| 2010 Atlanta Braves | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League Wild Card winners | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | East | |||
| Ballpark | Turner Field | |||
| City | Atlanta,Georgia | |||
| Record | 91–71 (.562) | |||
| Divisional place | 2nd | |||
| Owners | Liberty Media | |||
| General managers | Frank Wren | |||
| Managers | Bobby Cox | |||
| Television | SportSouth Fox Sports South Peachtree TV | |||
| Radio | WCNN WNNX Atlanta Braves Radio Network | |||
| ||||
The2010 Atlanta Braves season was the franchise's 45th season inAtlanta along with the 135th season in theNational League and 140th overall. It featured theBraves' attempt to reclaim a postseason berth for the first time since 2005. The Braves once again were skippered byBobby Cox, in his 25th and final overall season managing the team. It was their 45th season inAtlanta, and the 135th of the franchise. Finishing the season with a 91–71 record, the Braves won theNL Wild Card, only to be eliminated in theNLDS by theSan Francisco Giants in four games.
| Subtractions | Additions | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | RHSJavier Vázquez (traded toYankees) RHRRafael Soriano (traded toRays) LHRMike Gonzalez (signed withOrioles) LFGarret Anderson (signed withDodgers) 1BAdam LaRoche (signed withDiamondbacks) 2BKelly Johnson (signed withDiamondbacks) 1B/OFGreg Norton (retired) OFRyan Church (signed withPirates) RHSBoone Logan (traded toYankees) | LHRBilly Wagner (Signed as a free agent) RHRTakashi Saito (Signed as a free agent) 1B/OFEric Hinske (Signed as a free agent) 1B/3BTroy Glaus (Signed as a free agent) OFMelky Cabrera (Acquired in trade fromYankees) LHRMike Dunn (Acquired in trade fromYankees) RHRJesse Chavez (Acquired in trade fromRays) RHRScott Proctor* (Signed as minor league free agent) RHRJuan Abreu (Signed as minor league free agent) OFMitch Jones* (Signed as minor league free agent) OFBrent Clevlen* (Signed as minor league free agent) 2BJoe Thurston* (Signed as minor league free agent) RHSArodys Vizcaíno (Acquired in trade fromYankees) |
Names highlighted inbold appear in the table above.
Frank Wren began the offseason for the Atlanta Braves with the acquisition of relief pitcherScott Proctor to a split contract. The contract assured Proctor would earn the minor league minimum while playing in the minors and earn the pro-rated portion of $750,000 plus a possible $250,000 in the major leagues.
November 12, 2009: Veteran starting pitcherTim Hudson agreed to a three-year/$27 million contract extension with a club option for 2013 at $9 million.
November 24, 2009: The Braves signed minor league free agentJuan Abreu, a right-handed relief pitcher, to a one-year minor league contract.
December 2, 2009: Veteran closerBilly Wagner and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a one-year contract. The six-time All-Star received $6.75 million in 2010, and his deal included a $6.5 million club option for 2011 with a $250,000 buyout.
December 3, 2009: The Braves signed closerTakashi Saito to a one-year/$3.2 million deal, with an additional $2.3 million to be earned through incentives. He served as the set-up man to Billy Wagner during the 2010 season.
December 9, 2009: The Braves traded closerRafael Soriano to theTampa Bay Rays for relief pitcherJesse Chavez.
December 18, 2009: The Braves signed outfielderMitch Jones and infielderJoe Thurston to minor league contracts.
December 22, 2009: The Braves traded starting pitcherJavier Vázquez and relief pitcherBoone Logan to theNew York Yankees for outfielderMelky Cabrera, relief pitcherMike Dunn, and relief pitcherArodys Vizcaíno.
January 5, 2010: InfielderTroy Glaus and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a one-year/$1.75 million deal, with an additional $2.5 million to be earned through incentives. He served the Braves in 2010 at 1st base and 3rd base.
January 5, 2010: Utility manEric Hinske and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a one-year/$1.5 million deal.
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 54–30 | 43–35 |
| Atlanta Braves | 91 | 71 | .562 | 6 | 56–25 | 35–46 |
| Florida Marlins | 80 | 82 | .494 | 17 | 41–40 | 39–42 |
| New York Mets | 79 | 83 | .488 | 18 | 47–34 | 32–49 |
| Washington Nationals | 69 | 93 | .426 | 28 | 41–40 | 28–53 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | 97 | 65 | .599 |
| San Francisco Giants | 92 | 70 | .568 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 91 | 71 | .562 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 91 | 71 | .562 | — |
| San Diego Padres | 90 | 72 | .556 | 1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 86 | 76 | .531 | 5 |
| Colorado Rockies | 83 | 79 | .512 | 8 |
| Florida Marlins | 80 | 82 | .494 | 11 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 80 | 82 | .494 | 11 |
| New York Mets | 79 | 83 | .488 | 12 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 77 | 85 | .475 | 14 |
| Houston Astros | 76 | 86 | .469 | 15 |
| Chicago Cubs | 75 | 87 | .463 | 16 |
| Washington Nationals | 69 | 93 | .426 | 22 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 65 | 97 | .401 | 26 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 57 | 105 | .352 | 34 |
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | WSH | AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | – | 3–4 | 1–6 | 2–5 | 9–9 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 5–13 | 3–4 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 8–10 | 5–13 | 4–5 | 3–4 | 6–9 |
| Atlanta | 4–3 | – | 4–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 11–7 | 5–1 | 5–3 | 5–2 | 11–7 | 8–10 | 6–3 | 4–2 | 4–3 | 2–6 | 8–10 | 9–6 |
| Chicago | 6–1 | 2–4 | – | 4–12 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 7–11 | 3–4 | 9–6 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 5–10 | 3–5 | 2–5 | 9–6 | 4–2 | 8–10 |
| Cincinnati | 5–2 | 2–3 | 12–4 | – | 2–5 | 5–2 | 10–5 | 5–4 | 11–3 | 4–2 | 2–5 | 10–6 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 6–12 | 4–3 | 8–7 |
| Colorado | 9–9 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 5–2 | – | 3–4 | 2–4 | 7–11 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 1–6 | 3–4 | 12–6 | 9–9 | 3–4 | 5–3 | 9–6 |
| Florida | 3–3 | 7–11 | 2–4 | 2–5 | 4–3 | – | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–4 | 12–6 | 5–13 | 6–2 | 3–6 | 2–5 | 3–2 | 13–5 | 7–8 |
| Houston | 3–4 | 1–5 | 11–7 | 5–10 | 4–2 | 3–3 | – | 2–4 | 8–7 | 3–4 | 4–3 | 11–4 | 2–5 | 2–7 | 10–5 | 4–4 | 3–12 |
| Los Angeles | 13–5 | 3–5 | 4–3 | 4–5 | 11–7 | 2–4 | 4–2 | – | 4–2 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 4–11 |
| Milwaukee | 4–3 | 2–5 | 6–9 | 3–11 | 4–5 | 4–4 | 7–8 | 2–4 | – | 5–2 | 1–5 | 13–5 | 3–4 | 2–5 | 8–7 | 4–2 | 9–6 |
| New York | 1–5 | 7–11 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 6–12 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 2–5 | – | 9–9 | 6–1 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 9–9 | 13–5 |
| Philadelphia | 4–2 | 10–8 | 2–4 | 5–2 | 6–1 | 13–5 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 9–9 | – | 2–4 | 5–2 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 12–6 | 10–8 |
| Pittsburgh | 4–2 | 3–6 | 10–5 | 6–10 | 4–3 | 2–6 | 4–11 | 3–4 | 5–13 | 1–6 | 4–2 | – | 0–6 | 2–4 | 6–9 | 1–5 | 2–13 |
| San Diego | 10–8 | 2–4 | 5–3 | 4–2 | 6–12 | 6–3 | 5–2 | 10–8 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 2–5 | 6–0 | – | 12–6 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 9–6 |
| San Francisco | 13–5 | 3–4 | 5–2 | 4–3 | 9–9 | 5–2 | 7–2 | 10–8 | 5–2 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–12 | – | 3–3 | 4–2 | 7–8 |
| St. Louis | 5–4 | 6–2 | 6–9 | 12–6 | 4–3 | 2–3 | 5–10 | 4–3 | 7–8 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 9–6 | 4–3 | 3–3 | – | 3–3 | 9–6 |
| Washington | 4–3 | 10–8 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 3–5 | 5–13 | 4–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | – | 5–13 |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Starting Pitcher | Derek Lowe |
| Catcher | Brian McCann |
| First Baseman | Troy Glaus |
| Second Baseman | Martín Prado |
| Third Baseman | Chipper Jones |
| Shortstop | Yunel Escobar |
| Left Fielder | Melky Cabrera |
| Center Fielder | Nate McLouth |
| Right Fielder | Jason Heyward |
April 5, 2010: During the first inning of a 16–5 Braves walloping of theChicago Cubs on Opening Day, rookieJason Heyward launched a three-run home run during his first Major League at-bat. Heyward became the eleventh Braves player to homer in his Major League debut, and just the fifth to go deep in his first at-bat.
May 20, 2010: Going into the bottom of the ninth down 9–3 against theCincinnati Reds, the Braves scored seven runs to beat the Reds by a final score of 10–9. The late rally was capped by aBrooks Conrad pinch-hit grand slam that scored the final four runs to win the game by one. Conrad's walk-off grand slam to overcome a three-run deficit was the 23rd in Major League history, and just the second time it has been done by a pinch-hitter. The last pinch-hitter to do so wasJack Phillips of thePittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1950.
May 31, 2010: TheAtlanta Braves defeated the then-first-placePhiladelphia Phillies atTurner Field to take sole possession of first place in theNational League East standings, a position they had maintained for exactly one hundred days until losing to thePittsburgh Pirates on September 7, 2010, to relinquish the lead back to the Phillies. The last time the Atlanta Braves had led the NL East on September 1 was in 2005.
June 3, 2010: Winning the first game of a four-game series against theLos Angeles Dodgers, the Braves extended their winning streak to nine games. It was the longest winning streak for the Braves since they won sixteen in a row in 2000.
July 13, 2010: At the2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim, Braves catcherBrian McCann was awarded the All-Star Game MVP Award for his clutch two-out, three-run double in the seventh inning to give theNational League its first win in the All-Star Game since 1996. He became the first Brave to win the MVP Award sinceFred McGriff did so in 1994.
August 22, 2010: Facing theChicago Cubs,Mike Minor struck out twelve batters through six innings, setting an Atlanta Braves single-game rookie strikeout record. The previous record holder,Tommy Hanson, struck out eleven against theSan Francisco Giants on July 20, 2009. This was also the last game forLou Piniella as theChicago Cubs manager before his retirement.
August 27, 2010: In the ninth inning of a 1–7 loss to theFlorida Marlins, Braves veteran closerBilly Wagner recorded his 1,170th career strikeout, gettingMike Stanton. The strikeout set a new left-handed reliever strikeout record as Wagner passedJesse Orosco in career strikeouts. After the game, Wagner declined to speak to the media, simply stating, "We lost".
September 25, 2010: Upon defeating theWashington Nationals by a 5–0 score in Washington, D.C., Braves skipper Bobby Cox won his 2,500th career game as a manager. Cox became just thefourth manager in MLB history to win 2,500 games.
October 3, 2010: Entering the final scheduled regular-season game of the year tied for the NLWild Card lead, the Atlanta Braves defeated thePhillies in an 8–7 victory in front of a sold-out crowd atTurner Field. Approximately two and a half hours later, theSan Francisco Giants defeated theSan Diego Padres to give the Braves theWild Card and their first postseason appearance since2005.
October 8, 2010: In the tenth inning of Game 2 of theNLDS, Braves closerBilly Wagner injured himself while fielding a bunted ball byGiants center-fielderAndrés Torres. This was the last Major League appearance for the veteran left-handed reliever.
October 10, 2010: In Game 3 of theNLDS, Braves second-basemanBrooks Conrad committed three errors, pushing his error total in the NLDS to four. His four errors set a new Divisional Series record for errors by a single fielder. The errors allowed the Giants two unearned runs, which were the deciding factor in the Braves' pivotal Game 3 loss. Conrad was benched the following day, after committing eight errors in his final seven games.
October 11, 2010: Losing Game 4 of theNLDS by a score of 2–3, theGiants eliminated the Braves from the postseason, winning the series three games to one. This game was the last Major League game ever managed by long-time Braves managerBobby Cox.
| Legend | ||
|---|---|---|
| Braves Win | Braves Loss | Game Postponed |
| 2010 Regular Season Game Log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April (9–14)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
May (20–8)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
June (17–11)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
July (13–11)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August (18–11)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September (13–14)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inning | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 83 | 70 | 74 | 70 | 82 | 93 | 105 | 82 | 60 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 738 |
| Opponents | 67 | 79 | 63 | 74 | 69 | 75 | 88 | 67 | 38 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 629 |
| Date | Team | Acquired by Braves | Traded from Braves |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 14 | Toronto Blue Jays | SSÁlex González LHPTim Collins SSTyler Pastornicky | SSYunel Escobar LHPJo-Jo Reyes |
| July 31 | Detroit Tigers | OFWilkin Ramírez | Player to be named |
| July 31 | Kansas City Royals | OFRick Ankiel RHPKyle Farnsworth | OFGregor Blanco RHPJesse Chavez LHPTim Collins |
| August 18 | Chicago Cubs | 1BDerrek Lee | RHP Robinson Lopez RHP Tyrelle Harris LHP Jeffrey Lorick |
Regular season[edit]
| Postseason[edit]MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
|
|
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | WSH | AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | – | 3–4 | 1–6 | 2–5 | 9–9 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 5–13 | 3–4 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 8–10 | 5–13 | 4–5 | 3–4 | 6–9 |
| Atlanta | 4–3 | – | 4–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 11–7 | 5–1 | 5–3 | 5–2 | 11–7 | 8–10 | 6–3 | 4–2 | 4–3 | 2–6 | 8–10 | 9–6 |
| Chicago | 6–1 | 2–4 | – | 4–12 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 7–11 | 3–4 | 9–6 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 5–10 | 3–5 | 2–5 | 9–6 | 4–2 | 8–10 |
| Cincinnati | 5–2 | 2–3 | 12–4 | – | 2–5 | 5–2 | 10–5 | 5–4 | 11–3 | 4–2 | 2–5 | 10–6 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 6–12 | 4–3 | 8–7 |
| Colorado | 9–9 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 5–2 | – | 3–4 | 2–4 | 7–11 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 1–6 | 3–4 | 12–6 | 9–9 | 3–4 | 5–3 | 9–6 |
| Florida | 3–3 | 7–11 | 2–4 | 2–5 | 4–3 | – | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–4 | 12–6 | 5–13 | 6–2 | 3–6 | 2–5 | 3–2 | 13–5 | 7–8 |
| Houston | 3–4 | 1–5 | 11–7 | 5–10 | 4–2 | 3–3 | – | 2–4 | 8–7 | 3–4 | 4–3 | 11–4 | 2–5 | 2–7 | 10–5 | 4–4 | 3–12 |
| Los Angeles | 13–5 | 3–5 | 4–3 | 4–5 | 11–7 | 2–4 | 4–2 | – | 4–2 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 4–11 |
| Milwaukee | 4–3 | 2–5 | 6–9 | 3–11 | 4–5 | 4–4 | 7–8 | 2–4 | – | 5–2 | 1–5 | 13–5 | 3–4 | 2–5 | 8–7 | 4–2 | 9–6 |
| New York | 1–5 | 7–11 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 6–12 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 2–5 | – | 9–9 | 6–1 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 9–9 | 13–5 |
| Philadelphia | 4–2 | 10–8 | 2–4 | 5–2 | 6–1 | 13–5 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 9–9 | – | 2–4 | 5–2 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 12–6 | 10–8 |
| Pittsburgh | 4–2 | 3–6 | 10–5 | 6–10 | 4–3 | 2–6 | 4–11 | 3–4 | 5–13 | 1–6 | 4–2 | – | 0–6 | 2–4 | 6–9 | 1–5 | 2–13 |
| San Diego | 10–8 | 2–4 | 5–3 | 4–2 | 6–12 | 6–3 | 5–2 | 10–8 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 2–5 | 6–0 | – | 12–6 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 9–6 |
| San Francisco | 13–5 | 3–4 | 5–2 | 4–3 | 9–9 | 5–2 | 7–2 | 10–8 | 5–2 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–12 | – | 3–3 | 4–2 | 7–8 |
| St. Louis | 5–4 | 6–2 | 6–9 | 12–6 | 4–3 | 2–3 | 5–10 | 4–3 | 7–8 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 9–6 | 4–3 | 3–3 | – | 3–3 | 9–6 |
| Washington | 4–3 | 10–8 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 3–5 | 5–13 | 4–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | – | 5–13 |
| 2010 Postseason Game Log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National League Division Series (1–3)
|
As National League Wild Card winner, the Braves faced theSan Francisco Giants in the 2010 National League Division Series. It was the first postseason appearance for the Braves since the2005 team was eliminated after four games in the2005 NLDS versus theHouston Astros.
Thursday, October 7, 2010 – 9:37 p.m. (ET) atAT&T Park inSan Francisco, California
Starting pitchers:Derek Lowe (Braves) &Tim Lincecum (Giants).
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| San Francisco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Tim Lincecum (1–0) LP:Derek Lowe (0–1) Sv: None Home runs: ATL: None SFO: None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The first game of the NLDS was a pitching duel that matched the Giants' two-timeCy Young Award winnerTim Lincecum, in his first postseason start, against the Braves'Derek Lowe, a seasoned veteran of postseason play.
The game's only run came in the fourth inning. Giants rookie catcherBuster Posey singled to left, stole second on a controversial play where he was called safe while appearing to be out, and then scored on a two-out single byCody Ross. The run was the only one Lincecum needed, as the Giants' ace was dominant, pitching a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and striking out a franchise record 14 while walking only one. Lowe pitched only5+1⁄3 innings before being lifted for the bullpen.Jonny Venters,Peter Moylan,Michael Dunn, andCraig Kimbrel combined to pitch the final2+2⁄3 innings of the Braves loss.
Friday, October 8, 2010 – 9:37 p.m. (ET) atAT&T Park inSan Francisco, California
Starting pitchers:Tommy Hanson (Braves) &Matt Cain (Giants).
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| San Francisco | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Kyle Farnsworth (1–0) LP:Ramón Ramírez (0–1) Sv: None Home runs: ATL:Rick Ankiel (1) SFO:Pat Burrell (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Giants jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning, taking a quick 3–0 lead asPat Burrell hit a three-run home run, following aFreddy Sanchez single and aBuster Posey walk.
Braves managerBobby Cox was ejected from the game in the top of the second inning, arguing that Giants first basemanAubrey Huff's foot did not stay on base on anÁlex González ground-out. In the bottom of the second, Giants starterMatt Cain also hit an RBI single, scoringCody Ross, who had doubled earlier. The Giants led the Braves after two innings by a 4–0 score.
Braves first basemanDerrek Lee hit a lead-off single in the top of the sixth inning and advanced to second base onPat Burrell's fielding error.Brian McCann singled him home in the next at-bat to end the 14 scoreless innings streak for the Braves in the series.
The Braves struck back in the top of the eighth inning. After consecutive singles by Lee and McCann, the Giants brought in closerBrian Wilson for a six-out save; however, the next hitter,Melky Cabrera, hit an RBI ground ball that scored Lee from third base and Cabrera beat the throw to first base due to Giants' third basemanPablo Sandoval's throwing error. FollowingBrooks Conrad's sacrifice bunt, Álex González's RBI double scored both runners and tied the game at 4–4.
The game remained tied and went to extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth inning, two consecutive bunts (one resulting in a single, one sacrifice) knocked Braves closerBilly Wagner out of the game because of injury. Because Wagner retired following the 2010 season, it was the last time Wagner ever appeared in a Major League game. Relieving the injured Wagner,Kyle Farnsworth hit the next batter,Freddy Sanchez, then walkedHuff to load the bases. With the winning run at third base and one out, Posey followed by grounding into a double play to end the inning.
In the top of the eleventh inning,Rick Ankiel hit a go-ahead solo home run intoMcCovey Cove on the fly to give the Braves a 5–4 lead, their first lead in the series. Farnsworth threw a scoreless bottom of the eleventh inning for the save and handed the Braves their first (and ultimately only) win in the series. The NLDS was tied one game apiece as it headed toAtlanta.
Sunday, October 10, 2010 – 4:37 p.m. (ET) atTurner Field inAtlanta, Georgia
Starting pitchers:Jonathan Sánchez (Giants) &Tim Hudson (Braves).
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Sergio Romo (1–0) LP:Craig Kimbrel (0–1) Sv:Brian Wilson (1) Home runs: SFO: None ATL:Eric Hinske (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game 3 was yet another dramatic matchup of strong pitching. The Braves sent right-handed veteranTim Hudson to the mound to face Giants leftyJonathan Sánchez. The Giants took an early lead in the top of the second inning after leaving the bases loaded in the first. Third basemanMike Fontenot started the inning by driving a triple off the right field wall.Cody Ross, the next batter, lofted a pop fly that was dropped by Atlanta second basemanBrooks Conrad, giving San Francisco a 1–0 lead. Hudson rebounded by pitching seven strong innings, allowing only the one unearned run. Sánchez pitched a no-hitter through five innings against the Braves. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Braves starter Hudson collected the team's first hit, a single to right field. Sánchez kept the Braves off the scoreboard until he was lifted with one out in the eighth.
With a runner at first and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Giants still nursing their 1–0 lead, Giants setup manSergio Romo, a right-hander, relieved Sánchez to face the right-handedTroy Glaus as a pinch-hitter. Braves managerBobby Cox countered by sending left-handed utility manEric Hinske to the plate instead. With two strikes on him, Hinske turned on a hanging slider from Romo and drove it just inside the right field foul pole for a home run, giving the Braves a 2–1 lead and electrifying the crowd at Turner Field.
Rookie right-handerCraig Kimbrel came out of the bullpen to start the top of the ninth for the Braves, relievingJonny Venters, who had struck out the side the previous inning. Kimbrel retired Ross on a popout to Conrad for the first out.Travis Ishikawa then pinch-hit for Romo and drew a walk. After striking out leadoff manAndrés Torres, Kimbrel gave up a single to second basemanFreddy Sanchez and was removed from the game, leaving runners on first and second base with two outs. Another rookie Brave, leftyMichael Dunn came on and gave up a game-tying single toAubrey Huff. Dunn was then pulled for a right-hander,Peter Moylan, who induced a grounder fromBuster Posey, which proceeded to bounce through the legs of Conrad, the second baseman's third error of the game. Sanchez scored on the play, giving the Giants a 3–2 lead. Conrad's three errors set a NLDS record for most errors in a single game.Kyle Farnsworth came on and got the third out, but the damage was done.
The Giants brought in their closerBrian Wilson for the bottom of the ninth. He held the lead, giving up a single toBrian McCann, but retiringNate McLouth on a grounder to end the game. After being one strike away from a commanding 2–1 series lead, the Braves found themselves facing elimination with another loss.
Monday, October 11, 2010 – 7:37 p.m. (ET) atTurner Field inAtlanta, Georgia
Starting pitchers:Madison Bumgarner (Giants) &Derek Lowe (Braves)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Madison Bumgarner (1–0) LP:Derek Lowe (0–2) Sv:Brian Wilson (2) Home runs: SFO:Cody Ross (1) ATL:Brian McCann (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With their backs against the wall, the Braves sentDerek Lowe to the mound on three days' rest. The Braves scored first in the bottom of the third inning whenBrian McCann hit a sacrifice fly that drove inOmar Infante.
Lowe took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but the Giants tied the game with one out on Cody Ross' first-pitch homer off of a Lowecutter. McCann answered with a home run of his own in the bottom of the inning off the Giants' rookie starter,Madison Bumgarner, to take back the lead.
Lowe was relieved after6+1⁄3 innings. After walkingAubrey Huff and allowing an infield single toBuster Posey,Bobby Cox made his way out to the mound, apparently to remove Lowe from the game; however, after talking to him, Cox elected to leave Lowe in, prompting huge cheers from the Atlanta fans. The next batter,Pat Burrell, walked on a 3–1 pitch near the inside corner and Lowe's night was done. He struck out eight while allowing only two hits and walking two. Braves' relieversPeter Moylan andJonny Venters could not hold the lead as the Giants scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning onJuan Uribe's RBI fielder's choice and Cody Ross' RBI single. The Braves had an opportunity to escape the one-out, bases-loaded jam; however,Álex González's throwing error, his second in the game, cost them. Both of the errors were debatable. The first was a ball hit into the hole that he didn't field cleanly with the speedyAndrés Torres running. The second was another crucial controversial call that went against the Braves in the series. With two on and one outJuan Uribe hit a weak groundball to González. González elected to go to second but threw it high, causing Omar Infante to edge up; however, the umpire ruled he came off the base.
Left-handed Giants relieverJavier López entered the game with two outs in the eighth, and pinch-runnerNate McLouth as the tying run at second base. López struck outJason Heyward to end the inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Braves had one last chance to rally. With one out, Giants closerBrian Wilson walkedRick Ankiel andEric Hinske to put the winning run on base. Omar Infante followed by striking out swinging andMelky Cabrera grounded out to end the game and the series. The Giants won the series three games to one.
After twenty-five overall seasons as the manager for the Braves, Game 4 proved to be the last game for the retiringBobby Cox. After the game ended, he came out of the dugout briefly to acknowledge the fans. He was greeted with loud cheers from the entire stadium, as well as an ovation from the Giants' players and coaches.
| 2010 Atlanta Braves | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers Infielders
Outfielders | Manager Coaches
| |||||||
Stats through the end of the 2010 regular season
* = Acquired Mid-Season
† = No longer with Braves
"()" = Stats with Braves
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Ankiel* | 74(47) | 211(119) | 31(17) | 49(25) | .232(.210) | 6(2) | 24(9) |
| Gregor Blanco † | 36 | 58 | 9 | 18 | .310 | 0 | 3 |
| J. C. Boscán | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Melky Cabrera | 147 | 458 | 50 | 117 | .255 | 4 | 42 |
| Brent Clevlen | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | .250 | 0 | 0 |
| Brooks Conrad | 103 | 156 | 31 | 39 | .250 | 8 | 33 |
| Matt Diaz | 84 | 224 | 27 | 56 | .250 | 7 | 31 |
| Yunel Escobar † | 75 | 261 | 28 | 62 | .238 | 0 | 19 |
| Freddie Freeman | 20 | 24 | 3 | 4 | .167 | 1 | 1 |
| Troy Glaus | 128 | 412 | 52 | 99 | .240 | 16 | 71 |
| Álex González* | 157(72) | 595(267) | 74(27) | 149(64) | .250(.240) | 23(6) | 88(38) |
| Diory Hernández | 20 | 9 | 5 | 1 | .111 | 1 | 1 |
| Jason Heyward | 142 | 520 | 83 | 144 | .277 | 18 | 72 |
| Brandon Hicks | 16 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Hinske | 131 | 281 | 38 | 72 | .256 | 11 | 51 |
| Omar Infante | 134 | 471 | 65 | 151 | .321 | 8 | 47 |
| Chipper Jones | 95 | 317 | 47 | 84 | .265 | 10 | 46 |
| Derrek Lee* | 148(39) | 547(129) | 80(17) | 142(37) | .260(.287) | 19(3) | 80(24) |
| Brian McCann | 143 | 479 | 63 | 129 | .269 | 21 | 77 |
| Nate McLouth | 85 | 242 | 30 | 46 | .190 | 6 | 24 |
| Martín Prado | 140 | 599 | 100 | 184 | .307 | 15 | 66 |
| David Ross | 59 | 121 | 15 | 35 | .289 | 2 | 28 |
| Pitcher Totals | 162 | 307 | 21 | 43 | .140 | 0 | 16 |
| Team Totals | 162 | 5463 | 738 | 1411 | .258 | 139 | 699 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO= Strikeouts; WHIP = Walks+hits per inning pitched
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Hudson | 34 | 228.2 | 17 | 9 | 2.83 | 139 | 1.15 |
| Tommy Hanson | 34 | 202.2 | 10 | 11 | 3.33 | 173 | 1.17 |
| Derek Lowe | 33 | 193.2 | 16 | 12 | 4.00 | 99 | 1.37 |
| Jair Jurrjens | 20 | 116.1 | 7 | 6 | 4.64 | 86 | 1.39 |
| Kenshin Kawakami | 16 | 85.1 | 1 | 10 | 4.85 | 59 | 1.45 |
| Kris Medlen | 14 | 84.0 | 5 | 0 | 3.86 | 62 | 1.21 |
| Mike Minor | 8 | 39.1 | 3 | 2 | 6.18 | 41 | 1.55 |
| Brandon Beachy | 3 | 15.0 | 0 | 2 | 3.00 | 7 | 1.53 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; WHIP = Walks+hits per inning pitched
| Player | G | W | L | SV | IP | ERA | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonny Venters | 79 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 83.0 | 1.95 | 93 | 1.20 |
| Billy Wagner | 71 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 69.1 | 1.43 | 104 | 0.87 |
| Kyle Farnsworth | 60(23) | 3(0) | 2(2) | 0(0) | 64.2(20.0) | 3.34(5.40) | 61(25) | 1.14(1.10) |
| Peter Moylan | 85 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 63.2 | 2.97 | 52 | 1.41 |
| Takashi Saito | 56 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 54.0 | 2.83 | 69 | 1.07 |
| Eric O'Flaherty | 56 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 44.0 | 2.45 | 36 | 1.25 |
| Jesse Chavez † | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 36.2 | 5.89 | 29 | 1.42 |
| Cristhian Martínez | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26.0 | 4.85 | 22 | 1.31 |
| Kris Medlen | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 23.2 | 3.04 | 21 | 1.14 |
| Craig Kimbrel | 21 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 20.2 | 0.44 | 40 | 1.21 |
| Mike Dunn | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 | 1.89 | 27 | 1.68 |
| Scott Proctor | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | 6.35 | 6 | 1.41 |
| Jo-Jo Reyes † | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 | 24.30 | 2 | 3.90 |
| Chris Resop † | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 22.50 | 2 | 4.00 |
| Kenshin Kawakami | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 18.00 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Mike Minor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 0.00 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Total Team Pitching | 162 | 91 | 71 | 41 | 1439.1 | 3.56 | 1241 | 1.27 |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Franchise | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ballparks |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Culture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lore |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rivalries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key personnel |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series Championships (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National League Championships (18) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World's Championship Series Championships (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National Association Championships (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division titles (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wild card berths (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minor league affiliates |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
