ESPN – Braves vs. Marlins – Box Score – April 17, 2008
Close loss, close loss, blowout win. It’s a pattern with these guys. The Braves hit three doubles in the first to take a 2-0 lead, and broke it open with back-to-back-to-back homers from Chipper, Teixeira, and McCann in the fifth. Chipper had a monster night, going 4-4 with two homers and a double, three runs scored and three RBI. He’s hitting .443 now. The Braves had 15 hits, everyone with at least one, and McCann, Francoeur, and Kotsay with two each. Kotsay plays better when I insult him, so here goes: you should have had more, you slacker. KJ hit a two-run homer in the sixth to finish the scoring.
John Smoltz is still working through shoulder pain, and still amazingly effective while doing it. He only pitched five innings, and struck out ten. His ERA is 0.56. He got in a jam in the second with a single and a double leading off the inning, then got strikeouts to get out of it. Other than that inning, he only allowed two baserunners.
Meanwhile, even Ohman and Resop can get by when staked to an eight-run lead. Acosta hadn’t pitched in a while and pitched the eighth, Carlyle the ninth. It was a breeze. Resop still sucks, though.
Dodgers next. I wonder what Jon and Joe will talk about.
It’s Jon Sciambi, not John.
Actually, it’s Boog.
Smoltz pitching side-arm takes stress off his shoulder.
That is, if he was pitching sidearm. I didn’t get to see the game.
One of the best Braves game I’ve been to. The back-to-back-to-back jacks was amazing. Smoltz was unstoppable. Chipper was a machine. Not quite as many Braves fans as Marlins fans, but close…
McCann laughed at the end of the game when I told him he’s awesome.
Maybe I’m out of it, but I thought Carlyle was supposed to start tomorrow. Who is now?
Bennett, apparently.
DOB said it’s Bennett. Bennett didn’t know until DOB told him, actually.
This just in from ajc.com – Smoltz closes in
on 3,000 wins
Bennett threw relief yesterday and Carlyle did today, not good planning one way or another. Smoltz didnt appear to throw side arm tonight, but you could tell that we was having a lot of trouble with that shoulder
Mets in bottom of 13 with Wash
I don’t understand why we used Carlyle tonight when Bennett threw 28 pitches yesterday. Bennett won’t be able to go more than 4 innings tomorrow.
As for Mike Gonzalez, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery, the reports have indicated that he’s been throwing well in extended Spring Training. Cox indicated Thursday that Gonzalez might be able to return earlier than his original early June timetable.
“We have been actively looking to improve our bullpen and we’ll continue to do so,” Wren said. “We like the arms that we have out there and there are some good arms [in the Minor Leagues]. But we’re always looking at ways to improve.”
Man, I’m really curious as to what Cox said in that meeting. I remember one of my high school coaches went absolutely nuts on us one time. Pointing the fungo bat at everyone. Scary.
Also, just realized there might be some sort of sexual innuendo in that statement. Thats not what I was aiming for, I promise.
I’ve read Braves Journal twice now and am convinced that it is nothing more than a bunch of 4 yrs olds who have learned to use a computer… get off the Resop, Ohman, Bennett and whoever else is not doing as well as you would like bandwagon… what a worthless site..
welcome Wun, now please leave and never return
Resop sucks anytime and all the time. You take that back.
Drewdat yea you’re right…now go beat your chest and type somemore….great thought process that one brain cell puts out
I think I speak for everyone here when I say that wun will be deeply missed.
Welcome Mets fans!
Anyone else really curious about what kind of reception Andruw is going to get tomorrow? I’ll be there and I’ll absolutely be cheering for him, but I have to figure he’ll hear some boos and that’s too bad.
I’m honestly confused. How can you think Resop has done a good job for this team? Like, ever?
So far, his career has been consistent mediocrity and only presists because of his ability to hit high-90s on the radar gun.
Sure, if he could consistently learn to throw strikes and miss bats, that’d be one thing. But he’s given very little evidence that he’ll ever be able to do that consistently enough to be a decent option out of the ‘pen.
To be honest, I was okay with him making the team over Yates, mostly because I generally think Cox and co. do a pretty good job of talent analysis. But at the same time, there’s a reason he’s never pitched more than 21 1/3 innings in his four years of ML experience.
Also, from DOB’s blog:
“By David O’Brien
April 17, 2008 6:23 PM | Link to this
Talking to some down on the field, sounds like Bobby’s meeting was a calm reminder for all of what needs to be done, that it’s a long season, etc. Basically to remind everyone that it’s up to them all to pick up the slack, do their parts, and that every game is important.”
Four year olds who can use computers are some pretty damn smart four year olds.
Granted, he’s only going to play 130 games, but I would genuinely like to see Chipper carry a .390-.400 batting average this season. I dunno why…it just seems like something he’s capable of doing.
Man, just thinking. You know what video should be for one of the threads? Take on Me by Aha.
Or Jitterbug by Wham!
Keep reading, wun. You’ll come around.
You know it will happen… Andruw hitting the first homerun(s) this season in Atlanta.
Yanks/Sawx tonight, only 2 scraps in my section—a small upset.
Then on the way back into Manhattan on the D train, a Sawx gal who’d apparently had her ass kicked by 2 Yankee gals, was telling me her drunken story.
“I don’t know why people feel like they can just beat you up for saying something to them.”
“Well, what did you say?”
“A-Rod sucks.”
“Um, what did you think was going to happen?”
Can you believe the Padres and the RocKies are still playing just look at the time sheesh its the playoffs all over again
Looks like Andruw is hitting .157/.259/.235. Kind of puts Kotsay’s mediocrity in perspective. I really though Andruw would rebound and have his normal year but so far at least it seems I was wrong.
Annnnnnnd this win keeps our Pythagorean record at a sterling 11-4. Sheesh.
the difference between our pythag and actual record borders on the ridiculous. Either we are the unluckiest team on the face of the earth, 2 years running, or there is something wrong with the way we approach games. is it managing?
Stark: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings
It was only three weeks ago that the Braves thought they were so deep in pitching, they actually traded away one of their live-est arms, in Tyler Yates. Now, according to an executive of one club that spoke with them, they’re “poking around,” trying to fish out a name or two “beyond the usual suspects.” Nothing is hot, from all indications.
Interestingly (or not), or Actual record is what the Marlin’s Pythag record is, and our Pythag record is what the Marlin’s Actual record is. We suck as much as they should.
errr… OUR actual record… not or Actual record…
If any pitcher throws Andruw anything other than a curve ball, they get cut from the team. Agreed?
Look, Pythagoras was a crazy man. He thought eating beans was evil and that the problem with music was that there wasn’t enough math in it.
This is music with math in it that the Braves’ won-loss record can understand.
clearly he never considered why there were 12 tones per octave
I would attribute one year of deviation from Actual vs Pythag as luck, but two years is a trend. I wonder if there is something Bobby does that would affect that. And also, why it would rear it’s ugly nead now, instead of during the 90’s run?
Perhaps there is someone smarter in maths than I am who might care to look into this.
Very funny: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/yankees_bury_bernie_williams_under
As I’ve noted, the Braves are primarily a power-hitting team offensively, stronger in SLG than in OBP, and they have trouble scoring runs when not hitting homers. I would assume that a power-hitting team is relatively more likely to win in a blowout.
Wally, I agree. Chipper is one of the few hitters that I could see sustaining anything close to what he is hitting now.
Mac, which is funny considering how much everyone here values OBP. I’d like to see us trade some power hitting sluggers for some higher average obp guys.
Just might help us in those one run losses.
Chipper is so much better than he gets credit for
Yes he is and one of the marlin announcers actually said he doesn’t think Chipper is hall of fame worthy right now, but probably in a few years.
So the guy with the highest switch hitting average EVER, isn’t worthy of the HOF?
When the Braves played the Mets a few weeks ago, during the lineup intros, new Mets’ radio announcer Wayne Hagin said, “Batting third for the Braves and surely on his way to Cooperstown, Chipper Jones…”
I don’t see how there’s even an argument that he wouldn’t make it.
I just like finding reasons not to like the Marlins announcers 🙂
It’s a Black Ink thing. It’d sure be nice for him to win a batting title this year, and he’s say that’s what he’s aiming for.
I listened to the Yankees announcers and I now concur with everything ububba has ever said about them.
So, is Blaine Boyer our closer right now?
I wondered the same thing, Rob. Letting Acosta go two innings in a blowout sure makes it seem like he’s not the closer.
Soriano is expected to come off the DL when eligible, which should be Monday.
Put me down for hoping that they don’t rush Gonzalez back. Seems like only bad things happen when you hurry back from TJ surgery.
Is there any way to find info on return times from TJ surgery and the number of setbacks and/or effectiveness upon return? Surely some scout or intern or someone has worked on this, right?
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Sorry. So we get Soriano back, and so Boyer moves into the setup role, with Carlyle and Acosta in middle relief, Ohman and Ring still our LOOGY’s, and Bennett is our swing/longman.
Battlestar Galactica tonight, damn good drama.
Chipper is better than he gets credit for, but i just saw where he is seeing the LEAST amount of pitches per at-bat than anyone in the national league. In this case, i assume it means that when he sees a pitch he likes, he swings, and he isn’t missing a thing right now. But he is usually near the top of the league in that number, so it is very odd.
The pythag. thing makes me ill. i swear I thought we had lost the pennant last year on that west coast swing where I think we went 2-4 vs. the Giants and Diamondbacks, blowing them out twice and losing 4 very close (1 run games). That sort of thing, over 1+ seasons, makes me ill.
I honestly think it is a Bobby thing.
I recognize the Office reference, Rob.
Also, did you see what happened to the Florida football National Championship trophy?
Sunday will be the first game I will be able to watch. Can’t wait.
Since he’s hitting almost .500, I’m willing to trust Chipper’s judgment on the pitches he’s been swinging at. The ball must look about as big as a grapefruit. When he comes back to earth, I expect he’ll watch a few more pitches go by — his eyes are still as sharp as ever.
I did. I did. The guy is from a high school about 20 minutes from here, and a couple of my friends know him. Let’s just say he had better make up for it by helping us get another…
I heard the trophy was insured, but I bet when that thing shattered that the kid saw his life flash before his eyes.
Hey Dix, at least that is one problem Big Ten schools won’t have to worry about.
Hey Dix, at least that is one problem Big Ten schools won’t have to worry about.
Zing!
Parish,
Do you realize how important the next two weeks are to the future of Vanderbilt’s basketball program? Two very highly regarded recruits are set to make decisions in that period (one after this weekend and one after next), and VU is in the final two for one and the final three for the other. We get these two, we have a Top 15 class and the makings of a very, very, very good team over the next few seasons.
OK, the streak continues tonight!
Re: Bruce Hampton from previous thread
url,
Didn’t know that Col. Bruce was such a baseball fan, but I had heard that he’s an avid horse-racing guy. (Loved his cameo with Vic Chesnut in “Slingblade,” too.)
The Hampton Grease Band was before my time—they were Atlanta’s original “hippie band”—but I did catch The Late Bronze Age (Hampton’s ’80s outfit) twice at the Uptown Lounge. Some serious weirdness going on there—kinda like jazz on acid.
BTW, The Hampton Grease Band’s “Music to Eat” is still one of the strangest records ever put out by a major label—only 7 songs in nearly 90 minutes of mind-numbing music.
As the legend goes, it was the second-worst-selling album in Columbia Records’ history—beaten only by a yoga record.
Ohio State’s fencing team begs to differ
Stu,
Is Tinsley from Oregon one of those guys? I did not know how high we were on his list, if so.
We already have a couple of excellent recruits committed, but with all the players we just lost, we sure could use some more.
Yeah, Tinsley’s one of ’em. Jeff Taylor from New Mexico is the other.
Tinsley, a combo-guard, is probably the greatest need, since Keegan Bell is transferring and our current backup PG is a football player who won’t even be with the team until December, at the earliest. Taylor, though, looks like a monster.
Taylor, a prototypical small forward, is down to us and Texas, and he’s supposedly set to decide after this weekend. He’s played his recruitment incredibly close to the vest—last week, he whittled Gonzaga off his list—so no one’s sure which he’s going to pick.
Tinsley (originally committed to Pepperdine before its coach was fired) hasn’t officially eliminated Arizona State and Southern Cal, but it appears to be between Oregon, VU and Wake Forest. Tinsley just made his official visit to Nashville this past weekend and all reports are very, very good. He visits Wake in a week and will supposedly decide shortly after that.
Chipper has also been great in the field.
I see him getting hurt tonight
ububba and urlhix,
In 1992-1993, I worked for the Colonel as the Aquarium Rescue Unit’s road manager, drum tech, laundry man, etc. In short, I made sure the train ran on time. The first thing the Colonel did when Sipe introduced him to me was ask my birthday. (For once, he made a wrong guess.) When he realized I was a Virgo, an earth sign, he hired me on the spot. “The band has too much air,” he said. I was just glad to have a job even if it paid $150/wk. (Meals and accommodation were provided by concert promoters.) Believe me, traveling with the Colonel was the best education I ever received.
But, yes, whenever we’d pass an off-track betting place, say, in the barrens of Pennsylvania, we’d stop and watch the horses run.
The saddest thing I remember is standing between sets with the Colonel in a frat house at Washington and Leigh University and watching the Jays beat the Braves in the ’92 series.
But urlhix is right: The Colonel knows his baseball.
Bell is transferring?
I thought he had already done that once. Or was he committed to UGA and changed his mind?
Yeah, he de-committed from UGA before signing with us. He doesn’t think he got enough opportunities to (a) shoot, or (b) make flashy, dangerous passes. So he decided to leave when 4 seniors (3 starters) graduated, thereby opening up a crazy amount of shots for other guys. Strange decision making.
Anyway, if we get Tinsley (and I believe we have a very strong chance of doing so), we’ll forget about Keegs. If we don’t…next year could be ugly.
Anyone see Wil Ledezma go 5 shutout in extra innings last night for San Diego?
Remy,
Great stuff. And if you ever wanna laugh your ass off, check out the liner notes in the re-release of “Music to Eat.”
Sad news for E Street Band fans: keyboardist Danny Federici died yesterday. Been listening to “Darkness on the Edge of Town” & “The River” ever since.
His obvious keyboard moments are “Hungry Heart” & “Dancing in the Dark,” but I recommend “Factory,” “Independence Day,” “The Price You Pay” & “Streets of Fire.” RIP, Phantom Dan.
ububba,
I’ve been meaning to pick up a copy, so thanks for the reminder. That stuff is so far out there it makes sense.
Was Federici with the band when you saw it a while back?
I would post a video here but the Springsteen videos are all “embedding disabled by request”.
Who did we give up to get Ledezma and who did we give him up for?
We traded McBride to get Ledezma and then dumped him in the Ring for Startup deal.
Thanks Mac, I wasn’t patient enough to look up the info on my own, and then was quickly not patient enough to wait for an answer and was partway there when you replied.
So we traded away McBride, who was OK for us but quickly turned crappy, for Ledezma who was OK for them, but turned crappy for us. We then traded Ledezma and Startup for Ring, who was OK for them and pretty good for us (in his brief stints) last year… but who has turned crappy. Seems to me either we’re screwing up some pitchers, or we’ve just got BAD BAD timing.
What’s the over/under on strikeouts for Andruw this weekend, and does it take into consideration that he probably won’t play Sunday after getting the collar on Friday and Saturday.
I say he has 6 strikeouts in two games and does not play Sunday. You could put almost anyone out there to pitch to him (including Resop or even Pendelton) and he wouldn’t be able to hit them.
Danny played the 2007 North American leg of the Magic Tour, but didn’t travel overseas. I saw him in Cleveland on November 4th, but in 2008 he only played one gig in Indianapolis in March around Easter. The band noted that they look forward to having him back soon, but I guess it was worse then anyone imagined.
Very sad. His solo on “You’re Missing” gets me every time.
The Braves website has Carlyle starting tonight. He pitched last night and Bennett threw the night before. Why would we try starting either one tonight??
Fox Sports and ESPN have Bennett going
It’s Bennett. The web site doesn’t update as it should.
This seems unwise:
ESPN – Longoria’s deal with Rays could be worth up to $44 million – MLB
bwarrend, I bet Andruw will hit 2 HRs against us this series. I just see a Bennett fastball pulled over the LF fence. Damn!
Smitty, PLEASE dont say that.
Off topic: I have box seats for the Jays/Rays game at Disney on Tuesday. If anyone is interested in going, let me know.
I’m not sure what I think of the Evan Longoria deal. I mean, I’m all for locking up cheap young assets, but this guy has played all of six games in the Show… wouldn’t you like to make sure he can play an entire year without getting injured, unlike Rocco Baldelli?
Because, AAR, they are the Rays…..
Who knows? We might be surprised. Andruw doesn’t seem to be pulling the ball so much lately.
I wish him all the luck, but not against the Braves.
Look at the deal, though. It’s his pre-free agent years for 18 million, so that’s a pretty big discount on the arbitration years if he’s even just a good player, and then they’ve got those three option years for way below market in the case that he’s as good as everyone expects it. It’s really very little risk, just that original $18 million and a big chance of being a huge deal.
Remy,
What Kyle B said.
For the Long Island gig, Charlie Giordano (former Pat Benatar band) played keybs & Bruce said the same thing about Federici.
Great move by the Rays.
If nothing else, this sends a (very) strong signal to their fans and players that they’re getting serious about winning. Honestly, they’re about a veteran pitcher away from being a very good team.
Consider: if they go out and sign Sabathia this off-season (assuming he stops sucking at some point), they’ll be as good as anyone in the AL East.
I like the Longoria deal. With the contraction inflation we have seen Longoria would probably get 10+ mil for his final arbitration year.
The Rays already own the Yankees, so why not the rest of the AL East?
Drewdat yea you’re right…now go beat your chest and type somemore….great thought process that one brain cell puts out
Poopyhead.
“I can’t stand this site but I have to comment! Oh, the mental anguish!”