Worth the wait???

Note, this also appears on scoreatl.com
After 35 months since Mike Hampton last took to the hill (August 19, 2005, if you MUST know the exact date) the often-injured pitcher took to the hill in Citizens’ Bank Park today in Philadelphia as the Braves season perhaps hung in the balance. Through the first four innings, Hampton pitched well, or about as well as you can pitch in that bandbox of a ballpark against a lineup as potent as the Phillies sport. He gave up three runs through the first four frames and his team had given him a 9-3 cushion when the trouble began. He loaded the bases before leaving without recording an out in the 5th and the Braves bullpen gave back that 6 run lead. The team would go on to lose the game 10-9, putting themselves in a serious hole. Should the team win Sunday, perhaps GM Frank Wren will not start stripping the team and selling off all assets. A loss might sound the end of the team as we now know it.
But Mike Hampton made it back today and made it through four innings. True the final box score will have him tagged for 6 runs as the bullpen allowed all three of the inherited runners to score, but Hampton shows some signs of his former self. Giving up the three runs through the first four was encouraging, considering the venue and the location. And getting tagged for 6 runs overall isn’t that terrible. Phillies ace Cole Hamels gave up 9 runs (4 earned) in 3.2, so Hampton out dueled a guy that hadn’t gone less than 7 innings since May.
Bottom line, you should give Hampton’s return a B. A solid performance considering the circumstances and it is a shame the bullpen could not protect a 9-6 lead. This one falls at the feet of the bullpen (namely Blaine Boyer) and the offense that score zero runs outside of the fourth inning. Hopefully Hampton can bring a few more Ws to the Braves ledger for the year in hopefully a year that they are still in the running for a division.