AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > May > 28
Monday, May 28, 2007
It’s only May, but an important week for Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fifth inning here in Milwaukee, gonna crank out a quick blog after seeing how well the discussion was going on the old one. Didn’t know if there was enough interest on the holiday to do one, but it appears there is.
Let’s rack up some responses here on the first day of this road trip, a trip that’s about as important as one in May can be. Braves simply must have a good week in Milwaukee and Chicago to stem the tide after being swept by the Phillies at home.
And they’re facing a Milwaukee team that’s struggling far worse than the Braves are, even though the Brewers are still in first in the awful NL Central. Brewers have lost 12 of 16 before today, after starting out 24-10.
They have the same record as Atlanta (28-22) entering this series….
That was a nifty high-wire act by Chuck James in the second, striking out Weeks to get out of bases-loaded jam unscathed after giving up three hits in the inning. Braves had only one hit (Andruw Jones homer) until getting three hits and a run in the fifth, lead 2-0 in bottom of fifth….
Biggest crowd I’ve ever seen here at Miller Park, place is nearly full on an absolutely beautiful 69-degree, sunny Memorial Day. Had breakfast at an old-school diner-type place called Ma Fischer’s on Farwell Ave., where the waitresses were all wearing Brewers jerseys or T-shirts and the food was outstanding. Comfort food, the good stuff.
Milwaukee gets a bad rap from some folks like me who never bother to get out of downtown, which is kinda like going to Atlanta and seeing only the downtown area _ before the aquarium and other recent upgrades. Nobody who lives in Atlanta went downtown for anything other than to see games, and it seems similar here.
Anyway, Atlanta’s a beautiful city once you get out in the neighborhoods, and so is Milwaukee. Honestly. The area along Lake Michigan at the marina, and on Lafayette Hill, with all the bistros, bars, record stores, bicycle shops, etc. - very cool.
Anyway, to baseball. Talked to a scout who told me he was told Bobby was going to play Salty at first base today, or had considered it. Don’t know why he decided against it, but he did.
I have a feeling they’re trying to get Thorman going, see what they’ve got with him because they’re probably going to have to make a decision sooner than expected with Thorman. Maybe that’s not until end of the season, but perhaps they feel they’ll need to decide then whether he’s the 1B for the future.
The reason they might have to decide is Saltalamacchia. He’s looked very impressive, and the Braves will seemingly either have to move him to 1B or trade him this winter, because there probably won’t be any reason to have him back in the minors next year and he’s certainly too talented to serve as a backup catcher in 2008.
Salty’s hit .323 (10-for-31) with a homer, five RBIs, four walks, four strikeouts and an .869 OPS since arriving from Double-A. Most impressively, he has four two-hit games in the nine games in which he’s had at least two at-bats, including 2-for-2 game in Boston when he didn’t even start.
McCann’s not moving from catcher, from all I’m told and every single indication I’ve seen or heard in conversations with various Braves people. They signed him to a six-year extension in May and plan for him to be their long-term catcher.
Chipper’s scratched again: You know by now that Chipper’s hand hurt again in B.P., so he was scratched again. I talked to him this morning and he said the inflammation was down in his troublesome right hand at the base of his thumb, but the bone bruise was still painful. But he said he was going to play.
That changed when he tried to take batting practice and stopped in mid-session because of the pain. If he doesn’t play in this series, I’d guess the Braves will consider retroactively DL’ing him to Thursday (May 24), the day after his last game played. In that case, he’d be out until at least June 9.
Chipper’s 1.017 OPS was second in the NL to Barry Bonds (1.103) before today. There’s no question the Braves’ lineup is a far lesser thing without him.
Not hitting at home: I’m doing a note today about all the Braves, especially young ones, who are hitting far better on the road this year than at home. Francoeur, McCann, Kelly Johnson, Thorman … all hitting much better on the road.
The team began this game with a .243 home average that was the third-lowest in the NL, while their .281 road average was second-best in the NL, and their 33 homers and .469 slugging percentage were the NL road leaders.
Andruw goes deep Andruw Jones’ fourth-inning homer was his 350th career homer, eighth of the season and second in as many days, after hitting just one in the first 23 games this month.
It was not shocking, considering he came in with three homers in 12 at-bats vs. lefty Chris Capuano, and six homers in 74 at-bats at Miller Park before today.
Davies still erratic: He’s only 23. He was hurt last year. Did I mention he’s only 23? Keep reminding yourselves of those things.
Because otherwise, Kyle Davies’ performance would raise major red flags. Perhaps it does anyway. But he’s still a work in progress. Or you could argue, in regress on days like yesterday.
Since May 5, 2006, Davies is 3-8 with a 7.99 ERA and .335 opponents’ average in 18 starts, with 118 hits (15 homers), 50 walks and 56 strikeouts in 83-1/3 innings.
Here’s what the Braves have gotten from the last two spots in the rotation: 2-10 with 7.27 ERA in 18 starts by four pitchers — Davies, Mark Redman, Anthony Lerew, Buddy Carlyle — with both wins by Davies (2-3, 5.51 ERA in nine starts).
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