AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > May > 27
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Homestand going up in smoke?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’ll be a rapid fire blog today, folks, which might be fitting, considering all the wildfire smoke floating around town this morning. Is it just me or does it seem to be worse in the morning?
Is it the worst when you open the door to get the morning paper (or do you folks still do that, oh bloggers?) or is that just when it seems the worst because it’s your first big sniff of the day?
The Braves had optional hitting outside this morning and I at least began to wonder if any Braves had problems with asthma and would be bothered by the smoke. I asked Bobby Cox and the closest I got was Jeff Francoeur who has only a small opening in one side of his nose. You remember how he got hit in the face with a ball several years ago and had to have surgery to repair his orbital bone? Apparently this was one of the repercussions. He hit inside in the cages this morning, which was probably a good idea.
OK, on to baseball matters, such as they are…
CHIPPER: The Braves have to beat the Phillies best starter today to avoid their first sweep of the season, and they had to do it without Chipper in the lineup for the third consecutive day. Cox had Jones in the original lineup but Jones took some swings in the cage and declared himself not yet fit.
He said he was better and hoped to be back in the lineup Monday, but didn’t feel good to go. It’s been four days since he got that cortisone shot in his right hand following Wednesday’s game.
SHEETS: As for Ben Sheets - he is tentatively scheduled to pitch on Tuesday of the Braves three-game series in Milwaukee. Sheets had to come out of his last start with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Ned Yost pushed him back a day from his regular rest, hoping he would be ready to go Tuesday. The Braves would catch a huge break if not. Sheets has a 7-3 record with a 4.83 ERA against the Braves. And don’t let the 4.83 ERA fool you. You’ll remember his 18-strikeout three-hitter against the Braves in May, 2004. The Braves got him for five runs last August but he’s still won four in a row against them.
CARLYLE: Cox said he would keep Buddy Carlyle up with the team and use him out of the bullpen for a while. With the upcoming off day Thursday, the Braves won’t need a fifth starter again until June 5 the day of the doubleheader against the Marlins. They might need two that day if they want to keep everybody on regular rest. Lance Cormier is slated to pitch his last rehab assignment Monday in Richmond.
MCCANN: Lot of howling on the blogosphere in the last 24 hours about Brian McCann and how his ring finger must still be affecting him at the plate. I wondered the same thing. He’s hitting an unMcCann-like .143 (2-for-14) on this homestand, which has dropped his season average to .278.
Unlike you guys (ha), I can just walk up and ask him about it, and so I did this morning. Here’s his response to when I asked him if his finger had been bothering him: “No. It’s 100 percent.”
Now Brian is not one to complain or to make excuses, so maybe he’s sugarcoating here. But I’m inclined to believe him, since the last time I asked him that question not long after he hurt it the first time, he at least hinted that it wasn’t feeling so great.
“I’ve been in a funk,” McCann said. “It’s just one of those things. Maybe I got into some bad habits with it, which is something that’s going to happen. I’ve just got to play my way through it.”
He wasn’t playing Sunday because it was a day game after an almost-night game, and with left-hander Cole Hamels on the mound, might as well get Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the lineup anyway.
COX: You guys must have seen in 20 places on this website how Bobby Cox got ejected for the second consecutive game yesterday and how he is two away from breaking John McGraw’s ejection record. After writing two separate stories about it yesterday - a blog and a story for 1A - I’m declaring Bobby will behave himself today. Otherwise, I’m dealing with carpal tunnel. His next win is 2,200 for his career. Maybe Cox will finally get that today.
There’s plenty more I could talk about, but I figured I’d leave that up to you guys. Here I give you a clean slate to have at it. Have a good Memorial Day everybody. Hug a veteran (Dad, I’m very proud of you….)
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
