San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 21, 2010 – ESPN.
Not good times. Nate Louth (he doesn’t deserve a patronymic) returned, and the Braves lost in heartbreaking fashion. Coincidence?!?!?!? I think not.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the second when Tommy Hanson had one of his episodes (as opposed to one of Tim Hudson‘s Episodes) and started nibbling while throwing to a bunch of guys who couldn’t get the ball out of the park with a bazooka. After that inning, he was great, and finished 6 1/3 innings with six hits allowed, five strikeouts, and two walks, 72 of his 106 pitches for strikes.
And he was in line for the win, when the Braves put four hits together with two out in the third — singles by Prado and Heyward, the latter advancing on an ill-advised throw to third, then a two-run single by Chipper, finally a two-run homer by McCann. Unfortunately, that was all the offense.
No biggie, though, right? Venters relieved Hanson in the seventh and did his thing for an inning and two thirds, and then Wagner. He got the first man, but then gave up a solo homer, followed by a single, to the Hairston Brothers. The next batter doubled to the right-field corner. Heyward made a great throw, Prado made an iffy one, and the runner was called safe at the plate even though he looked out to me. Wagner got out of it tied, but it would have been better had he not.
Moylan and Dunn were both required to get through the tenth, and Saito got through the eleventh. Bobby went with Medlen, Saturday’s scheduled starter, to pitch the twelfth, rather than Kawakami or the White Flag, and you can’t really blame him. But Medlen allowed two runs on a two-out double (after walking the previous hitter intentionally) and with Heath Bell lurking that was the game.
Nate sucks.
Does he even deserve to have a second vowel at the end of his first name?
Nat Louth.
just like the loss in San Fran this year. Wagner gave up 2 in the 9th…bounce back tomorrow
Nat* L**th?
and now, with kawakami probably starting on saturday, we’ll not only lose this game, but saturday’s game as well.
troy needs to get going and soon
Tomorrow’s get-away day lineup against a lefty will look like one of San Diego’s lineups.
Medlen went one inning, he’ll pitch Saturday
What tyrants are left to serve as pseudonyms for our center fielders? There’s gotta be someone.
Nate MacBeth.
You know who else sucks? The Phillies.
The Mets blow more than they suck, I think. Anyone disagree?
F*ck me. Sucky game.
Calling Prado’s throw to the plate iffy is being very generous. It was godawful. Hairston should have been out by 3 feet.
David DeJesus, please.
What really sucks is you know Bobby’s going to punt tomorrow.
I dont know, he pulled Chipper early. I think Ross will start and itll look like this
Prado Heyward Chip Glaus Diaz Melky AAG Ross
DOB says that Medlen will start Saturday — tomorrow was his regular throwing day, they’ll skip it.
Damnit, we need a good Nate.
I don’t get how S.D. is winning games other then that bullpen is great. I don’t get how the braves are winning games with a corpse at 3rd, a platoon in LF, a hole in CF, and a cratering 1B. The braves have pitched really well, but they need a bat.
All that said, the last 3 or 4 years, this game would be a sign of the end, but things look alot brighter when you are holding a 6 to 7 game lead on the rest of the division
DOB says Saito has had a sore shoulder. Thank God for Johnny Venters.
Braves have to add another RHP…they cant keep plugging along with having two or three down there that Bobby cant/isnt able to trust
Anyway, Louth has filled some pretty big shoes — he’s now the official Whipping Boy, a position that’s been only taken temporarily since the departure of Whipping Boy Hall of Famer Jeff Francoeur.
A great closer is still going to blow one a month. Tough loss but that’s just going happen. We’re fine
I’d say McLouth is more like Reitsma in my eyes. As far as I can tell, he knows he’s been terrible and he’s awfully sorry about it. He hasn’t whined or complained, so much as sucked horrendously no matter what.
I suggest that we give McLouth more than one game back from the DL to assess whether or not he’s worthless. That shouldn’t stop Wren from making a move for a RH CF with power, if available (Ross over DeJesus, easily.) But perhaps the fan base should you know, not assume that McLouth is dead just because he only singled in his first game back.
It’s the bottom of the 11th in Phoenix, and the Mets are moving toward… The Oliver Perez Zone!
@25, I wholeheartedly agree. Still, the deadline draws nigh.
Ollie Perez loads ’em up, then wriggles out of trouble in the 12th.
Mets/D-Backs go to the 13th.
The Oliver Perez Zone was breached in the bottom of the 12th. Somehow, the Mess survived because Stephen Drew popped up and Adam LaRoche flew out with the bases loaded.
Our old friend Blaine Boyer pitched well for the D’Backs in the 13th.
Perez isn’t quite as bad as Dontrelle, but I’d sure let him walk me, if I played for Arizona.
Edit: He goes 2-0 on KJ, then strikes him out. He hits the next guy in the back & Manuel’s seen enough. In comes Nieve, who isn’t exactly Mariano Rivera.
And Snyder drives home the winning run for Arizona. THe Braves’ lead stays at 6.5.
Swept by the Snakes. Those poor, poor Mets…
Life back to normal. Let’s get them tomorrow!!!
Jonny Venters. I owe that man a beer. What an amazing story/reliever he is.
Looked in to me. Maybe someone should teach Brian that he should stand a yard further back and let the ball come to him.
Glaus has always been streaky. If anything, maybe this will bring his asking price down for ’11.
On the tag play at the plate by McCann on Hairston, Jr. What do you guys think?
It seems to me over and over again that McCann’s mechanics are wrong. He positions himself up the first base line. I can go with that to avoid injury to him as he is valuable, but most catchers are on the plate ready to drop to block.
Then, he reaches toward the throw and catches the ball 2 or 3 feet farther up the line. I believe that the thrown ball is going to get to the glove (even on the second bounce) faster than the catcher can pivot his body to apply the tag.
So, if McCann is 2 feet farther back and let’s the ball come to him, then drops the tag to the back corner, Hairston is unquestionably out.
Why am I wrong?
Let’s give Nate at least a couple of series before we hang him out to dry. Heyward-Prado-McCann had the runner at the plate, just a bad break call.
I blame Nate for all that is wrong in this world…Anybody know where I can get an “I Hate Nate” bumper sticker or t-shirt?
I think Nate deserves a little more of a pass on the hitting.
His one problem (ever since he came to the Braves) that he seems to have not addressed is inability to get the high fast ball around the top of the strike zone. He just needs to take it and hope he gets the “ball call”.
My problem with him is what is up with his throwing arm? I thought he was pegged as an average centerfield arm. He looked like that most of last year. This year he hops twice and throws to second. What is that about?
I’m glad today is an afternoon game, hopefully the Braves will pull out the series win and wash the bad taste of last night away.
Wow. Nate is the official BJ Whipping Boy? Just one game back from the DL? Tough crowd.
Funny how our expectations now are that we should win every game. San Diego’s a pretty good team we should cut the Braves some slack.
I’m no fan of Nate, but he got a hit last night and almost gave us a three-run lead with the bullet he hit in the 8th with AAG on 3rd.
This game was probably on Bobby (and Wagner but tough to blame him for being human once a month or so). His love of the intentional walk and his paralyzing fear of using the backup catcher cost us tonight. I really think you bunt with McLouth and then let Ross hit for the pitcher, giving you two chances to hit with a man in scoring position. McLouth’s a good bunter and may force an error with his speed.
The guy was safe. The MLB highlight showed he got his hand in.
So, is the glass half-full or half-empty tonight?. Either, Braves did not lose any ground to their closest pursuers or Braves lost a chance to put more distance between them.
Multi-run blown saves really bother me. Anyone can give up a run, but, really, all you are asking is not give up two runs in an inning. Oh well, it happens. Mets Blog should be fun today.
So many little things in that game…. More than one two-out-RISP bullets hit right at guys, Prado’s crappy relay throw (it’s been a pretty poor defensive series from him), the non-strike 3 call in the 12th. Guess you’re going to lose some games like that eventually. Still, I fully believed the Braves would win right up until Medlen gave up that double. That’s a good sign.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/the-mets-are-close-to-shipping-jeff-francoeur-off-in-a-trade.php
Please be to the Royals (or to the Pirates for Ryan Church).
Game thread is up.
An awful lot of boo-hooing over a team with a 6.5-game lead. I ain’t scared.