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Escobar, Braves Walk Off
Written by Colin on June 3, 2008 – 12:07 amYunel Escobar picked the right time to swing at a 3-0 pitch. With 13 career plate appearances and 13 career walks on a 3-0 count, Yunel Escobar stood at the plate in the bottom of the 10th in a tie game tonight with a 3-0 count and jacked the ball deep to center. As the Marlins center fielder slammed into the wall, Escobar’s ball bounced off the top of the wall before clearing it. The Braves won 7-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, Jeff Francoeur scooted home on a wild pitch to tie the game 5-5, saving John Smoltz from getting the loss in his first appearance since coming back from the disabled list. A couple of misplayed balls by Omar Infante (including a crucial ball that just bounced off his glove) not just cost the Braves the lead but put the Marlins ahead 5-4. Smoltz gave up a couple hits but was hitting 95 with his fastball and around 85 with his change. His arm slot is interesting to watch.
Mark Teixeira and Jeff Francoeur both added solo shots and Jo-Jo Reyes pitched into the 7th inning for his second straight start. The game saw several lead changes early, with the Marlins holding close early. Escobar had played hero earlier in the night too with a clutch single in the eighth to give the Braves a 4-3 lead with two outs.
Great to see the Braves back at home and winning close games. We need these if we’re going to be horrible on the road. More baseball tomorrow night from the Ted.
Tidbits for conversation:
- Why is Greg Norton starting in left field?
- Do you think Smoltzie’s issues tonight were a sign of more to come, or an abnormality?
Tags: Florida Marlins, Walk-Off
Posted in Game Analysis | 12 Comments »
