ESPN – Giants vs. Braves – Box Score – August 15, 2008
Seriously, Jair Jurrjens could sue for nonsupport. If he took a bat to the outfielders’ heads, nobody could blame him. Jurrjens went seven and allowed eight hits — seven of them singles — struck out nine, and didn’t walk anyone. It was a great outing that with a little luck could have been a shutout, and he got hung with a loss because of bad offense, and the bullpen didn’t help any either.
The Giants got a run in the first (a “manufactured” run that made Joe Simpson happy, if nobody else) and one in the third. The Braves couldn’t do squat. They got a hit and a walk in the first, but nothing. In the third, they got the first two on but Chipper flew out and then Blanco got himself doubled off of second on a flyout by McCann. In the sixth, Chipper singled home Kotsay (who had doubled leading off and went to third on a wild pitch) but McCann grounded into a double play. (The second baseman dropped the ball but they still turned it. Dude is seriously slow.)
The bullpen stunk up the joint in the eighth, Ohman giving up a leadoff homer and then a hit. They were lucky that Bennett only allowed Ohman’s run to score, as he gave up hits to the first two he faced. Tavarez came in to give up another in the ninth. Meanwhile, the Braves in the last three innings got an infield single from KJ and a walk by Kotchman.
Francoeur, who sucks, was 0-4.
Continued from the last thread …
Lincecum is already one of the five best pitchers in the NL, and Cain & Sanchez are in my opinion far and away better than anybody else that the Braves have in their rotation besides JJ. I thought I had read where KLaw or Callis had said with Bumgarner, Posey, Villalona, etc developing they have a legit shot to be near the top of the organizational rankings. Maybe I’m misremembering. I guess my larger point was that the Braves are closer to the Giants of the world than they are the elite. There are only five teams in the NL I can say with confidence that the Braves are in better shape than (for the next couple of years at the least).
From the previous thread, regarding the staggeringly low number of “good” Francoeur games this year…
Not only did I see Francoeur almost hit for the cycle in my first game at the Ted in May against the Mets, I believe that fateful Wednesday was the last RESOP appearance (the Braves were up by 7, so it was safe). Before he got deported.
Young pitchers like the Giants have could well project a better future than that of the Braves. I just do not think the extended farm helps as much as Atlanta’s. We have a ton of arms developing. We could have a Lincecum down there (very unlikely) or a Cain (more likely).
“the Braves are closer to the Giants of the world than they are the elite”
I hate to say it, but I am starting to agree with this point.
What’s amazing is that I do not think we were deluded in Spring training thinking this could be an elite team.
How fast things change. I has been a disastrous season. We will no longer have Tex, Smoltz, Glavine, possibly Hudson. I don’t think we can expect this much even from Chipper again and Francoeur, Escobar, and KJ have not moved in the right direction this year.
Things probably seem worse than they are, but we have a lot of work to do to be competitive again. As many things as have gone wrong this season, we would need that many things to go right to make this less than a two year rebuild.
When you think about it, look at their record against the following teams:
Phillies-2-10
Cubs 0-6
Brewers 1-5
Pirates- 2-5
Cards–1-3
Giants 1-3
That’s 7-32 against five teams and 48-35 against the rest of baseball. I’m not sure what to make of this but it’s sort of interesting.
Clearly, though, this team has significant problems. The outfield is a joke–I’m shocked, shocked that Frenchy didn’t have another good game. The middle infield is ok but not great and first base has been downgraded.
What silenced Francoeur’s critics more, the three-run homer, or the admitting that he sucked?
I think jeffrey admitting his own suckness really silenced my critic on him.
Braves on Memorial Day: 28-23.
Braves since Memorial Day: 27-44 (2nd worst record in baseball).
The sad part is that the Braves have had a nearly-championship caliber rotation, and a bullpen that was just as good until Bobby rode Ohman and Boyer into the ground. The problem is, of course, that we’ve had no healthy, effective outfielders; we wasted hundreds of at bats on detritus like Miller and Lillibridge; and we acted surprised when Chipper missed time with the kind of injuries he’s had every year for the last four or five.
Can the Braves win in 2009? I think it’s just possible, but it will take the kind of sifting through the bargain bin for quality benchies that the Braves haven’t done in a while. It’ll also be time for Heyward and/or Schafer to step up and show some skills. Otherwise, we’re waiting for 2010.
It tough not to feel ground down by this team. I guess I just watched tonight because I didn’t have anything else to do—I’m still a little fried from a week in AC.
Jurrjens was great. If I only see one game at Shea next week, it’ll be Wednesday when he’s on the mound. And that Morton/O. Perez Tuesday matchup certainly looks like a potential evening of misery.
Two weeks, just two weeks until toe meets leather…
Brian, I hate to say it but we’re waiting for 2012.
Heyward and Freeman are playing like Men Amongst Boys down there and Schafer, it seems, is FINALLY rounding into shape (I mean he is hitting .250ish on the season which isn’t horrible for your first taste of AA capped with a 50 game suspension) and Gorkys is going to be a player, but they are ALL 2-3 years away AT LEAST.
Hell, we don’t want any Jay Gibbons around here, do we (Wren rushed him, too, IIRC)?
As for arms we have:
Hanson (who projects as a #1 but most likely a #2. However, he is our Linceum)
Medlen (who is projecting like a #3 but possibly a #2)
Diamond (who projects as a solid #4)
Tehran (who projects as a #1, but people say “he’s getting rocked”, but a 17 year old in Professional baseball shouldn’t get anyone out.)
Parr (projects like a #4-#5)
Locke (who is, now it seems, more like a #4-#5, but if he got consistent, could be a #2-#3).
Osuna (probably a #5)
Rohrbough (who, like Hanson, is a possible #1/#2)
Cordier (who’s got #1 stuff but is still working his way back from TJ surgery)
DeVall and Stovall both project to possible #2s or #3s.
Sullivan (from this draft) is already in High A and is pitching VERY WELL.
there are a few more that i’m probably missing, so we have talent.
we have the arms and the talent, but it’s VERY far away. I say that we make strategic trades the next two years (Chipper will be VERY valuable to a AL team at next year’s trade deadline) and draft good arms/position players with our MUCH improved draft positions and hope that 2012 is the year we turn it around.
until then, get used to losing…
I think its funny that people are just now realizing how abysmal this team is and that we’re not competitive at all and how long its going to take to be competitive again.
I guess that’s just what it means to be a fan.
The team is terrible, and it appears with Wren also mis-managed. Not a recipe for very much hope. Now you can see why I said to trade everyone of value and why I advocated trading Hudson and Chipper. Every day/week/month that went by without trading them their value decreased because they’re older players. Now, Hudson has NO value and won’t, and Chipper is literally made of an insect’s exoskeleton.
The fans have quit coming anyway so what was the difference in cleaning house and trading everyone of salable value in return for prospects and on the come players for next year and beyond. The Braves attachment to older players and Bobby’s loyalty are a true double edged sword.
Wow. Only ten responses and it’s time for a new thread.
“Love dies not with a bang, but with a whimper.”
…actually the correct quote is…
“this is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.”