After a game with seemingly no chance against Josh Johnson Wednesday night, the Braves kept coming up with second chances on Thursday night.
Looking for redemption from their near no-hit loss to Johnson and the Marlins, the Braves kept finding redemption for Brandon Beachy. They came back from deficits of three runs in the first and one run in the third on the strength of home runs by Brian McCann and former Marlin Dan Uggla.
But on a relatively short night from Beachy, the second chances ran out on the Braves bullpen. The Marlins won it 6-5 on three straight singles off left-hander Eric O’Flaherty in the seventh. John Buck’s RBI single to center proved the difference in the game and the series.
“They’re going to hang a loss on our bullpen, but to cover four innings and give up one run and get the loss is a shame,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. “You’ve got to tip your hat to our guys.”
The Braves dropped their third consecutive series – this one 2-1 to the Marlins – and need some redemption this weekend against the stumbling Mets.
The Braves, now 5-8, host a three-game series against the Mets, losers of five in a row and eight of their past nine.
“We didn’t play very well tonight from the opening bell,” Chipper Jones said. “We didn’t pitch great, although Beachy battled. Defense was so-so…Errors, passed balls, wild pitches, it was just kind of a sloppy night. The struggles continue. We’ve just got to work on putting all three phases (of the game) together.”
The Braves had as many home runs Thursday (two) as they had hits off Johnson and two relievers on Wednesday night, but needed about two more inches to either side on a line drive by Brooks Conrad to get a win to show for it.
The Braves pinch hitter, who hit two grand slams in that role last year, came to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and two out. He stroked a line drive to right center where he was robbed by center fielder Chris Coghlan on a diving catch to end the inning.
“It seems like you have to hit it over the fence if you want to do any damage with that guy playing out there in center field,” Conrad said. “He runs everything down. Unbelievable center fielder, he made a huge play at the right time.”
Uggla had tied the game 5-5 in the fourth inning on a solo home run to left field off his former Marlins teammate Ricky Nolasco. His third home run as a Brave came against the team who saw him average 31 per year for five years.
“I like the way we’re swinging the bats,” Gonzalez said. “You start seeing the life in the bats. And you see Danny Uggla hitting a bomb there and McCann. You start seeing the clicking going on; hopefully that continues.”
Beachy remains winless at 0-3 in six major league starts after giving up a career-high five runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out eight.
He gave up three runs in the first inning. And even after the Braves gave him a fresh start and a 4-3 lead following McCann’s three-run homer in the bottom of the first, he couldn’t hold it. A leadoff walk in the second inning lead to a game-tying RBI-single by Hanley Ramirez. Then he gave up a solo home run to Gaby Sanchez in the third.
Heading into the third inning, Jones had a few words for Beachy in the dugout, which he took to heart by retiring eight of 10 batters after Sanchez’s homer.
“I just told him don’t sacrifice stuff for location,” Jones said. “If he starts sacrificing stuff for location, you get whacked. You’ve got to let your natural ability work for you. It’s similar to me going up there feeling for the sweet spot rather than letting it rip….
“It’s an adjustment he’ll make. We’ve got the utmost confidence he’s going to win a lot of ball games for us or else he wouldn’t be here.”
Gonzalez called Thursday night a learning experience for Beachy, something he agreed with afterward.
“Instead of trying to pitch, I just started throwing my stuff up there and got better results instead of trying to be real fine,” Beachy said.
He said he tried to guide the ball that Logan Morrison hit for a two-run double down the line in the first inning.
“I let up a little bit and the ball doesn’t go down to the knees, and I don’t drive it into the glove,” Beachy said.
