Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets – Box Score – August 10, 2012 – ESPN.
On the other hand, this isn’t really what the Braves were looking for when they traded for Paul Maholm, but they’ll certainly take it. On a night where the offense didn’t do a whole lot (but when they did, got big results) Maholm threw a three-hit, complete-game shutout, striking out five and walking none, and needing only 95 pitches to do it. The Mets got two men to second base (on doubles in the sixth and seventh innings), hit into two double plays, and never had more than one baserunner in an inning. It Was Only The Mets (IWOTM) after all, but still an impressive performance.
The Braves themselves had only four hits, though they drew six walks. Their runs came on a pair of two-run homers, one early and one late. In the first, Michael Bourn walked (the first of three times he would on the night) and two batters later Jason Heyward set a career high with his nineteenth homer to make it 2-0 in the first. With one out in the eighth, Freddie Freeman singled and Dan Uggla hit a homer to make it 4-0. More than enough on this night.
Chipper Jones didn’t play due to a stiff back, and Brian McCann has a sore shoulder in which he got a cortisone shot and also took the day off. Both hope to play tonight.
Ross hits much better when he does not have to play consecutive games. McCann today and Ross Sunday? Who is next catcher in minors now?
Boscan still.
It’s flooring that Uggla has an above league average OBP of .350 this season.
Isn’t is though? It’s the only way he’s managed to not be a gaping vortex of suck.
Still, I’d rather he just keep hitting like he’s been for the past week.
IWOTM — love it, plan to use it frequently.
So good to have you back, Mac.
OK. Last chance. My third game attended this year. Two losses thus far. (Yankee Stadium and Fenway) First trip to CitiField. It’s a battle between “they never win when JonathanF shows up” and IWOTM.
Funny how the only SP still in our rotation from Opening Day is MiMi.
Have fun with ububba, Jonathan. Wish I could join you fellas.
At one point I attended NINE consecutive Braves losses. I laugh at your pitiful two game record.
JC’ed from last thread: I gave “The Wire” another shot after a discussion on here a few weeks back and I’m officially hooked. It took me a few episodes to get into it but I’m glad I powered through.
Only Braves’ loss I ever went to was this game, all others were wins:
http://bravesjournal.us/?p=2624
Dan, you were obviously not a Braves fan in the 70’s.
Questions going forward…
1. Janish will be arb-eligible for the 2nd time next year making his salary approx. 1-1.2 million. This seems like a no-brainer,right?
2. Maholm has a 6.5 million dollar option for next year. Thus far another no-brainer.
3. Offering Sheets 7 million or so for ’13 seems reasonable and also a no-brainer.
4. Picking up both Hudson and McCann’s options also no brainer.
If all of the above scenarios work out, the team will be sitting pretty financially and will be able to be use 30-35 million filling other holes. I, for one, would love to see Hanson traded in the offseason and run a rotation of Hudson, Maholm, Sheets, Medlen, and Minor out there. If Delgado and Teheran force your hand again and Beachy comes back in August, what a freaking luxury to have as reserve. I’m once again excited about this team’s future!
WAR update:
Bourn- 6th
Heyward- 12th
Prado- 19th
Chipper-30th
McCann-36th
Uggla-40th
Freeman-55th
Simmons-59th
I’m not sure how many Braves games I went to while I still lived in Georgia- 40 or 50 I’d guess. I can remember all eight of the wins I witnessed. I moved the last year of the division title streak, so I manged that feat during the longest sustained period of winning in baseball history. And of course, the Braves are 5-2 in Coors Field games I’ve attended since then.
Playing the “what if” game with Juan Francisco..
For shits and giggles, let’s say that Chipper Jones decided to retire prior to the beginning of this season and Juan Francisco were our starting 3b. Let’s also assume (no matter how useless the following scenario might actuallybes) that Juan Francisco kept his current production, as a regular” up for the entire year up to this point. This would be his numbers…
.767 OPS 23 Doubles 23HR 74RBI 134K
This would be his 155 game average…
.767 OPS 32 Doubles 32HR 104RBI 189K
With his current defense, would you take that line for 2013?
I saw Maddux lose opening game vs Cubs 1-0 about 12 years ago, sitting with a choir from Bosnia.
Well no wonder Maddux lost. It’s hard to pitch when you’re sitting with a choir from Bosnia. (HT: Groucho Marx)
@15 – all day.
————–
And whatever happened to Jason Bay? At one time, he was a highly-regarded player. Now they’re booing him off the field.
#10
Told ya!
@15, only if I couldn’t find/afford a LF who could beat it.
What an attitude problem that Braves pitcher not named Mike Minor has!
@ 20: what is going on with Evan Gattis?
Back in the lineup at Pearl. Doing well so far.
Speed is nice.
@21-
The last sentence in that link makes me wonder, where they say Medlen has shown “a willingness to switch roles at midseason without objection.” I’d really like to think that at no point in the decision-making process does the player’s willingness to accept a role come into play unless by some miracle every other data point is precisely equal. Maybe I am being naive, I know these are human beings, but reading this makes me think that Medlen’s doing himself, and maybe even the team, a disservice by being such a team player.
Speed is *really* nice.
Freddie killing more Mets pitching, more scoring from first, good stuff.
Way to pick ’em up, Freddie.
Freddie’s approach is really amazing for a young player in his second year.
Wow! Dan, Dan, the runnin’ man.
@19, We just started season 2 today and we’re totally perplexed. I never know what to expect with that show.
Sure OBP isn’t everything, and we certainly didn’t sign Uggla to that contract to draw walks, but it sure is nice that he’s up there being patient and drawing walks.
Also, I’m liking the hustle out there!
Wow, we lead the NL in walks? I would’ve never guess after last year.
And how about that aggressive baserunning?
All the money, Bethany.
What’s the max we could comfortably offer Bourn? I’m sure other teams will outbid whatever we’re willing to put up.
@33 – That’s Uggla’s doing. He’s got 70 walks – next highest on the team is Bourn at 45.
Good night, Johan. Take it out on the Natspos.
Well this is delightfully unsuspenseful so far.
losMets or lolMets?
I LOVE FREDDIE FREEMAN.
Four straight starts for Santana giving up 6+ earned runs.
IWOTM, but still — this is awesome.
@31, You are in for a real treat.
Wow, Freeman! This is fun!
The Mehs?
Wow. Good night.
JonathanF is breaking out of his funk in a big way!
I’m pretty sure 7 qualifies as a crooked number.
Wow, Freddie. Just wow.
If my calculations are correct, Johan’s line against us this year is:
12.2IP, 20R, 18ER, 6BB, 10K, 12.79 ERA
Freeman bomb kills the rally.
How much of the money?
What, Bourn didn’t score on that? That’s a benching.
That would be all of the money.
Joe Simpson is threatening a tweeter on the air. What a tough guy.
I wish Xbox’s MLB.TV app allowed me to switch to the radio feed. I’m so sick of these clowns.
Somebody tweeted that Joe had been arrested for DUI. Didn’t happen. I can understand Joe wanting a one on one with the asshat.
Keep it going, Meds.
Sounds like the Yankees are going to sign Derek Lowe. Paying Derek to pitch for the Yankees could be the best money we ever spent.
Can we say that Uggla is back yet? Or do we need a bit larger sample size?
Not sure how you can replace anyone in the rotation right now with Hanson.
@58: I thought I read that when the Indians DFA’ed him, we were off the hook for the money? Did I get that wrong?
@61 – Could be, I haven’t been following that at all.
In other action, Jason Marquis with six no-hit innings to start the game in PIT (they’re heading to the top of the 7th now).
Nice.
His contract is still guaranteed though.
Poor BMac.
Since stepping into the rotation, Medlen’s been doing his Brandon Beachy impression.
With Maholm and Reed Johnson rounding out our starting and outfield rotations, Medlen replacing Hanson, Uggla’s switch flipping from “evil” to “good,” Juan Francisco showing signs of life, Janish performing at about 80% of Andrelton, and Jason Heyward turning on the beast mode, this actually is starting to look like a baseball team.
Avilan’s been a pleasant surprise. It’s nice to have three lefties in the pen and two in the starting rotation.
My concerns that Medlen as a starter would not meet our expectations, have thus far been wildly unfounded.
Go to hell, Nats.
I told you guys, no one has any desire to actually beat them.
They are amazing. Don’t they know when they’re beaten?
Good game. Bring the brooms tomorrow. Little help, D-backs, please.
Beating the Mets sure is fun!
I wouldn’t say Janish has replaced 80% of Simmons’s production. But then, too, I would have called this a baseball team as far back as April.
So 6 good innings tomorrow from Sheets, with O’Ventbrel ready and rested? Make it happen Fredi.
Not sure how to word this, but looking at the AL wild card race, there are 6 teams with 60 or 61 wins, including Chicago and Detroit who could also tie for the division. Improbable still, but they at least have to have a contingency for this don’t they?
@56
I know I was pretty offended. Not because he was joking around about a DUI, but because it wasn’t funny.
“You know the Michael Jordan from the ESPN commercials who constantly disappoints everyone in Chicago by not being the NBA legend? Well he is mismanaging the hell out of the Bobcats. What a moron.”
Well, okay, maybe Janish is… like 65-70%.
Nationals win yet again.
Janish is like 80% of Andrelson’s glove and 40% of his bat.
Janish: .191/.273/.236 (zero home runs)
It would have to be some damn good defense to put up with an everyday player hitting like that over a full season.
@61 and @62: We still owe Lowe. See here: https://mobile.twitter.com/ajcbraves/status/234509921318731777
“I just take the ball and run with it,” Medlen said. “I love competing. I love the chess match of starting. Relieving, if you don’t have your pitches that day, you’re going to get crushed. So it’s two different mindsets and I like this one.”
Awful humid in Flushing tonight, but who cares when Freddie bombs one over the Apple? (What a blast.)
Talk about yucking it up for 9 innings…
Let’s get the sweep on national TV.
#36
Uggla’s not only leading the team in walks, he’s leading the entire National League (3rd in MLB behind Dunn & Zobrist).
How good has Medlen been as a starter? “The Braves are 16-1 in Medlen’s 17 starts this season and in 2010, including 14 consecutive wins.” (ajc).
It would be a crime to put him back into the bullpen.
We have recappage. Also added IWOTM to the Glossary.