Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets – Box Score – July 09, 2010 – ESPN.
The Braves blew a couple of one-run leads, largely due to shaky defense (and some unfathomably lucky Mets hitters) but once they got a two-run lead shut the doors.
All-Star Omar Infante (hitting and playing third with Chipper out) was the hitting hero, together with Melky!, combining for seven hits, two homers, and all four runs scored. In the first, both singled, and Melky scored on an error by Reyes on a Glaus grounder. Tommy Hanson, who was pitching very well, held it to the third, when a single by the pitcher, a bunt single, a sacrifice, and a flyout scored the tying run.
In the fifth, Infante singled and McCann walked with two out, and Glaus singled Omar home as Jeffy made a smart play (for once) throwing McCann out at third rather than trying for the hopeless assist at the plate. But in the bottom of the inning, after another single by the pitcher and a wild pitch, Hinske horribly misplayed a fly ball, allowing it to go over his head to score the tying run.
In the sixth, the Mets got a leadoff “double” when Yunel, who looked awful in the field all night, lost a popup in the lights, or the stars, or the flying elephants only he can see, or whatever. After a walk, the Braves got a force at third on a bad bunt. Jeffy hit a sad little grounder that was too weak for a double play, and Bobby went to O’Flaherty, who struck out a pinch-hitter.
In the next inning, Melky! hit a monster homer off the facade in right field, and Infante followed with another homer that just cleared a high wall in left, giving the Braves a 4-2 lead. Venters cruised through the seventh with two strikeouts and a groundout, but Saito got in trouble in the eighth. He allowed a leadoff single to Wright, then got a grounder that could have been a double play, but Prado and Yunel weren’t in sync on or something and they just got the force. Saito struck out Bay, but then threw two wild pitches and walked the next batter. Luckily, Jeffy was up, and lined out on the first pitch. Billy Wagner got two groundouts and a popup in the ninth, no problems.
Nice win. I think it’s not outrageous to think about a sweep here. Which would be nice, considering the sleeping Phils seem to be waking up. They’ve had two nice wins against a very good Cincy team.
Notes from the post-game interviews: Bobby is pissed at Escobar.
My friend Jen is going to the game tomorrow… and we “liveblogged” the game tonight: http://noyourteamsucks.com/?p=270
Lowe – Santana will be a tough one to win, thinking about a Sunday lineup.
@2
what was actually said?
Santana never beats us, though.
kawakami and escobar for furcal? who says no?
Braves are 4 up in the East.
If anyone I knew would have said that after I got back from New York after the sweep, I would have had them committed.
This is really getting fun.
I missed the game. What did Escobar do besides losing a pop-up in the lights to cause the vitrol? That in itself doesn’t seem that unusual.
Ryan, it was more body language and facial tick than what he said. A reporter asked him about the popups and he visibly grimaced and didn’t really answer the question, even to defend his player. I’ve seen enough interviews to know that’s his “I’m not saying anything bad about my players right now” response.
@ 9
He lost a popup in the lights that Hinske bailed him out on.
He lost another ball in the lights that no one bailed him out on (because he called everyone off at the swing of the bat, more or less.) That came down as a “double.”
He took a slow roller in a pivotal spot (after the “double” and lollipopped a throw to 1B, pulling Glaus off the bag into the runner and getting his wrist jammed (Glaus’) when Francoeur ran threw the tag.
He took a (weak) feed from Prado that could have been a double-play in the 8th and held the ball when Wright slid through him (a play which I thought was the right play but others thought was bad.)
He was horrible at the plate all night.
All around, just a Bad Escobar night.
#11 – Wright went in with a hard slide, no one couldve turned it
Nate went 1-3 tonight
Freeman another 2-4 night
#12-
Totally agree, I saw that play and thought “nice play Wright”. I loathe the Mets, but it’s hard to hate him.
Someone get Esco a 5 Hour Energy drink before the game. I know he’s hungover, but man up. Babe Ruth fought through ’em.
http://heckhouse.com/Eephus/2010/07/always-make-contact/
Gant’s gaffe has been added to Eephus.
11 — Thanks
Upon Escobar’s “whatever” throw to first, I texted a pal:
Me: “Dumb*ss Yunel”
Him: “I’m not watching, so that could be anything.”
The Mets announcers were all over Tuneless for not turning the double play but it looked like it was not his fault. But overall he was terrible. I know he is normally a good shortstop but his bonehead plays are tiresome.
I thought the Braves did a pretty nice job against Dickey. They ran IP his pitch count and that might have contributed to the home runs.
Cincinnati really has a terrible bullpen don’t they?
No, that’s the thing, until these last two games the bullpen had actually been the strength of the team.
I for one am shocked – shocked! – that Yunel seemed even more out of it than usual after an off day in New York.
Nice win tonight, I hope Glaus’ wrist is ok.
i think yunel was drunk tonight.
I said during the game that if it was the early eighties I’d be sure he was on coke.
Happy V-F day.
Greetings from L.A…
Yeehaw.
A guaranteed .500 road trip. Let’s get greedy.
Yunel Escobar is a freaking joke! It’s only because he apparently didn’t break Glaus’ wrist, and he has three days coming up to rest it, that my position hasn’t changed from “would be OK if we traded him” to “get rid of him as soon as possible.” But he is seriously pushing it.
Also, in response to a post at the end of the last thread, Howard’s homer was definitely a cheap joke of a Citizens Bank Park home run. Think of his homer on Wednesday night off of Medlen. Pretty much a carbon copy.
I love it when I read the following from Amazin’ Avenue:
“Against one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, Jeff Francoeur made four outs on just six pitches. Six. And if you think I needed some numerical trickery to come up with that number — like only counting the pitches that ended at-bats — think again. Nick Evans, who doesn’t even really exist except as a character in blurry polaroids, saw five pitches in one at-bat. Frenchy saw six pitches all night and is in a downhill tumble towards a .300 on-base percentage; it currently rests listlessly at .306.”
“With Francoeur, Tejada, and Pitcher comprising the last three spots in the order on a nightly basis, you’re talking about well below replacement-level offense from a third of your lineup, which is often an insurmountable number of outs to be throwing away.”
The smart Mets fans are finally seeing what we know.
LOL @ smart Mets fans.
Is there such a thing as a “smart Mets fan”? I tend to believe that is an oxymoron.
I am amazed that they actually realize Frenchy’s level of suckness. I never thought they would be able to see it no matter how obvious it is.
Reasons why I love this place:
Robert saying the exact same thing when I heard Gant referencing steroids, oh Ronnie, that is rich coming from you.
Tomas saying ‘Frenchy is going for the AirTran how high did it go’ record. I laughed out loud seeing that.
Bethany echoing my sentiments about Yunel Escobar. You have moved behind Melky in my book, and that’s quite an accomplishment that you should not be proud of. Mac, please bring back the freaking dog house for this guy. The day has come where a guy that I thought would be helping lead the Braves to the promised land may actually be a guy who is a detriment to the Braves in getting to the promised land. A sad realization for me.
I remain fascinated by Melky’s home run on multiple levels. First, the state of New York brings the best out of the Melk man, it’s really kinda crazy. Second, his home run hit the $5 Footlong Sign, which if anybody on the team needs to mix in a $5 Footlong, it’s the Melk Man. Congrats on moving up to my 24th favorite player on the team tonight, you should feel good about yourself.
I was watching the game with a lady friend tonight and I told her that if she would have bet me $10,000 straight up that the Melk Man and Omar would go back to back at Citi Field, I would have drained my bank account. Luckily she does not know my ATM pin.
In the words of Sam H ‘Chip Caray is worse than Hell.’ Ouch.
Sweet words from a New York Times Headline:
“Mets and Braves resume rivalry, with familiar results”
About a month ago, some really smart guy on here was advocating trading Yunel before the rest of MLB catches on and then moving that Infante guy to SS.
——-
Looks like Dooley has kicked at least one of the Vol miscreants to the curb.
apparently, the beds in new york dont satisfy chipper (via dob): “It’s hurting pretty good, but I’m hoping to be in there tomorrow. I’ll sleep on the floor tonight. These freakin’ beds kill me, every year.”
16 — Nice. I started laughing when Gant said that last night.
If we’re giving him the benefit of the doubt, though, then his run on would have been punctuated more like this:
“He’s gonna give you a good at-bat, even when he strikes out. He’s going to put the ball in play…”
I hope that’s what he meant, at least
I disagree, a ‘motivated’ SS would have turned that double play and the slide wasn’t nearly as much of a takeout slide as you will see in MLB.
He is awful.
@35 I think your version of Gant’s comment is probably what he was thinking. He seems to jump around a lot in his thoughts; he has several things lined up that he wants to say about a player or situation and unfortunately they don’t always come out in the right order.
Gant is awful in the booth, when he was commentating more often several years ago was when I stopped watching baseball for awhile. He’s always talking about himself.
Yunel had a bad night, but he was on the field. Our HOF third baseman had a backache and kept his $13 million bottom on the bench. Chipper may say the right things, but Yunel actually played.
Coop, you cant be serious.
Chipper has done everything the team has asked of him in his tenure.
He destroyed his knee playing the OF in what should have been his rookie season, he moved to the OF for the Zombie of Vinnie Castilla, he has deferred payments on contracts and been an MVP of the league and of this team.
And Jones has played 3 less games than Esco this year despite being a decade older.
Sitting out let Infante get 4 hits and a homer. His decision was good for team.
@ 37
the memories of Bob Rathbun anchoring the booth with a rotation of Gant & Jeff Torborg providing the color commentary just came rushing back…I need to lie down.
Yunel and a low A prospect for Stephen Drew?
I guess I’m just more tolerant than most, because I’m not feeling the “trade Yunel now!” sentiments yet. I don’t think he’s malicious in his spaciness, and at least he’s not calling out the manager for being old and senile.
I guess if we could get something good for him then I wouldn’t be upset, but it’s not like we have great replacements for him. He had a terrible night, but he’s not the first and he’s still one of the best defensive shortstops in the league.
I have a friend I go to judo tournaments with. He always wants to go out drinking the night before we have our matches. I can’t do that but it seems like the more he parties the night before, the better he fights the next day. Maybe Melky and Yunel are that way: Melky wants to go party and preforms well the next day (home runs and runs scored) but Yunel can’t perform after partying. I think Mac had it right… bad news for Melky and Yunel to have an off day in New York.
Game thread is up.
Escobar is a clown, but he’s a very good player to have on your team when you’ve got Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson pitching 2/5ths of the time.
He destroyed his knee playing the OF
He tore his ACL running to first in spring training, as I recall.
I love having Matt Diaz back.