Braves need to win this thing in 4!

The Atlanta Braves managed just two hits in the 1-0 Game One loss of its National League Divisional Series against the Giants in San Francisco. The Braves started the first inning off right with a double but then went quietly into the next few innings as two-time Cy Young award-winner Tim Lincecum struck out five straight and totaled 14 on the night in a two-hit shutout win. The Giants scored just once, after a questionable call at second base and a “hit” that got under third baseman Omar Infante’s glove to plate the game’s only run. That was enough though in this pitchers’ duel.

Derek Lowe was the tough-luck loser despite allowing just the one run on four hits in 5.1 innings of work. He struck out six but walked four. It was the Buster Posey steal in the fourth inning though that was the difference. Cody Ross, who many people felt the Braves could have targeted at the trading deadline, hit a grounder that made Infante go to his left. The fourth-string third baseman couldn’t haul in as Posey scored. Lowe was able to get out of more trouble and the bullpen didn’t allow any runs, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Braves offense couldn’t muster anything of its own. Brian McCann managed the team’s only other hit, a double coming in the seventh with only one out, though it amounted to squat as Alex Gonzalez and Matt Diaz were both quickly retired.

In my opinion, the Braves MUST take tonight’s game with San Francisco as Tommy Hanson faces 13-game winner Matt Cain. The Braves know in the back of their minds that Lincecum is lurking, possibly as a Game Four or more likely Game Five starter. The Braves probably need to win the next three in order to take this series because if the Giants take Game Two and can let Lincecum rest until a potential Game Five, then this series is likely cooked. Atlanta must get to the other San Fran starters and hope that Lincecum is forced to come back on short rest in Game Four with the Braves leading two games to one. If that is the case, Atlanta can save Lowe for a potential Game Five. The bats must also wake up and the team, which struggled at times in the regular season to deliver the timely hit, must find that hit, ideally early on and not in the final at-bat. Brian Wilson of the Giants is too good of a closer for Braves fans to be holding on to the hope that you can beat him three times in a short series.

This series is by no means over but the Braves will have to be on red-alert, knowing that both of the Lincecum-started games will likely go to the Giants. The Braves need to hit Cain and Sanchez hard in the next two games.