Let’s win one, okay? Just one?
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Let’s win one, okay? Just one?
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
36 games left (20 home 16 on the road with three in Pittsubugh)
27 wins puts us at 100.
21 more wins puts us at 94 (if we keep playing .579 baseball)
Can we close with a 21-15 mark? Will that win the division? If not, will it get us in the playoffs?
KK can tell all his friends that ATL is a bad place to play, but they just need to look at his numbers, and the numbers of the alternatives, and its obvious that a manager would be crazy to start him over Medlen/Minor.
I wanted to feel sorry for KK, until I read that article about he and his cars.
Hinske is the reason we’re winning.
What article?
If you’re not worried about Minor’s innings, there’s no reason not to keep pitching him over KK. The weirder thing was (a) pushing KK to the ‘pen instead of Lowe, who was just awful in the early going this year and (b) never using Kawakami once he was in the ‘pen.
#1, 21-15 should get the Braves into the playoffs. I’m not sure it wins the division. Do the Braves and Phils play an extra game if they tie for the division and wild card or is it decided by head-to-head or other tiebreakers?
@4: Kawakami loves kuruma; that’s Japanese for ‘car’
So, how many days in a row have the Phils and the Braves had the exact same result in terms of W/L? 8? 9? That’s getting a little weird.
They play a playoff game only if one would get in and the other would not. If it’s just a matter of one winning the division and the other the WC, they go by head-to-head records.
I have to believe 94 wins gets in; I think 91 or 92 would also most likely get in, but less than that would be dicey.
Everyone (except the Padres) is bad on the road this year.
I doubt KK’s treatment will affect other Japanese coming to Atlanta. Pay them enough and they will come.
From the previous thread:
@90 (the post about Charlie Manuel saying he was surprised to see Ryan Howard “throwed out” of the game)
A couple of years ago, Manuel got into a heated exchange with some Philly media people during a press conference. One of the reporters told him to “grow up.” His brilliant retort?
“I done growed up.”
Made the mistake of reading a portion of DOB’s blog today. I’m glad to see that he’s still using “errors” as the primary evaluation of fielding performance.
I’m a positive guy, so when I’m scoring a game, I do not score errors, only “awesomes”. An “awesome” is where the guy would have gotten a hit but for an incredible defensive play. I give him credit for the hit and the fielder credit for an awesome.
Mac, Once again a great choice for today’s video. No singer ever sang about paranoia better than Marvin!
A win today, and you’d certainly hope for one on the pitching matchup, sets us up well for the next week when the Phillies go on a West Coast road trip.
Poor Smitty.
2010 Tennessee Volunteers « SEC Previews.
So I woke up early this morning to see the Phils lost, AND I sold my car to the family in SC. A good day.
We’d have to be extremely unlucky to win 94 games and not make the playoffs.
No singer ever sang about paranoia better than Marvin!
Randy, I believe you’re forgetting Rockwell. And, uh, Ozzy.
Congratulations on getting that over and done with, Bethany!
It is going to be a long season for might mighty Vols.
Smitty has some talent. Love the Beverly Hillbillies reference.
Thanks Johnny.
Those journalism classes paid off.
Nicely done, Smitty. I’m sure I will be wallowing along with you.
Bethany,
I think Auburn has possible 7-8 wins in them. It might be October before you lose a game.
I’ve adapted the Northwestern Wildcats as my football team this year. They open against Vandy. This is a classic Big 10 vs SEC battle. The outcome should cause tremors in the world of college football. Still learning about the team so excuse my ignornance until I’ve read some more.
Alex Remington, Great to see Chop-n-Change back!
@22 But then they will lose, and lose hard.
23—That’s basically the bellwether game for VU. If we win, I might actually develop some hope for the season (and for nabbing/keeping some good recruits). If we can’t beat a very mediocre non-conference opponent at home…well, that’s exactly what I’m expecting, so nothing will change.
Oh my god, we’re winning!
RUN PRODUCTION, BABY!
MELKTASTIC.
The Melkiest Man on Earth forgot his lines.
@25, Which game will they lose hard? Auburn has a good schedule this year. LSU, Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina are all at home. Florida will have to wait until the SEC Championship. Other than the Iron Bowl, the toughest road game might be Ole Miss.
I wouldn’t be surprised by anything from 6-5 to 11-0 going into the Iron Bowl. Fewer than six wins would surprise me.
I like Malzahn a lot. That offense can take a team a long way.
@31 I don’t know enough about the other teams to comment much, but I just don’t trust Auburn do be more than average on any given year. What is unfortunate is that they do have a shot at making a good run this year, but it’s not like they are going to beat Alabama.
Last year, Alabama had the best team they’ve had in seventeen years, and the Tigers came within a TD. I do not know the origin of this pessimism.
The advantage to a Colorado day game is that I’ll be able to watch the end of it after work.
#26 – would you be more up beat if Bobby Johnson had stayed?
It’s weird, but mostly just noise in the data. In most cases you’d get more of a give and take – Braves lose and Phils win, lead shrinks; Phils lose and Braves wins, lead grows – type of deal. That’s a better narrative for the sportswriters, certainly. It’s a “back and forth race to the finish.” But at the end of the day, it’s the same playbook. The Braves have to win one less game going forward than the Phils. Everything else is melodrama.
35—Not at all. We are very young, and our offensive line has been decimated by dismissals and injuries. And we gave ourselves a needlessly difficult schedule. I think we still have a fine group of coaches, and there’s more talent on the roster than I can ever remember — but I expect this year to be painful.
I just tuned in, and the Braves are up 3-0 in the 2nd. I don’t think I can handle rooting for a team that scores early. It seems so… unsporting.
I didn’t know that my boy Rick even knew how to hit to the opposite field!
Dude, if Ankiel becomes serviceable and Lee wakes up… We’d be awesome.
@38, it’s Coors. It’s the equivalent of leading off with a double at Petco.
I love Jair Jurrjens, but he sucks at bunting.
Watching Jair try to bunt makes me appreciate how easy a guy like Glavine used to make it look.
I’ll never understand why Bobby doesn’t make them practice bunting more if he’s so insistent on asking them to do it in games. Is it that hard to practice? Maybe you just can’t replicate an in game situation (pitch speed, location, etc).
I love how easy Heyward makes a walk look.
Stu,
Manny hit wiavers today! We could have him in the line up this weekend!
MARTEEEEEEEEN!
The Prado: Should still be feared.
What’s all this hitting with runners on about?
Pimpbot!
Well, this is fun.
So far. I still don’t trust Coors!
Man watching the game on mlb.tv with the radio broadcast as audio is such a pleasure. It removes any possibility of ever hearing Chip.
About damn time.
I LOVE to watch Brian run.
Derrek! Nice to see that you haven’t turned into Glaus.
McCann was really trucking there.
Reds up early on the Giants
56—His Atlanta OPS prior to today’s game was .385. I’d say the jury’s still out on that one.
Come out of a long meeting just in time to see us kick the extra point. Sweet.
Okay, Derrek Lee has an RBI. This is clearly the Twilight Zone.
I predict the final score will be 33-32.
Ok, JJ. No more than five more of those.
Let’s get it back boys
Omar!
OMAR!! And every Brave starter now has at least one hit- with one out in the third.
AAR, you may not be far off in your prediction.
INFANTE
Funny game.
Omar breaking out of his slump!
🙂
This is going to take a while.
Wow, this is some powerful allergy medication. I thought I just saw that the Braves scored 10 runs in the first three innings.
Braves are a combined 11 for 18 with two walks
Would be a good time to see Diory and Folk Hero get in the game.
So this is cool… I assume the Phillies will now win easily. So it goes.
I hope the Phillies go 14 innings tonight
What a nice surprise, I come home in the top of the 3rd to see us take a 10-1 lead! WOO-HOO!!
It’s Coors. Don’t jinx us.
I really hope we beat Northwestern. Not only would it shine a little hope on Vandy’s season, but my sister went to Northwestern.
There’s going to be some serious egghead trash talk!
Yahoo says we’re delayed. Anybody know why?
Here’s something that I just now considered…Ichiro has 162 hits after today’s first game of the doubleheader (126 games in in the books). He has 36 games in which to get 38 hits or else he won’t reach 200 hits for the first time in his MLB career, nor would he tie Pete Rose for most 200-hit seasons in a career. I know this is Ichiro we are talking about, but a hit a game with a couple of more for good measure is what he needs. The last time I checked on this, the analysts were saying it was a foregone conclusion that he would reach the number. Did he slump this year?
Nathan, I think it was just the last pitching change. Don’t worry. Ankiel didn’t strike out.
?????? who are these guys???? every starter including the pitcher has an XBH and we are in the top of the 4th? really?
It’s Halladay vs Happ in Philly, so I’d bet on maintaining that seemingly eternal 2.5-game lead.
BTW, nice work, Smitty.
every starter including the pitcher has an XBH
Wow, that’s true. Elias alert!!
Dang — thought we’d have four straight innings of Omar comin’!
Oh, well. At least Jair won’t be gassed from legging out another double.
Jair could have made it to 3rd if he’d needed to.
@81 and @83: I would venture to guess that the “every starter with an extra base hit” has happened fewer than 10 times in the Modern Era. I’m anxious to hear the actual number.
Jason could have made it to 3rd if he’d needed to.
Yea, I thought he was looking to go three at first and figured he’d make it fairly easily. Maybe he’s thinking cycle and realized he had one of those already. 😉
claim Manny!
the last time that all starters (including the pitcher) had an xbh in a game was 1978.
@88
Braves only, or any team?
Heyward has reached base 4 times today. NL leaders in games with 4+ times on base:
Rickie Weeks – 13
Albert Pujols – 12
Adrian Gonzalez – 11
Heyward – 10
Okay, you can all tune back in now and resume hating the Rockies.
@89 Any NL team on that one. The A’s did it more recently, but with a DH obviously. Only 5 times total in history has it happened.
Uh oh.
JJ get tired on the bases?
GET US OUT OF COLORADO!
How do you walk the stupid pitcher?
YES! Picked him off.
These guys hit pretty good…even better when our pitchers serve up meatballs down the middle of the plate.
10 runs are not going to win us this one. Let’s get some more boys.
why do I have the feeling that we need to score again?
This game ain’t f**king over.
Frankiel misplayed that ball twice — naturally, Helton is credited with a triple.
The Braves are single-handedly reviving Todd Helton’s career.
why in the world is jair still in there? we have an off day tomorrow, use everyone
Can we get Jair out of there to stop this bleeding?
“Everyone” was an option when we were up 10-1. Now that it’s 10-6, we’re into the part of the pen that Bobby actually trusts. Here’s Peter Moylan, and I expect we’ll be seeing at least three of O’Flaherty, Saito, Venters, and Wagner.
What was Gonzalez’ error in the 5th?
This is terrible.
Moylan isn’t fooling anyone.
@105: Terrible relay to 3rd
Ugg. We’d better not lose this.
This is getting ridonkulous
Dexter Fowler hit a triple, Melky Cabrera relayed the ball to Gonzalez, and Gonzalez threw the ball so far past third that Jurrjens, backing up, couldn’t retrieve it in time to prevent Fowler from scoring.
Can none of our pitchers make a pitch without it catching the center of the plate?
holy balls. get this thing over with. my ulcers are flaring up again.
Tying run at the plate.
I hate arena baseball.
I’m pretty disappointed in Jair.
I wonder if we will EVER see another groundball by the Rockies.
It has been the bottom of the sixth for a week now
Gamecast had every one of those pitches as a strike
Either a walk or an extra-base hit…. All that seems to happen this inning.
Ive already prepared myself for this potential loss
Jim and Don have pointed out that O’Flaherty has committed umpteen uncalled balks — he’s been going to his mouth while he’s had a foot on the rubber, but Ed Rapuano has been nice enough not to move the runners forward.
Who’s watching this game live?
Gamecast says all 8 pitches to Fowler were in the zone and he just walked. I do not recall a called strike this inning.
NICE
Thank God that inning’s over.
Okay, boys, how about some Reitsma room?
They were close Parish
Hibernation mode, our old nemesis.
why would Omar be bunting with two outs? these guys just stop thinking sometimes
It’s a Bobby Cox team — as soon as things get close, they want to bunt their way on.
Venters, Saito, Wagner – here’s a two run lead.
Normally, Id have faith, but this is Colorado
ugh…. Saito is the one who worries me
If the Braves make the postseason, hopefully Jair only pitches at home.
Thank you Lord for Johnny Venters!
More runs please.
Now that’s some powerful hair.
Also, this is all my fault. Got on MARTA with this thing up 10-2.
time for a derrek dinger.
10-8 now, are you freaking kidding me.
please let venters finish this full inning. farnsworth is warming up.
Elizabeth Barret Browning on Johnny Venters:
Too cute, Johnny.
Oh, and according to Gameday, Ball 1, Ball 2, Ball 3, and Ball 4 were all strikes.
@145:
Gameday was wrong. They were all low. Venters kept trying to do the same thing over and over but Iannetta wasn’t biting.
please, no cargo this inning. jonny…i beg it.
The ump has called that low strike sporadically all game, though.
Again. Too cute.
balls. 4 of ’em…
Is it too early for Wagner?
Dig deep, Jonny. Gotta have it here.
Ugh…
Alex, are you watching just on Gameday? Live, they didn’t even seem worth an argument, but YMMV.
Just how short of cash is Rapuano? Surely he doesn’t need the Rockies to win that badly…
Wow. This is unbelievable. And crushing.
That was intentional to get to the lefty without giving it away.
Yeah, that’s why you don’t walk people.
Uggggggh.
You’re killin’ me Smalls!
@156: Well, that worked.
D.N. Nation, yeah, I’m watching it live. The ump has been calling some of those low strikes, but not others. Very inconsistent.
defense strikes again.
I still blame Jair. Spotted a huge lead, he crapped the bed.
Well this is ridiculous.
Way to come to the mound Bobby after the damage is done.
yup, what a disaster.
i hate colorado more than any team in baseball.
Another run and they are 3 outs away from handing the team a soul-crushing defeat…
@161, fair enough. I only started watching live last inning.
Will there EVER be an easy win for the Atlanta Braves?
By the way, the goat of the inning thus far is Omar Infante. A tailor-made double play ball was hit to him, but he nearly threw it away, and Alex Gonzalez had to lay out his body just to corral it, miraculously managing to drag his leg across the base as he did so. Should have been the third out, but it wound up just being the second.
Omar botching the DP and just like that its tied up,
resiliency will be put to the test. and who’s the guinea pig? kyle farnsworth.
I can’t believe the A’s gave up Street and Gonzalez for Holiday. Maybe the worst trade ever…
Was Saito not available? I think you would have gone to him to face Ianetta (walk), Mora (hit), or Fowler (terrible from the left side). I can understand not bringing in Farnsworth, but you are to him anyway at this point. He would have been better off facing Ianetta with nobody on.
Hi, Kyle Farnsworth! Well, this’ll go well.
Ballgame. Good night.
Screw you, Rockies. You’ll have this, even as you finish 7 out of the WC.
Thanks a bloody heap, Farnsworth.
Jim and Don have speculated that Bobby hasn’t wanted to use Saito on consecutive days.
I blame Bobby for not using Wagner there. I have seen Girardi go to Rivera in the 8th in just that situation.
Wait, Venters gave up a crucial hit on his 35th pitch? Shocking.
unfuckingbelievable. kyle farnsworth, go body slam yourself.
How can a guy who throws 96-98 be so easy to hit?
Farnsworth is awful.
Blowing a 9-run lead, even at Colorado, does not look good for a team trying to fend off the Phillies. How much motivation does this give Halladay now? I’m so disgusted…
How embarrassing.
Farnsworth, it turns out, wasn’t much of an acquisition.
This game reminds me a lot of the third game of ’09 against the Phillies.
Ankiel once again drops the ball on a throw. He really doesn’t like to throw the ball.
Stop coming to Coors, stop coming to Nationals Park. Just forfeit thrice and keep everyone healthy and the fans sane.
Nice play, Rick. Bout time someone loses their pants on a play.
And Ankiel drops the ball a second time, allowing the runner to get to third.
Division champs can’t lose these games. 7-0 at one point, 10-1 later on…
At least one reason to have an unbalanced schedule…we only have to play 3 games here this year. I hate this place!
13-10 coming up.
Well, i have had enough Farnsworth for the rest of my life.
Kansas City was a perfect place for that loser.
Can the team leave Denver tonight without telling Kyle? Maybe move and leave no forwarding address?
Good thing the offense took the rest of the afternoon off. I’d have rather lost 12-0.
Way to shut em down, Kyle.
Helton really should consider adding the Braves pitching staff to his Hall of Fame induction speech…
Awfully nice of the Rockies to send the pitcher up to bat there. That’s a special sort of insult. At least Farns managed to strike him out.
Crushing defeat, but no time to panic. We’ll be still in first place after this.
@200
no way to sugarcoat this defeat tom.
I called this.
Well well. Stay around the plate, make them put it in play. Astonishing concept indeed.
Farnsworth lowered his ERA with that appearance…
I don’t even want to have any hope this inning. If they tie it up somehow, the Rockies will just win it “dramatically” in the bottom of the 9th to make the highlights even worse on ESPN…
Holy moly do I hate that friggin purple dinosaur behind the plate in the 9th. Every soul-destroying loss in this dump has to have him bouncing around at the end of it.
188 – Bobby says he’s got the best throwing arm of all time. Dropping the ball is just Rick’s sense of fair play. Besides, if the OF thing doesn’t work out, I think he could try pitching.*
*shamelessly stolen from Dan Lee at BBTF, but thought I’d share
207- He couldn’t have done worse than our relievers today.
Freaking… I go to class and come home to this.
Of course. Give him an ESPY, whatever.
The hell with everything. The only thing I trust anymore is beer.
This makes me angry. The Braves on the road make me angry. It’s time to check out for a few days…
202, I did too. See post #52.
I loathe Kyle Farnsworth!
Also, Rick, next time: Call time. Or something.
This is a very, very bad omen.
As losses go, hard to get worse than this. That’s 3 in a row (not 9).
Let’s get well at home.
This feels like more than just one loss.
Speechless.
Recapped. Ugh.
If we don’t make the playoffs, this loss will be a scarlet A.
Horrible pitching. Horrible bullpen management. Horrible defense. If Saito can’t pitch more than once a week, why isn’t he disabled and Kimbrel called up? Can we DFA Farnsworth please or ask KC for a do over on that trade?