News
Vazquez dominates, ends Braves' skid
Righty tosses seven scoreless; LaRoche, McLouth homer
By Michael Murphy / Special to MLB.com
09/09/09 12:15 AM ET
HOUSTON -- Another game, another tough time at the plate for the Atlanta Braves.Only on Tuesday, they didn't need a whole lot of offense to beat the Houston Astros.
The Braves, who still entertain thoughts of a late-season run, took the first step in that direction with a 2-1 victory over the Astros before 26,081 at Minute Maid Park.
The Braves, who remained 7 1/2 games behind Colorado in the National League Wild Card race, served notice that they aren't ready to call it a season just yet.
"We just have to keep battling," said Braves starter Javier Vazquez, who gave up only three hits in seven innings, racking up nine strikeouts while improving to 12-9. "Crazier things have happened before. We just have to keep battling and see where we're at."
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Braves, who were able to pencil third baseman Chipper Jones and shortstop Yunel Escobar into the lineup after both had battled nagging injuries.
While the additions didn't exactly fuel-inject the offense (only five hits), the Braves stifled an Astros team that had made every key play while sweeping four games from the Phillies in its previous series.
But on Tuesday, it was the Braves making all the key plays.
And one of the biggest came in the sixth inning, when the Astros used walks to pinch-hitter Jason Michaels, Michael Bourn and Carlos Lee to load the bases with two outs. Miguel Tejada stung a shot up the middle that glanced off Vazquez's glove, but Jones scooped up the ball barehanded and just barely beat Tejada with his throw to first.
"That was the play of the game," said Braves manager Bobby Cox. "If [Tejada's ball gets through], then there's no telling what happens."
All Tejada could do was shake his head and tip his cap after seeing what he thought was a key hit turn into a spectacular out.
"When I hit the ball, I was thinking the ball was going to get past the pitcher," he said. "He did a great job to knock it down and do what he did."
Indeed, and the way the Braves have been swinging the bats lately, every run saved is precious.
"I'm not doing it with the bat, so I might as well do it with my glove," said Jones (0-for-3) of his play on Tejada. "That play saved a possible big inning, but Javie is the one who knocked it down, so a lot of credit goes to him."
Vazquez also turned it on in the seventh.
A leadoff single to Hunter Pence, a walk to Geoff Blum and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out. But Vazquez, who pretty much needed two clutch strikeouts, got just that -- fanning Darin Erstad and Bourn to quell another threat.
"That was just a splendid job of clutch pitching, getting both strikeouts there in the seventh inning," Cox said. "He had plenty in the tank. He was firing all night long, really hitting his spots."
Vazquez certainly impressed the Astros.
"Vazquez is not afraid to throw strikes," Tejada said. "He did a really good job. That's why he got all those strikeouts."
And the Braves certainly needed them.
The Braves have been struggling on offense, batting just .185 (32-for-173) during their five-game losing streak. And while they didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball Tuesday, the Braves at least made their good swings count, getting solo homers from Adam LaRoche in the second inning and Nate McLouth in the fifth to account for their runs.
"We had a good night with the lumber, really," Cox said. "Garret Anderson had four balls hit hard, but not one hit. LaRoche, if he had been playing anywhere but here, [would have had another homer, in the fourth inning to deep center]. That's out in Miami. He had a great night."
The Astros tried to rally in the ninth, with Tejada leading off with a triple to center field off closer Rafael Soriano. Pence followed with a single up the middle to shave Atlanta's lead to 2-1.
But Soriano, who gave up three hits in the inning, settled down and retired the Astros, getting a double-play grounder from Blum and a line out by pinch-hitter Aaron Boone to end the game and pick up his 22nd save.
It was the first in what the Braves hope will be a long run of wins.
"Yeah, it can happen," said Jones of the possibility of a late push by the Braves. "We're [7 1/2] games out of the Wild Card. How many games were the Phillies out from the Mets in September a couple of years ago?
"It can happen. We got this road trip off to a good start, and now we have to build upon it."
Michael Murphy is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
