01 August 2005
The Braves were finally beaten on the last game of the homestand, shut down by young Pirates phenom Zach Duke 4-1. I guess you can't win them all, although the Braves almost did.
Tim Hudson (7-6) started, and was decent; going 6.1 innings and giving up 4 runs on 8 hits, 1 walk, and he struck out 5-a good sign. He got out of a huge jam in the 5th with no damage, getting out Jason Bay and Daryle Ward with the bases loaded. Foster, Brower, and McBride had scoreless outings.
Jose Castillo hit a 2 run homer to turn a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead for Pittsburgh, and rookie Chris Duffy added another solo homer for the Pirates.
The Braves got their run in the 5th when Jeff Francoeur and Johnny Estrada hit back-to-back doubles.
Offensive contributors: Ryan Langerhans was 2-3. Julio Franco was 2-4. Marcus Giles was 1-3 with a walk.
The Braves now head to Cincinnati for a 3 game series; the Reds have been playing decent baseball since the All-Star Break. Jorge Sosa will start against Ramon Ortiz in the first game tomorrow night.
