ESPN – Rockies vs. Braves – Box Score – September 09, 2008
So, how do the Braves win after losing the last two games? On a balk. A balk. I guess I’ll take it, but it just goes to show you that this team isn’t capable of getting a hit to win it and thus needs the help of the umpires and the other team.
Same old, same old, except for the final result. The Braves took an early lead, 3-0 in the first with the big blow a two-run double from Kotchman. And has been so often the case lately, they gave up homers to let the Rockies come back. A two-run shot in the fourth made it 3-2. Francoeur, of all people, doubled in Kotchrocket to make it 4-2, but Campillo allowed a solo homer in the seventh to cut it to 4-3.
The Braves, typically, failed to extend the lead when offered the opportunity, and Gonzalez saw his save streak come to an end by giving up a leadoff homer in the ninth. The Braves had a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning, but Kotchrot grounded into a bases-loaded double play, thereby angering Francoeur, since that’s his job.
With two out in the tenth, Bobby used his hottest hitter, KJ, to pinch hit with nobody on board. Makes sense to me! Anyway, it worked, as he singled, and went to third on an Anderson double, and scored on a balk.
I still hate this team. They’re pathetic. They outhit the Rockies 14-6 but struggled to score one more run. Ecch.
My comment in the last thread was eaten.
Bulgarian women’s hockey team> Atlanta Braves
http://tinyurl.com/6x277b
I despammed your comment. I don’t understand what the problem was.
Nice to see the Pelicans win, even if Kimbrel finally got hit….Kimbrel’s first bad outing in three leagues–it was bound to happen….A bad night for Braves’ relievers….
Oh, I did move the weather to Hell, MI, but it doesn’t have its own post office I’m afraid so it winds up as Pinckney.
Careful, Mac, talking about Hell in today’s environment might get you in trouble with the FCC. 🙂
One run road win. Woo-hoo!
The game was in Atlanta.
obviously, since we won it bottom of the 9th.
Any thoughts on why Kelly is so inconsistent?
Actually, we won it in the 10th.
Maybe KJ’s a guess-hitter? That doesn’t exactly mesh with his walk-taking propensity, but maybe he’s a sometimes-guess-hitter? I have no idea.
He has confidence problems. When its going goods its going good. When its bad it gets worse
If this formula is right…
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/09/elias-ranking-2.html
…then Wren screwed the pooch by not taking something for Ohman. Maybe they decide to keep him, I dunno.
I don’t think it’s confidence so much as mechanics. I think when hitters or pitchers struggle, it’s because their mechanics get out of whack. Granted, that might be related to a lack of confidence but that’s sort of a chicken-and-egg thing. If he is hitting well, why would he all of a sudden lose his confidence? For some reason, I think his mechanics tend to be more inconsistent than others or maybe it’s more correct to say that he goes through more extremes both good and bad than other hitters. Perhaps there is one specific mechanical issue that tends to fall out of place, for example, dropping his shoulder.
My guess on KJ’s hitting problems.
1. He knows the strike zone better than umpires and it gets him in trouble with them. He doesn’t get the “benefit of the doubt” that, say, Chipper or Jim Thome or whoever gets. Then, when he takes a strike that he thinks (correctly) is a ball, he reacts and that perpetuates the cycle.
2. IF he had a “tad” more power, pitchers would stay away more than they already do. But they aren’t as scared to force him to hit his way on as they are with the “boppers.”
3. So his recent surge has come from hitting earlier in the count to counter punch against the pitchers expecting him to work the walk. After a period of time hitting, they start moving away. Then Kelly starts taking. Then, the umpires start calling strikes. Then, Kelly gets behind in the count, and, like every other ML hitter, that hurts his production.
4. He also needs to develop an off field swing for two strike situations. Currently, he can’t seem to hit to the left side without putting it way up in the air and, he doesn’t generate the pwoer that way to take it out or take it off the wall. So he can’t protect himself as well with two strikes as he should be able to.
Why is this streakiness so evident for 3 to 6 weeks at at time with him and maybe not with others? His good batting eye wlll betray him until ML umpires respect that eye. What it takes to do that, I have no clue.
He was saying before the Mets series that he’d never felt properly comfortable in his stance and he’d changed back to his minor league one, where he felt better.
I’m guessing that the reason he hadn’t used it in the last few years was because it was less technically sound though.
Please tell me there was at least SOME acknowledgment of this quote from Wren yesterday.
The whole “bounce back” thing is a little bit tricky when you remember he was never actually good. If by bounce back he means “won’t be historically awful but still pretty sucky” then I would agree.
The “big point” of the quote is that he said “If we don’t do something else” which implies that Frenchy’s job is NOT safe and secure. Bounce back or no won’t mean much if the Braves find another right fielder to take his job.
It will be interesting. If RF were the sole problem I might like the odds that Francoeur will be replaced. But really there isn’t a guy on the 40 man roster who is a decent bet to be an above average outfielder next season. I imagine Francouer will find some PAs somewhere. It’s hard to import a whole new outfield in one offseason.
Brandon Jones, at least, is a decent bet to be average.
Actually, wait — why couldn’t Martin Prado play left field? He’s hitting like Ryan Ludwick!
Good one! Vladimir Guerrero wishes he had Martin Prado’s rate stats! How bad could he be out there, we survived Lonnie Smith.
Game thread is in motion.