Braves' offense sputters against Mets

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By DAVID O'BRIEN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

He certainly wasn’t the only Braves player who failed to deliver in a key situation Saturday, but this season, shortstop Yunel Escobar always seems to end up as the focus of postgame conversation.

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Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com Braves first baseman Casey Kotchman manages to slide safely into first ahead of the Mets' Daniel Murphy tag on the bag.

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Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is congratulated on his solo homer in the eighth that accounted for the Braves only run on Saturday.

Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is congratulated on his solo homer in the eighth that accounted for the Braves only run on Saturday.

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It happened again Saturday after a 5-1 loss against the New York Mets, when the Braves left the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings and reliever Manny Acosta gave up three runs in the ninth.

Mets ace Johan Santana (11-7) finally got his first win in seven career starts against the Braves, pitching seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits.

“Leaving the bases loaded a couple of times is going to come back to haunt you,” said Chipper Jones, whose leadoff homer in the eighth accounted for the Braves’ scoring, a day after they had beaten the Mets 11-0. “It changed the whole flow of how Bobby uses the bullpen.”

If the Braves had scored, closer Rafael Soriano was ready. But with the Braves trailing 2-1, manager Bobby Cox turned to Acosta, who gave up three hits, three runs and two walks and got only two outs.

Game over.

Instead of talking about how good Santana was, or about how Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami (5-7) walked in a run after former Brave Jeff Francoeur’s infield hit loaded the bases in the sixth, much of the postgame discussion concerned a failed hit-and-run by the mercurial shortstop in the eighth.

Escobar was given a sign telling him to swing at a 2-and-0 pitch from right-hander Sean Green, who had entered the game after Chipper Jones led off the inning with a homer and Brian McCann singled.

With Hernandez pinch-running for McCann, Escobar took the pitch from Green, and Hernandez was thrown out at second. The pitch was inside, and Escobar moved back to keep it from hitting his hands.

TV cameras caught Cox’s expression after the pitch, and he did not look pleased.

When asked about the incident after the game, Cox said, “It was a little inside, three or four inches. ... I think he thought it was way inside. It was inside a little bit.”

It wasn’t certain whether Escobar missed the sign or just didn’t think he could do anything with the pitch, because he didn’t answer a question about it. With the hit-and-run sign on, it’s up to the hitter to swing if possible, in order to at least make it more difficult for the catcher to throw out the runner.

One Braves player said that the team’s signs can be confusing at times, but ultimately it is the player’s responsibility to make sure he understands a sign that’s given.

Escobar, who won’t do interviews in English, was asked through relief pitcher Mike Gonzalez to clarify whether he saw the sign or didn’t think there was anything he could do with the inside pitch.

Gonzalez said that Escobar replied, “Talk to me when I get three hits.”

It was the latest in a series of incidents this season that have caused escalating tension between the talented shortstop and other Braves in uniform, including Cox, and between Escobar and media members who have detailed the incidents.

But in the end, it was only one of several mistakes and missed opportunities that led to this Braves loss, the first in three games since the All-Star break and only their sixth in the past 17 games.

Escobar, who has been one of the Braves’ best hitters all season, ended up drawing a walk in the eighth inning. One out later, Casey Kotchman’s single and Ryan Church’s walk loaded the bases.

Pinch-hitter Greg Norton got ahead in the count 3-1 against reliever Brian Stokes, then struck out swinging at the next two pitches to end the inning. Norton’s hitting .114.

The Braves came away with nothing in the seventh after loading the bases with one out on three singles against Santana. Nate McLouth struck out, and Martin Prado grounded out to end the inning.

They also had two runners on with one out in the fifth after a pair of Santana walks, but Kawakami’s sacrifice bunt failed, and McLouth flied out to end the inning.

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