Tommy Hanson’s Struggles Continue, Braves Lose 10-4

For the second start in a row Tommy Hanson couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning. The damage this time was 6 runs (5 earned) over three and two thirds innings. Over his last two starts Hanson has struggled with location. Not in so much as he is walking a lot of batters but he is leaving breaking balls out over the plate or is not locating his fastball and has been getting hit.

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Tigers starter Justin Verlander almost let the Braves back in it in the bottom of the fourth as the Braves scored two on a Troy Glaus double and a Melky Cabrera sacrifice fly. Verlander rallied to strike out Gregor Blanco with runners at the corners to end the threat. Verlander pitched seven innings allowing four runs while striking out six.

All feelings of a Braves comeback were erased when Tigers rookie Brennan Boesch homered to deep right off of Christhian Martinez to make the score 8-2. The Braves added their final two runs of the day in the fifth on an Eric Hinske RBI single and a Brian McCann RBI Double. The Tigers tacked too more runs on Martinez in the sixth to round out the scoring.

Martin Prado again had a multi hit game going 2-4 at the plate to raise his average to .334. Troy Glaus just missed his 15th home run when his RBI double banged off the left field wall in the fourth.

The umpires were once again in focus as Tigers manager Jim Leyland was ejected in the fourth inning arguing a double play call at first. Leyland appeared to vent some frustration at the umpires for the admitted blown strike call from the night before. The strike zone was once again in question on Sunday with Tommy Hanson and Brian McCann both openly questioning Home Plate Ump Ed Hickox. McCann had a running dialog with Hickox after he was called out looking in the first inning.

The Braves escape with a 2-1 series win but once again saw their lead in the National League East shrink to just a half a game over the New York Mets. The Braves open a three game set tonight with the Washington Nationals. Rookie Phenom Steven Strasburg (2-1, 1.78) will be on the mound facing off against the Braves Tim Hudson (7-3, 2.54).