Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants – Box Score – August 24, 2012
Okay, so Ben Sheets turned back into a pumpkin. Here’s a fun comparison:
| Pitcher A | Pitcher B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERA | BB/K | ERA | BB/K | ||
| Starts 1-4 | 1.46 | 23/6 | 0.77 | 21/11 | |
| Starts 5-8 | 5.70 | 10/7 | 9.82 | 10/9 |
Pitcher A is Ben Sheets in 2012. Pitcher B is Kyle Davis during his rookie year in 2005. Fun, right?
Yesterday, Jason Heyward hit one solo homer and Freddie Freeman hit two, and that was the entirety of the offense. In our past seven games, we’re 1-6 with a grand total of 17 runs scored — that’s 2.4 runs a game. Sheets isn’t helping matters, but he ultimately isn’t the reason we’re losing. The offense is the reason we’re losing. And by “the offense,” I mean “Dan Uggla.”
So, in honor of the man whose last name means “owl” in Swedish, I give you:
I wrote this one.
What help is there for this offense? Just to wait, I suppose, for Simmons to return or maybe start Ross a little more often.
And it’s not like Delgado or Teheran are doing well enough to supplant Hanson or Sheets at this point.
It would help if Bourn would ever get on base. And if we sat Uggla. The latter won’t happen though. Just gotta hope that he figures it out.
I doubt there’s really much to do about the struggling offense. I suppose we could fire Larry Parrish again. I mean, who do we fire this time for the offense not producing? “Uggla, you’re fired!”
I went to the game last night. Nice and cool 57 degrees. I sat in the 1st row on the 3rd baseline right behind the ball dude. Freemans 1st HR was crushed! So was Heywards HR. I met some guys that flew from Atlanta to go to the game. They were cool. Had a good time even though the Braves lost.
Wife and I will be at game today in charter seats we bought via Craigslist from a Giants season ticket holder. We are pescetarians, so does anyone have ballpark food recommendations at AT&T Park?
Oh, and I’m also anxious to see if the Giants team store has Melky jerseys at a discount…
McCann, over the last 2, has shown signs of busting out. I bet he gets hot this upcoming week.
DG,
You can’t go to AT&T Park without trying the Gilroy garlic fries.
I agree with you Remy the garlic fries are the best.
@9
Agreed. You can try not to buy the garlic fries — but as soon as someone else in your section sits down with some, it’s game over, dude.
Musical Braves Journalistas, a little help please:
I have a friend, unlikely as that seems, whose musical tastes are all over the place. He just recommended that I find something by Stiff Little Fingers. My buddy has been known to have fun at my expense. Is this a real band? If so, are they any good?
Thanks.
@12: I’m no ububba, but I know how to use Google. If nothing else, Stiff Little Fingers has longevity going for them… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiff_Little_Fingers
So, the Dodgers just got a lot better.
It’s the Red Sox who should be celebrating.
Thanks for the suggestion. The garlic fries are outstanding, and much better than the ones in Seattle. I also had a Ghirardelli hot fudge sundae, and it is definitely the best I’ve ever had. Oh, and a crab sandwich with fresh crab meat from a spot in CF. Let me tell you, Turner Field has nothing on the food and beauty of this ballpark.
Garlic fries, yes.
In High Fidelity, they argue that Stiff Little Fingers and the Clash are two of Green Day’s biggest influences.
Cory Gearrin has a .79 ERA in an 11 small sample size innings to go with 11 Ks and the Braves call Miguel Batista, who was released by the Mets for pitching extra shitty baseballs, to take Sheets’ place on the roster.
It would help if Bourn would ever get on base.
Bourn just got on base! Nice bunt.
Some balls hit hard by Jason and Ross. Nothing to show for it unfortunately.
I agree that the Sox should be the happy ones after that deal. Every player they traded had an awful contract. Beckett and Crawford cant stay healthy. I dont think LA got that much better uness Adrian finds his old form quickly.
Batista?
Hernandez, Sheets, Batista. These are the dumpster-diving “solutions” that ownership’s budget permits. You might get a few decent appearances, maybe even effectiveness for a month, but no more. Sell the damn team, Liberty.
I have to admit that I actually have started to enjoy watch Minor pitch.
I haven’t been able to enter a comment with MC’s name in it. Is there a block on?
Incidentally, fatty PED guy’s souvenirs were removed from AT&T Park last Thursday after a front office directive.
Huh. Sheets on the 15 day DL, shoulder.
JASON!!
Hey to the Bay!
Okay, not quite to the bay, but almost.
Nice to see Minor get a bit of support for a change.
Wow. J-Hey’s homer sounded like a gunshot in the park.
Mike M!
I don’t know if I can root for a team with Batista. Go Heyward!
It starting to feel like Jason Heyward has fully arrived, isn’t it?
Uggla is the Ambien that puts the offense into Hibernation Mode.
Greetings from Vegas (on birthday #49)…
#12
Stiff Little Fingers were awesome. They were the original Irish punk band. Choice cuts: “Alternative Ulster” & “Suspect Device.”
BTW, 3-run HRs tend to solve a lotta problems. Let’s get these next two & save the trip in San Diego.
@35 – or the WOOD (winter of our discontent)
Thanks for the info on Stiff Little Fingers, all.
Minor’s looking good so far.
Great improvement by Minor, in the past this would’ve been an episode.
He hits too, huh?
Why do I get the sickening feeling Minor will end up with a no-decision here?
This sucks.
Noooooo not Durbin in a tight situation, please!
Durbin’ed.
Ugh, guess I’m watching with a delay…
Fredi hates Mike Minor.
Durbin gets 2 Grybos but gets out of the inning without any of his own scoring.
Chad Durbin: evidence against a benevolent God.
So Fredi’s first thought was to send Hinske up with the bases loaded before calling him back?
This man’s stupidity knows no bounds.
Tyler Pastornicky: evidence of God’s offbeat sense of humor.
Chipper is evidently unavailable today.
Michael Bourn: Just give him all the money already.
Great AB from Bourn there.
Thanks Affeldt.
Watching the Dodgers become the NL Yankees overnight, while knowing the Braves are locked into a TV deal so bad that it should be taken to court, causes a special kind of angry depression in me.
@49 – Undoubtedly the Giants would bring in a lefty, so no sense burning McCann or Francisco there. Would rather have seen Chipper than Pastornicky, but maybe Chipper’s out for the day.
Well, at least there’s Kimbrel to relieve our angry depression and depressed anger. Even Fredi hasn’t screwed him up.
Wow, two Giants actually put the ball in play against Kimbrel. Nice job guys.
Very nice win. This is one that I thought we’d have trouble with. Salvage a split tomorrow and things are looking up.
Thank goodness we won.
@60 It was more a walk in the park
Before today’s game, Bourn and Heyward were 4th and 5th in WAR for the NL and Prado was 13th. All had good days.
Offensively and defensively, we have the best OF in the Majors. Heyward ranks 1st among RF in the Majors, Bourn ranks 3rd, and Prado ranks 3rd. Impressive.
“Offensively and defensively, we have the best OF in the Majors. Heyward ranks 1st among RF in the Majors, Bourn ranks 3rd, and Prado ranks 3rd. Impressive.”
The Braves have come a long way from Diaz-Blanco-Francoeur.
OF Defensive ranks (ML)
Bourn- 1
Heyward-2
Prado-7
Heyward is also ranked the best baserunning OF in the Majors.
Nice win! I thought Bourne was going to track that one down in CF. Woulda saved Minor some pain.
Then again, so would have bringing in a left to face Blanco. Seriously, why bring in Durbin instead of ANY LEFT ON THE STAFF? Oh well. It worked out….
Over the past 6 games, the Braves are 2-4, but their run differential is only -1. So at least there’s that.
#66
Peguero was announced, Fredi brought in Durbin (a RHP to face a righty), then Bochy pinch-hit Blanco. Can’t change pitchers there.
The Braves have the sixth best record in baseball. They can be frustrating, and they may not have the ceiling of some other teams, but they’re good.
“We understand that we have to spend money to win in this league.” – Magic Johnson
There’s spending money, and then there’s taking on all the contracts they took on.
And then there’s giving away actual good prospects in order to obtain those huge contracts.
Going from Loney to beast-mode Adrian is just about the biggest position player upgrade possible in MLB…maybe second to replacing Francoeur with Trout.
But is five weeks of second-half Adrian going to get them in this year, making it all worth it? Questionable. It’s also questionable if Beckett or Crawford help them at all, let alone relative to what they cost.
Recapped.