AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 02
Monday, April 2, 2007
Believe this: It’s go time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The sun is breaking through the clouds, the temp’s rising toward 70, the crowd is starting to fill the seats … we’re ready for some ‘ball, folks.
Or as the fired-up dude who produces the radio broadcast said to me just a while ago, “It’s go time.”
Walked past the clubhouse on my way back to the pressbox and glanced over and saw John Smoltz in there alone, changing into his game jersey while his teammates were out taking batting practice.
He had a look that said this was serious.
It’s time for some baseball. Some baseball that matters. Really matters.
“Best feeling in the world, Papi,” Brayan Pena said to me an hour ago, as he prepared for his first opening day in the majors. “Believe that.”
This is rich stuff, man. Opening day. New season. New stories everywhere you turn. And after today, there will be 161 to go. Then the postseason.
Oh, two quick things before we get started: Lance Cormier didn’t throw his bullpen today; they moved it back to tomorrow, because that’d give him four days until what would be his first start April 8 in the series finale vs. the Mets at Turner.
But that’s only if the shoulder feels good when he throws. If not, they’ll DL Cormier and recall Kyle Davies to make at least one start in place of Cormier.
And a request: If anyone would like to comment on your feelings about the upcoming Braves season in an AJC story that Steve Hummer’s doing, please e-mail him at shummer@ajc.com. Include your name, hometown, and phone number, in case he needs to call you to confirm.
Now, where were we?
We’re going to do a bit more today on the old Braves/Man in Black blog, by offering some thoughts and observations every half-inning, and maybe trying to answer a few questions (but absolutely nothing to do with Rocco Baldelli).
Let’s see if we can’t crack the ajc.com mainframe (is that what tech geeks say?) with an overwhelming show of posts here from the denizens of our blog, whaddya say?
Did I mention this is a beautiful sport?
If baseball doesn’t matter to you, well, I feel bad. Because the greatest game should matter to everyone who cares about sports, no?
I mean, baseball and Johnny Cash _ how can any good American not love both of those?
But I digress.
It is, indeed, go-time. Time to start this marathon. Time to kick off what could well be the best NL East race in a while.
The Mets look ready (or, at least their lineup and Tom Glavine do). The Phillies say they’re ready (can Jimmy Rollins be any more up-front in his opinion? Good for him, I say. If that’s the way he wants to fire up his squad, then good for him for caring enough to say something and take on leadership).
And the Braves? They certainly look ready. Encouraging spring for the Bravos.
Kelly Johnson’s first opening day in the majors, and he’ll be standing up there to face the first pitch of the season. Batting leadoff, playing second base for Atlanta. Can you even imagine the butterflies the guy’s got to be feeling?
And Smoltz. Twenty years since he reached the majors. Twenty! All in an Atlanta uni. An institution. An icon. One strong word of advice to the new owners: If you want to please the fans, make it known you intend to sign Smoltz to a new contract and will do all you can to make sure he finishes his career in Atlanta.
And make it known you’ll at least make a genuine, serious effort to sign Andruw, not some low-ball offer that is too far below the market value for him to even consider. Raise the payroll to $95 mill or so and you could make at least an offer he’ll have to think long and hard about.
But those are issues for another day. For today, it’s about the game only, the stuff on the field. About trying to make big pitches, get key hits, turning double-plays and running down a fly at the warning track.
The bunting’s hanging on the stacked seating decks here at Citizens Bank Park. The city skyline is peaking through the fog beyond center field.
The lineups:
Kelly Johnson, 2B; 2. Renteria, SS; 3. Chipper, 3B; 4. Andruw, CF; 5. McCann, C; 6. Francoeur, RF; 7. Scott Thorman, 1B; 8. Langerhans, LF; 9. Smoltz, RHP
Jimmy Rollins, SS, 2. Shane Victorino, RF; 3. Ryan Howard, 1B (after batting fourth the whole second half last season and all spring); 4. Chase Utley, 2B; 5. Pat Burrell, LF; 6. Wes Helms, 3B; 7. Aaron Rowand, CF; 8. Rod Barajas, C; 9. Brett Myers, RHP.
Go time.
Ya’ll ready?
TOP OF FIRST INNING:
Good start for Kelly, or at least good first pitch: He took it. Good leadoff man.
Wait, not as good after that. Took a strike, then fouled one back, then swung and missed. Four-pitch strikeout
Edgar lined one that I thought might be a gapper, but perspective is off from high in the pressbox here (I’m used to little spring stadiums) and ball was in air too long. Caught easily by LF Burrell.
Chipper being Chipper: Makes the pitcher throw him a strike. Works a five-pitch walk. Booed lustily when introduced. If they don’t boo or cheer for you, they don’t care, right?
Andruw infield pop-up on second pitch.
OK, that’s done. Now Smoltz.
BOTTOM OF FIRST:
Smoltz looks nasty. Struck out first two batters, Rollins swinging at 2-2 pitch in the dirt to start inning, then Victorino.
Howard single through the right side (I forgot he actually does hit singles sometimes). This just in: He’s still huge.
Utley, batting cleanup instead of Howard (skipper Charlie Manuel likes to throw a curveball now and then). Utley grounds out routinely to Kelly Johnson _ and those are words that Braves fans want to hear.
TOP OF SECOND:
Someone send Aaron Rowand a memo: McCann hit 18 second-half homers in 2006. Kid’s got some power. Rowand playing him too shallow, McCann doubles off his glove as Rowand races toward warning track.
Runner at second and none out. Good start. Braves need to score here, get it started right.
Francoeur hits a nubber, fails to advance McCann. Thorman flies out to LF, again fails to advance McCann. Langy does what he did most of the time when he wasn’t getting a hit this spring: Struck out. Inning over.
Braves 0-for-3 RISP.
BOTTOM OF SECOND:
Smoltz gets Burrell trying to check his swing on a nasty slider. K.
Kelly’s getting more defensive work than he got in most spring games _ he ranged well into right field to catch Wel Helms’ pop fly for second out.
Roward infield hit; Edgar had no play coming in.
Barajas pop-up to end inning. No harm done. No Phillie has reached second. (Is the singular of Phillies a Phillie? A Philly Phillie? Oh, the humanity.)
TOP OF THIRD:
Braves go down in order, as does my internet connection. Sorry, folks, but the wireless here is overloaded, and my wireless card just shut me down.
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Innings going too fast now, and my Cox Resource Portal has shut down. Oh, nightmare. Trying to log on desperately, while also trying to score and follow game. Welcome to 2007. I hate modern life.
What would Red Smith do? He’d say, what the hell’s a blog? That’s what he’d do. Then a shot.
Man, it sure is nice out here today. Nice skyline in Philly… wait, back to the game.
Three-up, three-down for Smoltz with TWO more K’s in the third. That’s five strikeouts in three innings.
He might be past his opening-day curse (actually he pitched very well in one of his three openers before today, but lost anyway).
TOP OF FOURTH:
Chipper draws leadoff walk. But another harmless pop-up by Andruw, who usually ranks at this ‘yard. Not a good start for ‘Dru.
McCANN two-run BOMB on first pitch. Almost a line drive to the right-field seats. And just like that, it’s 2-0 and the Philly folks are steamed.
McCann, by the way, is very good. That’s a double and homer in his first two at-bats. Maybe he wants to be an All-Star again….
Hey, forgot to mention: Albert Hammond Jr. is playing in Philly tomorrow night (the Strokes’ guitarist). Braves are off tomorrow, of course. Might have to go.
Supposed to rain tomorrow and Wednesday. Not good. I can already see the DH being scheduled for our next trip here….
BOTTOM OF FOURTH:
Another leadoff single for Howard. Oh, I get it: They move him from cleanup to third and he becomes a singles hitter.
OK, Utley just singled hard past 1B to RF, but NOOOO…. Howard is called out for interfering, ump says ball hit his foot on way through infield. Replays inconclusive, but if ball hit him it sure didn’t slow down much. It was a hard grounder that got to the outfield corner in a hurry….
Braves may have caught a break there. I was about to say, before the interference, that that was a play LaRoche makes because he’s left-handed and flicks his glove out to get that ball. Thorman had to reach over and try to back-hand it, and it was too hot for him to handle that way.
But irrelevent, right. Interference.
Now Burrell walks, runners on first and second with one out and ex-Bravo Helms up….
Nice play by Thorman to field Helms’ slow roller and under-hand throw to always-alert Smoltz covering first. Runners at second and third now, two outs. Rowand up.
Rowand lined out to Edgar. Big inning for Braves and Smoltz. Dodged a bullet (because Howard couldn’t dodge one) and now have a 2-0 lead, with that formidable bullpen waiting in the wings.
How many of you are anxiously awaiting the order of the Big Three, or waiting to see how Cox uses them not just today but the first week? We’ll have a better idea after a few games, but I’m wondering how it’ll go today. Couldn’t really get a handle on it just from spring training, when none of them pitched when they’d normally pitch.
TOP OF FIFTH:
Kelly gets behind 0-2, then fouls one off, then foul-tips another, then pulls one foul (that’s five pitches, no balls). Now takes one outside. Now swings and misses for third out.
OK, that was futile. Kelly’s having a tough time at plate, good day in the field.
After 4-1/2 innings, the two leadoff guys (K.J. and Rollins) are 0-for-5 with four Ks.
BOTTOM OF FIFTH:
Well, I spoke too soon about Jimmy Rollins. He just CRUSHED one to right-field seats, a two-out solo homer on a 1-2 pitch. It’s 2-1, folks. Good ballgame
TOP OF SIXTH:
Chipper lines a single to left-center on first pitch with one out. Having himself a game, folks, two walks and a hit in three PAs.
OK, Andruw’s popped up each of first two at-bats with Chipper on. This time…
Long fly ball to CF. Looks like it has a chance to go out, but no, caught near track. Chipper tags up and advances.
Myers gets McCann this time, strikes him out to end inning.
Braves are 1-for-5 with RISP, but the one was big _ McCann’s homer.
BOTTOM OF SIXTH:
Burrell hits a little bloop hit to center field with two outs on 90th pitch for Smoltz. I’m sure this will be all for him, this inning.
Helms followed with a loooong double that goes just beyond outstretched glove of a leaping Andruw Jones almost at the center field warning track, in front of the 409 sign to the left of straight center. DRIVES in TYING RUN, 2-2.
That’s 92 pitches for Smoltz, and the few have been costly. He’s staying in to face Rowand with potential go-ahead run at second.
Guess I also spoke too soon about Smoltz’s opening-day curse….
ROWAND’s BLOOP bounced out of Kelly’s glove in shallow center field. Ruled a hit. BAD, BAD CALL. Can only be a hit if he lost it in sun, and that landed in his glove.
That drove in the go-ahead run. Let’s see if they change the call. If not, Smoltz gets three earned runs. He’ll surely leave the game now trailing 3-2.
Brutal day for Kelly and the scorekeeper. Brutal.
TOP OF SEVENTH:
Three up and down for the Braves, including strikeouts by Francoeur to start and Langy to end. That’s 0-for-3 with two Ks for Langerhans.
Mike Gonzalez warming up in Braves ‘pen. He’ll have the seventh.
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH:
This day has sure taken a bad turn for the Braves the past couple innings. Gonzalez’s FIRST FOUR PITCHES as a Brave are balls _ TO THE DAMN PITCHER! Walks Myers on four pitches. Then Rollins doubles down left-field line.
Runners at second and third with none out.
Victorino strikes out. Now in comes the Big Man, Howard. Lefty on lefty.
Gets ahead 0-2, the second on a high curve Howard watched. Strikes him out on a checked swing. Damage averted so far. Strikeouts can sure be nice sometimes, huh?
Now the dangerous Utley. But again, lefty on lefty (also nice to be able to go to a guy who is as close to unhittable for lefties as anyone).
6-3 groundout. Inning over.
TOP OF EIGHTH:
Wilson pinch-hits for Smoltz, strikes out looking to start inning.
Kelly Johnson long fly out to the warning track just to left of center field.
Myers is roaring now, over 100 pitches.
Edgar LOOONG homer on 0-2 pitch OFF THE BRICK WALL BEYOND CENTER FIELD. Ball just kept going and going. Wow. Big, big knock ties score 3-3.
That’s it for Myers, 106 pitches, he’s leaving to a standing O from sellout crowd of 44,742.
Smoltz won’t get any decision.
By the way, Renteria came in a team-best 10-for-29 (.345) with a homer off Myers, so appropriate he’d be the one to chase him.
On comes lefty Matt Smith to face Chipper. Grounds out to end inning.
On to eighth and the scowling Soriano in his debut.
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH:
Soriano gets ahead of Burrell 0-2. Nice start. Then a ball, then he fouls one back. Then a ball. Burrell pulls next pitch just a few feet foul down left-field line. Pop out to Thorman for first out.
A middle-aged fan who looks to be 6-7 beers into his day catches foul ball just in front of the clubhouse. Yes, the sun apparently affected him less than Kelly (oh, cheap shot. First of the season). (If he’d dropped it, the scorekeeper was prepared to award a hit _ second cheap shot in one paragraph. Now we’re rounding into shape.)
Helms out on a nubber in front of plate.
Count goes to full on Rowand. Two outs. And the pitch … walks him.. Looked like a damn good pitch, caught the plate. Replay shows it was a great pitch. (OK, now I sound like Bobby. Sorry. But it was a good pitch.)
Soriano gets out of the inning with a groundout.
On to the ninth, A.J. up first.
TOP OF NINTH:
Andruw long fly out on a broken bat, sounded like.
McCann SINGLE to left, opposite-field knock, third hit of day for new face of the franchise.
Orr to pinch-run for McCann.
Don’t know that I like taking McCann out with potential extra innings. But Bobby must be hoping for Frenchy of Thorman to double and get Orr in with go-ahead-run….
Francoeur strikes out. Well, up to Thor.
ERROR on Howard, boots a grounder, then Tom Gordon late covering. Orr to second.
Langerhans infield single to second, LOADS BASES. Pena up to pinch-hit with two outs and bags juiced…
NO CHANCE. Gordon strikes him out, leaves bases loaded. On to bottom of ninth, the big dockworker set to enter the fray. Hello, Mr. Wickman.
BOTTOM OF NINTH:
Wickman induced leadoff groundout by someone named Greg Dobbs. No, really. Greg Dobbs.
… A quick perusal of my resources shows that Dobbs hit .370 _ albeit in 27 at-bats _ last year for Seattle.
On, to Rollins. Strikeout Rollins. That’s 3-for-5 with homer, double and three Ks for Rollins. Eventful day.
Now, Victorino, the man whose name sounds like it belongs to a Vegas lounge act.
No crooner, he: Victorino doubles to left-field corner. Now, trouble. Up comes … MVP.
Ryan Howard steps to the plate. How can this be? He always seems to come up in big moments against the Braves, doesn’t he? Maybe not. Maybe it just seems like it.
Anyway, here goes….
After he gets behind 2-0 on Howard, Braves elect to have Wick walk him intentionally. Crowd is booing more than it has since Chipper was introduced. All are on their feet now, with Utley coming up and runners at first and second, two outs, scored 3-3.
I mean, didn’t EVERY Brave-Phillies game last year end this way?
Utley pops out foul to Chipper near the fence. Whew.
On to extra innings. I’m telling you, these two teams have played more games like this than any two teams in the NL in recent years. Or at least I’m gonna say they have, without actually looking for evidence to support the statement.
TOP OF TENTH:
Chance for redemption for Kelly J. leading off against Ryan Madson.
Draws a walk.
Edgar up. Tries to bunt, fouls it back. Then fouls back another bunt. (oh, the lost art of bunting. I don’t know why hitters, not just pitchers, don’t practice it more).
It’s 1-2 count now. Fouls off one to the right side. Takes a ball in dirt, 2-2 count.
HOME RUN EDGAR! Wow. Second home of game for the shortstop, puts Braves up 5-3. Wow.
Edgar joked with me in spring training that he was stronger this year, would hit 40. He was only joking, though.
Sixth two-homer game of his career. Good for him. Great guy. I’ve known him since the Marlins brought him up as an 18-year-old in 1996, I believe it was. Classy kid.
BOTTOM OF TENTH:
Paronto in to pitch for Bravos (they’re not going to go two innings with Wickman this early, not after having him pitch so little in spring and all).
Paronto had four saves for Richmond last year and 34 in his minor league career, but this would be his first in his fourth opp in the majors, if he gets it.
Srikes out Burrell to start.
Helms flies out to shallow center.
Rowand 5-3 groundout to end it. Chipper pumps fist. Game over.
Braves are 1-0.
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