AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > May > 18
Friday, May 18, 2007
On to rainy Beantown for slumping Bravos
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Since they couldn’t win, or split, a series at RFK against the lowly Nationals — surging, yes, but nonetheless lowly — maybe the Braves will continue to surprise by going into the cauldron of Fenway Park and sweeping the Red Sox.
But I wouldn’t count on it. (Did I mention they’ve dropped four of their last five to the Pirates and Nationals? Yikes.)
Even if the Sox might be looking past the Braves a bit, as indicated by their decision to push knuckeballer Tim Wakefield back from his regular turn Sunday to face the Yankees next week, and even if Josh Beckett is on the DL instead of facing the Braves in the series opener … the Sox are still highly formidable.
Braves should have pitching advantages in the second and third games with John Smoltz and Tim Hudson — “Smoltz and Hudson and pray for floodin’” anyone? — but the Sox have that lineup that’s at least the equalizer. That is, unless the Braves find their hitting shoes wherever they lost them (.217 average and 16 runs in five games).
A Sox lineup the likes of which could make Anthony Lerew squirm tonight if he spends much time studying their stats and realizes there simply aren’t a lot of places to get outs in that 1-through-9 crew.
Boston has baseball’s best record and won 21 of its past 28 and 12 of 15 entering tonight’s rainout … er, series opener. (Did I mention the forecast calls for, last I checked about 100-percent chance of rain tonight, all night. At least it’ll be cold, too, to create a mid-May night of sheer misery).
I hate to say it, but I envision a looong Saturday, because the teams must get these games in. Braves only come to Boston once, so the powers that be with do whatever is humanly possible to get these three games in, whether that means playing a doubleheader Saturday or whatever.
Problem is, very good chance of more rain Saturday, at least until late afternoon.
Never seen ‘em before: Looks like the Braves, who a week ago thought they’d face Beckett, Dice-K and Wakefield in this series, will get three pitchers they’ve never seen _ 29-year-old rookie Devern Hansack tonight, Dice-K (vs. Smoltz) on Saturday, and 25-year-old rookie lefty Kason Gabbard on Sunday.
Don’t know if this is good or bad for the Braves, considering how so many obscure pitchers seem to handle the Braves the first time they face their aggressive hitters. Not that Daisuke Matsuzaka, aka Dice-K, is obscure. Overrated, yes. But not obscure. ESPN has seen to that.
Hansack, replacing avulsion-fingered Beckett (great name for a band, or a horror movie, don’t you think? Hello Cleveland! Give it up for … Avulsion Fingered Beckett! OK, I need coffee…), gave up one hit, one run and three walks while getting just two outs in a May 8 relief appearance at Toronto, his only appearances in the bigs this season.
He’s 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two September-callup starts last season, including five scoreless no-hit innings vs. Baltimore in a rain-shortened game.
Gabbard would be making his season debut, if the Sox don’t change their plans again. He was 1-3 with a 3.51 ERA in seven games (four starts) last season for the Sox, including 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA in four starts.
Gotta like the Braves’ matchups of with Smoltz facing Matsuzaka and Hudson against Gabbard. Then again, I thought the Braves would win five or six of the seven at Pittsburgh and D.C., so what do I know?
Lerew vs. Hansack tonight? I haven’t a clue. I know Davies pitched great at Fenway on a raw night a couple years ago in his debut, but it’s not a stretch of the imagination to envision things spiraling on Lerew against that lineup and with that Green Monster looming over left field. Especially consider how poorly he pitched at Pittsburgh.
But enough doom and gloom, how ‘bout Edgar? This will be Edgar Renteria’s first return to Fenway Park since the Sox dumped him one year into a four-year, $40 million contract.
Boston traded him to the Braves after the 2005 season for Andy Marte, the Sox also agreeing to pay about $11 million of the remaining $29 million that Renteria was owed.
So far, this would go under the “severely one-sided” category of trade evaluation.
Since the trade, Renteria has hit .301 with 49 doubles, 20 homers, 93 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and a .366 OBP in 187 games for the Braves, with only 16 errors (he made a career-high 30 in his one season with the Sox in 2005).
He returns to Fenway on a tear — Renteria has hit .357 with with 11 extra-base hits (four homers), 14 RBIs, 21 runs, a .394 OBP and a .955 OPS in his past 22 games. Unfortunately for the Braves, Chipper and Willie Harris are the only other hitters who are doing anything positive on a consistent basis lately.
By the way, oft-injured Marte, who was later traded to Cleveland, has hit .217 with 18 doubles, six homers, 31 RBIs, 44 strikeouts, a .274 OBP and 10 errors in 63 major league games (203 at-bats) since the Braves traded him to Boston.
Music from one of the great, underrated singer-songwriters:
“FRAULEIN O.” by James McMurtry
Last time I saw you
it could’ve been Christmas eve
it could’ve been someone’s birthday
it could’ve been make believe
for all I know
it could’ve been make believe
Last time I saw you
you had the room upstairs
I never knew for certain
what went on up there
no I never did know
what went on up there
‘Course you had that boyfriend
with the Chevrolet
he never met Will Rogers
I’d be willing to say
yeah it’s safe to say
he never met Will Rogers
I guess it must have been a thousand years
since I changed my number
does it mean a thing
when the phone don’t ring
and I don’t call back
can’t help but wonder sometimes
I never got to know you
like I wanted to
you never seemed to notice
how I looked at you
for all I know
you never even noticed
Now that crowd’s all scattered
to here and yon
everybody graduated
or they just moved on
for all I know
they just moved on
I guess it must have been a thousand years
since I lost your number
gonna rest my soul
by this fishing hole
gonna watch that pole
‘till that float goes under
Last time I saw you
it could’ve been Christmas eve
it could’ve been someone’s birthday
it could’ve been make believe
for all I know
could’ve been make believe
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