ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Braves at Marlins
Tim Hudson wasn’t sharp, and went only five innings, but managed to pitch around trouble (yet more double plays helped) and allowed just a single run on a solo homer, and picked up his first Braves win. He also drove in a run in a three-run fourth with a two-out single.
The first run of that inning came on a Mondesi groundout. That was the first remotely productive thing he’s done in a Braves uniform, but he did later single. Eddie Perez drove in the second run with, of all things, an infield single, and later doubled to drive in an insurance run. Jordan also had two hits.
Sosa, Gryboski, Reitsma, and Kolb pitched single innings, with the latter allowing a run but getting a “save” anyway because the rules are stupid. Gryboski walked two, Reitma and Sosa allowed single hits.
The Braves’ home opener will be against the Mets tomorrow, Zambrano versus Thomson. I swear that they said it would be on TBS during the game, but ESPN lists it as a Turner South game. For what it’s worth, the Braves are tied with the Nats for first at 2-1, with the Phillies and Marlins at 1-2, and the Mets 0-3.
I’m anxious to see how long we can get away with putting so damn many men on base and not get burned for it.
And though he’s to be credited for his couple of hits, I will note for the record that something approaching total cosmic certainty that Jordan was going to ground into that double play towards the end of that game entered my head right before he did it.
Can’t figure out which enthuses me more: the Braves tied for first, or the Mets in last at 0-3. I guess I’ll have to deal with the reality that this is like having ice cream with the cherry on top.
I know it’s only the first week of the season, but any Mets-bashing opportunity must be taken. 🙂
Craig is right, I felt Jordan hitting into a DP. I think the Braves are one hitter away (maybe its Giles.) Furcal made some great plays again tonight.
It’s only two games, but I absolutely love the way Sosa throws the ball. That’s what a relief pitcher looks like. I felt better with him out there than any of the three guys after him.
Pete Orr, on the other hand, I’m sick of already. Get well Marcus.
I agree nyb. Sosa has a lot of potential. If he stays around the strike zone he can have a decent year for us.
Sosa does have potential, but Kolb still continues to scare me….
I like Orr a lot.. We just need giles back because Orr has no power. I don’t think Giles will ever stay healthy.
Perez shocked me tonight, he stepped up.
I was glad that Orr played and not Betimit, because Betimit (i dont know what to say other then “sucks”.
thanks a lot mac for posting on this thing. I read every day.
Castillo kinda blew the game for the Marlins. That Eddie Perez infield single… Well, Castillo rushed the throw bigtime and pulled Delgado off the bag. That would have been out 3, and a 1-0 game. Instead, a run scored, and Hudson plated another. Those 2 runs are what we ended up winning by.
I like the way our pitchers are throwing right now. There’s been some discussion here and on television of our pitchers not being that sharp. I’m sort of in the middle on this one. Yeah Hampton and Hudson weren’t their best, but the Marlins lineup is very difficult to pitch to. Smoltz knows. I don’t see many (maybe any) pitchers just blowing through the Marlins lineup for a complete game shutout this season, especially not when they’re all healthy. I like the way our starters have been able to control games in the face of adversity (walks, hits, runners on in general a lot). The Marlins lineup is going to kill some teams and Hampton and Hudson controlled it well. Lots of ground balls and controlled play. Good job boys.
Shoot, I like Orr. He is a left handed hitting Nick Green for all intents and purposes. What I really like is the way Sosa pitches. I can see why the Braves are enamored. He has great stuff and I agree with the announcers that he pitches a lot like Cruz. I know that the evidence is thin but he might just be a good pitcher out of the pen. (6th inning specialist?)
A hits a hit but Mondesi got lucky that Cabrera can’t field worth a lick.
After watching Orr’s play and Sosa’s pitching, I have no regrets about the Green trade. Gryboski’s strikout of Cabrera was stupifying. He kept throwing his sinker low and inside, and Cabrera swung at it three times. Not a good game for Miguel. His demeanor seems to be catching up with Manny Ramirez quicker than his bat.
Baseball in Florida doesn’t look so hot. Sure, it wasn’t a weekend, but those crowds were pathetic for a team coming off of a Championship in ’03, a winning season in ’04, and a productive offseason in which many are predicting a division title. I don’t know if it’s the whole stadium issue, but they need something done down there.
First of all, they had a record crowd on opening day. They play in a football stadium, for goodness sake, and it’s like 90 degrees in April with high humidity. I would go to a day game there if they were the best team ever to play the game.
The Braves pitching is doing as advertised. The relievers have given up only 1 or 2 runs in 118-19 innings. The first game was a fluke, and the Mets are playing like they have no relief pitching (they don’t). The Phillies are has beens and the Nats will show up for a while then fade into the cellar. I wouldn’t be concerned about the Marlins, because their pitching ain’t all that.
i have a fantasy baseball team.it is an ultimate salary cap league with a 50 million dollar budget. my pitchers are hudson,hampton, h.ramirez, farnsworth, remlinger. my outfield consists of a.jones,ichiro, and mondesi. my infield has s.hillenbrand, giles, furcal, and s.rolen. my catcher is estrada,and a dh is r.sierra. anyone have any suggestions on who could be a steal for a pick-up?
I forget about how small the crowds look in that cavernous venue. They did have about 20,000 on Wednesday and 19,000 on Thursday, both night games. Not as bad as it looked, but I’d hope for more during the first series of the season.
Las Vegas Marlins? Chip Carey mentioned that the Florida stadium deal was ‘on life support’. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy than Jeff Loria.
Nice guy? Jeffery Loria? Didn’t that guy ruin the Expos (or at least made them worse off) and then expected MLB to bail him out and find him another team to invest in? Just wondering. I’ve never heard him described as a nice guy.
i’m a school teacher, with no cable and barely any internet access, so i have to ask a lot of questions. i saw on the braves website that giles and estrada might play tonight. any1 have any updates?
You might want to have your sarcasm detector tuned up Raoul.
Estrada should play tonight, but Giles probably is going to need a couple of games to have his knee heal.
Thanks nyb.
Raoul, I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but for etiquette-sake, you should have combined your last two posts into one, considering that you posted them within the same minute. Nobody likes reading streams of successive posts by the same author. Just pointing out a universal pet-peeve of many bloggers.
Sarcasm very intended. Not entirely Loria’s fault though. The sweet deal he got from Bud makes it look like he has some pictures. Not ‘The Pictures’ mind you but some pictures.
Regarding nyb’s cheap fantasy pickup question. I heard that Michael Restovich was picked up on waivers by the Rockies. He might be worth a flyer in Mile High. A big outfielder with some pop may force his way into their lineup. I’ve also heard Giles is day to day at this point after having fluid drained from his knee.
NYC, look at Nick Swisher of the A’s. He can play RF and 1B. He is a rookie, but he did hit 30 HRs last year.
I like Orr’s hustle. He will leg out a few extra hits because of his speed and he plays good D.
i have only one thing to say guys: BRAVES RULE THE REST DROOL!!!!!!
Good news! Marcus is starting today’s game. He got hit by a pitch(it figures), then stole second. Can’t keep a gamer down.
It’s great to see Marcus back. I think we were all holding our breaths on that one.
I imagine I might be treading on previous nicknames but how bout Raul “The Rally Killer” Mondesi
LOL. Right now this guy can’t pay for a hit in a crackhouse.