Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – May 28, 2010 – ESPN.
The Braves got all they would need in the first inning, scoring four runs, but added some more just in case. Both the big inning and the piling on are nice to see. The big blow in the first, and the game, was a bases-clearing double by Ross, after the Braves had gotten their first run on a Glaus single. Zombie Chipper singled in Derek Lowe in the second for another run.
Lowe had a strong game, though it was only the Pirates, going seven innings and allowing one run on four hits. The Pirates helped him by doing things like get thrown out trying to steal down four runs in the second inning. Lowe even had a good game at the plate, with a hit and a walk and two runs scored. He left having thrown just 87 pitches, but may have been worn out because of the late start of the game due to a rain delay.
The Braves had a bit of Hibernation Mode after the second, but broke out of it with two runs in the sixth, scoring on a bases-loaded single by Chipper. The Braves had thirteen hits, mostly by four guys — three each by Prado and Ross (including two doubles for the latter) and two each by Heyward and Chipper.
O’Flaherty pitched the eighth and again was not sharp, allowing two runs on three hits. Venters pitched the ninth, getting through it with only one walk and no hits despite a rain delay of over an hour after the second batter. He struck out the last two men to end it after the delay.
1 1/2 games out of first place. 2 1/2 games out of last place. what a crazy division! and one’s gotta think with stanton and strassburg about to be added to the division, it’s not going to get any easier.
I hate having hope because the team would go into a slump immediately after I start having hope. So I still have no hope on this team.
However, we have indeed recovered well.
Natspos are at .500. It’s crazy.
stephen strasburg: 6-1 45.1IP 0.99era 0.7whip 10.7k/9 2.5bb/9
michael stanton: .307 avg .441obp 1.159ops 18hr 47rbi
Dave Ross reminding everyone that he’s still the best backup catcher in the game.
McCann would benefit from a few more days off. It is a long season.
I couldn’t sleep and got up and watched the last two outs to end the game. Venters looked nasty. I was not excited about him in any way after looking at his track record, but so far, so good. Hopefully he is one of those guys who has found a home after struggling as a starter.
I kind of have a feeling that Venters is being groomed to be the closer next year.
according to PW’s blog, salcedo will debut today in the DSL league.
@1 If I am a Marlins fan, I would be concerned with Stanton’s K rate.
@6 Venters has been looking awfully good. I don’t understand why he had so much struggle in the minor.
The hamstring injury to JJ may be a blessing as it actually gives him time to rest his arm. I kinda like the fact that he will not log another 200-inning season.
@5 — I agree about this being an opportune time for McCann to get some rest, especially with the Pirates going with all lefties in the series.
I’m coming up from south florida for the next three games. So for selfish reasons, I hope mccann is in there.
@9 – Stanton has vastly improved his K/BB rate, and jumped his OBP by 100 points so far this year (and even more shockingly 200 points on his already stellar slg%). Looks like he is adjusting just fine. Sickels mentioned something last year about his downside being Jeff Francouer – well Frenchy never did anything like this at AA. Stanton projects to near Heywardian awesomeness as of today.
7—I seriously doubt that.
FYI, Todd Redmond threw a no-hitter for Gwinnett last night.
I’d be concerned about Stanton’s K rates, too. Don’t think he’ll hit for average. Still, I think Marlins fans can live with a .250/.350/.550 bat.
Stanton is 20, and just destroying a much older league (a 100 point better OPS even than Heyward last year). It’s hard for me to get too worked up about the K rate, when his other rate stats are off the charts. It’s definitely a demerit, but in context not what I would consider a “concern” given his plate discipline improvement and his age/league context. But I suspect we are hairsplitting at this point.
Tim Marchman on Heyward.
Don’t know if this has been linked before, if so my apologies.
Heyward now leads the NL in OPS, one point ahead of Werth.
Game thread.