Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – June 06, 2009 – ESPN
God, this offense is awful. Shut out, for the second straight game, in a completely different way. This time they had plenty of baserunners, but couldn’t do anything. The Braves are the sort of team that can have Brian McCann hit a fly ball that should have been a routine out, only for the left fielder to completely lose it for a leadoff triple (if you barely misplay a ball, it’s an error; if you completely misjudge it, it’s a hit) and not get any runs out of the situation.
The victim this time was Javier Vazquez, who went six innings and allowed two runs, and gets hung with the loss. He struck out seven, but allowed a solo homer in the fifth and a gapper to score a runner from second in the sixth. O’Flaherty allowed a solo homer (to the same guy, Fielder) in the seventh.
McLouth had a hit and a walk, and should have had another hit but Yunel got deked by the right fielder and was forced at second. Typical. Also typical, Chipper left the game with “dizziness”. I think it was actually déjà vu.
Four shutouts in the last 15 games; three or fewer runs in 10 of them. And we’ve been shut out twice and have averaged 2.0 runs in the four games since changing center fielders. Bobby, Frank, if you can’t figure out by now where the problems are, then when the heck will you? Next year? 2012?
DOB:
“Astonishing stat: Fielder’s two homers tonight gave him as many or more than any Braves player has hit at Turner this season except Kelly Johnson, who has four.”
Wow.
Horrendous.
I think this problem runs deeper than the seeming “incompetencies” in the guys we trot out there. I think the problem is that guys like Kelly, Francoeur, Escobar, even Schafer, they haven’t been exposed to proper hitting instruction through their development in the minor leagues and even in the major leagues. It’s showing.
I would hope for a lineup change of some type tomorrow. Maybe McLouth first.
I bet Tommy Hanson wants the AAA lineup hitting behind him tomorrow.
We need Jermaine Dye.
I am predicting the Braves will go on a four-game win streak just to tease us.
Yes, we have incompetent hitters like KJ and Frenchy, but Yunel is not one of them. Yunel is just incompetent in base-running, which is much easier to correct.
Yes, I have put KJ down to my Frenchy suckness category.
@7 I don’t think Wren has any payroll space to fit Dye in. If Wren is getting anyone, I expect some cheaper options such as Cody Ross as rumored, which excites no one.
@9 We can dump Francoeur and Kawakami to make room in the payroll.
We knew this team was underpowered….but this is getting ridiculous….
it takes one extra base hit and a single
it takes 1 hr
it takes one ball hit hard
it doesnt take much to score one run, it really doesnt
Ya know, as ultimately destructive as Steinbrenner was, it would be nice if someone who cared actually owned this team.
If an outrage falls in the forest, does anyone fire Terry Pendleton?
Braves need to DL Kotch and call up Canizares, esp if Chip is going to miss a few games. lets try this lineup tomorrow even if Chip plays
Yunel SS
Mclouth CF
Jones 3B
Mac C
Barbaro 1B
Diaz RF
Norton LF
Prado 2B
there is absolutely no reason not to start Diaz and Norton in the OF
and this from our leader
David O’Brien
June 6th, 2009
11:20 pm
Braves have been shut out in back-to-back games twice already this season, the other time at Pittsburgh April 17-18.
Cox said if Garret Anderson hadn’t “scalded” that ball to Fielder, McCann would have scored. Fielder was playing back, Brewers conceding the run basically, but Anderson hit it hard right at Fielder.
“If the ball’s a foot either way, we have a double,” Cox said.
“If it’s just hit medium, we have a run,” he said.
He also said, “I can’t say enough about Javy. He was great again. We just can’t get any runs for him.”
How about something from “The Hurting” as the video tomorrow….maybe ‘Mad World’? That or ‘Suffer the Children’….’Change’…?
All of those apply to this abomination we trot out every night.
@15: Bobby playing the damn “if” game again. That’s now how the game works! It didn’t happpen that way! If I had a girlfriend, I’d have sex tonight. But, guess what?! I don’t!
@16: The situation is desperate enough that I think it’s time to go back to the Phil Collins well.
well Gwinnett was shut out also tonight, its contagious I guess.
bright note – Cody Johnson hit his 18th hr tonight
When’s the last shutout Suppan played a role in? 2006?
I nominate this video. Gloriously horrible, yet oddly appropriate.
Seriously bad video
Mr. Overlord –
I seem to think I was responsible for the Phil Collins back in 2007. I seem to remember it worked for a little while. I also remember every video was somehow more baffling than the previous. There was one, I forget what song, but Phil Collins was in a Western, dressed like someone from Deadwood.
I once had “Invisible Touch” stuck in my head for something like 3 weeks after overhearing it at a restaurant. It was like I caught a horrible disease.
Do you guys seriously think Hanson isn’t already used to no run support? The dude is sporting an ERA under 1.50 and is 3-3.
BravesJournal precedent:
http://bravesjournal.us/?p=3507
I went a different way.
Also typical, Chipper left the game with “dizziness”.
Another new one! Chipper’s gotta be getting close to the top of the career leaderboard for number of different ailments causing missed time.
ACHE was our only starter to not reach safely tonight. He was particularly uninterested in his surroundings (I.e. the game) this evening.
Dizziness has to be one of the weakest excuses to miss a major league baseball game. Dude, step it up. What’s next, vertigo?
Some may remember Gerald Scully–his impact on the sport we know today was considerable:
Richard Jacobs–of Jacobs field also died:
NBA fans will also want to look at the Randy Smith obit….
@28
well, it wouldn’t be a first. remember nick esasky? maybe it’s contagious. i’ll beleive anything at this point with this team.
I was remembering Esasky–but I didn’t want to bring him up in conjunction with Chipper.
That said, I agree that this team is capable of just about anything–except for scoring runs…
So, I wonder if the Braves are going to DL Kotchman to make room for Hanson.
KJ is now batting .249/.311/.429. Even though it’s great in comparison to our OF corners, and it’s decent for a 2b, is it fair to call him a disappointment? We were hoping for a breakout year from him and for him to be a important contributor to our offense. Instead, his walk rate is down for the 2nd consecutive year and he isn’t as patient of a hitter as he used to be.
@34 No it’s not. I am sick of watching KJ. It’s time for both KJ and Frenchy to either deliver or leave.
Hey, we are not only very good in creating media mess, we are also very good in doing the same thing for our trade partner!
http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/fan_forum/nh_letter_060609.jsp?partnerId=rss_pit
@11 Stephen, why do you think it’s ridiculous? I honestly don’t think anyone has been playing out of their expected level of suckness…wait, something wrong with the grammer there, but I am too frustrated to correct it…
…I have always compared Hunter Pence and Delmon Young to Frenchy…but why has Pence suddenly developed into such a fine player while our wonder boy is like this?
…check out the opponents split for Hampton…the guy is is Cy Young whenever he is pitching against the Pirates!
No matter how I slice it, I still think Wren just made an amazing deal in obtaining McLouth. The Pirates should have at least gotten one more warm body considering the cheap and long contract McLouth has signed. I am not too concerned with his defense. When Schafer returns, McLouth will be an above average leftfielder or rightfielder for sure.
#20, don’t be silly. Just check the last time Suppan pitched against the Braves. If that’s not enough, check the time before that too.
IMO, it’s not that the Braves don’t have some good players; it’s that they don’t have any great players. These are all complimentary players. Chipper isn’t really a great player any more; McCann is very good but I wouldn’t call him a truly great player. These guys would be ok if they were on a team with other impact players, but put them together and it doesn’t work. You need some great players and the Braves don’t have them.
Instead, his walk rate is down for the 2nd consecutive year and he isn’t as patient of a hitter as he used to be.
This is one of those times I do think it really was Pendleton. I explicitly heard Pendleton say late last year that Johnson was “too patient” and needed to stop taking so many strikes. It was at that time he became aggressive and went on that September tear in 2008…which was nice, but eventually you’re not going to keep hitting .398 and need to walk.
I want the 2007 version of Kelly Johnson back please. Called third strikes be damned.
Well, Frank has made several upgrades since last year, there is no doubting that.
If KJ didn’t suck so bad, and I was a supporter, we would be in a better spot, but too many guys are underperforming and that we could not afford.
I agree with Marc, we need a true stud somewhere.
We SHOULD, go after Bay in the offseason and dump a veteran pitcher to create salary for him, but he may not be the stud w need either.
I think KJ might be one of the most overrated players in baseball. He has periodic weeks where he is productive, but, overall, he is just another player. He is typical of a lot of Braves players that come through the system–they become good enough to play in the majors but plateau and never become much better. And his latest comment about “all teams going through this” just makes you wonder about how much this team cares. Of course, it’s the Bobby Cox approach but I would like to see some concern on this team.
How can anyone at all on this team care when Baghdad Bobby is quoted after almost every loss with extreme pollyanna comments about “hitting the ball hard and right at people” and “just a few inches the other way” and “if only a few more calls went our way” and whatnot?
Eventually you gotta think everyone on the team believes it too or why else would he keep saying it?
This team needs more shake-ups.
The more I Iook at the Glavine thing the happier i am.
Francouer, send him to Triple A.
If that does not wake players up, lose them to.
what is the difference if we are .500 or a .450 team? nothing, get rid of the crap and send a message to these players, perform or be gone.
KK, pitch strikes or go to AAA and get a triptick to Gwinnett. They will highlight the route for you so you dont need your translator.
Gonzo, strikes or gone-o. Maybe we can get a decent RF for him and KJ. Put Prado and Infante at second, they cant be worse(I hope)
We had a star when Tex was here. And even though he played well, we still treaded water.
I still believe in the “critical mass plus” approach to team building – a combination of pitching, hitting and defense PLUS a will to win.
Easy to say, hard to do.
Recently, the Red Sox have exemplified this approach.
Thanks for the link Stephen. I am happy that the Times decided to publish an obituary for him.
The Red Sox did have the AL MVP on the team and the the player who took Third in the balloting as well as perennial MVP candidate Manny Ramirez on the squad for a good chunk of the year.