ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Mets
Sorry, brief recap today because after being figuratively ill I’m now literally ill. Anyway, that’s more like it.
The Braves got three-hit games from Francoeur (who missed the cycle by the double) and McCann. Francoeur more or less sealed it with his homer in the sixth that made it 8-1, but they poured on some more after that. Surprisingly after the events of recent days, Randolph didn’t seem interested in trying to come back, sticking with the abhorrent Bartholome Fortunato, who allowed the Braves’ last eight runs.
Andruw was out; Jordan started in left and scored twice and drove in two, including one on a solo homer. Chipper had two hits and two walks; LaRoche had three walks. Renteria had a pair of singles to keep his hit streak going.
Smoltz was terrific, going six, allowing one run on a solo homer and just two other hits, striking out eight. Ken Ray pitched a perfect seventh. McBride struggled with his control and had his defense let him down to allow two runs in the final two innings.
Remember folks…no matter how badly he gets his ass kicked, it’s still Lima Time.
If the Mets use Lima all-year to replace Zambrano, that makes they’re starting rotation even weaker. But also means that Omar may be thinking of Dontrelle Willis.
Glad to know my presence in the lineup was a shot int he arm to our offense.
Will Carroll called Billy Wagner’s finger a “time bomb” earlier this week. During the game, I thought I heard Pete compare Wagner’s finger problem to Thomson’s from last year. Anybody know?
I couldve sworn Pete was comparing Thomson’s finger problem to Bannister’s finger problem, but maybe not.
Yes. Pete said the issue reminded him a lot of what happened to John Thomson last year, though I don’t remember any sign that Thomson was about to lose a finger until it actually happened.
One more game note: Angel Hernandez was awful.
Does anyone know what Andruw’s status will be for the coming week?
Hot damn boys…what a game! great pitching JC. We knew you had it in you. I think we should stick with this lineup for Tuesday night’s game.
here it is again:
Smitty
Stu
Kyle S
Jac H
Mac
Ububba
Jenny
Alex R
JC
We’re only 5 games below .500. We could be back in business by this time next week.
Smitty sucks. He swings at everything and he’s too short to have any power. Drop him in the order!
I (Jarrod SaltInWoundsHurtsAlotta) am still in Mississippi.
Call me up Coach Matt
I didn’t care about the game by the time I came in and committed perhaps the worst error by a shortstop in baseball history. Sorry guys.
Also, the worst umpire in baseball? CB Bucknor. The second-worst umpire in baseball? Angel Hernandez, by about 30 miles over whoever’s #3.
About a week ago, the game threads on this board were worth reading. Now with all the fake names and garbage being said between posters, I hate to say it’s turned into the other 99% of the Internet trash that’s out there.
Can we get it back to baseball talk, please?
Everyone who posts on here regularly should have a player on the Braves to represent. This way, we can yell at, say for example, Jenny if the player she represents (Giles) goes 0-for-5 and she can defend him. That would be funny.
I’m in great shape right now. I can hit like nobody’s business. (I’ll admit that my fielding is a bit weak.)
jenny’s actually McCann, though, so we should heap endless amounts of praise on her.
Andruw’s supposed to be back in there on Tuesday. He took today off since there is an off-day tomorrow and that would give him consecutive days to rest his back.
According to this thing I just found, the reason Bucknor and Hernandez haven’t been canned yet is that MLB doesn’t want to look bad by firing two minority umpires. Good to see they have their priorities in order.
http://www.fantasysportstrades.com/wp-print.php?p=124
I mean, I see the problem, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find minority umpires out there who are better than CB Bucknor and Angel Hernandez.
As for the batting order:
Smitty, you need to sit out a game or two. Maybe take a few more swings in the batting cages. I have no doubt you will break out of this, though. I know you’re too good of a hitter for this to last much longer!
Stu, wow man. Your hitting streak is awesome! Keep it up. I personally wouldn’t mind it lasting for another 131 games.
Kyle, please don’t get hurt anymore. We need you in there!
Jac, sorry to see you were out today. I hope the rest was helpful and that you will go on a homerun streak when you come back.
Mac, I liked the walks today. Now, if you could just do something about that batting average?
Ububba, a double away from the cycle! So close. I’ll take it though, especially with all of the RBIs.
Jenny, wow. No sophomore slump in sight. Keep it up!
Alex, sorry the sun got in your eyes on that flyball in the 8th. That was a tough break. It was even tougher you weren’t charged with an error. McBride deserved better?
JC, you must have a rubber arm (assuming you’re the pitcher and we’re not playing by AL rules). This will be two starts in a row. It’s a good thing you didn’t hit Jenny in the second inning today when you missed the bunt sign. At least everything worked out. Also, nice pitching out there! 8 strikeouts in 6 innings. Keep it up!
I keep reading a lot about the Braves being in a lot of one run games. Well, if you score about as many as you allow, you will naturally be in a lot of one run games. 140 scored & 144 allowed. This is not promising.
link
Apparently I’m a tough landlord. Pay up, ububba and whoever on here wants to be KJ. You’re running up my electrical bills!
Okay, I claim John Thomson. Salty is my minor league representative.
I’ll be KJ. I’m hurt and can’t play right now, so nobody will have any reason to get mad at me! (Except for Jenny, since I’m running up her electirc bill.)
Well, sorry about the dropped flyball. My bad. and I promise to try harder to get out my slump in the 8th spot.
By the way, ironic that I am playing the part of Langerhans as I have lived in Texas, (where Ryan is from) twice.
Just back from Shea…
Not much to complain about. Always nice to enjoy such an onslaught on a gorgeous day. Pretty quiet crowd and, as you might imagine, the vast majority treated Lima Time with aggressive indifference.
(I, personally, was thrilled. Let’s see: You’re losing 5-1 & you pump your fist when you strike someone out? Lima Time!)
I think the loudest the MetMob got was when LoDuca threw his mitt into the dugout. Haven’t seen a replay, but I’m assuming McCann was certainly tagged out or else LoDuca wouldn’t have freaked out so hard.
The Frenchy blast earned some oohs & ahhs & an OMG outta me.
A suberb meal of extra lean pastrami at Ben’s Kosher Deli finished off a pretty perfect day.
Alright, that’s one in a row…
Unless the Mets make a trade for a dominant 3rd starter (which I have to believe they will or will try), the Mets should be eventually catchable, whether it’s us or the Phillies.
They cannot just ride 2 starters, one avg. one (Traschel) and then 2 essentially open spots.
ububba,
Glad you had a great time…good karam, my friend.
Yummm…Ny Pastrami…damn good stuff I bet.
I mean KARMA, not karam.
If its ok with youz guys … I’ll take the spot of BJ.
The way LoDuca held the ball seemed to suggest that if anything his knuckles and not the ball would have brushed McCann (I’m pretty sure hand doesn’t count like the glove does). It looked like he was gripping it as if to throw rather than extending it for a tag, and given the amount of contact (if any), that makes a difference.
Of course, that’s so close that the ump wouldn’t be able to tell, so perhaps he was arguing that the ump shouldn’t have been able to make the call.
The BBTN replay was not conclusive. If anything I’d say he missed the tag. That said, the way LoDuca reacted means he probably didn’t.
Maybe Lo Duca’s just batshit insane.
Mike Clay (aka “Salty”)-
Now that Jenny (McCann) is entrenched behind the plate, you should start bringing a 1st baseman’s mit to the park. You’re gonna be a good one kid. Stay focused, lift lots of weights and swing hard. We’ll see you real soon.
Ububba-
After today’s 4-rbi day, you deserve all the extra lean pastrami you can handle.
I feel sorry for Fortunato, ive seen him pitch a ton in the minors and im his biggest fan.
hes coming off surgery and pitching back to back days and he got left out to dry today.
hes got a helluva an arm and can be a good reliever if given a chance
First I need to learn how to hit for average.
(.223-4-15)
Then again, Jeffy didn’t hit for average too well in this hugeass stadium…
I’m ready for the majors, coach!
(I’m pretty sure hand doesn’t count like the glove does)
Nope. The definition part of the rule book states, “A TAG is the action of a fielder in touching a base with his body while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove; or touching a runner with the ball, or with his hand or glove holding the ball, while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove.” Section 2.00 of the Offical Rules.
But man, that was a screwy play.
Shotgun Mike Hampton
Looking at the schedules & playing the role of optimist, Atlanta plays its next 10 games vs. Was & Fla. Gotta take 6 or 7 of those, for sure.
Meanwhile, these are the next 15 games for NYM: @ Pha; @ Mil; @ Stl; NYY; Pha. Tough stretch. Pedro & Glavine can’t pitch every day.
We gotta suck it up & whip up on the NL East dregs (and prove we’re not a part of it) & watch the Mets come to earth, while they try to figure out who their 4th & 5th starters are going to be.
Haha. ububba,
I think I might have typed pretty much those exact words during the end of the 13-3 thread. About the upcoming series’ and all.
We’re pretty smart…
Brilliant minds thinking alike or wishful thinking grasping at straws.
heh, but not smart enough to know series is its own plural?
anyway, about lo duca, he was pissed before that play about both the balk call and hernandez’s awful strike zone, so i’m not sure whether it was just the missed tag call or a conglomeration of frustration over a terrible inning of umpiring. i think it was the latter, even if he did touch mccann.
wow… seems like I missed one heck of a game! I recorded it though so I’ll try and watch it tomorrow!
I got up early this morning to go see MS which according to the schedule I looked at was supposed to start at ONE! so I get around and rush to get up there by the time they open the gate… drive in and I’m going “no one is here?” not even players! lol… which was sad so we park and I’m like the ticket office isnt even open yet… so I decided to look at the schedule in my purse … game time SEVEN not ONE they changed the time after printing the magnetic schedules which was what I had looked at… so wasting SIX HOURS…. never knew that was hard but it is! LOL
anyway… the game was good even though we lost… Salty had two bombs tonight that were inches from being gone. One was gone no doubt about it BUT the dude caught it….. He also had two guys gunned at second (one the ump missed the call and called him safe ..the other Escobar missed the ball on the hop) he also gunned one at third yet he was called safe lol…lots of disagreements with the guys in blue tonight
LOTS of broken bats tonight… my brother got one of Josh Burrus’s
anyways… I know thats not really a recap but I’ll try and post more later…. it’s been a VERY long day!
glad the big bravos got a much needed win today!
David,
I noticed that as soon as i hit send, but thanks for rubbin it in 😉
Hey, It’s not like I’m a Sports Editor for any newspapers of anything…o wait…damn it.
Does anybody have ESPN insider and has read what Buster Olney wrote about the Braves? Something about digging ourselves a deep hole already. If anybody has read, please paraphrase here.
ESPN Radio this morning suggests the Mets may be trading Lastings Milledge for Barry Zito. I think it was a Buster Olney report. I think I would actually like to see the Mets do that deal.
i say ride the “jordan train” while he’s hot and then quickly jump off.
now that Horam is back on the DL, who is getting called up? Fox Sports says it could be R. Rodriguez or Lerew. Any news on this…
Sorry I am in a slum, but I missed how I got to be Giles. That is cool, I will come out of this slump one of these days.
I think I am going to go spend some more time in the cage and drink about 10 pots of coffee because we don’t have Greenies anymore.
How long before the Mets trade for Cabrera and Willis? It cant be that much longer.
I can see the Mets getting Zito or even Willis, but I can’t see Florida dealing Cabrera. There’d be a mutiny in Ft. Lauderdale if that happened
I could see them doing it, but the haul would have to be tremendous – like David Wright and Milledge or something like that.
No they will wait until after we have faced Willis four times in FLorida
Source says: the Dodgers are trying to trade Odalis Perez for Milledge!
we have more valuable and tradeable prospects in our system than the Mets do right? We HAVE to the way they trade everything away to put out 120mil lineups. THey shouldnt have the talent in their system anymore to get someone like Willis from FL
Clarke, the Olney blog doesn’t say much….it just provides a link to an AJC article–not much else.
I was bored the other day so posted this on primer.
thought might make more sense here
______________________________________________________________
the weekly Meyer update. finally a real good start.
6 ip , 7K , 1 run on 4 hits ( 3 walks though )
Some Updates from the Braves system
Max Ramirez is killing the league, but has nowhere to go. He is old for his league ( 22 yr old in A ball ), but has Sammons, Salty, Pena and McCann ahead of him.
Yunel Escobar seems to have made an adjustment.
He is back upto 282/375/350(!!), 23K/ 16BB. thats godawful slugging though.
8 errors in the field too, for someone known for very smooth defence.
Salty struggling at 309/408. Startup finally gave up some runs. thought still ERA of 1 in 17 ip, 21/3 K/BB ratio
The sleeper I have been following is Ryan Basner. inconsistent between outings, but a stellar ratio of 30/6 in 22 ip, but also 27 hits. The nice stat, the pitching staff as a whole , 233/117 k/bb ratio, but 232 hits too!! in about 235 ip
Jake Stevens threw 3 scoreless innings in the relief the other day. atilano and morton are getting shelled. in fact, the whole MB staff has horrible stats. Not a single starter close to 9K/9 ip. Matt Harrison has shown good control. looks to be the next coming of…HoRam! 37 ip, 34 hits, 26K / 6BBs in High A
Most of the Met fans up here are discussing getting Zito or Willis.
It’s funny–they have one good month & all of a sudden they’re the Yankees buying talent off the rack.
i was looking at lima’s career stats and WOW! he is some kind of awful. why would anyone in their right mind want him? what could he possibly do for a team besides create negativism?
Here is the word on XM about the Braves and Mets
Mets: are gonig to try to find another starter from with in until July and see what they can get.
Braves:need to find some stability in the bull pen. They aren’t paniced yet, but they are starting to make some calls, but no details are going to get out because they are the Braves. Bobby and JS aren’t paniced, but they want to stablize the pen and they know they bats are going to come around when they cut down on strike outs.
Made me feel better.
The first thing I would do is worry about the Braves and not the Mets. Why don’t you get back to .500 first and then go from there. Secondly, for all your complaining, the Mets have the 5th highest payroll in the majors and the Braves, the 9th. The difference is $10M. Check for yourselves…..http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/totalpayroll.aspx?year=2006
The Mets are not trading Milledge for Zito and Buster Olney did not suggest they should. He said they shouldn’t. Milledge is the real deal.
I’ll be happy to clear up any other questions or misconceptions you may have.
thanks joe morgan. by the way, we all know who you are. stop disguising your stupidity. joe morgan everybody. the original TROLL!
It is still early and 8 games can be made up in a few weeks in this division. The Mets have beaten one team with a record over .500. The Mets starting pitching has been solid, but they need another starter to be a true contender.
The Mets bull pen is better than the Braves. I think once the Braves cut down on their strike outs we will score more runs. The Braves are about to break out and it may have started yesterday
I share your disdain for Joe Morgan. He’s nothing but a Bonds apologist….as all of ESPN has become. “It’s all Barry, all the time.” I think it’s pathetic.
Here’s your answer to what Olney said about the Braves….At his blog for ESPN.com, citing his company?s research department, Buster Olney writes that the Braves have never been more than 4? games out of first on May 7?
However, at his blog for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, David O?Brien points out that while this statistic may be accurate, it is misleading because the Braves have in fact been farther behind later in the season, such as they were on June 1, 2001, when they were eight games off the pace, among other examples?
As O?Brien writes, ?My point is, they have been as far or farther behind than 4? games after May 7, and sometimes well after May 7.??
Bravenewworld, thanks for sharing. By my calculations, our payroll is roughly $79 million this year. Insurance is paying 60% of Hamptons salary and Boston is paying 4 million of the Renteria salary. So I guess your calculations are a little off. This would put about a $22 mil. difference between us and the Mets. I would say that is pretty significant. I’ll be happy to clear up any other questions or misconceptions you may have.
newworld – that link assumes (a) that the Braves are paying Renteria’s full contract (knock around $5m off for the BoSox share) and (b) that the Braves are paying Hampton’s deal (between the portions picked up by the Marlins and Rockies and the insurance coverage, knock another $12.5m off). The actual spread is closer to $30m or almost 40% of the Braves actual roster payout.
… apparently I need to type a little faster! And also add more snarkiness?
Thatta way, guys…
Yeah, the payroll issues have been gone over ad nauseum on this site in many, many other threads. It’s clear that we have another example here of a Mets fan who has absolutely no idea what he’s talking about. Do some research, genius.
Next.
Have you seen the Mets sched. Brutal series of games coming up for them. If we play .666 ball for the next two weeks, we are back in it, and I like those chances against the NATS and FISH at home. If we can’t be together some wins over the next two weeks, we don’t deserve to win, and I’m fine with that.
JH
Take it from a Florida guy, the Fish have been awful. If we can’t get right against a AA team like that, we really have issues. As for the bullpen, I think this may be one of those seasons for a “Closer by Commitee”. Ride the hot hand, its gotten us by before. Besides, by July there should be somebody decent available. On a related topic, did we ever give the possibility of signing Tom Gordon any thought? He’s having a lights out season.
JH,
I had that exact conversation with someone today.
It’s early, but the next two weeks are big for the Braves. We gotta beat the teams that we consider to be inferior. Period.
If we don’t, then we’re in the same boat as them. Doesn’t matter what other teams do.
Lance,
The Phils are in contention & they expect to remain in contention. There’s no way they’ll deal Gordon, certainly not to Atlanta.
More than anything, I’d like to see Bobby shuffle the lineup around. McCann HAS to be moved up. As for Giles…I’m not sure who else on the roster is a candidate for hitting leadoff, but at least they couldn’t be much worse…
Guys, has there been any info on who is getting called up since HoRam is back on the DL?
You snidely call me a genuis, when Lance asks if he thinks the Phils will trade Tom Gordon to the Braves. What does that make him….a rocket scientist?
As Ububba and Stu and Smitty and probably everyone else here has said, if we can grab some W’s in the next few weeks, we’ll be ready for a run at number 15.
The Mets have been playing ridiculously well. This will most certainly slow down. Their bullpen finally showed that their human giving up runs in all 3 games this past weekend. Xavier Nady…come on. He’ll be back to earth soon. Glavine and Pedro will hit some rough spots. Cliff Floyd is one of the most hot-and-cold players to ever grace a baseball field. Kaz Matsui is still playing 2nd. Jose Reyes will start swinging for the fences and stop getting on base 5 times a game. Then come the reporters with the questions and the Yankees with the back page stealing and then the boos. oh the boos. the only thing louder will be the 747’s flying by Shea every other pitch.
I really like Bobby’s quote after yesterday’s game. From the AJC:
“We’re not giving in to [the Mets] being the best team in the National League,” Cox said. “They’re very good, but we have a good team, too…”
bravenewworld-
I think Lance was asking if the Braves thought about making a run at Tom Gordon during the offseason.
bravenewworld showing, yet again, just how much he knows….
As usual, the Braves probably will not announce the call-up until before the game tomorrow. Please don’t be Travis Smith….
According to Jon Heyman in Sunday?s Newsday, the Mets and LHP Tom Glavine installed another option to his current contract, meaning the pitcher could end up pitching for the Mets again in 2007?
The option is worth $11 million, which includes $3 million of his 2006 salary that the pitcher agreed to defer so the team could keep its 2006 payroll under $101 million?
Thought some of you braves fans would want to know
Cheers
Dan
Bill Shanks is reporting that the call-up is Chad Paronto.
http://braves.scout.com/2/529025.html
Stu, Matt, thank you for explaining that to him, I thought I had been pretty clear about it. I dont remember any discussion about us signing him this last offseason. I would expect the Phils to trade him to us during the season about as much as I would expect the Braves to trade Chipper or Smoltzie or any of our good players to the Mets….
I’m from Florida, not stupid!!!
That must sense Matt. Paronto is the best reliever Richmond has at this moment…and the Braves seem to be converting Kevin Barry back to a starting pitcher…
Reading the comments from Smoltz where he said he was pitching with a postseason mindset yesterday and if they had fallen 10 games back there would have been no coming back reminded me of something. Didn’t he say something similar last year? I recall him saying during a low stretch where the Braves were in third or fourth place that he wouldn’t blame the Braves for trading him if it would make them better in the future. I thought that comment odd then, just as I thought his comments from yesterday were odd.
Would he really have given up if they had lost yesterday, or are these comments made to get the team they’re chasing to start to think and he’s counting on that whole “pride goes before the fall” thing?
Thanks Miranda for the Rome account–it is always a pleasure to learn what is going on down on the farm.
Paronto makes sense–especially sense experience has shown that Buddy Hernandez and Kevin Barry (and James Jurries for that matter)appear to be toxic.
Stephen, at least Paronto had some major league experience. Considering the Braves already have the likes and Ray, Moylen, and McBride in the bullpen, they need as much experience in the bullpen as they can get.
One more thing, wouldn’t it be nice if Frenchy can at least hit like Matt Holliday? I just realize Holliday has just drawn four walks this season.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7311
Right now Paronto has the better numbers–but I am sill trying to digest bringing HoRam back, even though he wasn’t ready.
Which will happen first: we get back to .500 or Francoeur draws a walk?
we get to .500
Francoeur is making Jose Reyes look like Darrell Evans.
Rissa,
I think Smoltz always pitches with a postseason mindset. It’s just that presense he has. I’m sure he just made a comment to show how much it means for this team to get goin in the right direction.
Anyone would be a fool to think the Braves are out of it. I mean, c’mon, while we’ve followed this team the past 14 years, he’s been playing for that team. The Braves are always contenders and he knows that.
On another note,
Looks like Odalis is gunna get dealt to the Mets. Seems like just yesterday we sent him and BJ to the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles, California of the United States of America for Sheffield.
Let’s get Thomson a win for a change. His mound opponent, Brian Moehler has had one good start & 3 awful ones. In 18 IP, he’s given up 6 HRs. That’s quite a pace.
Brian Moehler Trivia: He’s the only Marlin, other than Dontrelle Willis, who makes more than $1 Million a year. They have 19 guys on the roster making less than $350,000.
Can we please stomp their guts out this week?
Re: Met Moves.
Odalis ain’t great. He’s injury prone and streaky-bad. You’d think he was an inning-eater, but he’s only thrown 200 innings once.
Still, he’s probably better than Zambrano. But if they give up Milledge, they’re fools. I’d trade off Floyd before giving him up in a deal.
Speaking of Sheffield: Although he’s about to be DL’ed, he’s basically announced that he’ll refuse to play with any kind of injury until his new contract gets settled. Seems like we’ve seen some version of this movie before.
I’ll be at Yankee Stadium tomorrow night for the Boston game: Beckett vs Johnson. Although most of my interest will be with the NL scoreboard, this should be a good tilt. I love anything resembling a pitcher’s duel, especially in the 3-hour-&-45-minute league.
The last time Beckett pitched there, he earned a ring. I recall that when the last out was recorded, it was so quiet in the stadium the only thing you could hear was the sound of Marlin players whooping it up on the field.
Tomorrow, though, it won’t be quiet. It’ll be a dum-dum fest. Anymore, Sox-Yanks regular season games are like New Year’s Eve in the stands: Amateur Night. The regular fans have to put up with so much stupidity it’s almost not worth going.
But, always curious to record unusual human behavior, I’m sure there’ll be something worth reporting. I just hope I don’t get sprayed with MGD or something.
ububba, if you get sprayed with MGD, make sure you contact a poison control center immediately!
Good luck — it sounds like fun.
Yankee Cooties, ewww….