North of the Border, EH!

I was out of town over the weekend, so sorry for no Braves blogs. Here is the section on the games I submitted for Score. Enjoy.

With a bit of momentum, the Braves headed north to Toronto for a three game set with the Blue Jays, a team that recently welcomed back a two-time World Series champion manager in Cito Gaston. In the first game, Mark Teixeira got the Braves off to a great start with an early home run and drove in three of the Braves four runs as Atlanta took game one 4-0. Jair Jurrjens pitched eight strong to collect his eighth win of the season and Blanco scored a run and drove another home in the win. In game two, ace Tim Hudson was rocked hard, allowing six runs in five innings as the Braves missed on a chance to get back to .500 on the season with a 9-5 loss. The Braves trailed 6-1 heading into the eighth, but managed to rally thanks again to a Teixeira home run, but the bullpen allowed the Blue Jays three runs in the bottom of the frame to end any hopes of a rally. In the rubber match, Braves starter Jo-Jo Reyes pitched gallantly, going seven innings and striking out five, but an Alex Rios RBI knock plated Marco Scutaro for the game’s only run, and Reyes dropped to 3-6 on the season.
IN OTHER NEWS …
Injured centerfielder Mark Kotsay went 2-3 in a recent rehab assignment in AA Mississippi, but folks left the ballpark talking about one of his temporary teammates, Tommy Hanson. The Braves pitching prospect struck out 14 en route to tossing a no-hitter vs. Birmingham and improving his record to 4-3 on the season. Kotsay is hoping to rejoin the team this week… Pitcher Mike Hampton recorded two strikeouts in 2.2 IP of a rehab start for the Braves Gulf Coast League affiliate. Hampton is slated for three more starts (two in Class-A, one in AA) before Braves officials will make a decision about his future with the big club.

Finally Yunel Escobar returned to the lineup in Toronto after missing last Wednesday’s game with the Brewers. Some thought that Escobar was sat out due to his ejection from last Tuesday’s contest, but he suffered from a sore shoulder following a head-first dive into first base to avoid a tag. Escobar had just reentered the lineup that day after missing time due to a strained hip flexor.