Gosh, Pittsburgh, don’t you think that it would be fun to make things harder on Philadelphia? Think about it!
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Gosh, Pittsburgh, don’t you think that it would be fun to make things harder on Philadelphia? Think about it!
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
The last time we traded for a St. Louis corner outfielder worked out pretty well for us.
Picking at scabs Department:
I still think MLB should give Loria the boot. If necessary, let Liberty Media have the Marlins and the Braves can go to Arthur Blank.
Really? Another 11:10 start…
Is this MLB or youth soccer? Either way, I have a feeling that Melky hogs the Debbie Cakes and Capri Sun after every game.
I thought it was 12:10. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I have to get up for work tomorrow, so I can’t stay up for it.
Can someone remind me how double headers affect the standings? What happens if the Phils split and we win, lose both, etc.
@4
Nevermind, I was looking at the wrong schedule.
The net effect is there is going to be a half game swing one way or the other for the Phils, over and above the normal calculus. For example, if we win and they split, then the wins cancel out, and the Phils lose a half game. If we win and they get swept, then we gain 1-1/2 games. If we lose and they split, they gain 1/2 a game. If they sweep and we lose, they gain 1 and a 1/2.
@7, Thanks! So potentially a big day.
Or you could think of the effect on the magic number, but I think it’s too early to look at that thing.
Magic number is 25
Braves it goes down one for every Braves win and down one for every Phillies loss.
After today it could be 22.
Today’s lineup against a lefty starter:
Infante
Heyward
Prado
Lee
Diaz
Shortstop
Ross
McLouth
Hanson
Tommy better have it today. I wouldn’t expect much from this group.
@10 –
OR, Philly could be talking about their magic number. Still way too early to be talking seriously about that.
I am fine this lineup. No Melky. McLouth is hitting the ball hard. No Melky. Diaz is playing well. No Melky. Ross is solid. Oh did I mention, No Melky.
Either way, today is a big opportunity day for both teams. If the Phillies sweep, they close ground. If the Braves win, they stay in first place.
Hope Hanson deals today…
Let’s be positive.
The Fishies struck first on a Morrison walk and Uggla single, and Mendez kept the Phillies off the board in the bottom half. Not a bad start.
Maybe hell will open up and suck in the Fish and the Phills
Tracy goes deep! 2-0 Fishies
Another run for Florida. 2-0.
And we are offically in ‘swing-at-anything’ mode.
This guy has the highest ERA in baseball? I smell a shutout.
Wake up, Tommy.
Great start, guys.
Unbelievable
That was quick.
That’s what speed does for you
We are not playing like division winners.
And horrible defense.
Yeah, a sucky lefty. It will be ok.
Chip fisted count: 1
Nate, how bout keeping both hands on the bat, huh? Yeesh.
Louth is batting too high in this lineup.
Still sticking to the script. At least we got a run.
The Phillies’ starter is a 22-year old callup named Vance Worley. He has glasses, a mini-mullet, and a baby face. He looks ridiculous.
I suppose McLouth could have hit into a double play, so in a way he cleared the pitcher. Well done!
Melky doesn’t catch that liner that McLouth just got to.
35
Melky would somehow find a way to turn that liner into a triple or ITP-HR
I was just thinking that, Mark. I was going to say that I hope Nate’s bat will wake up, but I don’t think “asleep” adequately covers his bat’s condition. I think his bat needs a power pellet.
His bat isn’t going to wake up if he’s getting starts against LHP. Like when we started Ankiel against a LHP the other night, this is like having two pitcher’s spots in the lineup.
I agree that Melky is the worst option for CF, but let’s not get crazy here. McLouth has been downright awful in the field too this season. I still think Ankiel is the best option if none of the “center fielders” are hitting.
.675
.670
.682
Those are the career OPS’s vs LHP of Melky, Ankiel and McLouth.
denny neagle?
37- Unfortunately, I think the “moist beam” power up from Homestar Runner is more likely.
@37, I think putting a marshmallow in your bat is illegal. He could be suspended as many as seven games. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/us_sport/2983350.stm
@41, that’s a fantastic guess. I don’t know why he slipped my mind.
Those are the career OPS’s vs LHP of Melky, Ankiel and McLouth.
That’s great Jeremy. When Nate and Rick start hitting up to their career numbers you let me know.
The point is that they’re all awful. If you put Melky in center with a flyball pitcher like Hanson on the mound you’re asking for trouble.
Who is facing the better lineup today? I say Hanson.
You really can’t watch 3 strikes go by like that.
I hate watching Derrek wince after swinging the bat. The man ain’t right.
Free Freeman!
Mike Stanton with a two-run homer, 4-0 Marlins.
Man, TLR is SUCH a weasel –
“I don’t think it’s simmering,” La Russa said. “I talk to him every day, almost.”
“Everything I’ve ever said about him, almost without exception, has been positive.”
and my favorite, “If he did something wrong, it had to do with inexperience and normal development. “
This is such crap.
Is that ballgame?
What happened? Ahh, homer, gotcha. Our offense sucks.
Braves can’t hardly make solid contact on a guy with the highest career ERA in baseball and the horrible Pirates are now leading against our “ace”. The offense being in continued “hiberbation mode” is played out
Two-run HR by Walker. Ah, you got that.
Only chance this team has in the playoffs is to petition to play only at home against right-handed pitching.
Hitting like this against something called a “Brian Burres” is pathetic.
We’re going to lose a freaking Hanson-Burres match-up. Remember when the Marlins refused to trade Cody Ross because they were “in it,” and then, less than two weeks later, they gave him to the Giants for nothing?
We’re gonna lose to a bunch of friggin’ Pirates??
Wren better hurry up and trade for Neil Walker since he just homered against the Braves
Doomed.
@41, good call.
Tommy Hanson is this year’ cursed (no run support) Braves pitcher.
If this team can’t hit Poser, game over.
If this team can’t hit Poser, I will punch something.
I’m surprised Poser isn’t in their starting rotation.
If this team can’t hit Poser, I will continue to feel exactly as I do now: frustrated.
Fuuuuuuudge. Terrible.
Here comes the pinch hit bunt!
Edit: I would probably have preferred the bunt to that at bat, actually.
Come on Freeman!!!
Infante has been taking more walks lately, it seems.
The Pirates have 4 Braves rejects on their team — G. Jones, Poser, Fredo, and Morton.
That was an All-Star walk.
That was a generous strike 1 call.
this team is pathetic
that was ball 4
It’s up to The Prado.
cmon Prado
Good at bat from Heyward. Hopefully Prado can take advantage.
Dooooooooooooooooooooooooomed.
Bases loaded double in the 9th inning by Uggla, 6-0 Marlins.
Shit.
What fucking luck
Pathetic. Truly pathetic.
That was the slowest run down the line I have seen in awhile.
Was that Bream running or Prado?
This fucking sucks.
Shit.
sorry, Tommy. Gwinnett couldnt score for you
And here comes Kyle, the new human white flag.
I hate this team right now, and I think the baseball gods do too.
1. Prado slipped out of the box. That’s why he was ‘slow’ down the line and out.
2. Kyle Farnsworth has been very good for three straight games.
1. He also spent two steps looking at the play in the field.
2. Even with the slip, that was pathetic.
Half-swing at a pitch he shouldn’t have even considered swinging at, pause, slip, scramble to first way too late. Very frustrating one-pitch sequence, there.
7-0 Fish. Bases still juiced.
Kyle Farnsworth mere presence in the game actually makes me physically ill.
Maybe the Marlins can sweep today for us.
Prado backed out of the way of a high, inside fastball. The ball hit his bat (still more or less on his shoulder) and rolled down the 3B line. He was falling backwards, then slipped on the plate as he tried to turn his momentum around toward 1B. It was just a crap luck play.
And that’s four near perfect innings in a row for Farnsworth.
But don’t let actual performance get in the way of a preestablished narrative.
Let’s take it to them this inning.
Why do you let Diaz hit against a RHP in this situation with a long bench?
Nice to see Lee have a good day.
96 (Matt),
I feel like you are willfully ignoring the fact that Farnsworth is currently silencing his critics.
2B never touched the bag
7-1 Fish, no outs still in the bottom of the ninth.
That was fortunate.
Hey that one worked out! What a god ugly at bat though.
Man… Some of those Gonzo swings are Franceourian.
Finally, some luck!
Jose Ceda for the Fish getting squeezed ridiculously.
That was ball 3.
we have to turn that into 2 runs
I’m following the game on an MLB app. Gameday refers to every Braves hit as “soft”. A “soft” ground ball, a “soft” single. I feel like there’s someone typing on the other end who’s trying to insinuate that we have performance anxiety.
C’mon Nate. You can do it.
Edit: Crap.
So incredibly frustrating.
Louth
Pathetic.
Or not.
Ive got nothing left to say
Tying runs in scoring position, and we let a .170 hitter bat for himself.
And Nate falls below the magic .170 mark.
Ugh.
WHY IS HE STARTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A PENNANT RACE????
Don’t forget McCann’s terrible AB before. Swinging at balls at his eyes again.
This team sucks when they aren’t walking.
I’d honestly rather have had Tim Hudson batting in that spot than McLouth.
I miss Blanco.
Fish 7, Phils 1. At least we’ll still be in first place at the end of the day.
100—Same reason McCann didn’t hit for Ross in the 7th?
I don’t really know what the reason is; I’m just assuming it’s the same for both situations.
What a frustrating game.
Who else is gonna hit there? Ankiel? Glaus? Melky? The team has three or four very good hitters and a bunch of mediocre, league-average options.
128-
I’ll take .240 over .170 any day of the week.
Can’t lay this one on Nate. There are plenty of LOBs to go around today from guys higher in the order.
Nice work, Moylan. We can still do this.
Go Braves!!!
And that’s four near perfect innings in a row for Farnsworth.
But don’t let actual performance get in the way of a preestablished narrative.
Sam, don’t let your desire to contradict everyone get in the way of Farnsworth’s actual performance as a Brave. His last four appearances have yielded four scoreless innings; in his previous four appearances, he gave up six hits and three runs. And in the four appearances before that, he gave up three hits and four runs. His ERA as a Brave is 6.00.
@132 Amen.
Regardless of numbers, Farnsworth on the mound with a Braves uniform makes me a little ill, too. He could never let another runner reach base ever again, and I’d still have Ausmus flashbacks.
“I’ll take .240 over .170 any day of the week.”
I’m not sure who .240 is but I’d probably have preferred someone else too. I just want to make clear that (1) the Braves have a lot of crappy hitters, and (2) the CF problem has no obvious solution right now.
just a bunch of weak half hearted swings…cmon Fish sweep em
Are they swinging wiffle ball bats? They haven’t made solid contact on a ball all day
edit- just as I write that Heyward lines a ball to center
The Braves really do suck on the road. This is unbelievable. Tommy Hanson started against Brian Burres! What is happening???!?
the LF problem doesnt have any solutions either. We have 6 OF’rs, 5 of whom are considered 4th OF’rs right now. Diaz, Melky, Nate, Hinske, and Ankiel are killing this team, everyday
Seriously. We lost a Hanson-Burres match-up. And it was Good Hanson. That’s pretty bad.
Putter, that was the ONLY ball the Braves squared up all day. This team cant hold off the Phils
We haven’t had a sweep since June, right? And there’s a real possibility we don’t win his series.
Just a sickening, embarrassing and disgusting loss. And a completely wasted opportunity. What the hell is wrong with this team that they can’t manage more than 1 run off a garbage pitching staff like that – which included Chris Resop.
This is going to have to have to turn into a support group rapidly to stem mass suicides or several killing sprees.
The only saving grace I see is that we may not have to hold off the Giants for the WC, as the Padres are sucking it even worse than we are.
Chip: “Philadelphia plays again tonight. We’ll explain what that could mean when we return from commercial.”
Because we’re dumber than you Chip, and can’t figure it out.
Every Braves fan should be angry as hell. There is not excuse to have a golden opportunity like this. If we can’t score runs with good Hanson on the mound against a crappy Pirate team and a crappy pitcher like Burris, what happens in a possible playoff game against say Adam Wainwright, Roy Halladay or some starter of that ilk?
Here are your options:
a. Braves lose the division and the wild card.
b. Braves win the division and get blown out in the NLDS.
Choose one.
Recapped.