It started with an official farewell to Javy Lopez and ended with exhaustion.

5 runs down in the bottom of the ninth, the Braves came to life thanks to some timely offense and what should have been a game ending popfly by McCann. Left Fielder Jason Bay looked like he had the ball tracked but suddenly losing it under the lights he overran it and it dropped in the outfield between left and center. Escobar scored from 3rd and Chipper was busting it from first and scored sliding to tie the game at 9. But that's all the Braves would get until the 12th inning. Blaine Boyer gave up a 3 run homer in the top of inning and in the bottom of the inning Teixeira and McCann promptly got two outs. Then Jeff Francouer kept hope alive with a 2 out homer to left-center and Kotsay followed with a hard-hit double. Matt Diaz delivered an RBI single up the middle scoring Kotsay and making it a 12-11 game. Corkey Miller, the Braves last player on the bench came to bat and popped up to center. All held their breath but Pirates Center Fielder Nate McLouth made the play easily and the Braves hopes ended and start the season 0-2.

Two games into the season for the Braves, two great outings for Braves starting pitchers. Glavine, with a roaring ovation from the crowd and very little help from home plate umpire Joe West, pitched a Tom Glavine classic. He went 5 innings and painted the corners in pure Glavine fashion. While he and West disagreed on several close pitches, Glavine put the pitches where he needed when he needed to and limited the Pirates to 7 hits, 2 runs (only 1 of which was earned) and 2 walks. While not his best outing during his amazing career, certainly a welcome sight for Braves fans. The bullpen, overall, was not such a welcome sight through the 9th.

Chris Resop came into the game in relief of Glavine in the 6th, pitched one inning and gave up 1 hit and 1 run while facing 4 batters.

Peter Moylan bounced back from the loss last night in great fashion in the 7th by getting two ground balls as his sinker was moving all over the place. He came out of the game when Escobar made a throwing error to first. Royce Ring came into the game and promptly got the 3rd out.

A mostly very rough night for much of the Braves bullpen. Manny Acosta came into the game in the 8th and immediately struggled, giving up a go ahead homerun to the Pirates' Xavier Nady followed by a single, a wild pitch and a walk. He did get a strikeout and a flyout in the inning but the single and walk came to haunt him as he delivered a 94mph fastball to McLouth who promptly deposited it into the Braves rightfield seats for a 3 run homer. Jeff Bennett also gave up a run and a couple of walks.

However, after the miraculous 9th inning the Braves Soriano pitched a so-so 10th inning. Gave up no runs but did get hit hard a couple of times. Blaine Boyer fired strike after strike and looked sharp in the 11th handing down 2 strikeouts to a depleted Pirates offense. But in the 12th, after getting two outs, Xavier Nady completed his great night with his 2nd homerun, a 3-run shot that proved 1 run too much for the Braves to overcome.

On the offense, a better night than last night for the Braves. Brian McCann drilled a homerun to right field and Yunel Escobar continues to flat out hit the ball. Going 3-4 with a triple and 2 RBIs Escobar gave the Braves a 3rd inning lead but his 2-out 7th inning throwing error cost Glavine a chance at the win as the Pirates tied it up 4-4.

Kelly Johnson came out of the game after scoring on Escobar's triple in the 3rd. He had committed an error attempting to field a ball at second the previous half-inning and may have hurt himself in the process. A right-knee strain was the diagnosis and is listed day-to-day.

It was a tough opener for the Braves to suffer after the crushing defeat to the Nationals last night.

Tuesday's an off-day.

Next game:
Wednesday April 2nd at 6:10 Central on FSN vs. Pittsburg

Tom Gorzelanny (Pirates - LHP) vs. Jair Jurrjens (Braves - RHP)

NL EAST STANDINGS:
2-0 Washington Nationals
1-0 New York Mets
0-1 Florida Marlins
0-1 Philadelphia Phillies
0-2 Atlanta Braves

Labels: Atlanta Braves Baseball, Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur, Tom Glavine