AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August
August 2007
Time for sizzling Diaz to play every day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bobby Cox didn’t win four Manager of the Year awards from baseball writers, and eight Manager of the Year awards from Sporting News, by making lineup decisions based on the opinions of fans or media members.
So forget us, and make this move based purely on performance and statistical evidence that says it’s the right thing to do: Scrap the left-field platoon of Matt Diaz and Willie Harris and make Diaz the starter for the rest of the season.
The Braves have no remaining margin for error if they hope to make the postseason. None. But they do still have a chance heading into a weekend series against the NL East-leading Mets, who’ve lost five in a row and seven of nine to shrink their lead to two games over the Phillies and 4-1/2 over the Braves.
With the surging Phillies expected to beat up on the Marlins this weekend, the Braves need to do the same against the Mets to retain a realistic shot of winning the division title.
And they sure would seem to have a better chance of doing that with Diaz in the lineup, which he won’t be in the first two games if Cox continues using the platoon of Harris vs. right-handers and Diaz vs. lefties.
The Braves are scheduled to face righty starters in the first two games, John Maine (13-8, 3.68) tonight and Mike Pelfrey (0-7, 5.92) on Saturday, before going against lefty Tom Glavine in the series finale.
Diaz has the seventh-best average in the NL against lefties, .372. But he’s also hit well against right-handers, with a .331 average and .794 OPS in 124 at-bats.
Harris has a .304 average and .821 OPS in 257 at-bats against lefties, but the speedster did most of his damage in his first couple of months with the Braves, and he’s been in a woeful slump that’s gotten progressively worse.
Diaz has a team-high .354 overall average that includes a sublime .380 (92-for-242) with 18 doubles, 11 homers, 36 RBIs and a .999 OPS in 94 games since April 25.
He has blazed at a .381 clip over his past 50 games, with eight homers and a .667 slugging percentage in that span to quash the old scouting report that said he couldn’t hit for power.
On the just-completed road trip, Diaz went 14-for-31 (.452) in eight games, including three doubles, three homers and five RBIs in two starts against the Marlins Monday and Wednesday.
His .440 average (11-for-25) over the past 10 days was the fifth-highest in the NL. Meanwhile, Willie Harris’ .080 average (2-for-25) in the same span was the league’s lowest. Harris has hit .215 in 79 at-bats in August, to Diaz’ .403.
Make no mistake: It’s been a great season for Harris, who signed as a minor league free agent last winter with a non-roster invitation to spring training. He had a solid spring training but was passed over because of the non-roster thing and the fact the Braves had to carry Ryan Langerhans.
When they traded Langerhans a month into the season, Harris got the call from Richmond and saved the Braves’ tails, more or less, by playing his off. He played so well, he’s probably assured himself of a major league job for next season, and that’s cool. Good dude, and everyone should be happy for him.
But isn’t it time to make a change? Harris hit .412 with a .477 on-base percentage and .546 slugging percentage in his first 36 games for the Braves, with eight stolen bases in 10 attempts.
In his subsequent 63 games, he’s hit .236 with a .323 OBP and .357 slugging percentage, with nine stolen bases in 18 attempts (including one steal in his last six tries).
Yunel Escobar, who’s hitting .359 with 10 extra-base hits and a .407 OBP, can handle leadoff until Edgar Renteria gets back, then Escobar and Kelly Johnson could split the duties assuming they go back to their 2B platoon.
Meanwhile, Diaz is simply too hot to keep out of the lineup in more than half the games. He’s too hot to keep out of the lineup more than once or twice a week, at least while he keeps hitting like this.
Don’t take it as a suggestion from the media or fans. Just look at the numbers.
Has Diaz been so successful because of how Cox has wisely used him? Yes, and Diaz will be the first to tell you that. But at this point, he’s hitting righties and lefties whenever he gets a chance. His career numbers against righies — .314 with a .782 OPS in 322 at-bats - aren’t terrific, but are strong enough, especially the average, to tell us this probably isn’t a fluke.
Unless and until he proves otherwise in the next couple of weeks, shouldn’t Diaz get the chance to help the Braves on a daily basis at a time when they can’t afford to squander any opportunities?
The new East favorite? After the Phillies completed their four-game sweep of the Mets on Thursday, one experienced player who’s experienced a special postseason said this Philly team has developed a special feeling lately.
Aaron Rowand played center for the World Series champion White Sox two years ago. Now he’s a Phillies leader, and here’s what he told the Philly Inquirere’s Jim Salisbury about the sweep of the Mets:
“You look at three of the four games we won — a walk-off, a freak play, and another walk-off,” he said. “Those types of games are momentum and confidence builders. You can see it in the way guys take at-bats and the way guys walk around the clubhouse.
“I’ve played in games like this before. I remember we won one like this in the postseason in ‘05 and after that it was, ‘Game on. Nobody beats us.’ “
The Phillies lost four of the first five games of their homestand, then won the last five. Look out, folks.
Couple of stats:
— Braves reliever Rafael Soriano finally appears to have recaptured something close to his early season form. In his past 10 appearances he has a .175 opponents’ average and 1.64 ERA, with two runs, seven hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts in 11 innings. The only runs came on, you guessed it, homers. But he’s given up no runs since the homers in back-to-back appearances Aug. 8 & 11….
— Peter Moylan, meanwhile, is going strong into the final month of his very impressive season. He’s posted a 1.07 ERA and .171 opponents’ average, allowing 14 hits, three earned runs and seven walks with 15 strikeouts in 25-1/3 innings over that span.
OK, that’s it for me. I gotta do a quick XM radio thing with Charlie Steiner, then get ready and get to the ballpark for the series opener. I’m gonna try to get down to the fan plaza and see the presentation of the Wurlitzer Award to the Teixeira singers beforehand. Gotta see if the Grinch is green. Or just hairy.
”TEAR STAINED EYE” by Jay Farrar (Son Volt)
Walking down Main Street/Getting to know the concrete
Looking for a purpose from a neon sign
I would meet you anywhere the western sun meets the air
We’ll hit the road, never looking behind
Can you deny, there’s nothing greater
Nothing more than the traveling hands of time?
Sainte Genevieve can hold back the water
But saints don’t bother with a tear stained eye
Seeing traces of the scars that came before
Hitting the pavement still asking for more
When the hours don’t move along,
Worn-out wood and familiar songs
To hear your voice is not enough
It’s more than a shame
Can you deny, there’s nothing greater
Nothing more than the traveling hands of time?
Sainte Genevieve can hold back the water
But saints don’t bother with a tear stained eye
Like the man said, rode hard and put away wet
Throw away the bad news, and put it to rest
If learning is living, and the truth is a state of mind
You’ll find it’s better at the end of the line.
Can you deny, there’s nothing greater
Nothing more than the traveling hands of time?
Sainte Genevieve can hold back the water
But saints don’t bother with a tear stained eye
Braves limping toward September
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Remember all the years past when the Braves would put it in cruise control for all or most of September as they rolled to another division title?
Remember how the Braves’ lackluster performance in the final weeks of the regular season, after clinching, would become a concern because most other NL playoff contenders were having to play hard (and stay sharp) until the end?
Oh, what the Braves and their disappointed fans would give to have those kinds of concerns now, instead of frustrations and anger over a maddeningly inconsistent second half and this awful road trip that’s diminishing their postseason chances.
Last night might have been the cherry on top of this collapsing sundae, a 4-3, 11-inning loss that featured a 19-strikeout performance by Braves hitters, who were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in a game they knew they needed badly to win, against lowly Florida, losers of 12 of its previous 13 games.
The horror…. The horror….
Forget for a moment the costly miscommunication between emergency left fielder Pete Orr and center fielder Andruw Jones on a catchable ball that resulted in an 11th-inning double that led to the winning run.
Let’s focus instead on the wasted opportunities throughout by Braves hitters, against a Marlins pitching staff that’s neither experienced nor been effective most nights this season.
Because for a Braves team that leads the NL in many offensive categories, including hitting with runners in scoring position, they sure have a way of being, well, offensive.
For a team with a potent lineup and such lofty batting averages with RISP and with RISP and two outs (they lead the NL in both catgegories), the Braves sure have a way for shrinking in the most crucial of those situations, again and again.
And it’s only gotten worse at the most important point of the season, when they’ve needed big hits and big performances to lift a rather mediocre pitching staff. Even when the Braves get good pitching, as they got last night from John Smoltz and the bullpen, the Braves find a way to lose crucial games against mediocre or bad teams.
They are 3-6 on a 10-game trip that mercifically ends tonight, and the Braves are 0-3 in one-run games on this trip, and 0-5 in games decided by two runs or fewer. Their only three wins were by scores of 14-4, 7-2 and 13-2.
As we mentioned yesterday, hey pile up hits, especially with runners on base, in one-sided games, and too often fail to get a few such crucial hits in close games when they need them most. They are 15-21 in one-run games this season.
Where’d the road mojo go? It disappeared when the Braves started losing so many close games on the road, the games they were winning early on.
This is a team that went 27-21 in 48 road games through July 24. Since then the Braves are 7-13 on the road, including an abysmal 2-12 in games decided by one or two runs.
Let’s repeat that, for emphasis: They have lost 12 of their past 14 road games that were decided by two runs or fewer. That includes an 0-3 record in extra-innings road games in that span.
The Braves still are tied for the NL’s highest overall batting average at .277, but their average in close-and-late situations is .254, tied for sixth in the NL. Their .385 slugging percentage is 57 points lower than their overall mark.
Smoltz seems shell-shocked. And who can blame him? After last night’s game, he seemed in a daze as he spoke in disheartened tones about how this record keeps playing again and again, the losses mounting, the Braves unable to find ways to win. “I’m running out of words,” he said after last night’s loss.
No one feels the sting more than Smoltz, who is 40 and not just running out of words, but running out of time. He’s the only Brave who was around for all 14 consecutive division titles, and really, it seems almost cruel that he’s the one who is getting so little support those nights when he’s on the hill trying to get the Braves back to the playoffs.
Consider this: In his past 10 starts, Smoltz has a 3.18 ERA and 65 strikeouts with 16 walks in 68 innings. Yet he has only three wins in that span. The Braves provided him with more than three support runs while he was in four of those games, and he went 3-0 in those four starts, all Braves wins.
They provided him with just one support run in four of those 10 starts, and Smoltz was 0-2 in those four games despite producing three quality starts, including the one he had in last night’s no-decision.
Whiffs piling up: Bobby Cox and Terry Pendleton have often said in recent years that they don’t care about high strikeout totals, long as players are productive otherwise.
But this is getting a bit ridiculous.
Twice this season the Braves have struck out 19 times in one game. Twice this season they’ve had a player strike out in all five plate appearances in a game.
Put another way, Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur have done in a span of four months - whiff five times in a game — what no Brave had done in 14 years since Dave Justice wore the platinum sombrero with a five-strikeout game in 1993.
Only the young Rockies have struck out more in August than the Braves, who’ve amassed 204 strikeouts in 961 at-bats this month. The Cardinals have 161 strikeouts this month, the Mets 166, and even the Reds, with whiff-machine Adam Dunn, have only 147 strikeouts in August.
Yes, an out’s an out much of the time. But in some situations, particularly with two runners on base and less than two outs, an out’s a pretty lousy out.
Last night the Braves had runners at second and third with none out in the fifth inning, and stranded the runners by recording three straight outs including a Kelly Johnson strikeout to end the inning. Smoltz’s lineout to the pitcher for out No. 1 was the best swing anybody got of the three consecutive outs.
Then in the sixth they put their first two runners on base again and failed to score. This time, Francoeur and Andruw struck out to end that inning.
Francoeur has made big strides toward becoming a better overall hitter this season. He’s had a solid second full season in the majors. That said, he’s been awful on this trip and struggling most of August, at the most crucial time.
He is three starts away from a 300-consecutive-games streak. So what?
If he’s as tired as his looked last night and the past week, what’s the point? He and no one else will ever approach Ripken’s record, so what’s the point in trying to play every single game, if you need a day off? Rest him a game now, put the streak to bed so you’re not tempted to play every game next season. Enough.
Francoeur is 18-for-80 (.212) with seven RBIs, 24 strikeouts and more grounded-into-double-plays (4) than homers (3) in his last 20 games. In the past eight games, he’s gone 5-for-38 (.132) with one RBI, one walk and 11 strikeouts.
Enough with the LF platoon? Speaking of struggling, how bad must it get for Willlie Harris before he sacrifices some playing time to platoon partner Matt Diaz, or at least before the Braves pull Harris from leadoff duties?
Harris is 6-for-49 (.122) with one RBI, seven runs, one stolen base and a .228 on-base percentage in his past 16 games, and the Braves are 6-10 in those games.
He went 6-for-6 with six RBIs in the game of his life July 21 vs. St. Louis. Outstanding. Sublime performance. But it was more than a month ago.
He had six RBIs that night, and seven RBIs in 32 games since then.
Yes, beginning July 22, Harris has gone 24-for-109 (.220) with seven RBIs, 24 strikeouts and a .328 OBP in 32 games, with six caught-stealings in seven attempts. He has more errors (2) than steals (1) in that span.
And on the road? Oye. Harris has hit .183 (15-for-32) with six extra-base hits and one RBI in 30 road games since June 29. In that same period, Diaz has hit .362 (42-for-116) with 10 doubles, six homers and 20 RBIs in 48 road games.
But enough moaning. Who wants pie?
OK, to take us out, we’ll turn to J.R. This is the last song the Man in Black wrote before he died, and unfortunately it might apply to this Braves season.
”LIKE THE 309” by Johnny Cash
It should be a while before I see doctor Death
So, it would sure would be nice if I could get my breath
Well, I’m not the cryin’, nor the whinin’ kind
‘til I hear the whistle of the 309, of the 309, of the 309
Put me in my box on the 309
Take me to the depot, put me to bed
Blow an electric fan on my gnarly ol’ head
Everybody take a look, see, I’m doin’ fine
Then load my box on the 309
On the 309, on the 309
Put me in my box on the 309
Hey, sweet baby, kiss me hard
Draw my bath water, sweep my yard
Give a drink of my wine to my jersey cow
I wouldn’t give a hoot-and-nail for my journey now
On the 309, on the 309
I hear the sound of a railroad train
The whistle blows and I’m gone again
Hitman, take me higher than a Georgia pine
Stand back children, it’s the 309
It’s the 309, it’s the 309
Put me in my box on the 309
A chicken in the pot and turkey in the corn
Ain’t felt this good since Jubilee morn’
Talk about luck, well, I got mine
Asthma comin’ down like the 309
haaaaaaaa…..
Write me a letter, sing me a song
Tell me all about it, what I did wrong
Meanwhile, I will be doin’ fine
Then load my box on the 309
On the 309, on the 309
Gonna get outta here on the 309
We would miss Andruw’s candor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not that Andruw Jones has ever been one to bite his tongue, but did someone slip a little truth serum in his PowerAde on this road trip, or what?
On Saturday he offered his candid appraisal of the Bob Wickman situation, saying the veteran closer (who was dropped by the Braves) had complained about how he was used and that it wasn’t fair to the team or manager Bobby Cox.
On Monday, I asked Jones how much it would stink (I used the “su” word) if the Braves didn’t make the postseason for a second consecutive season. Figured he’d be a good guy to ask, since this could be his last season as a Brave and since he is refreshingly honest and unguarded in comments on most subjects.
(Besides, it gave me an excuse to approach his locker and have Jones insult me or my sartorial tastes, as he does on an almost daily basis, and which keeps me level-headed and humble. Sorry, ‘Dru, but Air Jordan doesn’t outfit me for free.)
Anyway, his response: “It would be bad if we don’t make it. But you’ve got to understand, sometimes it’s tough if you don’t have an owner who can get what you need to help us compete with other teams for the playoffs.”
(OK, a rare trip into the so-called journalist’s brain here. This is the point where a reporter pauses, quickly processes what was just said, has a fleeting debate with himself as to whether to ask again to clarify, or whether to leave it alone for fear that subject may have second thoughts, decide to back away from comments or worse, add something along the lines of, I don’t mean that in a bad way, or worse still, say “That’s not for the record.” Oh, that’s bad when that happens. Hate that. Then you’ve gotta decide, was the comment really good enough to use and tick off a subject to the point where he might not give you anything good in the future? Because really, it’s a fine line, he said it and he obviously meant it, and can a person say “off the record” after the fact? Sometimes, yes. Just the way it is. Because sometimes, if you don’t honor an after-the-fact “off the record,” you’re going to cut off your nose to spite your face. You just have to way these things, again and again, under various circumstances, including whether this is a regular source or subject on your beat, and this one certainly was/is. Now if you’re dropping in for a one-day feature on a subject you don’t cover regularly, or a visiting team’s player, etc., you’d probably not honor an after-the-fact “off the record.” Fortunately, it was Andruw, so there was no “that was off the record,” because he doesn’t do that; the man has swagger on the field, regardless of whether he’s slumping or surging, and that carries over off the field, too. So why did I just go through that whole scenario anyway?)
OK, now where were we?
Oh, the quote. Anyway, Andruw is from Curacao and speaks with a heavy accent. English is not his first language (he speaks three or four languages, which is two or three more than I speak). And sometimes, in one-on-one interviews, he’ll speak while distracted, in this case while glancing at an incoming call on his cell phone.
So I just wanted to make sure he said what he said, and asked him again. Same response, in so many words.
Since he hadn’t be clear on exactly what he meant, but had inferred, I asked if that meant it would have been helpful for the Braves to acquire another starter to supplement John Smoltz and Tim Hudson. Yes, he said, that’s what he meant.
Then I asked him if he thought, like others including Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson, that this Braves team had the stuff to win in the postseason, the 1-2 combination at the top of the rotation and the lineup, etc. He said yes, in a short series he thought they could compete and win.
But like others in Braves uniforms, and many in Braves Nation who’ve watched this team falter so many nights when Smoltz or Hudson isn’t pitching, he’s no longer so certain about the team getting to the postseason. Thinks they can, but knows it won’t be easy. Not at this point, with 30 games left and still facing a four-game deficit in the wild-card race and six-game deficit in the East.
So I asked if that additional starter was needed more for the 162-game season, to get them to the playoffs, than for winning in the playoffs. Yes, Andruw said. That’s what he meant.
And he was right, of course. If the Braves miss out on the postseason, the No. 1 reason, more than an inconsistent bullpen and far more than Andruw’s season or the first-base debacle pre-Teixeira, it’ll be because of their lack of quality and depth in their rotation behind Hudson and Smoltz, or Smoltz and Hudson.
Yes, that’s stating the obvious. But it’s fascinating, isn’t it, to see how the component that was far-and-away most responsible for the Braves’ success throughout the 1990s, their amazing starting pitching rotations, is now the biggest reason they face possible exclusion from the postseason for a second consecutive season?
And, of course, Andruw’s right — ultimately that comes down to money and ownership. Because the Braves could have signed Tom Glavine or one of several other starters last winter, if they’d had another $10 mill or so to spend. They wouldn’t have needed to try to trade Tim Hudson to do it.
(By the way, how ‘bout if that had actually happened, if they’d been able to trade Hudson to clear up room for Glavine? Where would the Braves be today? Probably out of playoff contention completely. As much as I thought signing Glavine would have been a good move, doing so at the expense of Hudson would have been a horrible decision, in retrospect. But what if they could’ve had Glavine along with Smoltz and Hudson? Oh, how different things might’ve been.)
Of course, from the Braves’ perspective, they already had Hampton coming back at a huge salary, and he was untradeable after missing the 2006 season. So realistically, it would have been tough paying four high-salaries veterans in 2007 (even if Hudson is only making $6 mill this year) and also would’ve blocked the path of Kyle Davies, which, as it turns out, wouldn’t have been such a bad thing — but who knew then?
Hey, these are complicated decisions, made so much more so by an arbitrary budget figure that corporate ownership or its representatives came up with. And once in a while, you should throw in a bold-face line to make sure folks are reading. You still there? Good.
Just another $10 mill, that’s all. You could find that in the cushions of the waiting-room lobby couch at Time Warner, and probably at Liberty Media. (ut if they’d found it, and spent it, folks on the Braves/MIB blog would have nothing to complain about today. So maybe it was a good thing they left it back there, down in the cushions with the lint and the gum wrappers and other crap you put there when you’re waiting and no one’s looking).
But if they’d scraped it together — the money, not the gum wrappers and other hairy, hardened crap — and spent it before anyone in accounting asked for it, then right about now, the Braves would have another starter they could have picked up this summer when it became apparent that Davies wasn’t the answer and no one else was going to pick up the slack created by the loss of Hampton for a second consecutive season.
The good news for the Braves: Hudson is under contract for the 2008-09 seasons (at $13 mill each season) with an option worth $12 mill or $13 mill in 2010. Smoltz will be back next season. Hampton? Theoretically, he’ll be back. They’d better not pin their hopes on that, though. Not again.
Maybe they should ask Andruw. Man’s got some good ideas and isn’t afraid to share them. And he might not be around here too much longer, so they should ask soon. Unless, of course, Braves ownership/management knows something about the Andruw situation that I don’t. Which they obviously could. Wouldn’t blame them for not sharing that with me.
Maybe I’ll ask Andruw today. If nothing else, he can crack on my Chuck Taylors.
“MAN ON THE MOON” by Michael Stipe
Mott the Hoople and the game of Life. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Monopoly, Twenty one, checkers, and chess. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let’s play Twister, let’s play Risk. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
See you heaven if you make the list. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, Andy did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby. Are we losing touch?
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believe there’s nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool.
Moses went walking with the staff of wood. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Newton got beaned by the apple good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Mister Charles Darwin had the gall to ask. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey Andy did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey, Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby. Are you having fun?
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believe there’s nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool.
Here’s a little agit for the never-believer. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Here’s a little ghost for the offering. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Here’s a truck stop instead of Saint Peter’s. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Mister Andy Kaufman’s gone wrestling [wrestling bears]. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey Andy did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy are you goofing on Elvis, hey baby, are we losing touch?
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believe there’s nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool.
“Must” week for skidding Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do I know how to pick the right week to stay home, or what?
It’s not a sinking ship yet, this Braves vessel. But it’s taking on water at an alarming rate (does that make it sinking? I guess technically, it does).
Even the most optimistic fan would probably concur that a silica tile or two on this shuttle, er, team’s underside has been cracked, while going 3-8 and losing three straight series, including a 2-5 start to this 10-game trip.
Is it over? Statistically, no.
The division race is almost certainly over, since it would take a collapse by a Mets team that’s headed in the opposite direction, playing good ball and getting key contributions from previously underperforming or injured veterans.
But the wild-card race? Of course it’s not over. The Braves, with 31 games left on their schedule, are four games behind wild-card leader San Diego and one behind Philadelphia.
Which brings us to this week, here in humid South Florida. Folks, this is the biggest series of the season for the Braves. Yes, the biggest. And here’s why: They are facing the coldest team in the majors, a disheveled Marlins team that’s lost 11 of 12 games while posting a 5.59 ERA.
Meanwhile, the Padres are opening a four-game series against the NL West-leading Diamondbacks, who have a three-game lead over the Padres with a chance to bury them during this long weekend series at Petco Park (and no, the Padres aren’t a particularly strong home team, with a good-not-great 35-29 record).
(Of course, it doesn’t help Atlanta’s cause that the Braves have lost whatever early season road mojo they briefly had; they’re 6-12 in their past 18 games away from Atlanta and losing close ones left and right.)
Is there urgency or optimism in the Braves clubhouse? Don’t know. I’ll let you know after I get back in there today and after seeing how tonight’s game goes and how the Braves act afterward. I really can’t tell you how events of the past week have affected the collective psyche of the team, not until I attempt to get a feel for it myself.
It’s been a bad string of games at a most inopportune time, when the Mets were getting hot and the Braves came up against three teams, Arizona, Cincinnati and St. Louis, that earlier in the season - and not much earlier, in the cases of Cincy and St. Louis - seemed like they’d be pushovers, or close to it.
Instead, they lost two of three to an Arizona team that was the hottest in the NL when the Braves faced them. Then lost three of four at Cincy to a Reds team that since July 3 has the National League’s best record, at 29-19 and also has the league’s best record in the past 10 games, at 8-2.
And they lost two of three to a resurgent Cardinals team that looked absolutely dead in the water until Milwaukee collapsed and opened the door to a possible playoff berth. The Cards are, unbelievably, just two games out of first place in the NL Central, despite the fact they are 63-64 and have been below .500 since April 16.
Is this an excuse for the Braves’ performance? Absolutely not. They’ve played poorly, at least at the most crucial times. They still lead the NL in many offensive categories, including batting average, average with runners in scoring position, with RISP and two outs, etc.
But this team has a knack for not getting that big hit when they absolutely need it. They pile up hits with runners in scoring position in easy wins, and fail to get them too frequently in close games. And when they need a lockdown performance from the ‘pen, they get it infrequently.
They keep talking about playing well enough to win games, but not winning them. But that’s a contradictory statement that rings hollow at this juncture of the season.
If they were playing well enough to win so many games, they’d win at least the majority of said games, wouldn’t they? If they don’t win them, they’re not playing well enough to win. Period.
Because if you’re scoring seven runs a game, it’s still not accurate to say you’re scoring enough runs to win. Because obviously you’re not, if your pitchers give up more runs than you’re scoring.
Because it’s a team, fellas, and those are your pitchers. Whether you like them or not (and at least one of them, you did not, so he’s gone, but that’s another story). So you have to score enough runs and play good enough defense to win with those pitchers, not with the mid-90s Braves pitchers or this season’s San Diego pitchers, or whatever.
Several injuries and a few underperformers have made this pitching staff a far less effective unit than what the Braves envisioned. Tough. That’s the team, and if the Braves thought desperate times called for desperate measures, they could and should have overspent for another starting pitcher at or, even better, before the trade deadline.
They did not. And they also opted to keep Bob Wickman in the closer role right up until the bloody end. Hey, decisions are made. Some are good. Some aren’t. They all have to be lived with, some have to be overcome. Because as a great philospher once said, there’s no crying in baseball.
Besides, the Padres are finding ways to overcome a .249 team batting average that ranks last in the NL, and they’re doing it without a huge payroll. If they Braves, who are a far more balanced team than the Padres, can’t catch them, then they don’t deserve to go to the playoffs, plain and simple.
Catch them, or pull up a bar stool and watch the postseason from home for a second consecutive season, starting a new kind of multi-year streak the Braves sure wanted no part of last fall and all spring, when they talked about how having their division-title streak snapped and being picked to finish out of the playoffs was motivating them.
Well, they lost Mike Hampton before the season and lost Mike Gonzalez early on. A lot of other contending teams lost crucial pieces, too. Tough luck. Bottom line: Nobody cares, when the postseason grid is filled out and the non-participants are sent home.
The Braves added Mark Teixeira, Ron Mahay and Octavio Dotel at the deadline. The first two have met or exceeded all expectations. That’s two more moves than several other contenders made, and a bigger move (Teixeira) than any other team made. If it’s not enough, if the Braves can’t squeeze a win or two a week out of their motley Nos. 3-5 starters and an inconsistent bullpen, well, it’s on them.
But if you keep losing, please don’t tell folks you played good enough to win. Because you didn’t.
A couple of random stats:
— Tim Hudson’s Cy Young chances were diminished with his loss Saturday. His 3.23 ERA is more than a run higher than Chris Young and Jake Peavy, he’s not among NL strikeouts leaders (Peavy has 186; Smoltz, by the way, is fifth in NL with 148), and for all the talk of Hudson’s “bad luck,” he’s got the highest run support of any qualifying starting pitcher in the majors, at 7.11 runs per nine innings pitched (Dontrelle Willis is a distant second in the NL at 6.25).
— For all the Braves’ pitching concerns, imagine what old friend Leo Mazzone is going through: His Orioles have posted an 11.17 ERA during the team’s six-game losing skid, allowing earned-run totals of 30, 9, 5, 7, 8 and 11 in those six games.
— Braves expat Kyle Davies is 2-8 with a 7.38 ERA in his past 12 starts, including 0-3 with a 9.75 and .400 opponents’ average in his past three.
— Andruw Jones is 10-for-31 (.323) with three homers, seven RBIs and a .400 OBP in his past eight games, but his hot streak could be put to the test this weekend: He’s 4-for-34 (.118) with one RBI in eight games against Florida this season.
— Chipper Jones and Braves indicated yesterday he could miss another day with that sore groin. I’m guessing he plays tonight: He’s 5-for-10 with two homers off Marlins starter Scott Olsen.
— How bad is the Braves’ bench? Real bad. Scott Thorman has a .196 average, 24 RBIs and a .233 OBP in 84 games (219 at-bats) since May 1, and Chris Woodward is 2-for-22 (.091) with one RBI and three errors in his past 23 games. Ugh.
— Also skidding: Willie Harris is 6-for-46 (.130) with one RBI in 14 games, and Jeff Francoeur is 4-for-28 (.143) with one extra-base hit (double) and one RBI in six games.
OK, gotta get ready and get out to horrible Dolphin Stadium.
The rest of the blog is non-baseball, so if you don’t want to read about movies and music, skip to posting. Because we don’t want to hear your suggestions on how to improve the blog by eliminating things you don’t like.
Wanted to share with you movie fans, we took in three great ones in the past week, from both ends of the spectrum and somewhere in the middle: Superbad (funniest movie of the year), Bourne Ultimatum (even better action movie than Casino Royale), and No End In Sight (concise, compelling study of the Iraq war).
And now, a music note: Steve Earle’s got a great new CD coming out in four weeks, and my man Don at Ella Guru hooked me up with an advance copy. Been listening to it all week. It’s terrific. CD’s called “Washington Square Serenade,” and the lyrics say a lot about his adopted home town, New York, where he lives with his wife, Allison Moorer.
Couldn’t find any lyrics transcribed yet from that CD, but here’s a great one from a long time ago:
”ANGRY YOUNG MAN” by Steve Earle & John Porter McMeans
Got a lot of memories tied up in this place/So much time spent in so little space
What looked like the world through the eyes of a child/Kind of closes in on you after awhile
It’s a place to grow up and a place to grow old/You keep your mouth shut and you do what you’re told
I told mama the day that I ran/This ain’t no place for an angry young man
Mama if you could see me right now/You’d be so sure you failed me somehow
Mama you never could understand/There ain’t no peace for an angry young man
A cheap hotel a long way from my home/So many people make you feel so alone
Dreams die easy out here in these streets/And hearts grow cold in the city heat
I ain’t never been the patient kind/I got to live like I please or die tryin’
At a filling station with a gun in my hand/The only way for an angry young man
Chipper, Andruw taking day off
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One last blog from St. Louis good folks, then DOB will meet you guys in Florida. Some news on the lineup today: No Joneses. Chipper it taking today off in hopes that one day will save him seven. The groin that has nagged him on and off this year got him again last night during his sixth inning at-bat. He tried to hit some indoors this morning but didn’t have much luck.
He thinks a day or so off will get him back on track, and I would imagine he’ll be back in there Monday, maybe Tuesday in Florida.
Andruw is getting the day off to rest. Bobby Cox said it’s for his knee, his shoulder, his elbow, just generally banged up.
“Just a day off,” is how Andruw put it.
Bobby was going to rest Brian McCann today but decided he couldn’t do without three big hitters in the lineup, so he’ll give McCann tomorrow off instead.
The Braves are going to have to scramble today with no Joneses in and Jo-Jo Reyes on the mound. No offense to the rookie, but he hasn’t pitched past the fourth inning in his last four starts. And he’s got Adam Wainwright on the other side, a guy who doesn’t mind pitching well against the team that drafted him in the first round out of St. Simon’s.
I have a feeling some relief is coming though. The Marlins have been brutal lately, losing 11 of 13. The only catch there is the Marlins are throwing two left-handers in three days. We all know how the Braves have fared against left-handed starters as a whole this season. (They’re 23-30 against left-handed starters.)
As for the first lefty the Braves will face tomorrow: Do you think it’s just coincidence that Scott Olsen’s won-loss record is 911? Ok, 9-11, but work with me. And the Braves thought they had a hand full with Wickman. Apples and oranges.
Chuck James is supposed to give his “dead arm” its first go with a side session tomorrow in Florida. He seems upbeat about he’s been feeling, and wow is he going to be important in September. I’d say we need to keep a pretty good eye on that.
And let’s pause for a little more reflection on Andruw’s catch in the eighth last night, to rob Jim Edmonds (and keep the game within a run), back to the plate, on a full sprint, ball coming from over his shoulder. Maybe he was just trying to keep up with the Curacao Little League team, whose center fielder made a dandy yesterday.
Y’all saw? Pretty impressive. I saw they had them back-to-back on ESPN top 10 plays. Nice touch.
Bobby’s comment about Andruw’s catch this morning? Took a shot at Jayson Stark.
“Great catch,” he said. “Maybe that guy will rewrite his book now.”
And did you know? (I’m thinking some of you probably did, but I’m saying it anyway) that Chris Woodward’s pinch hit single in the sixth inning last night was his first hit since July 29? Granted I think he’s had only 10 at-bats since then, but still.
Gonna go on and post this so you guys can get the news about the lineup. Did get to enjoy one last taste of St. Louis last night with a visit to Mike Shannon’s. Only problem was the kitchen was closed by the time I got there so I missed the toasted ravioli. Also had to switch from the usual Miller products to Anheuser-Busch, but hey, it was cold and the company was good.
Is this where Furman would say Selah? Cheers.
Is getting rid of Wickman right choice now?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Braves designated reliever Bob Wickman for assignment on Friday after the former closer allowed a game-winning home run in the 12th inning at Cincinnati Thursday night.
Is this the right decision for the club at this time?
Do you still have confidence that the Braves will make the playoffs with the current arms in the bullpen?
Permalink | Comments (249) | Categories: Game Night
Change of scenery good for Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ah, you know you’re in a real baseball town when the woman behind the counter at the hotel desk is wearing a Cardinals baseball jersey.
It’s not the playoffs, not a Cubs series, just your average, run-of-the-mill, pennant-influencing baseball weekend.
Maybe the Braves will perk up in this baseball mecca. They need something. As we all know, things couldn’t get a whole lot worse.
This is what Brian McCann had to say last night after the Braves lost their third in a row to the Reds, to fall to 1-6 against them this season and three games back in the wildcard. (Is there another race? Hasn’t been lately, it seems.)
“You can’t come up here in a playoff atmosphere and only win one game,” McCann said.
And really, it was a playoff atmosphere for one team. The Reds crowds were nothing special, in the 20,000s — probably because of the heat and the lack of something at stake for the Reds. These next three days in St. Louis can have playoff implications for both teams. And the ballpark will play more like a regular ballpark, thank goodness.
And at its most basic level, the Braves need the change of scenery in the worst kind of way.
The Braves are at the right point in the rotation to turn things around with Smoltz going tonight and Huddy tomorrow. That right there could get them a series win. But I know, I know, first things first: any kind of win will do.
And as Chipper said last night, when I asked him if he thought things were going to turn around after he tied the game 5-5 with a three-run homer: “I don’t take anything for granted this year.”
Nope, nothing is sacred.
This weekend we’ll have a couple of third-place teams going at it, strange as it is to say, and one of those third-place teams is on the rise.
The Cardinals came into this series only three games back in the Central. Granted, the Central has been pretty weak this year, and the Cardinals are still under .500 at 61-63 coming in. But the Cards are 26-21 in July and August. The Braves in that time are 23-24.
The team that’s reeling right now is Atlanta, which seemed to play its best ball in April when the Cardinals were fading. Now roles have reversed.
In fact, the Braves are only three games ahead of St. Louis in the wildcard.
Believe it or not, Smoltz actually has a losing record against the Cardinals - 10-11 for his career - one of only two NL teams where that’s the case.
And Albert Pujols is smoking hot right now (and for more than just his good looks). He had homers in five games in a row until last night. And he’s pretty well raked against Smoltz, hitting (.467) 7-for-15 with three homers. Smoltz needs to take care of the hitters around Pujols so it’s not that big of a deal if Pujols does his usual damage. Easier said than done of course.
Oh, and the Braves shouldn’t expect to save their offense for late in games. The Cardinals starters are 38-55 with a 5.04 ERA this year, but the relievers are 23-8 with a 3.90 ERA. Jason Isringhausen has converted 25 of 27 saves. He hasn’t blown a save since June 26.
Meanwhile, a couple numbers for thought:
Chipper is back in the lead in the NL batting race, hitting .337 after going 3-for-7 with two doubles and a homer Thursday night.
After going 12 outings without allowing a run from July 19 -August 10, Peter Moylan has allowed runs in three of his last six. He took the loss on Wednesday night against the Reds and a blown save on Thursday.
Andruw Jones’ three hits Thursday night was his first three-hit game since July 18. That last one was also against the Reds, and also in a loss.
Manny Acosta has pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to start his major league career, with two walks and six strikeouts and three hits allowed.
Jeff Francoeur went 0-for-6 Thursday night to fall make that 4-20 (.200) on the trip heading into St. Louis.
Off to the ballpark. It’s my first time to the new Busch Stadium. Saw it going up from inside the old one. Still, I think it’s the people that make the place in this town.
I was here as a spectator a couple years back and even in a game the Cardinals were losing to the Braves, their fans would still ask us Atlantans questions about the team, young players, what the stadium was like in Atlanta, etc. Very cool.
Do denizens do road trips? I highly recommend this town — though perhaps not in August.
Playing .500 ball won’t get it done
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pardon me, if I’m a little hazy in this blog. Just got in from a run.
Some fool decided to run outside because it was hot in the hotel workout room (No AC, at least I figured outside, I might catch a breeze). And you’re gonna listen to that same person try to make some sense out of the Braves current state of being?
But just for kicks, before we get to it, let’s look up the temperature in Cincy. That’s probably something I should have done before leaving on the run, but hey…. Oh for the love of goodness, gracious. It’s 97 out. Feels like 100. No wonder I feel like I’m about to pass out.
Anyway, where were we? The Braves, the .500-ish Braves. Somebody pointed out to me last night after the game that the Braves are a .500 team since late April. I looked it up, and it’s April 27 to be exact. Since then, the Braves are 53-53.
As I pointed out in my game story last night, they’re .500 since the All-Star break (19-19), .500 on the last homestand (3-3), and now hoping to get out of Cincinnati today with a 2-2 split.
(I think they have a decent shot at winning tonight, by the way, with EZ Ramirez on the mound for the Reds - he lost his first start up this year and wasn’t pitching that great in AAA. The key might be whether the Braves can score any runs against the Reds bullpen. The Braves are making it look way too good at the moment: eight shutout innings in the last two games.)
But let’s get back to the .500 thing for a second, see if we can’t have some fun. What else is there to do?
The Braves went 14-14 in May, 13-13 in July. Against everybody in the NL East other than the Mets, they are 18-18. As one of the denizens pointed out last night, they’re 10-10 with Mark Teixeira on the team now. Anybody got another one?
I had a feeling I was going to be so on with this next one, but I just missed. The Braves need to win the next two games to be .500 on games I cover them. They’re 16-18 when I’m on the clock. No wonder I appear the pessimist of this blogging space in my moments.
A team playing .500 ball down the stretch is going to have a hard time making the playoffs. Braves know that. That’s why they’ve got to do something more than hang on for the next week.
And we’ve done a pretty good job hashing through the Braves problems in these parts, thought I’d pass along some things going on around the pennant race of note from the national notes group I belong to:
From Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News:
“Nobody likes to hear teams whine about injuries, but the Phillies really have been hammered this season. The latest to go on the DL was star LHP Cole Hamels, sidelined with what is being called a “very mild” elbow strain. Assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. called the results of the MRI Hamels underwent on Wednesday “good news, considering.”
Still, Hamels was unable to make his scheduled start Wednesday night against the Dodgers. And the Phillies lost, 15-3, with J.D. Durbin moving up a day to take his place in the rotation. And they had LHP Fabio Castro set to make his first major league start Thursday afternoon. So everything is relative.
Hamels became the 19th different player to see DL time this year. So, as tiresome as it is to hear, it really is kind of amazing that they were just a game out in the wild card standings (behind the Padres, who come to town this weekend) and five games behind the first-place Mets going into play Thursday.
Hamels attributed the start of his problem to throwing off a shoddy bullpen mound in Washington before a start last week.”
And also, from Hagen:
“The rotation is currently Durbin, Castro Kyle Lohse, Kyle Kendrick and veteran Jamie Moyer. Only Moyer has been in the Phillies rotation all season. RHP Adam Eaton is expected to come off the DL in time to start against the Mets next Tuesday.
Second baseman Chase Utley, who had his hand broken July 26, should be back no later than Monday, when the Phillies open an important 4-game series against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park.”
And a little something from Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger:
“Jeff Conine was pleased to be traded from a fifth-place team to a first-place team on Monday. Looking ahead to October, and expecting his new team to be playing there, Conine mused Tuesday that he’d only been to the playoffs twice - with the Marlins in 1997 and again with the Marlins in 2003 - and has won the World Series both times.
“I don’t want to mess up that streak,” he said.
Funny story. The Mets originally put Conine in Pedro Martinez’s locker, which has been empty all year while Pedro rehabs from shoulder surgery. But when (Mets PR guy) Jay Horwitz realized everybody was going to make fun of them and point this out in the papers, he scrambled and got the clubbies to move Conine to the locker that had belonged to Anderson Hernandez, who was sent down to make room for Conine.
“My stuff will probably be over on that table over there later,” Conine said, when told he’d been assigned Martinez’s locker.
Conine is the latest former Marlin to join the Mets, including Moises Alou, Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota, Luis Castillo, Ramon Castro and maybe another guy or two I’m forgetting.
“It feels like the first day of school,” Conine said. “This is like Florida Marlins Northeast. Obviously, I have a lot of experience with about a half-dozen guys, and that should make the transition easier.”
Conine has said he expects to retire at the end of this season.”
Do the Braves need to find some more Marlin re-treads? Let’s see, we’ve got Edgar Renteria and Ron Mahay. Who am I missing? Oh yeah, our own David O’Brien, former Marlin hack for the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel….Hey, maybe that’ll pull him out of his vacation and onto the blog again. Ha ha HA!
Is it time to focus on wild card?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Look how fine a line the Braves are walking these days. Lose one game to the Reds, after winning two in a row, and they’re looking up at a six-game deficit in the NL East to the Mets with 36 games to play.
But the Braves are down only one game in the wild-card standings. Is it time to focus on that?
I don’t know. I’m asking you. Somebody else needs to do me some math. I have a hard enough time with the magic number. I was horrible at probability - ask Mrs. Caldwell, my 11th grade math teacher - permutations and combinations, etc. So in my simplistic way, until you guys throw some numbers out at me, are some of the things I’m looking at:
• The Braves have six games left to play against the Mets, and have gone 8-4 against them this year, so nothing is insurmountable yet.
• But the Mets are 7-1 in their last eight games. The Braves are 4-4. Are the Mets playing a high gear that the just might not come for the Braves? The Braves have had a stretch like that since the first game of the season when they went 7-1 against the Phillies, Mets and Nationals.
(Since then they’ve won five in a row once in May, once in June. Since the All-Star break the biggest winning run they’ve gotten on was three games in a row three times.)
• Once the Braves finish their weekend series in St. Louis, it’s back to playing in the NL East, with six games each against the Mets, Nationals, Philies and Marlins. As good as the Braves are against the Mets (8-4), they are.500 against the rest of the division (18-18). And that doesn’t bode particularly well. The only other teams left are Milwaukee and Houston, with a series each. The Braves have fared well against them, taking two of three from each.
Past history isn’t much of an indicator with this team, I don’t think, because so much seems different about this Braves team. There’s been no commanding lead, no big move in the standings, just long stretches of .500 ball and trying to figure out if this team is going to step forward as a contender or not.
But there has to be some consolation from 1993. The Braves trailed the Giants by 7 ½ games in the NL West on the morning of August 22 and won the division. As lots of folks pointed out on here yesterday, there was much better starting pitching on that team. But then again, these Mets aren’t those Giants, who won 103 games. The Mets are on pace for 92 wins.
At this point in 1994, the Braves were trailing the Expos by six games. Then the strike came that might have saved the Braves from losing their first division in four years and preventing the whole 14 in a row. Then 1995 came the wildcard and created this whole new possibility.
So what about it now? Thoughts?
Looking for reasons to feel better today? Edgar Renteria is back in the lineup. Lance Cormier looked like a much better pitcher in his last start. And the Braves, who are 23-30 against left-handed starters are due to face right-handers for the rest of this trip (Bronson Arroyo tonight, Elizardo Ramirez Thursday, Kip Wells, Joel Pineiro and Adam Wainwright in St. Louis.) They are 43-30 against right-handed starters.
Grabbing at straws? We’ll see.
Sometimes you guys ask, ‘What’s the mood in the clubhouse.” And I roll my eyes, because night-to-night that’s just not that big of a deal. They act how you would expect. Quiet. Subdued. But last night I believed it was especially intense, especially with Cox, who pulled Reyes in the third inning with the idea that the Braves would come back and win.
So to me that’s a sign that the Braves know it’s crunch time and that can’t be all bad. The intensity level goes up.
Oh and one more thing on Mark Teixeira hitting two home runs while sick on Monday. Bobby Cox said Teixeira had told him the last time he felt that way in Texas, he hit for the cycle. No wonder Cox ran him out there.
McGriff, “Tex” comparisons are eerie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We all know the comparisons from the trading deadline day. On July 31, 1993, Fred McGriff homered in his first game as a Brave. On August 1, 2007, Mark Teixeira homered his first game as a Brave.
Both of them had three homers by their third game as a Brave, hard as it was to believe.
But with what Teixeira has done the last couple games - two two-run homers, two three-run homers - made me wonder if he’s even surpassing what McGriff did in ‘93, and that was the stuff of legend.
So I checked.
Teixeira has 9 homers and 25 RBIs in 18 games as a Brave. (That’s the equivalent of one home run every other day by my very intricate mathematical calculation). How did McGriff do? What kind of production did McGriff maintain over his first 18 games?
It’s close, at least in homers, but Teixeria gets him. McGriff had 7 homers, 15 RBIs in his first 18 games.
McGriff gets Teixeira in batting average and runs. Teixeira has hit .294 (with a slugging percentage of .765 by the way). McGriff was hitting .386 through his first 18 games. Teixeira has scored 16 runs in 18 games. McGriff had 19.
Both are pretty impressive though. Teixeira won’t get the same credit, I don’t think, unless the Braves make the playoffs. But for now, the won-loss record of the Braves through the first 18 games with Tex is is not a far off as you think. (Or I thought!)
You’d think the Braves record with McGriff was much better, right? Nope. It’ss not all that different. The Braves were 12-6 in McGriff’s first 18 games with Atlanta. The Braves are 10-8 with Teixeira.
Those last two wins helped Tex’ss cause. And it’s pretty unbelievable that Teixeira did what he did on a sick belly last night. And Bobby said last night he’s also been playing with an injured finger.
“(It’s) almost a broken finger,” Cox said. “He played (Sunday) I didn’t think he could play. A groundball hit him right on his finger (Saturday). He said he’d done it before. He was good to go.”
Tim Hudson got his 15th win Monday night, and with six weeks left (about 7 starts), he could conceivably make a run at 20, which he has done once in his career in 2000, when he was 20-6 with Oakland.
Someone asked him about that possibility last night.
“I’m just going out there and giving us a good chance to win,” Hudson said. “Hopefully we win every one of my starts. I don’t care if I get the win or not. But if the team wins and we’re ready to make the playoffs at the end of the season, that’s all that matters.”
(Funny, that sounds a lot like the point I made on the blog this morning. Hm. But I digress. I’m sure he’d still love a shot at 20 wins though. Who wouldn’t?)
Can you name the Braves’ last 20-game winner? I wouldn’t have remembered this one. Answer in a coupla graphs.
Jo-Jo Reyes gets back in the big league saddle tonight, filling in for Chuck James who’s skipping a start with some shoulder inflammation (aka dead arm).
Jo-Jo has made five starts for Atlanta and has yet to get his first major league win. This is not the greatest ballpark for him to do that. But then again, it’s not a great ballpark for Chuck James either, who’s given up a staff-high 25 home runs, including four in his last start. I wonder if that played a part in the decision Cox made to skip James. I’m guessing probably not, but you never know.
You guys bring up an interesting point. With the Padres and the Mets playing for the next three days, who should Braves fans be pulling for? Entering Tuesday night’s game, the Braves are five games behind the Mets in the division with 37 games to play. They are tied with the Phillies one game behind the Padres in the wildcard. It’s habit to pull against the Mets. But is it more realistic to sacrifice the division lead and catch up to the Padres in the wildcard race?
If that’s too confusing, you could just concentrate on pulling for the Dodgers over the Phillies. But then again, the Dodgers are only 2 ½ games out in the wildcard. So maybe that doesn’t work either.
See how much easier it is just to win the division?
Let’s take a moment to give props to a local guy: former Parkview and University of Georgia player Jeff Keppinger, who’s found a niche with the Reds. He’s the hottest hitter in the majors this month, hitting.462 in August (24-for-52).
He extended his career-best hitting streak to nine games by going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and three runs on Monday night. And we shouldn’t expect him to slow down just yet. He’s facing left-hander Reyes tonight and he’s owned lefties this year. Granted he’s had only 30 at-bats against them, but he’s hit them at a .467 clip (14-for-30).
The last 20-game winner for the Braves? Russ Ortiz with 21 in 2003. Before that, it was Glavine in 2000.
P.S. I’m a little scared of the skyline chili. I’ve seen it, and it’s brown, a weird-looking brown. I’;ve heard the secret ingredient might be cinnamon and it might be chocolate. I’m not so sure about either in my chili. And I have been too wimpy to try it. Maybe I’ll get up the nerve tonight.
Huddy up for some Cy talk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I must be thinking right along with the editors at the AJC today because I had planned all along to get bloginacious today about Tim Hudson and his Cy Young chances. Then I opened the paper this morning to see an another centerpiece on the subject.
But hey, I still say there’s room to discuss. I didn’t see any Lew comments there, or BravesDave. So let’s toss it around here today. And with a little bit of seriousness.
I want to know what you think, who’d vote for if you had to today and if you weren’t a gigantuan Braves fan. Look at it objectively, if that’s possible, and tell me how you would cast your vote.
And just to simplify, let’s say you’re voting based on what you know right this very minute - not projecting how they might all do the last month of the season. Because a lot can happen from here on out - starting tonight for Tim Hudson in Cincinnati - and a lot will. The voting will get easier. But for the denizens, let’s make it hard.
Right now, you’ve got guys all bunched together, and that makes it interesting.
Coming into the series opener in Cincinnati tonight, here are the guys you’ve got bunched at the top with 14 wins to lead the National League - Hudson, Brad Penny, Carlos Zambrano, and Cole Hamels. We could toss Zambrano out because of his 3.86 ERA, which ranks only 21st among National League starters.
Then if you look purely at ERA, you’ve got Chris Young (1.93), Jake Peavy (2.19), Penny (2.59) and Brandon Webb (2.63). Hudson is fifth with 3.02. Not bad at all.
What’s killing Young is he’s pitched only 130 2/3 innings, behind the pace of the top starters, and he’s only 9-4. A terrible offense is San Diego is robbing him because the guy’s got a 0.66 ERA at Petco Park. He’s had 10 scoreless outings of his 22 starts. And we thought Hudson’s bad breaks were excruciating.
Anyway, he just can’t be considered yet. So if I were voting now, it wouldn’t be him.
Hudson at the moment is a bang-your-head-against-the-wall vote. If life was fair at all, he would have 17 wins, way ahead of everybody else. Remember the blown saves in Florida, Minnesota, and San Francisco? Am I forgetting any? And his ERA is right there, so you could totally justify a vote there.
Penny is right there with him with 14 wins and he’s third in ERA (second among those with 160 innings) at 2.59. He was 10-1 to start the season. If something has taken a little of his edge off, it’s the Dodgers’ 15-20 record since the All-Star break. And Penny has actually lost two games since the break. He’s now 14-3.
For Cole Hamels, the more important the games are for the Phillies it seems, the better he’s playing. He’s 5-1 with a 2.75 ERA in his last eight starts as the pennant races heat up. He’s got 14 wins too.
Then there’s Brandon Webb. Just saw him Friday night for the Diamondbacks. He’s the reigning NL Cy Young MVP. I haven’t seen as dominating a pitching performance - me with my own eyes - since maybe Randy Johnson’s perfect game a couple years back. And I’m talking about the kind of game where you knew nobody was going to score and you knew he was going to pitch the whole game. What more can you ask of a pitcher? The guy’s got 42 consecutive shutout innings.
So what do you do? Pick your poison. Me, I’d like to have the next five weeks to make up my mind. But for now, I take Jake Peavy. He’s 13-5 with a 2.19 ERA, second-best in the National League (first among pitchers with 160-plus innings). He’s leading the league in strikeouts. His ERA is almost half a run better than Penny.
I don’t know. I like him.
I believe in ERA as an indicator of starting pitching. I know a lot of folks will get into WHIP and such, but for me, who cares how many guys get on base so much as how many score. At least in this kind of analysis. (I’d rather have a closer with a low WHIP, so there wouldn’t be a chance of anything. But for a starter, I think of it differently.)
Anyway, let’s talk about this. What do you think? And are there others we at the AJC have totally ignored that need consideration? You guys could pick apart my thinking here, and that’s cool. Teach me something.
Oh by the way, it’s Carroll again - if you skipped the byline at the top - and I’m on the clock for the first two cities of this roadtrip - Cincinnati and St. Louis. So like it or not, you’ve got me, me, me for a couple days. (Actually a few more than that, I figured I’d just break it to you gently.)
I have Saudia Arabia and Canada playing a little Little League behind me on my hotel room TV in Cincinnati. It reminds me of something I wanted to tell you guys from the other day. You might know this already but the Braves watch this stuff. They must be just like us, and get a kick out of seeing the little dudes playing the kids’ game on TV. As the game was originally intended, you know?
Anyway, the other afternoon in the Braves clubhouse, we heard this loud roar coming from the players’ lounge, where they have a big screen TV and watch college football, golf, whatever it might be. Those of us in the clubhouse - which is adjacent - looked around at each other like huh? Are the Mets on? What happened? Turns out it was a kid from Massachusetts making a home-run saving catch on the last play of the game.
See?
Oh and apparently they’re only showing this game because there’s a rain delay. I’m right on top of things.
And speaking of young kids playing baseball….Julio….Ha….Julio Franco played his four first games with Class A Rome over the weekend, going 4-for-13 (.308) with two RBIs. All four hits were singles. He struck out twice, which is no big deal, unless you’re the opposing Class A pitcher, who gets to tell people, “Hey, I struck out Julio Franco!”
Julio is apparently going to rejoin the Rome Braves on their next homestand beginning Friday. In the meantime, he’ll celebrate his 49th birthday on Thursday.
Just read this on the Rome website, a recap of Sunday’s game: “Rome got on the board early in the first inning when Travis Jones led off the inning with a walk, moved to third on a double by Phillip Britton, and scored on a Julio Franco single for the early 1-0 lead….”
Hey, wait a minute. Sounds a little funny, doesn’t it?
Braves a lot like all NL contenders … except Arizona
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Man, I was wondering what happened to those freezers full of meat I misplaced….
Anyway, back on the case today after a one-day reprieve from the oppressive heat at the ballpark, and wouldn’t you know it cools off Friday night, however slightly. Now it’s heating back up, pushing 100 today. Oh, well. Elments are part of the game, right?
So the Teixeira singers are hitting it big, and the denizens are helping out. That’s good. We like irreverent humor here, always. Those boys sound a lot like a young They Might Be Giants, don’t you think? Good stuff.
Meanwhile, returning to the fray of the races…. September ain’t here, but we can see the whites of its eyes, so to speak. And once that calendar turns, the focus and attention to the playoff races is really going to get turned up.
Which is why the Braves had best take advantage of these next three days. As predictable as the last two losses should have been to anyone paying attention to how Lincecum and Webb had been pitching — not to mention the fact the Giants and D-Backs aces weren’t facing the Braves’ aces either night — these next few days offer the Braves a prime opportunity to reel off a few wins.
Tonight it’s Buddy Carlyle (7-4, 4.39) vs. Micah Owings (5-6, 4.76), who has pitched much better in August after posting a 9.52 ERA in five July starts. Then it’s Smoltz vs. Yusmeiro Petit (2-3, 4.23) as Smoltz attempts to stay unbeaten against opponents named Yusmeiro, in a day-game series finale that the Braves are considering playing in a deep-fat fryer to makes things more comfortable for fans,
Then on Monday at Cincy, Tim Hudson will match up with Phil Dumatrait as Huddy strives to remain unbeaten against opponents named Dumatrait.
Where’s the power?In order for the Braves to succeed, they’d greatly improve their chances by recharging the offense and particularly the power component of their lineup, which has been flat for nearly a week now, regardless of opposition. Now, is that an obvious statement, or what? Thank you, it comes from years of doing this kind of thing.
The Braves bowed up for 21 homers and 91 runs during an 8-4 run from July 29 to Aug. 11. In the last five games before today (writing this Saturday afternoon), the Braves have hit just .219 with ONE homer and 17 runs while going 2-3.
The Braves don’t have to have big power out of McCann, but they could use more than this: He’s got one homer in 109 at-bats over his past 27 games.
Again, they don’t need big power from him, especially if they’re getting it elsewhere and he’s getting his singles and doubles and driving in runs. But one homer in 27 games is notable, considering how he had regained his power stroke for several weeks before this drought.
Salty update: For the curious who might not be keeping up with AL results, yesterday Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his first homer since being traded to the Rangers.
The rookie had two RBIs in his Texas debut Aug. 1, and has had only two more RBIs in 14 games and 52 at-bats since then.
Salty is hitting .193 with three doubles, one homer and four RBIs in 15 games for Texas, and made four errors in a five-game stretch last week. The first-base thing just does not suit him, at least not yet.
For the season, he’s hit .347 (34-for-98) with three homers, six RBIs and a .385 OBP as a catcher. As a first baseman, he’s hit .159 (13-for-82) with two homers, seven RBIs, 23 strikeouts and a .213 OBP.
For the season, Salty’s hit .258 with nine doubles, five homers, 16 RBIs and 44 stikeouts in 198 at-bats, with a .305 OBP and .379 slugging percentage. He’s hit .163 (8-for-49) with runners in scoring position, including 3-for-25 with two outs.
Odd pitching numbers: The Braves have the third-best ERA (3.94) in NL since break, but only the Brewers have blown as many saves. Both teams have blown seven since the break, the Braves in 13 opportunities, the Brewers in 17.
The races: Still early, but never too early to compare.
The Diamondbacks are the hottest team in the NL, and by a wide margin. They’ve won 20 of 25, which is reminder of how quickly things can change. This 20-5 run began immediately after they went 4-12 to begin July.
Fortunately for the Braves, Arizona will win the NL West going away if it continues playing anything near this level of baseball the rest of the way, thereby not affecting the Braves’ chances of making the playoffs either as a wild-card winner or, obviously, as a division champion.
Outside of Arizona, no other team has put together a sustained run over several weeks recently, though the Cardinals are getting there. In the East, it’s wide open. Someone’s going to have to win it, and three teams can legitimately claim they have as good a chance as anyone.
Anyway, to compare NL contenders and would-be contenders. Here are the teams’ records since June 24 and since July 29:
Braves (26-20 and 10-7); Mets (28-21, 10-7); Phillies (27-20, 11-7); Cubs (28-20, 8-11); Padres (23-25, 10-8); reeling Brewers (19-29, 5-12); Dodgers (21-27, 6-12); Diamondbacks (27-21, 12-5); Rockies (24-23, 10-8); Cardinals (25-23, 10-8).
Anyone see a team other than the Diamondbacks (if they keep this up) running away with anything in that group? I don’t.
Talk about struggling with the jump: Braves 1B prospect Kala Kaaihue’s nickname is K.K., and that’s been appropriate since he moved from Class A Myrtle Beach to Double-A Mississippi.
He hit .298 with 22 homers, 61 RBIs and a .992 OPS (.410 OBP) in 89 games at Myrtle.
At Double-A? He’s 10-for-72 (.139) with no homers, seven RBIs, 37 strikeouts and a .437 OPS (.220 OBP) in 20 games.
For the season, he’s got 129 strikeouts in 381 at-bats.
In the latest Baseball America, he’s rated the seventh-best 1B prospect in all the minors.
“RIVER” by David Allan Coe and M. Yonts
River, you heard my first cry as a baby
And, like my Mom, you sang me lullabies
You knew my fishing pole
When I was eight years old
And, river, you never told me lies
River, I can see you from my window
Your muddy water makes me feel alone
River, you keep flowing
Like you know just where you’re going
But, River, will you ever take me home
River, I’m not proud of what I’ve done
Somehow my fishing pole became a gun
Through these prison bars I see
That you’re still running free
But, river, I’ve got no place to run
Tex ditty goes big city
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m taking a sabbatical from the heavy talk today - the will it be wild card or will it be division - I’m too distracted.
This is just too good. Have y’all heard about this yet? The YouTube clip of a couple guys from Alabama singing their ode to Mark Teixeira?
The musicianship, the lyrics, the delivery. The fact that they do the entire song without busting out. It’s great. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.
But first, the link: It’s here.
Jeff Francoeur got wind of it and e-mailed the guys, offering them tickets to a Braves game and a meet-and-greet with Tex. Then the Braves went one step farther.
The Braves public relations folks, who’d been forwarded the link, invited these guys to the game August 31 (vs. the Mets, no less) to perform their song in the plaza. They’re also going to record the song in HD on the dugout, so the stadium folks can play it on the video board during pre-game stuff or a rain delay.
I don’t want to spoil it by sharing any lyrics. But the song is catchy. Try watching this video a couple times, then watching a Braves game and not have the tune in your head when Teixeira comes to the plate.
I just called the guys. They were great. Both are Auburn students from Alabama and longtime Braves fans. (They are, surprisingly, not regulars on this blog; I just know there’s some serious talent out there among you guys. Maybe they will be denizens now.) Let’s welcome the brothers in. We’re gonna light up their YouTube posting, right?
Andrew Hall is 23. He’s the one without the guitar, who does the Bobby Cox “Let’s go Mark T” line. He’s a masters’ student in physical education.
“All my teachers used to tell me I wouldn’t get anywhere goofing around,” Hall said. “At least I have for the last couple days.”
These are two guys who like doing some goofy stuff. Tyler Crawford, 20, a junior and a nursing student at Auburn - the one with the guitar - said the two of them once tired to break an egg toss world record at the Auburn intramural fields. They got to 90 yards, but alas - the record was 107.
They wrote the song sitting around the house watching the Braves the night of the trade. Teixeira didn’t play in the game that night, as you know, but when they saw him introduced, they felt the buzz all the way to Auburn. (And no, not any alcohol buzz, in case you were wondering.)
“We were talking about writing a song, and we had been talking about needing something to inspire us for some words,” Crawford said. “All of a sudden we saw Mark Teixeira, we’re like ‘Dude, Mark Teixeira tribute, we gotta do it.’ Thirty minutes later, we were writing the song. I picked up the guitar. We did the first line, and we were laughing hysterically. We couldn’t stop laughing. It just went from there.”
It helped that there’s lots to rhythm with Teixeira. (Scarlett O’Hara, no less.) The guys needed four takes to get the words down, and to stop laughing.
They first posted the video on facebook so their friends could see it. Hall and Crawford, who both work at the IT help desk at Auburn, decided to put it on YouTube.
“He’d tell me ‘Hey man, we got over 100 hits!’” Crawford said. “I’m like ‘Yeah, that’s awesome.’”
They thought that was exciting. The YouTube site was up to 9,000 hits by the middle of the day Friday. How ‘bout adding a few more now?
They were so excited when Francoeur posted a note to them, once they figured out it wasn’t a prank, that they called each other at the same time. And now they’ve got free tickets to the Braves game. And can meet Tex.
“Maybe they can talk him into catching some balls at first base for me,” said Hall, who pitched and played shortstop in high school and said he pitched a little bit at Auburn.
In the meantime, they’ve got some rehearsing to do. Crawford said the most people he’s ever performed in front of is maybe 300 kids once at a summer camp. Something tells me there will be a few more walking through the Turner Field plaza that night.
Too funny. And you gotta love how the internet connects people. I do.
How ‘bout a little replay, eh?
OK, and while I love the Braves’ reaction to this little Teixeira ditty, I have to gripe about one thing from last night at the game. I was there as a spectator, down there boiling with the masses, and I was sitting there with my jaw in my lap at the end of the game when I saw Rajai Davis go up and take that homer from Andruw.
Or I think he took a homer away.
I needed to see it again. I’m programmed to seeing it again. We all are from watching TV (or hey, at least sitting in the press box, where TVs aren’t far away). But either because it was the last out of the game or because it was a Giant and not a Brave doing the feat (more likely), we didn’t get to see a replay. And trust me, I wasn’t the only one in the crowd left wanting more.
Let’s make some exceptions sometimes and treat Braves fans like baseball people. Cause a ton of them are, you know what I’m saying?
The heat? Is on.
So tonight we have that totally lopsided-looking Brandon Webb vs. Lance Cormier matchup. Webb - he of the 33-inning scoreless streak - vs. Cormier of the 13.50 ERA. Webb hasn’t given up a run since July 20. He’s had back-to-back complete game shutouts in his last two starts.
Is there anything the Braves can do?
Well, that got me to thinking. It’s supposed to be 91 degrees at first pitch tonight and feel like 95. Last night it had to be in the mid to upper 90s until about the 7th inning. Heck, it felt like Arizona but without the retractable roof.
So how would an Arizona pitcher fare in that kind of heat?
Surely he’s conditioned to walking to his car and back in that kind of heat but what about pitching in it?
Webb’s last start against the Nationals was at home, inside, in the AC. Two starts ago in Los Angeles, game time temperature was 79 degrees. Three starts ago in San Diego, it was - what else - 71 degrees with a nice breeze coming in off San Diego Bay. The time before that was at home.
You get the idea. About the closest thing he’s had to a hot day was in Cincinnati on July 7. It was 87 at first pitch. He gave up four earned runs that day and the DBacks lost.
Grabbing at straws? Maybe. But dude, all I’m saying is, it’s hot!!! What do you have to say?
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
Braves nearing three-quarter pole
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The season will be three-quarters completed when the weekend arrives, and the Braves aren’t where they had hoped to be, in first place in the NL East. They are a flawed team that could miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
On the other hand, all the other NL teams they’re competing against for the division title or a wild-card berth are flawed, too, and none of those teams added Mark Teixeira to their lineup at the trade deadline. Or made a move of similar impact by adding a pitcher or pitchers.
That’s why there’s probably more optimism in the Braves’ clubhouse than perhaps any NL team except Arizona’s. The Diamondbacks have the league’s best one-run-games record and have the look of one of those destiny’s darling teams, like the 2003 Braves.
The statistics say the D-backs should not be contending for a playoff berth — they’ve been outscored 537-507, for one thing — but the won-lost record says they are, and that’s all that counts. That and momentum, which the D-backs certainly have had in the past few weeks.
But can they maintain it? They were 17-4 despite hitting just .248 with a 3.73 ERA over a 21-game span before they got pounded by the Marlins last night, when Dontrelle Willis (he’s only 8-12) struck out 11 in seven innings.
Let’s keep an eye on Arizona in the next week, because what happens could provide a good indication of whether their magic will continue. But if they keep up what they’ve done lately, the Braves wouldn’t have to worry about them in a potential wild-card race anyway, because the D-backs would win the NL West.
But back to the Braves. Sorry for the detour there.
Last night’s game was exceedingly entertaining, if you could get past the gut-wrenching aspect from a Braves fan’s perspective, or the ulcer-inducing aspect from a beat writer cranking out an immediate story on Bobby Cox’s ejections record and then seeing Wickman blow a save in the ninth, forcing you to frantically rewrite the game story you’ve got going on another file that has to be punched as soon as the game ends….
And is it better to win 4-3, after scoring those four runs in the sixth inning after Teixeira leads off with his fifth homer in 12 games as a Brave, and Yunel Escobar comes through with yet another clutch hit, and Matt Diaz keeps up his ridiculous hitting clip with a pinch RBI single for the 4-3 lead.
Is it better to have won by that score, than to watch Wickman blow a save - the seventh blown save by the Braves since the All-Star break, matching their total blown before the break - and force the Braves to come back and score again in the ninth?
I don’t know, but a case could be made that responding to the Giants’ ninth-inning tying run off Wickman by scoring another run of their own in the bottom of the ninth on Chipper’s RBI double, that that was better for the team’s psyche than putting it away in the top of the ninth.
Or not. Who knows? Sure, they’d like to think their bullpen is lights-out every night, but the Braves have already seen Wickman struggle enough and blow enough saves - albeit none at home before last night - to know he’s not foolproof at this stage of the game. And to do that celebration after a walkoff hit, a game-ending knock by a team leader, that’s good stuff for a team. The stuff that the Diamondbacks have been enjoying on a seemingly everyday basis, including at the Braves’ expense a couple weeks ago.
Alright a quick rundown: Went back to where the Braves started playing better ball and wanted to see how their record since then compared to the other contenders for playoff berths.
Since June 25: Braves (25-18, .306 average, 3.90 ERA, 266 runs); New York Mets (25-20, .270, 4.23 ERA, 216 runs); Philadelphia Phillies (24-19, .291, 4.37 ERA, 261 runs); Arizona Diamondbacks (23-21, .239, 4.41 ERA, .178 runs); San Diego Padres (22-20, .242, 4.27 ERA, 187 runs); Los Angeles Dodgers (18-26, .281, 4.41 ERA, 195 runs); Colorado Rockies (23-20, .292, 4.38 ERA, 260 runs); Milwaukee Brewers (19-25, .257, 5.16 ERA, 210 runs); Chicago Cubs (25-19, .270, 4.38 ERA, 213 runs); St. Louis Cardinals (23-21, .285, 4.24 ERA, 207 runs).
Rough go for Ho: Horacio, that is. Horacio Ramirez. Might lose his spot in the Seattle rotation. The ex-Braves lefty is 7-4 with an unsightly 7.38 ERA and .341 opponents’ average, with more walks (32) than strikeouts (31) in 72 innings over 14 starts this season.
He’s 6-1 with a 4.05 ERA with huge run support in eight home starts, and 1-3 with a 13.50 ERA (not a typo) and .410 opponents’ average (and huge run support) in six road starts. He had a huge home-road disparity as a Brave, too, but nothing like that. That’s unbelievable.
Horacio, who the Braves traded for Rafael Soriano, is 4-4 with an 8.88 ERA in 10 night games. Right-handers are hitting .367 with a .988 OPS against him.
With runners in scoring position, he’s allowed a .419 average and .481 OBP.
He’s having, in other words, a Pacific Northwest nightmare.
More stats: Escobar has already had 18 multi-hit games in his 56 games in the majors, including three four-hit games. Only seven NL players have more three-hit games this season, including Edgar Renteria, who leds the majors with five. Escobar has been filling in for Renteria, who is probably at least another week from returning from a high-ankle sprain.
In his past 19 games, Escobar has hit .393 (24-for-61) with four doubles, 10 runs and eight RBIs.
Tim Hudson is moving up the list of Cy Young candidates. He’s still got an ERA a run higher than San Diego’s Chris Young (2.02), but Hudson is the hottest pitcher in the NL, notwithstanding Brandon Webb’s scoreless innings streak.
Hudson is 7-0 with a 2.26 ERA and no homers allowed in his past nine starts, and 4-0 with a 0.64 ERA in his past four home starts.
Andruw Jones sunk to an NL-worst .212 with his 0-for-4 Tuesday, and he’s also got a league-worst .192 home average and league-worst .212 average vs. righties. Next-lowest home average belongs to San Diego’s Marcus Giles (.202).
Jones has hit .138 (32-for-232) with 113 strikeouts in two-strike counts.
Chipper’s .358 average vs. right-handers would lead the NL by nine points if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He will soon, but the Braves have faced more lefties than any team in the majors, by a wide margin. That and his DL stint have kept him below that particular qualifying standard.
Jones ranks second in the NL in OBP (.425), third in slugging (.593), and sixth in average (.335, eight points behind leader Hanley Ramirez).
Alright, gonna devote the rest of this blog to my thoughts on Willy Aybar, in light of yesterday’s news that he had surgery on a broken hamate bone in his right hand.
If you don’t want to hear sympathy for the kid, if you think he should just go away and that the Braves should cut the cord, I understand. I really do. So maybe you should just skip the rest of the blog. Not a problem.
If you’re still here, here goes:
No, I wasn’t expecting much if anything from Aybar down the stretch, when the Braves planned to add him to their expanded September roster. But he would’ve been a nice extra bat and pretty good infield glove to have on the bench.
But much more importantly, some who really take a look at the year he’s had feel for the kid, including me. If you’re of the opinion that addiction and alcoholism are a choice and you simply won’t empathize or sympathize with him or anyone else who suffers from it, I respect your opinion. Respectfully disagree, but I understand the sympathy and realize that a lot of folks feel that way.
But beyond that, if you had met this guy like some of us have, you’d know he’s a bit different that most other pro athletes. Painfully shy, speaks very little English, and had developed a few good friends in the Dodgers organization before he was abruptly traded to the Braves in July 2006.
Between the shift to new surroundings after the trade, and his insecurities and/or shyness, and then the left-hand fracture that he played with for a while before going on the DL late in the 2006 season, it was a rough couple months.
Then he hurts the other hand in winter ball, has visa issues that make him late for spring training (I’m thinking that a shy and withdrawn guy who doesn’t assert himself could probably get moved to the back of a line in a country like the Dominican, if he didn’t know the right folks to talk to and how to use his status, if you know what I mean).
Gets to spring training, can swing from only one side (he’s a switch-hitter) because of the hand, and probably doesn’t do a good job explaining to Braves officials and trainers what happened, how he got hurt, etc.
If it was the same injury he has now, it’s no wonder he couldn’t swing (and I’m betting it was, though Braves won’t say if they think so for obvious reason _ it’ll make the medical folks look bad for missing it on the MRI or X-ray in spring training).
Folks, you don’t play baseball with a broken hamate bone. If he did, even on a limited basis, he’s a tough hombre. Bobby Cox called him tough last September after revealing that Aybar had played hurt with the fracture left hand, because the kid thought he could help the team even if he could only slap at the ball (and he did help them, he hit over .300 and was on base four out of 10 times).
Anyway, like I indicated above, I know that defending Willy Aybar probably isn’t going to be popular with many, and that most denizens will wonder why even waste the space here and why bring him back.
But the Braves know he’s a talented player, and he’ll still be cheap. I could definitely see why they’d take a chance to bring him back. He’s harmless to others, believe me. He doesn’t say enough to be any kind of cancer in the clubhouse. He’s a good kid, just got some issues, including his extreme shyness and insecurity.
I’m taking the space here because I want to. And because I think any who’ve dealt with substance abuse or have a loved one who has, know what an insidious disease addiction can be. And because I’ve talked to this kid and come away thinking, you know what, that’s a guy who’s not comfortable in his own skin.
And that’s sad. Know what I mean, when you come away from a conversation with anyone and that’s what you’re thinking? Especially when you know the kid makes $400,000 and still, you wouldn’t want to trade places with him or be him. I mean, that’s just unfortunate. And I wish him the best, I really do.
He’s the kind of guy who could slip through the cracks to a bad place, even having a brother who plays baseball like he does (Erik Aybar of the Angels). Actually, having such a brother might even compound his own feelings of unworthiness or whatever.
If you’ll allow me to play amateur psychologist a moment, what I mean by that is, from all I hear, his brother is outgoing, full of energy and joy. Hey, if you’re the opposite of that it’s probably tough to see it in your own brother and deal with it, you know?
OK, that’s all. Sorry if that came across as bleeding-heart crap to some of you. I’m sure it did. I can take the inevitable blasts I’ll get from some supposed hardasses and tough-talking types here who can’t bring themselves to feel sorry for anyone making more money than themselves. Fire away.
But this kid Willy Aybar, I wish you folks could meet him and view it from another perspective. Because I’m telling you, there was something in that face, some innocence and fear and stuff that just makes you feel bad for someone when they struggle with their demons like this guy has.
Personally, it’d be good just to see him healthy and happy in spring training. Don’t know what the chances of that are, but sure couldn’t hurt any of us to hope for that — for his sake and, if it makes it easier for you to hope for that, then for the Braves’ sake, too.
”CINNAMON GIRL” by Neil Young
I wanna live/with a cinnamon girl
I could be happy/the rest of my life
With a cinnamon girl.
A dreamer of pictures/I run in the night
You see us together,/chasing the moonlight,
My cinnamon girl.
Ten silver saxes,/a bass with a bow
The drummer relaxes/and waits between shows
For his cinnamon girl.
A dreamer of pictures/I run in the night
You see us together,/chasing the moonlight,
My cinnamon girl.
Pa sent me money now/I’m gonna make it somehow
I need another chance/You see your baby loves to dance
Yeah…yeah…yeah.
Braves have major opportunity this week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They had a chance to make up ground on their East rivals in head-to-head games last week, and the Braves fell a bit short of their goal, coming away 3-3 on their six-game trip to pastoral Shea Stadium and Philly.
But they sent a message to the Mets — four series between the teams this season, four series wins for the Braves, two in New York — and had a chance to win all the games at Philly, where the Phils have won 12 of 16.
Know what? Scratch that last line. Because I hate when teams say they could have won all the games in this series or that. The other team can almost always say they, too, could have had a sweep if this or that had gone their way. So scratch that line.
But seriously, anyone who watched the games in Philly knows that if a couple things had gone… no, stop it. Nevermind.
Here’s the point I’m getting to: This week could actually be even more of an opportunity for the Braves than last week. Because realistically they couldn’t have expected to do more than go 2-1 in each series against the first-place Mets and the Phillies, who’ve won 12 of their past 16 games in that bandbox of a ballpark, where they’ve sold out 20 games this season and where their hitters, by now, know exactly how to use the cozy dimensions to their advantage.
But this week? This week the Braves have an even better opportunity to make up ground, and if they blow this one, then it’s time to start worrying a bit more if you’re a Braves fan. No, the season won’t be over if they come out of this week five games out of first, but they really need to take advantage of this week.
Because the Braves are at home against the Giants and D-backs. Yes, the D-backs are hot, but this ain’t Phoenix, and if you look at their scoring and other numbers, the D-backs are due for a correction.
Meanwhile, the Mets and Phils are on the road. The injury-riddled Mets start out at Pittsburgh, where the Pirates are playing better ball, and the Phillies start out at Washington, where Manny Acta is doing an outstanding job and has the Nats playing their best in a long time. The Nationals a dangerous team right now (did I really say that?), especially at home.
The Braves can put a game or two between them and the Phillies and cut the Mets’ lead to a couple of games by the end of this week, if they play well in these two series. After playing like garbage at home early this season, they’ve played much better at Turner in the past couple months. They’re 12-7 with a .328 team average, 3.52 ERA and 131 runs in their past 19 home games (6.9 per game).
It bodes well for the Braves that John Smoltz and Tim Hudson are starting out the first two games against a Giants team that’s going to be coming to town dragging their butts tomorrow after playing a doubleheader tonight (Monday) in Pittsburgh (they were swept by the Pirates in San Francisco over the weekend, then both teams jetted cross-country for a makeup DH in the ‘Burgh. Brutal.)
Smoltz hasn’t been as overpowering since straining his shoulder, we can all see that. But his numbers — ERA is similar, strikeouts are actually up — aren’t off by much at all. He finds a way to be effective. He’s old and wise. And sore, perhaps.
But he’s not getting any run support, especially at home, and Tuesday will be a great opportunity for the Braves to rectify that, seeing as they’ll probably face a few relievers as the Giants were considering a “bullpen game” in tomorrow series opener, depending how they’re pitching was used Monday in the DH.
Hudson going against Russ Ortiz in Game 2? That’s as close to automatic win as you’ll get, and I don’t care if you say I’m jinxing him. Hudson can’t lose that game against The Vortex (the nickname some in the media have given Ortiz through the years, for his penchant for verrrrry long answers).
After that, well, who knows. But winning the first two in a homestand can really set a tone for a team, and a sweep could give the Braves exactly the kind of momentum they need to carry into the Arizona series.
If Brandon Webb is starting one of those games, as expected, that’s probably even more a guaranteed loss for the Braves than Hudson vs. Ortiz is a likely win.
French Cannon: Jeff Francoeur’s two lasers to home to cut down Philly runners Sunday gave him a majors-leading 17 assists. Tied for a distant second in the NL are Philly’s Aaron Rowand and the Cubs’ Alfonso Soriano with … 11.
Yes, Francoeur has 17, and no one else in the NL hast 11.
By the way, Francoeur has hit .373 with six homers, 30 RBIs and a .410 on-base percentgage in his past 40 games. He’s hitting .348 with runners in scoring position, tied with Edgar Renteria for seventh in the NL.
Andruw? Glad you asked. Andruw is hitting .219 (30-for-137) with runners in scoring position, including .175 (11-for-63) with 20 strikeouts with RISP and two outs.
With two strikes, Andruw’s hitting .140 (32-for-229). After the sixth inning, he’s hitting .185 (25-for-135) with six homers, 41 K’s and a .287 OBP.
OK, I’ll stop.
Circus comes to town: Barry Bonds and his Traveling Carnival of Homers and Hostility are making a three-day stop at Turner. You guys headed out? You glad he’s not going for Hank’s record on hallowed ground (or very near it)?
What’s he up to now, anyway? 790 homers? 840? 9 million? Anybody care? Just wondering.
Sure would be a nice night to wear those Hank Aaron shirts and jerseys, though I gotta say I’m surprised how few of those I see at the ballpark. If I were a fan in the stands, that’s why I’d have on, no question.
Braves should have more Aaron jerseys and hats, everything, at their concessions. No way should it be so hard to find stuff with his name on it. You go to San Francisco, “Mays” jerseys are sold everywhere.
By the way, Bonds was 7-for-14 with four home runs, seven RBIs and eight walks in his past seven games before Monday, after going 10-for-63 (.159) with three homers and seven RBIs in his previous 21 games.
Alright, a tune: Good story about Ryan Adams in the new Rolling Stone with Guns ‘n’ Roses on the cover. Sounds like he’s straightened out and in a good place. Should make his concerts a whole lot better, for sure.
Also sounds like these lyrics aren’t about quite as obvious a subject as we would think. I’ll let you read the Rolling Stone story, though, if you’re interested. Maybe someone know how to link to it or something. I’m clueless at that stuff.
“GOODNIGHT ROSE” by Ryan Adams
We’re going to win
Put your troubles behind you
And go on to bed
Let go of the worry
There’s so much nobody understands
Don’t live your life in such a hurry
Life goes by us all so fast
And the sun will come up again
And I will be here
If you get scared just hold my hand
Tomorrow is yours and who knows
Maybe we’ll win the whole shabang
Goodnight Rose, goodnight, goodnight Rose
Good morning sunshine
A new day begins
And the hustle and bustle of the traffic greets you kindly,
I can tell because you’re smiling
C’mon give ‘em everything that the winning demands
Just one more ribbon Rose
Before the mantle place caves in
And the sun will come up again
And I will be here Rose
If you get scared just hold my hand
Get out of that dress
Go on to bed
The bar is closed…
Goodnight Rose, goodnight, goodnight Rose
Goodnight Rose, goodnight, goodnight Rose
Goodnight Rose, goodnight, goodnight Rose
Goodnight Rose, goodnight, goodnight Rose
Cormier’s return could be big. Could be.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, posts are clicking toward 900 on the other blog, so I’m cranking out another in mid-game here, unprecedented stuff in the third inning of a night game. So don’t expect too much, just giving you a clean slate for the rest of the weekend.
Anyway, as I wrote that line Jimmy Rollins just hit an absolute moon-scraper of a homer, a towering blast off Lance Cormier. But the good news for the Braves, of course, was that they already had a 4-0 lead when he hit it, and it was a solo shot.
So, it’s 4-1 after three here. And Mr. Cormier, who has had a most frustrating season (for everyone, including himself), actually looks like he might have something resembling his spring form. Folks, if he’s this good on a regular basis, the Braves’ rotation just got significantly better. But let’s wait and see. It’s still real early.
Wait, as I typed that sentence, Pat Burrell just doubled to left. Maybe I should stop tying, huh? I’m screwing with karma or something.
By the way, Burrell was 1-for-20 in his past seven games vs. the Bravos before tonight, that hit coming in last night’s game. And before that double, ol’ Pat “The Bat” - who has been swinging a smokin’ hot one lately, must admit - was having one awful night.
He got bood lustily after a clumsy diving-catch attempt near the left-field line, the got bood even worst when he botched a catch in left-center. The dude’s hitting about .400 with power in the past two months, but these salty iron-lunged Philly folks will jump all over you in a heartbeat if you’ve fallen into their unfavorable column, which Burrell sure did the past few years.
Oh, I don’t like the potential I see here. Cormier can give it up in a hurry anywhere, but here, vs. this lineup…. oh, the (potential) horror….
OK, as I typed that, Jeff Francoeur just hit a first-pitch homer to make it 5-1 in the fourth, and Phillies starter Adam Eaton is looking like he won’t be around much longer. Wow, has that dude fallen off the rails since he showed promise in San Diego.
Folks, Frenchy is having a helluva season. I know, master of the obvious there. But do you guys realize that before tonight, he’s hit .373 with a .411 OBP, .968 OPS and 29 RBIs in his past 38 games? That he was hitting .348 with runners in scoring position, ranking among NL leaders in that category?
He was hitting .333 (22-for-66) with RISP and two outs before tonight. And hitting .245 with 20 extra-base hits in two-strike counts, a huge improvement over last season.
OK, they just took Eaton out, and he made it rain like Pacman _ boos, that is. He made it rain boos. Braves are up 5-1 in the fourth, two on with one out. I’ll leave you with that.
By the way, you guys would’ve loved the pregame ceremonies here to honor Phillies alumni. Mike Schmidt and a bunch of others were introduced.
So then they introduce their PR guy, who’s retiring after 40-some years. He’s a kindly gentleman known as The Baron. Anyway, he goes to the podium to a warm round of applause from the notoriously hard-bitten Philly crowd, most of whom probably are only vaguely familiar with who he is.
Then he says a few words and finishes with, “I have only one request: Please don’t boo so much.”
And guess what? They booed. Loudly.
It was classic. Not as classic as throwing snowballs at Santa Claus, which an Eagles crowd did, or booing Darren Daulton’s infant son, as a Phillies crowd did on family day when Daulton wasn’t doing well one season. But classic.
Gotta love Philly. Or not.
OK, gotta get back to the game. Hoss just came to the plate and guess what? They booed him. Very loudly. But not as loudly as they do at Shea.
“BALL AND CHAIN” by Mike Ness (Social Distortion)
Well it’s been ten years, and a thousand tears/And look at the mess I’m in-
A broken nose and a broken heart/An empty bottle of gin
Well I sit and I pray/In my broken down Chevrolet-
While I’m singin’ to myself/There’s got to be another way
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
I’m lonely and I’m tired
And I can’t take any more pain
Take away, take away
Never to return again
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
Well I’ve searched and I’ve searched/To find the perfect life-
A brand new car and a brand new suit/I even got me a little wife
But wherever I have gone/I was sure to find myself there
You can run all your life/But not go anywhere
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
I’m sick and I’m tired
And I can’t take any more pain
Take away, take away
Never to return again
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
Well I’ll pass the bar on the way/To my dingy hotel room
I spent all my money/Been drinkin’ since a half past noon
I’ll wake there in the mornin’/Or maybe in the county jail
Times are hard getting harder/I’m born to lose and destined to fail
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
I’m lonely and I’m tired
And I can’t take any more pain
Take away, take away
Never to return again
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
Ready for another key series? Better be
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I would say it’s out of the frying pan and into the fryer for the Braves, but that would be a hackneyed cliché and we don’t use those here.
So let’s just say, they go from one very tense and important series at Shea Stadium to another big series here in Philly at the bandbox of a new park where the Phillies flat-out rake.
This is a series between the hottest-hitting teams in the NL, the Braves leading the league with a .307 average since the All-Star break, the Phillies second at .303.
They are also the top two in the league since the break in OBP (.391 Phils, .371 Braves), in doubles (65 for each team), and runs (169 for the Phils, 163 for the Braves).
But the Braves have taken it to another level lately, batting .344 with 18 homers and 80 runs during their current 7-3 run. This surge came on the heels of a 4-9 skid in which they hit .277 with just seven homers.
With Mark Teixeira added to an already-strong lineup, I can’t see the Braves having many more 13-game offensive slumbers like that. And it’s a good thing, because this bullpen can’t seem to get in synch, can’t seem to get more than a couple of guys going well at once.
And with Bob Wickman having an MRI today in Atlanta (we should know the results by late this afternoon), there exists the potential for more disruptions. To me, it’s time to make Moylan one of the two key guys at the back, in a setup and even a closer capacity. But I still doubt we’ll see him closing, when they’ve got Octavio Dotel with closer experience and all.
But Moylan’s been their most effective reliever, and how’d you like to have a guy with these stats closing for you: In his past 50 games, he has a 1.44 ERA and .183 opponents’ average, with 39 hits, four homers, 21 walks and 43 strikeouts in 62-1/3 innings. Not a ton of strikeouts, but that’s not what he relies on most of the time. He gets loads of groundouts.
While I’m thinking about it, let me offer what has to be one of the most shocking and impressive stats of this season: Philly’s Ryan Howard has 65 RBIs in road games. SIXTY-FIVE!
Magglio Ordonez leads the Al with 53, and no one else in the majors has more than 46 road RBIs. And Phillies stud Howard has 65. That’s astounding, to me.
So those who’d try to minimize his accomplishments by saying his ballpark’s a big reason he’s put up huge numbers, give it a rest. Howard leads the majors with 19 road homers, and no one else has more than 16.
Fact is, he’s hitting .228 with 13 homers and just 28 RBIs in 44 games at Citizens Bank Park, with 63 strikeouts in 158 at-bats.
In 52 road games, Howard is hitting .306 with 19 homers, 65 RBIs and 71 strikeouts in 193 at-bats.
OK, enough about Ryan Howard.
Besides, the real Philly shocker is Pat Burrell, who I’ve made fun of in the past. Pat “The Bat” is finally living up to his nickname, and he’s probably the hottest hitter in the majors right now.
He’s only at .265 with 17 homers and 58 RBIs for the season. But in July and August, he’s an otherworldly 39-for-98 (.398) with nine homers, 26 RBIs and more walks (27) than strikeouts (24) in 32 games.
He hit .435 with a .564 OBP and .768 slugging percentage in July, and already has 81 walks (and a .419 OBP) for the season. Where in the world has this been for the past couple of seasons?
Is there anything more boring and inconsequential in our lives than the Beckham-entered-in-the-72nd minute updates from ESPN? I don’t care. Do. Not. Care. How many are with me on that?
I’ll take the 1080s on skateboards and double-back flips on motorcycles over Beckham news, any day of the week.
Couple more hitting stats: Braves lead the NL with a .292 average with runners in scoring position, and it’s not even close. Dodgers are next at .277, Cubs at .276. Atlanta also has league-bests .377 OBP and .462 slugging with runners in scoring position.
Braves have a .287 road average, second in the majors to Detroit’s .290.
Braves are middle-of-the-pack in pitching, their bullpen ranked seventh in the NL with a 3.80 ERA and now up to 13 blown saves in 43 opps, after totaling only seven blown saves before the break.
The starters are seventh in the NL with a 4.34 ERA.
However, Braves are third in the NL in overall ERA since the break, at 3.75, just ahead of the Cubs (3.86), Mets (3.88) and D-backs (3.88).
If Lance Cormier must start again, then couldn’t ask for a much easier matchup in Saturday’s game. He’ll face Adam Eaton, who’s 2-3 with a 7.35 ERA and .335 opponents’ average in his past nine starts. Eaton has one win and a 6.54 ERA in his past six home starts, with 24 hits and four homers in 16-1/3 innings over his past three.
He’s 3-2 in seven starts vs. the Braves, and 1-1 with a 9.28 ERA in two this season.
Of course, this will only be Cormier’s third start, and first since getting shelled for 13 runs and seven homers in 7-2/3 innings of two in June against the Cubs. Oy.
It’s early August, but today’s game is big
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Good afternoon from Shea, and are you folks ready to get this thing started? I’m ready to roll.
Biggest game of the season so far, right? I say that because it’s the rubber game of the series and the Braves are going for their fourth consecutive series win against the Mets and all that, plus the fact that Atlanta fell behind Philly again with last night’s crushing loss.
Bravos certainly don’t want to be 5-1/2 games behind the Mets and trailing the Phillies going into this weekend’s series at Philly, where they’ve got to face young All-Star lefty Cole Hamels tomorrow.
You should know it’s beautiful here today at Shea, after the two nights of oppressive heat and humidity to start the series. Smells a lot better today, for sure. Good breeze, about 78 degrees, much lower humidity.
Yes, Andruw Jones is back in the lineup, hitting seventh again after his horrid 0-for-4 night that included two grounded-into-double plays, including the one that ended the game after the Braves loaded the bases with none out in the ninth against Billy Wagner and failed to score what would have been the tying run.
Yes, Andruw said his elbow’s still hurting, and he says it will be all season. And no, he hasn’t told Bobby Cox that it’s a problem, according to the manager.
Also, Cox insisted again that Soriano’s problems are strictly location and that he isn’t changing his role. “Who you got in mind for the job, someone better?” he said when I asked him about it.
Well, yes, Peter Moylan. But that didn’t get a response. So it is what it is.
OK, we’re about to get started with this in-game blogging thing that they asked me to do again today. We haven’t done it in a while, but to remind you, I’ll add comments up here instead of below, and I’ll try to blog at least once an inning as long as it warrants.
But I also have to do a notebook, scouting box for Phillies series, a note on Chipper’s comments last night regarding A-Rod.
(Imagine this, the NY tabloid media sensationalized what were really not controversial comments. Even as I write this blog intro, a very good New York non-tab writer just came over and told me he wanted to apologize to Chipper for the NY media in general. “We eat ourselves,” as he put it. “You’ve got a guy who talks honestly and intelligently about an issue, and the tabs turn it into that.”)
Anyway, so early on in the game, don’t expect a whole lot of blogging from me.
You guys are in charge of filling it up ealry, OK? We got about 900 posts in less than 24 hours on yesterday’s blog. Let’s see if we can match that or surpass it with the in-game thing today, though I realize the posts tend to surge if the taem’s losing or blowing a late-innings lead or whatever.
Oh, and Friday starter Chuck James isn’t available in the bullpen (sort of an inside joke for those who might have read last night’s posts).
Alright, denizens, let it fly!
(And again, my posts will be below this, but not in the usual spot. They’ll be right below this classic tune that the great Jimmy Webb wrote and The Man in Black once sang, but that Glenn Campbell made a huge hit.)
“WICHITA LINEMAN” by Jimmy Webb
I am a lineman for the county and I drive the main road
Searchin’ in the sun for another overload
I hear you singin’ in the wire, I can hear you through the whine
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line
I know I need a small vacation but it don’t look like rain
And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain
And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line
[Instrumental Interlude]
And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line
FIRST INNING
OK, Willie Harris just made a tremendous catch at the wall or that inning could have really gotten ugly for Huddy. Moises Alou crushed that ball, but the wind is blowing in fron left field enough that it came down just inside the fence. Harris made a helluva catch. Wouldn’t have been a homer, but would have been a two-RBI hit.
SECOND INNING
No hits through two innings again. Maine is tough, but Braves have hit tougher pitchers, and no excuse for this lineup to not give Hudson some run support. He might need it today. Mets are getting the ball in the air against him, a lot more than other teams have been lately.
By the way, Braves could sure have used Renteria there, hitting with a man on first and two out in the second. He’s one of the majors’ best day-game hitters, one of the best road hitters, and outstanding with runners on base. Yunel’s good, but doesn’t have Edgar’s bat-handling capabilities, nor should he as a rookie.
FOURTH INNING
Wow, gotta say this: My KU Jayhawks let me down almost every year in the NCAA Tournament, but me and my buddies are never as negative as a handful or more of the folks who frequent this blog. Seriously. I’m not telling or asking you to stop, because I couldn’t care less and because it’s certainly your right as fans on this open forum to be as negative and bitter (or as positive and appreciative) of your team as you choose to be. They’re your team, not mine. I just cover them.
But seriously, some of you just take a moment to read through the posts in a 2-1 game that’s only halfway through. The posts about a team that’s 1-1/2 games out of the wild card race and has won six of its past nine games, with the three losses coming against the NL’s hottest team (Colorado) and its supposed best team (NY).
Oh, well. Nothing like keeping things in perspective.
FIFTH INNING
OK, the bandwagon doors just flung open. Anyone wants to get on, the Braves would probably let you, if you can stop complaining for a few minutes.
Wow, how terrible it would be to only win two of three at Shea Stadium. Again, nothing like perspective.
Chipper’s homer was a mammoth blast, longest one I’ve seen here since Mo Vaughn hit one every higher off the scoreboard against Kevin Gryboski. Chipper’s was a third of the way up that huge scoreboard, estimated by the Mets to be a 470-foot homer.
Then Teixeira follows with another homer, and the Shea iron-lungs were booing Maine like crazy.
SIXTH INNING
This just in: Uraine man declared world’s tallest…. John Maine booed as he leaves field after being replaced following sucessful safety-squeeze bunt by Hudson…. Mets announce Marlon Anderson left game with sprained left wrist.
Oh, forgot to tell you guys, a cab driver took Villarreal and Escobar to the stadium this morning, only it was Yankee Stadium. He was Middle Eastern, Escobar speaks almost no English, and Villarreal was cussing in Spanglish. Ah, if only it were a Taxicab Confessions cab with the camera in place to record that for us all.
EIGHTH INNING
Well, that was not one of Huddy’s better performances, but doesn’t matter. Showed me something with that little survival act today. Got knocked around early, stayed with it, got a few runs of support and made it stand until the ‘pen could take over.
If I’m the Mets today, I’m thinking, OK, we’ve played four series against the Braves and lost every single one of them. What makes us the better team again? And vice-versa if I’m the Braves.
Hey, they’re playing “Sweet Caroline” like they do every game here during the stretch. Mets, you’re in New York, don’t you think you might come up with something a bit more original than stealing the Boston Red Sox’s tradition, right down to the “so good, so good” crowd chant in the middle? I’m just saying, kinda weak.
But hey, at least Ron Howard was here during the series. He’s cool. And Mama’s of Corona, great sandwich, as good or better than any stadium concession in the country, including Rubio’s fish tacos in S. Diego.
But I’ll stop there. Because I ain’t gonna lie and say this place has a lot of old-school charm.
EIGHTH INNING (forgot to mention….)
Wickman hasn’t pitched yet. Remember, it was a Hudson start. And we’re on the road. Not always a good combo for Wick season, to say the least….
But these Mets are showing no inclination of posing a comeback. Crowd’s dead, and the team looks like it’s ready to be done with the Braves.
NINTH INNING
Bobby not going to tempt fate today, apparently. Going with Yates instead of Wickman to finish this thing, but probably just because it’s a non-save situation. Now, if Yates creates a save situation … well, I won’t even mention it. Hang on, folks.
NINTH (again)
Gotta say, don’t know why he’d take out Moylan unless he says he doesn’t want to push it with his back after cooling down between innings. Moylan got three groundball outs, and it was just a week ago he struck out four in two perfect innings vs. Houston.
Wow — just as I typed that WRIGHT went yard. Two-run homer. It’s a save situation now.
Feel free to second-guess. Can’t say I blame you one bit.
NINTH (last time)
Oscar Villarreal and the Braves should all kiss Willie. He just saved that game.
Onward and upward. Philly for the weekend. Braves 8, Mets 4 (season series).
Braves win in sweaty cauldron of Shea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Raise your hands if you’re sure, if you feel confident. Not so fast, Mets fans. And I’m not just talking about that mere 3-1/2-game lead in the standings. It’s hot here in New York. And sticky. Not too pleasant on that subway.
But anyway … a big series-opening win for the Braves last night in the soup otherwise known as air at Shea Stadium, which made even the recent muggy days in Atlanta feel like San Diego by comparison.
OK, exaggerating to make a point. But you get my drift.
After the Braves improved to 7-3 against the Metropolitans last night, Jeff Francoeur called unheralded Buddy Carlyle the “MVP” of the team because of what he’s done for the Braves to shore up the back of the rotation and his wins against tough teams including at San Diego (eight strong innings) and last night in front of more than 52,000 in a highly anticipated series opener at Shea.
He only went five innings last night, but well-rested and recently bolstered bullpen handled the rest with ease, allowing one walk and no hits over the final four innings, including another perfect inning from Peter Moylan, after the Braves weren’t even sure he’d be able to avoid the DL because of his back.
The back was fine yesterday. The Aussie continued his stunning “rookie” season (yes, Moylan is still a rookie). The ‘pen was solid. And Buddy … whew.
While he’s not the MVP — that’s still got to be Edgar, Chipper or possibly Huddy, with Frenchy making a late push — Carlyle has been absolutely huge for these Braves. So big that I will refrain from calling him journeyman until further notice.
He’s 6-1 with a 3.21 ERA in his past eight starts. Doesn’t have a lot of strikeouts (28 in 47-2/3 innings) in that stretch, but who cares? He gets ‘em when he needs ‘em, or he induces double plays.
Opponents are hitting .263 against him in that stretch, but with only four homers, and they’ve scored more than four runs against him just once in those eight starts. Giants got four against him out there, and that’s it, all others three runs or fewer.
The Braves love playing behind Carlyle because he works fast and goes right at hitters, doesn’t screw around and put the defense on its heels. And they’ve rewarded him with tons of run support, coincidental or not. Braves have scored nearly nine runs per nine innings Buddy’s pitched in those eight starts, including five or more runs while he’s been in six of those eight games.
By the way, you think John Smoltz could use a bit of that run support? Smoltz is 2-2 in his past six starts despite a 2.79 ERA. He’s 1-2 in five starts since July 1, and the Braves scored only one run while he was in the game in three of those five starts. They lost all three of those games.
David Wright on Braves: The Mets third baseman told reporters after last night’s game, “[The Braves] are a good team. There’s a reason that they’ve been beating up on us all year.”
One other reason is Wright, who is 5-for-41 (.122) with one homer and 15 strikeouts in 10 games against the Braves this season.
In his past 17 games against them, he’s hit .179 with more errors (four) than extra-base hits (three) or RBIs (two).
Mets RF Shawn Green had this to say of the Braves: “It’s a great lineup. It seems like most of them hit over .300.”
Since the Fourth of July. Here’s how NL contenders or would-be contenders have done since fireworks day: Braves (17-12, .307 team batting average, 3.81 ERA), Mets (17-13, .280, 4.18); Phillies (17-11, .308, 4.09); Dodgers (10-18, .288, 4.75); Cubs (16-14, .263, 3.91); Padres (14-16, .249, 4.72); Diamondbacks (16-13, 2.36, 4.14); Rockies (17-11, 2.83, 3.78); Brewers (12-19, .249, 5.00); Defending World Series Champions (14-16, .286, 4.94).
If I left anyone out, sorry, but my brain is soggy from heat/humidity.
Crazy lefty thing: It’s inexplicable, really. A fluke thing. No way else to explain how the Braves have more than 1,500 at-bats against lefties this season, and no other major league team has as many as 1,300. In the AL, only one team (Cleveland) even has 1,200.
Just FYI, here’s the Braves’ best vs. lefties so far: Yuni Escobar .356 (32-for-90; have I mentioned the rookie is really good?); Edgar Renteria .355 and .951 OPS (Braves are 3-1 since he went on DL, which is pretty impressive); Diaz .350 (he’s got three homers in his past five games, by the way); Francoeur .312 (with a .370 OBP and .500 slugging percentage; kid’s twice the hitter he was last year); Chipper .309 (Hoss has hit for much higher average vs. righties, but has seven homers in 136 at-bats vs. lefties).
By the way, Teixeira is only 1-for-8 vs. lefties since coming to Braves, but he’s hit .349 against them for the season. Yet another reason it was a huge pickup for Braves, given the ridiculous number of lefties they face.
Pitchers beware this weekend: I don’t think I’d want to be a pitcher in the upcoming weekend series at the Philly bandbox, considering how the Braves and Phillies are hitting.
Those two teams lead the NL with averages of .309 (Braves) and .305 (Phillies) since the All-Star break, and the Phillies have hit 35 homers and posted a whopping .904 OPS in that span (Braves have 27 homers and .856 OPS in 24 games since the break).
Oh, and very few NL pitchers give up as many fly balls as Chuck James.
Last word on Francoeur surge: He’s hit .332 with a .369 OBP and one error in 62 games since May 29.
He’s hit .386 with a .426 OBP and 1.005 OPS and 29 RBIs in 35 games since June 27.
And in his past eight games, Francoeur has hit .500 (18-for-36) with six doubles, two homers, seven RBIs, nine runs, three walks and four strikeouts.
For the season, he’s hit .310 overall and .353 (47-for-133) with runners in scoring position.
Was that too upbeat? Ok, then let’s finish with some beautiful sadness from a singer-songwriter I consider a criminally underrated genius.
”TATTOO” by Joseph Arthur
I miss the days when you were in my world
It seems like it was a lifetime ago
We said our goodbye with tears
And promised to not let the years get away
But that’s something you just have to say
In my pain/Is where I’ve tattooed your name
Was it a dream/Was it a dream
Going round and round and round and round your heart
Jeremy said he saw you out on second Ave
And you looked like you could use some sleep
You told him you sobered up
But now you are giving that up
‘Cause sometimes
Love isn’t stronger than wine
In my pain/Is where i’ve tattooed your name
Was it a dream/Was it a dream
Going round and round and round and round your heart
I wonder
What you must think about me
What I heard
Is you consider me dead
I guess that’s fair of you
I never was good to you
I’m ashamed
For making you feel all my pain
When I sleep/Sometimes I still think we speak
Is it a dream/Is it a dream
Going round and round and round and round your heart
Make-or-break series for Braves?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s not a make-or-break proposition for the Braves (not with 50 games left and less than a five-game deficit), but this three-game series starting Tuesday with the Metropolitans in NYC is unquestionably big.
Bigger for the Braves than for the Mets, perhaps. Or maybe not.
Here’s what I mean: Yes, the Mets still have a 4-1/2-game lead on the Braves, and will have a 3-1/2-game lead even if the Braves win two of three at bucolic Shea Stadium (let me tell you, Shea and Flushing in August are lovely).
But if the Braves win the series, that’ll make it four of four series they’ve won against the Mets. And it could be a situation real similar to 1997, when I covered the Marlins and they knew they could beat the Braves, because they did beat them head-to-head.
They had no fear whatsoever of them, even though the Braves were on their way to winning the division title again. When the Marlins met them in the NLCS, they were confident they’d beat them, and did.
If the Braves, who’ve won six of nine games and all three series with the Mets this season, win a fourth consecutive series against them, don’t you think the Braves will feel confident that they can either catch them by the end of the season or, if the Braves win the wild card, that they’ll beat the Mets in the NLCS?
Anyway, back to this series. The Mets have adjusted their original pitching plans, and the revamp isn’t what the Braves want to see. Instead of facing Brian Lawrence in the middle game, the Braves will now face Orlando Hernandez in that game, as the Mets have moved John Maine up a day to the series finale, skipping Lawrence because of the off day in the schedule today (Monday).
That means they’ll see Braves nemesis Oliver Perez (10-7, 3.00) in the opener, then Hernandez (7-4, 3.00) and then Maine (12-6, 3.27).
That’s three of the best nine ERAs among NL starters that the Mets will run out there.
In fact, five of the best nine league ERAs among starters will be on display in this three-game series, with John Smoltz (10-6, 3.04) facing El Duque (Hernandez) in the middle game and Tim Hudson (12-5, 2.95) facing Maine in the finale.
Yes, it figures to be a helluva series. Only Buddy Carlyle (6-3, 4.20) doesn’t rank among the league ERA leaders, and he’s 5-1 with a 2.95 ERA in his past seven starts heading into the series opener. The Budster has gotten it done, and the hyperextended elbow that knocked him out of his last start doesn’t appear to be a factor at all, at this point. He had no problems in his bullpen Sunday.
Braves have offensive edge: Who’d have thought the Braves would enter the series with the better offensive totals and the more formidable looking lineup?
Even without Edgar Renteria, the latter is true. Because the Mets are without Braves-slayer Carlos Beltran, who’s on the DL with an abdominal-muscle strain. Beltran has been ridiculously good against the Bravos, batting .325 with nine homers, 22 RBIs and a 1.232 OPS in his past 20 games against them.
And even though the Braves hate to be without Renteria, who’s probably been their MVP this season (right now he’d probably split votes with Chipper and perhaps Hudson), they don’t miss a whole lot overall with Yunel Escobar in the lineup.
Sure they miss Edgar’s power potential and peerless bat-handling in the No. 2 hole, but the Cuban rookie is hitting .331 and has a penchant for clutch hits, along with strong shortstop defense and a cannon for an arm.
Escobar’s hitting .345 vs. lefties and .314 vs. righties. He’s hitting .341 at hoem and .318 on the road. And he’s hitting better in pressure situations than non-pressured spots.
He has a .288 average with none on base, and a .415 average (22-for-53) with runners on. He’s 15-for-30 with runners in scoring position, including 6-for-12 in those spots with two outs.
In close-and-late situations, Escobar is 9-for-25 (.360), including his game-ending hit Sunday to beat the Rockies.
The kid is special, and the Braves clearly have him prominently featured in their future plans, which is why they were willing to trade 18-year-old shortstop Elvis Andrus and even talked to the White Sox about a Renteria-for-Jon Garland swap.
It says plenty about Escobar that the Braves even gave a moment’s thought to replacing Edgar at midseason with a rookie.
Escobar hit .305 in June, his first month in the bigs. Then .328 in July. He’s 8-for-17 (.471) with four RBIs in four August games. So much for teams developing a scouting report and exploiting a rookie’s weaknesses.
Oh, and when he hits leadoff, he’s 26-for-72 (.361) with a .382 OBP.
But back to the lineup: The Braves have hit a league-high .307 since the All-Star break, and their 146 runs since the break trail only the Phillies (150). The Mets (125) are the only NL team with more than 117 runs since the break.
(It really could be a three-team race to the wire in the East. The Phillies are for real, but let’s see if they can keep overcoming injuries and a suspect back of their rotation.)
The Braves’ rank among NL leaders in most major offensive categories for the season, including batting average (.278, first in the NL), OBP (.342, third), slugging (.434, second), runs (555, second), doubles (229, fourth), and home runs (116, tied for fifth).
The Mets are fifth in average (.271), tied for sixth in runs (519), and tied with the Braves for fifth in homers (116). The Mets lead the NL by a wide margin in stolen bases (137), but who’d have imagined they only have as many triples as the Braves (19) and fewer than eight other NL teams?
Mets tuning up: The Mets have hit a lot better recently, and David Wright has been going strong since early June after a slow start. He’s hit .335 with 11 homers, 39 RBIs and a .420 OBP in his past 56 games.
Carlos Delgado has awakened, batting .319 with five homers, 20 RBIs and a .952 OPS since July 1.
The Mets have hit .295 with 21 homers while going 11-6 in the past 17 games.
After beating the Braves 11-1 in the first game between the teams this season, the Mets are 2-6 with a .249 average and 26 total runs in the past eight games between the teams.
But they’ve been outstanding at picturesque Shea lately, going 12-5 with a 2.46 ERA at home since June 22.
Their bullpen has been strong all season, particularly closer Billy Wagner. Those of us who suggested last winter that the Braves would do as well with Bob Wickman as the Mets with Wagner should admit we were spectacularly wrong (my hand’s raised).
Wagner has allowed nine hits and four walks with 22 strikeouts in 20 scoreless innings over his past 19 appearances, converting all 11 save opportunities in that stretch. For the year, he’s converted 25 of 26 saves and has a 1.30 ERA and .178 opponents’ average, with 58 strikeouts and 12 walks in 48-1/3 innings.
OK, I’ve got both hands raised.
Just a glimpse ahead: After facing the Mets, the Braves travel to Philly for three against the surging Phils, who are 11-5 with a whopping 103 runs and 21 homers in their past 16 games. They also have a solid 3.53 ERA in that stretch.
Braves had best win that Mets series if they want to be assured of a good trip.
“THE NIGHT HANK WILLIAMS CAME TO TOWN” by Johnny Cash
Harry Truman was our president/A coke an burger cost you thirty cents
I was still in love with Mavis Brown/On the night Hank Williams came to town.
“I Love Lucy” debuted on TV/That was one big event we didn’t see
‘Cause no one stayed at home for miles around/It was the night Hank Williams came to town.
Mama ironed my shirt and daddy let me take the truck/I drove on out to Grapevine and picked old Mavis up
We hit that county line for one quick round/On the night Hank Williams came to town.
A thousand people sweltered in the gym/Then I heard someone whisper; “Hey, that’s him”
That’s when the crowd let out this deafening sound/It was the night Hank Williams came to town.
On and on he sang into the night/’Jambalaya’, ‘Cheatin’ heart’, ‘I saw the light’
How’d they get Miss Audrey in that gown/On the night Hank Williams came to town.
Mavis had her picture made with Hank outside his car/She said; “He sure is humble for a Grand Ole Opry Star.”
Mavis said: “Why don’t we hang around/It ain’t often that Hank Williams comes to town.”
While Hank signed his autograph on Beaulah Rice’s fan/Mavis got acquainted with the Driftin’ Cowboys Band
The effect on all our lives was quite profound/On the night Hank Williams came to town.
It’s hot, and Braves need to be
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, it’s hot and sticky out here at Turner Field, with the downtown building poking through a haze on the horizon, and the Home Nine have got to be toasty in those red jerseys. But scenery’s good and I’m glad to back on the case after a three-day sojourn to spend time with family.
Back just in time to do this final game of the homestand before heading to the Northeastern corridor for a couple of big series against the Metropolitans and Phillies.
Braves need to win this thing today to end this homestand on a good note and go to off day either 4-1/2 or 3-1/2 behind the Mets and still ahead of the Phillies. But hey, I’ve just about given up predicting what’s gonna happen on any given day, other than the days Hudson pitches (and even those aren’t certain if they’re on the road and a certain someone is pitching at the end….).
Gotta say, Hudson’s defied skeptics (including myself) who believed his downward trend began in his last season in Oakland and that after the first two seasons with the Braves, he just wasn’t going to be the ace he once was.
Right now, most nights he’s very close to that Oakland-heyday form.
Alright, gonna get this blog posted so you ladies and gents have time to fill ‘er up with discourse today and tonight. And I just read over some posts from last night. Sorry about the bile spillage, but nothing much I can do. You folks know where to send your complaints, I hope (if not, there’s a couple of bloggers here who can give you the person’s e-mail address).
By the way, since June 25: Cubs 23-12, Braves 20-15, Mets 21-16, Rockies, 18-16, Phillies 18-17, Diamondbacks 18-18, Padres 17-18, Brewers 17-19, Dodgers 16-19.
Hurtin’ Hoss: Asked Chipper Jones if his sore thumb had anything to do with his 0-for-5, three-strikeout game Saturday, and to his credit, he said it did not. He’s just got problems with his swing right now, he said, something he can’t identify yet that’s making him swing late on fastballs and early on off-speed pitches.
Entering today he’s 6-for-34 (.176) with two doubles and five RBIs in his past 10 games, and one of those doubles (and three RBIs) were on one bases-loaded hot grounder July 29 that got past a first baseman to the right-field corner.
This 10-game slide comes after he hit .401 (55-for-137) in his previous 35 games with 14 extra-base hits, 24 RBIs, a .494 OBP and .584 slugging percentage.
And literally as I typed that sentence, Chipper just doubled off the center-field wall. Apparently all the extra swings he took in the batting cage after Saturday night’s game and again before today’s, helped him out.
He keeps hitting While some have cooled, the unsung left fielder has not. Matt Diaz has the majors’ best average since April 25, batting .376 (71-for-189) with 12 doubles and six homers in that stretch.
Conspiracy in effect: At least according to a couple of very vocal critics who frequent this blog and are convinced they are far better judges of what constitutes a good manager than are the players, media or managerial peers.
I bring this up because in the just-out Baseball American annual “best tools” rankings, done by their peers, a few Braves showed up at the top of categories. One of them is Bobby Cox, rated the NL’s Best Manager in the survey.
John Smoltz was judged to have the NL’s Best Slider, Andruw Jones was named the NL’s Best Defensive Outfielder, Jeff Francoeur’s Outfield Arm was voted the best in the league, and Mark Teixeira was named the AL’s Best Defensive First Baseman (voting done before trade, obviously).
I’m just relaying the results to you. So direct any criticism to the players and front-office types who voted in the survey.
Robert, hope you were having a nice weekend.
So much for Willie’s market correction: Gotta admit, when Willie Harris slumped for most of a month, lot of us thought we were seeing the inevitable return to his statistical norm. We were wrong.
Harris was 10-for-26 (.385) with three doubles, two triples and five RBIs in his past six games before today, and he’s even stopped trying to steal and getting thrown out.
And how ‘bout this stat: Harris hit .190 (12-for-63) without a single extra-base hit or RBI in one month from June 20 to July 20. Since then he’s hit .360 (18-for-50) with EIGHT extra-base hits, 11 RBIs in his past 11 games, that burst kick-started by his 6-for-6, six-RBI game on June 21. Also has a .439 OBP in that 11-game span before today’s game.
Couple more stats of note: Going through leaders and trailers this morning at Stats, Inc., and noticed the worst batting average among NL regulars still belongs to Andruw (.217). And guess who has the worst slugging percentage among league qualifiers? Marcus Giles (.315). This is a guy who slugged .526 in 2003, and .461 in 2005.
”GIMME THREE STEPS” by Ronnie Van Zant
I was cutting the rug/Down at a place called The Jug/With a girl named Linda Lu
When in walked a man/With a gun in his hand/And he was looking for you know who.
He said, hey there fellow,/With the hair colored yellow,/Watcha tryin to prove?
Cause that’s my woman there/And I’m a man who cares/And this might be all for you.
I was scared and fearing for my life./I was shakin’ like a leaf on a tree.
cause he was lean, mean,/Big and bad, Lord,/Pointin that gun at me.
I said, wait a minute, mister,/I didn’t even kiss her./Don’t want no trouble with you.
And I know you don’t owe me/But I wish you’d let me/Ask one favor from you.
Won’t you give me three steps,/Gimme three steps mister,/Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps/Gimme three steps mister,/And you’ll never see me no more.
Well the crowd cleared away/And I began to pray/As the water fell on the floor.
And I’m telling you son,/Well, it ain’t no fun/Staring straight down a forty-four.
Well he turned and screamed at Linda Lu/And that’s the break I was looking for.
And you could hear me screaming a mile away/As I was headed out towards the door.
Won’t you give me three steps,/Gimme three steps mister,/Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps/Gimme three steps mister,/And you’ll never see me no more.
Title teams don’t lose this way
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It very well might just be lack of sleep. Five-hour games will do that to you. And maybe I’m just not in a very good mood. Hey, it happens.
And if I were DOB, who does a good job keeping a broad perspective, I might wake up today and say “Hey, the Braves are only 4 ½ games out, with a killer offense and one very weak spot in the rotation. They’ll be fine. Yes Edgar Renteria is hurt (sprained ankle in case you missed, out at least a few days), but Yunel Escobar can be the man for a while, etc. etc.”
But instead I woke up with tunnel vision. I’ve seen it more than a few times this year, and I’m finally saying it out loud (sorta): the Braves teams that won division championships don’t lose that game last night. They just don’t.
It’s why I have a feeling we won’t have a very busy October.
I know they battled back from 5-1 down, from 11-9 down. It was cool — if not exasperating from a writing perspective — to have Matt Diaz hit the two-run homer in the 12th. And I loved how many fans stuck around until midnight and beyond, staying behind the team. And this is very obviously a different offensive team. (11 runs oughta win you one.)
But the killer instinct, I question. Not from any one player — not from the rotation, or the offense, the defense or bullpen — but as a whole. And I’m not sure you can fix that in the next 50 games.
Maybe this team will be like one we haven’t seen before and that’s why I don’t recognize the kind. Where they get on a tremendous roll the last couple weeks of the season and ride that into the playoffs. And actually show up in the Division Series hot. Or maybe they win the wild card. We don’t really know what that looks like, do we?
Say this for the decision-makers, they’ve been nipping some problems in the bud. Kyle Davies’ last terrible start, where he retired no one? Take him out, send him down, trade him.
Five runs, three innings? Jo-Jo Reyes experiment over. Call up Lance Cormier. Look, the people who put the pieces in place are trying. But I have to wonder, what the heck happens if Cormier can’t answer the call? Didn’t he give up seven homers in 7-2/3 innings when he was up earlier this year? Dead arm had better be live again, or what then? Pray for a lot of off days?
Yes, the sun comes up today. Smoltz is pitching. Cormier is arriving. Surely the bullpen will get some rest. Teixeira will homer again. (Hey, why not?) I still love the excitement he brings. And even if that trade is not the answer for this year, at least, as Mark Bradley says, it makes the Braves major players again. Amen to that.
And hey, if the Braves win big the next two days, this blog is looking pretty stupid posted up here. Maybe so. But I still say, this team ain’t the same team we’ve seen, not the winning the division kind. And it’s more than one game. More than 10 maybe, where you wonder why and how the Braves just lost it. Those add up, and worse, stick in the back of your mind. Their minds, I mean. Don’t they have to wonder when they get in situations down the line, if they’re going to lose another game like that, because that’s what they’ve done?
I know, I know. Daddy Downer and Brother Bummer (bonus points if you can name the movie that came from.) So onto the more fun stuff:
I talked to Julio’s agent this afternoon Chuck Berry (not making that up) and he said Julio’s going to accept his minor league assignment with the Braves. He’s expected to clear waivers on Monday.
Franco is in Miami now with his family, but will probably report to Rome for a week and eventually Richmond. Then he’ll be back up with the club when rosters expand in September.
“He was disappointed,” Chuck Berry said of the Braves decision to designate Franco for assignment and keep Scott Thorman, who’s out of options. “But on the other hand, he’s been around long enough to understand the rationale behind things. If he has the opportunity to come back and play in September and play in the playoffs if they make it, he can live with it.”
A little tidbit from Braves official scorer Mike Stamus, who is also an assistant sports information director at Georgia Tech. The song Mark Teixeira walks to the plate with? Jimi Hendrix: All along the Watchtower? Same song he used at Georgia Tech. He’s a man of consistency, eh?
And it works much better to me than it did for say, Bret Boone. Yes?
Greg Maddux goes against Barry Bonds tonight. Say what you want about Braves’ feelings about Glavine and 300, I can bet nobody out there wants to see Maddux give up 755, do you? He’s given up eight homers to Bonds in his career, tied with Smoltz for the most I believe. But the last one Maddux allowed to Barry was in 1998. Maddux is smart enough to walk the guy if he needs to. Walk, away, Madd-one. No big numbers tonight, please!
Full speed ahead on Tex Express
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
David O’Brien is off for a few days, for those of you not taking notice of the byline, but no way am I going to stop talking about what he’s been talking about: Tex, Tex, Tex. Have you had a look at the recent blog entries on the left side of the page? Tex this. Tex that. So today, it’s Tex the other.
The other? Must have been magic at the ballpark last night. I’d left before the game started for a meeting. But I personally loved watching the bases-loaded walk in Teixeira’s first at-bat. How many times do you hear the cliché “tried to do too much?” In his first at-bat, when Teixeira was probably as jacked up as he’s going to be, the man stayed patient. He didn’t let his adrenaline take him out of being a good hitter.
Yes, the home run was a nice touch. But I’ll take the total package, especially when the last cleanup hitter is addicted to trying to do too much.
The buzz is palpable, folks, and those of you who have been to the last two games already know that. Even before the game yesterday, it felt different. Having been around the Braves since the mid-1990s it shouldn’t have felt so funny to see so many cameras and media in the clubhouse yesterday. But it did. I almost got run over by a couple.
I guess you don’t realize what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone and the last couple of years, the hype is noticeably lessened. Well, noticeably, now that I noticed it. (And this observation does not apply to the this space here. You guys are the diehards. Bless you.)
Teixeira was trying to finish putting on his game whites to go have his mug shot taken for the video board, and two camera guys were right in his face, filming the last of the belt buckling. Riveting stuff. But Teixeira stood there patiently and didn’t shoo anybody away. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. It was actually one of the brief moments when he didn’t have a microphone in his face, too.
I asked him if he was going to smile for his mug. “Oh yeah. I always smile for the mug shot.” Excellent. Hey, this was news. Lots of those kind of things get taken at 7 in the morning in spring training when players barely have their eyes open and they do that macho straight-faced stare, to look intimidating.
The Braves employee waiting to escort him to the photo shoot condoned this sort of look, perhaps to look tough in the pitcher’s eyes.
“Nah, lull them to sleep,” Teixeira said.
I’m going to like this guy.
And for the what - one? two? - folks on this blog who did not like this trade, just listen to what the Baltimore folks are saying about their hometown boy, and how much they regret he’s in Atlanta.
“Orioles fans were crushed this week when hometown boy and switch-hitting messiah Mark Teixeira was traded to the Braves and not the Orioles,” wrote Dan Connolly of the Baltmore Sun in a message to others on our national notes group. “What Dudley from Dundalk doesn’t get is that the Orioles and their improving but still stinkalicious farm system had no chance in matching the quality of prospects the Braves offered.
“The Orioles felt that giving up starter Erik Bedard, 28, who is a having a tremendous season and is signed through 2009, for someone who can be a free agent at the end of 2008 was silly.”
So would that make the Braves farm system not stinkalicious? Baltimore fans are also apparently bummed that Teixeira might want to stay in Atlanta longer term, being a Yellow Jacket and all and having told his former coach at Tech Danny Hall he’s always wanted to live here when baseball was finished. But that would just be rubbing it in, wouldn’t it?
Another tidbit from around the notes group today, from the Royals on Kyle Davies. General manager Dayton Moore sounded a little defensive over the acquisition of Davies, if I’m reading between the lines properly. Here’s what he told Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star:
“Our focus was on young position players,” Moore said. “But at the end of the day, we felt this was the best deal for us based on the players who were offered to us. It’s as simple as that. We felt this was the very best deal for us to make.”
Mellinger also says we’re going to love Dotel by the way. Great guy by all reports.
From the Life Is Unfair file: I’m still trying to let it sink in how the business of baseball works sometimes, and that Julio Franco had to be designated for assignment when he’s done much more than Scott Thorman has anytime recently. I get why the Braves did what they did. Thorman is too young and too valuable a piece to let go on waivers, and he’d have to with no options left. This is one time when Franco’s age really jumped up and bit him. And he’s been defying that kind of thing for years.
And it’s almost as excruciating as thinking about Brayan Pena sitting in Richmond hitting .315 and awaiting a call-up. Corky Miller got the nod over him and might be the steadier backup catcher. Apparently Pena has been playing a lot of left field and first base too as the Braves must be trying to turn him into a utility guy.
Just thinking about his bad luck this season, though, after getting smashed on the head by a follow-through of Greg Dobbs’ swing on May 1 against the Phillies. Looking us in the eye in the clubhouse after he had trouble figuring out what day it was on the field and telling us he was fine and ready to go. He went on the DL; Jarrod Saltalamacchia had to come up. And that’s the way it is.
It’s just cruel sometimes. And Pena’s best friend is now up here too. Yunel Escobar. A September call will cure this for me, in case you’re wondering John Schuerholz, since I know my feelings are the Braves’ top priority.
Did you notice how close the Braves just came to being on the other end of Tom Glavine’s possible 300th win? After the Mets blew a chance for him at it Tuesday night, he’s still sitting on 299 and makes his next attempt Sunday in Chicago. If that doesn’t work out, his next start after that would be Friday the 10th, one day after his former club leaves town. The Braves have a three-game series in New York starting Tuesday that has plenty of other reasons to be big.
And it’s weird enough with the Braves having a guttural instinct to pull for the Mets the night Glavine is going for 300. They do. At least I know the manager does. How can they not want that for him? Glavine got 242 of his 299 wins as a Brave. They just don’t want it next Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, I can assure you.
Enough with the rambling. Your turn now.
Braves Nation and MIB abuzz over Tex
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who’d have thought the Braves/Man In Black blog roundtable — we ain’t the Algonquin, but we have BBQ and Cash, Johnny — would be buzzing like this on Aug. 1, with the Braves in third place in the NL East, 3-1/2 games behind the dastardly Mets and right behind the Phillies?
(Haven’t the Phils always shot themselves in the collective foot and fallen through clubhouse fractures by now?)
But here we are, with more anticipation than any time since the week before spring training. Maybe even more anticipation now than there was then, and if you remember there was an awful lot back in February as we headed for Dark Star in Florida.
Of course, the current buzz is centered around a big fella with a little nickname, “Tex.” Mark “Tex” Teixeira has Braves Nation sticking out its chest and saying, “Bring it on.” That and the fact the Braves made a couple of moves to shore up their ‘pen.
But there’s work to be done, folks. Much work on the field, by a Braves team that’s been maddeningly inconsistent and still lacks depth at the back of its rotation. Not saying they don’t have enough pitching to win the division, because I think they do. But they’re going to need good work from Buddy Carlyle and from either Jo-Jo Reyes, or Lance Cormier, or someone in the No. 5 hole.
Once they get to the playoffs, the rotation depth isn’t a concern. Three’s enough, and Smoltz-Hudson-Chuck at their best, or close, is enough, when coupled with this offense and what should be an improved bullpen, to win any postseason series. Really.
But they gotta get there first. And those Mets are not going to go quietly, rest assured. They’ve got Pedro coming back, and even with a surgically repaired wing the future Hall of Famer is not to be taken lightly. At least not until we see what he’s got left in that slender, once-dynamic arm.
The Braves roll out their newly accessorized lineup tonight: Tex will presumably bat cleanup (if Andruw is in the cleanup spot, there might be fans marching on the stadium with torches), and the Braves will set a course for the top of the division standings, then a spot in the postseason.
They’ve got two months to get there, but they hope it doesn’t take that long to get back to first pace. In fact, to the Braves, next week’s three-game series in NYC is probably looking like a pretty good time and place to make a statement and maybe even overtake those Mets.
But for now, they’ve got five games left on this homestand, five games to show the home fans that Tex in the middle of the lineup, hitting behind Chipper Jones, can help make this the best Braves lineup in a long, long time.
He arrives at an opportune time, for more reasons than you’re probably aware. Braves are facing Woody Williams tomorrow, and old Woody has always pitched well against the Bravos. He’s 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in eight career starts against the Braves, and the Jones Boys are a combined 6-for-47 with two homers against him.
Chipper is 2-for-23 with a homer against him, the rare pitcher who’s dominated Hoss.
And guess which Braves hitter has fared best against Williams, albeit in limited opportunities? That’d be your new boy, Tex. Teixeira is 3-for-6 with a homer off Williams, who knows what a lot of American League pitchers have learned in five years: Mark Teixeira can flat-out rake.
But he’d better heat up to fit in here: If Teixeira takes a look at some recent, gaudy Braves hitting totals, he’ll quickly realize everything ain’t bigger in Texas. At least not July batting averages and other offensive totals.
Most Braves lineup regulars are wielding hot bats at the same time. In fact, Teixeira might just be the “coldest” hitter in the lineup, at this moment, with the exception of Andruw Jones, and even Andruw is still popping a few long balls and driving in runs while hitting below his weight (his .215 average remains the NL’s lowest among lineup regulars, while Chipper’s .340 and Edgar’s .337 rank second and third in the NL behind Floriday’s Hanley Ramirez).
(Speaking of Chipper and Edgar, who’s the team MVP right now? The longer Chipper stays healthy, the more I’d lean toward him. But right now, I’d probably still vote for Edgar, based on his steady play throughout the season. Again, that might change in another month if Chipper stays healthy. And I’ll bet you this: Chipper will finish in the top five in the NL MVP voting, long as he doesn’t miss many games between now and the end of the season. I’ll even suggest that if the Braves win the division, he’ll finish in the top three.)
OK, anyway, back to the Braves afire at the plate. I can’t recall seeing so many guys this hot simultaneously on a team I’ve covered, other than for a two-week period last season after the All-Star break. But we’re talking about a month or more for most of these guys now.
Get a load of these streaks:
Kelly Johnson has hit .358 (24-for-67) with four doubles, three triples, four homers, 16 RBIs and a 1.114 OPS in his past 21 games. And to think, there were some here suggesting he be benched not long ago. He’s hit .291 overall.
Jeff Francoeur has hit .370 (44-for-119) with nine doubles, four homers, 23 RBIs and a .402 OBP in his past 29 games. He’s hitting .300 this season. (Where are the two guys who were convincing each other last week during their late-night blogging session that Francoeur was a mediocre player and that his reduced homers were somehow the most important stat?)
Chipper Jones has hit .381 (59-for-155) with 15 extra-base hits, 29 RBIs, 27 walks, 20 strikeouts and a .467 OBP in 41 games since returning from the DL. He ranks. He’s second in the NL in average, second in OBP, fourth in slugging.
Edgar Renteria has hit .363 (66-for-182) with 13 doubles, two homers and 23 RBIs in his past 44 games, with a .408 OBP and eight steals in eight attempts.
Yunel Escobar has hit .314 (44-for-140) with nine doubles, a homer and 12 RBIs in 44 major league games, showing enough talent and confidence to lead the Braves to make an unspoken declaration, it would seem: “In Yunel we trust, trade the rest of them.”
Willie Harris seems to have snapped out of his first Braves slump, batting .351 (13-for-37) with three doubles, two triples and seven RBIs in his past seven games, beginning with his 6-for-6, 6-RBI game-of-a-lifetime.
Matt Diaz has hit .358 (29-for-81) with seven doubles and a homer since June 14. No, he doesn’t hit for much power and he ain’t particularly artistic, but the dude keeps hitting, doesn’t he? Platoon of him and Harris is working the way platoons are supposed to work.
Andruw Jones Yes, he seems to have regressed some lately after an encouraging month. And he’s hit just .200 (60-for-300) (how’ that for symmetry?) since May 2, and only .189 at home for the season.
But in his past 30 games he’s hit .256 with nine homers, 27 RBIs and a .355 OBP.
Mark Teixeira spent a month on the DL for a pulled quadriceps, and since returning he hit .281 (18-for-64) with six doubles, a homer and eight RBIs in 17 games. I told you, compared to some in this lineup he’s been relatively cold.
However, no one expects that to continue. In his 22 games before the DL, Teixeira hit .347 with seven homers, 23 RBIs, a .479 OBP and .720 slugging percentage.
As I said, dude can rake. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any adjustment period required in his move to the NL. With the advent of interleague play, I don’t think that’s the big deal it once was. But we’ll see.
Oh, and by the way, Julio Franco was 8-for-24 (.333) with three doubles and five RBIs in his past seven games. He’s going to lose his starting spot, but it’ll be interesting to see if the Braves keep him to pinch-hit and back up Teixeira.
He’s already cleared waivers once. The same can’t be said for Scott Thorman, and I don’t know if the Braves are willing to lose the young Thor to a waiver claim. He’s not met expectations, obviously, but he’s still got a lot of power and he’s still young.
Chris Woodward seems, to many, the obvious candidate to be designated for assignment. But Bobby likes those veterans who play a lot of positions, so I don’t know if that’ll happen.
The’ve got to make two moves today to add two relievers, Octavio Dotel and Ron Mahay. I’m betting they send out one position player and one pitcher, and go with 12 pitchers again. But I could be wrong. Just can’t see two more relievers they can drop without losing someone to waivers.
Home folks are pleased: After probably feeling slighted for much of the season, Turner Field fans are finally seeing the Braves do some of their best hitting at home, instead of saving all the fireworks for the road.
The Braves still lead the NL with a .286 road average, but they’re out of the basement and all the way to eighth in the NL in home average with their surge over the past 14 home games (9-5).
They’ve hit .329 with a 3.05 ERA in that span, including a .335 average and 90 runs in the past 13 home games.
Before June 24, the Braves wre 19-21 with an anemic .237 team batting average and 145 runs in 40 home games, while posting a 4.13 RA in that span.
Alright, time to get to the park. I’ll leave you with a tribute to the great Hank Williams by Dave Alvin, who did the song with his old band, The Blasters.
”LONG WHITE CADILLAC” by Dave Alvin
Night wolves moan
The winter hills are black
I’m all alone
Sitting in the back
Of a long white Cadillac
Headlights shine
Highway fades to black
I’ll take my time
In a long white Cadillac
In a long white Cadillac
Sometime I blame it on a woman
Why my achin’ heart bleeds
Sometimes I blame it on the money
Sometimes I blame it on me
Train whistle cries
Lost on its own track
I’ll close my eyes
I’m never coming back
In a long white Cadillac
Night wolves moan
The winter hills are black
I’m all alone
Sitting in the back
Of a long white Cadillac
One time I had all that I wanted
But it just skipped through my hands
One time I sang away the sorrow
One time I took it like a man
Headlights shine
Highway fades to black
It’s my last ride
I’m never coming back
In a long white Cadillac
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