Ankiel Homer Caps Epic Rally, Giving Braves 5-4 Win in 11 Innings

So many emotions were running through me last night that I never would have been able to write a recap. I still don’t know if I can, but this is my effort. The Braves rallied from four runs down, overcame a tight jam in the 10th and Rick Ankiel launched a bomb into the cove to give us one of the best games I’ve seen in a long time, tying the series with a 5-4 win in 11 innings.

This time around, the Giants struck early and hard, as Pat Burrell hit a three-run home run in the first inning. It continued in the second as Cody Ross doubled and Matt Cain singled him in for a quick four-run lead. Both offenses went to nothing after that, with the next threat coming in the fifth by the Braves. However, Jason Heyward hit into a double play.

The Braves finally got on the board for the first time in the series in the sixth, when Derrek Lee singled and reached second on an error, and Brian McCann singled him in. The Giants put a runner on third in the seventh, but Jonny Venters got two straight outs. It proved big, as the Braves put up three in the eighth to tie it. Lee and McCann singled to start the inning, and Brian Wilson was brought in for a six-out save. Melky Cabrera hit a slow chopper to third that Pablo Sandoval couldn’t handle fast enough, causing an errant throw that resulted in Melky being safe and Lee scoring. After Brooks Conrad bunted both into scoring position, Alex Gonzalez provided the big blow in the form of a two-run double, tying the game at four.

There wasn’t another baserunner until the 10th, when the Giants loaded the bases on an infield single, a hit by pitch and a walk. Billy Wagner started the inning but left after one out because of an oblique injury. Kyle Farnsworth relieved him and allowed the hit by pitch and walk, loading the bases with one out. But somehow, some way, Farnsworth got Buster Posey to ground into a double play that Troy Glaus started at third base and went 5-4-3. The Braves had to win after this.

And it didn’t take long for that to happen. In the top of the 11th, with one out, Rick Ankiel hit a solo homer into the cove to put the Braves ahead by one. Farnsworth got the save in the home half for the win.

First of all, Tommy Hanson had nothing in this game. He allowed four runs on five hits in four innings, walking one and striking out five. He threw a decent amount of strikes and got grounders, but he couldn’t spot his fastball to save his life. He either overthrew it or grooved it, the latter causing all four runs. He didn’t have a feel for his breaking stuff, but buried it in the dirt and took advantage of a bad Giants offense for five strikeouts as a result. At first thought, I felt Hanson was struggling with nerves and couldn’t locate, but after the second it was obvious he didn’t have a feel for his pitches. It happens and you can’t take away from what Hanson has done for this team, and it was nice of his team to back him for a change.

Hanson had settled down in the third and fourth despite his location not being a lot better, but he was pulled after four for a pinch hitter with no one on base, which I don’t understand. Mike Dunn pitched an inning and a third perfectly, including two strikeouts. Peter Moylan got the final two outs in the sixth. Venters allowed two hits in a scoreless seventh. Craig Kimbrel shined in the spotlight, striking out four in two perfect innings. Wagner got one out and put one on before coming out. Farnsworth induced the double play after loading the bases in the 10th, and he allowed a single in the 11th before shutting the door.

Depending on how far the Braves go, it could be the last time we see Wagner pitch. He will more than likely be replaced on the roster by Takashi Saito, causing him to not be available in the next round. Kimbrel certainly proved capable of taking over the closer’s role, and I would think he’d get first shot.

Infante, Lee and McCann each had two hits, with McCann picking up a RBI. Gonzalez’s lone hit was the two-run double in the eighth. Ankiel had two hits, including the deciding shot in the 11th. The Braves struck out double digits again, including two from Jason Heyward, who went 0-5, but they came through when it mattered. Being able to come back from three down off one of the best closers in baseball in the eighth inning shows what kind of team this is when their back is against the wall. You would like to see it happen in the first few innings, but better late than never.

As predicted, hitting Melky fifth hurt the offense. He went 0-5 with a RBI on the error, including 0-2 with runners in scoring position. He also struck out once and never hit the ball anywhere near hard. For some unknown reason, the Giants failed to pitch around McCann, which was probably their biggest mistake of the night.

David O’Brien of the AJC gives a ton of quotes from the game. I can’t single out any because they’re all so good, so check it out.

The Braves head home with the series tied. Tim Hudson faces Jonathan Sanchez on Sunday at 4:37.