Blech. Jaret Wright shut the Reds out for five innings, but gave up two runs in the sixth. Meanwhile, the Braves got a run in the first, then didn’t do anything for the next seven innings. They loaded the bases with one-out in the ninth, but Chipper hit a so-useful sac fly, and Estrada (hitting righthanded, which he really can’t do) popped up to end the game. The Braves were hitless with runners in scoring position, since their first run scored on a wild pitch.
Julio was the only Brave with two hits; they had only six total. They did draw seven walks, including three in the ninth. Two, of course, were by Drew.
Gryboski relieved Wright, but sucked, loading the bases on two walks and a infield single, and also a wild pitch. He lasted only a half inning before giving way to Martin. The two relievers I still have confidence in, though, did nothing to shake that confidence. Alfonseca needed only six pitches to get through the eighth, and Cruz struck out the side in the ninth.
The Marlins lost to the Phillies again. The magic number is one, but that’s for two teams now. A Brave win over the Marlins, who come into Atlanta tomorrow, will clinch the division. That would also eliminate the Phillies, who can eliminate themselves by losing to the Expos.
“Gryboski relieved wright, but sucked.”
Good point, but I think the umpire made some bad calls on the 3-2 count, i forgot who was up but the 2-2 pitch looked like a strike to me. the strike zone looked really small untill chucky T got the high strike called on him in his @ bat in the ninth.. Gryboski had good stuff.. got a fastball that should have been strike three @ 96. I’m not saying he was good but I don’t think he sucked, pretty harsh words mac. hahahahah.
Is any one else slightly encouraged by the emergance of this prototypical post season Braves team. In September?
It seems to me this is exactly what happens every year. They are hot until September comes, then the wheels start coming off and the weaknesses appear. Right now, I list those weaknesses as a mediocre (to be kind) bullpen, lack of offensive production from catcher and left field, lack of clutch hitting from everyone. Seems like it’s time for the Braves players to start making those tee times for mid-October again.
Downtown, Do you mean “hoping they are getting it out of their system”? If so I guess that is a one positive way to look at the last 20 games. I would like to see them snap out of it and begin to improve before post season gets here though. When we clinch tonight maybe Cox will start resting the regulars and the others he plays will be trying for a psoition on the post season roster so the hustle and fire they display might pump up the whole team.
Mr. Thomason (or can I call you Mac?), Speaking of the post season roster, when do we get a thread started for speculation about it?
Mac is fine. Feel free to speculate here, if you like. I’ll probably put up a post sometime around the end of the week — whenever Bobby starts putting in the really strange lineups.
has chipper jones ever got a clutch hit?
Yeah I hope he starts resting players especially after that almost month rest they had last year which lead to the absolutly explosive offense against the cubs in the nlds last year
“hoping they are getting it out of their system”?
Yep that’s what I meant.
MWS – I never noticed the Braves were a poor September team. Maybe the extra pain of October losses makes them stand out in my mind. What’s our September win rate since the wild-card began?
Has Chipper ever got a clutch Hit? You must be joking!
It wasn’t too many years ago that the Braves squeaked into the playoffs by barely winning 87 games. Chipper buried the Mets by himself that September. He was, you might remember, MVP one year.
Okay, things look very uncertain right now. I was the fool calling this team a “broken team” in the Spring. But The Braves staff know a hellova lot more about winning than I did (and probably you do.) I doubted them; I was wrong. Go Braves!
Tody in Atlanta during the Braves Power Lunch a young fan asked “Chucky-T” who was fastest Andruw, J.D., or him. Chucky said J.D.
BTW do we call it a thirteenpeat?
Go Braves
Sorry about that last post if your not watching TBS it makes little since. Any hoo J.D.’s fast.
has chipper jones ever got a clutch hit?
This may be an old topic by now, but it’s worth mentioning…
For Chipper to have such a drastic down year this year (and most of it he was waaaaayyyyyy down from what we’re accustomed to), he’s still the club leader in RBI and threatening to tie the NL record for consecutive 100 RBI seasons. Consider how much time he missed early in the season, too. He has more RBI than Andruw in nearly 100 fewer AB’s (not Andruw-bashing, just stating a fact), not to mention he currently has the second highest OPS on the team in a year in which he’s only hitting .250. It will probably be a while before he has another season this “bad”, and that’s not too shabby.
Downtown,
You’re right; they are not that bad, but they do seem to be worse in September than in other months. In part, that’s probably because they already have the division wrapped up. I guess my concern is they flatten out before the playoffs–but whether that has any effect on their performance in the playoffs is pretty speculative. I do think, however, that they have weaknesses now that were not so apparent earlier in the season when Thomas and Estrada were hitting so well.
I don’t have their September records for the entire period, but in 2003, they were 14-12, 2002-don’t know, 2001-16-12, 2000-16-12.
Chipper has gotten a lot of clutch hits over the years, but I’m not sure he’s the same player the last few years that he was in the 90s. I’m not sure what 100 RBIs means these days, when guys routinely get 130-140. It seems to me that both Chipper and Drew should both be over 100 already given that Furcal and Giles are on base a lot.