ESPN.com - MLB - Recap - Braves at Pirates - 08/28/2002

So Greg Maddux goes out there and has probably his best start of the season, going nine innings without giving up a run. But the Braves can't score a run themselves, looking totally helpless against Brian Meadows, of all people. And then their best reliever, Mike Remlinger, loses the game in the tenth. Really pathetic.

Gary Sheffield is in Atlanta to get his thumb checked on. I wouldn't be surprised to see him head on over to Birmingham afterward to see Dr. Andrews. He needed surgery on the same thumb back in '95. From what I can tell, he's likely to need to rest it for about two weeks. Since everyone might get the next few weeks off... If there isn't a strike, he'd probably have to go on the DL. I don't know who the Braves would call up. Bo Porter is probably Richmond's best outfielder, but he doesn't have a corner outfielder's power.

Vinny still sucks, but you knew that. He was 0-4 with a strikeout. Rafael Furcal was the goat, though, striking out with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth, on a 3-2 pitch after being ahead in the count, capping off an 0-5 day. But I'm going to blame Vinny for that anyway, because it feels good... Keith Lockhart, who is getting way too little abuse around here because of Vinny's general awfulness, had a hit but also made -- I say this without hyperbole -- the worst throw in the history of baseball. Luckily it was only a one-base error... Henry Blanco is back from the DL, and I never thought I'd say this, but thank God. Blanco isn't much, but at least he does a convincing impression of a professional baseball player, something Steve Torrealba was never able to do.

There are three possibilities for what happens after today's game:

1. Strike at midnight.
2. No settlement but the strike is put off for another week.
3. Settlement.

I think there will be a strike, and it will last 7-10 days, with all games made up at the end of the season. That's a guess, but it follows what most of the experts seem to think. The two sides really aren't that far apart. The Braves could use a week off, as I've said.