ATLANTA, Georgia, 9 October 2004 — Rafael Furcal’s two-out walk off home run in the 11th inning lifted Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 win over Houston and evened their National League Division Series at 1-1.
Two days ago the Braves’ shortstop was sentenced to three weeks in jail for a second drink driving charge in the last four years. As part of his agreement, he is under home confinement for the rest of the playoffs.
Furcal, 26, was in the starting lineup for Atlanta’s loss in Game One and came through with the biggest hit of Game Two.
“I got to the bat, put a lot of concentration,” Furcal said. “I thought about contact. I tried to put the ball in play. I looked for something slow inside, then made good contact.”
In the other National League game, five relievers combined on 5 2/3 scoreless innings as St. Louis registered an 8-3 triumph over Los Angeles and seized a two games to none lead in the series.
Houston reliever Dan Miceli (0-1) tried to sneak a pitch past Furcal, who quickly turned on it and golfed it into the right field stands for a two-run homer. “It was a split-finger fastball,” Miceli said.
Antonio Alfonseca (1-0) got the win with a hitless 11th inning. Both clubs leaned on their closers as Brad Lidge tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Atlanta’s John Smoltz went three hitless frames. Roy Oswalt, the Astros starter, allowed a run and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four in his first career playoff start.
Mike Hampton nearly matched Oswalt. He surrendered two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking three.
“I think he feels just terrible, to be honest with you,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said of Furcal’s pending jail term. “I talked to him, that we would be there for him all the time. Nobody likes to have their name in the paper like that, that’s for sure.
“As much as we can, we want him to forget about it, concentrate on baseball and things will work out very good for him in the future.”
Furcal said baseball takes his mind off his legal woes. “For me, when I’m coming to the ballpark, I open the door of my car, come and walk into the stadium.
“I forget about everything except the field, put a lot of concentration on the game, and forget everything every time I go to the field.
Then after the game, when I go to my house, I think of all my problems.”
After a travel day, the series resumes today at Houston, where the Astros have won 18 straight games. Houston sends Brandon Backe to the mound while Atlanta answers with right-hander John Thomson.
The Cardinals have used the first two games of their National League Division Series with the Dodgers to show why they have the best depth in baseball.
In the series opener on Tuesday — also an 8-3 win — St. Louis blasted five home runs and got a solid outing from starter Woody Williams.
In Game Two, the Cardinals saw Jason Marquis last just 3 1/3 innings but received a strong effort from their bullpen and four RBIs from catcher Mike Matheny.
“Our offense has been consistent all season,” Matheny said. “We are just hoping it keeps up. It is always a battle offensively but the balls just fell in right spots for me.”
After Marquis allowed three solo home runs, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa turned to his bullpen and they also responded.
Cal Eldred got the final two outs of the fourth and Dan Haren (1-0) notched the win with two scoreless innings.
Matheny had the two biggest hits of the game, a two-out, two-run single in the fifth that made it 6-3 and a two-out, two-run base hit in the seventh that capped the scoring.
Dodger starter Jeff Weaver, who struggled over the final six weeks of the regular season, continued to pitch poorly in the playoffs. He was ripped for six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings and fell to 0-4 lifetime in the postseason.
