The second half of the season started off with a bang on Friday July 14, 2006 with one of the wilder games in recent years as 8 homeruns flew out of Qualcomm Stadium  (formerly Jack Murphy Stadium) and San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman (0-1), 1.77 ERA, S24) surrendered a 2 run double to Atlanta’s Andruw Jones on a 2 out, 2 strike pitch in the 9th as Atlanta tied the game at 11-11.

In Hoffman’s last appearance, the All Star game, he also blew a save in the same fashion as the AL beat the NL by a 3-2 score.

In the Atlanta first Edgar Renteria (9 HRs, .320 BA) doubled in a run, followed by back to back homers by 3rd baseman Chipper Jones (14 HRs, 57 RBIs, .329 BA) and centerfielder Andruw Jones (22 HRs, 81 RBIs,  .276 BA)  Chipper Jones was to hit 2 HRs in the game.   1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez (16 HRs, 44 RBIs, .275 BA) got a run back for San Diego in the bottom of the 2nd inning.  He also was to hit 2 homers in the game.  4-1 Atlanta.

Atlanta got a run in the 3rd inning, but San Diego got 4 in their 3rd inning as Mike Piazza (13 HRs, 40 RBIs, .290 BA) hit a 2 run double and Gonzalez hit his 2nd homer, a 3 run shot.  Game tied 5-5 after 3 innings.

Braves 1st baseman Adam LaRouche (15 HRs, 48 RBIs) hit the first of his two homers, a 2 run shot and Chipper Jones hit his 2nd homer, a solo blast in the Atlanta 5th. 8-5 Atlanta after 5 innings.

In the San Diego 6th, Mike Piazza clubbed a 3 run homer tying the game at 8-8.  San Deigo went ahead 9-8 on 2nd baseman Josh Barfield’s (5 HRs, .297 BA) run-scoring double.  In the 9th Atlanta scored 3 runs to go up 11-9 as Andruw Jones lined Hoffman’s infamous 2 out, 2 strike pitch to left field for a 2 run double.  Catcher Brian McCain (8 HRs, .347 BA) followed with a run-scoring single.  11-9 Atlanta.

In the bottom of the 9th, San Diego tied the game yet again on an RBI single by Josh Barfield and an RBI double by catcher Josh Bard (5 HRs, .362 BA) who replaced Piazza. The game went into extra innings tied 11-11.

Each team scored a run in the 10th inning as Atlanta got a run on Adam LaRouche’s 2nd homer of the game and San Diego scored it’s run on a double-play grounder.  12-12 after 10 innings.

In the 11th inning, the winning run scored on a fielder’s choice play and Adam LaRouche added 2 insurance runs with a double as the final score was Atlanta 15, San Diego 12.

Neither starter was involved in the decision as the winning pitcher ended up being Jorge Sosa (3-10) who gave up San Diego’s 2 runs in the 9th blowing a save opportunity and 1 run in the 10th inning got the win with Tyler Yates (0-1, S1) earning his first Major league save.  San Diego Reliever Clay Hensley (5-7) was charged with the loss.

For a full recap with box scores and play-by-play on Friday’s game between Atlanta and San Diego, click here.

By the way, on Sunday, July 16, 2006, the wind must have blowing out a ton at Wrigley as the New York Mets stepped to the plate in the 6th inning trailing the Chicago Cubs by a 5-2.  The Mets broke out for 11 runs in the inning, most prominently 8 runs on 2 grand slam homers, one by leftfielder  Cliff Floyd (9 HRs) and centerfielder Carlos Beltran (26 HRs, 73 RBIs, .276 BA).  A 2 run homer by 3rd baseman David Wright (21 HRs, 77 RBIs, .319 BA) and an RBI single by pinch hitter Endy Chavez (.282 BA) were thrown in for good measure.   The Mets emerged with the win by a score of 13-7.  In all, the were 7 homers hit in the game, 5 by the Mets, 2 by the Cubs.

For a full recap with box scores and play-by-play on Sunday’s Mets, Cubs game, click here.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 18th, 2006 at 1:35 am and is filed under All Time Baseball Highlights
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