Until a Chris Johnson homerun and Logan Schafer single, Atlanta Braves pitcher Aaron Harang and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Matt Garza both flirted with a no-hitter through six innings of play in the rubber match of the three games series, which the Braves ended up taking.
It was undoubtedly a pitching duel in which both pitching threw well enough to win...but everyone knows that in baseball there are no ties.
"I looked up there after six and saw zeroes all the way across on both sides," Harang said. "I was just able to come out and keep them off balance and keep their team guessing. Then you see their guy throwing up numbers like that, and you're trying to do the same thing and give your team a chance to win. I was able to do that."
"After the first hit, the emotions just run out of you for a minute, but knowing that you've got a 1-0 lead you've got to stay in there and regain your focus and keep executing pitches. The bullpen was able to get me out of that jam and slam the door."
The Braves won off a solo shot hit into the stands by third baseman Chris Johnson.
"It's one mistake, and that's it. It's the big leagues," Garza said. "You've got to pay for things like that, especially with the heater to the four-hole hitter."
[Box Score]
Batters:
Jason Heyward, RF (0-4, 2 K, .250 AVG)
B.J. Upton, CF (1-4, 2 K, .083 AVG)
Freddie Freeman, 1B (0-2, 2 BB, 1 K, .333 AVG)
Chris Johnson, 3B (1-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 K, .250 AVG)
Justin Upton, LF (0-4, 1 K, .091 AVG)
Dan Uggla, 2B (0-3, 1 K, .182 AVG)
Gerald Laird, C (1-3, .333 AVG)
Andrelton Simmons, SS (0-3, .250 AVG)
Aaron Harang, P (0-2, .000 AVG)
Ryan Doumit, PH (0-1, .000 AVG)
Pitchers:
Aaron Harang, SP (6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA)
Luis Avilan, RP (0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA)
David Carpenter, RP (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR, 4.50)
Craig Kimbrel, CL (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA)
It was undoubtedly a pitching duel in which both pitching threw well enough to win...but everyone knows that in baseball there are no ties.
"I looked up there after six and saw zeroes all the way across on both sides," Harang said. "I was just able to come out and keep them off balance and keep their team guessing. Then you see their guy throwing up numbers like that, and you're trying to do the same thing and give your team a chance to win. I was able to do that."
"After the first hit, the emotions just run out of you for a minute, but knowing that you've got a 1-0 lead you've got to stay in there and regain your focus and keep executing pitches. The bullpen was able to get me out of that jam and slam the door."
The Braves won off a solo shot hit into the stands by third baseman Chris Johnson.
"It's one mistake, and that's it. It's the big leagues," Garza said. "You've got to pay for things like that, especially with the heater to the four-hole hitter."
[Box Score]
Batters:
Jason Heyward, RF (0-4, 2 K, .250 AVG)
B.J. Upton, CF (1-4, 2 K, .083 AVG)
Freddie Freeman, 1B (0-2, 2 BB, 1 K, .333 AVG)
Chris Johnson, 3B (1-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 K, .250 AVG)
Justin Upton, LF (0-4, 1 K, .091 AVG)
Dan Uggla, 2B (0-3, 1 K, .182 AVG)
Gerald Laird, C (1-3, .333 AVG)
Andrelton Simmons, SS (0-3, .250 AVG)
Aaron Harang, P (0-2, .000 AVG)
Ryan Doumit, PH (0-1, .000 AVG)
Pitchers:
Aaron Harang, SP (6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA)
Luis Avilan, RP (0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA)
David Carpenter, RP (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR, 4.50)
Craig Kimbrel, CL (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA)