ALCS Game #4
Alabama (Luke Hudson 3-2, 2.53) @ Beartooth (Mark Buehrle 21-6, 3.25)
Alabama wins 6-5 -- Braves lead series 3-1
Beartooth, needing a win in a major way, decided to go with Buehrle on three days rest in this one as Alabama countered with youngster Luke Hudson. Alabama wasted no time making Beartooth question its decision as the top of the first unfolded with Buehrle walking Castillo and Berkman to lead off the game. Thome, fresh off his big hit from the night before, then blasted a 450 foot bomb to dead center field, announcing his presence with authority in Game 4, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead. Both pitchers were excellent from that point forward, until the bottom of the 5th, when Beartooth got a one-out RBI single from Brian Giles, bringing home Javy Lopez, who had doubled to lead off the inning. The bottom of the 6th had A-rod leading off with a fly ball to left field for the first out. Hudson then walked Corey Koskie, prompting Alabama to call on the bullpen after 5.1 solid innings from the youngster. Brad Lidge came on in "relief", if that’s what you want to call it, giving up a first pitch two run home run to Aaron Rowand. Lidge’s problems were not isolated to the post-season. He gave up 16 HR this year in only 69.2 IP. Anyway, the two run blast pumped new life into the Ballhawks. Lidge wasn’t finished yet. He followed up Rowand’s homer with a single off the bat of Javy Lopez and the Braves had seen enough of Mr. Lidge, removing him for Mike Gonzalez. Gonzalez then proceeded to walk pinch-hitter Jayson Werth before retiring Mark Bellhorn on a fly ball to center which moved Lopez over to third with two outs. Beartooth then sent up pinch-hitter Bucky Jacobsen to face Gonzalez. Jacobsen owned the Braves during the regular season with two pinch-hit home runs against his division rivals. Apparently, this was on Lieberthal’s mind at the time as he let a passed ball go through the five hole to score the run and give the Ballhawks a 4-3 lead with Keith Foulke looming in the bullpen. The 7th and 8th innings passed without incident and Beartooth carried their 4-3 lead into the 9th. The Beartooth bullpen was going to have to earn it if they were to hold on to the one run lead. The Braves had Thome, Vlad, and Ortiz due up in the 9th. Lefty relief specialist Jamie Walker came on to face Thome and he got the job done with a big strikeout for out number one. Beartooth then signaled to the bullpen to bring in their money guy, Keith Foulke, to face Vlad. Vlad popped a lazy fly ball to center field where Aaron Rowand, still beaming from his big knock off Lidge three innings earlier, misplayed it and allowed Vlad to reach. It would be a costly mistake. Big Papi then came up and smoked a single down the right field line, advancing Guerrero to third with only one out. The Braves needed somebody to step up and it was Mr. Jones’ turn at the dish. Foulke then served up a monstrous three run home run to Andruw that put a dagger in the heart of the Ballhawks, giving the Braves a 6-4 lead, which they carried into the bottom of the 9th with Bellhorn, Kapler, and Bonds due up. Alabama called on the usually trusty Billy Wagner to preserve the win. Mark Bellhorn had other ideas though as he led off the inning with a triple in the gap. The defensive replacement in left field, Kapler, then followed with a grounder to second base to score the run, but it also was the first out of the inning. Bonds then stepped up to the plate and Billy the Kid said ‘Here it is. See if you can hit it!’, refusing to pitch around the often-walked slugger. Wagner was able to coerce Barroid to ground out to third baseman Blalock for out number two and Alabama breathed a sigh of relief. One more out to go in this nail-biter. Mark Teixeira stepped to the plate and Wagner was able to retire him on a grounder to the shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, to lock up the 6-5 victory and a 3-1 series edge.
Player of the Game: Andruw Jones, 2-4, R, GW HR, 3 RBI
Alabama wins 6-5 -- Braves lead series 3-1
Beartooth, needing a win in a major way, decided to go with Buehrle on three days rest in this one as Alabama countered with youngster Luke Hudson. Alabama wasted no time making Beartooth question its decision as the top of the first unfolded with Buehrle walking Castillo and Berkman to lead off the game. Thome, fresh off his big hit from the night before, then blasted a 450 foot bomb to dead center field, announcing his presence with authority in Game 4, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead. Both pitchers were excellent from that point forward, until the bottom of the 5th, when Beartooth got a one-out RBI single from Brian Giles, bringing home Javy Lopez, who had doubled to lead off the inning. The bottom of the 6th had A-rod leading off with a fly ball to left field for the first out. Hudson then walked Corey Koskie, prompting Alabama to call on the bullpen after 5.1 solid innings from the youngster. Brad Lidge came on in "relief", if that’s what you want to call it, giving up a first pitch two run home run to Aaron Rowand. Lidge’s problems were not isolated to the post-season. He gave up 16 HR this year in only 69.2 IP. Anyway, the two run blast pumped new life into the Ballhawks. Lidge wasn’t finished yet. He followed up Rowand’s homer with a single off the bat of Javy Lopez and the Braves had seen enough of Mr. Lidge, removing him for Mike Gonzalez. Gonzalez then proceeded to walk pinch-hitter Jayson Werth before retiring Mark Bellhorn on a fly ball to center which moved Lopez over to third with two outs. Beartooth then sent up pinch-hitter Bucky Jacobsen to face Gonzalez. Jacobsen owned the Braves during the regular season with two pinch-hit home runs against his division rivals. Apparently, this was on Lieberthal’s mind at the time as he let a passed ball go through the five hole to score the run and give the Ballhawks a 4-3 lead with Keith Foulke looming in the bullpen. The 7th and 8th innings passed without incident and Beartooth carried their 4-3 lead into the 9th. The Beartooth bullpen was going to have to earn it if they were to hold on to the one run lead. The Braves had Thome, Vlad, and Ortiz due up in the 9th. Lefty relief specialist Jamie Walker came on to face Thome and he got the job done with a big strikeout for out number one. Beartooth then signaled to the bullpen to bring in their money guy, Keith Foulke, to face Vlad. Vlad popped a lazy fly ball to center field where Aaron Rowand, still beaming from his big knock off Lidge three innings earlier, misplayed it and allowed Vlad to reach. It would be a costly mistake. Big Papi then came up and smoked a single down the right field line, advancing Guerrero to third with only one out. The Braves needed somebody to step up and it was Mr. Jones’ turn at the dish. Foulke then served up a monstrous three run home run to Andruw that put a dagger in the heart of the Ballhawks, giving the Braves a 6-4 lead, which they carried into the bottom of the 9th with Bellhorn, Kapler, and Bonds due up. Alabama called on the usually trusty Billy Wagner to preserve the win. Mark Bellhorn had other ideas though as he led off the inning with a triple in the gap. The defensive replacement in left field, Kapler, then followed with a grounder to second base to score the run, but it also was the first out of the inning. Bonds then stepped up to the plate and Billy the Kid said ‘Here it is. See if you can hit it!’, refusing to pitch around the often-walked slugger. Wagner was able to coerce Barroid to ground out to third baseman Blalock for out number two and Alabama breathed a sigh of relief. One more out to go in this nail-biter. Mark Teixeira stepped to the plate and Wagner was able to retire him on a grounder to the shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, to lock up the 6-5 victory and a 3-1 series edge.
Player of the Game: Andruw Jones, 2-4, R, GW HR, 3 RBI
posted by waye3 at 1:28 PM
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