Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 15, 2011 – ESPN.
Gosh, that was fun. The Braves got their 10,000th win as a franchise, Martin Prado returned to the lineup with two hits, including a homer, the Nats committed five errors, and Livan Hernandez was the losing, humiliated pitcher. All in all, a good night.
The Nats actually opened the scoring off of Tim Hudson, two singles and a groundout in the first making it 1-0. But that was all they would get, all, night, as they rarely even threatened from then out. In the bottom of the inning, Jordan Schafer reached and went to second on a pair of errors. With one out, Jason Heyward walked, and Freddie Freeman singled in Schafer to tie it. Dan Uggla doubled home Heyward, and another error, off the bat of David Ross (who is apparently now Hudson’s personal catcher, don’t ask me) scored Freeman. Nate McLouth‘s single to score Uggla made it 4-1, but Ross was Snitkered on an Alex Gonzalez single to more or less end the threat.
In the third, Hudson singled in Ross to make it 5-1. Prado homered leading off the fourth, Livan’s last inning. The Braves put it away in the sixth. Hudson doubled over the right fielder’s head leading off, then went to third on a wild pitch. Schafer walked, then Prado and Heyward singled to make it 8-1. Uggla reached on an error to make it 9-1, but the Braves wound up leaving the bases loaded. Freeman doubled in two in the seventh to make it 11-1.
Scott Linebrink pitched the eighth, loading the bases before getting out of it. George Sherrill threw a perfect ninth. I guess the situation was just too high-leverage for Scott Proctor.
Would you trust Scott Proctor to protect a ten run lead?
Natspro announcer were talking about how fast the infield was. I thought Shaffer & Uggla smashed the balls that ate up the 1B and went through wicket on gold glove 3B.
‘I guess the situation was just too high-leverage for Scott Proctor.’ Classic.
Seems Ross will be Hudson’s personal catcher until September. Onca a backup catcher is here Ross can pitch hit regularly and will get at least as many at bats as now
Well, MaCann is hitting lefties better than the other lefties in the regular lineup, so it makes sense for Ross to be sombody’s personal catcher.
Anybody else terrified that Wren will go out and re-acquire Francoeur to be the “right-handed OF bat” the Braves need?
*cold shiver*
We have a six game lead in the WC. I don’t mind Ross getting more ABs right now. I also wouldn’t mid seeing Freeman getting some days off at first, to try and avoid hitting a wall.
Proctor is best utilized when the Braves are up 11 or more runs. Of course my preference would be to have a pitcher who can be trusted with a lead that is less than 10 runs, but I guess that’s just me.
I’d love for us to go out and get Lorenzo Cain. He could platoon with Schafer in CF and in the leadoff spot, and he may be a legitimate everyday option in CF and in the leadoff spot going forward.
I’m beginning to think that the Braves should call up Vizcaino for the bullpen, that right now he’d be the best RH reliever we had other than Kimbrel and that he has similar shutdown possibilities. But they’re fixated on veterans.
@6
Francoeur would be good during the honeymoon period, but since he’s already played with Atlanta, there might not be anyone to try and impress. His stats during the first month with a team are simply amazing and completely unexplainable.
Here are those unexplainable stats…
112/336 22 doubles 1 triple 19HR 12 walks
slash line: .333/.356/.574
JJ Hardy extended.
Morosi tweet…
#Braves are looking for a bat, but #Athletics OF Josh Willingham isn’t high on their list, source says. Willingham had big game last night.”
I hope the source is wrong. I’d love to have Willingham on the cheap.
Did anyone else notice that the Pirates are in first place in the Central?
Braves, 6 games up in WC, on pace to 96 wins
I think Fredi’s rotating Ross through the pitchers. He was Jurgjjens personal catcher for a while, now he’s Hudson’s. Probably be Hanson next month.
This is actually a smart move, because when the postseason comes, he can have McCann catch every day, without the “but he hasn’t caught [Maddux] all year” nonsense.
I would rather get a center fielder than a corner OF. Even though he hasn’t played well, but we are a better team with Schafer out there.
7 – Do we have reason to worry about Freeman hitting a wall? Seemed like he just got better and better as the season went anong last year.
CF and SS makes much more sense than a corner OF’r. Problem there is there arent many solutions that would come cheap and those are the two best defensive guys right now. Juan Rivera made a lot of sense, just not to the front office.
@16 – I think he is going to be Hudson’s personal catcher moving forward. Have you seen the stats this year when Ross catches him versus when McCann catches him? I’m too lazy to look them up, but there is a drastic difference in numbers – drastic, I say.
#6/#11
Not that I want him anywhere near my team (’cause I got sick of watching & discussing him awhile ago), but Francoeur remains a genuine lefty masher. Some team could use that.
Career vs LHP: 299/344/491
2011 vs LHP: 310/348/607
As much as I dislike him, Francoeur would probably be a pretty good platoon/fourth outfielder/pinch-hitter. The problem has been that he thinks he’s an everyday outfielder, and he’s kind of a jackass about it.
I miss Diaz.
Seeing as the ’11 split is based on 90 something PA’s I believe I’d be a bit wary of that continuing. .835 lifetime is decent I guess.
“As much as I dislike him, Francoeur would probably be a pretty good platoon/fourth outfielder/pinch-hitter. The problem has been that he thinks he’s an everyday outfielder, and he’s kind of a jackass about it.”
Hey, he is an aspiring king:
http://bravesjournal.us/?p=6354
Diaz is not having a good year with .671 OPS and no home runs.
Wilkin getting the start in LF tonight with McLouth sitting. Heyward in the 6th spot.
Jim Donnan, former Georgia Bulldog coach, accused in Ponzi scheme – ESPN.
Vizcaino has been moved to the bullpen in order to limit his innings for the rest of the year.
heading over to Yankee Stadium to see Sir Paul McCartney tonite…pretty psyched.
That will be great DWonder
Saw him at Piedmont Park in ’09 — “Let Me Roll It” was the underrated highlight IMO. Also, his current drummer is stupendous.
#30
Enjoy. Curious to know how a rock show in that place is.
Seeing Metallica/Slayer, etc., there in September. (My girlfriend wanted to go, I swear—she loves Metallica and yup, hates Rush.)
I’m headed over to Coors Field to watch the ASG MVP/World’s Fattest Vegetarian.
Come on, Tommy.
Really, Tommy? Really?
Tommy Hanson, improving the hitting stats of opposing pitchers since… Whenever he was called up. 2009?
AGon – feasting on mediocre pitching since 2000.
Call me overoptimistic, but I hope that will help keep AAG hitting 7th and out of the #2 spot.
Time to stop hitting Lannan like he’s Cliff Lee.
That was a Yunel.
Morosi is reporting that the Tigers are interested in Lowe.
Hamels now a much more distant follower to JJ.
Oh, goddammit.
41 – Don’t tease me. Please Tigers, please. We don’t even require a Jurrjens-level prospect this time. Just take his salary.
44 – Boo!
I can’t help it. I know he puts up great numbers. I know all the reasons I shouldn’t.
I hate Tommy Hanson. He’s my least favorite Brave.
Trade Hanson imo.
JJ – Proctor?? Schafer??
Why is no one checking on Hanson? He has a blister or nail or something.
He tortures me too, JJ.
Can Ron Gant and Chip let the missed call go? Maybe Uggla needs to learn how to throw
Or maybe talk about how we gave up two hits and 2 rbis to the pitcher.
Remember when Heyward used to drive the ball?
I also have an irrational dislike of Hanson, though he is not my least favorite Brave.
I am pissed, I was hopeful that we would gain a game in the standings.
The game isn’t over. It’s only the 7th, and this team does much better against bullpens than left handed starting pitchers.
I can’t make myself REALLY care that Schafer and Proctor etc. suck. Some guys “just work here.”
Tommy is supposed to be our guy. But he’s a terrible baseball player. He can’t hit, can’t bunt, can’t run, CAN’T FIELD HIS POSITION, and can’t throw to bases. It’s like he never even played baseball growing up. I can’t make any sense of it.
The Prado.
The EOF
JJ – He pitches really well.
Damn, I forgot how good Prado is at third!
Proctor looks like he’s throwing batting practice. Just with more velocity and less control.
Recapped.