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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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By Vince DiGregorio
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - Tom Glavine finally got his first win
of the season.
Glavine tossed five dominant innings before leaving in the sixth
and Brian McCann drove in three runs as the Atlanta Braves
nearly blew an eight-run lead before holding off the
Philadelphia Phillies, 8-6, on Wednesday.
Atlanta took advantage of an ineffective outing by Phillies
starter Brett Myers. Yunel Escobar, Chipper Jones and Kelly
Johnson all hit solo home runs off Myers in the first two
innings.
"It's nice to get back on board and kind of feel like I'm
contributing like everybody else," Glavine said. "Hopefully, now
that that first win is out of the way, we can relax, myself
included."
Glavine retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced with Chris
Coste's single being the only hit for the Phillies. However,
Coste led off the sixth with a single as the Phillies batted
around to score four runs to pull within 8-4.
"I think the mistake I made was, once I got through the fifth
inning, I went out there in the sixth inning and kind of pitched
to the score," Glavine said. "That's not a very good thing for
me to do. Even at my age and my level of experience, you learn
some things every now and then."
Jimmy Rollins had an RBI double, Shane Victorino an RBI grounder
before Chase Utley blasted a two-run home run into the right
field seats off Glavine. Jeff Bennett replaced Glavine later in
the frame and got the third out.
"You have that mentality of 'You've got a big lead, don't walk
guys' and then you get on the defensive," Glavine said. "I made
a stupid pitch to Utley and one that I probably wouldn't have
made in a one-run game."
Glavine (1-1) went 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on four
hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The lefthander won his
29th career game against Philadelphia.
"(Glavine) was just fantastic the first five (innings)," Braves
manager Bobby Cox said. "(In the sixth), he gave up a groundball
hit, then he walked a guy and that kind of opened it up with a
team like (the Phillies).
"Glad to see Tommy get his first (win). He deserved it."
Ryan Howard hit a two-out, solo home run off Royce Ring in the
eighth inning. Blaine Boyer came on and got the final out in
the eighth and survived an RBI single by Rollins in the ninth
before getting Victorino on a flyout with two runners on to
record his first save.
Myers (2-4) lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs - six
earned - on nine hits. The righthander walked three and struck
out six in suffering his fourth straight loss.
"It's frustrating. I'm not giving the team an opportunity to
win," Myers said. "Disappointed in myself. Disappointed in
letting my teammates down. Disappointed that the fans have to
watch that."
"I don't know what we can do," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel
said. "Just send him out there and see how it goes. It seemed
like they were on everything he threw tonight. His command just
wasn't good."
For the second straight game, Atlanta jumped out to an early 3-0
lead. Escobar drove Myers' second pitch of the game into the
left seats for a solo home run. Two batters later, Jones hit
the first pitch to left center for a solo blast to make it, 2-0.
With one out in the second, Johnson made it, 3-0, by also
hitting a first-pitch offering over the left-center field fence.
"(Leading 3-0) turned out to be huge," Jones said. "We see Brett
four, five times a year. We're all familiar with him. We just
came out and looked for pitches and got them. Didn't miss them."
The Braves added two unearned runs in the third inning on a
two-out, two-run double by McCann. Atlanta then chased Myers
with three runs in the fifth.
"(Myers) is such a good pitcher that if you're gonna get to him,
you got to get to him early," McCann said. "If he gets in a
groove and he gets through the first three (innings), you're
looking for a long night."
McCann's RBI single gave the Braves a 6-0 advantage before Ryan
Madson came on for Myers and surrendered a a two-out, two-run
single to Gregor Blanco that gave the Braves a commanding 8-0
lead.
"Guys did a outstanding job of swinging the bats against a
really good pitcher," Jones said. "Turns out we needed every one
of (those runs)."
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