ESPN.com - MLB - Recap - Braves at Astros - 08/09/2002

All I can say is, "How did he do that?" With the Braves leading 6-5 in the thirteenth on a Gary Sheffield solo homer, John Smoltz got two quick outs. But Craig Biggio reached on a single and was headed home to tie the game on a subsequent double. Wes Helms, playing left field, hit the cutoff man, Rafael Furcal... but Furcal was about to fall down. On his way down, he made this throw... A perfect strike to nail Biggio at the plate. It wasn't even close. I still don't know how he did it, and I've seen it a number of times and thought about it overnight.

It was a weird game all along. It started off like too many other Braves games. The Braves got a run in the second and one in the third to take a two-run lead, but blew numerous chances to stretch the lead. Sure enough, the Astros came back, scoring two runs to tie, then three to take a 5-2 lead. And the Braves kept stranding baserunners. Until the ninth, when they managed to score three runs off Billy Wagner to tie it. Then they left two more baserunners with a chance to take the lead. Incidentally, they were also out of position players. Tim Spooneybarger (who incidentally got his first major league win) had to hit for himself; at one stage Greg Maddux was going to pinch-hit but the inning ended before he could.

Injuries... Jason Marquis was supposed to start but had "flu-like symptoms" and Damian Moss took his place. Jason might start today. Chipper Jones left the game with a hamstring pull; Vinny Castilla wound up taking his place in the lineup. Helms had started at third before shifting to left. Albie Lopez pitched one inning, his first appearance in I don't know how long. Mark DeRosa (who started against a righthander) was nailed in the wrist with a pitch in extra innings, after the Braves had run out of position players. I don't know what the Braves would have done if he'd been unable to continue. Helms to third, Castilla to second, and Smoltz in the outfield, perhaps.

The Braves' magic number is 30.