Furcal's extra
inning home run
buries Astros
Braves tie up National League series with Houston
at one apiece with a two-run victory in 11 innings
BY PAUL NEWBERRY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
With plenty of incentive, Rafael
Furcal made sure the Atlanta
Braves’ season lasts at least two
more games.
Set to report to jail once the post
season ends, Furcal hit a two-out,
two-run homer in the 11th inning
that sent the Braves over the Hous
ton Astros 4-2 Thursday and tied
their NL playoff series at one game
each.
With Houston on the verge of a
commanding lead, Atlanta rallied
from a late two-run deficit to force
extra innings. Both teams went to
extraordinary means with the As
tros looking to go two-up in the
best-of-five series, and the Braves
realizing they needed a split be
fore heading to Minute Maid Park,
where Houston has won 18
straight games.
Braves rookie Charles Thomas
singled with one out in the 11th off
Dan Miceli and stole second. Eli
Marrero popped out to the catch
er, but Furcal golfed a 1-2 pitch
deep into the right-field seats, flip
ping his bat in the air about
halfway down to celebrate his first
postseason homer.
Furcal was in court just hours be
fore Game 1, where he was sen
tenced to 21 days in jail and 28 days
in a treatment center for violating
probation with his second drunken
driving arrest in four years.
“For me, I come to the ballpark,
walk in the stadium and forget
about everything,” said Furcal,
who had three hits and drove in
three runs.
His sentence doesn’t begin until
the Braves’ season finishes, and
Furcal ensured that won't happen
in Saturday’s Game 3.
“I think he felt just terrible,” Cox
said. “Today, things worked out
good for him. He got the game-win
ner, and that's a big boost for him. ”
Realizing the importance of the
game, Atlanta kept closer John
Smoltz on the mound for three in
nings, his longest stint since Sep
tember 2001. The Braves also let
Smoltz bat in the bottom of the
ninth, and he responded with his
first hit since 1999.
“We needed someone to step
up,” Smoltz "and Raffy did.”
Houston brought in closer Brad
Lidge in the seventh. He went 2 2/3
innings — his longest outing of the
season — but couldn’t hold a 2-1
lead, giving up Adam LaRoche’s
RBI double in the eighth.
“I'm just upset at myself for not
getting the job done,” Lidge said.
“You can’t think about how long
you’re going to be out there. For
me, it doesn’t matter what inning I
come in.”
ly, VSVlVrVSVI U, 4WT | WIMAjUI'I uaiu UVIUVALU | 7A
O'Neil: Ready to practice skills in Chile
ways engaged at a high level.”
Sights set elsewhere
As a leader on the floor, O’Neil has
to be able to communicate to her fel
low Ducks. The 21-year-old is dou
ble-majoring in English and Spanish
and aspires to teach English, possibly
as a second language, in high school.
After taking Spanish her first year,
O’Neil developed an appreciation for
the language and decided to study
aoroad. bne stayed in Queretaro, Mex
ico for six weeks the summer after her
freshman year, and she is planning on
traveling to Chile next year.
“It was a really cool program,”
O’Neil said. “It made me fall in love
with Spanish, the Latin culture and
studying abroad. I will be done after
this fall with volleyball commitments,
so I can go in the spring.”
Art and music are also of interest
to O’Neil. She played piano for ten
years and has sold paintings in the
past. O’Neil said that she would pur
sue these hobbies if time were more
permitting.
Even with her busy student-athlete
lifestyle, O’Neil tries to add in some
variety. The “white-girl from Po
dunk” clarified that she is not just a
one-dimensional jock.
“I just like to be a diverse person.
If I were focused on any one thing too
much, I’d just go nuts.”
stephenmiller@ daily emerald, com
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