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Thursday, August 16, 2007
Braves go for sweep to honor Elvis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nothing too profound today on the ‘ol blog, folks. Let’s just see what we can crank out in 20 minutes before jumping in the shower and heading to the ballpark. In other words, running waaay behind schedule today.
Spent too much time genuflecting at the gold bust of Elvis in my CD room this morning, lost track of time. OK, kidding. But only slightly.
I do have a gold bust of Elvis in the CD room. And a great “Elvis at the International Hotel” lamp right here a few inches from my laptop as I type away in my office at home. And an neon clock in the basement pool room, with Elvis singing to the hound dog. Yes, I’m divorced.
Bought the bust at a tacky gift shop on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls on a trip covering the Dolphins vs. the Bills back in 1990 or so. But that’s long story of debauchery from another era, one we’ll not get into here or anywhere else on the record….
Anyway, the Braves. They’ve won 10 of 15 and will go for a sweep tonight, but it won’t be easy with Chuck James facing Giants stud rookie Tim Lincecum. If you missed my “ondeck” scouting report thing in the paper today, here’s part of it:
“Lincecum is 4-1 with a 2.12 ERA and .197 opponents’ average in his past nine starts, with 67 strikeouts and 26 walks in 59-1/3 innings. He had eight consecutive quality starts, including six with one or no runs allowed, before giving up six runs in six innings of loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. He’s 1-0 with an 0.89 ERA and 21 strikeouts in his past three road starts.”
Like I said, it won’t be easy. And the Braves really do need to win this game tonight, considering what awaits in Friday’s series opener vs. Arizona: Lance Cormier vs. (gulp) Brandon Webb. Uh-oh, if you’re the Braves.
Webb, of course, has a 33-inning scoreless streak going. Cormier does not. He has a 13.50 ERA in his four games (three starts) this season.
By the way, Arizona has won won 18 of 23 games before tonight’s series finale at Florida, despite hitting a modest .258 with a 4.24 ERA in that span. They’re 8-2 in their past 10 road games.
Oh, and they’ve won eight of 10 games against the Braves since the beginning of the 2006 season, including two of three in the July 27-29 series at Arizona. The D’backs swept a four-game series in their last visit to Turner Field in June 2006. Oy!
Anyway, tonight. Braves will try to finish off what’s been a very entertaining series with the Giants, and perhaps take over the wild-card lead today. They’re a half-game behind the Padres right now, and 3-1/2 behind the NL East-leading Mets, after moving back ahead of the Phillies with last night’s 6-3 win.
And did Bob Wickman give you guys enough of a scare by putting two runners on in the ninth, then giving up a to-the-wall drive by Bengie Molina that Andruw caught against the center-field fence? I was staring at one massive 5-minute rewrite of my game story if that ball clears the fence, I’ll tell you that.
It would’ve been the eighth blown save since the All-Star break for the Braves, who blew only seven before the break. Yikes. But you know what? It wasn’t a blown save. Wickman has been compared to Todd Jones for the propensity to put runners on base before converting his heart-in-throat saves.
But if you recall, Todd Jones did alright with the Tigers last season. They didn’t win it all, but got to the World Series and might have won it all if their pitchers hadn’t made an error a game. But we digress.
Wickman. Yes, he has cost Hudson three games this season and perhaps will end up costing him the Cy Young. (Can you imagine if he’d cost Hudson another win last night? Oh, that would not have been good at all, given the already-thick tension surrounding that two-balk and three-ejection-riddled game.)
But hey, Wickman has done a solid job overall since the Braves got him in July 2006, and the Braves don’t appear to have a better option, since they like Moylan in the seventh and eighth inning. If Soriano pitches the way he has the last few times out - notwithstanding the homer he gave up in Philly - then he could move into the closer role or share it down the stretch, should Wickman falter.
Octavio Dotel? Really? Look at his numbers with Kansas City and in his initial appearances with the Braves and tell me why you’re more confident with him than Wickman in the closer role. I can’t see that.
Hey, in his last 13 appearances Wickman has only given up an earned run in two. He’s got a 1.46 ERA and .197 opponents’ average in that span, though only nine strikeouts with six walks in 12-1/3 innings, and only four saves in six chances.
Still, it’ll work if he keeps that up. Long as it doesn’t get any worse, the Braves will take their chances, I’d imagine. Besides, as much as some here don’t seem to want to acknowledge it, the Braves’ lineup is the best in the league, and they’re going to score 5-8 runs most nights, with more plenty of nights.
And when they get Edgar Renteria back by next week, maybe even this weekend, that lineup will be even better.
OK, that’s it. Gonna keep it short and get to the ballpark.
In honor of The King: Too many Elvis Presley favorites to choose from, and already used Kentucky Rain here before, so let’s go with an obvious, but terrific, choice on the 30th anniversary of his death.
”SUSPICIOUS MINDS” by Mark James
We’re caught in a trap
I can’t walk out
Because I love you too much baby
Why can’t you see
What you’re doing to me
When you don’t believe a word I say?
We can’t go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can’t build our dreams
On suspicious minds
So, if an old friend I know
Drops by to say hello
Would I still see suspicion in your eyes?
Here we go again
Asking where I’ve been
You can’t see these tears are real I’m crying
We can’t go on together
With suspicious minds
And be can’t build our dreams
On suspicious minds
Oh let our love survive
Or dry the tears from your eyes
Let’s don’t let a good thing die
When honey, you know
I’ve never lied to you
Mmm-mmm, yeah, yeah
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