ESPN – Braves vs. Phillies Box Score, September 25 2007 – MLB
What, another come-from-behind win? One day, we’ll figure out how to wake this team up before mid-September and we’ll be in business.
The Braves took a 3-0 lead in the first on a homer by Teixeira, but Chuck James allowed a leadoff homer to Rollins to cut it to 3-1. In the fourth, the Braves got back to a three-run lead when McCann singled in Andruw, but in the bottom of the inning James allowed two more homers, three runs in all, to tie the score. The three homers were the only hits he allowed in 3 2/3 innings, and the walk in front of the second homer (by Howard) was the only walk. He struck out six. So if you squint a little, it’s kind of a promising outing!
Jeff Bennett gave up a run in the fifth to make it 5-4, though it really wasn’t his fault; the runner reached on a strikeout/wild pitch. The Braves, however, countered in the sixth with four runs to take an 8-5 lead, the big blow a two-run single from Renteria. The Phillies cut it to 8-6 on another homer, by Utley this time, but Chipper made it 10-6 with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth. Bennett picked up the win.
It was Chipper’s only hit of the night, as he was 1-4 with a walk, and is at .340. Renteria was 2-4 and is at .333. Utley had two hits and is at .336. With Escobar and Diaz (who are both of course not qualified) the Braves had four players hitting between .331 and .340 at the end of the night in the starting lineup.
not a great outing by Chuckie. I dont put much into it in this park. I like Bennett and McCann has to get better at keeping pitches in front of him. Great job from the pen and the offense tonight
Any explanation for why Bobby is killing Moylan and Soriano for a 1% chance to get into the playoffs? Why not try Devine out?
We gonna lose the Smoltz game..Smoltzie will give up 2 runs in 7 ip, and we will get shutout by some schmuck
For you hope-people (hopeople?) the BP Postseason Odds Report had the Braves with a %1.24282 chance at postseason coming into tonight. Obviously that is somewhat higher now, but still miniscule.
Another amazing fact, Andruw is three for five.
I don’t have any problem with using Mahay and Soriano tonight. Mahay only threw one pitch, and Soriano will be suspended soon.
I am with you Mac.
If you want good things to happen, kill hope!!!
The Mets, who were down 10-3 going to the bottom of the ninth, are now down 10-6, bases loaded, 1 out, for Alou..
Alou doubles, 10-9 – Delgado up, Alou on 2nd
Man, Chad Cordero went from unstoppable a few years ago to a horrible pitcher. Wow, he’s bad.
a 6-run 9th with only one out? Bristol may explode if they come back…
1-0 Giants, 2nd
…the BP Postseason Odds Report had the Braves with a %1.24282 chance at postseason coming into tonight.
Sweet.
Final: Nats 10, Mets 9
2-0 Giants.
Nationals win.
Oh, cruel, cruel baseball gods. To get 6 in the 9th, man on 3rd and still lose – that’s pretty miserable.
I’m fairly certain the games unfold independently of anything I or anyone else I know thinks, believes, and yes, hopes.
4-0 Giants in the 2nd
2-0 Rockies in the 3rd
Come on Dodgers
Rockies up 2-0 in the 3rd in LA. If these scores hold, the Braves will be 2 games behind a three-way tie for the wild card.
Mac-
What’s Teixeira hitting? He’s up around .320 or .330, no? Granted, he doesn’t even have as many NL ABs as Diaz….
On the other hand, I just got an email from a friend of mine from Philadelphia blaming me for the Phils collapse. Maybe I do have powers I didn’t know I had.
4-0 Giants.
Yes, get hope up. Get it sky-high!
The Padres are seriously melting down. Right now the Rockies have a great shot to get in… that’s just crazy.
I’d say the Rox have the toughest road. The Dodgers are no pushovers and then they finish with AZ.
Put me down as a hoperson – unfortunatley.
Great win tonight, this is how it should have been all year. Our offense is a force of nature.
Whoever gets the last spot absolutely must vote Milton Bradley a playoff share.
I’m getting into this. I find myself checking scores, and looking at schedules and pitching match-ups. I don’t wanna get myself too worked up now, what, Atlanta has to go 5-0 and the Rockies and the Padres have to lose at rates they aren’t normally losing at. What’s the playoff scenario for us right now?
or the ump.
the truth is the Pads were falling fast before Bradley’s meltdown. Chris Young never really recovered from that back injury and they just can’t hit enough. I don’t know if they win again without Peavy on the mound.
The Dodgers are playing badly of late and the DBs might be resting their guys for the postseason by the weekend.
Padres have to go 2-4, I think, and Peavy is a pretty sure bet to get them one win. So with the games Peavy doesn’t pitch, they have to go 1-4. I dunno…
The scenario is:
5-0 from us
3-3 or worse from the Pads
4-2 or worse from the Rocks
Not that crazy.
I don’t have any shame in hoping. This is the last time to hope. Why not do it?
The 5-0 is pretty crazy when we’re running Reyes or Carlyle or Cormier out there for 2 of those games. Are we going to treat the last couple like a playoff series and try to get Smoltz or Hudson or James out there on three days’ rest, assuming the Rockies or Pads haven’t won out.
Giants 4-0
Dod/Col 2-2
Agreed, Rob. 3-3 from the Pads and 4-2 from the Rockies both look very possible. It’s us winning out that stretches belief.
That said, I’m hoping. Darn it.
ok, if you guys want me to kill any hope the braves have at the post season, i’ll hop on this “hope” wagon to the hell that is better known as reality. best of luck…go braves.
That’s actually a good question – on the pitchers. What is the rotation for the final 5 games?
hudson, smoltz, jo-jo the other two aren’t posted
Rockies just went back ahead 4-2 going to the bottom of the 5th.
…and the Dodgers take a 5-4 lead on a Loney HR.
This hope thing is exciting.
I even had to change my name.
If we can score 10 runs a game, adding on runs in the late innings, we have a shot.
I’m hesitant, but put me down as a hopester also. I’m ready to be inspired.
Loney is on fire right now
Tulowitzki homers to give the Rockies the lead again, 6-5. Damn him.
The Rockies really can’t keep this going, can they?
I had completely given up, lost hope, didn’t see the braves when they came to RFK a few weeks back even though it would have cost em like 8 bucks round trip and thought the season was over. But now, realizing that the Phillies are involved and that we can crush them and watch them self-destruct and that the Diamondbacks are good enough to take the last series from the rockies and the pads have four left with the brewers who I hope will play for pride and help us out even though we buried them. I don’t know why, but I believe.
Mark Hendrickson, you just made my list for giving up that homerun, you were bad enough as a bluedevilrayjay, why do you continue to exist?
Matt Herges pitches to Chin-Lung Hu in the 6th inning of a Rockies/Dodgers game. Who would have guessed Braves nation would even care back in April?
I’d say the Braves need to win their remaining 5 games to even have a chance. … even then, odds aren’t too good.
guys NO HOPE, keep this in mind…dont question it!
I killed hope weeks ago. But it’s better to finish the season with a winning streak
Anybody know what the Braves plans for Anthony Lerew are? Is he expected to figure into rotation plans at all next year, or how much does he need to improve?
Also, it’s all done and over now, but do you think we would be closer to in it this year had we not traded LaRoche? Gonzo got knocked out with injury pretty early, and LaRoche ended up putting up decent numbers for the season. How many more games do you think we would have won if we didn’t have to suffer through Thorman/Woodward/Franco/Wilson the first half of this season?
BX, Lerew have no clue…
AS for LaRoche, it wouldnt have mattered. LaRoche was just as bad as our guys the 1st half. Also keep in mind we wouldnt have traded for Tex in the 2nd half either. I think we would have lost more games in the 2nd half with Roach
BX, that question should never come up. Even with that crappy platoon earlier this season, we had a good offense. The only problem we have had is our pitching – to blame anything else (including andruw) is just rediculous. If you want to place the blame on one person, place it on Mark Redman.
1.24282% chance huh? I like those odds! Hey Oh!
Through July 31, LaRoche was hitting 244/ 325/ 427 compared to Thorman’s 220/ 262/ 402. That’s about 10 extra singles and 15 or so walks over roughly 400 PA. I’m not sure that difference was worth even the six weeks of Gonzalez that we got.
We would have lost more games this year, but would our organization would be better off long-term if we kept LaRoche, and then not traded Salty and the 19 other prospects to get Teixera?
Bowman said Hudson would most likely go on 3 days rest if the final game on sunday matters. braves have to get two wins out of pitchers not named hudson or smoltz.
and Salty would still have no place on this team
and 3 wins from Smoltz and Huddy – no hope!
Salty would have a place on this team as trade bait for a third starter.
we could trade Tex for a #1 or #2 starter also
Why would we do that? Then we’re back to where we started: no first baseman.
We wouldnt, I’m just saying that Tex would get us a better starter than Salty would have.
actually–
we could, conceivably, trade tex and a OF (schafer?) for a #2 and a AAA first basemen…
im just sayin
That baffles me.
looks like the gigantes are about to blow the game
Bad news: Brian Giles homered for the Padres, who now lead 6-4.
Guys, there is NO way anyone would trade half a farm system for one year of Teixeira- we had the worst 1B situation in the majors when we traded him for 1 1/2 years of his services, meaning that we’d benefit more than anyone else.
3 run homer 6-4 padres
So the Pads can only win 2 more games (assuming the pitiful Giants can’t rally). Man it sucks having to rely on other teams to lose.
Man that was painful. It was pretty obvious the way the Giants pitcher was throwing that he was out of gas, but bochy decided to keep him in there anyway and then that happens. Incredibly frustrating.
One out, one frickin’ out away from 2.0 games back. Worthless Giants.
Damn you hope!
Dodgers are rallying. Andy LaRoche knocks in one and the Dodgers are down one with nobody out in the 8th, two on.
Come on Giants, hassle the Hoff!
These Dodger and Giant lineups are pitiful, just pitiful. It’s amazing how weak they are.
where the fuck is barry lol
thanks Bengie. sigh.
Really tells you just how dependent the Giants have been on Barry Bonds these last few years.
And… it’s over. Pod Cretins 6, Midgets 4.
Great. Two on and one out and Molina grounds into a DP, and then the Dodgers have the bases loaded, one out, and don’t plate anybody. Like I said, pitiful.
Brian Giles probably just saved the Padres’ season.
At least the Phillies are miserable too.
And here’s the really wonderful news… the Dodgers are now mathematically eliminated with a loss! If you think they’re uninspiring now, wait until they officially have nothing to play for!
I didn’t know Roberto Hernandez was still in the majors, but he sure doesn’t belong there anymore. He’s given up three straight hits. 9-6 Rockies.
…and of course, the Dodgers got one run back and had the tying run up only to lose, 9-7. F***ing blue bastards.
You see, if you still have hope, kill it!
A truly frustrating season….it was almost predictable that the Braves would play well enough at the the end to furnish some with hope–only to have those hopes shattered….
Just to kill of more hope, the Braves have finished the last three seasons playing the Astros. Guess who the Braves are playing in the final series?
BTW, Roy Oswalt will pitch in the last series because he just pitched on Sunday. The Astros should be rolling out our old friends Brandon Backe, Roy Oswalt, and Matt Albers.
Stephen, it is indeed a very frustrating season. The team should be in the position to win either the division or the wild card instead of being behind….the Rockies…
KC–You are right the Braves should have won the division. I don’t remember a Braves team with so many impressive individual performances that had so much trouble winning.
At least the Braves are better off than in 2006–but for me 2007 will always be the year that should have been….
This year’s team is so much better than last year’s one. At least the bullpen is pretty solid now!
To finally put it to rest:
Braves dispute cut in team’s payroll
Braves president Terry McGuirk and general manager John Schuerholz were not at all amused by a published rumor that new ownership group Liberty Media would mandate a deep cut in the team’s payroll for next season.
“It’s not true,” said McGuirk, who reiterated what he has said for months — payroll likely would be increased and certainly not reduced.
“The trends will be upward; everything will be northward,” he said, “as we’re in the process of building a team and building value and building a franchise. You don’t get anywhere by cutting.”
http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/09/25/bravesnotes_0926.html
As far as I’m concerned, if you aren’t good enough to win, you shouldn’t complain about other teams not helping you out. The Braves had their chances. At least the Braves have clinched a winning month for the first time since April.
BTW, at Shea Stadium last night, the Mets fans were doing the Tomahawk Chop when the Braves/Phillies score was posted. It must be pretty humiliating for them to have to rely on the Braves.
“At least the Braves are better off than in 2006–but for me 2007 will always be the year that should have been….”
No no, 1996 is the year that should have been. This year we flat out stunk for long stretches.
“At least the Braves have clinched a winning month for the first time since April. ”
and thats why we are where we are today!
“BTW, at Shea Stadium last night, the Mets fans were doing the Tomahawk Chop when the Braves/Phillies score was posted. It must be pretty humiliating for them to have to rely on the Braves.
”
the cubbies were doing this the other night when we put up 4 runs on the Brewers in that one innning. Everyone loves us, except for the Brewers, Phillies, and Padres right now
Why don’t the Padres love us?
I’d say the Padres are pretty happy with us. The best result of the Braves/Phillies series for them is a Braves sweep.
I don’t have hope yet. The scenario needed for the Braves to even force a tie for the wild card and play on Monday is just too improbable. I am, however, quite enjoying watching the team finally play like they should have all summer.
I’m really hoping Shuerholz signs Glavine. That would strengthen our rotation, weaken the Mets, but not commit us to spend a huge chunk of payroll for years on a 3rd starter. Then he just would need to trade one of our extra infielders for an outfielder and not resign Woodward or equivalent worthless bench players and we’d be in great shape.
I dont think the Pads want us to sweep the Phils. If the Pads lose their next two then we would be 1 game back with a series to play.
Postseason Odds Report update for hopeople: %1.43225 chance of postseason. Woo-hoo!
So you’re saying there is a chance!
It’s going up too!
Good point, Kenny — we’ve got much better odds than Jim Carrey had with Lauren Holly in Dumb & Dumber.
Well, what would happen if the Braves defied all the odds and made the playoffs and then lost in the first round again? Would you be happy that we made a historic comeback or pissed that we lost again? At this point, I guess I would be thrilled just to make it.
#100, I’d be pissed but still happy to have made the playoffs. But we’d probably face the Diamondbacks and I’d like our odds vs them. They can’t pitch Webb vs us every game and our offense is far superior to theirs. Their bubble is due to burst soon anyway.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
last two discussions – Andruw Jones and Edgar Renteria
Well, he suggests KJ as our internal replacement for Andruw. If you didn’t already have reason to take that stuff with a grain (or more) of salt, there you go.
Stu, my thoughts also. But what do we end up doing with Escobar/KJ/Lilly? Do we continue a platoon of some sort? Try Lillibridge out there in CF?
I have no idea. I assume the plan is to try and trade Edgar. If they just can’t find a reasonable offer for him, though, they’re stuck with a seemingly very talented log-jam.
And I have no idea whether Lillibridge is a viable CF or not.
ESPN on the last real pennant race.
I am not sure how good Lillibridge would be in the outfield, but I know he play CF in college and some in the minors. He definitely has the speed. I think it is definitely something at looking at. I know that the ultimate replacement will be Jordan Schafer who is outstanding definsively.
Keeping Yunel and Edgar isn’t the worst scenario. Chipper we know will get hurt and Yunel provides insurance at third. I also don’t see the problem placing KJ back in left and platooning him with Diaz. Addressing the rotation should be the first priority and if Edgar or Yunel can give us a legitimate starting pitcher JS must pull the trigger.
After reading that mlbtraderumors.com piece on Edgar, it seems a certainty that he’ll be traded even if he just brings back prospects and clears payroll. They’ll need his salary to do anything else assuming only a modest payroll cap increase by Liberty.
Thanks, Mac. I thoroughly enjoyed reliving that.
Rosenthal’s thoughts on Baseball’s awards this year
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7266334
has Chipper at 7th in NL MVP and Smoltz at 3rd for the Cy Young. Also has Manuel at 2nd for the Manager of the Year
Sickest article ever, thanks Mac.
What a great article……makes you wonder why they ever started the wild card in the first place.
#113, to make it harder for the Braves to get to the World Series when they won their division every year of course!
They started the Wild Card so that fans of mediocre teams would have some reason to keep coming to games and the teams would not feel compelled to give away their best players to the Yankees (and Braves).
Man, Fred McGriff could hit a little.
I was all of 7 years old when that was going down, and I wasn’t even a baseball fan yet. Reading that article just makes me love baseball even more.
While that particular race was exciting, I still like the Wild Card.
Interesting in the DOB Andruw article, though: “After getting off to a fast start in the first three weeks of the 2006 season, Jones has hit just .236 in 291 games since April 20, 2006, albeit with 59 home runs and 199 RBIs.”
I hadn’t realized it was really a two-year slide.
At least the Yankees are not going to win their division. That means we will not have to worry about anyone challenging the Braves record of 14 straight division titles anytime soon.
Thanks for the ESPN ’93 story, Mac.
Printed it out, skimmed it, didn’t read it yet. But I love this WC-damning line near the end:
“The drama of late-season baseball has been transferred from occasional but memorable all-or-nothing contests between great teams, to annual lower-stakes games between the good-to-mediocre.”
Exactly.