ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Cubs
Where to begin… Chris Reitsma makes Danny Kolb look like Mariano Rivera. Well, that’s one place to begin. There is no way to make an ordered recap of such events except chronologically, so here goes…
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the first with a solo shot by Renteria, who had been in a mini-slump (.200 for the road trip coming in) but broke out big today. Unfortunately, Smoltz then allowed four runs as the Cubs batted around in the bottom of the inning. It looked to me that with the wind blowing out, he might have been trying a little too hard to get the ball down and wasn’t in control, as he hit one guy (that is, he brushed his uniform, and why is that a HBP anyway?) and walked two others.
But then the Braves came back, chasing the Cubs’ starter Jae Kuk Ryu. LaRoche homered, Langerhans homered, and then Marcus hit a three-run homer to take the lead. Glendon Rusch came on and the Rob Deer Derby commenced, as for the next several innings the Braves either struck out or hit a homer. The Cubs tried to rally, but Francoeur threw out the catcher Barrett trying to score from second on a single to end the second. Rusch struck out the first five men he faced. Pena, in for Pratt who was hurt in a collision at the plate, was sacrificed to second and scored on a Renteria single to make it 7-4.
The Cubs got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a sac fly, Langerhans singled in Francoeur to make it 8-5 in the fifth. Then in the sixth, Renteria hit his second homer, his fourth hit. Two batters later, Andruw hit one to the street, then Rusch came out and LaRoche hit his second of the day to make it 11-5 and the Braves are cruising, right?
Only Smoltz then tires (it was about 95 degrees on the field) and after making an error allows hits to three of the next four batters to make it 11-8. Brayan Pena leads off the seventh with a homer, his first career and tying a franchise record for homers in a game. Smoltz is pinch-hit for by Orr, who strikes out and then starts yelling at the umpire for some reason, maybe because he’s from Canada and not used to the heat, I don’t know.
Paronto allows a walk in the seventh, McBride a single in the eighth, but that’s it. Bobby hits Jordan for Chipper, for some reason, maybe Chipper was feeling sick or something, and he was 0-3 with two walks on a day where everybody else has a couple of hits, and Betemit stays in after hitting for McBride to play third base. Bobby comes in with Cormier, who allows singles sandwiching a fly to the warning track. Reasonably, he comes out. But Bobby comes in with Reitsma, this time without Ray or Remlinger getting ready just in case.
What happened next was inevitable. The pinch-hitter doubles off of Betemit’s glove (some people on the game thread blamed Betemit — I was listening to the radio and didn’t see the play, but Betemit generally is a better third baseman than Chipper, especially going to his left and right) and then Neifi Perez, of all people, just misses a homer, winding up at third, the tying run, with one out. Reitsma got a dribbler to the mound and threw home, but Pena couldn’t get the tag. He finally got an out, then a single to make it first and third, and he’s still out there, and at last gets a groundout to send it to extra innings.
It’s hard to see what Bobby was thinking there, as he’s usually had someone ready just in case in Reitsma’s last few outings. I can only see it as a passive-aggressive sort of “You gave him to me, I’m going to use him” to Schuerholz, or an attempt to make it so obvious Reitsma can’t be used as to get him disposed of somehow. I don’t think of it as “stubbornness” so much as hanging a guy out to dry.
Anyway, the game goes to the eleventh, where Langerhans leads off with a pop-fly that Aramis Ramirez allowed to bounce off his head, putting the hitter at second. Pena got him to third, but Betemit couldn’t get him home. Marcus hit a liner, the left fielder trapped it, and the Braves took a 13-12 lead. After all that, Ken Ray came in and got a 1-2-3 save in the twelfth, capping it with a strikeout. Oscar Vultureal went to 7-0 after pitching the tenth with no damage.
Let’s see… The Braves struck out eighteen times but had that many hits as well, and hit eight homers. The Braves’ pitchers, meanwhile, didn’t allow a homer but struck out only two. (18-2 in strikeouts and you lose? Has that ever happened before?) Renteria had four hits; Giles, Andruw, LaRoche, Francouer, Langerhans, and Pena all had two.
Completely unrealistic.
The Braves play a day game against the Dodgers tomorrow. It will be 137 degrees out there, so drink plenty of fluids.
Villafake pitched the 10th.
Nice recap. You know, after it’s all said and done, the Braves got a sweep and won the last two games 2-1 and 13-12, respectively. It sucks that we have Reitsma – and that he keeps getting into close games late – but it would be a lot worse if we all lived in and rooted for Chicago.
Y’know, thinking back, that was one of the weirdest games I’ve ever seen.
Headed to the Hamptons in a good mood, nonetheless…
I AM LIEK MARANNO RIVIERA!
I also would be tempted to say that was one of the weirdest games I’ve ever seen, except for the fact that I stayed up to watch the Astros game last night– and after finishing it, concluded that I might never again see a worse game of baseball in my entire life.
Anyone else agree?
If I’m not mistaken, it was one year ago tonight that the Braves gave Raul Mondesi his walking papers. Will Reitsma be this year’s Mondesi? Let’s hope.
No, Danny, you like marinara ravioli.
I cannot take one more sighting of Chris Reitsma. I turned off the game when he came in. I really think we’ve passed the point where he should be given any more chances, and it frustrates me to no end that Bobby keeps running him out there. There is being a player’s manager, and then there is hurting your players by running out people who make the team lose. This is the latter scenario.
And for all of you who think Minnesota is like Siberia, it is right now 100 degrees and we have no air-conditioning. I’m totally miserable. I don’t even want to know how my roommate, who has a fever, is feeling. Ugh.
DREWDAT TRU DAT!
HA I AM FUNNEY!
the best thing that happened on this road trip is, Reitsma (aka Kolb version 06) once and for all proved he can’t pitch! If Cox ever puts him in with the game on the line – J S should fire him
Jenny, Bobby’s patience = our patience + 3 weeks.
Can we launch a boycott of the games until they release Reitsma or something?
Yes, finally someone says it. I concur with BellCurve, but I think with a petition on a website with millions of participants in addition to a boycott is the only message these owners know.
ReitsmaSucks.com?
Argh!
Smoltz might miss a start | ajc.com
Reitsma ’06 = Kolb ’05 … imo
This Reitsma thing has gone too far. Braves fans have taken a stand and if anyone of JS’s minions ever freaking logged onto the Internet, they would see tnhat, universally, we are all sick and tired of Chris Reitsma and just wish he’d disappear and go away forever. DFA him or else kill him, or kill us..I can speak for myself, JoeyT, Mac, ububba, Brad, Stu, drewdat, Kyle, and every other single poster on here in 1 voice…”we shall overcome…Chris Reitsma”.
Look, I am not sold on Ken Ray-closer…but anything at this point is better then the mere site of Chris Reitsma. I can’t believe we have a reliever so bad I ALMOST miss Kolbb…but I dont. They both stink.
I just briefly looked over some of the comments and I didn’t see much about this. Brayan Pena could be the player of the game (other than Renteria). I said the other day that I didnt want him playing, but I’m truly impressed. He’s had a couple of big hits including the HR and also just moving Langy to 3rd in the 11th. He looks very patient and he also calls a good game as well. I like the fact that he’s switch-hitting again as well. He is definitely a good addition at this point. Any word on Pratt’s condition after today?
Cormier doesn’t look healthy to me right now, I think he could still be fighting that injury. Is Startup ready for MLB or would that be rushing him? Its time to give McBride a setup role and Ray is now the closer.
Will Startup is a clutch God who makes Chuck Norris look like a pussy, and im only exaggerating a little bit…
Seriously though, I have been really impressed by Ray. His FB has more on it than you’d expect a journeyman to have (it gets up to 93) and his change has induced some really ugly, funny looking swings n misses.
Actually not even so much swings n misses as swings and really awkward contact..I remember Brian Giles being so fooled that he came around and stopped his bat and touched it to the ball.
Really impressive to make a great hitter look that silly
Startup and Prado promoted to Richmond.
I definitely don’t want Reitsma in save situations, but at the same time he needs to find a way to get back to even the modest success he enjoyed from time to time over the past couple years, or we’ll have to trade for a stud or two, if we can. Tough problem to have, Reitsma’s usually not this bad. In the meantime, if Ray can keep up the good work, I think we’re beyond the point where everyone who’s pitching well should get a shot.
NMS,
I remember that Key Ray pitch against B. Giles. It was amazing he even got the bat on the ball.
I wanted to believe for so long that Reitsma’s problem was mechanics. It’s not. He does not have the killer instinct necessary to be a closer. Has there ever been an effective closer who was Canadian? Don’t get me wrong, I like Canadians. The ones I have met have been very nice and reasonable folks. But I want a closer that eats flesh and pisses fire. One that is more than a touch crazy and casts a wide net of fear when he takes the mound. Is that too much to ask for several million dollars a year?
Just to re-visit Cox for a moment, on the game thread, FNation said:
“mraver……it doesn’t take 162 games to know someone isn’t cutting it. We all appreciate the Braves staying afloat and winning games. We all know that winning the division is important. But…it’s the playoffs and the championship that the Braves play for. And, the point of the SEASON is to get ready for the POSTSEASON (hopefully we have not reverted back to to mindset of the Braves before ‘91). I know the owners might say differently, but I think the Braves are still competing for the ring.”
This is entirely the wrong mindset. If you think the postseason is a foregon conclusion, you’re nuts. We should all be very pleased if the Braves make the postseason this year, even if they lose (for the umpteenth time) in the NLDS.
Regarding Reitsma, I really like what Mac said in his summary. Cox hung him out to dry today. He’s been coddling him thus far, but today, he just threw him to the wolves. Reitsma proved he wasn’t up to it, and has given us two months of inconsistancy. FNation is right that it doesn’t take 162 games to know who stinks, but I’ll posit that given the random variotions, 40 games isn’t too much to ask. That’s only 1/4 of the season. Schurholtz made a comment (agreeing with something Billy Bean said, I believe) to the effect that you use the first 1/3 of the season to see what you have, the second 1/3 to get what you need, and the final 1/3 is the playoff push. It’s absurd to expect them to be sure that Reitsma isn’t up to the task. I mean, no one here expected Jordan to be able to lift a bat, let alone hit .280. Remlinger was thoroughly panned, and he’s turned into at least a decent option. As far as Cox goes, I’d say 2/3 for this season ain’t bad. And if Reitsma could pitch as well as he did last June over a longer period of time, he would be an excellent closer. You can’t judge these things based on one or two games. Now its clear beyond doubt that Reitsma is incapable of being the closer long-term, and so they’ll use the next few months to get someone better, whether it be someone in-system or through trade.
mraver,
I guess you didn’t get the memo that Cox is an old fool and we are doomed in the postseason no matter what because he can’t manage his way out of a wet paper bag.
Seriously though, thanks for your well-reasoned post and I, personally, look forward to the changes that we are *obviously* going to make during the middle third of the season. Spend some cash, make a trade, get a closer. It’s not rocket science.
urlhix,
Eric Gagne is Canadian.
Eric Gagne is Canadian.
Well, shut my mouth.
I honestly wouldn’t mind Reitsma being a set-up guy. I told my dad that the good thing that came from yesterday’s game was that Reitsma lost his job and we still won. I’m definitely of the “Ken for Closer” mindset. He doens’t look intimidated out there, and he actually has a fastball that is… fast. Not to mention the fact that his “Death Ray” nickname just makes him sound like a closer.
Doesn’t Reitsma throw about 94-95 MPH on his fastball? How fast is Ken Ray’s fastball?
I think Scott Shields would be our best option if we could somehow get him.
On the Betemit error – it seemed to me that they had him positioned further off the line than you usually see in that situation. If he’d been guarding the line like you normally do, that ball’s hit right at him.
“I don’t think of it as “stubbornness” so much as hanging a guy out to dry.”
I am amazed by how well you recapped this incredible, maddening game! I think that the Cubs’ shortstop should’ve called off Ramirez on the ball that bonked off his punkin’ head, but that’s Cubs baseball.
I quoted Mac above here to illustrate both how wonderful and how limiting in emotion the Internet can be. I thought the above comment harsh-but true- and later read mraver’s post, which totally changed my point of view. I had the feeling during the horrid inning that somebody in Shitsma’s camp had grumbled about “looking over his shoulder” at somebody else warming. Bobby let him-and everybody else- know it was put up or shut up time.
I will always love watching baseball. Even a bizzarro game like this.