ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Red Sox
Tim Hudson had his first bad outing of the year, and the bats weren’t able to pick him up. The Sox got four runs in the first, highlighted by a bases-clearing, two-out triple from Varitek, and got single runs in the second and fifth, finally chasing Tim with two out in the inning. He finished with eight hits, two walks, and no strikeouts. He’s not the first good pitcher to blow up against this offense and he won’t be the last.
The bullpen did its part,in the person of McBride, Kali, and Soriano. The Braves had a chance to get right back into it in the sixth against the soft underbelly of the Red Sox bullpen. Diaz drove in Chipper with a single and Saltalamacchia, after an epic at-bat, drew a bases-loaded walk to cut it to 6-2. But Thorman grounded into a double play to end the inning; there was some criticism but it was a good play by the Sox.
Andruw is just awful right now. The Braves had another chance to tie it in the ninth, off of Papelbon (I’d given up hope and was already writing this recap). Francoeur singled in Renteria with two out, followed by a single from Diaz. Andruw came to the plate with a chance to tie with a homer or at least extend the game (with McCann on deck) but struck out. I think he may have Francoeur’s old brain or something. Up 2-1 he swung at a hanging curveball but about a second too late — it was practically in the catcher’s mitt — and struck out on a pitch at head level. He finished with the rare iridium sombrero, 0-5 with five strikeouts. You can’t really get any worse than that.
Diaz was 4-5 and is hitting .352, but didn’t score a run largely because of Andruw’s nightmare game. I hesitate to say this, but it wouldn’t necessarily be bad for the team if Andruw went on the DL and Harris played center. The Braves actually out-hit the Sox 13-8 but couldn’t get the one more hit to do it. Again, this really is Andruw’s fault.
My Lord, Andruw is horrifying. It is amazing that an MVP candidate is actually hurting the team.
Maybe we can trade him for a pitcher and keep Salty.(Kidding, kind of)
Wow, Andruw Jones has fallen very deep. What the heck do we do with him while he’s slumping? Is a guy with his career able to be benched? Is that allowed? With the player’s union file a grievance? Can we shoot him?
Somebody (wasn’t me) has already added Andruw Jones to the short list of “platinum sombreros”, or a player who strikes out five times in one game, on wikipedia. That was fast.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_sombrero
if you look at him vs crisp, his avg. is about 20 pts lower but he ha 6 homers and 30 RBI compared to 0 HR and 12 RBI for crisp the guy many think is a “andruw” in the making.
yes, he’s awful at the plate right now, but that’s why he’s still with the braves. if he was as consistant as manny, he woulda been gone a long time ago.
beedee,
Okay, is that a joke I’m missing? Because I don’t get it.
Or is that a case of ‘Druw just being ‘Druw?
I think it is.
Only the 2nd inning, but the Mets are already leading the Yanks..
Does this never end?
I always thought that the golden sombrero was three and the platinum four. Oh, well. He just had a platinum, not an iridium (which is a better metal for these purposes than boring titanium).
The Yankees get back-to-back doubles and don’t score. Will this insanity never end?
I’m looking for nominations for Jorge Sosa’s dedication. Any ideas?
Sadly, a youtube search for “jheri curl” turned up little of interest, but this picture is pretty funny: http://www.geocities.com/yossari53/2003/sosame.jpg
Yankees up 5-1 in the bottom of the 5th.
Do you any of you guys know what’s really happening with Lerew? The MLB article says that he was removed from last night’s game for non-injury reasons and Cox gave him a choice of AAA or DL (possibly a few minutes after Cox found out that he had a tender elbow). I can’t understand what’s going on from the article, but Cox apparently isn’t happy.
Also, why call up Prado? It seems like 50% of our team can play 2nd and we have a need for power off the bench (Prado’s power is just better than Rafael Belliard). Maybe we are preparing for a trade – or trying to give JS Jr more PT at Richmond )-:
Top of 5th rather.
this is my nomination…..
This doesn’t have to be the one, but you get the idea.
@5,
yes that was tongue in cheek, sorry for the delay but i went for a run and a few beers with the lady.
Not to pile on (well, yes, to pile on), but 0-5 with 5 swinging K’s? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. Andruw is flying open and totally off his timing and he looks just hideous. That last strikeout was a terrible sequence of pitches and he still looked like an idiot. You could practically see Papelbon thinking, “Gee, why don’t I try airmailing it in the general direction of the backstop and see if he swings at it?”
Scott Boras has to be just thrilled with this contract year performance.
I can’t believe I’m happy that the Yankees are winning a game, but I am.
Thoughts on today’s game:
Andruw was hideous, obviously. The last two swings he took against Papelbon were downright embarassing. Here’s hoping he can get back on track soon because he’s a black hole in the lineup right now.
We were no hit through 3 2/3 innings, ended up with 13 hits, but still could only score 3 runs. Thorman’s double play was a crucial at-bat (right after Salty’s outstanding one. Definitely tip my hat to him for that one). After that, I never felt like we really threatened. We had just gained a some momentum, Salty had basically silenced Fenway with his near grand slam, we had already scored two runs and there was only one out. Anything but a double play there and we might have had a different ending to this game.
McCann should be hitting higher than Andruw in the order now, no question. Right-handed or left-handed doesn’t matter.
Frenchy is impressing. If he stays with whatever he has been doing, he might very well turn into the hometown hero he’s supposed to be. He and McCann could be solid contributers for years to come.
I’m pretty sure Frenchy’s hideous facial hair has some kind of magical power, but still not powerful enough to win us games. 🙁
Mac, my understanding that a 3-strikeout game simply qualifies as a “hat trick”–thus, the golden sombrero is 4 K’s, and platinum would therefore be five (although I think you could also make an argument for “diamond sombrero”).
Beyond that, my nomination for a 6-K game: The Leiter.
Also worth mentioning again: Salty had a VERY impressive pinch-hit at-bat with the bases juiced, working a ten pitch walk (in front of the horrible Thorman twin killing). He fouled away pitch after pitch and really made Donnelly work. The AB stood out especially because of Andruw’s stinkbomb, of course. It was a rare display of clutchness on a day that could have used a little more.
After Andruw struck out in the 4th(?), I turned over to G4 & watched Ninja Warrior. That show rules.
Count me among the skeptical that Salty was really going to do much when he got called up, but the kid is ready. Not ready to play everyday, but definately ready to contribute. That was a pretty veteran-like at bat that he had, I can’t really say I expected that type of patience from him at all. At the very least, he is increasing his trade value.
Andruw is painful to watch at the plate. If he is hurting (which I believe was the “reason” why he was scratched on Saturday, because his back was hurt) then he needs to sit. Even with his great defense, that performance today was the worst in his career.
I’m going to Saturday’s game & if Redman starts I’m going to stick my face over the hole in the top of the giant Coke bottle & wait for one of our guys to hit a homer. It would be more refreshing.
Also, watching those games on NESN were just dreadful. I have the Extra Innings package but I don’t really watch many Sox games, and I can’t really say that I will. I thought listening to Yankees games on the radio were bad with all of the in game commericals, but that NESN broadcast took it to a whole new level. Does everything need to have a sponsor these days ??? I thought Jerry Remy’s tie was going to have a sponsor for crying out loud. Maybe I’m just bitter, but am I the only one who noticed this ?
Phillip, I’m also going to Saturday’s game. I really don’t want to see Redman start either. Anyone could do a better job than Redman could. Why not just start out with the bullpen pitching and save us the beating?
Actually after yesterday, starting McBride might be a better option than Redman.
I can’t stand the Yankees and Red Sox fans in my office. “Another pitcher on the DL for the yanks, Clippard pitched like an all-star, why’d we have to run into smoltz.” God, they are the worst. Though I still like them more than Redman. Redman needs to get cut off the roster, cut by a knife, anything. He just needs to get cut.
I’m starting to think Andruw has the pictures.
Personally I’m almost speechless about Andruw. My initial take is that Boras has told him that with a solid season he’ll get 20+ mil per year and that he is distracted at the possibility of owning his own Gold Club.
All the Braves have to do is sweep the Mets with their 3, 4, and 5 starters to be back in front of the NL East.
Hahahaha. I almost said that with a straight face.
Andruw Jones = Casey at the bat
Andruw Jones looks worse than the kids that play baseball in my cul-de-sac. Normal Andruw would have crushed that breaking ball they hung up there and tied the game. Maybe he should take a couple days off…
Maybe this is Andruw’s plan to stay in Atlanta, ie, he sucks so much that his value drops and he won’t be tempted to go after big money and the Braves can afford to resign him. It’s a brilliant plan! (LOL).
Everyone was getting on Joe Simpson for criticizing Andruw earlier in the year, but I think he was right on (although maybe not specifically about hitting to right field.) Andruw has seemed off-balance all year, swinging as hard as he can at every pitch. I always thought you needed to be balanced to hit well and he is not. I’m sure he will start hitting at some point but the Mets might be 8 or 9 games ahead by that time.
So here’s my question: Redman, Wickman, Lerew…seems like all these guys get put on the DL with a bad case of “the suck”.
When will Andruw go on the DL?
let’s be honest here, fellas…
we’re in this for the Wild-Card if Andruw continues this way.
not to say we can’t win it, but the Phils are slowly closing the gap and, gulp, the Padres sorta scare me.
if this is the way a 20 mil man plays than GOD what will happen when Santana become a FA!
Why is everyone saying that Wickman is terrible now? The guy has been outstanding for us other than maybe one or two appearances. Thats a ridiculous comment….
As for Andruw, maybe he needs two weeks on the DL to get his legs and back strong again. I prefer he waits until after the Mets series.
I’m guessing that Villareal will get the next start instead of Redman. He’s probably our best option (sad, but he was somewhat successful in that role last year). I really think we should go after Blanton or Lowry…
Lerew is hiding an injury? Maybe or maybe not, but he’s still not major league ready. Redman must be released immediately
Actually Kyle B., Smoltz is going Thursday against Glavine, so maybe there is some hope of a win there. They skipped the 5th starter because of the off day today and the 5th starter (which technically right now is Redman, God forbid) will go Saturday. They are buying time to figure out who will start Saturday I’m sure since Bobby didn’t seem to know what he’d do when asked. Hopefully it won’t be Redman.
anyone think Salty could manage LF? Would he be any worse defensively than say Carlos Lee or Adam Dunn? I still see him being our 1B next year with Diaz/Thor in a LF platoon
Well, Salty has catcher’s speed. He’s faster than McCann, but still not extremely fast.
I could see him being full-time 1B though.
I don’t understand why we would be thinking about moving Salty to LF for? Where did this idea come from anyway? If Salty moves to 1B then Thorman can move to LF, you know… since he’s played there before.
After Andruw flailed awkwardly on that breaking ball…you just knew that he was done. There was NO WAY he was going to come through in that at-bat…
It’s sad, but he’s the last person I wanted up there with the game on the line..with the way he’s going these days.
Hell, I’da taken my chances with Woodward even. *ducks*
csg, I would like to see asndruw on the Dl before the Mets come to town. I have a feeling that Andruw has hit rock bottom.
I don’t know if anyone who has been an impending free agent expected to make 20+mil has ever sucked this bad in his $$$ year. It’s amazing…He’s always been streaky but this is a new kind of streaky.
That’s right, Leah, I forgot about that.
Thursday is Smoltz/Glavine on the TBS Extra.
Good to see that Jorge Sosa will join the Cy Young race this Tuesday