AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2008 > September > 23
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Kelly, Chipper, long lines for roast beef, etc.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Philadelphia — Just a warning: The line at Tommy DiNic’s over in Reading Terminal was too long, so I settled for going the healthier route with shrimip and vegetable tempura across the way from DiNic’s. That, plus the chest cold I’m getting, has me in a pretty sour mood.
Well, not really. The tempura was outstanding (not DiNic’s outstanding, but very good nonetheless). But this chest cold irks me. Nearly made it through all of spring training and the entire season without getting sick once. Now, with five games left, I’m hacking up a lung.
But hey, let’s do this. Gonna throw a bunch of stuff in here quickly today, because I slept a little late and am already behind, and I do have a bunch of stuff I wanted to give you.
Kelly J. sizzling: Kelly Johnson’s two-run, game-tying homer last night extended his hitting streak to 20 games, longest in the National League this season.
And this isn’t one of those single-a-game hitting streaks. The Braves 2B has hit .410 (32-for-78) with 15 extra-base hits (three triples, three homers), 17 RBI and a .718 slugging percentage during this 20-game streak.
In 54 games since July 25, he’s hit .320 (62-for-194) with a .371 OBP and .505 slugging percentage (despite a cold spell in the middle of that period).
In 91 games through July 24, he hit .264 with a .335 OBP and .417 slugging percentage.
I was talking to GM Frank Wren about how some guys were playing a lot better lately, and here’s what he said about Kelly: “Kelly, the last month, has played extremely well — I think it’s shown up both offensively and defensively. He’s looked like the player that we’ve seen over the last few years and thought was coming down the pike.”
He also talked some about Francoeur and about some younger guys, and about how you can’t judge too much from September or spring training. I’ll give you that stuff later.
Also sizzling, the Phillies: They’re threatening to go into the postseason on the kind of torrid that Colorado took to the playoffs last year. The Phillies have won 10 of the last 11 games while slugging 17 homers, scoring 66 runs and holding opponents to three runs or fewer nine times in that 11-game stretch.
You all know what they’ve done to the Braves this season. It’s pretty remarkable. Won 14 of 16 games against them this season, including 13 of the past 14.
In that 14-game stretch, the Phillies have out-hit the Braves .304-.240, out-homered them 26-12, outscored them 88-55, and outpitched them 3.19-5.93. Tthe Braves scored three runs or fewer in all but four of those games.
The Braves are a stunning 2-16 against the Phillies since Sept. 26, 2007, and tonight they face Cole Hamels, who’s 6-1 with a 2.82 ERA in his past nine starts against the Braves, including 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA and .208 opponents’ average in four this season.
Good luck with that, Mike Hampton.
Power drought update: The Braves still don’t have any player with more than five home runs since the All-Star break. The Phillies have six players with at least seven homers since the break, including three with double digits: Pat Burrell (10), Jayson Werth (11), Ryan Howard (18).
The Braves still have only 25 homers all season from outfielders, which would be the fewest in two decades for any major league team’s outfielders in a full season not shortened because of a strike.
The Braves have a league-low .362 slugging percentage from outfielders, while the Nationals (.379) are the only other NL team below .413 and 13 of 16 teams are over .430.
Chipper’s title to lose: Don’t know for another hour or so whether Chipper will be in the lineup tonight, but he’s running - and walking - away with the batting title as Albert Pujols has gone into a mini-slump lately.
Chipper’s back up to .364, while Pujols has slipped to .348. It’s extremely unlikely that Pujols will catch him now with so few games remaining.
Jones, who had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning last night, is 16-for-35 (.457) with five extra-base hits, 10 walks and a .578 OBP in 11 games since Sept. 7.
In that same span, Pujols is 11-for-49 (.224) with six extra-base hits, five walks and a .291 OBP in 13 games.
OK, that’s it. Had some other stuff, but I’m outta time. Have to catch a cab to the ballpark. This tune’s from the great album of a year or two ago by Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat.
“RISE UP WITH FISTS” by Jenny Lewis
What are you changing?
Who do you think you’re changing?
You can’t change things, we’re all stuck in our ways
It’s like trying to clean the ocean
What do you think, you can drain it?
Well it was poison and dry long before you came
But you can wake up younger under the knife
And you can wake up sounder if you get analyzed
And I better wake up
There but for the grace of God, go I
It’s hard to believe your prophets
When they’re asking you to change things
But with their suspect lives we look the other way
Are you really that pure, Sir?
Thought I saw you in Vegas
It was not pretty, but she was
But she will wake up wealthy
And you will wake up 45
And she will wake up with babies
There but for the grace of God, go I
What am I fighting for?
The cops are at the front door
I can’t escape that way, the windows are in flames
And what’s that on your ankle?
You say they’re not coming for you
But house arrest is really just the same
Like when you wake up behind the bar
Trying to remember where you are
Having crushed all the pretty things
There but for the grace of God, go I
But I still believe
And I will rise up with fists
And I will take what’s mine mine mine
There but for the grace of God, go I
There but for the grace of God, go I…
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