That’s more like it. The Braves broke through in the fifth to make a close lead a rout, and keep a six-game lead in the division. The rookies were the main driving force. Adam LaRoche was 3-4 with two homers, three RBI, and three runs. Charles Thomas, for his part, was 3-5 and drove in two, scoring one, and had the big hit in the game, a two-out two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth to give the Braves a 5-1 lead at the time. When Wes Helms — showing why I used to call him Wes Smelms — threw away an easy grounder to allow two more runs to score, the rout was on.
Also joining the fireworks were Drew, who was 2-4 with a homer, and Furcal, Giles, and DeRosa (starting for Chipper) who all had two hits. Andruw was hitless, but walked twice and had a homer taken away from him.
Mike Hampton had a “Good Hampton” performance to get to .500 on the season. He allowed just one run in five innings, but gave up nine hits and struck out only one. It really shouldn’t work, but somehow he makes it work, at least some of the time. Juan Cruz actually got into the game, which doesn’t happen often, and gave up a run, which happens even more seldom, going two innings and striking out two. Gryboski and Alfonseca pitched single innings. It looks like Smoltz, Reitsma, and Martin are the main relievers, and that tonight’s crew are the second string.
The Phillies are winning 15-4 over the Rockies, so we can safely assume they’ll hold on. If that’s what happens when those teams play in Philly, things might get really ugly in Denver. The Marlins lost, and are nine back… Actual Braves Baseball on TBS tomorrow, as the Braves start playing national games just in time for the Olympics. Are they trying to drive the ratings down? Anyway, by my reckoning every game but one (the middle game of next week’s San Diego series) out of the next three series will either be on TBS or Sportssouth, or will be a Fox regional game.
The Sunday game was moved to ESPN, I believe. The Braves weren’t happy about it, because they have a game the next night against the Padres.
Some no-names gave up 8 of the runs against the Phils and Randy Wolfhad 2 HRs and 3 of the rbis.
Impressive performance by the younsters for the Braves. LaRoche might actually amount to something with Chipper taking him under his wing.
12M plus A. Jones strikes out with bases loaded with one out league min. Chuckie T clutch 2 out hit. What is wrong with that picture? Mac is this year going to be another playoff choke or is the team that going to take us to the promise land?
In other news, Kyle Davies is playa-hating the Southern League. He threw 6 1-hit innings yesterday coming in after Horacio’s 2-inning rehab start, and notched 6 Ks. He has more strikeouts than innings pitched in his first exposure to AA at the age of 20.
For the year (High-A and AA combined):
13-2 record, 120.1 IP, 86 H, 48 BB, 146 K. Only worrisome signs are the high walk rate and homers allowed (8 in 45 innings at AA, though none recently).
Still, for a 20 year old, I’ll take 3:1 K/BB and 10.95 K/IP (jeepers!) while very young for his level any day. Is it just me, or are these numbers at least in the ballpark with Scott Kazmir’s?
12M plus A. Jones strikes out with bases loaded with one out league min. Chuckie T clutch 2 out hit. What is wrong with that picture?
Is it that a heavier wallet is harder to swing?
[i]12M plus A. Jones strikes out with bases loaded with one out league min. Chuckie T clutch 2 out hit. What is wrong with that picture?[/i]
Your selective and small sample.
The guy walks twice, has a HR robbed, and you want to knock him for (gasp!) striking out.
FWIW, since he came off the DL, Laroche has hit 279/374/488 in almost 100 PA.
The guy walks twice, has a HR robbed, and you want to knock him for (gasp!) striking out.
But JC he makes $12 million! Guys that make that kind of money should get a hit every time up! And with men on base, anything less than a homerun is a failure!
/sarcasm
Yes, A. Jones did have two walks and a HR robbed but when we needed him the most he goes from a 2-0 count to walking back to the bench hanging his head. The other day Chipper got all over Laroche for striking out with the bases loaded. A. Jones isn’t a rookie anymore. Maybe I am selective but maybe I just wish A. Jones would be too.
It may be just happen only when I’m watching but it does seem like Andruw strikes out alot when you least want him to.
Andruw already has 101 strikeouts this year with only 17 homeruns oh my bad should’ve been 18 I forgot they now add robbed homeruns to your stats. Last year he had 135 for the whole year. with 36 long balls. If Andruw is going to K than he at least needs to bring his power numbers up. Oh yeah I forgot he has a whopping .358 OBP and an incredible .257 average. So when we get our tail kicked in the playoffs we can all say we got robbed and that will make everything seem o.k.
Baseball is a game of failure but I can’t stomach watching andruw whiff when the game is on the line.
Right, Jason. Some of us had forgotten. Everything bad that happens is Andruw’s fault. Anytime the Braves lose, it’s Andruw’s fault. All injuries are Andruw’s fault. Global warming? Andruw.
And when Andruw hits a leadoff double and the rest of the team can’t get him in, it’s his own fault, right?
Point well made Mac, just a frustrated fan I guess. Still wondering how you fill about this teams post season future?
The Cardinals look awfully strong offensively; we’ll see this weekend how the teams match up. It may not be fair, but I, personally, have trouble taking seriously a pitching staff that relies heavily upon Ray King and Jason Marquis. The Braves can win the league, but the Cards have to be the favorites.
As for the Series, unless their pitching goes into total systems collapse I don’t see anyone beating the Yankees. And they might outscore everyone anyway. The Braves match up with them as well as anyone.
It amuses me that so many people intimate that Andruw’s periodic struggles are the result of some personal failing, yet nobody ever trashes Chipper, who is having a far worse season. It doesn’t even register with some people when Chipper strikes out with a runner in scoring position, but a hard-hit ground ball by Andruw that results in a double play is just more evidence that he’s a bum. Get a grip….
Guys, I think there is really no black and white. Yes, Andruw is making $12M, which is the same amount Thome is making. We do have a very very high expectation on him since 1996. However, you just can’t value what he is doing on the defensive side. How many runs does Thome save on defence? I can say Andruw saved plenty during the past eight years.
Yes, it sucks to see him keep getting punched out with runners on scoring position with less then two outs, and it sucks to see him keep hitting into double plays, but you HAVE to see his effort of hitting the ball to right field! He is putting too much pressure on himself, and you can see on his face that he is embarrassed everytime he strikes out. If he is indifferent about it, then I will be concern. However, the guy is putting in time and effort to improve, keep him a break.
How about people just not completely fly of the handle and go utterly ballistic any time someone just doesn’t come out in total praise of their favorite player. We’re all adults here, right?