Game two of the Marlins-Braves series pretty much sucked. Apparently somebody forgot to inform the Fish that today is Craig's birthday...
The game kicked off with a gimpy Ricky Nolasco on the mound. Ricky tore his meniscus last week, and opted to play through the injury. He was cleared by docs to make the start Saturday, but it was anybody's guess as to how he would do.
We weren't left guessing long, though.
Ricky was pretty bad from the start. He gave up a lead-off double to Omar infante in the bottom of the first, and followed that up with a walk to Jason Heyward to put two with no outs. But Ricky escaped the jam, thanks in great part to a fantastic catch by Logan Morrison on a line drive from Derreck Lee that ended the inning.
Ricky wasn't as lucky in the second inning, because it would have taken a web-gem-of-the-year to nab the ball that Marlin-killer Matt Diaz crushed to center field to give the Braves the lead. Alex Gonzalez hit an infield single next, and Melky Cabrera followed with a single to left to put Ricky right back into another two on, nobody out situation. Ricky recorded an out, and then Infante singled to score the Braves' second run of the game. Their third run came on a bases-loaded walk, and their fourth, fifth and sixth runs came on a double by Brian McCann. It was a lovely inning, and it was Ricky's last.
Andrew Miller took over for Ricky in the third, and things got uglier from there. So ugly, in fact, that I really don't care to relive it.
The Fish didn't get much of anything done against Tim Hudson, aside from a sac fly in the fourth by Bonifacio which scored Gaby, who had doubled. Donnie Murphy and Brad Davis both added RBI off the Braves bullpen, but it wasn't anywhere near enough.
We'll try it again tomorrow.