Great matchup: Maddux vs Smoltz

Oh, man. I really don't know how to describe this feeling, to see John Smoltz pitching against GREAT Maddux.

現場的觀眾一定也是如此，Maddux 首打席全場起立鼓掌歡呼，當他把 Smoltz 投出的第一球打出安打後，緊接著觀眾又響起 "good-natured boos"，聽得出來那是大家開玩笑的，這是 Maddux 今年球季的第一支安打。 Maddux 站上一壘後，他還把那顆球要回來做紀念；而 Smoltz 則在 Maddux 站上打擊區時，特地脫帽露出大禿頭朝向他，這個動作回應了前一天 Maddux 說他的頭髮比 Smoltzie 多 :P。
"I was trying to blind him at the plate with my head," Smoltz quipped.

而在 Maddux 第五局被換下場時，現場觀眾再一次的 standing ovation 表達對 Maddog 的尊敬與喜愛，這場面和 Glavine 離隊後第一次回到 Turner Field 主投，現場觀眾的反應截然不同。
(A rude welcome)。
There were the boos, too, from the Atlanta crowd. Plenty of them. Some of the more vocal fans yelled, "Traitor!" One young fan pasted Glavine's mugshot onto the front of a dollar bill.

Glavine 無疑是位偉大的球員，對 Braves 的貢獻更是「罄竹難書」，但他 2002 年離隊的選擇傷了不少 Braves 球迷的心。以前寫過 Glavine 跳槽的事 (Click here)，這裡就不重覆了。Anyway, 這三位偉大球員 90 年代在 Braves 寫下的紀錄，將永遠存在我們這一代球迷的心中。

至於今天的比賽，幾乎和昨天 Anthony Lerew 今年首次主投的那場比賽一模一樣。第七局下半 1:2 落後，二出局後連續四支安打 3:2 超前比數，八、九兩局再由 Mike Gonzalez 和 Rafael Soriano 關門。Braves 今年球季在六局打完落後的情況下戰績是 7W-10L，也是目前大聯盟二出局後最會得分的球隊 (85 Runs, 81 RBI)。這跟去年寫下大聯盟最糟 29 BS 的悲慘狀況相比，今年牛棚帶給球隊的助益不只是守住領先，更在落後的情況下穩住局勢、提供球隊反攻的機會。這樣逆轉獲勝的比賽是球迷看的最刺激過癮的，而短短的一個多月我們已經見證七場了。How lucky we are! (ESPN Recap)

而國內兩家電視台對比賽轉播的選擇，就是把 MLB 當作「台灣龍捲風」、「綜藝大哥大」，把洋基隊當成中華隊，Fucking stupid！

Quote of Today:
Maddux allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings and got no decision after leaving the game to a standing ovation with a 2-1 lead. He also got one when he came to bat in the second inning.
"The standing ovation was very cool, very gratifying — I appreciate that," said Maddux, who had four strikeouts to move past Fergie Jenkins for 11th place on the career list with 3,195.

Maddux tipped his cap to the crowd of 36,523 fans as he came off the field.
"I loved playing down here," he said. "I loved every game down here."

"I don't mind saying, I'm super excited to win it," said Smoltz (5-1), who allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings for his third win in four career starts against his friend and teammate for 11 seasons through 2003. "It was a classic game, and I was proud of the fans," he added. "It was a special night. It lived up to its billing."