June 14: Twins 3, Braves 2

[McCarroll21]

<font size="3"><strong>Hudson Dominant, Braves Fall Late</strong></font>
By: <a href="http://www.braves-nation.com/forums/member.php?u=1" target="_blank">Josh McCarroll</a> | Braves-Nation.com

So far, Tim Hudson's season has been tale of two. Through his first eight games, Hudson was 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA. His next five games saw him go 1-3 with a 7.86 ERA. On Thursday, Hudson may have found the touch of dominance that was with him through his first eight games as he limited the Twins to only two hits over 7.1 innings.

Hudson gave way to Rafael Soriano in the eighth inning with a 2-0 lead. The Braves held the lead, looking to avoid the sweep, until the ninth inning when the game got away from Bob Wickman.

Wickman entered the game and allowed four hits and three runs while recording just one out. The blown save is the third of the season for Wickman, and only the fourth since joining the Braves last July.

The game was the fifth time this season that Hudson has allowed three or fewer runs in seven or more innings and come away without a decision or a loss.

The Braves scored their two runs off Johan Santana in the fifth and sixth innings. Brian McCann lead off the fifth inning with a homerun to centerfield. The run in the sixth inning came after Chipper Jones walked and stole second base with two out in the inning. Matt Diaz doubled after Jones steal to give the Braves a 2-0 lead.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia started the first game of his pro career at first base on Thursday, and will likely be back at first base on Friday night when the team faces C.C. Sabathia.

The team has lost nine of the last twelve games and the latest loss dropped the Braves into third place in the division, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets and 1/2 game behind the Phillies.

"There's no more, 'We'll get them tomorrow,'" McCann said. "We're almost to the All-Star break. We've got to capitalize more during the game hitting-wise."

The Braves will now move on to Cleveland on the Interleague trail. The Indians are first in the AL Central with a 39-26 record. Buddy Carlyle will face off against Sabathia in the opener of the series.

<table class="tborder" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="1" width="574"><tbody><tr><td colspan="13" class="tcat"><span class="smallfont"><strong>» Line Score</strong></span></td></tr><tr><td class="thead" align="center">Team</td><td class="thead" align="center">1</td><td class="thead" align="center">2</td><td class="thead" align="center">3</td><td class="thead" align="center">4</td><td class="thead" align="center">5</td><td class="thead" align="center">6</td><td class="thead" align="center">7</td><td class="thead" align="center">8</td><td class="thead" align="center">9</td><td class="thead" align="center">R</td><td class="thead" align="center">H</td><td class="thead" align="center">E</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#e3e3e3" class="smallfont">Atlanta (35-32)</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">1</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">1</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3" class="smallfont"><strong>2</strong></td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">8</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">2</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#e3e3e3" class="smallfont"><strong>Minnesoata (33-31) «</strong></td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">3</td><td align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3" class="smallfont"><strong>3</strong></td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">6</td><td class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="13" class="smallfont" align="center" bgcolor="#e3e3e3"><strong>W:</strong> Reyes (1-1) <strong>L:</strong> Wickman (1-2)</td></tr></tbody></table>

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I just want to say this may be the hardest one I've had to write all year.

[GrandMasterB]

I just want to say this may be the hardest one I've had to write all year.

I would say this one ranks right up there with the loss against Florida, also a Hudson start.

[MSU Bulldog]

I hope Carlyle really is Roger Clemens incarnate today.

[McCarroll21]

I hope Carlyle really is Roger Clemens incarnate today.
You know, the odd thing is we hit the aces better than the back of the rotation guys. Someone mentioned that the other day and it's true. Maybe not hit them better, but we seem to up our play ... pitching, defense, etc. against the aces of staffs. We had Santana beaten, now we need to finish the job against Sabathia, Bryd and Carmona.

[MSU Bulldog]

You know, the odd thing is we hit the aces better than the back of the rotation guys. Someone mentioned that the other day and it's true. Maybe not hit them better, but we seem to up our play ... pitching, defense, etc. against the aces of staffs. We had Santana beaten, now we need to finish the job against Sabathia, Bryd and Carmona.

Your right, seems like it has been that way for years.

[GrandMasterB]

So far this year, the top pitchers have fared better against us overall. I included the top 30 in ERA and WHIP. It just seems like the no-names do better.

Top pitchers against us - 11-1, 2.08 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
The rest - 15-20, 4.58 ERA, 1.49 WHIP