FanPost

This Week in Braves History, June 1-7

OK, I screwed up the dates again, so you get June 1 twice. This week: Warren Spahn hits, Terry Blocker pitches, Ken Oberkfell walks, and the sad end of Tom Glavine's career.

June 1

* In 1998, the Braves travel to Milwaukee to play the Brewers. It is the Braves' first appearance in County Stadium since the Milwaukee Braves' final home game in 1965. It makes the Braves one of the few franchises to appear as both the home and visiting team in the same stadium. The Braves win the game 5-2 behind a five-hit, no-walk, 10-K performance from Greg Maddux.

June 3

* In 2009, the Braves release pitcher and franchise icon Tom Glavine as he is completing a rehab assignment. Glavine, nearing the end of his career, had signed a one-year contract with the Braves but had been placed on the disabled list at the start of the season, and had not pitched in a Major League game that year. The release is controversial as it allowed the Braves to avoid paying an incentive clause that was due to vest. Glavine tries for several months to catch on with another team, but failing to do so, he decides to sit out the year. He will announce his retirement after the end of the season.

June 4

* In 1958, the Milwaukee Braves are playing the Giants at San Francisco's Seals Stadium. The Giants had a 7-1 lead after three innings, but the Braves have clawed their way back and the score is now 9-9 starting the 12th inning. Outfielder Wes Covington starts the inning with a single; Johnny Logan bunts him to second base but then Andy Pafko flies out. There are now two outs; reliever Ernie Johnson is up and the Braves' bench is empty, all available position players having been used. With few options remaining, manager Fred Haney sends in pitcher Warren Spahn to bat for Johnson. Spahn singles up the middle to drive in Covington with the go-ahead run. Spahn does not remain in the game to pitch; in the bottom of the inning, it is Gene Conley who sets down the Giants in order, and the Braves win 10-9 on Spahn's pinch-hit RBI. The two teams combine to use 42 players in the game.

June 5

* In 1989, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, at the start of the 9th inning the Dodgers are ahead 7-0. Manager Russ Nixon wants to send in relief for Jim Acker,who has pitched two innings in relief, but he is mindful of the fact that the teams have a second game to play. So he sends outfielder Terry Blocker to the mound. Blocker starts the inning by walking Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia, but then he catches a break when Jeff Hamilton lines into a double play, leaving two out with the bases empty. Pinch-hitter Dave Anderson then draws a walk, but Dodgers pitcher Ramon Martinez fouls out to end the scoreless inning. The Dodgers win anyway, despite Blocker's single to lead off the bottom of the 9th. To date, Blocker is the last non-pitcher to pitch in a game for the Braves.

June 7

* In 1987, the Braves overcome a nine-run deficit to defeat the San Diego Padres 13-12 in Atlanta. The Padres lead 3-2 when Braves starter Rick Mahler experiences a meltdown in the 4th; reliever Jeff Dedmon is unable to put out the fire, and the Padres put an 8 on the scoreboard to take a 11-2 lead. But the Braves start chipping away in the 6th; an error, an Ozzie Virgil single, and a Ken Griffey double contribute to four runs, reducing the lead to 11-6. In the 7th, the Padres experience their own pitching meltdown; three singles, two doubles, two walks, two errors, and a sacrifice fly put the Braves ahead, incredibly, at 12-11. It isn't over yet; the Padres tie the game when reserve outfielder Jim Steels hits an RBI single off of Braves closer Gene Garber in the 9th to tie the game. But in the bottom of the 9th, with one out, Padres reliever Greg Booker can't find the strike zone and the Braves load the bases on two walks and a Ted Simmons single. Infielder Ken Oberkfell then draws a walk to force in the winning run. Griffey goes 2 for 4 with two doubles and four RBI for the Braves.

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