Still Some Life Left in Braves, 8-3

Their fans arrived early in anticipation of a celebration--and the San Diego Padres were eager to participate.

Game 4 of the National League championship series could have been the biggest block party around here in some time. Only one problem: the Atlanta Braves didn’t cooperate.

Facing elimination and national ridicule, the Braves avoided being swept in an 8-3 victory Sunday night at Qualcomm Stadium.

Struggling cleanup batter Andres Galarraga stirred a resurgent offense by hitting a two-out grand slam in the Braves’ six-run seventh inning. Atlanta batted around in the inning that deflated a frenzied crowd of 65,042--the third largest in championship series history.

After getting only 19 hits and batting .200 in the first three games, Atlanta had 12 hits--including homers by Galarraga and Javy Lopez.

The Braves had three runs batted in before Sunday. Galarraga drove in more that that himself with one swing against reliever Dan Miceli.

Manager Bobby Cox, looking for something, anything, to spark the struggling offense, replaced Walt Weiss at shortstop and the leadoff spot with Ozzie Guillen.

Guillen responded with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

The Braves now trail, 3-1, in the best-of-seven series with Game 5 here tonight. No team has won a pennant after losing the first three games in a championship series.

History aside, the Braves are keeping hope alive.

“A lot of crazy things have happened in baseball this year, from [Mark] McGwire and [Sammy] Sosa chasing the home run record, to [Baltimore Oriole third baseman] Cal Ripken taking a day off, to [Seattle Mariner] Alex Rodriguez becoming the first shortstop to go 40-40 [homers and stolen bases],” said left-hander Denny Neagle, who helped Atlanta by pitching 5 2/3 satisfactory innings.

“There have been a lot of things that no one expected, so who’s to say we can’t be the first team to come back from 3-0? We have guys like Chipper [Jones], who has been the clutch guy the last three years, and Cat [Galarraga], who has been our big man this year. So who’s to say we can’t do it?”

With the bases loaded and the Braves leading, 4-3, in the seventh, Miceli came in to face Galarraga.

Entering the inning, Galarraga was batting .077 (a single in 13 at-bats) in the series, with five strike outs and no RBIs.

That after leading the Braves with 44 homers and 121 RBIs in the regular season.

“I know I’ve been struggling, but they’ve been pitching me tough,” Galarraga said of the San Diego pitching staff, which entered the game with a 0.96 earned-run average in the series.

“They’re pitching up, down, inside and outside. I’m not getting a lot of good pitches to hit. Their pitchers have done a very good job.”

Miceli didn’t.

On a 1-and-0 count, Miceli threw a fastball that Galarraga could hit. The ball wound up in the seats in left-center--and Galarraga wound up with a smile.

“That was probably the biggest [homer] I’ve ever hit,” Galarraga said. “That kept the team alive, and it helped me get emotional for [today].

“It was also for my family, because they feel bad that I was struggling. I just tried to stay positive at home plate and be more patient.”

His teammates were as well.

Jones, Galarraga and Ryan Klesko--the Braves’ Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters Sunday --combined to bat .107 (three for 28) without an RBI entering the game. Jones went two for four with a run-scoring single, and Klesko’s run-scoring single in sixth tied the score, 2-2.

“We haven’t been showing it too much lately, but this team knows how to play,” Klesko said. “There are no excuses, we just haven’t been swinging the bats well, and they’ve got good pitching. But we’re always going to keep battling no matter what’s going on.”

The Padres took their final lead in the sixth, 3-2, on a solo homer by playoff hero Jim Leyritz, who also had a run-scoring single in the third. The catcher/first baseman bolstered his cult-figure status by hitting his first homer in the championship series, and fourth in the postseason, against Neagle.

But Neagle did his part, giving up seven hits and three runs. He struck out seven and walked one, and reliever Dennis Martinez earned the victory by getting one out in relief after Neagle was chased.

The Padres staked loser Joey Hamilton to a 2-0 lead in the third on a run-scoring double by Tony Gwynn, and a run-scoring single by Ken Caminiti. Hamilton gave up seven hits and was charged with four runs in 6-plus innings.

Neagle was angered because many speculated that, because of the importance of the game, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox would start right-hander John Smoltz on Sunday. The former 20-game winner felt vindicated.

“Yeah, I was. . . . off, because people who don’t know what they’re talking about say, ‘Well, he has to start Smoltz,’ Neagle said. “I’ve done some good things for this ballclub too.

“I feel good about what I did today. I made one bad pitch, I kept the ball up to Leyritz, but I kept the team in the game. I got the opportunity, and I helped us win one more game, which is all we can do now.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

TONIGHT’S GAME 5

Atlanta (Smoltz, 17-3) at San Diego (Ashby, 17-9)

5:15 p.m., Channel 11

San Diego leads series, 3-1

SERIES REPORT: Page 10

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NOT A SHOCK

It would have been nice for the fans, but the Padres weren’t really surprised that they failed to sweep the Braves. Page 10