The Giants end Bobby Cox’s career to go forward in the Playoffs (Part 3)
The San Francisco Giants were on the verge of winning their first playoff series in 8 years as they faced the Atlanta Braves in their home ground of the Turner Field in the 4th game of the post season. The team had a
chance to end their campaign with the hosts and move on to the next round against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, this encounter was important for the home team as they were trying to preserve the tenure of their 69 year old manager, Bobby Cox.
Cox was facing his most important game in his career as the veteran was trying to extend his stay in Major League Baseball beyond the National League Championship. In addition, there was a bad streak trailing the Braves and it
entailed a bad winning record in the post season. The Atlanta side had never won the playoff’s deciding fixture at Turner Field. There was a chance to break that record and the team was up to the mark in trying to beat the visitors to push the series to the
final 5th game.
Going in to the top 6th inning, both Giants and Braves were stuck on a score line that changed in the bottom 3rd. Atlanta had gone up by a run in the inning as Omar Infante scored the first for the match style.
This put the visitors on the back foot and forced them to respond. However, Derek Lowe was pitching well and he made sure the San Francisco hitting squad stayed pinned down during the 5 innings he pitched. The mood was set for a home team victory but the game
had 3 innings to go in the encounter as the night drew close to a conclusion.
The Giants were on the mark in the top 6th and it was something Derek Lowe wasn’t able to repel or foresee. Cody Ross was the man to put the visitors back in the game and his inning contribution gave manager Bruce Bouchy
a weary smile on the face. Mike Fontenot struck out looking in the game and Ross came in as his replacement to face a fiery Lowe on the mound. Within an instant, the hitter blew the match wide open as he bashed a 389 feet homer to the left, to equalize the
score line and put the side on a level where they could press on for the winner.
Having failed to capitalize on their lead in the previous, the braves were stunned and this meant there was no choice but to give the opponents the full strength they harboured within their chests and hands. As Madison Bumgarner
pitched his 6th inning, the hosts wasted no time to put the ball thrower off his feet as Brian McCann sparked a stunning homer 365 feet to the right, bringing two runs for the side on the board.
The Giants were now engaging in a to and fro contest and the top 7th inning made the whole effort count as the side went up with Freddy Sanchez as the starter batter in the top 7th. Lowe was still in and he
did not falter, retiring the new hitter through a grounder out. However, that was when he started losing his grip in the match. He walked Aubrey Huff and the new batter moved to second when Buster Posey converted an infield single on the third. With the first
two bases occupied, Derek messed up his game and allowed Pat Burrell to walk. With the bases full, Cox replaced the ace pitcher with reliever Peter Moylan.
The move didn’t help the hosts as Juan Uribe came in to smash a grounder shot to the fielder’s choice on shortstop. Huff scored and the rest moved up a diamond. With the game score line level, the Giants pinned the final nail in
the coffin when Cody Ross came on again to single to the left and lead Bosey to a third run for san Francisco.
The night ended on 3 Giants – 2 Braves as the visitors moved on to face the Phillies in the National League Championship.
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