Florida Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – August 22, 2009 – ESPN
The Braves got four runs in the first inning, then went into Hibernation Mode, but managed to hold on. Barely. Tommy Hanson was great, except with two out in the fifth.
In the first, Infante led off the game with a homer, then KJ walked and stole second, coming home on a LaRoche single. Escobar selfishly ended the rally with a homer — actually, Diaz singled after him, but was caught off first on a hit-and-run liner by Ross.
Hanson had a no-hitter going to the fifth. It was broken up with two out and a runner on first with a walk. The Marlins then got a double and a single to cut it to 4-3 before Hanson got out of it. He allowed only one hit the rest of the game — a two-out double that Infante, playing left field, maybe should have caught. (The Braves were shorthanded tonight, with Church joining Prado and ACHE on the hurt-but-not-disabled list, while McCann was taking an off-day. Someone really has to go on the 15-day soon, because you can’t compete with a one-man bench, especially when that bench is Norton.)
The Braves had several scoring chances, notably a two-out bases-loaded situation in the seventh when LaRoche got ahead of the pitcher but eventually struck out looking. It’s not really Hibernation Mode, more Incompetence Mode. Gonzalez did his thing in the eighth. Soriano hung one with one out in the ninth, but it was caught at the warning track, and got a strikeout to end it.
Can we get the big bounceback game from Derek Lowe? We damn-sure need it.
Tomorrow would be a good one to win, especially with us having the Padres this week and Colorado still with 5 games against the Giants and 3 against the Dodgers before next Sunday is over.
how does Gorecki look in CF? I dont understand why we dont DL someone and at least call up Conrad again. DL two of them and give us Jones and Conrad. You’re right something needs to be done. Send down Acosta or Logan if need be
If Escobar hadn’t killed that rally in the first inning, maybe the offense wouldn’t have gone into hibernation mode.
Is Yunel the team MVP? The offensive difference between him and Chipper isn’t so great anymore — and it’s smaller than it looks, because 15 of Chipper’s walks have been intentional. (Someone should look up what McCann’s hitting behind those. I’m sure he’s had several hits in that situation.) He’s the team leader in runs scored, and he’s now tied with McCann for the RBI lead. Defensively, there’s no contest, and he’s been on a particular tear with the glove lately. I almost think that the only way it’s not Yunel is if it’s a pitcher. Or maybe Prado.
After tonight, Neftali Feliz this season:
14.2 IP
19 Strikeouts
1 Walk
0.35 WHIP
0.63 ERA
Got to give it to the Rangers. They really Herschel-Walker-to-the-Vikings-‘d us on that one.
Still to be seen whether or not Andruw has the ball slapped out of his hand from behind by Don Beebe after crossing the plate in the World Series.
I think Prado may be our most surprising player — you know, the guy who’s given us the greatest differential between production and expectation — but I think it’s hard to argue with Yunel as our most valuable.
Braves gotta show some guts and beat the damn Fish on Sunday.
It’s hard to say a season comes down to one game in baseball…but losing back to back series to the Phils and the Fish don’t look good at this point.
This team is such an enigma wrapped in a riddle…I’m not sure what to expect each night. Especially without Prado and McLouth.
I know this isn’t the value you’re talking about for an MVP, but Hanson’s been incredibly valuable to the team this year. Not only has he pitched great at a rookie price, but he’s the reason Glavine isn’t floundering out there and at least part of the reason you can let Smoltz walk away. (Don’t get me wrong — I love Smoltz and Glavine both.) That’s some real value.
As for team MVP in a traditional sense, yeah, I’d probably go with Yunel.
Fangraphs says Vazquez at 5 WAR, McCann at 3.2 WAR, Jurrjens at 3 WAR, and Escobar at 2.8 WAR.
What kind of defensive system are they using?
I don’t know if, by definition, Vazquez could be considered valuable for the first half of the season since we were wasting all of his efforts. But I think for the second half, it could definitely be argued he’s the team MVP.
I would think Yunel has to be the MVP for us this season. I am glad we still have him. Not to take anything away from Javy, but no pitcher deserves to be a MVP unless he posts a sub-2 ERA.
That Uggla drive in the ninth inning scared the hell out of me.
We really need some offensive help or Chipper needs to start hitting quickly. Something tells me Chipper is hurting again but just no one is reporting it. Chipper’s swing is looking very slow, but he just stole a base tonight, so I don’t know…
While it was an overpay to be sure, I am not quite ready to declare the trade a Herschel just yet. Salty, Andrus and Harrison have been less than stellar at the ML level. Perez, while great, has been the only one to produce so far. Given their performance to date, weighed against what Tex did in that year, it isn’t as colossal of a failure as what is sometimes insinuated.
Garrett and Adam are both type B FAs!
@14 I just gave it up and considered that as JS’s retirement gift. I hated giving up Feliz back then, and I hate it even more now. Thank goodness we have JJ and Tommy.
If Bobby decides to push all the starters back one day as a result of the off-day on Monday, the pitching matchups in Philadelphia will be:
Pedro v Hanson
Lee v Lowe
Blanton v Jurrjens
Hanson likely beats Pedro, Lee beats Lowe for sure, and Blanton vs. Jurrjens is an open contest. 2-1 with any luck.
@18 Maybe we should try Kawakami with Lee, ha. Honestly, the key is still the offense. It’s hard to win any games when the offense can’t score any runs.
If Feliz pitched for the Braves, Bobby would run him into the ground in a year or less.
@15–might be a moot point b/c we’d have to offer them arbitration
Yunel is the Braves’ MVP, the non-stathead says.
If Chipper’s hurt, DL him retroactively to whenever. When he’s better in the field than at bat over a 25 AB stretch, that’s a problem.
DL somebody and get some healthy players up.
Go Braves.
I was sure the Braves would lose when the Marlins cut it to 4-3, knowing the Braves probably wouldn’t score again. Have to give Hanson a lot of credit for surviving the fifth and then getting two more innings. To me, there is a big difference if the starter can get through the seventh with a lead.
Mac: Fangraphs uses UZR for defense, which has Yunel at slightly below average for the year.