Conrad Does It Again; Braves Score Eight in Eighth for Comeback Win

The Braves got their revenge. Going into the eighth down by three, they scored eight runs, including a grand slam by Brooks Conrad, to take the second game of the series, 10-5.

With how Kris Medlen had looked lately, his performance was almost expected. He couldn’t hit the outside corner and threw a couple curves in spots where he shouldn’t have, and his changeup floated at times. He gave up a run in the first on a groundout that scored a run by Dan Uggla. After a perfect second, he gave up three in the third on an RBI double by Gaby Sanchez and floated a changeup to Uggla, who took it deep for a two-run shot and four runs on the board.

Medlen settled down and pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth. His final mistake came in the sixth on a solo homer by Mike Stanton. To go six innings despite allowing eight hits and five runs isn’t bad. He also only walked one and struck out eight, so it wasn’t a terrible outing, just not what we’re used to from Medlen. But command hides at times. It happens.

The Braves were back and forth with the Marlins through Medlen’s early struggles. Martin Prado led off the game with a solo homer. After Jason Heyward singled in the third and stole second, Brian McCann drove him in for the lead at the time. Once the lead was given up in the home half of the third, the Braves quit hitting. McCann grounded into a double play with a runner on third in the fifth. Otherwise, they were hitless until the eighth.

The eighth inning changed a few things. A single, error, and hit by pitch loaded the bases with no outs. For some reason I will never understand, the Marlins brought in 21-year-old Jhan Marinez, who has 14 career innings at AA and nothing more. Troy Glaus walked to bring home a run and Eric Hinske singled in two to tie the game at five. A second error in the inning by Jorge Cantu loaded the bases again once Marinez was pulled, and after Nate McLouth did what he does by hitting into a force out at home on a grounder to first base, Conrad went deep on a grand slam for a four-run lead. They would later add another run on a fielder’s choice by Chipper Jones.

Heyward was on base every time he came to the plate, going 3-3 with two walks, including two singles in the eighth. Prado had two hits, including a homer in a second straight game. Hinske had two RBIs and Glaus, McCann, and Chipper each had one. And of course, Conrad had the deciding blow with his second grand slam of the season. He is now 2-2 with the bases loaded this season with two grand slams, both deciding the outcome of games.

Heyward’s last five games: 12-21, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K. He has at least two hits in each of the past five games and is riding an eight-game hitting streak. It’s easy to see he has confidence in his thumb because he’s covering the outer corner again while still killing the lower inner corner. When your thumb goes bad you stick to one spot in the zone. He’s no longer doing that.