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May 31, 2005
Nationals 5, Braves 4
Score another minus-one for the bullpen. Adam Bernero had some bad luck in the 6th, and took two earnies; in the 7th, Roman Colon allowed two singles in three batters, Kevin Gryboski allowed a hit to tie the game, and John Foster, alas, gave up the decisive two-run double to Nick Johnson. The offense almost mounted a rally in the 9th, but Brian Jordan couldn't get a bunt down and Brayan Pena couldn't make contact. Another ugly loss.
Mike Hampton tossed goose eggs but only four of them; he was pulled after 58 pitches, an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure (even if it did cost us this particular game). Ex-Expo starter John Patterson was on a similar leash, which allowed the Braves to score two runs in the 6th against C.J. Nitkowski and T.J. Tucker: Kelly Johnson drew another walk and scored on Chipper's double, and Chipper scored on a pinch-hit single from Julio Franco. That padded the lead we took in the 1st when Furcal singled, stole second, and eventually scored on an infield out by Chipper (a liner that Nick Johnson knocked down with his glove). Franco homered leading off the 9th against Chad Cordero, and Andruw and Johnny then singled, but with Brian Jordan batting against a righty, Bobby took off the bunt after ball one. BJ did beat out the double play ball he hit, but the rally died anyway.
But, the Marlins managed to lose to the Pirates again, so we're still tied for 1st place. The Ex-Expos are 3rd, the Mets lost and are 4th, the Phillies won but are still below par.
Tomorrow we ask John Smoltz (3-4, 2.91) to pitch a shutout. Tony Armas Jr. (1-3, 6.20) will be the next pitcher to beat up on our offense. The debacle will start at 7pm.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 10:00 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
5/31/05 Game Thread: Braves at Nationals
Braves 28-22 (11-15 away)
--Hampton (4-1, 1.96)
Washington 26-25 (13-8 home)
--Patterson (2-1, 2.98)
Braves:
Furcal
Giles
Johnson
Chipper
LaRoche
Andruw
Estrada
Jordan
Hampton
Nationals:
Wilkerson
Carroll
Guillen
Johnson
Castilla
Byrd
Bennett
Guzman
Patterson
Posted by Andy Blumson at 07:02 PM | Comments (25) | TrackBack
May 30, 2005
"Just One Fan's Opinion - Adjustments"
Greetings, Braves fans!
I'm sitting here a bit dejected after watching the Braves drop a game to the Nationals, a game the umpires had much too big a part in. Brian Jordan appeared to have been robbed of a home run on an after-the-correct-call conference. Chalk up one for Frank Robinson. Kyle Davies had his unscored upon streak snapped, but still pitched a fine game. The bullpen wasn't sharp, which is unfortunately, something we are growing to expect. Newcomer Kelly Johnson made his second straight start in leftfield and shows promise. These last two kids are part of what I'm looking at today....
It seems Bobby Cox finally ran out of patience with his corner outfielders. He has outrighted Raul Mondesi, who was unable to even hint at any major league abilities left in his kit. I feel Mondesi played hard, he just doesn't seem to have the skills left to perform satisfactorily in the big leagues, anymore. With the roster movement of Mondesi, young outfielder Kelly Johnson was called up to the big team. Johnson has seemingly always been more impressive with his bat than his defense. I suspect that had more to do with him being shifted from the shortstop position to the outfield than any suggested "logjam" of talent there in the minors. The Braves do have some regarded players at short on the farm, but if Johnson had flashed great leather at the position, I figure he'd still be there, possibly being groomed as Rafael Furcal's replacement. As things stand now, he's getting a shot at the regular left fielder's job in Atlanta. I think this is great! I like the idea of an influx of home-grown youth, and the team really needs to add some production from the corner outfield slots. I must admit some serious shock at Cox's decision to add him to the lineup in the #3 spot in the batting order! On the other hand, Cox has few options. Chipper should hit third, but he's needed at the cleanup slot to try and drive in runs. Marcus Giles has shown an odd lack of power, home run-wise, and an alarming number of strikeouts, so he's not a great fit in that 3 slot at present. No other Braves hitter should even rate consideration as the three hitter at this time. So far, Johnson is hitless in two games but has walked a couple of times, driven in a run and scored one. He's also produced an assist from left field, which isn't a place you'll see many assists from. I have been impressed with his approach at the plate. This kid has shown good discipline, makes the pitcher work and isn't afraid of falling behind in the count. This should bode well for him if he continues to approach his atbats in such a fashion. I'm sure Terry Pendleton is enjoying seeing a guy work the count, etc. I know he wishes his established guys did more of that. As we watch young Johnson develop and hopefully contribute to the team, let's try and keep in mind that this team doesn't need him to be a savior or anything. They just need him to contribute more than Mondesi did. He'll be part of the team, not the backbone of it. If he produces well enough to keep the job, that'll be great! If he really catches fire, it's icing on the cake.!
Kyle Davies is another youngster "forced" into a prominent role because of injuries to a couple of starters. Davies has shown an amazing knowledge of pitching - mixing his pitches, throwing to spots, moving the ball around and changing speeds, that belie his age. If he continues in the manner he's produced so far, he'll make John Thomson feel like Wally Pipp. (Pipp is the guy who took a game off because of a headache and allowed young Lou Gehrig to begin his then-record consecutive games streak) The way things look, this starting staff has a chance to become a bit overwhelming. If John Smoltz and Tim Hudson continue pitching as the staff aces they are, if Mike Hampton returns from his stint on the DL pitching as he did before his injury and if Horacio Ramirez gets back into a groove like the one he was enjoying before his problems last season, this staff will be hard to handle. Continued strong outings by Davies would suggest a depth of starting talent when Thomson is slated to return later this summer. At the least, it gives the team tremendous flexibility. If Ramirez struggles as a starter, he could become another lefty in the pen. There he would join John Foster, so far, this year's great find by the Braves braintrust. Foster has returned to the Braves with somewhat of a vengeance, making every effort to make the team forget his less than overwhelming start with them a few seasons back. I can see youngsters like Foster, Ramon Colon, Jorge Sosa and even Dan Kolb advancing to the point where they can hold up their end of the arrangement. All have some great stuff and abilities that should enable them to excel, under the tutelage of Leo Mazzone, pitching coach supreme. I do wonder sometimes if a return to the minors may be the best option for Colon and/or Sosa, so they could pitch more often and get their command back. A strong, power arm could be terrific in the pen down the stretch, but only if one's able to throw the ball where one wants it.!
This inclusion of youth is exciting and frightening. Many have yearned for years to see talent from the farm get a shot with the Braves only to come close to soiling themselves when those guys haven't homered in every atbat or been lights-out in every aspect of their games. I believe the youth movement is happening at the right time. This club has strength where it needs it to support new talent. The starting staff, when healthy, matches or betters that of any team. The team is strong up the middle, with Furcal, Giles, Andruw and Estrada. They have a proven bat and leader in Chipper Jones and also some developing players like Adam LaRoche and Wilson Betemit. If a player like Johnson is able to come in and win a starters job it will be because Bobby Cox is convinced he is up to it. Cox isn't known for throwing players to the wolves, so he'll give Kelly Johnson every shot at succeeding. I believe Cox is the best in the bigs when it comes to knowing how to put a player in the best situations for their success. One only has to look at how far he went with Raul Mondesi and how much further he'll go with Brian Jordan, in an effort to allow them to produce. While I have been rather unbridled in my lack of regard for Brian Jordan in the forums here at BravesBeat, I saw something in him today that I hadn't seen in this incarnation of Jordan as a Brave. Call it fire or maybe just the heart of a fighter. At any rate, I hadn't seen it in his eyes before today. I may be wishing on a fallen star, but I get the feeling Jordan may be about to remind us a whole lot more of the Brian Jordan who electrified Atlanta a few years ago and made himself one of the fan favorites. We could certainly use his old brand of clutch hitting, Couldn't we?!
As it's heading into June, many of you may recall I'll be headed to the coast of Panama City Beach for a week. I go at the same time every year and enjoy a holiday with my brother and sister, their families and my Mom and Dad. That'll crank up on Friday, so several of you will be granted a reprieve from my comments. I do appreciate this site for allowing me to contribute, and I do hope my offerings will encourage you to think. If I have enlightened, frightened, made you glad or made you sad, I feel successful. I'm not a writer by trade and don't pretend to be. I just try and share from my experiences and knowledge gained from following baseball for the past 40 years or so. Please feel free to add your comments or rebuttals here or on the forums. I welcome your input!
Posted by Freddy_Ballgame at 07:00 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
5/30/05 Game Thread: Braves at Nationals
BravesBeat salutes the men and women around the country and around the world who shed their blood so that we can can relax and watch baseball. You deserve and have our most heartfelt thanks.
Braves 28-21 (11-14 away)
--Kyle Davies (2-0, 0.00)
Nationals 25-25 (12-8 home)
--Tomo Ohka (3-3, 3.71)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 02:20 PM | Comments (29) | TrackBack
Series Preview - Braves at Nationals - 5/30-6/2
The Braves open up a four game series against the Nationals starting on Memorial Day.
The Nationals were widely expected to struggle mightily in their first season in Washington. Instead, they are playing very competitively, just 3.5 back of the Marlins and Braves. However, the Nationals have faltered as of late, losing 7 of 10.
Atlanta begins a long, 13-game homestand after dropping the series against the Phillies. The Braves are in a statistical tie with the Marlins for the division lead (Marlins winning pct. is .003 up on the Braves).
The Braves last saw the Nationals in April and trail the season series 2-3.
Pitching Probables
Game 1 - Monday, 3:05 pm - ESPN
ATL - Kyle Davies (2-0, 0.00) - first start against WAS
WAS - Tomo Ohka (3-3, 3.71) - against ATL: 3-5, 70.1 IP, 4.48 ERA
Game 2 - Tuesday, 7:05 pm - Turner South
ATL - Mike Hampton (4-1, 1.96) - against WAS: 9-3, 80.2 IP, 3.24 ERA
WAS - John Patterson (2-1, 2.98) - against ATL: 0-2, 19.2 IP, 4.58 ERA
Game 3 - Wednesday, 7:05 pm - FSS
ATL - John Smoltz (3-4, 2.91) - against WAS: 14-7, 203.2 IP, 2.34 ERA
WAS - Tony Armas Jr. (1-3, 6.20) - against ATL: 4-6, 100. IP, 3.33 ERA
Game 4 - Thursday, 7:05 pm - TBS
ATL - Horacio Ramirez (3-4, 5.65) - against WAS: 2-3, 41.1 IP, 3.05 ERA
WAS - Esteban Loaiza (1-4, 3.61) - against ATL: 3-2, 51.0 IP, 4.41 ERA
A look at the Nationals
Nationals Line-up: - AVG/OBP/OPS
B. Wilkerson - CF - .286/.357/.822, little speed but very smart hitter
J. Carroll - 2B - .263/.327/.630, doing his best Nick Green impression
J. Guillen - RF - .291/.325/.858, 10 homers but only 6 BBs
N. Johnson - 1B - .307/.422/.916, recently moved down in the line-up
V. Castilla - 3B - .289/.362/.820, has proved he can hit away from Coors
R. Church - LF - .287/.333/.749, promising player, 26 years-old
B. Schnieder - C - .224/.281/.632, seems to have regressed as a hitter
C. Guzman - SS - .186/.226/.460, must contribute with glove
Bench:
M. Byrd - OF - .333/.396/.752, pushing for more ABs
B. Harris - IF - .333/.400/1.178, 3/9 + homer on the year
G. Bennett - C - .240/.286/.606, productive 7 RBIs in 50 ABs
T. Godwin - OF - .000/.000/.000, only 2 ABs
C. Baerga - IF - .235/.278/.542, primary pinch-hitter
Series Outlook
Despite dropping the Phils series, the Braves have caught the Marlins. This long homestand will be critical to building a lead.
Without Jose Vidro, the Nationals line-up is significantly weaker. Outside of Guillen and Johnson, no one has significant power. The middle infield is an offensive black hole. Castilla and the outfield platoon (Church and Byrd) will need to be productive.
For Atlanta, the top of the line-up is finally starting to hit. In the last week Furcal (.375) and Giles (.348) have finally been the sparkplugs the Braves have needed all year. Unfortunately, it is now the power hitters who are struggling (Chipper .231 and Andruw .130). Furcal/Giles have accounted for more RBIs than the rest of the regulars combined. That cannot continue if the Braves plan to produce runs.
The bullpen has been in an interesting situation for the Braves, with a closer not having been needed in the Phillies series. Reitsma and Kolb look to get the opportunities.
Game 2 of the series features two starters coming off the DL. Hampton has been nursing a foreman injury, while Patterson has been out with back spasms. Both have pitched well when healthy, so both teams are hoping to get these starters back on track.
The release of Raul Mondesi is expected to be classic addition by subtraction. After Sunday's game, Bobby Cox said Johnson would see the bulk of the time in left while Langerhans and Jordan would platoon. This breaks with the traditional wisdom on Cox as favoring veterans, but with the lack of punch in the Braves line-up, this may be the right time to re-invent the outfield.
Fearless Prediction:
Davies and Hudson have been lights out, and Smoltz/HoRam are both due for a good outing. Without Vidro, the Nationals lack any punch. Braves take 3 of 4.
Posted by Nooree Lee at 11:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 29, 2005
Braves 7, Phillies 2
This one was so ugly it was beautiful. We scored seven runs on only six hits, and Tim Hudson walked five but pitched seven solid innings, and Kelly Johnson made a big impact in his major-league debut, and the Braves are still tied for first place.
Marcus Giles took Brett Myers deep in the 1st inning. Hudson started strong but allowed single runs in the 4th and 5th, the former on three singles and the latter on a hanging fastball to Mike Lieberthal. In the bottom of the 5th, Ryan Langerhans hit a two-run triple and scored on an infield single by Speedy, giving the Braves a 4-2 lead. Hudson got into trouble again in the 6th, but Kelly Johnson calmly threw out Jim Thome at home plate to end the inning. Foster and Reitsma worked a scoreless top of the 8th, the Braves scored three in a rainy bottom half, and Dan Kolb walked one but struck out two to finish the game.
Johnson looked better than his line at the plate, which was 0-3 with a walk, a run, and an RBI (the latter two thanks to a fielder's choice in the 8th). He worked the count all four times up--there's a lot of Chipper Jones in his stance and style, it seemed to me--and hit two balls hard to the opposite field. He also made a nice sliding catch in addition to the assist. He did get doubled off first base after walking in the 4th--he ran with the pitch on Ant's fly to left, and didn't pick up either the ball or Fredi Gonzalez--but other than that he looked very, very good. I daresay we have a new regular left fielder.
Speedy was the only Brave with two hits; he stole second each time and leads the league with 19 (in 23 tries, a very good ratio). Lieberthal had two hits for the Phillies; Brett Myers allowed four runs in five innings on just five hits and two walks, but he only struck out two and got several outs on hard-hit balls; he did not look great. Aaron Fultz, Robinson Tejeda, and Amaury Telemaco each worked a scoreless inning; unfortunately, Tejeda after his scoreless 7th allowed three runs (two earned) in the 8th without retiring a batter, his first runs allowed in his young major-league career.
We'll play on Memorial Day in our nation's capital, with Kyle Davies taking his own shutout streak up against Tomo Ohka and the Ex-Expos at 3pm on TBS. Three 7pm games will follow before we move on to Pittsburgh for the weekend.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 03:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/29/05 Game Thread: Phillies at Braves
--Hudson (good)
--Myers (better)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 12:59 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 28, 2005
Phillies 12, Braves 5
The offense did okay. Jorge Sosa pitched well, as did Dan Kolb, believe it or not. But HoRam got smacked around and Kevin Gryboski brought gasoline and Adam Bernero got hung out to dry by his own manager, and we lost ugly.
Ramirez allowed as many baserunners as he recorded outs, 11. Only one extra-base hit, though. Gryboski allowed a two-run single before striking out Jim Thome to end the 4th. Sosa pitched two scoreless innings, Kolb one, then Bernero one. But Bernero came back out for the 9th and had nothing: he walked Abreu, Burrell, and Thome, and David Bell hit a two-run single before Bobby finally called in Matt Childers. Jason Michaels hit Childers' first pitch out, and at that point just about everyone got up and left.
Marcus Giles hit two doubles, Chipper a double and two singles, Ant an RBI single and a sac fly. Speedy bunted for an E-1 and also hit an infield single, but GIDP'd to end the game. Brayan Pena had two hits, both singles of course. Brian Jordan hit a single and stole a hit from Bobby Abreu. Andruw had a hit and another double play. The entire team drew zero walks.
There's a broom looming, and it's in Brett Myers' capable hands. Tim Hudson has allowed zero earned runs twice this season and one earned run another five times; he'll need that kind of game tomorrow to give his beleaguered team a chance to win.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 04:05 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
5/28/05 Game Thread: Phillies at Braves
Phillies 23-26 (13-16 away)
--Jon Lieber (5-4, 4.20)
Braves 27-20 (16-6)
--Horacio Ramirez (3-3, 4.75)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 12:18 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
May 27, 2005
Phillies 5, Braves 1
John Smoltz worked six shutout innings... after the first four batters he faced all scored, three on a Jim Thome home run. The Braves got one back when Speedy and Marcus led off the home 1st with doubles, but Cory Lidle then matched Smoltz with 6.2 scoreless frames. Roman Colon, Kevin Gryboski, Rheal Cormier, and Billy Wagner worked scoreless relief; Jorge Sosa had control trouble and allowed a run in the 9th.
Bobby Abreu and Chase Utley, bookending Thome in the lineup, each logged two singles and two walks; Jimmy Rollins and Kenny Loften also had two hits apiece. For the Braves, Furcal had three hits, and Johnny Estrada two. Not much else happened, though Smoltz did walk four batters. Jordan and Mondesi both started against the right-hander Lidle; BJ actually reached base twice, but Raul just got an intentional walk and killed the Braves' only rally with a GIDP. Release him from our misery.
But Pedro and Braden Looper beat the Marlins 1-0, so the Braves are still tied for first place.
Tomorrow we send Horacio Ramirez against Jon Lieber. With the offense struggling, I'll be surprised if we win. And then we get to face Brett Myers, who has been dominant all year. Oy.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 10:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/27/05 Game Thread: Phillies at Braves
Philadelphia 22-26 (12-16 away)
--Cory Lidle (4-3, 3.75)
Atlanta 27-19 (16-5 home)
--John Smoltz (3-3, 2.61)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 05:25 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 26, 2005
New Reading Material on the Network...
Tonight I have posted two new articles on the Network.
Article #1 is the first Braves Rap of the season from Michael M. Rapaport (The Rap Report). Today's topic involves his thoughts of the team to-date.
--------------------------
Article #2, entitled Managerial Efficiency and Major League Baseball, is a statistical-based research findings/report brought to us Kevin Feasel of Project Eschaton.
Both articles are very entertaining reads and I hope you take the time to soak these in.
By the way, I will try to get to the minor league recaps tomorrow. The MILB site seems to be having some problems tonight.
Posted by Merv at 11:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Series Preview - Braves vs. Phillies - 5/27-29
The Braves continue play against divisional rivals with three games against the Phillies.
Philadelphia is shockingly in last place in the NL East, 6.5 games back of the division-leading Marlins. In their last series they dropped 2 of 3 to the Marlins (Dontrelle Willis and Josh Beckett threw a combined 15 innings with a 3.00 ERA).
Atlanta started their homestand off in satisfying fashion, sweeping the Mets behind strong starting pitching. Tim Hudson and Kyle Davies both threw on short rest and both performed impressively. The Braves are now just a half-game back of the Fish.
The Braves are 4-2 against the Phillies so far in 2005.
Pitching Probables
Game 1 - Friday, 7:35 pm - FSS
ATL - John Smoltz (3-3, 2.61) - against PHI: 12-11, 216.1 IP, 3.49 ERA
PHI - Vicente Padilla (1-5, 7.03) - against ATL: 5-7, 91.2 IP, 3.44 ERA
Game 2 - Saturday, 1:20 pm - FOX
ATL - Horacio Ramirez (3-3, 4.75) - against PHI: 3-0, 18.1 IP, 2.45 ERA
PHI - Jon Lieber (5-4, 4.20) - against ATL: 3-7, 87.2 IP, 3.70 ERA
Game 3 - Sunday, 1:05 pm - TBS
ATL - Tim Hudson (5-3, 3.05) - against PHI: 1-0, 6.0 IP, 1.50 ERA
PHI - Brett Myers (4-2, 1.69) - against ATL: 2-2, 42.2 IP, 4.01 ERA
A look at the Phillies
Phils Line-up: - AVG/OBP/OPS
J. Rollins - SS - .265/.316/.691, hit 9 for 14 in Marlins series
P. Polanco - 2B - .262/.333/.671, splits time with Utley
B. Abreu - RF - .333/.455/1.052, 12 HRs, 36 RBIs, and 13 SBs to boot
P. Burrell - LF - .312/.405/.938, lingering wrist injury, listed as probable
J. Thome - 1B - .208/.347/.639, struggling mightily, back from DL this week
D. Bell - 3B - .259/.328/.667, hitting for no power, 1 HR/.340 SLG
J. Michaels - CF - .284/.381/.368, has played well for Lofton
M. Lieberthal - C - .233/.331/.719, injuries have cut his power
Bench:
C. Utley - IF - .291/.349/.879, offensive production demands more ABs
K. Lofton - OF - .359/.431/.899, has only 64 ABs due to injury
E. Chavez - OF - .206/.308/.631, amazing speed, no patience
T. Perez - IF - .278/.328/.642, defensive replacement
T. Pratt - C - .213/.288/.362, has PH only once this year
Series Outlook
The Braves have a great opportunity to catch the Marlins by taking care of the struggling Phils.
Chipper returned against the Marlins and will benefit from the day off. His return allows the line-up to reset and puts the others hitters in their more comfortable roles. The starters (Smoltz/HoRam/Hudson) look formidable, although it will be interesting to see if Hudson has any lingering effects from his last performance (8 IP) on 3 days rest.
For the Phils, it is important that Jim Thome get back on track. Having just come off the DL, he is a combined 4 for 17 with 1 RBI in 5 games. While Abreu and Burrell have been productive, Thome can make this line-up truly fearsome. His lingering back issues are crippling his production.
A battle to watch will be the two 'pens. The Braves pen is in disarray with the demotion of Dan Kolb. Chris Reitsma picked up the last save, but roles remain largely undefined. Kevin Gryboski and Adam Bernero will need to be productive to relieve the pressure on Reitsma/Kolb. The Phils feature a top-notch closer in Billy Wagner, but their own bullpen is still sorting itself out. The loss of Tim Worrell (for unknown 'personal reasons') has placed more pressure on young Ryan Madsen (4.3 ERA but tied for fourth in IP among NL relievers). This weekend may go show the direction these two staffs take.
Fearless Prediction:
The Braves are rolling despite injuries to the staff, uncertainty regarding the closer, and Chipper's fluctuating status. Braves sweep the Phils and take over the division lead.
Posted by Nooree Lee at 02:00 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
May 25, 2005
Braves 3, Mets 0
The road trip is just a bad memory now. Davies, Foster, Bernero, and Reitsma combined on a shutout; Foster bailed Davies out of trouble in the 6th, Bernero bailed Foster out of trouble in the 7th, and closer-apparent Reitsma pitched two perfect innings (with two strikeouts) to earn his first save of the season.
Victor Zambrano provided the offense: he walked Johnny Estrada leading off the home 5th, and after Ryan Langerhans singled, Zambrano threw Pete Orr's dribbler into left field, allowing two runs to score. Rafael Furcal singled Orr home, and that was the scoring. The Braves stole five bases against Mike Piazza--Giles three (third once), Furcal two (third once)--but none of them paid off.
K-Dave was the star, though: 5.1 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts; 91 pitches, 60 strikes. He escaped two-on-no-out in the 3rd and 4th; his last batter, Mike Cameron, tripled, but Foster struck out Cliff Floyd. Foster then allowed two singles to open the 7th, but Bernero retired PH Carlos Beltran, Marlon Anderson couldn't score from second on a single by PH Eric Valent, and Jose Reyes hit into his second double play of the game. Heilman, Koo, and Boom Boom worked scoreless relief (Hernandez only had to strike out PH Mondesi).
The Braves compiled only six hits, three by Giles; Langerhans had one hit but also walked and was hit by a pitch. Andruw and Pete Orr took 0fers; Adam LaRoche was on the losing end of a pair of good defensive plays but hit a double off Heilman in the 8th. Furcal had the other hit.
Tomorrow we got nothin'. Friday the Phillies come to the Ted, a 7:30pm start which my TV guide thinks is not on TBS. Nooree will preview the series for us; David will be at the games Friday and Saturday, so I'll be on duty here.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 09:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/24/05 Game Thread: Mets at Braves
Mets (23-23, 7-14 away)
--Zambrano (2-4, 5.19)
Braves (26-19, 15-5 home)
--Kyle Davies (1-0, 0.00)
Mets:
Reyes
Cairo
Cameron
Floyd
Piazza
Anderson (RF)
Wright
Mientkiewicz
Zambrano
Braves:
Furcal
Giles
Chipper
LaRoche
Andruw
Estrada
Langerhans
Orr (LF)
Davies
Posted by Andy Blumson at 06:32 PM | Comments (38) | TrackBack
May 24, 2005
Braves 4, Mets 0
Hud didn't pitch a complete game, but he did pitch eight shutout innings, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out three. He threw 105 pitches, 70 strikes, and lowered his ERA to 3.05. He worked out of several jams early but faced the minimum over his last three innings. Chris Reitsma added a perfect 9th, striking out Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza.
Tom Glavine almost matched Hudson, but Raul Mondesi led off the 5th with a swinging-bunt single and later scored on a single by Ryan Langerhans. Glavine made a brilliant play on Hudson's squeeze attempt to prevent further damage. In the 7th, however, Mondesi again led off with an infield hit; Johnny Estrada followed with an RBI double, Langerhans walked, Hudson brought Johnny home with a groundout thanks to a David Wright bobble, and Speedy drove in Langerhans with his second triple in as many nights. Heath Bell came on to strike out Marcus Giles, but four runs were plenty for Hudson, and for once they were plenty for our bullpen, too.
Tomorrow's game features Kyle Davies (1-0, 0.00) against Victor (Please, Call Me Carlos!) Zambrano (2-4, 5.19), at 7pm.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 09:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/24/05 Game Thread: Mets at Braves
Mets 23-22 (7-13 away)
--Glavine (3-4, 5.44)
Braves 25-19 (14-5 home)
--Hudson 4-3, 3.47
Mets:
Reyes
Cairo
Cameron
Floyd
Piazza
Anderson (RF)
Wright
Mientkiewicz
Glavine
Braves:
Furcal
Giles
Franco
Andruw
Mondesi
Estrada
Betemit
Langerhans
Hudson
Posted by Andy Blumson at 07:03 PM | Comments (24) | TrackBack
May 23, 2005
Danny Graves
Graves clearly needs a change of scenery, but I think he can still pitch, especially for Leo. (His K:BB last year was 3:1, despite his bad second half.) I wouldn't take on his contract, but I'd certainly claim him on waivers, and I think we will if he falls that far.
Also, a Reds fan of my acquaintance says that Austin Kearns is once again on the trading block. The Reds desperately need TNSTAAPPs, and we have plenty of 'em, as usual. I'd call Chuck James untouchable at this point, but I'd part with, say, Anthony Lerew. On the other hand, it's not quite dealing season yet, so I won't be holding my breath.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 11:06 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Braves 8, Mets 6
Furcal hit a three-run triple, Giles hit a three-run homer, Horacio Ramirez pitched seven mediocre innings (four earnies), and Dan Kolb ... no, it was too horrible to talk about. But somehow we won.
Other highlights included Kaz Ishii walking Wilson Betemit intentionally to load the bases for Horacio with two out, and then walking Horacio, setting up Furcal's big hit. And, the game's key play, David Wright sliding too far wide of second base on a takeout, earning an interference call which cost the Mets at least two runs. Read the Game Thread if you'd like to experience all the angst for yourself.
The only Brave with two hits was... Raul Mondesi. Furcal drew two walks in addition to his triple, and Betemit walked and doubled in addition to his intentional walk. Brayan Pena singled and scored in four trips in his first major-league game. For the Mets, David Wright singled, doubled, homered, walked, and was ejected for throwing his helmet while arguing the interference call. Mike Cameron also had three hits, including a homer. Ishii allowed seven earned runs in four innings; Jose Reyes was charged with an error which allowed another run to score in the 8th. Adam Bernero had a bad day, walking two around an error by Pete Orr, but Chris Reitsma and the interference call bailed him out with only one unearned run. Horacio surrended no walks but two home runs.
Tomorrow we have Hudson vs. Glavine. Can Hudson throw a complete game on short rest? 7:30p, Turner South.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 10:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/23/05 Game Thread: Mets at Braves
Mets 23-21 (7-12 away)
--Ishii (0-2, 3.96)
Braves 24-19 (13-5 home)
--Ramirez (2-3, 4.69)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 05:50 PM | Comments (86) | TrackBack
May 22, 2005
Series Preview - Braves v. Mets - 5/23-25
The Braves return to divisional play with a 3-game set against the New York Mets.
The Mets are 1.5 games behind the Braves and 3 games back of the division-leading Marlins. The weekend saw the Mets lose 2 of 3 in the Subway Series against the Yankees. The Mets have struggled on the road, losing 12 of 19 road games (16-9 at home).
Atlanta entered the weekend leading the division and emerged 1.5 games back of the Marlins, who have won 4 straight. Boston won 2 of 3 from the Braves, although not in the manner expected. The Braves pitchers actually held the Red Sox to 4.6 runs/game (Boston averages more than 5.5 runs). Instead, Boston got some solid pitching, especially from Matt Clement who threw the CG on Sunday.
The Mets and Braves have faced off six times so far this season, with the Braves winning four (won both series, 2-1).
Pitching Probables
Game 1 - Monday, 7:35 pm - TBS
ATL - Horacio Ramirez (2-3, 4.69) - against NYM: 2-2, 43.0 IP, 4.19 ERA
NYM - Kaz Ishii (0-2, 3.96) - against ATL: 0-1, 11.0 IP, 9.00 ERA
Game 2 - Tuesday, 7:35 pm - Turner South
ATL - Tim Hudson (4-3, 3.47) - first start againt NYM
NYM - Tom Glavine (3-4, 5.44) - against ATL: 1-7, 41.1 IP, 9.36 ERA
Game 3 - Wednesday, 7:05 pm - FSS
ATL - Kyle Davies (1-0, 0.00) - first start against NYM
NYM - Victor Zambrano (2-4, 5.19) - against ATL: 2-1, 13.1 IP, 4.72 ERA
A look at the Mets
Mets Line-up: - AVG/OBP/OPS
J. Reyes - SS - .269/.292/.700, only 5 BBs through 186 ABs
M. Cameron - RF - .339/.448/1.091, red hot since coming off DL
C. Beltran - CF - .302/.351/.819, questionable due to quad injury
C. Floyd - LF - .288/.355/.923, best Mets hitter so far this season
M. Piazza - C - .252/.310/.757, .318 against Braves (493 ABs)
D. Mientkiewicz - 1B - .203/.308/.669, clearly a defensive player
D. Wright - 3B - .289/.392/.913, only 22 years old
K. Matsui - 2B - .246/.288/.633, moved down since Cameron's return
Bench:
M. Cairo - IF - .263/.302/.688, has played 5 positions this year
M. Anderson - OF - .343/.425/.825, primary pinch-hitter
C. Woodward - OF - .279/.333/.705, will see little time
E. Valent - UT - .147/.275/.451, defensive replacement
M. DiFelice - C - .000/.000/.000, replaced Castro as back-up
Series Outlook
The Braves come stumbling back home, while the Mets have been .500 over the past 2 weeks. Both teams are trying to right the ship.
Unfortunately for the Braves, injuries are forcing Bobby Cox to tinker with the rotation and line-up. Hudson and Davies may both throw on short rest (unless a minor leaguer is brought up to pitch Tuesday). Hudson has been struggling and must turn it around (his WHIP is nearing 1.5). If Chipper Jones is unable to go, Marcus Giles will likely hit third, forcing Pete Orr or Ryan Langerhans into the pressure 2-spot.
The Mets have enjoyed the return of Mike Cameron, but have yet to put a great stretch together. Beltran is questionable for Monday; Cameron may hit third, shifting Matsui back to the 2-hole. The Braves are lucky enough to miss Pedro Martinez, facing three starters against whom the Braves have enjoyed past success.
Fearless Prediction:
Both teams feature hobbled offensive stars, shifting the burden to the pitching staffs. Even on short rest, Ramirez/Hudson/Davies have to look better than the Mets trio. Braves win 2-1.
Posted by Nooree Lee at 09:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Red Sox 5, Braves 2
Finally...finally...we are finally done with the road trip. I forgot what Turner Field looks like.
The Braves were completely shut down by Matt Clement. They scored two runs in the fourth and that was it. Marcus and Johnny were the RBI guys. The four hits came from the bats of Raffy, Marcus, Petey, and Andy. And that was pretty much it...which is pitiful.
Smoltz was also pitiful. He didn't get past the fifth inning, allowing nine hits. He was very lucky, however, by getting to the fifth without allowing a run. It caught up with him that inning, though, and he gave up two runs that were called unearned. He walked three and struck out four. Ramon Colon gave up the lead in the fifth by allowing a Kevin Youkilis RBI single with two outs. Manny Ramirez followed up with a homer. Matt Childers and Danny Kolb held the Sox to five runs with a scoreless inning apiece. Kolb allowed two hits but struck out two.
Starting the series against the Mets will be Horacio Ramirez facing Kaz Ishii. That game starts at 7:35 on TBS. The Marlins won again, of course, making the Braves fall to 1 1/2 games back.
I'll be heading to the games this coming weekend. My brother is giving his best friend the graduation present of two Braves games this Friday and Saturday against the Phillies. I get to tag along...whoo-hoo!
Posted by David Lee at 04:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/22/05 Game Thread: Braves at Red Sox
Braves 24-18 (11-13 away)
--Smoltz (3-3, 2.83)
Red Sox 24-18 (12-6 home)
--Clement (4-0, 3.56)
Braves:
Furcal
Orr (LF)
Giles
LaRoche
Andruw
Estrada
Franco (DH)
Langerhans
Betemit
Red Sox:
Damon
Renteria
Ortiz
Ramirez
Nixon
Varitek
Youkilis (1B)
Mueller
Bellhorn
Posted by Andy Blumson at 12:46 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
May 21, 2005
Braves 7, Red Sox 5
Kyle Davies was awesome...just like everybody predicted. Yep. He earned a win in his Major League debut against the World Champion Red Sox. There's one for the memory books this season.
The Braves lit up Wakefield very nicely. He allowed six runs in five innings for his third loss. The bottom of the order was the big production for the Braves. Johnny, Julio, Brian, and Raul each had an RBI. Chipper also had an RBI to add to his two-hit night. Marcus broke out of his slump with three hits, but Raffy dropped to .211 with another 0-4.
Davies went five innings, allowing only four hits while striking out six and walking three. Looks like we might have a replacement for Thomson once Hampton comes back. Jorge gave up a run in an inning of work as did Colon. Bernero pitched another solid inning and Reitsma pitched another horrible inning.
I think this could be a game where their season turns around. A strong performance by an unlikely player is what fuels a team, not to mention great hitting that hasn't been seen in a while. I wouldn't be surprised if the Braves went on a tear very soon.
Tomorrow's game starts at 2:05 on TBS. Smoltz faces Matt Clement, who has been solid so far. The Marlins won as well, so it's still a half game lead for the Fish. Let's keep this momentum going.
Posted by David Lee at 10:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/21/05 Game Thread: Braves at Red Sox
Davies vs. Wakefield.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 07:45 PM | Comments (34) | TrackBack
May 20, 2005
Red Sox 4, Braves 3
The horrible road trip continues.
The Sox scored all their runs early against Timmy. Jason Varitek and Bill Mueller both hit home runs in the second inning for a 4-0 lead. The Braves didn't start hitting until the fifth when Wade Miller started slowing down. Johnny, who was the only Brave with more than one hit, scored on a Mondesi ground out. The hitting didn't really come around until the ninth, however, when Keith Foulke, another Danny Kolb, came in to pitch. Chipper started with a long double followed with a long triple by Andy. Johnny brought him in with a single. Julio made the final out, however, when the ball hit the mound and stopped dead in front of the shortstop.
Johnny went 3-4 in the game with an RBI. Chipper went 1-3 with a walk. Andy also got a hit and an RBI. The only other hit came from the bat of Brian.
Timmy was below average, but you can't really blame him. He has an eight ERA at Fenway. He allowed four runs in six innings while striking out three and walking five. John Foster and Adam Bernero each pitched a scoreless inning to hold the Sox.
The Marlins are winning and will probably win, which means they're going to take over first place. The Nats lost and the Mets are losing 3-2 in the eighth. A winning streak would be helpful right about now, but that's how it goes. Hopefully this slump won't last too long because we can't get too far behind the Fish.
As for tomorrow, Kyle Davies makes his Major League debut against Tim Wakefield. 7:05 on TBS.
Posted by David Lee at 09:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/20: Braves @ Red Sox Game Thread
No more school for me! Time to celebrate!
Anyway, the first game of the series against the Red Sox is a pretty big matchup.
Tim Hudson (4-2, 3.18 ERA)
Wade Miller (0-0, 4.22 ERA)
7:05 on TBS.
Posted by David Lee at 06:41 PM | Comments (77) | TrackBack
May 19, 2005
"Just One Fan's Opinion - Much Needed Break"
Bear with me folks, as I try my hand at this new method of posting my offerings. This'll be my first crack at using this utility so I'm hoping I don't screw it up!
I believe the recent "play" of the Braves has made obvious the need for a break. As I punch this in I believe we're looking at injuries to Chipper Jones, Mike Hampton and John Thomson. Couple this with the all-too-regular poor performances of Brian Jordan and Raul Mondesi, and kick in the recent sub-par jobs done by Chris Reitsma,Dan Kolb and Rafael Furcal and you have to marvel at the fact that this team is still atop their division. Has anyone else noticed that it seems whenever the Braves hit the wall and have a bad streak, their divisional rivals conveniently go in the tank, too? That's pretty handy....heck, it's like something outta "Damn Yankees!" In case that's unfamiliar to some of you, "Damn Yankees" was a stage play, then a movie concerning an old man who makes a deal with the devil to be a great baseball player and lead the Washington Senators to the pennant. Maybe someone on the Braves staff did something similar!?
We can hope that Chipper will return for Friday night's game in Boston. Hampton is still day-to-day and I believe Thomson hit the DL, possibly for a long time. Cox made a good decision to drop Kolb into middle relief and I hope he looks hard at Adam Bernero as a fill-in for Kolb, until he gets straightened out. I don't think there's anything wrong with Reitsma. His career has been one of dominance followed by inexplainable losses of his ability to get people out. I'm certain this trait was the main reason the Reds were so willing to part with him a coupla years back, even though their bullpen was a shambles. I wouldn't look for him to get much better than a 4.00 ERA.
Between Mondesi and Jordan, I don't see much at all. Barring a trade, I figure the team has to keep at least one of them. I'd suggest keeping Jordan, although he doesn't seem to have anything left, and giving Mondesi the heave-ho. We know Cox loves Jordan and he can't trust the outfield to two kids surrounding Druw. Perhaps Pete Orr and Wilson Betemit should get some ABs in the OF, and they should also bring up whichever kid is hitting the best. They have little to lose as I see it. I'd also like to see Cox give Betemit 4 or 5 starts at short and see if the time off reminds Furcal that he is supposed to be showing patience as a leadoff hitter, and getting on base. He's certainly blowing his free agent year, so far. I thought Betemit looked like he has really matured in his start at third the other night. He made a couple of excellent plays in the field as well as posting a couple of hits, including a rocket off thirdbase that cost him extra bases. He looked ready to play. Furcal doesn't. Although Furcal is playing probably his best defense in Atlanta, he looks worse at the plate than I've ever seen him look. He always seems to be moving. His bunt attempts are an embarrassment to hitting coaches everywhere and his concentration doesn't appear to be there day-in and day-out as it should be with a guy who should be helping lead this club. Dude definitely needs a wake-up call!
I hope the brief off day and trip to Boston will help these guys focus on what's in front of them. There will have to be a couple of personnel moves, in my opinion, but they have the ability to win the East once again, and they should have the pitching to go deeper into the playoffs, if they all get healthy. It looks like Cox is gaining some confidence in Ryan Langerhans and Wilson Betemit. This is good, I don't see either appearing over-matched, just inexperienced. Both battle each time at the plate, a trait that has sadly been missing from several veterans.
In closing, I want to mention something I saw John Smoltz do the other night, after he pitched through the eighth inning against the Padres. After finishing the inning the cameras followed Smoltzie as he went directly into the tunnel to the clubhouse. He didn't even slow down or stop to watch the ninth. I believe he usually sticks around to see how the games go. The look on his grille as he hit the tunnel told me all I needed to know regarding his thoughts of how the game would go. Looking at Smoltz I knew the game was going to be thrown away, just as suredly as Smoltzie did, gauging by the look on his face. You could read his mind..."Another great effort shot to Hell." At least that's how it looked to me. I hope we don't have to see that again.
Thanks for reading my offering! I hope it causes some thoughts. Let me know how you feel!
Posted by Freddy_Ballgame at 11:21 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Recent Transactions
There seems to be a lot of mumble-jumble recently with transactions on the Braves. Maybe this post will clear some things up a bit or help me out, at least.
5/11 - Kevin Gryboski placed on 15-day DL with viral infection. Frank Brooks called up to Atlanta.
5/17 - John Thomson placed on 15-day DL with strained flexor tendon in finger. He's expected to miss 2-3 months. Matt Childers called up to Atlanta.
We already know of these two happenings, but I hear that Kyle Davies is being called up to start Saturday against Boston. I don't know who is being demoted or is going on the DL, so any kind of information would be very helpful.
I think it would be a demotion of either Brooks or Childers. We definitely don't need both of them.
Posted by David Lee at 02:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Series Preview - Braves at Red Sox - 5/20-22
The Braves begin inter-league play this weekend with a 3-game set in Fenway against the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.
Boston comes in second in the competitive AL East, 4 games back of Baltimore. Having played 3 away games each against Seattle and Oakland, the Red Sox return home hoping to make ground on the Orioles, trying to ignore the hard-charging Yankees.
Atlanta enters the series in its customary spot atop the division, with a slim margin over Florida and surprising Washington. With a series loss at the hands of San Diego, it is important the Braves start playing well before re-entering divisional play next week.
With the series being played in Fenway, the Braves pitchers will have a chance to let the bench players do their hitting for them. Look for the non-starting platoon players to see some at bats as the DH. The Braves line-up is unlikely to shift significantly.
Pitching Probables
Game 1 - Friday, 7:05 pm - TBS
ATL - Mike Hampton (4-1, 1.96) - against BOS: 1-3, 21.2 IP, 7.48 ERA
BOS - Wade Miller (0-0, 4.22) - against ATL: 1-3, 24.1 IP, 6.66 ERA
Game 2 - Saturday, 7:05 pm - TBS
ATL - Tim Hudson (4-2, 3.18) - against BOS: 3-5, 46.0 IP, 5.87 ERA
BOS - Tim Wakefield (4-2, 3.61) - against ATL: 3-3, 48.1 IP, 4.47 ERA
Game 3 - Sunday, 2:05 pm - TBS - starters not yet announced
ATL - Adam Bernero (3-0, 2.78) - against BOS: 0-1, 9.0 IP, 14.00 ERA
BOS - Bronson Arroyo (4-0, 3.21) - first start against ATL
A look at the Red Sox
Boston Line-up: AVG/OBP/OPS
J. Damon - CF - .356/.404/.871, career .190 hitter against ATL
T. Nixon - RF - .343/.450/1.038, hit .600 in last 4 games
M. Ramirez - LF - .241/.366/.900, hitting 60 points below career AVG
D. Ortiz - DH - .280/.363/.943, may hit third and shift Manny down
K. Millar - 1B - .234/.344/.665, only 2 hits in last 20 ABs
J. Varitek - C - .319/.377/.940, career .194 hitter against ATL
E. Renteria - SS - .253/.306/.655, hitting .310 in last 6
B. Mueller - 3B - .255/.371/.680, no homers in 2005
M. Bellhorn - 2B - .230/.346/.718, .900 OPS in last 6
Bench:
J. Payton - OF - .194/.257/.555, has 200 ABs against the Braves
K. Youlikis - 3B - .385/.515/.977, Greek God of Walks continues to hit
D. Mirabelli - C - .206/.289/.701, will catch for Wakefield
R. Vazquez - IF - .250/.268/.568, defensive replacement only
Series Outlook:
Neither team comes in blazing hot and both teams are dealing with injuries in the rotation. With John Thomson unavailable, Adam Bernero may get the start on Sunday. The Sox are luckier, with a deep rotation that allows them to throw out quality pitchers like Miller and Wakefield despite the injuries to Curt Schilling and David Wells.
The Red Sox sport a powerful line-up, second only to the Yankees in the majors in runs scored. The Braves aren't too far down, third in the NL and 8th overall. They will need every run to match the Red Sox.
Fearless Prediction:
Good hitting beats good pitching, and the Red Sox are loaded with good hitters. Red Sox take the series 2-1.
Posted by Nooree Lee at 12:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 18, 2005
Padres 8, Braves 4
The bad news is that we got swept on the road by the team with the best home record in baseball. And Horacio Ramirez got charged with seven earned runs even though he only deserved about four. And Speedy and Marcus are still slumping (Marcus did get one hit). But! There's plenty of good news, too.
First, Andruw is still hot: another homer and a walk. Second: Wilson Betemit went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Third: Matt Childers allowed one run on three hits in two innings, but didn't walk anyone (though he did hit a batter). Fourth: Roman Colon pitched two perfect innings, with two strikeouts. Fifth, in case you missed it, Dan Kolb was demoted to mop-up man by Bobby Cox before the game.
For the Padres, Khalil Greene hit three-run homers in the 2nd and 3rd innings, and Brian Giles, Phil Nevin, and Ramon Hernandez each also had two hits. Adam Eaton earned his sixth win. Dennys Reyes was charged with two earned runs in the 9th inning, before Trevor Hoffman came in to clean up his mess.
The Mets and Marlins both won; the Phillies and Nats play tonight. The Braves are still in first place, 1/2 game up on the Fish and 1-1/2 up on New York. We're off tomorrow and open at Boston on Friday at 7pm.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 06:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
5/18/05 Game Thread: Braves at Padres
Braves 23-16 (10-11 away)
--Horacio Ramirez (2-2, 3.47)
Padres 24-16 (15-4 home)
--Adam Eaton (5-1, 3.42)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 02:08 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack
Padres 3, Braves 2
My internet connection died rather than listen to Damn Kolb blow another game.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 01:04 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 17, 2005
5/17/05 Game Thread: Braves at Padres
Braves 23-15 (10-10 away)
--John Smoltz (3-3, 3.10)
Padres 23-15 (14-4 home)
--Darrell May (0-0, 5.19)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 09:15 PM | Comments (28) | TrackBack
Padres 5, Braves 3
The Pad People mounted yet another late-inning rally, scoring three runs in the 8th to turn around a 3-2 deficit.
Chris Reitsma took the loss, and this time he deserved it: two outs, four hits, all three runs. The last run scored when Dave Roberts singled on a 3-2 pitch from Frank Brooks, who was making his Braves debut (but not his major-league debut) because John Foster had already pitched, because John Thomson left the game after 4.1 effective innings when something happened to his pitching hand. We're not sure what, but it looked like a DL stint. (Mike Hampton, on the other hand, expects to make his scheduled start this weekend.)
The Braves offense ignored the Curse of the First Look: Tim Stauffer walked both Joneses in the first inning, around a single by Ant, and Johnny Estrada hit a two-run double. The Padres scored in the bottom of the 2nd when Thomson walked Dave Roberts with the bases loaded--just the fourth run-scoring walk of JT's career, which sounds bad until you remember where he spent most of his career. The Braves got the run back in the 3rd, as Ant doubled and Andruw singled him home. Adam Bernero relieved Thomson in the 5th, but gave up a run in the 6th when Brian Giles homered leading off. Actually it was only a triple, but it would have been out of any other ballpark; but Phil Nevin made that a moot point with an RBI single. John Foster worked a scoreless 7th, but that meant he wasn't around to face lefty PH Mark Sweeney with the bases loaded and one out in the 8th and the game already tied; Reitsma made a good pitch but Sweeney managed a sac fly. Brooks came in and did not retire a batter: Roberts singled, but Johnny Estrada nailed him trying to steal second. Still, two runs is plenty of lead for Trevor Hoffman, who set down Johnny, Langerhans, and Mondesi to earn his 405th career save.
Tim Stauffer pitched well, even without the benefit of the Curse: 7 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs (earned), no walks after the first inning, 6 strikeouts. He threw 102 pitches, 69 strikes, and got no decision; Scott Linebrink picked up the win with a perfect 8th. Ant, with two doubles, a single, and two runs scored, was the only Brave with more than one hit. Giles, Nevin, Ramon Hernandez, and Sean Burroughs each had two hits for the Padres.
Tomorrow's game, also at 10pm but not on TBS (I assume it's on Turner South), features John Smoltz (3-3, 3.10) versus Darrell May (0-0, 5.19), a soft-tossing lefty who reminds me of Terry Mulholland except he was never good. But he did post a 1.80 ERA (five innings, one run) in a start against the Braves at some point in the last three years. (During interleague play with the Royals, I think.) I hope Smoltz brings his A game, just in case.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 12:32 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 16, 2005
5/16/03 Game Thread: Braves at Padres
Braves 23-14 (10-9 away)
--Thomson, 3-2, 3.55
Padres 22-16 (13-4 home)
--Stauffer, 1-0, 3.00
Posted by Andy Blumson at 09:28 PM | Comments (38) | TrackBack
May 15, 2005
Braves 5, Dodgers 2
Braves take the rubber game in L.A. thanks to the dynamic duo of Chipper and Andruw...again. What a way to win a series.
Timmy lasted six innings, allowing one earned run on nine hits. He struck out five and walked two. Definitely not his best outing, but it would be enough. Foster pitched a scoreless seventh and got one out in the eighth, striking out two along the way. Sosa got the next two out in the eighth, striking out one. I'm really liking what I'm seeing from Jorge. Good to see Bobby has that much confidence in him. And KolBB actually pitched a perfect ninth for his tenth save, striking out one.
The Braves didn't score until the sixth, when Erickson appeared to slow down. Chipper hit a two-run shot and Andruw followed up with a solo homer in the seventh. Second day in a row in which they both hit home runs. They scored two more with a LaRoche home run and a Langerhans sac fly RBI in the ninth to cap it.
The Marlins got blown out by the Padres today, making it a 2.5 game lead. It's now the Braves' turn to face the Paddies, who are currently 21-16. Tomorrow's game starts at 10:05 on TBS, and John Thomson will go against Tim Stauffer. Stauffer has started one game this year and won it, going six innings and allowing two runs. He's also the same age as my brother, 23. Just thought I'd put that in there.
Posted by David Lee at 06:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
5/15/05 Game Thread: Braves at Dodgers
Let there be a game thread!
(Hmm. I think this new improved site has gone to my head.)
Posted by Andy Blumson at 02:49 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
Braves 5, Dodgers 1
Mike Hampton left in the third with forearm tightness. How can your forearm be tight? The only thing I ever felt pitching was a pain in the elbow, so I wouldn't know. Anyway, let's hope that it's not serious and he'll be back for his next start, which is a good ways from now thanks to an off day.
Adam Bernero pitched the next two innings, allowing a run. Sosa pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh, Reitsma did the same in the eighth, and KolBB walked one but settled down and struck out the next two in the ninth.
Andruw was the MVP of the game. He hit two solo homers and added a sac fly RBI for three of the five Atlanta runs. The other two came from the bats of Chipper and Mondesi in the form of long shots.
Sorry I wasn't around for the game thread last night. Had a full house. Hopefully I'll be able to steal the computer for today's game. Tim Hudson faces Scott Erickson, 4:10, on TBS.
Posted by David Lee at 10:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 14, 2005
5/14/05 Game Thread: Braves @ Dodgers
Well, forget a recap for last night's game. I fell asleep about half way through the game and I played golf just about all day today, so there's no point in writing it now. But I might as well start the game thread for tonight's game. I should be on here most of the night to chat.
Braves @ Dodgers (May 14, 10:10 PM EST)
TBS
Pitching Matchup:
Mike Hampton (4-1, 2.05 ERA)
Odalis Perez (4-3, 4.50 ERA)
Posted by David Lee at 03:33 PM | Comments (17) | TrackBack
May 13, 2005
5/13/05 Game Thread: Braves at Dodgers
We're late, we're late, for a very important date!
Posted by Andy Blumson at 10:47 PM | Comments (34) | TrackBack
May 12, 2005
Steve Karsay Released...
So, it appears that the Yankees gave up on RHP Steve Karsay. As many of you remember, the 33-year old was acquired along with RH reliever Steve Reed for the stretch run in 2001 for John "I've taken more sh*t than Henry Aaron and Jackie Robinson" Rocker and minor league infielder Troy Cameron.
Due to his troubles out of the bullpen this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see him sign a minor league deal somewhere. I think he would make great insurance at Richmond.
On a side note, did you know... that in a Six Degrees of Separation-like game, you can connect the Braves losing Steve Karsay in the offseason of '01-'02 to the offseason '05 trade for RHP Tim Hudson? If you are not a huge draftnik, you may not have known that the Braves received a 1st round supplemental pick (LHP Dan Meyer) in 2002 for the Yankees signing Karsay. Of course, Dan Meyer was the key cog of the trade this offseason.
If you want to follow more on the Braves draft history, be sure to check out our draft section (Draft Home). It has not been updated for 2004 yet, but I hope to do so in the coming days. Also, we do hope to have a lot more coverage on the draft this year, so keep an eye out for announcements.
Posted by Merv at 12:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 11, 2005
Rockies 6, Braves 5
Well, there's good news and bad news.
One piece of good news is that the offense showed some come-from-behind life, scoring three runs in the top of the 9th to take a 5-4 lead. The other piece of good news is that Ryan Langerhans hit two home runs again, while Raul Mondesi went hitless (batting 8th, he was walked intentionally twice).
The bad news? Damn Kolb. (I like that one better than "Kolbb".) Actually, the only walk he issued was intentional, to Todd Helton, and he didn't throw a wild pitch either. And he did retire the leadoff hitter. But then he served up a tying home run to Dustan Mohr, and then singles to Clint Barmes and Aaron Miles. After the walk to Helton, Chris Reitsma came on and struck out Preston Wilson swinging, but Todd Greene served a single to center to end the game.
In fairness to Kolb, he threw strikes this time, and it was Coors Field. We can live with this kind of blown save.
For the victorious Rockies, it was the Demon Todds of Blake Street (sorry): Helton, as usual, had two doubles and a single, and Greene had three RBI singles. And we didn't have enough baserunners in the right situations to take advantage of Greene's weak arm behind the plate. We drew only two unintentional walks (both off Byung-Hyun Kim) and compiled just eight hits: Langerhans' two solo homers, another solo homer by Andruw, two singles by Julio, a double by Chipper, and a single by Furcal and a double by Giles in the 9th. Not enough at Coors Field.
John Smoltz was very good: 8 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 2 walks, 4 strikeouts. His pitch count was low until the 8th, when the Rockies scored twice to break a 2-2 tie. For the Rockies, Kim was on his game, and as a result threw 90 pitches instead of the 50 Clint Hurdle was expecting: 5 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run (Andruw's homer), 4 walks (two intentional), 5 strikeouts. Jose Acevedo gave up Langerhans' first homer; Brian Fuentes pitched a perfect 8th; nominal closer Chin-Hui Tsao gave up three runs but was credited with the win. Acevedo and Tsao each was charged with a blown save, as was Kolb, of course. Each team threw 139 pitches in the game.
We're off tomorrow, and boy do we need it. Friday we dive into Chavez Ravine, which may not be as nasty I thought, since the Dodgers are only 9-5 there. Horacio Ramirez is expected to start, Bobby having said he earned it with his seven shutout innings last time out. Jeff Weaver (4-2, 5.23) is listed for the Dodgers. Weaver's platoon split is pretty severe, so expect to see Ryan Langerhans in the lineup, and hope Adam Ant is ready is to go too.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 07:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Game Thread 5/11/05: Braves at Rockies
Let's get ready to rrrrumble!
ESPN.com still lists Smoltz (3-3, 3.05) and Kim (0-3, 7.62). I'll believe it when I see John take the mound.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 02:08 PM | Comments (21) | TrackBack
No Father-Son Combo Any Time Soon...
Tony Pena, Sr Resigns as KC Manager
Remember those rumors this offseason about Kansas City trying to acquire Tony Pena, Jr (BB Player Bio)? It looks like the reunion will not take place any time soon. Who blames Pena from resigning from that Royals squad? Ouch...
Tony Pena, Jr.
Talking about Junior Pena, he still seems to be holding his own at Richmond (Stats). However, 31 K's and 7 E's are a bit disturbing. I've seen him play a couple times and, in my opinion, he was very solid defensively. It makes me wonder how many of those seven errors are "Furcal-like" errors. I still have trouble seeing this guy as major league starter, but he might make a solid backup to whomever fills SS next year (be it Furcal or anyone else).
Posted by Merv at 12:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Transaction Analysis: 5/11
As pointed out at Braves Journal (Link), the AJC is reporting that Kevin Gryboski (BB Player Bio) is headed to the DL with a "viral infection". The Braves have called up LH reliever Frank Brooks from Richmond.
Gryboski has been effective so far this season. He still gives up the occasional inherited run or two (or 100), but he is still Bobby's ground-ball specialist.
Brooks was acquired via a waiver wire deal last month (BB Player Bio) and was pitching well (or perhaps pitching lucky given the six walks he's given up) at The Diamond. He'd allowed only 2 runs in 10.1 IP (1.74 ERA).
So, it looks like Brooks will be the LOOGY (lefty one out guy) for the time being. For anyone out there, has anyone really termed the phrase ROOGY (see Kevin Gryboski)?
Posted by Merv at 11:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 10, 2005
Braves 9, Rockies 5
A big 1st inning and yet more great relief work helped us even the series despite the Nightmare on Blake Street.
Rockies starter Jason Jennings didn't start so well: Speedy and Ant each grounded out, but meanwhile Marcus singled and Chipper walked, and then Andruw walked to load the bases. Then the two-out lightning: Johnny doubled in two, Ryan Langerhans singled in two, and Raul and John Thomson each doubled in one. Speedy avoided a horrible distinction by walking, but Marcus made the third out.
Jennings settled down, allowing just one more run in the next three innings. Thomson, on the other hand, worked two scoreless before allowing one run in the 3rd, another in the 4th, and three in the 5th. But Sosa (1 IP), Foster (.1), Bernero (1), Reitsma (1), and Kolb combined for, again, two-hit relief. And no walks, though Kolb did throw a wild pitch. Sosa was credited with the win because Thomson couldn't quite get that fifteenth out.
For the offense, Marcus went 4-for-6 while Andruw and Johnny each went 3-for-4 with a walk. Preston Wilson had three hits for the Rockies, including their only extra-base hit, a double. There were no home runs. Each team committed two errors, but only one run--ours in the 8th--was unearned.
One of tomorrow's probable starters has changed since Sunday: ESPN.com now lists Smoltz (3-3, 3.05) versus Byung-Hyun Kim (0-3, 7.62). I don't think anyone would be surprised to see Horacio Ramirez instead of Smoltz. In any case, the game starts at 3pm on TBS, and we'll have another open game thread right here.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 11:52 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
5/10: Braves @ Rockies Game Thread
I thought I'd go ahead and make the game thread for tonight's game. It's on Turner South, so I'll hopefully have some comments for you non-Turner South people. Everybody is welcome to provide their opinions on the game as we go along. I'd like to make this a nightly thing. It seems cool.
Braves @ Rockies (8:35 PM EST)
Pitching Matchup:
John Thomson (3-2, 2.85 ERA)
Jason Jennings (1-3, 5.26 ERA)
Lineups will be posted shortly.
Posted by David Lee at 05:30 PM | Comments (18) | TrackBack