 10/09/2004 7:49 PM ET
Braves short hops
Staff allowing lots of runners, not a lot of runs
HOUSTON -- You can say Braves' pitching is bending, but not totally breaking. Over the past two games, the Astros have had a baserunner reach in every inning. That's a span of 17 straight innings that Houston has had someone reach.
On Sunday, the Braves were able to prevent the Astros from scoring after their five-run second inning. In those 17 straight innings of having someone on, the Astros have scored 13 runs on 24 hits with 13 walks.
The Astros mounted 13 hits with four walks on Sunday, and they collected hits in seven of their nine innings.
Vitals check
A look at key statistics through Game 4 of the NLDS.
Team stats
| Digits |
Trend |
The Deal |
| ERA |
5.84 |
 |
Relievers combined for six scoreless innings |
| BA |
.269 |
|
Chipper Jones and J.D. Drew showing signs of life |
| BA w/ RISP |
8-for-37 (.216) |
|
Adam LaRoche, Drew deliver in clutch |
| Runs |
18 |
|
Had a series-high six runs |
| Fldg % |
1.000 |
|
Turned three DPs, no errors in series |
Who's hot?
| Player |
Digits |
Trend |
The Deal |
| Andruw Jones |
.562 BA, 9-for-16, 2 HRs, 2 2B, 4 RBIs |
|
Toughest out in the lineup |
| Adam LaRoche |
.308, 4-for-13, 2B, HR, 4 RBIs |
|
Keyed comeback with three-run HR |
Who's not?
| Player |
Digits |
Trend |
The Deal |
| Marcus Giles |
.100, 2-for-20, 5 Ks, 1 R |
 |
Second straight 0-for-5 game |
Behind the numbers
Due to injuries and inconsistencies, the starting pitching struggled in the four games. Combined, the four starters worked a total of 14 innings, giving up 13 runs for an 8.36 ERA.
Frozen moment
Minute Maid Park literally was a home-field advantage for the Astros in Game 4. In a critical at-bat, Craig Biggio lofted a pop that looked like it would be played in foul territory by Chipper Jones. But with the roof closed, the ball struck a beam in foul territory. Even though Russ Ortiz made a running grab before the ball landed, the umpires ruled no play. That's part of the ground rules at the park -- balls that strike the beams in foul territory are foul. Given new life, Biggio belted a three-run homer, giving Houston a 4-2 lead.
Shrewd move
Shaking things up to get more production, Drew was moved up to second in the order instead of third. Drew delivered the game-winning RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning, scoring Rafael Furcal from second.
Modern history I: Smoltz sets record for playoff wins
| Smoltz comes through in big spots |
| Year |
Round |
Game |
Opponent |
Score |
| 1991 |
NLCS |
3 |
Pittsburgh |
10-3 |
| |
NLCS |
7 |
Pittsburgh |
4-0 |
| 1992 |
NLCS |
1 |
Pittsburgh |
5-1 |
| |
NLCS |
4 |
Pittsburgh |
6-4 |
| |
World Series |
5 |
Toronto |
6-4 |
| 1996 |
NLDS |
1 |
Los Angeles |
2-1 |
| |
NLCS |
1 |
St. Louis |
4-1 |
| |
NLCS |
5 |
St. Louis |
14-0 |
| |
World Series |
1 |
New York Yankees |
12-1 |
| 1997 |
NLDS |
3 |
Houston |
4-1 |
| 1998 |
NLDS |
1 |
Chicago Cubs |
7-1 |
| 1999 |
NLDS |
4 |
Houston |
7-5 |
| 2003 |
NLDS |
2 |
Chicago Cubs |
5-3* |
| 2004 |
NLDS |
4 |
Houston |
6-5* |
| *- Won in relief |
Modern history II: Staying alive
| Braves improve to 4-1 in NLDS Game 4s |
Year |
Result |
Date |
| 2004 |
Braves 6, Astros 5 |
Oct. 1 |
| 2003 |
Braves 6, Cubs 4 |
Oct. 4 |
| 2002 |
Giants 8, Braves 3 |
Oct. 6 |
| 1999 |
Braves 7, Astros 5 |
Oct. 9 |
| 1995 |
Braves 10, Rockies 4 |
Oct. 7 |
Last word
"It's probably about 90 percent. I slapped a whole bunch of high-fives today and it's swollen up pretty good. It still swells up, but for the most part, it's not bothering me." -- Chipper Jones, on his injured hand Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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