Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins – Box Score – June 06, 2012 – ESPN.
As usual, Randall Delgado didn’t get any run support to speak of. Of the two runs he did get, he had to drive one in himself. But this time, he and the bullpen pitched well enough to make two runs hold up. That won’t work too often, but this one time…
The game was scoreless through three, when Brian McCann (who had a three-hit game) doubled leading off. Dan Uggla followed with a walk. Freddie Freeman singled in McCann, but after the inning had to leave the game with a hand injury; hopefully nothing serious. Jason Heyward grounded into a double play, followed by an Andrelton Simmons walk. Delgado then singled, and it was 2-0.
Delgado had kept the Marlins off the bases through the first four innings. In the fifth, though, Giancarlo Stanton led off with a double, and scored on a two-out single to make it 2-1. That was all they would get, though.
After a walk to Stanton with one out in the seventh, Delgado was relieved by Jonny Venters, who got both men he faced. Eric O’Flaherty threw a 1-2-3 eighth, and Craig Kimbrel a 1-2-3 ninth. Only one strikeout this time, though.
Glad to see both you and Chipper back. There was a losing streak without you guys.
Well I am just not sure what to make of this…
http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-braves/chipper-jones-tim-tebow-1453597.html
welcome back, Mac.
It amazes me how quickly D1 has blown up.
Wow. Carlos Delgado can hit for power AND pitch.
Glad to know you’re feeling good, Mac.
@4
Tebow can sell anything right now. I have abandoned my opposition.
That company was blowing up before Tebow got involved. Started by Will Bartholomew (UT fullback during Peyton’s years, from an old, established [great] Nashville family), and it’s just taken off. The friendship/partnership with Tebow obviously helps, but it’s just plain successful. Hope it lasts.
So nice to hear good news from you, Mac.
You’ve got a big rooting section here.
(And I wish Tebow had gone anywhere else than NYC—Denver was perfect. But, as we know, the Jets owner feels the need to run a circus.)
Mac – your improving health is more welcome news than a Braves’ winning streak; however I am praying for both of these trends to continue.
@9 Braves to better when MAC is on his game.
Any Twitter-ers read any update on Freeman’s hand?
What did I miss? Why are we calling Randall Delgado – Carlos?
Mac, that sly dog, likes to see if we are paying attention.
Mac–Glad to hear that you are feeling better. You are in our prayers.
I agree with Parish about these trends….
Joey Terdoslavich not only was sent down to Mississippi, he was moved across the diamond to first base.
Mac, I am becoming painfully aware of the ups and downs of the cancer fight. Stay strong, our prayers are always with you.
I fixed the Delgado thing. I actually do that all the time, it’s just that usually I catch it before publishing.
Braves signed Lucas Sims. I think that the changes in the CBA will really help the Braves in the draft.
The Terd got flushed to AA.
(Stolen from Calcaterra)
Off-topic, but couldn’t ask for better help:
Going to pick up an accousitc guitar to play for my new wife. Haven’t owned one in 20 years and our budget is tight.
Any suggestions on howto track down a sweet instrument?
Freeman’s Xrays were negatvie. No broken bones and should only miss 1-2 games.
Kevin – I like the Seagull S-6 for a great value for money entry type guitar. They are inexpensive, Canadian made, cedar top, cherry or maple back and sides, and can readily be found second hand for $250 or less.
In former Braves news, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Derek Lowe is leading the AL in wins since he knows how to win, but I have to say I’m shocked to see Melky Cabrera hitting .366 and leading the NL. What’s up with that?
I can hit a baseball farther than Giancarlo Stanton.
@18
Depends, of course, on your definition of tight budget, but there’s a brand called Eastman, which is not super expensive…. Very, very good quality for the money.
You do mean steel string, right??
Braves signed Sims for below slot, $1.65 M versus $1.825 M.
Going to pick up an accousitc guitar to play for my new wife. Haven’t owned one in 20 years and our budget is tight.
Any suggestions on howto track down a sweet instrument?
Seagull. All the way. A few hundred bucks and you have one of the smoothest, kindest and sweetest sounding acoustic guitars for the money. Approximate feel and sound of a Martin you’d pay 5 times more for, but on a pawn shop price. I don’t know how they do it.
Can anyone explain to me how the CBA changes will impact the Braves now and going forward? I’ve never understood slotting and understand it even less now. Many thanks!
24—Also signed their 12th-round pick for $275K over slot, so they had to sign someone else (almost certainly not Wood) for below slot, too.
@26- someone will come behind me with a better explanation, but my understanding is:
There’s a “recommended” price for every numbered pick in the draft, but teams don’t have to stick to it. But the recommended price of each of their pick numbers is added up, and they must not spend more than that amount in total. In addition, the sum of their first ten recommended slots cannot be surpassed through the first ten.
So, you’re free to deviate on each individual pick, but after 10 picks, the numbers better add up, and then again after 40. (I don’t know about after 20, 30, or any other time.)
This leads to more college seniors being drafted early, as they have no leverage to “hold up” the team that drafts them. Teams want to punish those guys with under-slot offers, so they can afford to go over slot later in the draft with picks that can opt out and go back to school and try again.
It looks like the Braves took their old “only draft ’em if you know they’ll sign” philosophy, but used it to take advantage of some high school players who were left on the board by those other teams, thus, getting more upside players than they have in recent years.
This seems like pretty good foresight to me, but that probably is the result of the whole concept being Schuerholz’s baby.
Will Bartholomew was a great full back
The Braves have always had pretty good luck with drafting Georgia boys. There was seriously no way that Lucas Sims was gonna pass up a chance to pitch for the Braves. It’s a pretty good hometown discount strategy.
@21, Not saying Melky’s a bad hitter, but a .404 BABIP and a ridiculous spike in ground balls hit could make anyone look like an MVP candidate.
Last year, the Royals said they could only sign one of Francoeur and Melky Cabrera. Guessing they’re not happy with their choice now.
@18 – I had a Seagull as my first guitar and I can attest to its great value proposition. Great sound and feel for the money….and it wasn’t half-bad looking either.
28 – Awesome explanation. Thank you.
#Braves lineup: Bourn cf, Prado 3b, McCann c, Uggla 2b, Diaz lf, Heyward rf, Hinske 1b, Simmons ss, Minor p
Just one addendum about the CBA. As I understand it, there are penalties for exceeding a bonus of $100,000 after the 10th round, regardless of anything else. This effectively makes it impossible to spend late picks guys that fell due to signability concerns and use them as backup in case your first round pick doesn’t sign or something like that.
Seagull it is.
Thanks
Mike Minor for Stu and the sweep. Give ’em heck, Braves.
Darn it. Well, at least that was one time where Michael Bourn was called out and he actually was out.
Throw strikes, Mike.
Oh my god.
For cripes’ sake, Mike. 15 pitches, just 6 strikes.
That 2-0 pitch was playing with fire. It was a high fastball to Giancarlo Stanton just above the belt. He got lucky that Stanton didn’t murder it.
What does it say about Jurrjens that the Braves would rather have this?
This is like watching Tim Tebow throw. You have no bloody clue where the ball is headed when it leaves his hand.
I think that if Minor pitches today like he has the last month, then he could be on the farm by next weekend.
He isn’t missing by much. Just a couple of inches off the black. But he’s trying to be too fine. Trying to make a perfect pitch and finding himself in one 2-0 count after another.
Just throw the damn ball somewhere in the strike zone that isn’t belt-high middle-in, Mikie.
Give him credit — the last pitch was his best, maybe in a few starts.
We just got lucky.
Whew.
You’d be hard-pressed to match up two current starters with such polar opposite groundball/flyball rates.
Our guy throws 25 or more pitches; theirs, less than 10. I don’t like the way this is looking.
Best pitch in baseball is strike one.
Why is Buehrle swinging away, anyway?
Andrelton Simmons can play shortstop.
COME HERE!
Andrelton is schlick.
Hinske may be as slow as I am.
Hinske could f*ck up a pizza joint.
Andrelton!
Minor may be as good at bunting as he is at pitching.
THAT’S A BULLSHIT CALL!
You’ve got to be kidding me, ump. He’s in the box.
Nothing brings out the worst in umpires like Braves-Marlins.
Well, that sucks.
@59 My dad always says “he could **** up an anvil”.
But what’s the call when it hits the bat twice? I thought that was still enough to get you called out.
Or I guess that’s only when it hits the bat a second time in fair territory. Bad call it is.
Good Minor, is that you?
Much better, Mike.
Marlins announcers agree, AAR, and define fair territory as any point forward of the back of the plate.
Good God I love the “Messin’ with Sasquatch” commercials.
I just knew this is what would happen when Buehrle came to the division. I HATE soft-tossing lefties.
Here we go again!
Come on, Mike.
Turn-about’s fair play.
So far, so good, Mikey.
Why is it that it looks like the outside corner is never ending when a LHP faces a LHB?
72- On the other hand, there needs to be a law outlawing Adam Sandler. One of those laws declaring him a crime against humanity.
Yep, there it is.
@79, I would co-sponsor that.
Damn it, Mike.
Me and my big mouth.
I was just about to say, Minor’s looked good today outside of his FB command. It’s been very inconsistent, and that one was left way up.
Minor leads the NL in home ru ns allowed.
Like, for example, those last two ABs.
Agreed. His slider and curve have been much more reliable than his fastball — not just that he’s throwing them for more strikes, but also that he’s kept them down even when he’s missed with them.
But, like I’ve said before, inconsistent fastball command has plagued him all month, and if you can’t command your fastball you can’t pitch in the Show.
I’m not going to complain about 1 run through 5.
Not bad outing, Mike. Hope you’re done for the night.
His breaking pitches, on the other hand, have looked quite sharpe.
These Marlin colors are wreteched.
Anyone will take one run through five, especially from the fifth starter. But damn does Minor serve up home runs. An NL-leading fourteen already, and that’s despite Minor not giving up any in his first three starts of 2012. He’s becoming Eric Milton.
Buehrle’s getting a complete game out of this.
NITRAM ODARP!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!! MARTIN!!!!!!!!!!!
Prado!
Prado does not fuck around. Love that guy.
Well struck, Nitram.
ODARP!!! Fear him still.
Proud to be proved wrong, again.
Is that a Durbin I see before me?
I still don’t love Chad.
Call me, maybe.
One more, Durbin.
Okay, so I was out getting groceries and missed all the Minor excitement – high pitch count, only 1 run? Intestinal fortitude with runners on? Luck?
Pleasantly surprised by the lead…
Good job, Durbin. Whew.
Jason had the eye of the tiger on that AB.
Wow,Jason!
Hey, Jason! Sorry about what I said last night.
Awesome. I want Jason to be a star so badly.
Runs!
You gotta throw strikes, Jonny.
Wow. Jason just got to a ball that I did not think that anyone would get to.
The man can play some serious right field.
HOLY HECK
Going back to the bunt play: OBR 6.05(h)
If the batter is in a legal position in the batter’s box, see Rule 6.03, and, in the umpire’s judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the course of the ball, a batted ball that strikes the batter or his bat shall be ruled a foul ball;
So it doesn’t matter where the bat was — it was a bad call.
OH MY GOD ANDRELTON SIMMONS JUST MADE THE GREATEST DOUBLE PLAY I HAVE SEEN ALL YEAR.
MLB GameDay’s frozen up again.
Ni Woo, Andrelton.ce, Jason.
He did that from his ass, y’all.
WE HAVE A DEFENSE!
Tyler Pastornicky!!
Hate not having the edit. Good defense that inning.
Pastornicky doesn’t even sniff that ball let alone turn a double play.
Oh wait, it’s come back. It must have had trouble digesting that double play.
Coop, thanks for showing Mac why we need that edit function back now.
Simmons is a bad, bad man.
Wow, Simmons, what a play.
!!!! That inning was spectacular.
Hey, he walked!
Like to see Andrelton walk.
It’s like Andrelton Simmons wants me to have a mancrush on him. Very well, Andrelton, I will grant your wish.
129 — I’m not totally convinced that is his primary motivation, but whatever keeps him playing like this works for me.
I’m not prepared to take that chance, Tomas.
My god… Could this guy work any slower?
Not a fan of the green screen green color scheme.
Still a terrible baseball club, Miami.
He does it again!
Martin Prado, continuing to assault his critics.
More Nitramy goodness!
Martin’s a keeper.
Brian hit that ball hard.
Bah, homer.
Yeah, it looked like a homer from the outset. They screwed him. I can’t believe that they can’t review that — they can review homers for fair/foul.
Glad we got that extra run.
Not a homer.
Okay, they finally gave it to him. I wouldn’t want to benefit from a bad call like that.
Oh well.
Oops!
Can they put a coat of paint on the top the the fence? Is that too much to ask?
Simmons DP:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22106409
Get someone up and ready.
I don’t know why at this point, but I am still amazed when Chip and Joe can’t see. The ball hit the screen. Home run.
147- A thing of beauty and a joy forever. O’Flaherty’s pitching tonight, however, is not. Hope Kimbrel can get four or five outs.
@147, Funny how Uggla and Hinske almost ruined the whole thing, there.
Way to go Eric!
Ok, good fighting back, Eric.
The Marlins’ announcers keep showing this pitch tracker, but the locations of the pitches on the tracker barely have any resemblance to where the pitches actually are. Strange.
Could have been worse. Kimbrel for the sweep.
GOOOOOOOO yes!!!!!!!
Wait… what?
Heyward!
JASON!
Damn, Jason. Where have you been?
Jason is really focused tonight.
Now 3 more weeks of grounders to second.
HEYWAARRRRRD!
J-Hey!
Heyward is damn strong.
I love Simmons.
How’s your crush now, AAR?
Simmons belongs.
Bulging.
Snort.
Holy crap!
You gotta be kidding me!
Have a night, Mike.
NICE!
Damn you, Michael Bourn. Now Kimbrel doesn’t have a save situation ;).
We’re re-signing this guy, right?
Save some runs for the American League!
Sweeeeeeeeeeeep.
Sweeeeeet!
May get to see Kimbrel after all.
Please pay that man and keep him around.
*swoon*
Simmons might be adequate.
Simmons…
Can someone tell me the name of that guy who played shortstop for us earlier in the season? Paciorek, Petrofsky, what was it?
Good escape, Lisp. Nice series, team. Bring on the AL.
Well done, Braves.
So, that guy Simmons is pretty good.
Medlen threw 5 shutout innings tonight with 0 walks and 4Ks.
NL WAR rankings prior to tonight’s game
Michael Bourn: 3rd
Martin Prado: 5th
Dan Uggla: 13th
Jason Heyward: 24th
Bourn will stay at 3rd, Prado will likely jump Braun and move to 4th, Uggla will likely stay where he is, and Heyward will likely be in the top 20. Four offensive players in the top 20 in WAR. Pretty sweet!
Someone bring me a beer.
THis is huge.
Nice game! Minor was good, and the offense has started to come around. What are the Braves since the losing streak? 5-1? And Chipper’s coming back soon? Awesome.
Didn’t watch the game, but that must have been a very satisfying game for those who did. Nice to see the team get off the mat and punish them, although it looks like the offensive output was restricted to just four guys.
I saw the replays and Andrelton made that DP look smooth. Please let him provide some league-average hitting at minimum!
Minor’s line looked mediocre. Did he pitch better than those five walks indicate?
The breaking stuff looked good. If he could consistently find the zone with his fastball, he’d be doing fine.
And if Simmons produces league-average offense, he’s probably one of the 10 best players in the NL.
Yeah, I don’t think Simmons is going to provide league average hitting, and there’s no reason he should have to if he keeps fielding as well as he has. We are probably entering/have arrived in an era of baseball history in which the expectation that every player carry his offensive weight is going to fade away, and there will be room for defensive specialists who can’t really hit. Simmons is going to be very successful in that mold.
194- That’s probably overstating it, but Simmons can probably provide enough on-base skills to bat eighth and enough line drive power to keep outfielders honest. Every player has to carry *some* amount of offensive weight- you lose too many runs by having Rafael Belliard out there all the time- but not everyone can be above average, and Simmons is close enough so that his defense makes up the difference.
although it looks like the offensive output was restricted to just four guys
Damn, ya’ll are hard to please.
Minor walked more than he struck out. Maybe he’d be OK pitching out of that ballpark more often, but that’s not what I would call a good game. I’m sure the Braves know it, too.
Damn, ya’ll are hard to please.
Not hard to please. Just making an observation of a box score of a game I didn’t see. It’s an odd box score: four dudes=everything, five other dudes=nothing.
Wish I had video of me sitting on my couch, reacting to Simmons on that DP. My wife certainly got a big kick out of it.
Yesterday was some luck regression for Minor. He couldn’t command his fastball and, for the first time I can remember, didn’t really get punished with his mistakes. He didn’t pitch well, but he was due for a game like that.
I’m just hoping that wiggling out of those jams gives him a little confidence boost, going forward.
Your lips to God’s ears, Stu.
Part of what’s going to make Simmons so great to watch is how he pairs with Uggla. They’re gonna be like the defensive odd couple. I bet there’s going to be a ton of plays like that DP last night, where Simmons looks unreal and Uggla almost can’t keep up with him. I hope Simmons doesn’t get charged with a bunch of errors on Uggla’s account.
@188–
It’s amazing to see Heyward still in the top 25 in WAR with his offensive struggles this year. His skill set is so much better than Francoeur’s, the comparisons are downright laughable.
New WAR rankings: Bourn-3rd, Prado-4th, Uggla-14th, Heyward-20th
My earlier numbers were seaching only players with enough ABs to qualify for the batting title in which Uggla was and still is 13th and Heyward would be 18. The filter took away Matt Kemp and….Gregor Blanco (2.1 WAR, holy scmokes!).
According to Fangraphs, the Braves are last in the NL in bunts.
Last.
Last year, according to Fangraphs, they were fifth.
In general, I think Gonzalez is becoming a better manager. He’s always shown the inclination to experiment, and he seems to be changing his behavior and learning from his mistakes. He bunts far less. He doesn’t overuse his key relievers. Also, there’s things like batting Constanza 9th, which he probably got out of a lineup simulator.
Last year, I would rather have any other manager in baseball (excluding Guillen). This year, he’s looking pretty good so far. I’m willing to toss last year up to a learning curve.
Has small sample size an a WHIP of 1.50 caught up with Lowe?
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/3640/derek-lowe
@203, I prefer to fabricate a scenario in my mind where Wren eviscerates Fredi at the end of last season and forces him to read Braves Journal and CAC on a daily basis.
Yay for Wren.
Chipper has WAR of 1.2 in less than 1/2 the games.
Recapped.