AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > June > 06
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Braves suddenly skidding at home
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After a day spent motoring around Atlanta on the bike, glad to be back on the case at Turner Field today. But the Braves are playing as if they’d like to be somewhere else.
Not to harp on this home slump thing, but … well, yes, to harp on this home slump thing: Entering today’s series finale vs. Florida, the Braves have lost five of their past six games at Turner Field. They’ve posted a 6.33 ERA and giving up six runs or more in four of those six games, and five in another.
After going 14-7 with a 3.29 ERA in their first 21 home games, and talking enthusiastically about how they had their home thing reversed from last season, the Braves have reverted to last season.
They are 2-6 with a .228 batting average and 5.00 ERA in eight home games since that 14-7 start. They’ve scored three runs or fewer in five of those last eight home games.
Braves rank first in the NL in road average (.287) and first in road homers (37), but come into today ranked 15th in a 16-team league in home average (.242) and eighth in homers (27).
Not exactly giving Turner Field denizens a lot to get excited about, eh?
And speaking of “eh” — clever use of Canadian jargon as transition, if I may say so myself — Scott Thorman is batting .174 at home this season. Yes, one-seventy-four. (IMPORTANT UPDATE: He must’ve heard us talking about him. He got three hits today, his first three-hit game of the season. OK, back to regularly scheduled blog already in progress…)
Andruw’s turnaround stalls: Not that the Canadian rook is the only Brave struggling at home (or struggling, period). He has company in Andruw Jones, who is below the home Mendoza Line.
It’s June 6, and Andruw enters today hitting .196 in 26 home games, with five homers and 16 RBIs. He’s not exactly raking on the road, but is 50 points higher (.246) with 22 RBIs in 29 games.
Speaking of Andruw, I guess we jumped the gun thinking he was turning it around. He made strides in late May, but didn’t start one of his trademark power-hitting binges. Braves are still waiting for that.
After going 10-for-32 (.313) with three homers, seven RBIs and one strikeout in eight games May 25-June 2, the CF is 2-for-15 with no RBIs and three strikeouts in his past four games before today.
Now brace yourselves for these stats since May 2 for Andruw: .192 (23-for-120) in 32 games with four homers, 19 RBIs, 11 walks, 30 strikeouts, .263 OBP and .350 slugging. As they say in Curacao, yikes. (Or as I say when on vaction in Curacao. If I ever make it to Curacaco on vacation. Which I’d like to do, but it’d be behind a few other Caribbean Islands. I’ve done Maui and Kauai in a couple of trips to Hawaii, but never made it to St. Bart’s…. oh, wait, back to the blog).
McCann rolls that ankle: You know the one. The one he sprained so badly last season, robbing him of his power for more than a month. The right ankle.
He rolled it in his first at-bat in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, but Bobby Cox said he could play and indicated McCann would be in the lineup Wednesday.
The kid’s played with nagging injuries most of this season, including the ring finger on his glove hand, which has affected his defense and hitting. But he doesn’t make excuses, another reason the Braves like him so much.
And trust me on this: There is absolutely no talk of moving McCann, not to another position and certainly not to another team. I spoke with Schuerholz about this this morning, and the head man basically scoffed at the insinuation that Saltalamacchia’s situation could in any way impact McCann’s.
As I’ve said, they gave McCann a six-year contract extension this spring because they fully intend for him to be a franchis cornerstone. As their catcher.
He’s hit .248 with one homer, three errors and a .298 OBP in his past 33 games, but does have eight doubles and 16 RBIs in that span. So the worst slump of his young career isn’t exactly epic.
Besides, he showed signs of coming out of it before rolling the ankle. McCann had gone 7-for-19 with five RBIs and one strikeout in his past four games before taking an 0-for last night after playing hurt following his first at-bat.
Elvis is struggling, thankyaverymuch: Something to think about. The Braves might be less inclined to trade Cuban rookie Yunel Escobar — and I don’t know how inclined they are to begin with — given the sluggish performance of top shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus at Class-A Myrtle Beach.
Young Elvis (as opposed to ‘68 Comeback Special Elvis, or older, white-caped Vegas Elvis) is batting just .231 with two homers, 47 strikeouts and 14 errors in 55 games (212 at-bats) at Myrtle.
Edgar Renteria, the majors’ post-6th inning batting leader by the way at .408 is under contract through 2008, with a club option for 2009. The only Braves shortstop who looks certain to be ready if they need him to take over in the next year or two is Escobar.
Brent Lillibridge could be ready, but not a certainly. He hit .275 with a .355 OBP, three homers and 14 steals at Double-A Miss before getting called to Richmond to replace Escobar when he got called to the big club. Lillibridge was 4-for-17 with a homer and seven strikeouts in his first four games at Richmond.
OK, gotta watch the game now. Braves already down 2-0 after one inning against the Fish, who by the way have won 12 of the past 20 vs. the Braves before today.
“I WAS WRONG” by Mike Ness (Social Distortion)
When I was young, I was so full of fear
I hid behind anger, held back the tears
It was me against the world, I was sure that I’d win
But the world fought back, punished me for my sins
I felt so alone, so insecure,
I blamed you instead and made sure I was heard
And they tried to warn me of my evil ways
But I couldn’t hear what they had to say
I was wrong, self destruction’s got me again
I was wrong, I realized now that I was wrong
And I think about my loves, well I’ve had a few
I’m sorry that I hurt them, did I hurt you too?
I took what I wanted, put my heart on the shelf
How can you love when you don’t love yourself?
It was me against the world, I was sure that I’d win
But the world fought back, punished me for my sins
And they tried to warn me of my evil ways
But I couldn’t hear what they had to say
Well I grew up fast, I grew up hard
something was wrong from the very start
I was fighting everybody, I was fighting everything
But the only one that I hurt was me
I got “society’s” blood running down my face,
Somebody help me get outta this place
How could someone’s bad luck last so long?
Until I realized that I was wrong
I was wrong, self destruction’s got me again
I was wrong, the only one that was wrong was me,
I was wrong.
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