02 March 2006
Braves 2, Dodgers 3 (
ESPN recap,
box score)
For the second day in a row -- but this time against a professional lineup -- the Braves' bullpen was completely lights-out. But the defense wasn't as pretty: all three Dodger runs scored as a result of errors. Jorge Sosa was on the mound for all three, so he took the loss. He may has well have earned it, because it was his throwing error in the first that allowed two two-out RBI singles to happen.
Third-baseman Cesar Crespo and shortstop Wilson Betemit were each charged with an error in the bottom of the second, contribute to the Dodgers' third and winning run.
But as I said, the bullpen was absolutely brilliant. Lance Cormier took over for Sosa to start the third and allowed a leadoff single, after which he, Kevin Barry, Macay McBride, and Joey Devine retired 18 straight hitters to finish the losing effort with six perfect innings of work (after that single, I mean).
On the other side of the ball, the Braves scored the only unearned runs of the game off an RBI double by Todd Pratt in the second (Betemit had singled ahead of him) and a bases-loaded walk to James Jurries in the eighth. In true Braves-rally-killing fashion, Matt Diaz was then thrown out trying to score on what would have been a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with a foul-out to end the inning.
It looks like the Braves have sorted out most of their bullpen problems from last year... but it is early!
