ESPN – Braves vs. Nationals – Box Score – April 12, 2008
The Braves jumped on top 4-0 in the first, and were never seriously threatened. Jeff Francoeur had a big day, driving in seven. He had the big blow in the first, a three-run homer (after Teixeira had singled in the game’s first run). In the fourth, he singled in two more runs. And in the sixth, he hit another homer, a two-run blast to make it 9-1 at the time.
John Smoltz clearly is still laboring some, but gave the team six innings of one-run baseball, and you’ll certainly take that. He walked a couple, struck out five, and allowed five hits. The one run was on a triple to Willie Harris, of all people.
McCann followed Francoeur’s second homer with a solo shot of his own. The other run the Braves scored was mostly a result of Matt Diaz’s hustle, getting to second when the centerfielder lollygagged on what should have been a single, getting to third on a flyout, and making it home on a groundout by Smoltz when the Nats napped.
Bobby used four relievers — Ohman, Bennett, Boyer, and Acosta — to finish the game, which was kind of weird because they’re supposed to be in the top of the bullpen, not that any of them is really very good. Ohman, in particular, isn’t good at all and Bennett had to bail him out, allowing one of three inherited runners to score.
Chipper is kind of gimpy, and left the game after it got out of hand, going 1-1 with two walks and two runs scored. McCann also left late, after going 3-4.
wow, it’s quiet here……….after the braves scored ten runs, i expected to read the predictions of doom.
Well, it does mean we’ll lose by one run tomorrow, yielding a Pythagorean record of 11-1 in contrast to our actual 5-7.
well, as the tv commercial says, 90%of statistics can be made to explain anything……50% of the time.
The bullpen use–especially Acosta in the 9th with an 8 run lead–strikes me as weird too. That inning just cried out for Res[l]op or Campillo. No big gripes–consecutive wins is a nice feeling.
Based on today, we could probably characterize our bullpen arms as follows:
Good:
Moylan
Not able to pitch, but good when he does:
Soriano
Not bad:
Bennett
Acosta
Boyer
Not good:
Ohman
Resop
Not actually here to pitch:
Campillo
Let’s get the sweep & root for the Cubs & Brew Crew.
Parish–where would you put Ring? (this question is intended to be a hanging curve)
In Richmond, if he wasn’t out of options.
I knew I was missing someone. I think Ring is the guy that should be our LOOGY. In that role, I would classify him as “not bad.”
Here’s my idea for Ring. Didn’t he LOOGY Adam LaRoche 3 games in a row when the Braves played the Pirates? Maybe Ring should just stay in Pittsburgh as a permanent member of the visiting team. When the Braves come to town they pick him up; when the leave they waive him. The next team to town then signs him only to release him at the end of its series vs the Bucs.
Mets fans!
Mets fans arrested for stealing bits of stadium – Baseball- nbcsports.msnbc.com
I think Acosta got to pitch as we have an off day Monday and he hasn’t pitched in a while.
I rather have seen Campillo pitch rather than Ohman, but oh whatever.
The Braves have caught a couple of lucky breaks early season with rain outs/snow outs. Its time to emulate the early 2000’s Braves and put together a strong run in May/June.
Taking items from Shea Stadium is like stealing wet garbage from the city dump.
Just watching Snedeker getting interviewed about being in the final pairing tomorrow at Augusta. Who do you guys think is gonna pull this out?
Hawks with a 3-point lead over the Celtics; 8:54 left in the game.
If the Hawks win, they clinch the playoffs.. but it’s unwatchable. (1) Because it’s the NBA, which lacks enthusiasm before March 1, and (2) Bob Rathbun.
Rathbun is yelling about ridiculous things. It’s actually kind of funny..
..and give me Steve Flesch, who almost killed me at the NIKE Tour Championship one year when he hooked one in the trees and the ball whipped a few inches over my head.
He’s a great guy though..
Of course, I am rooting for the Vandy guy, but I can get excited about any of these first timers donning a green jacket.
Meanwhile, Sam Cassell is burying the Hawks.
..and Sam Cassell goes nuts in the 4th. Hawks lose, but so do the Pacers. Hawks’ magic number is 2 with 2 games left.
Rathbun is saddened beyond belief – this is hilarious!!
The Pacers loss puts the Hawks magic number at 1, I think.
You’re right. Rathbun misspoke. And now he’s emcee-ing some post-game crap. This is hilarious. Everyone turn it to FSN if you can’t stand this clown!
“A Tribute to the Seven Original Season-Ticket Holders for the Atlanta Hawks”
Good grief, these people are insane to have Hawks season tickets for 40 years..
I would like to officially go on record as saying that Frenchy sucks. Send him back to AAA.
Something most people probably haven’t noticed, but scares me a bit is that KJ has yet to take a BB. I know it’s still early, but that is really unlike him – we have enough free-swingers.
Something must have happened in the universe. The Braves actually scored runs at a game that I attended. Next: peace in the Middle East. And we had great hamburgers at Five Guys in the stadium. All in all, a good day once we got past the rain.
So the Braves have now scored in double digits in 5 games, scored under 4 in five games, and scored exactly four in one.
I’m sorry for Spiezio but the Braves (and his agend)did him no favors by trying to bring him back so soon.
Amazing that Gavin Floyd almost no-hit the Tigers, of all teams.
The guy who broke it up in the 8th? Edgah Renteria.
After tonight, both Frenchy and Mac have had very strong starts to the year. After both had “down”-ish years last year, it’s good to see them hitting well early. My only concern with Mac is that he may wear out as the year goes. I was glad to hear he left the game along with Chipper after the game became a blowout.
As much as I feel sorry for the Nats, let’s wreck ’em again tomorrow!
What’s more remarkable than the KJ thing is what Boog or Joe (I forget which) pointed out during the game — McCann hadn’t struck out this year until last night. He struck out again today, but two strikeouts in 37 AB is pretty darned good — and it’s not a surprise that he’s hitting .351.
Frenchy’s OBP is not where I’d like it to be, at least yet. But it’s still early. Diaz, KJ, and Teixiera are among others that are due.
#14 – you’re winning score will be 10 under and the gentlemens name wearing the jacket will be the one and only Tiger Woods
What a weird season so far. Lose one in Wash, lose the series against Pitt, sweep the Mets, get swept by Col, and should finish off a sweep of the Nats tomorrow
I went to the game today too. I’m glad I did, it’s the first Braves win I’ve seen in person in a long, long time. I was worried I was a bad-luck charm.
You’re right that Smoltz appeared to be laboring a bit. His fastball was mostly sitting at 88 miles an hour, which concerned me. But he made it through 6 innings, so I’ll just try to keep breathing normally.
Quick question: Was Smoltz throwing his splitter today? Because looking at the highlights, it definitely looked like a splitter on a couple of those Ks, but I thought he had stopped throwing it like a more than year ago because of injury concerns. It was either a splitter or he was getting some Ks with a curve or a change, which would be really good news. Anyhow, just curious. 🙂
it’s probably his slider
he’s got that 12-6 slider that makes people look stupid that he throws…
the splitter just looks like his fastball but falls apart…
his slider, though, has been the best in the majors since 1992
His fastball was mostly sitting at 88 miles an hour
Funny you would say that, as the speeds being reported during the telecast seemed absurdly high–the pitch Kearns struck out on in the 1st was reported as an improbable 96 mph. But I do think he was reaching better speeds than 88.
http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/12/spiezio_0412.html
spiezio released for coming to the ballpark in richmond “not ready to play”.
was he drunk? i hope not. recovery from alcoholism is difficult and has MANY pitfalls. i hope he lands on his feet somewhere.
Sounds like he was drunk to me, I don’t think they would have released him if he had forgotten his glove or something. Sad.
I’m just going on the stadium radar gun. According to that, he hit 94 a few times in the later innings, but I don’t remember him breaking 90 at all the first 4 innings or so.
FWIW… During the game yesterday Boog and Joe were talking about KJ not having a BB yet. Boog said he asked KJ about it and KJ said teams are pitching him different this year; that he is getting better stuff to swing at than last year and he is seeing more first pitch strikes.