Missed opportunities. The Braves began the game with the bases loaded, and didn’t score. They ended the game with the bases loaded, and didn’t score. In between, they left six other runners on base.
Jeff Weaver, the Dodger pitcher, hit Drew, Chipper, and Estrada in order in the first with two out, but Andruw popped up. Then Hampton loaded the bases with one out and gave up a grand slam to Shawn Green. The Braves never could catch up. They cut it to 4-2 in the third on a Drew homer, but Hampton allowed another homer to Green to make it 5-2. They cut it to 5-3, but Hampton allowed another run to make it 6-3, then Cruz, in relief, another in the next inning to make it 7-3. The offense did just enough to come back, but not enough to overcome giving up more runs.
Andruw left the game in the sixth with an injury. I’m not sure of the nature of it… The Marlins play the Padres tonight. The Phillies just started, and the Mets have won. Just keeping track… The best the Braves can do is get back to where they were relative the Dodgers before this series started. Jaret Wright hopes to bounce back against Wilson Alvarez. The game’s supposed to be on TBS. Then back to Atlanta for series against the Rockies and Giants.
What an incredibly frustrating game.A few thoughts:
– Can we please get rid of Hampton?? Seriously, this guy has the most underwhelming stuff of any of our starters, and it’s not even close. If he can’t get guys to swing at his cutter inside (which didn’t happen today because it was located terribly all day) he’s gonna get shelled, simple as that. His great sinker is up in the zone more often than not, and he has no off-speed stuff to speak of. He’s had that one nice month, and also was pretty good in May, but for the most part he’s been a terrible pitcher this season.
– Shawn Green does have one of the nicest swings in baseball. I’ve never seen a guy who can hit the ball 430+ feet so effortlessly. When the ball left his bat, I thought “It’s Dodger Stadium, maybe Andruw has a play on it”, only to watch it land about 15 rows back.
– Bobby Cox, for the umpteenth time this season, stuck with his starter too long. Hampton had nothing, absolutely nothing. Only some luck and great defense kept him from giving up even more runs. He barely survived the fourth inning. He allowed the first two men to reach in the fifth, at which point the hook was overdue. But Bobby Cox left him in to serve up another gopherball to Green, which he missed for some reason. However, that didn’t keep Hampton from giving up an RBI single on the very next pitch.
– Charles Thomas has really come back to earth. At this point I would strongly consider giving Marrero the job in left field full-time. For all the talk about Andruw’s lack of clutch hitting, Thomas sure has killed a lot of rallies himself lately, including two today, and his speed and defense aren’t enough to make up for his complete lack of hitting this month (.213/.260/.255 before tonight’s game).
-Speaking of guys who are struggling, Giles is now hitting .250/.343/.283 with two extra-base hits in 60 at bats in August. He has walked eight times, but he’s still swinging at way too many bad pitches for my taste. He’s also not getting around on a good fastball, and I wonder if his shoulder is still bothering him a bit. Either way, if he could bounce back, it would make our offense all the more dangerous in the playoffs.
Can we please get rid of Hampton??
No, we can’t, because he still owe him about $44m over the next 4 years. I think he’s going to end up John Schuerholz’s worst acquisition of his tenure in Atlanta.
Speaking of guys who are struggling, Giles
While we’re still far from clinching, i might like to see Giles take a few weeks on the DL to get his body in order. I think I saw an article this week in which he admitted the collarbone is still hurting.
1st things 1st. Hampton had been very good over the past month and a half, and he’s still better than a lot of other guys. 2nd thing, it’s okay for Giles not to play through an injury, but if JD Drew missed one inning, you’d be screaming for his head. A little consistency would go a long way.
Giles has no power right now, but his fielding is still spectacular (i.e. the incredible display of range Friday night). He’ll probably get more rest come September, but they need his leadership out there right now to put away the division (although most everyone feels it’s lock up anyway).
If the Dodgers didn’t have Carrera, the’d be in a world of hurt. Gagne obviously is worn out right now (his fastball is 5-7 mph slower than it should be). I hope the Giants win the wild card, because we get to play the Dodgers again in the playoffs if that happens, and I think we can take them in a series.
2nd thing, it’s okay for Giles not to play through an injury, but if JD Drew missed one inning, you’d be screaming for his head.
Um, no I wouldn’t. In fact, I think that Chipper – who made some not so subtle comments in the paper when JD missed games – should have kept his butt out longer. I think Brian Jordan should have been more willing to bench himself. I think it’s a good thing when players play healthy, and I don’t think the macho ‘play through the pain’ mentality is all that helpful for a team.
Moreover, do you really think JD’s minor injury earlier in the year compares remotely to recovering from a broken collarbone? Please.
but they need his leadership out there right now to put away the division
Leadership, schmeadership. This team started its resurgence weeks before Giles returned to the lineup. Nick Green is nowhere near as good as Giles, but right now Marcus Giles is nowhere near as good as Marcus Giles.
He may not be himself, but he’s still better than Green, as good as he was while Giles was out.