Game Recap: Atlanta Braves Suffer Loss On Walk-Off
By Dan Horton
The Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays met for game two of a three game set on Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre. Unfortunately, it didn’t go the way Atlanta had hoped. The Braves jumped out to an early lead of Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey as Chris Johnson provided a one out sacrifice fly to score Alberto Callaspo with the bases loaded. A.J. Pierzynski battled Dickey with a 10 pitch at-bat, but struck out to end the threat.
In the bottom half of the 1st, the Blue Jays got a runner on with a Josh Donaldson single up the middle with one out. Braves starter Alex Wood, got Jose Bautista to ground in to one of five double plays induced by Braves pitching to end the 1st.
With two out in the second, Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons laid down what looked to be a perfect bunt, but on the new turf at Rogers Centre, Dickey made a great play off the mound to retire Simmons at first. In the bottom half of the second, Jays third baseman Danny Valencia singled on a ball up the middle to Cameron Maybin.
He then proceeded to swipe second base prior to Russell Martin‘s pop-up to Callaspo at second. Wood would get Jays left-fielder Kevin Pillar to fly out to center on well hit ball that sent Maybin to the warning track.
Going into the top of the third inning, Dickey’s knuckleball was dancing all over and was effectively wild to that point. After getting Maybin and Callaspo to strike out, Callaspo’s first strike out in the regular season, Braves designated hitter Nick Markakis would draw his second of three walks.
With two out and Markakis at first, Freddie Freeman turned on a R.A. Dickey knuckleball that rocketed off the facade in right-center to put the Braves up 3 to 0. It was Freeman’s fourth home run of the year. Chris Johnson would ground to second to end the frame.
Blue Jays shortstop Steve Tolleson would lead off the Jays half of the third on a single that could have been played better by Callaspo. With a man on, Dalton Pompey sent a liner to Maybin in center for out number one. Wood would get Devin Travis to ground in to the Braves second double play of the day to end the third.
In the top of the fourth A. J. Pierzynski led off with a screaming line drive home run that just scraped over the right field wall to put Atlanta up 4-0. On a pitch that was down, A. J. went down with it and got just enough to gather his third home run of the season. As Pierzynski got to the dugout, he found Freddie Freeman and jokingly wrapped his arms around the Braves first baseman for a hug.
A. J. has said before that he’s not a hugger. Seems like the Hug Life is growing on him. The next batter, Jonny Gomes, just barely missed going back-to-back with Pierzynski. That could have been a big run later on.
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Andrelton Simmons does a lot of things for the Braves that don’t show up in the box score. In the bottom of the 6th inning, with one out, Devin Travis shoots a bouncer over a leaping Chris Johnson at third, but Simmons, hustling on contact, would hold Travis to a single. The turf at Rogers Centre slows balls down extremely fast, and had it not been for Simba’s hustle, Travis would be standing on second base with a double.
Simmons literally saved a base for the Braves to preserve a possible double play. Wood would get the next two hitter to fly out and pop out to end the inning. Simmons continues to frustrate hitters with his defense.
The 7th inning is where it all fell apart for Wood. After getting a quick out on a fly ball to center, Valencia would send a one out double to left field. Russell Martin would follow that up with a single to score Valencia to get the Jays on the board. Pillar would then pop to second for the second out. Steve Tolleson, who was in the lineup with the lefty Wood on the mound, would send a booming triple to the gap in right center to score Martin from first.
Pompey would step to the plate with two out and Tolleson on third. Pompey grounded the ball to Simmons at short, but with Pompey’s speed, he was able to leg it out for an infield hit. The play would be reviewed. To the Braves chagrin, the call would stand as called, safe.
After a few replays, it looked like the ball was in Freeman’s glove a split second before Pompey stepped on the bag. This would be a huge play as it turns out. It was a bang-bang play, but we would later learn that there was not enough evidence to overturn the call.
This would be the end of the line for Wood, going 7 and 2/3 innings. Brandon Cunniff would come in to relieve Wood. Cunniff would get the third out, but not before a scare. Facing Devin Travis, Cunniff got Travis to pop-up on a ball that was heading for no-man’s land.
Simmons came from seemingly nowhere to make a spectacular, over-the-shoulder catch, sliding on his back side, away form the infield. Simmons saved Atlanta again with his defense. A theme we’ve grown accustomed to from him.
Colt Hynes would relieve Dickey in the 8th. Hynes surrendered a lead off single to Markakis, his fourth time on base in the game. Hynes would also allow an opposite field base hit to Freeman, spoiling the shift Toronto had in place. Hynes recorded no outs and was replaced by Liam Hendriks.
Hendriks would get out of the jam after Markakis moved to third on a fly ball by C. Johnson and a wild pitch that moved Freeman to second, with strike outs to Pierzynski and Gomes.
In the bottom of the 8th, the Blue Jays would take the lead on a Jose Bautista 2-out, 2-run home run of Braves set up man Jim Johnson. Johnson got roughed up for a second consecutive outing in the 8th. After allowing a single to Valencia, he would induce the fifth and final double play for Atlanta this afternoon.
In the top of the 9th, Kelly Johnson led off for the Braves. Kelly would send a game tying home run to straight away center of Jays reliever Miguel Castro. Jays center fielder Dalton Pompey would give a valiant effort, but the ball carried just out of his reach. Unfortunately, that would be all the Braves could muster in the 9th.
Luis Avilan came on in the bottom of the 9th and made quick work of the Jays. Setting the stage for extra frames; free baseball in Toronto. The Braves would go quietly in the 10th. With rookie hurler Sugar Ray Marimon on for the Braves, after a stellar debut just a couple of night ago, would get Josh Donaldson to start the 10th for the Blue Jays.
Marimon didn’t even have time to get into a rhythm. Donaldson sent the first offering from Marimon to left filed. A towering, moon-shot was a no-doubter as it sailed over the left field wall, sealing the victory for the Blue Jays.
In a series that has gone back and forth in the first two games, I can expect we will see much of the same tomorrow as the Braves try to take the series in the rubber game. On the hill for Atlanta (7-4) will be newcomer Shelby Miller(0.90 ERA), who will be looking for win number two on the year. Opposing him for the Blue Jays (6-6) will be Daniel Norris (4.22 ERA) also going for his second win of the season.
If the last two games are any indication, then I’d say we’re in for another great see-saw battle. The first two game have not disappointed. For two teams that have two completely different dynamics, the power of the Blue Jays and the small-ball approach of the Braves, these games have been very well matched and even. I look for a close game, again, but hopefully with a better outcome for the good guys!