Braves Journal

Stu’s Vanderbilt Preview is now up. The Braves remain beneath contempt.

ESPN - Braves vs. Mets - Box Score - August 20, 2008

What a horrible ballclub. Jair Jurrjens didn’t have it tonight, and wasn’t helped by awful defense in a first inning in which he gave up five runs on four singles (one of the infield variety), two walks, and two errors. Only three of the runs were scored “earned”, but you know what I think about that.

The Braves actually cut into the lead, but I never thought that there was any chance of a comeback. I know this team too well. Blanco singled in Jeffy in the third. In the sixth, a run scored on a bases-loaded double play by McCann, who is slumping and maybe should also go on the shutdown list, or at least take more time off. Escobar came home on a wild pitch to make it 6-3.

I could write more but I don’t feel like it.

Sigh.

Anyway, I’m looking for writeups for the SEC Previews site. Smitty’s UT preview is now up. I’ll do Alabama, of course, and Georgia is spoken for. Email me if you’re interested.

ESPN - Braves vs. Mets - Box Score - August 19, 2008

Reason No. 352 I hate this awful ballclub: I’m running out of things to write. They actually led 3-2 in the eighth, and I figured I had something. I could talk about how the bunt remains stupid, how in the first inning Escobar bunted after Blanco walked leading off (I don’t care if he did it on his own or Bobby made the call — it’s Bobby’s fault either way). This, of course, is a giant “WALK CHIPPER” sign and the Braves didn’t score in the inning. In the third, Blanco walked, and Escobar didn’t bunt and instead singled and Chipper singled in a run and the Braves got three runs in the inning instead of just one, which is all you’ll get when you bunt even if it works.

Well, I guess I wrote that anyway, but you get the idea. It’s hard to write about LOSS AFTER LOSS and I came really close to just writing that this team sucks and lost and there’s no damned point to continuing beyond that.

Anyway, 3-2 lead, and you know what that means — HIBERNATION MODE! After giving up two in the first Reyes settled down and went six, and Bennett threw a perfect seventh. But Bobby left him in (he actually came to bat, and walked) and after getting one guy walked the next two, then allowing an infield single to Beltran. Then Ohman came in and continued to prove that he should have been traded by giving up a two-run double to Lazarus Delgado. And Tavarez came in, because why not? and gave up a two-run single, and a double to make it 7-3. I hate this team.

Chipper was 2-3 with two walks and is hitting .365, for what that’s worth

I can’t deal with Mets fans right now. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in bed with my head under the pillows.

ESPN - Giants vs. Braves - Box Score - August 18, 2008

HATE.

I hate this team. I hate writing about this team. I hate the sheer number of times — it has to be at least eight this month — when I’ve had to say that the pitcher gave up two or three runs in the first inning and the Braves never really came close to coming back. And I hate Francoeur, of course.

The Braves just got embarrassed by Barry Zito, the same Barry Zito who entered the day with a 5.73 ERA and has inspired serious discussion of if he’s the worst free agent signing in history. He gave up five hits in seven innings.

Jorge Campillo is a fine-line pitcher; he has terrific control, and did again today (one walk, late in his game at about the 100 pitch mark) but if he’s not deceiving guys he’s going to get hit. He only had two strikeouts. Every pitcher needs some strikeouts, and if you’re not striking out at least one batter every two innings you’re going to be killed, but it’s particularly clear with Campillo. When he has 5 or 6 Ks, he does well; when he doesn’t, he struggles. He gave up three runs in the first, only one of which was really his fault; the other two scored after a Prado by the man himself. He kept it at 3-0 for awhile, but gave up a homer in the sixth to make it 4-0. The fifth run scored on what had to be the most embarrassing play in Brian McCann’s career, as he threw to third base to cut down a runner — who was entitled to the base, as Campillo walked the bases loaded on the pitch — only to see the ball go into left field.

It didn’t really matter. What does? As has been pointed out, even draft position doesn’t, because the Braves will just draft a high school pitcher from Georgia. Trade Kotsay. I kind of like him, and he really deserves better than this crap.

ESPN - Giants vs. Braves - Box Score - August 17, 2008

Right back to the losing. I tell you, this Lincecum kid is really going to be something if he ever goes through puberty. He struck out ten Braves in 7 1/3 and just allowed three hits.

Charlie Morton was pretty good, except for a two-run homer in the second. He allowed seven hits and struck out six; his other run came after a one-out triple in the fifth that probably should have been cut off (in my opinion, anyway) except that Francoeur as usual misplayed it.

The Braves had a chance to get even in the eighth. With two out, Escobar walked and Chipper singled. The Giants brought in a LOOGY to face Kotsay (hitting cleanup because it’s not like anyone on this team but Chipper and the taking-the-day-off McCann has any power); after falling behind 0-2, he worked it full and then singled to make it 3-1. McCann drew a pinch walk to load the bases, but Francoeur, as usual, grounded out to end the threat.

The Braves had just four hits, but six walks. Francoeur was 0-4, so back to normal there. He sucks.

By rule, they have to play these games, or at least try to.

ESPN - Giants vs. Braves - Box Score - August 16, 2008

It was Critic-Silencing Night at the Ted, as Jeff Francoeur had four hits (for the first time this year, because he sucks) and Mike Hampton went six innings for the win. If L’il Jonny Schuerholz was there, they could have made it a complete set.

The Giants called up some guy — I don’t know his name, he’s not a prospect and he won’t be around after this — whom the Braves knocked out of the game in the third inning. Francoeur was in the middle of it, doubling in KJ and later scoring in the second, and then singling in a run in the third. Hampton singled in the fourth run of the third and sixth of the game, chasing whatever his name was.

Norton started at first, and hit a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 8-0. Hampton gave up a couple of runs in the fifth, but the Braves got one back in the bottom of the inning, making it 9-2. Hampton settled down in the sixth, and finished with seven hits allowed, two walks, and four strikeouts. In all honesty, he didn’t pitch nearly as well as Jurrjens did last night, but Jurrjens had to go up against Matt Cain.

Gotay hit for Hampton (even though he’s hitting 100 points lower) and doubled in Francoeur in the sixth, and came in on a Chipper groundout, making it 11-2. After the usual scoreless inning from Carlyle, who surely is going to go lame soon, Matt “Not Really a Major Leaguer” DeSalvo made his Braves debut, giving up a run in the seventh. Bobby brought in Nunez to pitch the ninth, which was a mistake, because he wound up having to get him after three hits, two walks, and two runs, Bennett coming in to finish it.

The Braves had sixteen hits. In addition to Francoeur’s four, Escobar, McCann, and Infante had two, and Chipper had a hit and two walks.