Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – Box Score – June 04, 2010 – ESPN.
Can’t win them all.
The Kenshin Kawakami Curse continues. Kawakami gave up two runs in each of the first two innings, then settled down from there, shutting the Dodgers out for the next four. Meanwhile, the Braves got two runs in the third on a single by Yunel and an error off of Melky’s bat to cut it to 4-2.
They had some chances after that, but couldn’t get the hit they needed until two out in the seventh, when Yunel hit a two-run double that I believe Manny Ramirez has still not quite reached. (He’s not a fielding savant, okay?) 4-4, new game. Melky couldn’t get Yunel home, and Bobby decided to send Kawakami out there to get another inning and maybe a win.
That was a mistake. A couple of hits later, O’Flaherty was in. He allowed one of Kawakami’s runners to score, then got a double play to end it. The Braves couldn’t get another run, and it was 0-8 time.
Jason Heyward had by far the worst game of his young career, taking the Platinum Sombrero — 0-5, with five strikeouts, one to end the game.
Ten in a row AND a Kawakami win was asking a little much. Nothing like getting over a nine game losing streak with a winning one though.
It was not smart to send Kawakami out there for the seventh.
Pencil me in as officially concerned about Heyward. He looked completely lost at the plate tonight.
My my, do we have high expectations for Heyward. A rough night at the plate and suddenly people are concerned.
The Dodgers have some good pitchers. Kershaw and Broxton are as filthy as they come.
A rough night? He is 1-19, if I’m not mistaken. And, like I said, simply didn’t look good. I’m not saying it isn’t perfectly normal for the kid to go through a rough stretch like this, and I’m as far from writing him off as anybody, but still, the way pitchers have handled him lately and the way he responded gives me reason for concern.
Or maybe it’s less Heyward and more the general tendency of Braves talents to fail that makes me nervous.
Even Bad Henry County needs a day off now and then.
@2
I can’t question the wisdom of sending KK out in the 7th. I know Bobby has more info on the status of the bullpen.
But I have to admit Mac’s suggestion that BC was giving the poor guy a chance to earn a win certainly sounds like something Bobby would do.
Given that Kershaw was starting, it would have been a good night to give JH a much needed rest. Unfortunately, the outfield would have looked downright semi-pro, and you needed some more punch in the lineup without Chipper and McCann.
All things considered, I was pleasantly surprised to wake this morning and see we made a game of it given the disparity in starting pitchers. I was glad to see Esco have a good game too. We’re going to need him to help out against LHP.
Maybe Heyward’s thumb is still bothering him? I would think something like an aching thumb might make you slightly change what you’re doing physically in order to protect it or relieve the pain a bit. Even if the change is slight enough to not be obvious it could still be enough to cause bad results. I haven’t heard anything said by the announcers or read anything anywhere but it seems like Heyward’s recent mini-slump started with the sore thumb.
according to DOB, chipper might go to the DL. i might be coming around to the idea of chipper retiring. the uncertainty he brings to the team really hurts.
yunel’s last 10: 16/37 4bb 2 doubles 8 rbi 5 run 1.001 ops
I’m not quite ready to go all gloom-and-doom yet, but there are some troubling developments here: DL stints for a couple of guys (Chipper and Saito) who were instrumental during the win-streak, Heyward experiencing the predictable struggles of a rookie, Nate McCout continuing to drain the offense. On the plus side, Yunel’s heating up, but unless somebody else gets hot (or Troy continues to rake), things are going to get tough. BUT, the Braves made last night’s game more competitive than I would have expected. Maybe they still have enough mojo to get them through this road trip with minimal damage.
I dunno about last night, but Melky has actually hit a little of late.
while i dont see a match anywhere as of right now, the braves have to be looking to trade mclouth. are there any “change of scenery” candidates out there?
See, we are a little more than two months into the season and complains on Jason is starting already. That’s a sign of a super talent!!!
Blanco, as bad as he is, gives us more than Nate.
The Kawakami-Kershaw matchups are the ones you’re supposed to lose.
Word.
Melky getting picked off of second in a first and second, no out situation in the sixth was crushing. Esco helped us forget an inning later but that simply cannot happen.
Vin struggled with Heyward last night, most of the time calling him Jason Heywood and then after the fifth strike out referring to him as Jason Howard. Also, of note is that he repeatedly called Ronnie Belliard – perhaps inspired by the Braves be in town – Rafael Belliard. Unfortunately Father Time might get slowed down but he never loses.
Still roughly 1000 times better than Chip.
Mark Teixeria with the golden sombrero today vs the Blue Jays. He looks awful.
http://www.sporcle.com/games/lineupquizzes/Braves
without cheating, i’d be curious to see who the braves journal champion is…
i got 190 of 198….
Joe West was at it again in the Nats-Reds game.
7,
Chasing a win so often costs you a win. Letting a bad pitcher face the batting order four times in a winnable game is usually a bad decision.
Platinum sombrero for Teix.
#23 – The decision was between a tired but rolling KK or Chavez. One answer is as good as the other, it just didn’t work out. Just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean it was a bad decision.
Game thread.