Here are the starting lineups -- looks like Chipper's back. They're using the DH at Disney today, interesting:

Tigers Lineup
I. Rodriguez, C
E. Renteria, SS
C. Guillen, 1B
M. Ordonez, DH
B. Inge, 3B
W. Ramirez, LF
R. Rayburn, RF
S. Sizemore, 2B
F. Guzman, CF

K Rogers, P

Braves Lineup
M. Kotsay, CF
Y. Escobar, SS
C. Jones, 3B
M. Teixeira, 1B
J. Francoeur, RF
M. Diaz, LF
B. McCann, C
M. Prado, 2B
J. Lopez, DH

M. Hampton, P

Hampton looked okay. He went to a full count on the first two batters, giving up a hit and a walk. Then an error by Chipper on a ground ball that had some wicked spin loaded them up for Ordonez who grounded into a 6-4-3 DP. Hampton's topping out at 91 with his fastball and is consistently above 89. He strikes out Inge swinging to end the first - good to see him missing bats.

The Braves tied it up in the bottom half with an unearned run after an overthrow to first base on a failed double play attempt. Kotsay worked a good walk, and Chipper had a nice hit up the middle. Francoeur ended the inning flailing at an off-speed pitch like the Frenchy of old.

With one out and one on in the second, Cox and the trainer came out and pulled Hampton. It didn't look like he tweaked anything or that anything was wrong, but there it is nonetheless. Jeeeeezz....

I sincerely hope i walked into the end of a practical blog joke. If Hampton is injured, i might fly out to Disney just to injure his other leg.... the Rockies are probably laughing their asses off.

Gondee - every once in a while on the braves.com page, Bowman will write little minutia about what the players are joking about, wearing, locker position, etc... any verbal flotsam and jetsam, or overheard anecdotes, from the locker room would be greatly appreciated on your blog.

Whats the weather like down there today?

Manny came on to relieve Hampton and got out of the inning, but he's not having too much luck in his second inning. He's given up three hits and allowed two runs here in the third (with help from an Escobar error). I'm telling you, this guy can be very hittable sometimes, and these Tigers are taking advantage of that. Oh, and he's allowed two stolen bases.

As for pleasanter things, the weather down here is pretty nice. It's about 80 degrees and partly cloudy with a nice cool breeze - great day for hamstring inj... errr, baseball.

Well,I can see it's going to be a fingers crossed everytime Mike takes the mound...Jurrjen's is looking more solid by the day...

If you see Hampton, kick him in the balls for me.

Kenny Rogers hit his pitch limit in the third inning, and the Braves got to the next pitcher, a youngster named Virgil Vasquez. They pieced together enough hits to tie the game at 4, with Francoeur hitting the tying two-out single back up the middle to score Chipper.

The Tiger left-fielder Wilken Ramirez dove for a sinking Chipper Jones liner and looked like he tore up or dislocated his shoulder. Nasty looking injury.

Francoeur got thrown out trying to go first to third on a Matt Diaz Texas-Leaguer to end the third. Will Ohman on the mound for the Braves.

anyone knows if another radio station besides mlb.com is carrying the game? the normal atlanta station doesnt seem to have it...wish i could watch or at least listen...

Ivan Rodriguez hit a wind-assisted two-run homerun to left field off Ohman. Remember that Ohman is terrible against right-handers, and with three hits off him (all by right-handers) we're seeing it. He should only be used as a LOOGY this year -- hopefully spring training will teach Bobby Cox that lesson.

Lots of changes in the top of the sixth - kids with numbers in the 70 to 90 range on their uniform. I can barely tell who half of them are, but I can tell that DeSalvo is on the mound, Lillibridge is at short, I think Blanco's in center, Diory Hernandez is at third, and the really big guy Tyler Flowers is at first - gosh, he's big.

Tyler Yates had a good inning - hitting 95 on the gun. Edgar Renteria made a spectacular play on a Teixeira scorcher up the middle by tossing the ball behind his back to start a 6-4-3 DP.

Crosby pointed out to me that Matt DeSalvo has a windup very similar to that of Byun Hyun Kim or Hideo Nomo. He starts his windup by pointing his glove and hand way above his head for a moment, then tucks his left leg high and tight before unloading to home. He's an overhead thrower and not a side-armer.

DeSalvo's pitched two very good innings of relief. I was really impressed by his changeup - it was fooling a lot of hitters.

A couple more changes, Anderson is in right and Sammons is behind the plate. Prado and Lopez are the only regulars still in the game.

NRI Jorge Campillo came on in the eighth and was rather awful. He gave up a homer to Inge and two more runs on several hits.

Javier Guzman took over for Prado at second and Brandon Jones is in left. The Braves tried to rally in both the seventh and eighth, put couldn't put much together. The Tigers pitcher to start the seventh, Jordan Tata, was Nuke LaLucheque wild - throwing pitches way over the catchers head and killing whole families of worms in front of home plate. Leyland came out and yanked him much to our dismay.

Michael Nix on to pitch for the Braves in the ninth.

Nix allowed two baserunners, but came up with a big strikeout to get out of the ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, the Braves started a rally with Javy leading off with a hit, followed by Blanco and Lillibridge. Diory grounded into a DP and T-Flow struck out to stop the rally short at two runs. My laptop's running out of juice, so I'll have some other observations later when I'm back at the condo.

Check back tomorrow for another live blog - hopefully no one will get injured.

Thanks so much for the live blogging today, gondeee.  It's great for those of us who can't listen to the games or...um...go to Florida.  :)

Thanks for taking to the time to get and keep us up on whats happening down yonder...As I sit here and look out my window at the snow covered ground in Michigan....It gives me a warm feeling just listening to everyone talk about the greatest game on earth....Thanks Gondee

Add my thanks as well...it made the afternoon at work pass much faster.  One of the hidden joys of baseball. :)