Slow-Pitch Softball (Braves Style)

Atlanta Braves' announcer Skip Carey said it best last night when he compared the Braves/Padres game to slow-pitch softball.

Last night was a difficult game to watch for Braves and Padres fans alike, especially if you like good pitching. Fans wouldn't see any good pitching the entire evening. There would be a Petco Field record-tying eight home runs hit in the game.

The game lasted approximately four and a half hours, until 1:30 a.m. central standard time. The Braves would go on to hold five different leads in the game, which, for a nine-inning contest (eleven, in this case), that's not a good thing. Why? Because, one has to give up the lead several times in order to "achieve" this feat, if you want to call it that.

The Braves would be up 5-1, 8-5, 11-9, 12-11, and 15-12. No, those are not typos. Like I said, Skip was right on the money when he compared it to a game of slow-pitch softball. There were eight home runs: Chipper Jones (twice), Andruw Jones, Adam LaRoche (twice), Adrian Gonzalez (twice), and Mike Piazza.

Both Atlanta closer (for the time being) Jorge Sosa and San Diego stopper Trevor Hoffman blew saves. Sosa really blew two save opportunities, but a pitcher can't officially blow more than one save opportunity in a game.

There were a total of 36 hits in the game and with Chipper's home runs, he's extended his extra base hitting streak to 12 games, the longest such streak since Rogers Hornsby did it for the Boston Braves in 1928.

I tell you one thing, it's a dang good thing Leo Mazzone wasn't around to watch that one. I can only imagine how sore he'd be when he woke up today after so much bad pitching and rocking in the dugout!