Braves blow chances to score and lose to Pirates 3-1
The Atlanta Braves got twice as many hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, but the Pirates did more with what they got and beat the Braves 3-1.
Tommy Hanson had hoped to pull his record even at 10-10. After five innings he looked like he might do it giving up only a pair of hits and one unearned run in the first inning to spot the Pirates a 1-0 lead. In the sixth he gave up home run No. 13 on the year to Pirates second baseman Neil Walker increasing the Pirates lead to 3-1.
Kyle Farnsworth and Peter Moylan each pitched an inning in relief of Hanson and held the Pirates without a base runner, but without any offence to back them up their effort went for nothing.
Atlanta has a couple of opportunities to take charge of the game. In the second inning Derek Lee and Matt Diaz both singled to lead off the inning. After a pitch hit Alex Gonzalez and the Braves had the bases loaded with no outs. However, they only managed to score a single run off a sacrifice hit by David Ross that scored Derek Lee.
Later in the seventh inning the Braves had the bases loaded once again but with two outs. Relief pitcher Chris Resop got Martin Prado to hit an easy ground ball for the final out of the inning, effectively ending the threat.
The Braves have had trouble scoring runs and winning games lately. In their last five games they failed to score more than two runs, only once losing four of those five. The Philadelphia Phillies have won four of six games in September to close the Braves lead in the division to just a single game.
Atlanta has had control over the NL East since 31 May leading by as many as seven games as of 22 July but since then they have seen that lead disappear.
With the loss the Braves fell to 79-59 on the season. Since the Phillies also lost Monday they were able to hold onto their one game lead in the NL East division.
Tim Hudson is scheduled to take the mound on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game series with the Pirates; James McDonald is set to do the same for the Pirates.
Hudson has not allowed the Pirates to score a run the last three times he faced them.
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