Braves Overcome Early Deficit to Win 9-8 in 13 Innings

This offensive bout sure had the feel of a Coors Field game from the second the Rockies stepped into the box in the bottom of the first. Tim Hudson gave up five runs in the inning and things looked like they would continue to get worse. But Huddy fought back and pitched well through the rest of his six innings and allowed the offense to make this a great game, that the Braves took by the score of 9-8.

The Rockies' offense wasted no time in getting on the board in the first inning. Jonathan Herrera started the hitting with a double past a diving Freddie Freeman, followed by a pair of uncharacteristic walks issued by Hudson. Todd Helton continued his success against Huddy with a two RBI liner through the hole on the right side of the infield. A Michael Cuddyer liner up the middle and a Dexter Fowler broken bat flair later, and the Braves found themselves down by a score of 5-0 early on.

Freddie Freeman started the Braves' comeback with a towering two run shot on a fastball up and in during the top of the 3rd to bring the Braves within three runs. The Braves poured in on in the fifth though to take the lead. The Braves caught a break when a Michael Bourn bunt attempt call was changed from an out to a foul ball. The replay showed that the ball did go off of the hand of Bourn, but it took all of his and Fredi's convincing of Tim McLellan to get the call changed. Then the Brave's leadoff hitter started a six hit parade with a base knock. Chipper drove Bourn home with a liner up the middle after Bourn had taken second on a steal and moved up a base when the throw went bouncing into center field. Following a Freddie Freeman base hit, Brian McCann delivered a game tying liner into right center. Dan Uggla beat out a double play ball that proved to be key during the next at-bat. Heyward singled to move Uggla from first to third and Hinske delivered on a RBI double to the opposite field to score Uggla and put the Braves up 6-5.

The Rockies, of course, tied the game back up right away when Jonathan Herrera hit a solo shot to right field. Chipper Jones impressed once again though, when he hit a solo deep fly to the left center stands to retake the lead. And then again, the Rockies came right back in the next inning to tie the game at 7-7 when pinch hitter Tyler Colvin beat out a 4-6-3 double play attempt with the bases loaded and no outs.

The Braves really got unlucky in the 7th when Jack Wilson was only able to advance to third on a Bourn ground rule double. There were two outs in the inning and Wilson had almost made it home before the ball even bounced over the fence. Kris Medlen and Eric O'Flaherty allowed no further damage in the seventh, eighth, or ninth innings to send the game to extras. Chad Durbin pitched around a couple of walks in the tenth to get the Braves to the top of the 11th, where Eric "Big Damage" Hinske did his work.

Tyler Pastornicky came on to pinch hit for Chad Durbin to lead off the inning and continued his hot hitting ways. Hinske stepped to the plate and promptly jacked a ball into the Braves bullpen to take a 9-7 lead. Craig Kimbrel continues to make Braves fans' hearts beat a little to hard though as he allowed a run after a walk and a single, but closed out the game at 9-8 with the help of a great defensive play by Dan Uggla.