For the first few innings tonight, the Braves held to their recent pattern — Hudson was giving up baserunners galore and barely escaping, while Glavine was shutting us down without breaking a sweat. Neither team was scoring, but the fact that Hudson was starting on short rest and not fooling anyone lent an ominous air to the proceedings.
Gradually, though, the Braves seemed to realize who their opponent was and, most particularly, who the opposing pitcher was. Singles by Mondesi, Estrada (who’s been putting it together lately — 3/4, up to .271), and Langerhans pushed across a run in the fifth, and they scored three more in the seventh, highlighted by Furcal’s second triple in two days to chase Glavine.
And Hudson, after his rocky start, began to deal. For the first time in weeks, he was pitching like we know he can — everything breaking at the knees, and working inside and out masterfully. Eight shutout innings on short rest was a godsend for a weary pitching staff, and Reitsma may gain confidence from his dominant ninth inning performance.
I didn’t hear whether Glavine was greeted with the customary boos from the Turner Field crowd. Now, I’m in the minority in these parts, but I hold no bitterness towards Tommy G for leaving. He got an extra year from the Mets, and that’s no small consideration. It would be silly of me to expect loyalty from any free agent, especially when it’s standard operating procedure for management to trade on expected loyalty when making their offer. The expectation of loyalty would have demanded that the Braves not let Maddux walk, yet that’s what happened. Glavine’s decision probably cost him a shot at 300 wins, but he’s still going to the Hall of Fame with a Braves cap on. That said, I hope we get to face him again this season — we’ve got his number.
Brave-O-Matic 