AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2008 > June > 10
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Braves begin make-or-break trip
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chicago _ Greetings from Chicago, where it’s a welcome 72 degrees (headed for a high near 80), and the locals are talking much baseball, while also wondering what the hell Da Bulls were thinking yesterday when they hired Vinny Del Negro as coach despite absolutely zero coaching experience.
But when it comes to ‘ball, they’re setting up for a helluva summer here in the Windy City, where the Bravos are here to take on the Cubs, who not only lead the NL Central but have the best home record (26-8) in the National League, but also have the best overall record in the majors.
Yes, I had to look at the standings here in my copy of the Chicago Tribune twice to make sure I was reading correctly. The freakin’ Cubs are 40-24, a better mark than Boston Red Sox (40-26).
So you’ve got the North Side Cubs, winners of eight consecutive home games, and the South Side White Sox, who’ve reeled off seven straight wins since the slightly (and delightfully) unhinged Ozzie Guillen called out, well, everyone from his GM to his players.
Team Ozzfest leads the AL Central by 6-1/2 games over Minnesota, while preseason favorite Detroit wallows in fourth place at 26-37.
Oh, did I mention how the baseball gods have apparently decided to turn the sport upside down this season and shake it until all the change falls out of its pockets?
Seattle, another popular preseason favorite out in the AL West, is a pathetic 23-41 and just fired hitting coach Jeff Pentland and replaced him with Lee Elia, who’s about to turn 71.
Are you serious? But hey, if it means we get to hear Elia’s famous tirade a few more times, the all-time rant from years ago when he was Cubs manager, then good hire, M’s decision-makers. Thank you.
Perennial doormat Tampa Bay is 37-26, the same number of losses as the NL East-leading Phillies. Meanwhile the reigning NL pennant winners, the Colorado Rockies, are in last place in the mediocre NL West, at 24-39, including 10-24 on the road.
The Yankees? Have we finally gotten a reprieve from the tiresome, dated references to “The Yankees would do this” or “the Yankees would hold him accountable.” When the Yankees win another World Series, those proclamations might carry a little weight again.
For now, they are a .500 team, in the same boat as … yes, the Bravos.
Oh, you didn’t think I’d grown tired of discussing the Braves, did you? Hey, this is the Braves/MIB blog, after all. And we are embarking on another road trip in which the newspaper spends plenty of money to cover the exploits of the team once known as America’s Team (hey, TBS would rather play the Bill Engvall Show. Folks, am I missing something there? I mean, really. If I had kids, would I “get it?” Because I sure don’t _ get it, that is.)
Anyway … the Braves.
Oh, it’s ugly. It’s amazing how one three-game weekend series can cast such a pall over a team, isn’t it? I know, I know, many of you already believed the Braves were done before the Phillies came to town.
I did not. At all. In fact, I still don’t think they’re done. But that weekend sweep at the hands of the Phils, that put the first shovel of dirt on the Braves, in my estimation.
Because if the Braves had just won two of three — not an unreasonable proposal entering the series, considering the pitching matchups and the Braves’ home success, etc. — they’d be 2-1/2 games out of first place today, 98 games to go.
I dare say there’d be an entirely different tone amongst the bulk of bloggers here today if the Braves were coming off a series win against the division winners, and had a mere 3-1/2-game deficit to make up with nearly 100 games to go.
But they didn’t.
They blew it. They dropped a popup (oh, that hurt, Kelly Johnson). They failed time and time again with bases juiced or with two on, frequently with less than two outs (oh, Jeff Francoeur, how you have frustrated the masses).
They came apart at the seams late in games (oh, Manny Acosta and Blaine Boyer and Royce Ring, you young fellas are showing the effects of that heavy early season workload, aren’t you?).
People, many of us marveled at how the Braves were able to stay in the race during April and May despite putting a key player on the DL about once every two or three days. It was remarkable to see them lost their best two relievers, Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan, for most of April and May (and Moylan for the rest of the season), and still keep putting up such solid bullpen work.
But the injuries have caught up with them. Those overused relievers are starting to crack, and the Braves can only hope most or all of them get through a period of struggling and come out the other side healthy and performing well again.
Because if they don’t … well, you’ve seen what happens. Philly exploited that. Tight strike zones and tired young relievers are not a good combo for the Bravos.
Bigger problem: Soriano’s elbow. You can’t have your closer needing to warm up each day to determine if he feels ready to enter the game, especially when said reliever isn’t the greatest communicator on the planet. His scowl and man-of-few-words demeanor is perfect when he’s healthy and dealin’.
But not when he’s trying to pitch with elbow problems.
If this keeps up, the Braves might eventually have to consider moving Jorge Campillo back to the bullpen, as good as he’s been as a starter. I say that because the move would make sense if the Braves believe Charlie Morton is ready to pitch in the majors, which I am told they do believe.
He’s dominated hitters in most of his starts at Richmond. So much so that, hey, perhaps the Braves would even consider bringing him up to pitch out of the bullpen. Since they’re obviously not going to add John Smoltz to the bullpen (season-ending surgery this afternoon in Birmingham) and since Soriano’s return has been problematic, the Braves might want to consider putting Morton’s nasty stuff out in the bullpen.
The list is long, very long, of starting pitchers who’ve done bullpen work early in their major league careers. If it helps your major league team, if it might make a difference in a season that’s threatening to spiral downward, then you have to at least strongly consider the move.
Chipper’s absence: The Braves hope they won’t have to go much of this 10-game trip without the services of the major league batting leader, that’s for sure.
We’ll know more late this afternoon about how Chipper is feeling, whether it looks like he might get in there during this series. But the Braves should be cautious, and will be, given that they have absolutely no chance of staying in the postseason race if Chipper Jones is out for an extended period.
If it takes a few days to heal that quadriceps, then it takes a few days. Or more. But to have him play before it’s ready, then possibly tear it severely _ that’s not worth the risk.
A few numbers from a story I wrote about the NL’s Player of the Week: Since April 12, Jones has hit .432 with 14 homers, 32 RBIs, 36 walks and a .541 OBP in 48 games. The Braves were 28-20 in that stretch when he was in the lineup, and 0-6 when he was not.
Last year in early June he was on the DL for bone bruises in his hands, and Jones hasn’t been disabled since (did I curse him when I mentioned that Saturday?) He returned from that DL stint on June 13, 2007, and since then he’s hit .379 in 150 games with 75 extra-base hits (32 homers), 116 RBIs, 119 runs and a .464 on-base percentage.
Repeat, .379 in 150 games. Dude is on another level than anyone else in that span.
The Braves are 80-70 in games he’s played in that stretch, and 1-10 in games he has not.
Jones was told by the Braves doctor that he might be able to play by Thursday or Friday. The interleague games at Anaheim and Texas will present a DH option, if the Braves think that might reduce the likelihood of further injury.
As a designated hitter, Jones has a .324 career average (23-for-71) with six homers and 11 RBIs.
If he’s got to miss any games, Wrigley’s a good place to sit. Jones has hit .201 with 11 extra-base hits in 45 games at The Friendly Confines, where he’s posted a lower average and slugging percentage (.373) than at any of the other 27 ballparks where he’s played 10 or more games.
Ohman to hear it? It’ll be interesting to hear the reception for lefty Will Ohman, who’s been the Braves’ best relief pitcher this season. By some accounts, he wore out his welcome with the Cubs, who traded him to Atlanta along with Omar Infante for reliever Jose Ascanio at the December Winter Meetings in Nashvegas (my legs hurt just thinking about walking around that Opryland Hotel).
Ohman’s been a rubber-armed godsend for the Braves, with a 2.28 ERA in a whopping 35 appearances, including 24 appearances in the last 44 team games since April 23.
How’s this for a mind-blowing stat: Ohman has a 6.63 ERA in 101 career appearances at Wrigley Field, but a 2.31 ERA in 154 appearances everywhere else.
Best matchup in this series: Is Jair Jurrjens against Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster (7-2, 2.90 ERA) on Wednesday. I’ve known Dempster since he was a rookie called up a little too soon after the first Marlins payroll purge.
Great dude. Been through arm surgery, spent time with Cincinnati, went from starter to closer and back to starter, etc. Great guy, very funny.
But none of that probably matters to any of you. I was just thinking aloud.
No, the reason the matchup is so good, besides just those two pitchers’ records, is this fact: Dempster is 1-10 with a 5.65 ERA in 24 games (13 starts) against the Braves. Yes, 1-10.
How does that happen? It’s like Livan Hernandez’s terrible record against the Braves (when he’s not facing them in the postseason, that is). There’s no real explanation.
And if I know Dempster, he’s probably looking at it like, “I’m due to reel off about seven straight wins against the Braves.”
Alfonso Soriano, your arch nemesis: Nevermind Shawn Green, Carlos Delgado or even Tony Clark. They all have been hell on the Braves, but not quite like Alfonso Soriano has been for the past three seasons.
The Cubs (and former Rangers and Nationals) slugger has a .367 average with a ridiclous 14 homers in 28 games against the Braves since 2005.
Just read these numbers slowly: Nine doubles, two triples, 14 homers, 31 RBIs and an .825 slugging percentage in those 28 games against the Braves.
That includes two three-homer games and a two-homer game.
Think the Braves might want to pitch around him? I think I would even to start the game.
Oh, by the way, in his last 14 games at Wrigley Field, Soriano has hit .426 with nine homers and 23 RBIs.
Yes, I know I’d pitch him very, very carefully _ even in the first inning.
Frenchy, yikes: Jeff Francoeur has hit .243 with four homers, 25 RBIs and a .301 OBP in 52 game after his two-homer, seven RBI game at D.C. on April 12. And on the road in that stretch, it’s .250 with one homer and seven RBI in 22 games. Yes, he had twice as many homers and the same number of RBI in one game April 12 as he’s had in 22 road games since.
OK, diversions: Got the new My Morning Jacket album Evil Urges, and it’s brilliant. A mesh of styles, even a couple of songs that sound like Prince, right down to the falsetto. But it’s another masterful album from the boys from Kentucky. Also, if you’re a John Hiatt fan, I’d highly recommend (again) his new one, which is finally out. It’s called Same Old Man. Oh, and the just-released third of Joseph Arthur’s four planned 2008 releases is strong, just like the first two. Talk about a prolific artist.
Here’s a great song by The National, off their Boxer album.
“MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS” by The National
You have to do it running but you do everything that they ask you to
cause you don’t mind seeing yourself in a picture
as long as you look faraway, as long as you look removed
showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery citibank lights
arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes glazing under
oh you wouldn’t want an angel watching over
surprise, surprise they wouldn’t wannna watch
another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults
Make up something to believe in your heart of hearts
so you have something to wear on your sleeve of sleeves
so you swear you just saw a feathery woman
carry a blindfolded man through the trees
showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery citibank lights
arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes glazing under
oh you wouldn’t want an angel watching over
surprise, surprise they wouldn’t wannna watch
another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults
You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery citibank lights
arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes glazing under
oh you wouldn’t want an angel watching over
surprise, surprise they wouldn’t wannna watch
another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults
