sawed off single to right. With two out, Beachy hit Prince Fielder with a pitch to put two men on for Casey McGhee. Beachy got McGhee to fly to right to escape the inning. Yuniesky Betancourt led off the next Milwaukee turn at bat with a double off the right field wall. David Ross made a nice play to get Nyjer Morgan on a bunt attempt, with Betancourt moving over to third. Beachy then struck out Wil Nieves and got the pitcher Chris Narveson to fly out to strand the runner.
The Brewers finally drew blood in the bottom of the 3rd, with Ricky Weeks lining a shot over the bullpen in left center for a homer leading off the frame to make it 1-0. Beachy recovered to get the next 3 hitters on the ground, but he walked McGhee leading off the next inning and Betancourt followed with a single. Morgan then hit a tricky ground ball to the right side and Freeman flipped to Beachy just in time for the out. With runners at second and third and only 1 out, Beachy fanned Nieves and froze Narveson to escape with the score still just 1-0.
Meanwhile, left hander Chris Narveson was having a fairly easy time with the Braves lineup. The Braves put a man on every inning against him, but they were never even able to get a runner into scoring position. Nate McLouth singled with one out in the 1st, but Chipper popped out and then McLouth was picked off of first trying to steal. A-Gon drew a walk with two out in the 2nd but Freddie Freeman went down swinging to end the inning. Prado singled with two down in the 3rd but McLouth looked at strike three for the third out. Jason Heyward worked a two out walk in the 4th but A-Gon went down on 3 pitches. In the 5th, Rossy walked with one out, but Beachy bunted into a strikeout and Prado flied out to end the inning. Chipper singled with one out in the 6th, but Narveson got Uggla and Heyward to end the inning.
Narveson was done after 6 innings, having held the Braves scoreless on 3 hits and 3walks with 5 strikeouts. Beachy had been able to survive his early inning problems with only one run allowed, and eventually he got into a groove. He cut down the final 9 batters he faced in the game, retiring the Brewers in order in the 5th and 6th innings. Beachy was also done after 6 innings, having allowed just 1 run on 4 hits and a walk with 7 K, but he was on the wrong side of the 1-0 score.
Kameron Loe came on in relief for Milwaukee and got the first two outs in the 7th before Ross beat out an infield single to keep the inning alive. Brian McCann came on to pinch hit but Loe got him to ground to first to end the inning. George Sherrill took over for Beachy in the bottom of the inning and immediately ran into trouble with a leadoff walk to Morgan. With Morgan at second and one out, Peter Moylan was called on to face Craig Counsell and he got the veteran to ground to first for the second out. With Morgan now at third, Moylan fanned Weeks on 3 pitches to keep it a 1-0 game going to the 8th. This would turn out to be huge.
With the top of the order due up for Atlanta, Saito came on to pitch for the Brewers in the 8th. Prado worked for a full count and then tomahawked the 8th pitch over the wall in left for a game tying homer. Saito recovered to fan McLouth and get Chipper on the ground to second, brining up Uggla with no one on and two out. Saito fell behind Uggla 2-1 and then hung a breaking ball, and Uggla banged it on a line off the top of the left field wall and over for a homer to put the Braves ahead 2-1.
Saito gave up a hit to Heyward before finally getting the third out. Moylan stayed on for the Braves and got the first out in the bottom of the 8th before Ryan Braun leaned out and served a hit into left. The Braves then brought on Venters with Fielder coming to the plate representing the go-ahead run. With the shift on, Fielder hit the 0-1 pitch on the ground right to CJ and the Braves turned a 5-6-3 double play to shutoff the threat.
The Braves went in order in their half of the 9th and Kimbrel took the mound in the bottom of the 9th. The Killer proceeded to strikeout the side, freezing McGhee, blowing away Betancourt, and getting Morgan swinging to save the 2-1 victory.
Just Enough Offense
At some point the limitations of the Atlanta offensive—particularly against lefties—might be a problem. But right now they’re getting by. A day after going 6 for 13 with RISP and scoring 11 runs on 12 hits without a homer, the Braves got 2 solo homers and managed to win a game without ever having a runner in scoring position.
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