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ATLANTA - Salomon Torres had been so methodical, so dominating, so utterly efficient in closing games, you began to wonder if the guy is human.
Torres finally showed he is human in a white-knuckle ninth inning Tuesday night. But he's still unbeaten as the Milwaukee Brewers' closer, which is all that mattered in the visiting clubhouse at Turner Field.
"He just added a little excitement," manager Ned Yost said after the surging Brewers hung on for a 4-3 victory over Atlanta that pushed them nine games above .500.
A little excitement? A little excitement is when an opponent gets the tying run to the on-deck circle in the bottom of the ninth. A lot of excitement is when it gets the tying or winning run to the plate in five consecutive at-bats.
"I was feeling a little too strong," said Torres, now 12 for 12 in save opportunities since taking over for injured closer Eric Gagne. "I wasn't as focused as I should be.
"That 'little fly ball' to left field redirected my attention."
Torres referred to an opposite-field home run by Mark Teixeira that followed a leadoff walk by Kelly Johnson and slashed the Brewers' three-run lead to one. When Brian McCann followed with a single to center, it got even more interesting.
Omar Infante's sacrifice bunt moved up pinch runner Jair Jurrjens, who then advanced to third on Jeff Francoeur's groundout to short. With backup catcher Corky Miller, a .103 hitter and the last available Atlanta player standing in the on-deck circle, the Brewers opted to intentionally walk leftfielder Brandon Jones.
Statistically, it was the right thing to do. But when Torres threw three straight balls to Miller, the strategy was on the verge of blowing sky-high.
"I knew he was taking; everybody knew he was taking," said Torres, who had allowed just one run in 11 previous outings as the closer. "I just wanted to keep the ball down. When I threw the first strike, I knew he was swinging."
Indeed, Miller was. He swung through a sinker, then fouled one off to stay alive. On the next pitch, Torres jammed Miller and broke his bat, resulting in a floater up the middle that shortstop J.J. Hardy ranged over to glove for the final out.
"My sinker is my bread and butter," said Torres, who needed 32 pitches to escape the jam. "I was going do die with that. I was going to lose the game with that (if it came to it). I stayed with it."
Torres' escape act prevented the Brewers from wasting another fine outing by right-hander Dave Bush, who went seven innings and allowed just one run. Showing no hangover from his failed flirtation with a no-hitter in his previous outing, Bush kept the Braves off the board until the seventh inning.
UWPaco 
