AJC > Blog > Archives > 2008 > June > 30 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USCan the Braves regroup against the Phillies?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The bad news keeps coming, but, somehow, the Braves keep doing just enough to stick around.
Chipper Jones is now talking about going on the disabled list, having sat out eight games, and both Yunel Escobar and Omar Infante were also sidelined over the weekend in Toronto. Yet, amazingly, Atlanta is still within striking distance of first place, only four games out.
I know the NL East is ridiculously weak, but it’s astounding that despite the kind of season the Braves have had, they’re a good series against the Phillies away from being right back in this thing.
Of course, asking for a good series against the Phils this week is asking an awful lot of this lineup considering that Jo-Jo Reyes threw a gem yesterday and the team still managed to come away with its 23rd consecutive one-run road loss. The only trace of a silver lining around Chipper’s going on the DL would be that Corky Miller would get some company on the Braves’ bench.
So what are you looking for in this series against Philadelphia, which has gone 2-8 over its past 10 games to keep everyone in the race? (That’s in addition to hoping that Jeff Francoeur either miraculously breaks out of his season-long slump — he’s 4-for-40 with 13 strikeouts in his past 12 games — or sits for a bit after Mark Kotsay gets back and they have a little more flexibility in the outfield.)
I’ll be absolutely thrilled if the Braves can find a way to take two of three and get within three games of the Phillies.
Here are the pitching matchups:
Tuesday: Kyle Kendrick vs. Charlie Morton. In his last outing, Kendrick enjoyed the best start of his career, throwing eight shutout innings in a victory against Oakland. Meanwhile, Morton suffered another tough loss in his last start, allowing two earned runs in six innings but losing to the Brewers. In Morton’s past two starts, the Braves have scored a total of two runs while he’s been in the game.
Wednesday: Adam Eaton vs. Jorge Campillo. Eaton gave up three runs in seven innings in his previous start but was outpitched by Oakland’s Rich Harden. Campillo allowed two runs in seven innings against the Brewers last Wednesday to notch his first home win of the season.
Thursday: Brett Myers vs. Jair Jurrjens. the struggling Myers lasted only two-plus innings in his last start and couldn’t make a 5-1 lead stand up against Texas. Jurrjens, on the other hand, hasn’t allowed an earned run in 23 2/3 innings and garnered high praise from his manager and teammates last Friday, when he gave up only three singles in eight innings in Toronto.
Upcoming TV Schedule
Tuesday: vs. Phillies, 7:00, Peachtree TV
Wednesday: vs. Phillies, 7:00, FSN South
Thursday: vs. Phillies, 7:00, Peachtree TV
Friday: vs. Houston, 7:30, Peachtree TV
Saturday: vs. Houston, 7:00, Peachtree TV
Sunday: vs. Houston, 1:30, SportSouth
Permalink | Comments (29) | Post your comment | Categories: Chop Chick
Comments
By whoo who
June 30, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this
1st
By Horner's Corner
June 30, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
Way to go whoo who, insightful as always.
By bulldog20
June 30, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
Hey Chop Chick, you may want to correct that part about the Braves being two games out of first if they win two of three from the Phillies.
They are currently four games out of first. If they win two of three, they will then be three games behind the Phillies.
Just wanted to point that out to you before all of the crazy folks on here start reading it and going off on you for making an understandably, simple mistake.
Go Braves!!
By Ron H
June 30, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this
How about a little revenge and we sweep the phil-thies? that would be SWEET!
anyways, it’s all going to rest on the hitting. we know this is going to be a high scoring series.
By Horner's Corner
June 30, 2008 12:56 PM | Link to this
Manny Acosta has the flattest breaking ball I’ve ever seen. He seriously needs to adjust his arm angle before he gets himself killed out there. Check out Bennett’s ERA for April and May and then look at June. You talk about overworked; I think his arm may fall off before the All-Star break.
GM Wren was in the booth yesterday and said they are looking to bolster their offense. No kidding?!?! It doesn’t take long to realize they need to upgrade left and right field; as the infield, catcher and CF positions have been fairly solid offensively to this point. The corner outfield positions are traditionally offensive oriented spots, but Diaz (.270 OBP/ .250 AVG) Francoeur (.294 / .239) and Norton (.306 / .206) have certainly not been the answer.
By My 2 Cents
June 30, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this
The Braves can’t hit there way out of a PAPER BAG! As a fan(and I am a true fan), this team has worn out their welcome with me. It just hard to watch them lose to the last place Rangers,Blue Jays,etc. I have the sinking feeling at the end of the 5th inning every night-that if we are not up by 3 - we aint gonna win. And if we haven’t scored at least one run by the 5th, well we won’t score at all. My mood level is on the continuing decline as each inning progresses. The truth is we have the same team we have had over and over again since ‘91. We are pretty damn good at pitching, but we can’t hit. We just can’t. Yes, Hoss can hit but the rest just choke. This bench shows why they are orphaned players that can’t play BIG EVERY day.
My spouse may divorce me because of all the F-bombed,obscene language I unleash at the poor TV. Im just totally disappointed with this team….. at least until game time the next day.
By Chop Chick
June 30, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this
bulldog20: Thanks a bunch for the heads-up … I obviously needed a little more coffee before I started doing math this morning.
Horner’s Corner: Yeah, Bennett takes the ball every time his name is called, which seems to be every day, and guts it out, but you do have to wonder how long he can keep that up.
By bulldog20
June 30, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this
Sure, no problem. Just wanted to save you a little bit of grief from some of these people on here. They can be brutal…
Have a good one.
Go Braves!!
By Gerald Barnes
June 30, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
Chop Chick may have been correct after all, that is if the Braves win the first two, then pending the outcome of the third game, which may be rained out, two-out-of-three will leave us two games out (at least for a day). And, good point, Whoo Who. Please google: roadtothebigs
Looking for Frenchy Fireworks this week.
By opie South
June 30, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this
What is a French firework??? Is that like a sparkler with no boom?
By trippy hippie
June 30, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this
Why not give Buddy the ball now and again? Seems he’s being saved for the next time a SP goes down, but he pitched well the last time out, and hasn’t been run into the ground. why not let him set up and give Bennett the long-man spot.
By trippy hippie
June 30, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this
Why not give Buddy the ball now and again? Seems he’s being saved for the next time a SP goes down, but he pitched well the last time out, and hasn’t been run into the ground. why not let him set up and give Bennett the long-man spot.
By trippy hippie
June 30, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
Why not give Buddy the ball now and again? Seems he’s being saved for the next time a SP goes down, but he pitched well the last time out, and hasn’t been run into the ground. why not let him set up and give Bennett the long-man spot.
By Milton Jeff
June 30, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
Anybody disgusted with the 13 Ks & 15 runners left on base yesterday? What a disgrace!! Here’s to hoping they can turn it around. C’mon guys..the pitching has been great but once again your offense is pathetic and weak.
By Bobby...no
June 30, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this
The real underlying problem with the Braves is their inability to play “small ball”. They have this Bobby Cox mentality that everything will be fine, just sit back and wait for the three run homer. The challenge with that mentality is it’s a recipe for disaster. You will only get so far with in the playoffs if you rely on the home run ball. The teams that consistently challenge/win the World Serires are constantly putting pressure on the opposition (with their offense). Whatever happened to get on, get’em over, and get ‘em in?
By Kelley
July 1, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this
To Bobby…no:
Please tell me another manager in MLB who would have this team only four games out with 4 of the 5 projected starters, 2 of the 3 outfielders, Chipper, most the bullpen, and Escobar from time to time hurt. Joe Torre’s name is always mentioned as a “great manager”, but really? He had all the money in NY for the past few years and they still didn’t win it all. Look at the Mets and all that money and they are still underperforming (not to mention the new manager bad mouthing his players in public..SO unprofessional).
Give me Bobby Cox as my manager.
You do know that if the Braves organization listened to people like you and fired Bobby, that practically every other club in MLB would immediately fire their manager if they thought they could get Bobby.
The “Bobby Cox mentality” is why the Braves are in the race year after year. He is one of the best in the history of the game, just look at the statistics for proof of that. Personally, I’m about tired of people blaming every little thing on Bobby. The players need to step up and get the big hit every once in a while. And yes, I’m sure Bobby knows about “ABC baseball, get on, get em over, and get em in”. He’s kind of got some expereince around the game.
By Todd
July 1, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
Good post Kelley, I agree with you about Bobby. When things are going bad, some people want to blame the manager but they don’t give him any credit for the team being around the best in the majors since 1991. For some reason, the bats have slowed down recently. I think if Kotsay and Diaz can come back healthy, that will help a lot. But, I’m starting to wonder if they can. Or, if maybe Chipper’s going to be out longer than first expected. Just a bad year for injuries when we could least afford them. I just hope Wren doesn’t panic and make a move he’ll regret later.
By santa3247
July 1, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
Hi, I’m Seong-Ho,Yoon borned in Sea of Glass(Jinhae) southkorea.
What is regroup?^^ With coward SS Brent Lilibride? Head-up Gregor Blanco? Blow-off man Manny Acosta? Neutron Pitcher Joseph Reyes?^^
Look AAA! Derrick Arnold(2B) he always want to heat over .200, Joseph Sammon(C) he try harder in expelling colleague catcher than practice of baseball, and .230, Thorman hitting .249 14HR, in last AAA he hit .257 17HR and PT&GM expelled Adam LaRoche(.290 33HR 92RBI in Major)^*^
In AA, .280~.300 Matt Young coudn’t go AAA, and .200~.250 just contact hitters Carl Lodential and Mark Jurich came to AAA.
Endlessly PT&GM importing players from out of brave’s farm.^^ PT&GM can clasify player?^^ They like low batting average hitter and low slugging percentage hitters?^*^
May the force of Messiah be with you
P.S: What a dazzling Freemason Illuminati please. What kind of change are you thinking about near future together with Obama? ^*^ Problem of world is same.
Implanted or friends of Babylon seized almost major seat in nation. Just like PT&GM in Atlanta Braves.^^
And without disposal of people like that do you think you can change USA?
*USA alone, don’t try to fight with Babylon. Just like me alone, USA have to send message(santa-clause’s writting is reality) to whole over the world. And try to fight with babylon together with Judah’s 12tribes. YaHaRa~~~
Do you remember the content of revelation to John? Eagles flying in the air sing a song “Woe,Woe,Woe~~~~”^^ Two Eagles are USA I think.^^
And 24th June, in the sky of Seoul(The great city), UFO appeared. But this time’s one was strange in my sixth-sense, and I rememberred sixthmonths ago’s dream. This UFO’s feature was exactly same as my dreams’s one. Yeah neutron can impuse dream in your brain. This is important method in Babylon’s fraud.
My dream was that
“In the sky, strange flying object appeared and it had something like legs five or six, seven? but from this object something descended to ground and numerous people did run away with fierce scream”
In last, human being’s brain wave can be impused by neutron freely and mine is over 80% impused one you have to know.^*^
By Milton Jeff
July 1, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
Santa3247: Whatever your smoking..please share!!
By Chuck
July 1, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Just wondering about Phil Stockman. I live near Ricmond and go to some RBraves games (even though they are leaving at the close of the season to move to the Atlanta suburbs). Stockman has not pitched in Richmond since Atlanta sent him down several days ago. Is he injured or ill or otherwise not available? The guy looked great in Richmond earlier and did well in Atlanta when he was there and got a chance to pitch. Some of us are wondering what the story is with him, have not read anything about his status since he came back to Richmond.
By Grits
July 1, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
“Acostar” means “to put to bed” in Spanish. Manny Acosta needs to be put to bed—perhaps in Richmond.
By Larry
July 1, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this
What a shocker, another awful flat-as-a-pancake emotionless Bobby Cox performance….Instead of coming out aggressive, intense, passionate what do we see after a lead-off 4-pitch walk to Blanco? A bunt !!!! from Kelly Johnson…great way to send a message Senile King…. Six straight hits given up by a shaken rookie pitcher…no problem Bobby, what you waiting for the extra point? You are the king-size elephant in the room Senile King, stubborn and inflexible and living off your resume. And killing this team with your predicatble re-run moves.
#By Bowie
July 2, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this
Larry, you hit the nail on the head…Bobby Cox needs to resign like last year.* Senile King* thats it.
By Da Truth
July 2, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this
The Braves will never win anything as long as Bobby (wife beater) Cox is the manager. Cox must go. Then maybe we can change this b**t attitude around here. The team is boring, the ballpark is boring, Cox don’t seem care if they win or lose. Going to a Braves game is like taking sleeping pills. They need to make some changes starting with the manager.
By santa3247
July 2, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
Hi,I’m Seong-Ho,Yoon living Jinhae City south-korea.
MLM.COM changed MLBTV to fee charging only?^*^
When I was in Miyazaki Japan, after new page made in MLB.COM, when I wrote important message, MLB.COM blocked my writting in Fan-Page, and I cound’t read and write at all in MLB.COM.^*^
And in this AJC.COM, I couldn’t read main page at all for three-weeks from the last term of May 25th? 26th? to middle of June. Why?^*^
So I wrote here and there and Yahoo Brave’s page.^^ And 4th June I had to go national cemetry together with relative from 09:00~17:00. And in my room, something happened, steel hanger’s bar twisted etc. My mother who can’t overcome neutron, didn’t know anything.^^
The lie of Babylon’s friends need endless fake proof about santa3247.^^ Yeah fake santa in resonance schumann internet.^^
Hey Babylon’s friends who think themselves safe from judge. You have to know whole Babylonian and Crusader in southkorea and japan died cruelly after attacking my brain waves by sound or attackimg me by neutron wave of particle.
Friends of Babylon you have to know why your poweful background Babylon couldn’t kill me.^*^
JFK killed by Babylon’s order. Park Jung Hi expresident of S.Korea killed by Babylon’s order.^^ Returned David Okada Mokichi and Leah Iwanaga and two other living god in japan died for neutron wave of particle by babylon.^^
But, why babylon couldn’t kill me? now I am living longer that David Okada Mokichi under the neutron wave of particle. Reason is.^*^
Through santa-clause’s wave of sensation, whole people on earth must choose doom of themselves. God or Seth. Justice or Lie. Conscience or Neutron. This is scenario of God in heaven. Keep in mind please.
May the force of Messiah be with you
P.S: UFO over the sky of Seoul was not UFO but battle ship from Yerusalem(Laputa=Asghard)
By Da Truth
July 2, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
F U Santa
By Larry
July 2, 2008 10:34 PM | Link to this
Let’s analyse Wednesday’s night game in the spirit of the Olympics:
Braves get silver medal: Failure to beat up league punching back/cartoon character Up-and-Atom Adam Eaton. Bronze medal to Jeff Francoeur at the plate, lost in space without a compass, helpless as a fat man at a picnic slow-pitch game, flailing away at air or killing innings with room-service double play. How ‘bout playing someone else? Not someone who has morphed into Andruw Jones? The Gold Medal of incompetence would be to retain Senile King Bobby as manager for one more day. Oh extended his reign for 2009? I forgot. Frank WrenWrong gets the Gold….world-record stupidity!!!!
#By santa3247
July 3, 2008 7:46 AM | Link to this
Hi, I’m Seong-Ho,Yoon living in Jinhae City southkorea now.
PT&GM&Manager sent Brandon Jones to AAA and Brent Lilibridge is in Major?^^8 infielder and 3 outhfielder?^^
Insane PT&GM&Manager. This fact don’t need proof at all I think. What are you doing now?^*^
Why freemasons are now so weaker than babylon? reason is. This is exactly the same method as babylon’s seizing religion. The last religion which Babylon couldn’t control perfectly was Tenseishinbikai(the last Okada Mokich’s one) Japan but May 2006 Boss was implanted and he couldn’t overcome neutron and the religion was over and betrayed me. So from that time on I started full attack about Babylon through the WORD in first.^*^
Freemason would be exactly the same stauts as Tenseishinbikai Japan. Do you remember?
[Seek measuring rod!! Outer-world was under the Babylon, in there Seven Arch-Angels could be] this is real content of revelation to John I sensed theseday. And 12apprentices of Osiris and 12kings of Messianic Era could be borned on earth I think.
Ammm Babylon must try to skirt unimplanted great freemason by implanted one until the time great freemason would be implanted and be slave just like Tenseishinbikai Japan.
If Tenseishinbikai Japan would make me the center of foundation, Babylon couldn’t seize the religion and naturally I would dispose whole spies and make slaves resigned and make somebody overcome neutron.^*^
Whole people who don’t want me to sitting in Freemason must be slave or spy of Babylon.
Believe or not, keep in mind!
And Equilibrium between the good and the bad don’t exist. In Messianic Era the bad human can’t exist. Only cursed creature for their malevolent sins of neutron can exist.
May the force of Messiah be with you
By santa3247
July 3, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this
F U Santa!!!! Why? ^*^ about IFO?
Identified Flying Object by santa.^*^
Listen to me. Babylon have reason to make fraud about UFO and Alien. What kind of purpose?
Because they know well about Yerusalem,Laputa,Asgard’s being exist really. They checked this fact by Neal Amstrong. You got it?^*^
N.A: “God eixst!!” Babylon: “Shut up!!tell us only or you will die”
Therefore they for longtime have tried to deceive human being. Like UFO eixst alien exist.
Yeah for the purpose of making people believe Laputa evil side’s one and Troops of Laputa to demon. So human kind can not touch with Laputa in the last times.
After all, from past to now, whole kind of UFO were something like strange, weird thing. Do you understand?^*^
But Check the IFO over seoul city 24th June please. This IFO was great, and wonderful thing. I wanted to get in too.^*^
May the force of Messiah be with you