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Stranded Braves leave 20 men on base in loss to Marlins
Posted: Thursday May 11, 2000 04:52 AM
MIAMI (AP) -- A misplayed flyball, a baserunning blunder and squandered scoring chances by the Atlanta Braves left Tom Glavine with no chance against the team that gives him the most grief. Atlanta twice loaded the bases with none out and failed to score Wednesday night, and the Florida Marlins handed Glavine his first loss, 5-3. Glavine (6-1) said he pitched well enough to hold Florida to two runs, but instead he lost for the first time in nine decisions dating to Sept. 11. He fell to 6-11 against Florida, the only team he has a losing record against. What does it take for him to beat the Marlins? "Throwing a shutout and hitting a home run, maybe," Glavine said. "Whatever can go wrong seems to go wrong." That was the case Wednesday, beginning in the third inning, when Atlanta left fielder Bobby Bonilla misplayed Cliff Floyd's line drive into a two-run double. Trailing 3-2 in the sixth, the Braves loaded the bases with none out, but Andruw Jones' baserunning mistake turned a flyout into a double play. Florida's Dan Miceli loaded the bases with none out in the eighth, but again the Braves failed to score. Armando Almanza retired Chipper Jones on a flyout and Andres Galarraga on a strikeout, and Braden Looper struck out Brian Jordan to end the inning. "One bad pitch and it's a blowout for them," Marlins catcher Mike Redmond said. "The guys hit the ball hard," Braves manger Bobby Cox said. "But then when we got the bases loaded, we didn't hit the ball hard."
Atlanta had another chance in the ninth. But after Bonilla's one-out walk and Rafael Furcal's infield hit, Antonio Alfonseca retired Keith Lockhart and Quilvio Veras on grounders. Alfonseca earned his 10th save, his first since April 24. "I'm shaking like a leaf," Marlins manager John Boles said. "I feel like a wet noodle. Wow. I feel wonderful to escape with this one." Mike Lowell and Preston Wilson hit solo home runs off Glavine, only the second and third the left-hander has allowed this season. Jordan led off the seventh with his second homer for Atlanta. Glavine gave up nine hits and five runs in seven innings, hiking his ERA from 1.73 to 2.29. Jesus Sanchez (4-1) allowed three runs in seven innings and was helped by three double plays, including a bizarre one in the sixth. The first three Braves reached bases with the heart of the order coming up. Chipper Jones flied out to right, and when Danny Bautista threw home, Glavine -- the runner at third -- started toward home, then stopped. But Andruw Jones raced from first to second, thinking the runners ahead of him were trying to advance, and in the ensuing rundown Glavine was tagged out at home for a double play. Galarraga then hit an inning-ending groundout.
"To have the bases loaded and not drive anybody in, that's bad," Galarraga said. Cox defended Jones. "It wasn't his fault," the manager said. "He thought (Glavine) was going from third." Said Glavine: "I started to go, but as soon as I saw the throw, I stopped. Unfortunately everybody else was going." Bonilla led off the third with a triple and scored on Glavine's single, but Bonilla gave the run back in the bottom of the inning. Mike Redmond singled and Dave Berg doubled, and both scored when Bonilla failed to make a sliding catch of Floyd's liner, which glanced off the left fielder's glove but was ruled a double. "I think he should have had it," Floyd said. "But anytime you go sliding for a ball in the outfield, you have to give the benefit to the hitter." Glavine fell to 2-8 at Pro Player Stadium with an ERA of 5.25. "If we had scored a couple of runs with the bases loaded," Galarraga said, "it would have been a different story for him." Notes: Redmond went 2-for-3 with two infield hits and improved to 11-for-15 (.733) against Glavine. "It's getting kind of funny," Redmond said. "I was running down the line almost laughing. And I think Glavine was laughing too." ... Galarraga and Chipper Jones each went 0-for-3 against Sanchez. Galarraga is 1-for-11 lifetime against the left-hander, and Jones is 1-for-12. ... Sanchez is tied for the NL lead with three pickoffs. ... Florida's Luis Castillo is 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
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