Atlanta Braves Fans In Shock After Brooms Sweep Them
By Jeff Schafer
Feeling decent about the 2014 season, the Atlanta Braves headed down to Miami for a weekday series with the Miami Marlins. The Braves went into the series with a 17-7 win/loss record with the Marlins sitting at 11-14.
Dominating the Marlins since pretty much 1997, I believe we all thought the Braves would win this series and possible break out the brooms.
Well, the brooms were brought out but for all the wrong reasons.
Tuesday night – 9-0 Marlins
Wednesday night – 9-3 Marlins
Thursday night – 5-4 Marlins
This is the first sweep of the Braves by the Marlins since April 2009. Prior to that, the Marlins swept the Braves in June 2006 and before that October 2005. The point I’m trying to make is that this doesn’t happen very frequently.
Positives of the game tonight…B.J. Upton hit a home run? Chris Johnson went 3-3 after his three year contract was announced.
May 1, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher
Ian Thomas(left) is taken out of the game by manager
Fredi Gonzalez(right) during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Ian Thomas picked up the loss for the game tonight after giving up two runs off two hits in the bottom of the 7th inning. Reed Johnson hits a blooper to left field followed by a soft hit by Christian Yelich to left and the Marlins were in business. Giancarlo Stanton singled on a ball he put between Freeman and Uggla after the Braves put the shift on to score Johnson. Then Casey McGehee singled to right scoring Yelich.
Thomas was pulled prior to Stanton’s at-bat but the runs still counted on his box score. Though two soft hits, they were deadly.
“They are going to get their hits, we are going to get ours,” Thomas said after the game. “I just have to stay ahead and I feel behind with a couple guys. Coming in with a 3-2 count, they will swing at the ball to put it in play. That’s what they get paid for”.
Johnson’s was an eight pitch at-bat with a 3-2 count and ended with a single to left.
The Braves loaded the bases in the 8th inning when trailing but weren’t able to score any runs.
“We had some opportunities, I like how these guys battled in the 8th inning but now we go out tomorrow,” Manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We’ll fly home, play tomorrow and end this losing streak.”
Well lets hope so…the Braves take on the Giants at Turner Field this weekend. Mike Minor takes the ball for the Braves for the first time in 2014. He will go up against Tim Lincecum for the Giants.