We don’t seem to do too well against Wandy, though.
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We don’t seem to do too well against Wandy, though.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
Not sure what to expect from Delgado tonight. Anything from slightly-above-average to Albie Lopez wouldn’t surprise me
Dale Murphy is going to do some Braves games this year on SportsSouth.
Being optimistic hasn’t worked out well for me so far this year, so I won’t do it.
That new SS has some power but not enough singles. That old man filled in well so Franciso could get an off day.
Any reason Wilson is starting tonight over Pastornicky?
@5-
(Quote taken directly from CAC):
“His line against Wandy Rodriguez is .308/.357/.500 over 26 plate appearances.”
I would assume that if there’s a bench player who’s had a lot of success against that day’s starter, we’ll probably see him in the starting lineup. Fredi likes giving his bench players occasional starts, and his starters occasional days off.
@6, 7 even if the results date from 2009?
http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/batter_vs_pitcher.cgi?pitcher=rodriwa01&batter=wilsoja02#gotresults&batter=wilsoja02&pitcher=rodriwa01&min_year_game=2005&max_year_game=2009&post=1&ajax=1&submitter=1
Seriously, nice sample size.
They’re complaining about sample size over at CAC, as well, but if Fredi’s gonna give bench players starts, I’d rather it be based on this than the dart board method. Also, I thought the plan was to ease Pastornicky in. Seems a little early to abandon that plan.
@6, 7 even if the results date from 2009?
So, the guy that no one wanted on the team in the first place gets a day off against a really tough LHP, in favor of the backup who has had success against that LHP in his career, and we still complain? I swear to god, Fredi Gonzalez could cure cancer and bring peace to the Middle East while fucking Jennifer Love Hewitt and you boys would find something to whinge about.
Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?
Among other things, yes. I curse in ways that would make sailors blush, in general. I’m *way* toned down for Mac here.
We are clearly in your debt. Thanks for keepin’ it real.
I’m fine with Wilson starting. It’s a perfectly defensible decision.
Double post.
We are clearly in your debt. Thanks for keepin’ it real.
Welcome, Spikesey! *heartsparkdollarsign*
@15, I agree. I think founding that decision on Wilson’s performance v Rodriguez would be a stretch, that’s all, and I have no evidence that Fredi’s done that in any event.
I still have a cold, so it’s powerful cough medicine and an early bed for me. Morning recap.
What are you going say to Wilson? “I’d rather you never started, but I need to give the kid some off days–might as well be today.” Of course not. You say, “Jack, you’ve had success against this guy–I’d like you to start tonight. You’ll give the team a better chance to win.” The truth value of the statement is beside the point. Just like I tell my kids, “Be good or Santa won’t bring you any presents.”
“I swear to god, Fredi Gonzalez could cure cancer and bring peace to the Middle East while fucking Jennifer Love Hewitt and you boys would find something to whinge about.”
Yeah. That he was boning JLH and I wasn’t.
YES!!!!
@20
Exactly! If you’re gonna start bench players, you might as well do it against pitchers they’ve had success against. On paper, the sample size is too small, but in reality, they’ll have confidence, which can’t hurt, at the very least.
Is Bethany the only one more interested in the game and not JLH?
Wow. I realize it’s the Astros, but that was impressive.
There’s no textual evidence that Bethany wasn’t thinking of JLH when she shouted “YES!!!”
To clarify, I was enthusiastic over Jason knocking in Uggla. I couldn’t care less who is starting at short.
Come on Ross!!!!!!!!
Good thing Heyward sits against lefties
Okay, so how will we not score here?
Don’t like Wilson starts; really don’t like them the day after Pastornicky hits a home run.
GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO!!!!!!
I love David Ross.
RUNS! SWEET, DELICIOUS RUNS!
And my wife can testify that I called that easy-to-foresee squeeze. 🙂
Fredi has successfully called a suicide squeeze!!!
And the squeeze works.
Wow, a squeeze that actually worked
And they try it again.
A squeeze that works is very good. A run on the board is better than an out.
Not really sure I understand that one, but that’s nothing new I guess.
Hahaha, Chip: “He has no play! …except for the out at first.”
More bunts please.
@42 – For the record, I will *never* be contrarian and complain about mocking/hating/complaining about Chip.
Poor Bourne. Can’t catch a break.
You’d think Bourn would have better luck in his hometown.
That was a fun inning.
I see that Freddie is in one of his “strikeout every at bat” streaks.
I don’t understand a squeeze with men on 2nd and 3rd… You can’t ground into a double play, which is your worst case scenario… Plus, the pitcher was up next, to hit with a man on 3rd, one out… Maybe take a shot at driving then both in, then let your pitcher squeeze?
When did FF become Dave Kingman?
@40
They were both ideal times for squeezes, especially since they couldn’t have been expecting the second one.
@49
It wasn’t Dan Uggla at the plate, it was Jack Wilson.
Thank God for the audio overlay on MLB.TV. Powell and Sutton are ten times better than those clowns on Peachtree.
49—Jack Wilson cannot hit. That’s why the squeeze was a good idea, IMO.
Come on, Delgado.
That’s one way to get a strike.
@53, you hush your mouth – I heard somewhere he was .308/.357/.500 over 26 plate appearances against Rodriguez
Way to get out of trouble!
Whew.
I get the Wilson can’t hit part… I’m just saying that with two in scoring position, no out, and no forces available on the bases, most non-k outcomes would equal a run, and most safeties would mean two runs.
I see that the squeeze scored the run, but its no more a guarantee to work than “go hit a flyball” is.. but the “go hit a flyball” technique has more upside.
Mostly I don’t get leaving it up to the pitcher to drive in the other runner. Even with an error and a base on balls following, that man was still stranded at third.
I just don’t like the squeeze and I don’t especially don’t like it with no out and I triple don’t like it with two in scoring position. With the pitcher on deck, I just.. whatever.
Mostly I don’t get leaving it up to the pitcher to drive in the other runner.
They were playing for one additional run there, not two.
I really wish they’d worked Wandy harder than 5 pitches there. But there are runs, so it’s a minor nit I suppose.
Sweet…Durbin is warming up. I guess Fredi feels like 1 win in this series is enough
59 – totally agree. I don’t like bunting in pretty much any situation. Outs are the most valuable commodity in baseball, and giving them away on purpose is almost never a good idea. Certainly there are times where it makes sense, but early in the game isn’t one of those times. Mostly because we *don’t know how many runs it will take to win*. Playing for one extra run towards the end of the game is more defensible.
That said, I don’t think it’s worth whining about too much in this case, only because Wilson sucks and getting one run across with Wilson and the pitcher due up is probably not too bad an outcome. I still don’t like giving up a chance for a big inning though.
How about that?
Yeah, outs are valuable, but you’ve sort of given up your ability to not make them by sending Wilson up there, in the first place. I honestly felt like a bunt there was the most-likely-successful-run-scoring-attempt with him at the plate.
Hang the plastic tarps from the ceiling and put on your goggles: it’s Durbin time.
EDIT: Check that. CMart time…still might want to leave the tarps up in case he’s had too much to drink.
Well I guess I can’t argue with the “one is enough” theory.
Struck Maxwell out twice
Geez…maybe Durbin wouldn’t have been a bad choice instead of EOF
F***ing Success.
Schafer: .364/.417/.500
Bourn: .136/.208/.182
I do not feel good about this sequence of events.
Snitkered.
Real nice O’F*ckery
Edit- whew
EOF got off pretty cheap there.
The Braves are treating Carlos Lee like he’s frickin’ Pujols.
O’Failerty.
Yeah…it’s probably good to start trashing our reliever that appeared in 75 games last year and had a sub-1 ERA.
EOF now with a few Grybos to start the year.
Don’t care, still one of my favorite Braves.
Hooray. Maybe he’ll get to be full-time now.
*epic sigh of relief*
Gonzalez’s dreams of more Diaz starts takes a blow.
I think Jason Heyward is going to be ok.
Wow..good ball Jason
A J-HEY BOMB!
JHEY
Does that mean Jason gets a day off on Friday?
Jack Wilson’s teeth are a train wreck.
Hit & run w/ Wilson & Ross. Frediocy!
No one’s going to agree, but hit-and-run was a decent call there, and it was pure bad luck that it didn’t work out. Just gotta shrug your shoulders and move on.
It’s never “bad luck” when Jack Wilson doesn’t successfully hit.
And tip your cap.
There is a break
No matter how bad it gets, at least we’re not Astro fans.
He lined it to right-center, for God’s sake.
Brian Snitker has a posse?
And I did not say tip your cap.
He floated it to right-center.
He’s Jack Wilson. He should stick to sweet D and timely bunts.
I am tired of Jordan Schafer. Kimbrel, please sit him down.
EDIT: Drat.
Has something happened to mlb.tv?
Jason Hewyward has to custom order his jock strap.
We couldn’t do this the easy way, could we Kimbrel?
Where the hell are those?
@102, He’s getting squeezed like crazy.
Never change, sdp.
Nice. It won’t look quite as pretty as it did last year, but our ‘pen will still get it done.
Wow..there ya go. Good work boys
Strike six.
Ok, it counts as a win I think.
So with just the weird hit-and-run call in the ‘bad decision’ pile (up to 10 total if you’re counting at home), Fredi notches another managerial win. I liked the two straight squeezes.
And Delgado was impressive.
We won!!! It would be so funny if Delgado turns out to be the best among the three…
You guys are nuts. If you don’t think that hit-and-run call was OK, then you don’t think any hit-and-run call is OK, as far as I’m concerned. I’m not gonna worry too much about it since we won, but yeesh…
Whew. Mets magic number remains at 157.
Kept up with the game on the wonderful iPhone app. (Creeping back to normalcy, are we?) Nice to get some hits again from our better players. If Heyward keeps raking, we can be good. And Delgado made some great pitches tonight. Kid’s got some poise.
Got to the Bowery Ballroom to see the Alabama Shakes tonight, went upstairs to get a brew at the less-busy bar & realized I was standing next to… Bill Cowher. WTF?
BTW, if you like gritty rockin’ soul & you haven’t checked out the Alabama Shakes (from Athens, yes, but the one in Alabama), do so. Their singer, Brittany, is something else. Really belts it. Super soulful, but not Aretha-like, more greasy grits & gravy. Had the place in the palm of her hand tonight.
http://tinyurl.com/6nk6rog
Good win! Heyward’s bomb was the highlight for me.
Kimbrel was getting HELLA squeezed there at the end.
@114, just “discovered” Alabama Shakes this week and got their new album. Love it! Agree, the singer is impressive. Must’ve been a good concert.
The Shakes are from Alabama. They may have moved to Athens when they started touring relentlessly with the Drive-by Truckers, but they’re from Alabama.
Right. Athens, AL, as noted by ububba.
If you don’t think that hit-and-run call was OK, then you don’t think any hit-and-run call is OK, as far as I’m concerned.
I mean, this is a really stupid thing to keep arguing about, granted, but…seriously? No hit-and-run calls? What about hit-and-run calls with guys who can actually hit? ‘Cause those are the kind I’m in favor of. Not sure what’s so hard to understand about that.
Well, to finish this part of the trip 2-4 after that start, while not encouraging, is not ‘slash your wrist’ depressing.
Heyward showing signs is of IS encouraging.
Now let’s get on a streak!
ububba, what app are you using?
Missed most of the game, but the posts pretty much can sum it up for me. Im glad Heyward started last night, he pretty much won the game for the Braves. Fredi really needs to start using Ross’ bat in PH situations when he can. Freeman’s K totals are a bit alarming.
Recap is up.