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Braves back Vazquez's gem in Philly
Righty dazzles, while McCann, seeing better, goes deep
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
05/09/09 7:58 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA -- While Brian McCann battled blurred vision in his left eye, it was easy to see that he was sorely missed by a slumbering Braves offense. Two days into his return to their lineup, it's already been apparent what his presence means to manager Bobby Cox's club.Making sure that Javier Vazquez wouldn't be denied victory courtesy of another late-inning disaster at Citizens Bank Park, McCann capped a three-hit performance on Saturday afternoon with a two-run, eighth-inning homer that gave the Braves plenty of breathing room on their way to a 6-2 victory over the Phillies.
"It's definitely important to have Brian in the lineup," said Vazquez after winning for the first time in four career starts at the Bank. "It's good to see him out there doing well."
McCann's late home run further marred Joe Blanton's afternoon and simultaneously preserved the impressive one produced by Vazquez, who allowed two runs and four hits in 7 2/3 innings. After Chase Utley delivered a fourth-inning, opposite-field solo homer, the Braves right-hander retired 11 straight batters before Raul Ibanez began the bottom of the eighth by delivering a 3-2 fastball into the right-field seats.
"If the score was tied or close, he wouldn't have got that pitch," Cox said of the fastball that concluded Ibanez's nine-pitch at-bat.
While ending a personal two-game losing streak, Vazquez avoided the big innings that had plagued him in his previous two starts and produced a walk-free outing for the first time in a span of 14 starts.
"I've always said that in ballparks like this and the one in Cincinnati, you can't walk people, because they can score a lot of runs in a hurry," Vazquez said. "So make them hit the ball. I was throwing strikes and when guys score six runs, it makes it a lot easier."
After throwing six strong innings during his Braves debut on April 8, Vazquez watched his bullpen blow a seven-run, seventh-inning lead. This time he was spared another late-inning disaster. Eric O'Flaherty retired the only batter he faced in the eighth and Utley's two-out double was the only thing that prevented Mike Gonzalez from proving perfect in the ninth.
Standing 3-3 with a 3.88 ERA after seven starts, Vazquez's numbers don't provide clear indication of how impressive he's been during the early stages of this season. After being damaged by a four-run fifth during his season-high, eight-inning effort against the Cardinals on April 29, he returned on Monday to limit the Mets to one hit before Carlos Beltran and David Wright highlighted a four-run sixth with a pair of two-run home runs.
"Javy has pitched really great baseball every start," Cox said. "He's had a bad inning here or there, maybe. But his record isn't indicative of the way that he's pitched. Just about every game that he's started, he could have a win."
Likewise, the 14-16 record Atlanta has compiled during the season's first five weeks doesn't provide a clear indication of the club's potential when at full strength. McCann began battling vision problems on Opening Day and was batting just .195 through the 41 at-bats he'd compiled before going on the disabled list, retroactive to April 23.
Wearing new sports glasses that are essentially a clear version of the Oakley sunglasses that many players use, the All-Star catcher returned to the lineup Friday night and recorded a two-RBI single in his second at-bat. During the first two games of this series, he has gone 4-for-7 with four RBIs.
"I felt the first 40 at-bats I had this year, I was going up there not swinging the bat, I was just trying to see the ball," McCann said. "It makes all the difference being able to go up there and stick to your game plan and not worry about anything else, but hitting."
McCann's second-inning single off Blanton put Jeff Francoeur in position to dent the left-field wall with an RBI single that give Vazquez the game's first lead.
After Utley tied the game with his fourth-inning homer, Vazquez aided his cause with a double that sparked a three-run fifth. Kelly Johnson followed with an RBI double and then scored on a two-run homer delivered by Yunel Escobar, who has hit a National League-best .516 with runners in scoring position.
Having won for the third time through the first four games of this road trip, the celebratory Braves took time to poke fun at the way McCann looked, while doing a postgame television interview while wearing his new clear glasses and his red and blue chest protector.
Some teammates said he looked like a member of a vice squad and another proclaimed that he was dressed like Captain America.
When told about the ribbing, McCann laughed and said, "I don't care, I'm just happy that I can see again."
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
