Refresh this post all night for an inning by inning recap of NLDS game two between the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants.
Top of the first
The Braves are in their home white uniforms, their fourth different style uniform in the past four games. The Giants are in their road grays, as they were yesterday. Derek Lowe pitches on three days rest, gets Andres Torres to tap to the shortstop to lead off the game. Freddy Sanchez taps to the hole between short and third, and Alex Gonzalez calls off Troy Glaus and completes the play on to first with Glaus ducking out of the way. Aubrey Huff pops up to shallow left to end the frame.
Bottom of the first
Omar Infante leads off the bottom half against young 21-year old left-hander Madison Bumgarner, and flies out to straight away center. Matt Diaz follows him with another fly ball a little further to straight away center, and Derrek Lee makes it three Braves hitters to fly out to straight away center. Lee's ball was caught just shy of the warning track.
The rest of the inning by inning recap after the jump...
Top of the second
Buster Posey is the first strikeout victim of the night. Pat Burrell flies out to shallow center, and Juan Uribe strikes out for the third out. Terrific inning from Lowe. He was missing with his fastball, but his slider looks unhittable right now.
Bottom of the second
Brian McCann laces a ball on the ground, but right at the first baseman. Alex Gonzalez takes a called third strike at the top of the zone, he has a few words to say. Jason Heyward goes the opposite way on the first pitch and loops a ball over the left side of the infield. First hit of the day for the Braves, first hit of the series for Heyward. Troy Glaus taps to the third baseman Mike Fontenot, who throws high to second base pulling Sanchez off the base. All hands safe for the Braves. The lefty-lefty match--up is won by Rick Ankiel, who draws a walk to load the bases, but with the pitcher coming to bat. Lowe swings at the first pitch and flies out to right field.
Top of the third
Mike Fontenot grounds out softly to second base. Cody Ross strikes out on three stright pitches, the last one was a nasty slider that Ross just waved at. Bumgarner works the count full, but fans on another slider.
Bottom of the third
Infante ropes a single over the left side of the infield. Diaz laces a single that is knocked down by Fontenot at at third, Uribe picks it up but is too late to get Diaz at first. Lee flies out to right field, with Infante tagging and moving to third on the play. McCann hits a fly ball to right-center, and Infante tags and scores easily from third. Gonzalez keeps it going with a solid single to left-center. Heyward pops up to the catcher for the third out. The Giants had bullpen action toward the end of the inning. Giants 0, Braves 1
Top of the fourth
Torres grounds out to the hole between third and short. Glaus can't range to get the ball, and Gonzalez can't make the transfer between his glove and his hand and gets charged with the error. Torres tries to steal on a 3-1 count and a great throw by McCann and terrific tag by Gonzalez just gets him to erase the base runner. Sanchez grounds out to Infante. Lowe falls behind Huff 3-0, but rallies to strike him out looking.
Bottom of the fourth
Glaus strikes out on three straight. Ankiel hit a high fly ball to Burrell in left, and Lowe breaks his bat on a grounder to short.
Top of the fifth
Posey ground to Glaus who makes the easy play on to first. Burrell swings at three unhittable Lowe pitches and becomes his sixth strikeout victim. Uribe ground to short on the next pitch -- a six-pitch inning for Lowe.
Bottom of the fifth
Infante strikes out swinging, and Diaz pops up to Uribe ranging out into shallow left field. Lee once again flies out to deep right field just shy of the warning track.
Top of the sixth
Fontenot strikes out on a backdoor slider, slightly generous call from the ump. Ross takes the first pitch from Lowe virtually on a line for a home run just over the left field wall. That was probably the only slider that Lowe has hung all night. They pull the pinch hitter back and let Bumgarner hit. He works a full count, but ground out to third. Lowe gets his eighth strikeout when Torres fans to end the inning. Lowe threw a lot of pitches that inning, and is now at 85 pitches for the game. Giants 1, Braves 1
Bottom of the sixth
On the first pitch, Brian McCann unties the game with a home run to right field. Gonzalez strikes out swinging, but Heyward singles threw the hole on the right side. Glaus grounds into what should be a double-play, but Heyward had a great takeout slide to keep Sanchez from getting the runner at first. Ankiel is Bumgarner's fifth strikeout victim to end the inning. Giants 1, Braves 2
Top of the seventh
Sanchez grounds out to second for the first out. Huff draws a the first walk of the night from Lowe. Posey hits an infield tapper that all Glaus can do is put it in his pocket. Bobby Cox comes out to the mound, but Lowe convinces him to keep him in the game. Both Peter Moylan and Jonny Venters are ready in the pen. Lowe falls behind Burrell, and eventually walks Pat The Bat to load the bases. Cox goes to the bullpen for Moylan. Uribe ground into the hole at short, a diving stab from Gonzalez, and a high throw pulls Infante off the bag. That's the second error of the game on Gonzo, and it allows the tying run to score. Replays showed that Infante held the bag, so another bad call by the umpires goes against the Braves in this series. Cox goes back to the bullpen for Venters. Bochy calls on Aaron Roward to pinch hit for Mike Fontenot. Venters strikes out Roward swinging on a ball in the dirt. Ross bounces a ball through the left side of the infield, Diaz comes up throwing and on a line hits McCann who blocks the plate as Burrrell slides into him for the third out, but the Giants take the lead as Posey socres. Giants 3, Braves 2
Bottom of the seventh
Diory Hernandez pinch hits against the new Giants pitcher, Santiago Casilla. A good nine-pitch at-bat by Diory, but a hard inside fastball gets him swinging. Infante ground out to the pitcher. Melky Cabrera pinch hits left-handed for Matt Diaz and taps out to the pitcher unassisted on the first pitch.
Top of the eighth
Edgar Renteria, who entered the game last inning as a defensive replacement, legs out a single to short. Venters gets Torres on a swinging strikeout. Sanchez hits a rocket up the middle that Gonzalez makes a great play on, flips to Infante who throws on to first for the double play to get out of the inning.
Bottom of the eighth
Lee strikes out swinging on a devastating curve ball. McCann singles through the hole on the left side of the infield. Nate McLouth comes on to pinch-run for him. With the runner going, Gonzalez lines out to Renteria who drops the ball and is only able to get Gonzo at first base. Gonzalez had stopped running on the play. McLouth advances to second. Bochy goes to the pen for the lefty-lefty match-up with Javier Lopez, who strikes out Heyward to end the eighth.
Top of the ninth
David Ross takes over behind the plate for Atlanta, and Venters stays on the mound to face Huff, who singles to right field (I don't know why we keep leaving in lefties to face Huff). Cox goes to the pen for Craig Kimbrel, who strikes out Posey on some absolute gas at the knees. Travis Ishikawa pinch hits, and grounds into a double play, Gonzalez to Lee.
Bottom of the ninth
Brooks Conrad comes onto pinch hit against Giants closer Brian Wilson, and flies out to center field. Ankiel draws a walk and that brings up pinch hitter Eric Hinske, who also draws a walk. Tim Hudson pinch runs for Hinske at first. Infante goes down on a check swing on a ball way outside, and Melky Cabrera chops out to the third baseman, who throws to first for the final out.