ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Red Sox
You’ll notice that I’ve gone back to ESPN links. I’m not superstitious, but…
Anyway, this was an expected loss, but the manner of it was extremely frustrating. Anthony Lerew went only two innings, allowing three runs, before getting pulled. Villarreal managed to get through an inning unscathed, but Bobby then came back with Redman, which is essentially inexplicable. But what about Redman’s presence isn’t? He didn’t allow a run in the fourth, but blew up the game in the fifth, allowing four runs and getting only one out. Paronto got the last two outs, then gave up five more runs in the sixth to make it really ugly.
Meanwhile, the Braves hadn’t scored yet. They finally did in the seventh, Saltalamacchia (who came in for McCann once the game was lost) singling in Chipper and Francoeur following with a two-run homer. Of course, it was 12-3 at the time. McBride gave up a solo homer in the bottom of the inning for the final score.
The Braves had ten hits and got lots of leadoff runners on only to strand them or get them erased on double plays. Francoeur had three hits, as did Renteria, and Saltalamacchia was 2-2 in his relief role. You do the math and see what the rest of the lineup did. Andruw is now down to .219 and really needs to be dropped in the order for his own good. He’s pressing. I’d flip him and Francoeur.
This serves as the game thread for the nightcap. Here is a video.
I’m surprised how quickly Bobby yanked Lerew. Not that Anthony was pitching well but with a double header being played, you’d think he’d try to let Lerew pitch another inning or two to save some wear on the bullpen. Then again I bet Bobby was expecting the bullpen to hold the deficit at 3 so the offense could mount a comeback. Not this pen.
I agree with you Mac about dropping Andruw in the batting order. A lot of RBI chances are going wasted due to his inability to make contact and all-or-nothing swing. I might also move Harris up to leadoff or 2nd to jumpstart some early offense.
Why isn’t Pentleton man enough to deal with Andruw? What’s all this business about Andruw being a pull hitter “so deal with it”? It’s not working! What an embarassing season he’s having so far! Agreed with you, Ron, I would have left Lerew and saved the bullpen for Smoltz with his iffy finger.
This Smoltz vs. AAAA pitcher almost feels like a must win despite only being 2.5 games back of the Mets. I can’t stand listening to the media say “first place Mets” anymore. They never did that when the Braves lead.
And the Yankees are losing by four runs in the fourth inning to said Mets. Will this nightmare never end?
wow night tracks, that take me back. i love this song.
braves, it’s time to take the wood to these guys!
Nobody wins when the Yankees and Mets play (unless a black pit opens in the middle of Shea Stadium and sucks the players in).
The Yankees are just awful.
I stopped wathcing the last game at the grand slam and turned it back on to see Pena eating pudding…I was confused.
Good news though, with Redman’s performance he’s not getting any closer to getting his spot back in the rotation.
Bad News: him, Davies, and Lerew are just avg AAA pitchers
Davies and Lerew, I agree with you CSG.
Redman doesn’t deserve to be on the grounds crew.
The Parontosaurus and his unsinkable sinker are a different story right now.
I want the Mets to lose and everything, but seeing the Yankees tied with Tampa Bay after today would be great. Tampa Bay probably has 1/27th of the Yanks payroll.
Anybody see how Rasner broke his finger nine pitches into the game?
Ohhh, ugly. I was not confident entering today, but jeez, throw us a friggin bone here (he says as if he had a Mini Me). Losing 13-3 is straight up pathetic. Andruw is sucking, McCann is quieting not hitting, and KJ? This team is funny. Sure, Andruw has not hit all year, but now, everyone (save Renty and sometimes, Francoeur) are not hitting.
As for the pitching…I’m to the point where Tanyon Sturtze isn’t looking like that bad of an option. Part of me died writing that.
*quietly, not quieting…
/Braves causing bad word usage.
//and nightmares
I meant to add: Paronto looks really terrible right now, and Bobby’s determination to use him in every game isn’t helping. He needs to 1. fly to Birmingham to consult Dr. Andrews and 2. if there’s nothing they can find there take a connecting flight to Richmond to get straightened out.
I feel like June has come early this year.
Mac – He’s been consistently bad for almost two weeks now. I agree completely. If it’s not physical, the mechanics on his sinker are way off. If a sinkerball pitcher doesn’t have a sinker, well…look at his ERA.
Note: Glavine is batting for himself in the bottom of the 7th, at 101 pitches.
Correction: That was the bottom of the 6th, and he’s already out of the game after giving up one single in the top of the 7th
Apparently they thought he’d swing it better than Julio
We’ve lost 5 out of our last 6… The Mets are beating the Yanks, and Joe Buck is doing commentary.
What a depressing day
I imagine (because I am too scared to put it on) Tim McCarver is in the booth so that, I feel, is worse than Joe Buck doing the play-by-play.
I don’t think it’s anything like June 2006, but it feels like it, doesn’t it? Just like June, the Braves were playing great, lost a few and wouldn’t stop the bleeding. They went into a full fledged tail-spin.
The offense and Smoltz need to put a bandage over the bleeding tonight before it gets too bad.
Go Braves and go Blue Jays!
Yes, McCarver is assaulting my eardrums as we speak…
Ken Rosenthal just reached so badly for a joke. Wow…..someone stop this.
Yeah. I sure would like to see an offensive outburst. Needless to say it is way overdue.
Less than a week ago, everything was great and we were a game and a half up. But, this offense has been way underperforming for quite a while.
I would feel more like we were just experiencing a little bump in the road if I had more confidence in our 3, 4, and 5 pitchers. That is my real concern. If someone doesn’t step up soon, we could be in for a long summer. We sure have a lot of good pitching stats down in Richmond and Mississippi. Surely, one or two of those guys is more than a AAAA type.
Good thing inter-league play is fair for every team….
Anybody got a lineup for Game 2?
Homerun A-Rod… Mets lead down to 8-4.
How much longer until Jo-Jo Reyes or Matt Harrison is ready?
Who’s the top pitching prospect? Harrison?
8-5. The Yankees couldn’t possibly…..
Back to Back. It’s now 8-5. Hmmmmmm…..
Andruw batting sixth…McCann and Francoeur move up. Same exact lineup otherwise except Diaz will play and Harris will DH.
Red Sox – Lugo, Crisp, Ortiz, Manny, Hinske, Lowell, Cora, Pena, Mirabelli.
“Andruw batting sixth…McCann and Francoeur move up.”
YES!
8-6! GO YANKEES!
8-6 now…. Come on Yanks
Wow, Bobby finally moved Andruw. He needed to.
Come on Damon…just keep it going.
I never thought I’d say this, but let’s go Yankees!
Damon walks. One swing could give the Yankees the lead. Here is a chance for Jeter to live up to that “clutch” label.
Re: #35
“I never thought I’d say this, but let’s go Yankees!”
I once played a drinking game where everytime this Yankees fans said “I love the Yankees,” everyone else had to say it or drink. I was the only one who wouldn’t.
But man, I take back everything I’ve ever said if they can complete this rally.
At least, I take it back until Monday. They can burn then.
Great…thanks a lot Jeter
Damn. It was just a tease…
Cano just threw the ball in the weirdest way I’ve ever seen
“I would feel more like we were just experiencing a little bump in the road if I had more confidence in our 3, 4, and 5 pitchers.”
Note to Schuerholz: this offseason starting pitching should be the #1 concern. Smoltz and Hudson need a solid guy behind them. With Andruw Jones and Bob Wickmans’ combined 20 million off the books and with a probable payroll increase, there is no reason not to get somebody very solid.
Oh well, Mets will win. Let’s not make it 3.5 back, let’s keep it at 2.5. GO BRAVES!
Who’s that quote from, Dan? Schuerholz?
“With Andruw Jones and Bob Wickmans’ combined 20 million off the books and with a probable payroll increase, there is no reason not to get somebody very solid.”
Well, remember…Hudson and Smoltz both get raises next year.
Jeremy, see #22.
Something is wrong with the Fox radar. It had one of Glavine’s pitches at 101 MPH and just had a Billy Wagner fastball at 91 MPH.
The Yanks outhit and lose.
Hansack’s ERA is higher than Redmans
Not anymore. It wasn’t difficult.
I saw the lineups earlier, but Gameday has Andruw benched for Harris. Is this right?
Nice stroke, Chip.
Yes, Kyle. The Red Sox guys said he was originally slated to bat 6th but was a late scratch. Didn’t say why.
Chipper deserves an All-Star appearance this year. Everyone vote.
Thanks Jeremy.
They’re saying Andruw Jones scratched with a “sore back”. I have a hard time believing that. I think maybe Andruw was told he was batting sixth and told Bobby Cox no.
Is Andruw really like that?
That sounds Bondsesque
i don’t think we’ll miss his bat.
Smoltz struck out the side but still looked odd to me. Hope I’m wrong.
Wow – an early lead extended
KJ’s average is dropping at an alarming rate.
When Harris plays, I wouldn’t be against him batting lead.
That’s KJ for you. He’s streaky.
Someone at Fox has got to sit Joe Simpson down and tell him to shut up already about hitting to the opposite field. It’s reaching Torborg-on-the-Dodgers proportions of lame repetitive boringness.
How about a “‘Druw Jones Index”? If Andruw Jones has some hits and his average increases, it could have a green arrow points upwards with his new batting average. And if he has an 0-for-whatever day and his average decreases, the arrow would be red and pointing downward with his new average displayed.
I don’t know if this was discussed on the last thread, but it looks like the no. 5 spot in our rotation will continue to be a black hole… This is from an article on the Braves MLB website.
After surrendering a pair of homers on Saturday, Lerew came clean and admitted that his right elbow has been bothering him for more than a month. He dealt with the pain by not throwing in between any of the five starts he made for Triple-A Richmond at the beginning of this year.
But after allowing the Padres just two runs in six innings during his first start with Atlanta on May 8, he resumed throwing in between starts. In the two starts he’s made since then, he’s totaled just 5 2/3 innings and allowed eight earned runs.
“It’s not in a bad spot,” Lerew said. “It’s in a good spot, if you’re going to be sore. It’s probably just tendinitis.”
Hitting to the opposite field is more important than curing cancer.
Our pitchers decide they are hurt after their ERA hits 10.00
Was “neutered” really the best word choice there?
Braves Journal Question:
Better outfielder: Manny or Adam Dunn
Manny’s “throw out” of Diaz in game one was not fundamentally what Tom Emanski looks for
This Diaz fella can hit.
Damn. Salty just missed it.
This is more like it.
Knowing the Braves’ luck, it will rain out in the top of the fifth…..
There will be a two hour rain delay in the middle of the upcoming half-inning. Bobby will come with Paronto in relief and by the time Moylan is in it will be 5-4 Red Sox.
“Bobby will come with Paronto in relief…”
That’s another thing. Heaven forbid some reliever of maybe even Smoltz make it first and second in the seventh inning with zero or one out.
Bobby Cox: “Hmm….I need a double play here. BRING ON THE SINKER BALLER!”
Frenchy is the man
I hope the Braves pile the runs on.
Smoltz is almost at 80 pitches. That could mean bullpen soon.
I’m scared.
good one kelly!
I know nobody else enjoys watching the foibles of the closed-captioning people, but I thought I’d note that they’re using “Wily” for both Mo Pena and Harris.
KJ! WOO!
Consider it piled….
I dissed hard on KJ earlier and he has hit a double and home run since then.
Sorry.
Surprise, Kelly.
hope 13-0 Braves ^*^
Kyle, stop apologizing, just put that piece of info in your back pocket. I think we may need it again yet this season.
You got it, Kruger.
By the way, it feels good to be winning.
I have to say I’m noticing some good differences in Frenchy…I’m thinking he might do good in the 4 or 5 spot.
Renteria remains a mystery to me. He owned Dice-K, has been on possibly the hottest streak of his life, and is hitless against the Sox AAAA pitcher/pen.
I can’t even open the http://www.mlb.com website today. I can come through a backdoor, but then none of the mlb.tv or media will open. Anyone have an idea what’s up with this?
A.West,
you made need to toss your cookies.
Batting against Javier Lopez reminds of of Javy.
After being released by Boston, did he sign with anyone or is he out of baseball? His 2003 year was bananas.
Okay, I’m thinking I’m going to stick with ESPN.com from now on.
Agreed.
As for our Javy, he was released by the Rockies in spring training, and my understanding was that he didn’t want to play for anyone but Atlanta, and the Braves weren’t interested. As far as I know, he’s retired.
Kyle,
I thought he was released by Colorado.
Thanks, Mac. He was a good Brave.
I can’t decide if Terry Francona looks more like a Klingon or a Ferengi.
With a monocle and sun hat, he would be Panama Jack.
I’d go with Klingon.
Call it!
NO, don’t call it. KJ only needs the single now.
where were these hits when we needed them?
ok, DON”T CALL IT!
He’s got to get one more AB.
He’ll get it as long Atlanta gets some base runners.
It’s going to rain out before Johnson gets that single for the cycle.
Who came up with the cycle anyways? I’d be more impressed with a player who hit four homers in one game than a played who hit one single, one double, one triple and one homerun.
A.West
I guess in my experience, beedee’s right. need to toss your cookies.
this feels good.
Woodward sighting.
KJ is seven spots down with two innings to go.
This is an excellent spot for Woodward, Orr, or Redman. Tailor-made, really.
that guy on the nesn broadcast calling everybody a bum is getting annoying. must be fun to sit near him and his decidedly less than original rants.
I thought hecklers stopped using “Bum” in the 40s. My grandpa calls people “bums”
Mac,
i think the offeason is tailor made for those guys.
how can you not love smoltz right now? I mean serious full on man-crush. I refuse to even entertain HOF debates with this man.
I am just joining this game–what an improvement over the game last night….(I mean in the afternoon)
Smoltz is the stopper….
Yeah, can he pitch everyday?
the vulture is circling again…if there’s a way to blow this game he might find a way.
it’s really too bad last night got rained out. lerew vs their pos pitcher and Smoltz vs Matsuwhatever would have given us a decent show.
I just realized/remembered Andruw isn’t playing.
I like the guy, but obviously I don’t miss him at all.
OK, that gets KJ another plate appearance right?
As long as he doesn’t get doubled up somehow.
i just can’t take frenchy’s gameday picture seriously.
Barring acts of God, KJ bats in the 9th
The Vulture swoops in.
man that was close
The shutout. I want it. Badly.
Baseball is such a mindblowing game.
Two teams, the same day – and you can win by ten and lose by ten in the same day.
Also: Go KJ.
Hem…I’m not happy with the result, 11-0.
Will Kelly Johnson stop at first on a gap shot?
Here we go – wasn’t Royal Albert Hall the last Brave to do it?
Damn
now call it!
I am just happy to see KJ getting hot again.
Then Woodward got this cheap single that KJ needed…
PETE
Johnson might get another chance if this kind of play continues.
Heh, Skip on the radio commentary:
“There once was a fan from Nantucket…oh, never mind.”
Can winning by 12 count as two wins
After losing 13-3, who would have thought we’d end up (hopefully) scoring more runs today than the Red Sox?
awesome!
That means we should have won both game…damn I am greedy.
that’s it
14-0 is more impressive than 13-3. I’m just saying…
Nice comeback for the Braves–2 touchdowns with the extra points!
I dunno what’s more impressive….the 14 runs, or keeping Boston to just 3 hits..
let’s hope for more of the same tomorrow.