Friday, July 21, 2006
Braves fall to Cards in finale
07/20/2006
ST. LOUIS -- For the first time since the All-Star break, the Braves found somebody capable of ending the ridiculous offensive flurry that had carried them over the past week.
Facing defending National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter at Busch Stadium on Wednesday night, the Braves were reminded there will be some nights in which they aren't able to provide their pitching staff a double-digit run total. Of course, this was one of those games in which they needed plenty of support from their potent offense.
Carpenter silenced the Braves' offense and his offense took advantage of the opportunity to reintroduce Jason Shiell to the Majors. Consequently, St. Louis claimed an 8-3 win that snapped Atlanta's season-best seven-game winning streak.
"Let's face it, the odds weren't in our favor," said Chipper Jones, who had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 19 games -- matching a career high.
With their first loss since July 7, the Braves dropped to five games out of the lead in the National League Wild Card chase. But this setback wasn't exactly a surprise. Carpenter was opposing Shiell, who just a month ago was pitching for the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League.
"We were going against Mr. Cy Young tonight and he looked like Cy Young to me," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He had great stuff to me. Our guy [Shiell] had six punchouts in four innings, but a ton of pitches. He got a little tired."
Shiell, who was making his first career Major League start, calmed his nerves during a two-hour, 12-minute delay that was caused by a storm that produced heavy rains and monstrous winds. He impressed his first time through the Cardinals lineup. But with their second look at him, the Redbirds produced a four-run third inning, highlighted by Jim Edmonds' three-run homer.
"I made some good pitches and some bad pitches," Shiell said. "I had a few days off, so my mechanics weren't quite right. I wasn't satisfied, but I felt good about the way I pitched."
Shiell, who was signed by the Braves on June 22, had posted a 2.14 ERA in his three starts at Triple-A Richmond. But that competition and the batters he faced in the Atlantic League weren't exactly the caliber of the potent Cardinals lineup.
Still while making his first Major League appearance since 2003, when he made 20 relief appearances for the Red Sox, the right-hander at least made a good impression on Cox. While registering six strikeouts and issuing three walks in four innings, he was only scored upon during that four-run third inning.
"He looked fine to me," said Cox of Shiell, who missed all of the 2004 and 2005 seasons with arm problems.
Shiell was promoted to John Thomson's spot in the starting rotation. With Thomson's right shoulder feeling stronger, he'll likely be healthy enough to return for his next scheduled start on Tuesday against the Marlins.
The Braves, who had tallied 65 runs in their previous five games, saw Carpenter limit them to two earned runs and five hits. The Cardinals' offense provided him plenty of support by scoring eight runs in the first five innings against Shiell and Kevin Barry.
After Shiell exited, Barry entered and retired just one of the eight batters he faced in the Cardinals' four-run fifth inning. Since not allowing a run and just two hits in his first three career Major League appearances (nine innings), the 27-year-old right-handed reliever has struggled. He's surrendered seven earned runs in his past 1 2/3 innings.
After the long delay postponed the start of the game, Wilson Betemit hit the first pitch delivered by Carpenter for a single. He scored on an Andruw Jones single. But the only other Braves run off Carpenter came courtesy of a seventh-inning solo shot by Brian McCann, who has homered in five consecutive games.
"He's tough," Adam LaRoche said of Carpenter, who has handed the Braves two of their four losses this month. "There's a reason he won a Cy Young Award. You have to be patient with him. But if you let one pitch go, it might be the only good one you see the entire at-bat."
When Carpenter exited, the Braves made a late rally, loading the bases in the ninth inning against Braden Looper. But two more Cardinals relievers entered and limited the damage to just one run, courtesy of LaRoche's groundout.
"Chris pitched a great game," Chipper Jones said. "We had our chances late to have a big inning. But all in all, six games into the second half, I'm extremely happy. You're going to run into guys that are going to stick it to you from time to time."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
ST. LOUIS -- For the first time since the All-Star break, the Braves found somebody capable of ending the ridiculous offensive flurry that had carried them over the past week.
Facing defending National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter at Busch Stadium on Wednesday night, the Braves were reminded there will be some nights in which they aren't able to provide their pitching staff a double-digit run total. Of course, this was one of those games in which they needed plenty of support from their potent offense.
Carpenter silenced the Braves' offense and his offense took advantage of the opportunity to reintroduce Jason Shiell to the Majors. Consequently, St. Louis claimed an 8-3 win that snapped Atlanta's season-best seven-game winning streak.
"Let's face it, the odds weren't in our favor," said Chipper Jones, who had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 19 games -- matching a career high.
With their first loss since July 7, the Braves dropped to five games out of the lead in the National League Wild Card chase. But this setback wasn't exactly a surprise. Carpenter was opposing Shiell, who just a month ago was pitching for the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League.
"We were going against Mr. Cy Young tonight and he looked like Cy Young to me," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He had great stuff to me. Our guy [Shiell] had six punchouts in four innings, but a ton of pitches. He got a little tired."
Shiell, who was making his first career Major League start, calmed his nerves during a two-hour, 12-minute delay that was caused by a storm that produced heavy rains and monstrous winds. He impressed his first time through the Cardinals lineup. But with their second look at him, the Redbirds produced a four-run third inning, highlighted by Jim Edmonds' three-run homer.
"I made some good pitches and some bad pitches," Shiell said. "I had a few days off, so my mechanics weren't quite right. I wasn't satisfied, but I felt good about the way I pitched."
Shiell, who was signed by the Braves on June 22, had posted a 2.14 ERA in his three starts at Triple-A Richmond. But that competition and the batters he faced in the Atlantic League weren't exactly the caliber of the potent Cardinals lineup.
Still while making his first Major League appearance since 2003, when he made 20 relief appearances for the Red Sox, the right-hander at least made a good impression on Cox. While registering six strikeouts and issuing three walks in four innings, he was only scored upon during that four-run third inning.
"He looked fine to me," said Cox of Shiell, who missed all of the 2004 and 2005 seasons with arm problems.
Shiell was promoted to John Thomson's spot in the starting rotation. With Thomson's right shoulder feeling stronger, he'll likely be healthy enough to return for his next scheduled start on Tuesday against the Marlins.
The Braves, who had tallied 65 runs in their previous five games, saw Carpenter limit them to two earned runs and five hits. The Cardinals' offense provided him plenty of support by scoring eight runs in the first five innings against Shiell and Kevin Barry.
After Shiell exited, Barry entered and retired just one of the eight batters he faced in the Cardinals' four-run fifth inning. Since not allowing a run and just two hits in his first three career Major League appearances (nine innings), the 27-year-old right-handed reliever has struggled. He's surrendered seven earned runs in his past 1 2/3 innings.
After the long delay postponed the start of the game, Wilson Betemit hit the first pitch delivered by Carpenter for a single. He scored on an Andruw Jones single. But the only other Braves run off Carpenter came courtesy of a seventh-inning solo shot by Brian McCann, who has homered in five consecutive games.
"He's tough," Adam LaRoche said of Carpenter, who has handed the Braves two of their four losses this month. "There's a reason he won a Cy Young Award. You have to be patient with him. But if you let one pitch go, it might be the only good one you see the entire at-bat."
When Carpenter exited, the Braves made a late rally, loading the bases in the ninth inning against Braden Looper. But two more Cardinals relievers entered and limited the damage to just one run, courtesy of LaRoche's groundout.
"Chris pitched a great game," Chipper Jones said. "We had our chances late to have a big inning. But all in all, six games into the second half, I'm extremely happy. You're going to run into guys that are going to stick it to you from time to time."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
