Blowout Awaiting

The first thing you need to know for your expectations for tonight's game is this:

Sanchez was scratched for shoulder strain, and Matt Palmer - someone I'd never heard of, even out of the bullpen - got the start. Palmer's a callup, but he's 29 years old.

Molina grounded into a DP in the 1st, though we had a runner on 2B to start the inning, and another runner on 1B with one out. Palmer hit someone on a 0-2 count, and then walked the third batter.

Sandoval got his first major-league hit in the 2nd with two out, while Burriss walked to follow. Palmer, amazingly, nearly hit a double but was foul with it. Strike three was called. Palmer walked the leadoff, giving them three free baserunners in the first two innings - with no hits. That first hit would come as a RBI double on a 2-0 pitch. The next batter? Sacrifice. The next batter? RBI single. 2-0, ATL

The top of the 3rd was worse for us, because it was three straight ground outs. Ground outs are worse than strikeouts, in my opinion, because they waste more of the batter's energy - thus wearing the batter down more than necessary; and on average they are also committed on far less pitches - thus not wearing the pitcher down as much. S.F. was lucky while giving up another run; McCann gave us an out by misreading baserunning signs. Nevertheless, the Braves scored a run easily on Infante's hit, who advanced to 3B because of the out at home. The next batter walked; the following batter had a RBI single; the batter after him had a RBI single. Hinshaw would come in from the 'pen... in the 3rd inning. At this point, I honestly stopped keeping track of everything. It was blown beyond recognition. But they did add another run. 6-0, ATL

Please don't blame me if I have nothing further. What else can I say, honestly? So I'll spare you the rest. Yes we got runs; yes the youth was solid; no it wasn't near enough:

FINAL: 11-5, ATL

-MSH