Vazquez goes the distance in Braves 9-1 win over Nationals
Saturday, July 4, 2009- Washington D.C.
All the fireworks came out of the visitor's dugout, according to Braves' manager Bobby Cox, because Javier Vazquez took the mound ready to pitch.
"Javy was focused out there today," Cox said. "He was hitting his spots. Really, a great outing...the kind of thing he's capable of doing when he's at his best."
As a result, Vazquez gave the weary Atlanta bullpen an Independence Day holiday with his complete game 9-1 victory over the Nationals. Limiting the Nats to three hits, one run and registering five strikeouts, Vazquez (5-6) put on a highly impressive, 97 pitch performance.
"Yeah, he had great command of all his pitches, especially his curveball," added his battery-mate Brian McCann. "He kept them off balance all day."
Braves bats erupted for 9 runs on 11 hits and 3 walks after a few relatively quiet days. "We've just been missing some clutch hits for a few games," said Chipper Jones who hammered his 12th homer in the seventh off Ryan Wagner. "As a team we got more timely hitting today. That always makes a difference."
The Braves' clubhouse was in a celebratory mood. "Hey," called out Brian Bass, "Let's all go out and get an RC Cola and a weenie!" After getting the translation of "weenie," even Kenshin Kawakami was ready for a chili dog to cap off the Fourth.
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