Georgia sports for Thursday, September 13th

The Braves dropped another game they couldn't afford to lose in order to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, as the Mets won last night 4-3. The Braves lost 2-of-3 in their series at New York.

Down 3-1 in the 8th inning with 2 outs, Jeff Francouer delivered a 2-RBI single to tie the game. But the Mets regained the lead in their half of the 8th, as Shawn Green came up with the tiebreaking RBI-single. It wasted another solid starting pitching effort from John Smoltz.

With the loss, the Braves' record fell to 74-72. Including last night's defeat, the Braves since July 17th are only 8-19 in 1 or 2 run games. In the bigger picture, with only 16 games remaining in the season, it appears Atlanta will miss the postseason for a 2nd straight year. They are 9-and-a-half games behind the Mets for the top spot in the NL-East. The Braves trail the wild card leader by 5 games.

Veteran 3rd baseman Chipper Jones missed all 3 games of the Mets' series, but says he expects to return to action tomorrow night in Washington D-C. He's been battling a sore oblique muscle in his right side.

The stars of professional golf are back in Georgia this week, as the Tour Championship tees-off from Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club this morning. The PGA's top 30 golfers are vying for this weekend's title, as well as the inaugural FedEx Cup. Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, and Phil Mickelson are top in the standings heading into action.

Georgia sports for Wednesday, September 12th

Trying to keep their faint postseason hopes alive, the Braves came up with a big 13-5 win over the Mets in New York last night. Mark Teixeira knocked a 3-run homer, while Yunel Escobar added a 2-run shot. Willie Harris contributed 3 RBI's to the Atlanta offensive effort. With 17 games to go, the Braves are 5 games behind San Diego for the wild card playoff ticket. The Braves and Mets wrap their series tonight--John Smoltz gets the Braves' pitching start.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, September 11th

The Braves took another hit to their playoff hopes, losing the opener in their series against the Mets in New York last night, 3-2. Tim Hudson started and threw well, but was out-pitched by Oliver Perez. David Wright knocked a big 2-run homer off Hudson. The Braves-offense was highlighted by Brian McCann, who delivered a 2-run homer.
The Braves and Mets face-off again tonight.

The new Georgia high school football rankings are out for the week, now two weeks into the season. Class 5A has Roswell on top, followed by Norcross, Tift County, Stephenson and Coffee 1-through-5. From Class 4A, Northside-Warner Robins holds the top spot, followed by Tucker, Thomas County Central, Griffin, and St. Pius X. Class 3A has a new number-1, as Carver-Columbus takes the slot. LaGrange, Carrollton, Hart County, and Cairo round the top-5. From Class 2A, the first 5 goes Charlton County, Buford, Early County, Greater Atlanta Christian, and Cook. In the single-A rankings, number-1 Lincoln County is followed by Athens Academy, Wilcox County, Pacelli Catholic, and Seminole County.

Georgia sports for Monday, September 3rd

It was a bad time for the Braves to suffer an offensive power outage—-they scored only 4 runs in 3 weekend games against the Mets, losing all 3, including the final of 3-2 on Sunday from Turner Field. In a fourth matchup this season of former teammates, pitcher Tom Glavine beat John Smoltz for the 1st time this year. Into the final month of the season, the Braves have now lost 9 of their last 12 games, and have fallen 7-and-a-half games back in the NL-East race, as well as 6-and-a-half back in the wild card. The Braves open a home series against Phillies this afternoon.

Weekend college football action saw Georgia and Ga Tech score victories to open their seasons. The Bulldogs beat Oklahoma State 35-14, while the Yellow Jackets won on the road at Notre Dame 33-3. There is some bad news for the Bulldogs however. They’ve lost running back Kregg Lumpkin for this weekend’s game and possibly longer. He suffered a broken thumb in the opening win Saturday.

Georgia sports for Friday, August 31st

The Braves open a homestand tonight against the two teams ahead of them in the NL-East standings. In first are the New York Mets, who lead the division by 4-and-a-half games on the Braves. Atlanta also stands 4-and-a-half back in the race for the wild card playoff spot with about a month to go in the season. Tim Hudson gets the pitching start tonight against the Mets--he's going for a 16th win on his record. The Mets enter Atlanta riding a 5-game losing skid.

The first weekend of college football cranks-up tomorrow, with Georgia and Georgia Tech staging their openers. The Bulldogs will be home in Athens for a 6:45 kickoff against Oklahoma State. The Yellow Jackets are on the road for their opener, in South Bend, Indiana to face Notre Dame at 3:30. Geeorgia Southern opens their season next weekend.

High school football opens tonight across Georgia. You can get a preview of what to expect this season, and hear just why prep football is so big in Georgia--on today's edition of Georgia Gazette on GPB Radio at 3 o'clock. Jon Nelson of GPB-TV's Prep Sports Plus will join us for a look at all things high school football.

From the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons play their final exhibition game of the preseason, hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Tomorrow, the Falcons must cut their roster down to 53 players to set their team for the season opener a week from Sunday.

Georgia sports for Monday, August 20th

The Braves scored a 6-2 win Sunday afternoon to salvage 1 victory in 3 games played against the Arizaon Diamondbacks over the weekend. 1st baseman Mark Teixeira knocked a pair of 2-run homers to support the strong pitching of John Smoltz. The Braves veteran pitcher posted a season-high 12 strikeouts in his 8 innings on the mound. In the process, he became the Braves’ all-time franchise strikeout leader, passing Phil Niekro on the list, with #2,913 in the 3rd inning. The Braves went 3-3 on the homestand, and now hit the road for 10-straight games. They'll open a 4-game series in Cincinnati tonight. In the standings, the Braves are in 3rd place in the NL-East division, trailing the leading New York Mets by 5-and-a-half games. Atlanta is closer in the wild card chase, trailing the San Diego Padres by only a game-and-a-half.

Warner Robins' Little League team split its 1st 2 games of action from the weekend in the Little League World Series up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. A victory Friday over a team from Lake Oswego, Oregon was followed by defeat on Saturday to a team from Hamilton, Ohio. The Warner Robins kids face the New England representative tonight at 6pm-—a team from Walpole, Massachusetts

Out of the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons appear to have lost 3rd-string quarterback DJ Shockley for the entire upcoming season. The former Georgia Bulldog suffered a torn ligament in his left knee Friday night, in the Falcons’ preseason win at Buffalo.

Georgia sports for Thursday, August 16th

It's now 2-straight wins for the Braves over the Giants, after last night's 6-3 final from Turner Field in Atlanta.

Tim Hudson threw 8 strong innings to record his 14th win of the season. He won his 4th straight outing, and 8th straight decision, improving his record to 14-5. Bob Wickman collected the save. Hudson was part of the offense as well, with 2 hits that included a run-scoring single. For the Giants, Barry Bonds went deep with home run #759 of his career in the 6th inning.

The Braves go for the series sweep of San Francisco with Chuck James on the mound tonight. Atlanta remains 3-and-a-half games behind the Mets for 1st in the NL-East division.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, August 14th

After an off-day Monday, the Braves return to action tonight in Atlanta, opening a 6-game homestand. The San Francisco Giants are in town first, with Barry Bonds in tow. Bonds just last week became baseball's new career leader in home runs, surpassing Hank Aaron. For the opener of the series tonight, John Smoltz gets the pitching start. The Braves stand 3-and-a-half games behind the Mets for 1st in tne NL-East division.

Out of the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons are in workouts ahead of their 2nd preseason game this weekend. There is good news for the club, as veteran running back Warrick Dunn has returned to practice. He underwent back surgery last month. The team hopes he can play in their 3rd exhibition game--August 27th.

From college football, preseason practice rolls-on for the teams of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern.

Georgia sports for Monday, August 13th

The Braves were 5-3 losers to the Phillies last night in Philidelphia, wrapping the series and road trip. Ryan Howard drilled a 3-run homer against the Braves’ Buddy Carlyle in the 5th inning to turn the game. The Braves-offense included a Chipper Jones 2-RBI single, and a Martin Prado run-scoring double.

The Braves lost 2-of-3 in the series against the Phillies, and recorded a 3-3 record overall for the road trip, that including wins in 2-of-3 against the Mets. The Braves now return home to open a series against the Giants tomorrow night. Atlanta is 3-and-a-half games back of the Mets for 1st in the NL-East.


From the weekend, the Atlanta Falcons suffered a loss in their exhibition opener Friday night, falling to the Jets up in New Jersey’s Meadowlands. It was the NFL coaching debut of Bobby Petrino for the Falcons.

Georgia sports for Friday, August 10th

The Braves survived a 9th inning rally by the homestanding Mets Thursday afternoon, winning at New York 7-6. Leading 7-3 into the last of the 9th inning, the Mets scored 3 runs off reliever Tyler Yates. Oscar Villareal was called upon to get the final 2 outs for the save, earning the pitching win for Tim Hudson. Offensively, the Braves had home runs from Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira. The Braves are back to within 3-and-a-half games of the Mets for 1st in the NL-East—-it’s now a series in Philidelphia opening tonight.

To the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons are in New York for their 1st exhibition game of the preseason, facing the Jets this evening. It marks the first game for new head coach Bobby Petrino, and the debut of Joey Harrington as starting quarterback, who stands in for the banished Michael Vick.

Preseason practice continues for the college teams of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Georgia Southern. Bulldogs' head coach Mark Richt had the perfect remedy to help his players beat the heat yesterday in Athens. Following a morning practice, he took the Bulldogs to the campus swimming center for some fun and relaxation in the afternoon. Coach Richt led the way, performing a backflip dive off the high board into the pool.

Georgia sports for Thursday, August 9th

It was the tough night for the Braves in New York, as they lost to the Mets 4-3 Wednesday. Moises Alou broke a 3-3 tie with a home run in the 8th inning off Braves-reliever Rafael Soriano. The Braves had the perfect opportunity to re-tie the game or take the lead in the 9th when they loaded the bases with no outs. But, Jeff Francouer and Andruw Jones failed in their efforts at the plate: Andruw hit into a game-ending double play. The Braves and Mets wrap the series this afternoon with a 12:10 1st pitch. The Braves now stand 4-and-a-half games out of 1st in the NL-East.

To football, while college teams are a little more than 3 weeks away from their first game action, the pro teams start play this weekend--in preseason action.
The Atlanta Falcons will be in New York Friday night to meet the Jets in exhibition. With Michael Vick on a forced leave-of-absence mandated by the NFL while he deals with federal dog fighting charges, the Falcons will give the number-one quarterback reigns to Joey Harrington. The battle for the backup QB-job is now between former Georgia Bulldog DJ Shockley, and Chris Redman.

Georgia sports for Wednesday, August 8th

The Braves won the opener of their 3-game series against the Mets up in New York, the final of 7-3 last night. It was the big evening for Jeff Francouer--he had 4 hits, including a 3-run homer. Matt Diaz cracked a home run, and Chipper Jones added 3 of the Braves’ 15 hits. On the mound, Buddy Carlyle got through 5 innings for the pitching win as he allowed 6 hits and 3 runs. The Braves are now within 3-and-a-half games of the Mets for 1st in the NL-East. John Smoltz gets the pitching start for Atlanta tonight.

From college football, preseason practice continues across the state for the teams of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Georgia Southern.

To the NFL, training camp rolls-on for the Falcons--they’ll hit the field in New York Friday to face the Jets in the preseason opener.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, August 7th

It’s a key series set to open tonight in New York, as the Braves face the rival Mets. In the NL-East, the Mets lead the division by 4-and-a-half games on the Braves. Buddy Carlyle gets the pitching start against the Mets’ Oliver Perez. The Braves have won 6 of 9 games played against the Mets this season.

From the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons will be without tight end Alge Crumpler for at least a week of practice and action, as he’s suffered a setback from his recovery from off-season knee surgery. Crumpler to this point, had only taken part in a limited amount of work in the team’s 15 practices through Monday. The Falcons’ 1st preseason game is this Friday in New York facing the Jets.

Georgia sports for Monday, August 6th

Rookie Yunel Escobar delievered an RBI-single in the 10th inning for the winning margin, as the Braves topped the Rockies 6-5 at Turner Field Sunday. Escobar had 2 RBI's for the game. The Atlanta-offense included a 3-hit day for Chipper Jones--a 2-run home run and double on his scorecard. Corky Miller and Willie Harris had RBI-doubles. The pitching win went to Oscar Villareal from the bullpen, his 1-inning of work to improve his mark to 2-1. The Braves finished a 4-2 homestand, and remain 4-and-a-half games behind the Mets for 1st in the NL-East division.

News-and-notes with the Braves from the weekend: Andruw Jones missed starting the past 2 games as he nurses an ailing left elbow. He received a cortisone shot to help the healing, and expects to play in the Mets-series which starts tomorrow night in New York. Shortstop Edgar Renteria was placed on the disabled list with an ankle sprain. Yunel Escobar will be the replacement at short until Renteria returns.

New 1st baseman Mark Teixeira has played 5 games since his trade to Atlanta. He's hit 3 home runs with 7 RBI's. Chipper Jones was mired in a 6-for-34 slide at the plate until getting healthy in Sunday's game with 3 hits.


Former Brave Tom Glavine last night became the 23rd pitcher all-time to record 300 wins for a career. Glavine's Mets beat the Cubs in Chicago. Glavine in the achievement is the 5th lefthanded pitcher in history to reach the milestone. While with the Braves, Glavine won 242 games and a pair of Cy Young awards.

From college football, preseason practice is underway in earnest for the teams of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Georgia Southern.

Georgia sports for Friday, July 20th

The Braves kicked-aside their 3-game losing streak in grand style last night, trouncing the Cardinals 10-1 in the opener of a 4-game series from Atlanta.

The Braves' offense included a home run and 3 RBI's from Andruw Jones. Matt Diaz knocked a homer, while Julio Franco in his first game back with Atlanta delievered a 2-run single.

On the mound, Tim Hudson was solid in 7 innings of work, allowing a run and 5 hits. His record improved to 10-5.

The Braves remain 2-and-a-half games behind the Mets for first in the NL-East Division.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, July 17th

It was rough going for the Braves last night in the opener of their series against the Reds, suffering a 10-3 loss at Turner Field.

Starting pitcher Kyle Davies never made it out of the 1st inning, as he never recorded an out before getting the hook from manager Bobby Cox. Davies only faced 5 batters, as he allowed 2 hits, 2 runs, and walked 3. It was the long night for the Braves bullpen—-Oscar Villareal gave up a 3-run homer to Ken Griffey-Jr in the 2nd inning.

The Braves had their 4-game winning streak snapped, but they remain a game-and-a-half behind the Mets for first in the NL-East. The Mets lost their game at San Diego last night.

Georgia sports for Monday, July 16th

The Braves are on a roll--they completed a 3-game series sweep of the Pirates in Atlanta Sunday with the 5-1 victory.

Buddy Carlyle gave the Braves 8 strong innings on the mound, as he allowed only 4 hits and a run in the outing. After surrendering a 1st inning home run, Carlyle recorded outs against 20 of the next 21 batters he faced.

Offensively, the Braves delivered 12 hits--RBI singles from Edgar Renteria, Jeff Francouer, and Yunel Escobar. Renteria had 4 hits on the day.

The Braves remain a game-and-a-half behind the Mets for first in the NL-East division. Atlanta continues their 10-game homestand tonight with the open of a series against the Reds.

Georgia sports for Friday, July 13th

The post All-Star break schedule gets rolling tonight for the Braves. They'll open a 10-game homestand with the 1st of 3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Atlanta. Tim Hudson gets the starting pitching call this evening.

As play opens tonight, the Braves stand 2-and-a-half games back of the Mets for first in the National League East division. Following the Pirates, the Braves will welcome the Reds and Cardinals to Turner Field over the next week.

Georgia sports for Friday, June 22nd

The Braves out of yesterday’s off-day on the schedule, are back to action tonight opening a home series against the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers. John Smoltz will get the pitching start.

The Braves have struggled this month in general, especially in home games, where they’ve lost 10 of their last 14 played at Turner Field. Centerfielder Andruw Jones has been going especially tough, hitting only for a .202 average as the season heads into late-June. Jones is in the final year of his contract, and looking for a big pay-day when his free agent status arrives.

Despite Andruw’s and the Braves’ struggles, the team is still only a game-and-a-half behind the Mets for 1st in the NL-East.

Georgia sports for Monday, June 11th

The Braves wrapped up their series against the Cubs with a 5-4 victory last night at Turner Field, and earning a split of the 4-game series. Trailing 4-2, the Braves came up with 3 runs in their half of the 8th inning. Scott Thorman knocked an RBI-double, and later Willie Harris scored the eventual winning run on a wild pitch.

The Braves with wins in their last 2 games were able to make their homestand respectable, going 3-5. They are now within 2-and-a-half games of the Mets' lead in the NL-East division. Atlanta begins an interleague road trip Tuesday, opening a series in Minnesota.

Two University of Georgia football players have found off-the-field trouble. Blake Barnes and Tripp Chandler were both arrested early Sunday morning on alcohol charges. 21-year-old Barnes is a 3rd string quarterback with the Bulldogs. He was arrested on an open-container violation and giving alcohol to minors. Chandler is 20-years-old and starting tight end for Georgia--he was charged with underage possession of alcohol and an open container. Athletics department policy indicates that both players must miss at least 10-percent of the upcoming season.