What an odd series. Jair Jurrjens was not particularly sharp, but led the entire way and picked up his tenth “win” of the season. The game was close until the eighth, when the Padres apparently ran out of good relievers they were willing to use.
With one out in the second, Heyward doubled to right field, and he came home on a single up the middle by Chipper. In the second, Uggla reached on a walk, and McLouth doubled to center, moving up and Uggla scoring when the ball went under Cameron Maybin’s glove. Freeman drove in Heyward after another double in the sixth.
Jurrjens seemed to be in trouble all night, but allowed just three hits, one a solo homer in the third. But he walked an unaccustomed four men, and had trouble with the strike zone all night. But after allowing the first two on in the sixth he got out of it, and that was the Padres’ last serious threat.
O’Flaherty pitched the seventh, allowing a single because Uggla sucks, but got a DP to get out of it. The key play in the eighth inning that put the game away was a bunt; not one of Fredi’s sacrifices, but Brian McCann, the best catcher in baseball, bunting for a hit against the stupid shift with one out. Freeman followed with a double off the wall, and against a drawn-in infield Uggla singled to make it 4-1. AAG squeezed to make it 5-1, then a McLouth double scored Uggla again to make it 6-1.
Venters pitched the eighth because he was already warmed up. He walked the leadoff man, got a GIDP, then struck out the third batter. Pretty typical. Schafer led off the ninth with a triple, then after a Heyward strikeout scored on a Chipper double. McCann was walked, Freeman flew out, and then Uggla, since the game was out of hand, hit a three-run homer. Linebrink pitched the ninth, getting them 1-2-3.
The best thing about this game was everything. I can’t believe we scored 10 runs on 12 hits — eight for extra bases, including two doubles by McLouth (!) and a homer by Uggla (!!!1!!1). That’s, like, an efficient offense. Hell, if Chipper hadn’t gotten caught stealing and Freddie hadn’t gotten picked off, we might have had more.
“Calling it. This is a false spring for Uggla, who is finished. The sooner he takes his act to the Long Island Ducks, the better off we’ll all be.”
What, and drag down the Ducks?
I guess my “we” necessarily excludes the Ducks. Sorry, Ducks.
So anyone want to take over my Uggla’s Arms Twitter Account? You can have 688 followers who enjoy Braves-related humor. Free to a good home.
I’m too busy studying for the bar and being in two bands. E-mail me at benjamin DOT grossberg AT gmail DOT com.
I would, but for all these Chinese babies I’ve adopted.
Dan Uggla is silencing his critics.
I would but I’m chronically unreliable.
@6 You also apparently like making out with drill bits.
How are you feeling today?
I would but my hammock needs re-stringing.
I would but my socks have holes in them.
I’m already doing an Uggla’s fauxhawk twitter, so I think there’d be a conflict of interest.
Please explain how Polanco is leading NL 3B voting, he’s got a .703OPS. BTW, Chipper has the highest NL OPS at 3B, .791OPS. Well, he’s tied with Headley.
MLB All-Star voting. That’s a joke with no need for a punchline.
Because the All Star game is a popularity contest, and Philly has a lot of fans showing up every night to stuff the ballot.
There really shouldnt be a way for me to vote for an AL team of Ka’aihue, Getz, Casilla, Figgins, Jaso, Kubel, Frenchy, Fuld, and Bourjos.
I wouldn’t care if Ryan Roberts, Chase Headley, Placido Polanco, or Chipper Jones started the game. They’re all passable; none of them are particularly great, or even very good. My guess is that both Polanco and Chipper get the nod. They’re from the bigger baseball markets and have more name recognition than the other two.
Chipper is 1 million votes behind.
Schafer
Heyward
Chipper
Freeman
Uggla
Ross
AAG
McLouth
P
Word of the day: “ugsome”.
Since I didn’t mention it yesterday, RIP Nick Charles. A certain stalker of our recent acquaintance was stunned when I told him that CNN used to have a major sports report every night. He couldn’t understand why it was necessary, or wrap his head around the idea that it was often better than pre-Patrick/Olbermann Sportscenter. I miss CNN Sports so much, you guys.
Oh, and Fred Hickman is shaming his legacy.
How many innings will this game be? O/U 10.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Headley were selected as the 3B backup, unless one of the SD pitchers gets slotted in. They have to have one player on the team, right?
I imagine Heath Bell would probably their rep this year.
All the sportscasters of my youth are going young. First George Michael, now Nick Charles. I hope Warner Wolf keeps his insurance current.
I’ve long since stopped caring much who gets to start the All-Star game. I think Derek Jeter again leading AL shortstops in votes clearly shows how much of a farce it has become.
Davey Johnson officially the Nats’ manager. They’re officially 50 percent scarier.
Johnson was so obviously retained for just this purpose – I was sort of surprised the brought Riggs back this year. He handled it poorly, but he had a point – he was clearly a caretaker, and Rizzo wouldn’t just say so.
@8
Pretty good. I had even forgotten about until I ran my hand over my head this morning. Thanks for all the concern everyone.
Sad thing is that it’s not even the most ridiculous way I’ve managed to hurt myself building something.
#20
It’s weird how some people (media types, artists, whatever) can define a period of your life. And, for a lotta folks, Nick & Fred certainly owned 11 pm for a few years there.
Here’s a really nice (and probably tough-to-write) piece about Nick Charles from Joe Poz.
http://tinyurl.com/3v2zgrx
@28, Between the motorcycles and my old house, you will get nothing but sympathy from me. The split second between recognition that whatever ridiculous idea I had is about to fail and the actual pain setting in is really the worst part.
I see that the Padres are wearing their battle-dress uniforms today. Too bad we’re not countering with our Sunday tomato-tops.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, we could call it.
Hooray for the old Sesame Street DP.
Wow, walking the tightrope again so far.
AAG sucks.
Someone dented my car today. I might never recover.
The Challenger?
Sorry to hear it.
Speaking of potential All-Star 3Bs, Ty Wigginton has six HRs this week. This fact brought to you by my grateful fantasy team.
Prado able to start stuff again. YAY!
http://tinyurl.com/44vhcja
Uggla is hitting the ball hard atleast
38- My fantasy team has had a… slightly worse week; Madison Bumgarner and Shin Soo-Choo are on it.
Got to say, that troop celebration thing the Pares do is cool
We all know the Padres have a pitcher out there on a pitch count around 70 yet still they seem to swing at every pitch. Hudsons AB was probably the best so far.
I loathe Alex Gonzalez as a baseball player.
AAG sucks badly.
@44,45 – I think AAG’s been pretty much exactly what we expected. That said, it would be awesome for the Braves’ future if Pastornicky or Lipka panned out in the near future.
Tim Hudson has seen more than a fifth of Luebke’s pitches so far (16 of 75).
AAG has been what we should have expected- a good glove and a replacement-level bat. Not that bad, but we should be able to improve on it.
Hopefully the Braves have, after five innings, now seen all of Luebke’s pitches.
I know he is what he is, and that he has not disappointed. Leaving aside my irritation at the trade that brought him here, I just dislike watching him bat. I especially dislike it when the opposing pitcher is nearing his pitch limit, but AAG swings futilely at the first pitch anyway. At least McLouth and Hudson bailed him out with two good at bats.
Luebke is a talented, young, left-handed pitcher. He’s exactly the type of guy who kills the Braves, and I’m glad he’s out of the game
Edit: Clayton Richard?
And so we have.
Remember when we thought Heyward could play a passable center? Yeah, I think we were wrong.
Well, it appears he was playing center on that play. He had to run too much to get to that ball.
When did Heyward decide to become a below average offensive and defensive player?
Nice work, Timmy.
That K on Bartlett was nasty.
@41
I’ve got you beat: Pujols, Choo, Jonathan Sanchez, Prado, and Jed Lowrie are all on my fantasy team.
Jordan Schafer experiment coming to a screeching halt. Frank, please get us a CF.
This one is starting to get that familiar feeling…
Way to work, Huddy.
Wow, what a pitch.
Get some runs for Timmy, girls.
It’s one thing to be below the Mendoza Line, but to not be within 20 points of it at the end of June… and still playing every day… takes something special.
AAG is hitting .195 this month. Yep, Im hating him again.
Tim Hudsons own fault. He had no rbis today.
The Braves can only shut out opposing teams so many times when Tim Hudson pitches. At some point, they’re going to have to score.
Braves last RBI for Tim, besides his 2R HR, was in the 5th inning on June 10th at Houston. 3 straight starts with zero runs, unless he did it himself.
If Linebrink can get Ludwick out here I will stop saying bad things about him for a week.
Nice! Ok, if McLouth homers this inning I will stop saying bad things about him for a week….
I miss Peter Moylan.
Eric O is better the linebrink even with the platoon split.
Sweet.
Let’s win this damn game.
Yeah, baby!
Say what you want, but Linebrink has been pretty solid this month.
We dodged a bullet there–and Fredi helped them shoot the gun.
The one thing I’ll say positive about Linebrink is that he has been solid in high leverage situations this season. It’s undoubtedly just noise, but it helps lessen his “impact.”
We should be used to that, Adam. How many years did we watch Bobby issue IBBs like he got a commission on them?
@72- Wait, what?
Wow… that was a 3-run double waiting to happen if there ever was one. Better go get some runs now that the miracle card has been used.
AAG sucks very badly.
Does AAG believe that he is a “GOOD” hitter? He gets so pissed off after every terrible AB. We know he’s not capable, shouldnt he?
The Braves haven’t played in a 10th inning this series. They’re due.
78- You think you’re joking, but if the Braves don’t play extra innings today, this will be the seventh straight game to go just nine- which would be their longest such run since April 30 to May 10.
JORDAN!!
SCHAFER!!!!!!!!!!
Yee-haw
Give that man some oxygen!
Venable shouldn’t have watched that “Gloves of Steel” video.
Way to go Jordan.
My cable picked a great time to have technical difficulties (or did that happen for everyone watching on FSN?)
#86 – it happened to me also, but they kpt the audio running.
77 — I’ll take AAG getting pissed over him standing around with a goofy grin looking like he was perfectly happy to have struck out so he could get back to the dugout and eat some more.
Go Jordan!
Padres’ defense really failed them there. So did the home plate umpire, actually, on that last pitch to McLouth.
Now the Braves need six more outs.
The last pitch to McLouth was off the plate according to the graphic they showed.
90 – Well, what do I know? Either way I’ll take it.
Freaking Venters.
Come on Jonny, a crow hop? Seriously? And a near miss the next batter. Get that damned ball to first with a purpose!
Freaking swinging bunt.
He needs two strikeouts here. This has been a poor outing.
WTF was Venable thinking there?!
DAMN IT.
What a frustrating inning this has been.
Well, this has been fun.
This inning has been quite a rarity. Just shot that ERA over 1.00.
Good night everybody. Boy do I hate this club sometimes.
No offense to Jonny Venters though. He has been lights out all year.
This inning has gone south because Jonny Venters failed to field his position twice.
Plus, he walked the first guy.
Disgusting. It’s going to happen, but it probably shouldn’t happen against the freaking Padres.
I’m sure this has nothing to do with Fredi overusing Venters massively, and having him pitch with a big lead last night because “he was already warmed up”.
Yep, Venters really should have had the ball that scored the first run. He also almost muffed the second bunt attempt. What an awful inning.
#103
On cue…
This team just needs an offense and a manager who knows that our best bullpen guys are not superhuman.
Of course, if this team could hit worth half a damn, Venters wouldn’t be walking a tightrope during most of his appearances. Fire Parrish already.
And for Dan Uggla’s suckage to decrease at least slightly.
Recapped. I suggest we just pretend this game never happened.