Bud’s Bums 6, Braves 1

Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – Box Score – April 20, 2011 – ESPN.

How to tell your offense sucks: Jon Garland throws a complete-game four-hitter against you. Yet again, the Braves essentially were never in this one. Yet again, the only Brave to have a good game at the plate was Nate McLouth, who was 2-3 with a double, the team’s only extra-base hit, and scored their only run. Yet again, we have become the Pirates.

After the usual scoreless top of the first, the Dodgers got two runs in the bottom of the inning off of Derek Lowe. Lowe has been the Braves’ best starter this year, but working on three days’ rest simply didn’t have it last night, and gave up three more runs in the second to put the game essentially out of reach for a team that has scored more than four runs five times this season. Lowe allowed nine hits in three innings; while he did strike out five, he was not generally fooling them, allowing a lot of hard hit balls.

Martin Prado‘s sac fly in the third to score McLouth was the Braves’ only RBI. Cristhian Martinez capped the scoring allowing a homer in the fourth. Jairo Asencio, if that is what we’re calling him now, pitched three strong innings of mopupball, and Eric O’Flaherty pitched the eighth.

Jason Heyward is in a deep slump, and was 0-4 with three strikeouts. Chipper Jones was also 0-4 and saw all of seven pitches.

I’m going to let this serve as the game thread for today’s afternoon affair.

287 thoughts on “Bud’s Bums 6, Braves 1”

  1. If Bud can do this with the Dodgers, will the Mets soon follow?

    If the Fightin’ McCourts are forced to sell, what valuation will they put on Vin Scully?

  4. I am glad to see McLouth’s average coming up–but I am afraid he is going to be one of those players who gets his hits in games whose outcome has already been decided. I hope that I am wrong….

  5. @2: Seconded. Though losing McLouth would hamper our offensive output right now, which is something I thought I’d never write.

  6. I said it the other day, but I think it got JC’d, I’d like to see The Artist Formerly Known As and The Lisp pitch in some 6th/7th innings with a lead, rather than Linebrink, while Moylan is out.

  7. So excited. Just made a bet with a co-worker here in KC who has been completely sucked into the Frenchy vortex.

    Loser has to grow a molestache (the kind of facial hair we both grow)for a month.

    For him to win, Frenchy has to have an OPS+ of 100 or greater at the AS break.

    It’s like karma is finally paying me back for the years of having to suffer through Jeffy.

  8. I still think we’ll be able to fight off the Mets. I mean we’re still about 2.5 games ahead of them. Catching the Nationals is going to be tough.

  13. You guys are just being negative. Matt Young OWNS Clayton Kershaw. This is simply the realization of Fredi’s double secret plan to kick some ass and take some names.

  16. That lineup is a very good reason for me not to stay up late to watch the game….

    #12–Agreed

    Actually, we will have a trace of speed at the bottom of the lineup….

  17. I had a hunch we’d see AAG in the 2-spot for these types of lineups. Fredi did it quite a bit this spring.

  20. I know it’s been argued that the batting coach doesn’t make much difference and I’m probably in agreement on this. However, doesn’t he play a major role in deciding the strategy to hit against certain pitchers? If this is the case, I’m ready for Parrish to be fired today. Our strategy seems to be “be aggressive” and swing if you get the pitch you’re looking for – whether it’s in the strike zone or not. This is not working!

  21. I don’t think I’ve read a single f**king quote from this hack Parrish. Who the hell is he anyway?

  25. #18–The game time here in the UAE will be 11:10 pm. I like the West coast night games(which start around 10:00 EST)because they come on here in the early morning (6:00 am). Of course, this morning it meant that my day began with Derek Lowe’s first couple of innings. Sheesh…..

  26. Watch us score 10 runs because, like Braves baseball thus far this season, it doesnt make sense.

  32. Is it possible to hit for the cycle twice in one game? I think Matt Young might get close today.

  35. Well, at least David Ross will finally get some at-bats for my fantasy team. (Yay, Deep NL-only leagues).

  36. @33, Hooray!

    I’ve been an Al fan for 20 years. When I first started listening, he was spoofing songs and bands I had never heard of (“Weird Al” indirectly introduced me to The Police, James Brown, Tom Petty, Queen, and many more). Now I’m 27 and, once again, I don’t know any of the songs or bands he’s spoofing. It’s a weird full circle. Except now I don’t want to hear the source material.

    @34, Don’t be such a pessimist. We’ll score at least .75 runs.

  37. Ill say over…The Dodgers will pull Kershaw after 7 innings up 6-0. We will score 1 off the bullpen.

  45. Can Bud Selig take over the federal government too?

    Why not give it a try, Bud? Can’t get any worse.

    Presidents are only jazzed up used car salesmen, just like Selig.

  46. BTW, Scully really did make a “Lisp” reference to Martinez last night? I don’t have the option of the Dodger feed here, but that’s awesome.

  48. Should’ve just hit a ground ball on the first pitch Prado. Save us all some time.

    Sigh.

  55. I’ll take the under on Ks, but I would also take the under on BBs since there is a plane to catch.

  59. @54
    JJ’s average speed was 89mph last time out with pitches reaching 92. I’m not sure where you got the 86-88 information.

  61. Just from watching his start. TV gun had him clocked 86-88 all night. I was even asking about in on the thread that day. They may have several gun readings.

    As a matter of fact, Beachy’s start showed him 93-94, but Joe kept saying the stadium gun had him at 95 all night.

  63. Gameday had him constantly around 90-92. BTW, kepp watching folks since you’ll be treated with a perfect game tonight.

  65. @61
    Well pitch/fx has him between 88-92 and the broadcast I was watching also had him peaking at 92. He reached 93 last inning. His arm’s fine…

  70. Wonder how the Gwinnett offense would fare against Kershaw. This has a good no hit feeling, doesnt it?

    3IP on 32 pitches???

  76. Woo-hoo, for once it’s the other team giving away free outs through stolen base attempts.

  83. AAG!

    I remember when we used to see post like this one and it meant a run scored. Im just happy for a hit.

  84. #74
    Hard grounder bounced up & hit Freeman in the chest & bounced away into foul territory. Could’ve been an error, I guess.

    Hey, there’s a hit.

  87. “Woo-hoo, for once it’s the other team giving away free outs….”

    Never mind. Nice one, Alex Gonzalez.

  90. “Kershaw could throw 15 innings today at this pace”

    What’s funny – or sad – is that Kershaw is usually pretty inefficient. His inability to get through seven is what’s keeping him from joining the ranks of MLB’s elite pitchers.

  111. “That’s a season high 5th strikeout for Jurrjens.”

    Wow, Chip, all those starts this year and this is the highest total!

  113. Can we make the trade for Kershaw now, so we can get him off the mound before next inning?

  115. The difference in quality listening to Scully and then Chip could not be bigger. After starting with Scully, I just switched to Chip. Man oh man.

  116. I always wonder what the typical Dodger fan thinks of Scully.

    And I think about the guys who beat that Giants fan half to death when I think of “typical Dodger fans.”

  117. Read the latest Fangraphs article AAR. Ignore the brushback you get in the comments. The article is very well done. Though Marisa does make me feel like a bum. I’m fairly sure at 14 all I cared about was girls and blowing stuff up/lighting it on fire.

  118. “So, is Franchise Freddie a good nickname?”

    I thought he was ‘Captain Marvel Jr.’?

  125. She likes reading bedtime stories about eating your spinach in secluded hotels in the middle of winter.

  126. 117 – Wow, I just read the article and the comments and feel horrified by the latter. WTF? I almost feel reluctant to go back to fangraphs. Those are some awful, though telling, reactions.

    Anyway, nice job AAR. I concur with Ethan.

  132. Joe just pointed out Uggla’s opening up too early, planting his front foot toward third base, and pulling off the ball. (Some would say being left with power that’s “all arms”. Of course with Uggla’s arms, IF he made contact that could be enough to hit the ball well.) However, pulling off means he is not staying “in the plane” long enough so isn’t making contact. That’s pretty basic. My question is, if Joe can see it, and we can see it, why can’t Parrish and the rest of the braintrust see it and do something about it?

  136. Haven’t seen The Shining… And you don’t make it attractive for me to check it out.

  142. That should just about do it….the one run lead that the Braves have no hope of overcoming with their JV lineup. What am I saying, every lineup is the JV lineup

  146. I hate, hate, hate Sherrill & Linebrink. Hate ’em…ok, I shouldn’t hate, so I don’t really. But I hate seeing them in a game, in a Braves uni, in any kind of meaningful situation…

  149. Linebrink sucks, as does Sherrill, and I was nervous about the pen, or at least its veteran members, coming into the season.

    Nevertheless, you’re gonna give up at least a couple runs almost every game. No team with this bad an offense should ever win more than 65 games.

  152. And since we talk about this sort of thing, Jeremy Sands is one ugly looking kid.

  153. Wait! So Conrad gets the call and not Heyward or BMAC? I dont care if they are left handed…

  154. This team is not handling expectations well. It is much easier to play when nobody expects anything from you.

  155. This team is a little depressing to watch. I know there is plenty of season to go but I want to win now dang it.

  156. Losers always say “it’s early”. Then, for two days or so, it’s “now or never”, and then “wait ’til next year”.

  160. The 2010 Braves would win this game in dramatic fashion. Let’s at least threaten here…

  163. Vin Scully on Kershaw’s unusual outing: “he’s had 13 at bats of 3 pitches or less.” Congratulations Braves. You’ve become the most hack-tastic team in baseball.

  164. The only positive I can try to grasp for here is that I thought our team totally sucked on paper last year, and for a good part of the season we did, but we got very hot and very lucky (imo) and somehow made the playoffs. To me this team still looks very weak on paper – not enough power, terrible bench, and counting on some very young players and some aging veterans in key spots … so I hope to be proven wrong yet again this year.

  165. Let’s see.

    Hat on head? Check.
    Hat bill in forward-facing position? Check.
    Raise hand toward forehead and prepare for tipping motion…

  170. This is incredibly poor use of your bench Fredi. Instead of using Heyward to pinch hit, he’s a pinch runner in a game that you hope goes into extras?

  194. YESSSS!

    my mlb.tv is screwed up so I watched it on gamecast. I saw that blue dot and was so happy when the 1 flipped into a 3

  197. *… aborts cap-tipping at the last possible moment. Instead jubilantly tossed cap in air in celebration!*

  207. Gamecast looks like the first two pitches were right down the middle for ball 1 and ball 2.

  235. Someone help me understand why Fredi brought McCann into the game but didn’t put him in the 9th spot, which is due up this inning. Is he trying to prevent Heyward and McCann from batting as long as possible?

  237. Oh wait, McCann is 9th. The box scores online are all wrong. Nevermind.

    Also, I’m sorry but Matt Young sucks.

  240. Yeah, Matt Young is completely blowing what will probably be his only MLB chance. He’s not walking. He’s not hitting the ball out of the infield, and he hasnt even bunted for a base hit (that I recall). Basically, he’s not doing anything that got him here.

  243. Yeah, the ball from his first hit was thrown into the stands. Hopefully, he got the ball from his second one.

  255. At least Young’s good for something. It’s not at the plate, but still.

  257. Hopefully they can survive this inning, so the amazing Matt Young can lead off the next inning.

  259. Joe Simpson doesn’t believe in “take the out stupid.”

    “Throw to second on the bunt. The runner at first doesn’t matter!”

  261. Joe Simpson is a moron. Listening to him and Chip together makes my ears bleed. Thankfully I am listening to Vin Scully right now.

  262. @258, that got to me, too. My first thought was, “Earl Weaver would smack you in the face.”

  279. Hmmm, maybe we should walk guys who are hitting .400 with first base open in a tie game. That’s just me though.

  281. Fredi walked Kemp in the 1st inning of the first game of the series. But in the 12th inning with a man in scoring period and first base open, he opts to pitch to him. That about sums up our managerial situation right now.

  282. There was zero chance in hell we would win this one after the Dodgers tied it up. The Braves don’t win games like this, period.

    Reminded me a lot of the playoff game last year vs. the Giants, where we went ahead on a HR after looking silly at the plate all night long, only to lose it a half-inning later. Soon as we took the lead, I thought “no way this is going to hold up”. Same today.

  285. Id call up Schafer or Mather right now. Having Young and Nate in the same OF is awful. Both have speed but neither get good jumps or can throw at all. At least Schafer and Mather have strong throwing arms and there is no dropoff offensively. Young gives this team nothing.m Neither does Hicks for that matter.

  287. Matt Young sucks. Joe Mathher sucks. Brandon Hicks sucks. Jordan Schafer sucks. Diory Hernandez sucks. Brooks Conrad sucks.

    Christian Martinez sucks. Scott Linebrink sucks. George Sherrill sucks.

    I have no idea what to do. Frank Wren will pay too much for a rental to fill a hole, and we will get hot for a while and tease us and then lose out in the end of the year as always.

    I hate this team. I hate our GM. I hate our manager. I hate our ownership.

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