ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Dodgers at Braves
That’s more like it. The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the first on Andruw’s homer with Chipper on board. Then Chipper came back with a 2-run homer of his own to make it 4-0 in the third, then the Braves piled on with three more in the inning to take a big lead, more than enough for Tim Hudson.
Hudson allowed a double to score a run in the fourth, and a solo homer in the sixth. You don’t want him allowing homers, but in this situation a homer is in some ways better than a walk — with a big lead, you want the pitcher going after the hitters, and that he did. He struck out seven and walked only one in seven innings, exactly what you like to see with a big lead. He wasn’t extraordinarily efficient (109 pitches, but 71 strikes) but nothing out of line. He finally gets his ERA under 4 — if only to 3.99.
Andruw wound up with three hits, three runs scored, and three RBI. Nice symmetry. Chipper had a triple and a walk to go with his homer. All the regulars had hits except, unusually, Renteria.
Villareal, who sucks, came in to allow a walk, a double, and a run in the eighth; one of the only two relievers I have any confidence in, McBride, got a strikeout to end the inning. The other, Ray, for some reason pitched the ninth — maybe because any of the other relievers is perfectly capable of giving up three or four runs to make it a save situation. He got a strikeout.
The D-Backs come to town next, if their game with the Mets ever ends.
Mets win in the 13th. Endy Chavez with the hit & another one-run win for them. That’s basically the difference between us & them right now. They win most of their one-run games; we lose most of ours.
The Mets’ starting rotation (or lack thereof) is going to bite them. Just give it time.
I’m going to take credit for tonight’s game. It turns out that the only difference between a Braves win and a Braves loss against the Dodgers is my absence from Turner Field. Not only did they blow out the Dodgers, but they didn’t commit any errors, after committing six in the previous three games.
Maybe the Braves were just nervous because they were trying to impress me. Apparently, in this metaphor, I’m Heidi Klum, and the Braves are the twelve-year old boy sitting next to her.
The Mets don’t need to worry about pitching, they got Scott Kazmir and his 7 wins and 2.86 E.R.A. Oh right…well, alteast they got the great Victor Zambrano in return.What..he’s done for the year you say??.. Oh,but they got Jose Li…wow, I can’t even bring myself to finish that sentence..
Yeah,that pitching’s gonna be a problem sooner or later..
If I would be sitting next to Heidi Klum, she’d give me a drop kick to the face.
Thirteen innings of one run ball tonight for the D’Backs. That means we’ll tee off on them. I bet we score 21 runs in the three games.
Interesting to note, the Braves are 18-12 in non-one run games. The Mets are 16-14.
The Mets’ overall RS/RA is 257/225 through 52 games, whereas the Braves’ is 284/266 through 53 games.
At least we’ll miss Webb this time. He hasn’t given up a run in 3 starts.
dont worry about our rotation. Even with the crap we have been putting out there we are still in first place. Says a lot about your team huh?
Danny, I hate to break it to you, but you’re a Brewer.
Well the good news with our 4 game home set with Arizona is that we miss Brandon Webb (yeah!) The bad news? They miss Tim Hudson and possibly John Smoltz if Smoltzie is still hurting?
That’s like bringing a ballpoint pen to a sword fight when you come at a team with Horacio, Thomson, Sosa and ????? I will say that Sosa’s last 2 starts have looked MUCH better. He does seem to have settled down and so we’ll see if the D’Backs lineup still has us figured out.
In no way so I think we will get a repeat of the last Horacio start but would be gladly wrong if we did.
One other comment regarding last night that I am sure was talked about since I wasn’t on during the game:
The use of Kenny Ray in the 9th inning with a 6 run lead.
Yes, I realize Oscar Villareal, aka “The vulture” started to wreak havoc in the 8th (probably over anger with Cox for putting him in a situation that was too far gone for him to STEAL A WIN from Hudson) so you never know if the Dodgers might come storming back, but last night was a far more “appropriate” time to ‘waste’ an inning by Reitsma (if he’s going to remain a Brave)–a 6 run lead.
Yes, I realize there’s no lead safe from Reitsma (like he’s the “serial killer” of leads or something) but why waste a guy who’s been your most consistent reliever in Ray with 6 runs ahead and not use Reitsma, at the beginning of an inning with little pressure, a time he actually CAN pitch well and get them 1-2-3.
It leads me to believe that Cox is still living in an insane asylum and is still planning on using Reitsma in a close, late lead situation…something referred to as a “save”. I don’t know…will it take Reitsma wielding a machete at Cox’s head (or perhaps JoeyT, Stu, Ububba, Jenny, Kyle, A.A.R….anyone) wielding a machete at Cox to get him to stop using Reitsma in close game situations?
And even putting Reitsma out in the 9th with a 4-2 lead and say having McBride and Ray warming up immediately, doesn’t cut it. Because if moron Reitsma puts 1-2 runners on, you automatically give the D’Backs some more late game ‘confidence’ and the damage is done. Nothing stifles a team more then 1-2 quick 9th inning outs. It makes the opposing team feel like it’s not their night. If you have a 2 run lead and Reitsma sticks the lead runner on, the opposing team’s confidence and excitement will grow suddenly giving them loads of confidence to win it outright, late.
There’s a lot of psychology Cox seems to be missing out on.
And in no way do I think Kenny Ray is the final answer in the pen. He doesn’t strike out enough people or have the kind of stuff to be a night in, night out closer. But until (if ever) we trade for that guy, he’s been our most reliable relieble over a consistent basis and should be out there.
I also would like the Braves to really consider giving a NOW healthy Chuck James Reitsma’s spot and DFA’ing Reitsma all together. Believe me, let the Mets have him…we wcan increase our confidence at the plate late if they do!
Pitching Match-Ups (according to Yahoo)
Arizona at
Atlanta
Thu, Jun 1 – 7:35 pm EDT
J. Cruz vs. H. Ramirez
Arizona at
Atlanta
Fri, Jun 2 – 7:35 pm EDT
E. Gonzalez vs. J. Smoltz
Arizona at
Atlanta
Sat, Jun 3 – 7:05 pm EDT
C. Vargas vs. J. Thomson
Arizona at
Atlanta
Sun, Jun 4 – 1:05 pm EDT
M. Batista vs. J. Sosa
Well, it seems Smoltzie won’t miss a start. The other thing to like is that horacio, coming off that first stellar performance, is pitching a night game at home. That’s usually meant we get the better Horam in the past.
Again, we miss Webb and that’s huge though them missing Hudson hurts…Hudson has become our most reliable starter of the 5 after a terrible start to the season.
The Mets start tomorrow with the Giants which is a potential toss up series but they don’t have Pedro this weekend. I really hope this is a weekend we end up making up more ground.
But again, Bobby…NO FREAKING REITSMA.
If Reitsma would join the Mets..he’d probably break Gagne’s streak of consecutive saves. Irony likes to laugh at itself sometimes..
I think Bobby just wanted to give Ray another look at closing out the game, just so he can get use to it. I really think Ray is our best option to close, as long as the we aren’t playing the Padres. He trhows strikes, what else can you ask?
It’s been mentioned before but, on the radio, Simpson said that McDowell convinced HoRam to ditch his cut-fastball because that seemed to be the pitch he didn’t command so well. Cut-fastballs that don’t properly dive into righties get hit a long way.
The last time out, he was close to spectacular (granted, it was the weak-hitting Cubs). Nonetheless, here’s to the sequel…
I didnt mind bobby using Ken Ray. He had not pitched since Chicago and had not pitched at the Ted in about two weeks. I think 3 days is too long to make Ray wait, especially when there is not guarantee he’d get in tonight. Letting Ray go out there on the mound at the Ted and shut down the 9th isnt that bad an idea.
I think Ray is good closer material. He’s got a .56 ERA in may. he’s pretty much limited to 2 pitches, a fastball and that nasty change-up-cutter. As long as he’s throwing those two for strikes, he’s by and far our best option.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think HoRam’s performance tonight is an important one. It’s getting near that time of year when someone other than the big guys steps it up and emerges… but then, I guess Leo has been there in the padt. Whatever the case, it’d be fantastic if HoRam could start looking like he did two years ago before he went down for the season. But that’s a big IF…
Hey everybody, want to feel old? Doug Drabek’s son is probably going to be a first-round draft pick this year!
Yes, I do old. I always thought Drabek looked like he could have been a member of the Allman Brothers Band.
Whenever I think of Doug Drabek, I can’t help but think, “Double down the rightfield line…Pendleton cruises into second. The Braves in business here in the 9th…”
Doug lives in Spring, Texas now. When I was a kid my gradparents lived there and Spring always has had great baseball teams.
Did you guys hear that Maddux might be on the market? If he really is, would any of you want him back as a brave? I know how you guys feel about Glavine so Im curious to know if you feel the same way about Maddux.
As much as I have said I would like HoRo to be traded, I still would love for him to prove me wrong and be a solid contributor for us. Of course, I’d also love for LaRoche to start hitting .300 w/ 35 hrs and 115 rbi but we must face reality sometimes.
Maddux would be nice to have, but I don’t think the cost to bring him here is worth it in terms of the players we’d have to give up.
LaRoche has been hitting well of late. It is good to see him trying to go the other way.
I just heard this trade rumor from Smitty’s barber:
Cubs get: Kelly Johnson, Kevin Mench, Jose Guillen
Braves get: Greg Maddux, Francisco Cordero, Gary Majewski
Rangers get: Felix Pie, Ryan Dempster
Natspos get: Jerry Hairston and John Schuerholz Jr.
Apparently Jim Bowden’s still collecting second basemen.
Isn’t John Schuerholz Jr. hitting under .120 in the minors?
I don’t believe this rumor for one second.
Yeah…um..this new format blows. Why can’t we go back to the previous one.
Love,
JH
Bring back maddux and make him a closer.
In Leo’s book, Maddux apparently liked relieving in the post-season, commenting that he could use all the pitches he wanted without having to worry about “setting-up” guys for later at bats.
Gregg Maddux, shut down closer. the only catch would be that he’d probably demand to sit in the dugout with the guys, not the bullpen.
What a great trade….
Braves get: Greg Maddux, Francisco Cordero, Gary Majewski
Braves give up: Kelly Johnson and JS jr.
if you believe any rumor on this board then you might be drunk
If we’re to make a deal and we give up Kelly…we better get some good arms in return to straighten out that bullpen.
I always liked K.J. I don’t want him to leave the organization..
Obviously my tongue was firmly planted in cheek…