By Jason

April 7, 2008 11:07 PM | Link to this

Blaine Boyer is worthless…

By cron

April 7, 2008 11:08 PM | Link to this

Why in the hell did Cox decide to pitch to Holliday there. I love the guy, but he is a complete idiot sometimes with his strategy in close games. First base was open and would have made a dp a possibility. Instead the moron decides to let a shaky Blaine Boyer pitch to quite possible one of the best 4 hitters in the game. Glavine should have had this win.

By lets

April 7, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this

stick to the main point… blaine boyer is a train wreck in consistency. Getting Mike Gonzalez back will be huge but we really have to stick to moylan, mahay, and soriano until then.

By matlanta

April 7, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this

i don’t know that it was Cox who decided to pitch to holliday, i think boyer just didn’t locate the pitch where he wanted. glavine looked awesome — low pitch count for most of the game, should’ve gotten the win. i think it’s obvious that boyer doesn’t belong in that 8th inning set-up spot, he should’ve come in when moylan did, save moylan until the 8th.

By scott boras

April 7, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this

4 1run losses..ouch

By Jim A.

April 7, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this

Ok, Boyer has had his chance, Get rid of him NOW

By T

April 7, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this

You DO NOT pitch to Holiday in that situation. Period.

That loss in on Bobby. First base open, one out… and you give their best hitter, who was due at 0-3 on the night… a first pitch fastball right down the middle?

If you think I’m wrong… would you give Texeria a pitch to hit in that exact situation reversed? No way. Glavine pitched great. No hitting…UGH!

By Steve

April 7, 2008 11:19 PM | Link to this

Why didn’t they try to bunt Kelly over to 2nd??? With Chipper on deck and just one run to tie it, this should have been a no brainer! We learned this in little league! Other than Glavine and Chipper, the Braves continue to look very cold, slow and flat in cold weather.

By scott boras

April 7, 2008 11:24 PM | Link to this

LETS, just to let you know mahay was soooo last year..

By Shane

April 7, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this

Long season left. GO BRAVES!

By jay johnson

April 7, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this

Not gonna take this st for another season. No bullpen. Just bullst. I’m outta here. Good riddens..

By melissa

April 7, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this

Like I said! Why in the HELL! is Boyer still on this team!!!!!!!!!!!! Bobby Cox is reponsible for him being on this team!!! Every since the last week of spring training, Boyer has been giving up three run homers!!!!! and Cox!!! put him on the team anyway!!!!!!! He is to much of a players managers!! He does’nt take what he sees on the field and not learn from it!!! And what I don’t understand is “Why the local media every ask him about some of the decisions he makes?!!” PLEASE!! local media!!! Ask him the tough questions!!!!!!!!!!! Why are you afraid of Cox!!!! It’s ashame that another pitcher that pitched better than Boyer!!! didn’t make the team!!! The braves will never win consistancely with Bobby Cox managing this team!! I bet anyone that when he leaves and a new manager takes over, that manager wouldn’t put up with players that don’t preform!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By USMC DAWG

April 7, 2008 11:41 PM | Link to this

OK, we’re a week into the season and Boyer has blown 2 games. What’s next? Someone should tell him it does not matter if you throw the ball 95+, if you throw it BELT HIGH DOWN THE FRIGGIN’ MIDDLE, you will get lit up like a x-mas tree.

By danget

April 7, 2008 11:41 PM | Link to this

i meant ohman not mahay… i gotta quit doing that

By USMC DAWG

April 7, 2008 11:41 PM | Link to this

OK, we’re a week into the season and Boyer has blown 2 games. What’s next? Someone should tell him it does not matter if you throw the ball 95+, if you throw it BELT HIGH DOWN THE FRIGGIN’ MIDDLE, you will get lit up like a x-mas tree.

By AfroDawg

April 7, 2008 11:42 PM | Link to this

Reserve opinions until forty games have been played, something tells me that we’ll all be pleasantly surprised.

By Michael

April 7, 2008 11:55 PM | Link to this

Tyler Yates was let go for this??

By Daybed Wagmoe

April 7, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this

Glavine looked very good tonight, and I think it’s a great sign of his season to come. Sure, he won’t pitch like this every night, nor will he face teams that have been as offensively anemic like the Rockies have been. But if he can keep pitching like this, he’ll be one of the better #3 pitchers in the game.

By Robert

April 7, 2008 11:58 PM | Link to this

What a study in contrasting styles: Glavine with no velocity but keeping away from the heart of the plate all night with great success, hits the corners, changes speeds, keeps the hitters off-stride. Boyer with great velocity but that pitch to Holiday was right through the heart of the plate. You’d think Boyer would learn something from Glavine’s guile.

By monty

April 8, 2008 12:05 AM | Link to this

Boyer needs a hard slider, His fastball is quick but doesnt move much. He is a fastball pitcher who can get away with having only one good pitch except to the really good hitters like Holliday. When they know all you got is a fastball they will time it if it isn’t moving.

By monty

April 8, 2008 12:11 AM | Link to this

0-4 in une run games. Not too many games are you going to win only scoring 1 run. THese one run losses are going to come back and bite them on the you know what at the end of the season if they don’t get it turned around. THey need to have a closed door session amd decide to nut up!

By scott boras

April 8, 2008 12:15 AM | Link to this

i agree michael..we gave up yates so we can have this guy whos out of options. the only time i was worried tnght was when boyer pitching to the heart of teams lineup..wow we say this comming. bad move and again bad result..0-4 on 1 run games for a reason!!!very dissapointing when we have a chance to be perfect 7-0 or close to that

By xtimastah

April 8, 2008 12:19 AM | Link to this

It really is tiring. We’re one piece away from absolutely running the division, and we just can’t get it. I say just spend mega fat bucks to get a young, promising, durable inning 6 and 7 kinda guy.

By Supes

April 8, 2008 12:20 AM | Link to this

Relax…tonight is a tough loss to take, esp. coming off from beating the Muts…but these 1 run games tend to even out during the season. The baseball gods giveth and they taketh away…they are taking away from the Braves now, eventually Braves will come out and steal one runs games later on in the season.

As long as they stay close to .500 in April we’ll be fine for the season.

By DawgGrad311

April 8, 2008 12:25 AM | Link to this

As much as Boyer blew this one, we cannot ignore the bats. They only mustered 3 hits. They kept Santana on his toes and never let him get comfortable, but they let Joe Blow think he was the reason for the creation of the Cy Young award. Coors field is supposed to be a hitters park.

Great job by Glavine…our old-timers are showing us how to get the hob done.

By Dave in AZ

April 8, 2008 12:33 AM | Link to this

The Braves bullpen is a trainwreck. They couldn’t close out games last year and haven’t been able to finish games since Smoltz went back to starting.

Same old song. Same old team. They’re lucky Tex made that great play in the ninth or they’d have blown yesterday too.

By DesertNomad

April 8, 2008 12:43 AM | Link to this

I expect to see headlines tomorrow that Boyer was sent to AA or AAA….recall Phil Stockman or Zach Schreiber…or how about Jonathon Rouwenhorst?

By justin

April 8, 2008 12:45 AM | Link to this

Gotta love early season baseball. Boyer will be fine, he didn’t locate one pitch and unfortunately the Braves didn’t score enough runs for it to not matter. Also, why do you walk Holiday? So you can pitch to Atkins, who had over 100 RBI last year? And then after him Hawpe? Please, get real. Some of you people have no concept of how a baseball game works. We’re 3-4! That means we’ve played 7 games. At the end of May if Boyer is stinking it up then and the Braves are playing 500 ball, you may have an argument. But for the time being, I’d say we’re fine.

By Bill S.

April 8, 2008 1:44 AM | Link to this

If you read the game story, Cox lost this game on Saturday afternoon. Soriano had to be rested tonight after pitching 2 straight days. This changed the entire bullpen for the 8th and 9th innings. Otherwise, Boyer wouldn’t have been pitching in the 8th. On Saturday, Cox used Soriano with a 6 run lead in the 9th. Then when he had to use him in an actual save situation on Sunday, he became unavailable tonight. There is no manager in baseball who wastes his closer in non-save situations more than Cox.

By Bravesfan79

April 8, 2008 1:51 AM | Link to this

justin: So do you also agree with us using our closer in a blowout…..and then a few game later hes unavailable because he needs rest??
No something is not ok, and im sorry but the names Holiday , Atkins and Hawpe dont even belong in the same sentence!
Im not saying we should of walked him on 4 straight, but just dont give him ANYTHING TO HIT! Especially NOT a fastball down the middle!! * Thats what makes the great pitchers like Maddux so great, they know not to let the other teams best hitter beat you, and arent scarred to pitch the corners and walk someone!* I actually like Boyer… but he seems to struggle when he faces more than 2 or 3 batters. And especially hate the fact he shouldnt of been in there anyways because we needlessly used Soriano the other night.

By benjy

April 8, 2008 2:10 AM | Link to this

boyer was horrible 2 years ago and hes horrible now. leave the ball in moylans hands or give it to someone who can do the job.

By tj

April 8, 2008 2:28 AM | Link to this

It’s pretty obvious some of you have not been following the Braves very long.Over the 14 straight winning seasons they have been known to not get too high when they win or too down when they lose. It has worked well for them. If they panicked and went ballistic after every loss like some of you, they would not have the record they have over that time. This is the Major Leagues, not little league where you only play a handful of games. I believe it was Casey Stengel who once said every team is going to win 54 and every team is going to lose 54. It’s what you do with the other 54 that matters. Just be patient like the Braves are. And all of you that know so much about managing and think Bobby doesn’t know what he’s doing, get your resume to Frank Wrenn. Bobby will be retiring soon and he’ll need a replacement.

By tj

April 8, 2008 2:43 AM | Link to this

To Bill S

I suspect that may just be Cox speak about resting Soriano. He pitched two games over the weekend, but didn’t look all that sharp Sunday. I kinda suspect there is more to it than just rest, but Bobby won’t just sraight up say it until he knows for sure. I just read an article yesterday where Soriano said he could pitch 4 straight days. If he can’t go more than two after having a couple off we might need to start looking somewhere else. JMO

By Trippy Hippie

April 8, 2008 3:03 AM | Link to this

Two Glavine starts, two Boyer losses. Who is Tommy ready to kill, I wonder?

This kinda also makes you wonder who’s getting sent down Wednesday, since Boyer is solely responsible for exactly half the team’s losses to-date.

By ronp

April 8, 2008 3:19 AM | Link to this

Manager lost this one…no way he should have pitched to Holliday especially with first base open.. Cox should have known better.

By Shamus Thacker

April 8, 2008 3:21 AM | Link to this

Like I said the other day, bullpen management is Bobby’s big, ugly, puss-filled, zit. I love the guy, but he hasn’t a clue how to manage a pen. We’d have a couple more championships under our belt if he did.

Boyer? Why Bobby, why????

By tj

April 8, 2008 3:30 AM | Link to this

Not too many Managers walk the go ahead run. I have seen Bobby and others do it to Barry Bonds but not many others. Bobby didn’t throw that fat pitch to Holiday, Blaine Boyer did. I suspect the next hitter would have hit that one out too.

By Shamus Thacker

April 8, 2008 3:30 AM | Link to this

Blaine Boyer, win destroyer.

He should only pitch in games that Hammy starts. That way, we’ll never see him again…

By Shamus Thacker

April 8, 2008 3:39 AM | Link to this

tj, I would have hit that one out. lol

By boxerchick65

April 8, 2008 3:46 AM | Link to this

To change the subject a little bit - do we love Mark Kotsay yet? I thought I would grieve for Andruw, but Kotsay already has only one less assist (2) than Andruw had all last year (3), and his offense is MUCH better. Andruw is batting .115, has scored no runs, no HRs, and 1 RBI. He left 5 men on for the Dodgers tonight.

And yes, I’m frustrated with Boyer. It kills me to see Ty in another uniform. It also killed me to see the look on Tommy’s face tonight. Some welcome home….

By tj

April 8, 2008 3:48 AM | Link to this

Shamus I’m 66 and I think I would have too. I’m sure I would have in my playing days.

By dustin

April 8, 2008 5:23 AM | Link to this

These Braves have not performed to their best so far this yet, but still should be 7-0. The Braves haven’t been beat this year, they have lost!!! Come on Bobby, get your head in the game and stop thinking about the vacation home you going to have next summer. Starters have been great this year, and if the offense ever comes alive, we are going to make a run!!! GO BRAVES!!!

By roman88

April 8, 2008 6:42 AM | Link to this

blaine bowyer is the bob wickman of today, wren traded the wrong guy, options or not this guy can’t get it done, another good outing by the starters, wasted…how long before bobby shakes things up? geez use some of the extra starters that didn’t get the 5th spot, those not taking up hamptons spot,that is.

By BullpenneedsHELP

April 8, 2008 7:04 AM | Link to this

This is what needs to happen - Mike Hampton takes up a LARGE portion of the Braves payroll - SELL HIM! Take that $$$ and pick up some young quality relievers that can close a frieking ballgame!! Dude, is this going to be another year of horrible bullpen pitching?? We have arguably the best line-up of starting pitching in the game right now who are constantly getting screwed over by the bullpen. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!

By Arkie Fan

April 8, 2008 7:04 AM | Link to this

While I love our manager, fact is, possibility three of our losses this year can be atribitied to him. Any Brave fan that watches our team can tell when a pitcher has run out of gas or never had any. Bobby will leave him in until the score is tied or we lose. Wake up Bobby. Coach from the 1st inning on.

By Dawgs2008

April 8, 2008 7:15 AM | Link to this

Blaine Boyer is a piece of garbage!!!!!!!!!

By ChampDawg

April 8, 2008 7:45 AM | Link to this

Another nice piece of work by the bullpen. That’s 3 blown saves at least in the first 7 games I think? Same ‘ol Braves.

By log 48

April 8, 2008 7:50 AM | Link to this

Lets see - 1 win and 4 losses against the worst teams in the league -I guess as long as you guys play the Mets 162 games you may do ok- too bad you dont - thats why you finish no better than third again this year-

By calmdown

April 8, 2008 7:58 AM | Link to this

amazing how everyone is quick to throw boyer under the bus after one bad pitch and suddenly forget how strong his last two outings were - calm down people.

By TEX?

April 8, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this

I understand everyone railing on Boyer and the ‘pen, but why isn’t anyone trashing Texeira - he has been GOD AWFUL so far this season, a sub .180 avg. and never hitting in the clutch, consistently leaving tons of runners on base. If you are going to bash anyone, don’t leave Tex out because he clearly isn’t doing his job and I pray he doesn’t pull the A. Jones in a contract year.

By mark

April 8, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this

It was once again case of those bullpen blues, I think Cox should have left Glavine longer as well because he was more warmed up than anyone else.But really in a little more than a week this bullpen has already cost us 3 victories.

By atlbravesfan44

April 8, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this

you don’t put the winning run on base. boyer is going to be fine. he’ll have some early season struggles but in the end he will be one of the best pitchers in that bullpen.

By Kevin

April 8, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this

Yes folks Bobby cox is gettin ready to blow playoffs early show…Nah gee boyer just goof he human like Us he be okay if not he gone back richmond….Other wise we 3-4 season not over till cow flys over Moon!

By TBraveFan

April 8, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this

I slept thru Boyer last night - but I did see him at home the other night and I don’t feel that was his fault - the boy just flat ran out of gas. Misuse of the bullpen…

Tommy looked fantastic!!! He pitched a beauty and definitely deserved a win…just like at home last week.

By Jim

April 8, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this

Tex,

Texiera won the game for us on Sunday against the Mets incase you forgot. Blaine Boyer is a dumpster. We need to get rid of him before Bobby gives him the chance to ruin our season.

By Doug

April 8, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this

Unfortunately it is a fact that your offense will not score 10 runs a night and you will need a bullpen to win close games. Unfortunately in the early going it looks like our bullpen will be our down fall. Even Sunday, Soriano did his best to bring the Mets back. It took an awesome play by Tex to save the day. I don’t know what can be done but it looks like this team has a good lineup, solid starting pitching and poor bullpen and at this rate will end up second or third again.

Very disappointing!! I know it’s early but these game will matter a great deal at the end of the year.

By One Man's View

April 8, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this

I write on these blogs quite a bit. My point has been that the Braves have not been transformed since last yr. Never thought so. Guess what? They have the same problems. Lousy bullpen. Hurt starters. Can’t get the key hit. Quit believing the hype. Get used to mediocrity.

By Tom

April 8, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this

After 7 games-3 wins and four losses. Four one-run losses and four losses due to poor relief pitching. Three hits last night doesn’t help much.

By Paul Hamilton

April 8, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this

Last night’s game reminded me of so many post season losses for the Braves. I can’t tell you how many playoff games I watched in person and saw this same result. Braves get a great pitching performance from the starter, little to no offense, and then in the 7th or 8th inning the bullpen blows it.

By VaBravesfan

April 8, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this

I have said it a few times before: Boyer is totally useless. He is a waste of roster space. He was not good before the shoulder problems, and worse now.

By JV

April 8, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this

I am sick of hearing the announcers for the braves telling me that the bullpen has been over used and is tired. Especially Joe Simpson. Tired? Already? Its only the first week of the season! How lame! What are these guys paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to do, sometimes millions. Why does our society today need excuses for our mistakes and not take responsibility for them. This will be another long year if Cox does not figure out how to manage another shaky bullpen. I love Cox as a manager, he has been great, but his time is past. I thinks its apparent for all to see! Of course he will be here till he wants to leave so our Braves will finish second or third this year. Count on it!

By STRETCH

April 8, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this

ONE MAN VIEW…You said a mouth full! The SAME team from the last 2 seasons is what im seeing.

Pitchers are great, but the bullpen? The SAME THING!!!!!! WHERE WAS THAT SO CALLED MONEY LIBERTY PROMISED TO SPEND???!!!!!

BLAINE BOYER…ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME? WASNT HE HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND STUNK IT UP?

HOW DO YOU PLAY THE BEST TEAMS WELL, AND SUCK AGAINST THE WORST TEAM, I KNOW IT WAS COLD, BUT 3 HITS???? MAN IM SICK OF THESE GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!

By Cheryl

April 8, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this

With only 7 relief pitchers, a strategy of possibly using 4 or 5 every day adds up to a tired, ineffective bullpen - ERA to date 5.15

By Rich

April 8, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this

I just read that Boyer pitched because dimwit Cox had to rest Soriano because he had pitched in 2 straight games against the Mets…..one of those games was the 11-5 game….why is your closer pitching the 9th in that game…Cox has never learned how to handle a bullpen or how to scratch out runs in close games

By Curt

April 8, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this

Glavine pitched great. You can not ask any more of him.

In tight games you play not to give up the first run and you play to get one run at a time.

This does not mean you want only one run but that you don’t sit around waiting for a home run. Instead you manufacture runs.

The point being you need to bunt, steal, hit and run, anything to get that one run. With Kelly Johnson on first and nobody out, you either bunt or you do a hit and run….or at least put Johnson in motion so you do not get doubled up. Cox did neither and instead ended up with a double play which effectively took the bats out of Chipper’s and Tex’s hands.

Cox is a good manager but he has got to open his game up…. a lot.

By Varoadrunner

April 8, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this

SHIP BOYER TO THE TIGERS IF THEY’RE STUPID ENOUGH TO TAKE HIM. A grooved fastball to their best hitter! GET RID OF HIM!

By eddie

April 8, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this

Stretch: Worst team? Who was in the World Series for the National League last year. And give your exclamation point key a rest, please.

By Jeff R

April 8, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this

Yeah, sure its early, but I’m not liking what I’m seeing from the bullpen so far. Cox, as someone wrote earlier, shouldn’t have pitched to Holliday. And he shouldn’t have pitched Boyer. Not impressed through the first seven games.

By Hey Frank Wren

April 8, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this

Time to trade one of our 3 catchers (preferably Corky), trade Prado (Gotay is better defensively and at the plate), or trade one of our 8 minor league OF prospects…and get some proven relief pitching!! Lets face it people, this season is probably going to be our best shot for a long time…Glavine, Smoltz are done after this year and Texeira is gone (we will not be able to afford him, Boras and the Braves don’t mix)….its now or never Wren!!!

By Deja Vu

April 8, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this

Is it just me or does this team remind anybody of 2006? Nice quality starts and a weak bullpen. Watch again at the park or on tv, some of those guys come right out of the pen with their head already hanging down. Confident? Shaky at best……maybe Cox should return Bobby Dews to the pen fulltime for moral. Anything would help at this point. If you don’t shore up that pen, it is going to be a long season.

By AJ

April 8, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this

MR.WREN….I WANT TO COME HOME. THESE FOLKS AIN’T HAPPY WITH ME. PLEASE HURRY.

By Obama '08

April 8, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this

You Can’t blame the pitching when your team only scores ONE run. It does stink that Glavine pitched so well but has nothing to show for it, however, y’all should be bashing the hitting, not the pitching for being on the wrong side of a 2-1 game at Coors Field. Boyer was one of the most dependable arms in the ‘pen 3 seasons ago before he had to have the surgery on his arm. Now he has 10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Yeah…he’s made a some bad pitches but the idea of running him out of town after 7 games is absurd. If you want to build a bullpen for the future you don’t get rid of the young guys with talent just because they make a couple mistakes.

Hey D.O.B. How about calling out the hitters next time the Bravos only score 1 run at Coors Field.

By Stylin

April 8, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this

Why have the Braves only won one World Series? The answer is two words…..Bobby Cox!

By rob

April 8, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this

Tommy was fantastic. He has given us two great outings so far, but it looks like the Bullpen hates winning. They have jobbed Tommy twice now. I bet Hudson can tell him just how he has felt the past two years.

By Eric from MO

April 8, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this

This aint exactly all of Boyers fault. This high powering offense could of given a little more run especally in Colorado. Also right now, other than Soriano I dont think any of the relievers know their role. Teams always say it is harder for a bullpin to suceed when they dont who the setup men are and who is the mid relievers and who the closer is. Well we know the closer is, but other than that we dont know sh!t.

By BossLady

April 8, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this

If Tommy put them on, then how can Boyer think that he can get them?

Bobby Cox better get his bullpen organization together. Didn’t he see how hard they hit Boyer on foul balls, showed they saw him well.

I don’t know if the bullpen costs Glavine or the coaching of the bullpen.

I said, “get him out of there” when the rocket shifted foul in homerun distance, but, did he listen to me, NO.

By BravesWin

April 8, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

Hey STRETCH

“how do suck against the WORST team”??

The Rockies were in the World Series last year. I hope you are “done with these guys”, anyone who bashes a team 7 games into the season with 4 one loss games is an idiot.

By Varoadrunner

April 8, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this

On that trade of Boyer to the tigers - Make sure we get at least three cases of balls in return. Make that TWO. A “straight” fastball down the middle is a crime. He has never proven himself - a good game against the Mets and Bobby puts him in against the top of their lineup. What a shame to waste of glavine’s performance. I have supported Bobby for years - but this loyalty to players of sub-par ability is for the birds. C’mon Bobby, remember winning is paramount!

DUMP BOYER before his next time out.

Man I’m irritated about this!

By tj

April 8, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this

Where were all you complainers when the braves beat the Mets 2 straight.This managing sure is easy from the couch with 20-20 hindsight.