This team is fun to watch!
After from trailing last night, the Braves kept the excitement going today once again coming from behind to beat the Cubs. Okay, I know it wasn’t as big of a rally as last night, but they were still down early and Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija looked like Nolan Ryan. Then in the fifth he turned in to a pumpkin (or at least remembered he was a Cub)
New folk hero Ramiro Pena doubled with two outs in the fifth then Samardzija started falling apart. He walked Hudson and had two wild pitches that scored Pena. Tie game.
In the sixth the Braves were able to load the bases when Pena laced a single to right, platting two. Then Tim Hudson lined one to right to make it 4-1
Uggla decided to make up for losing a fly ball in the sun, by blasting his second homer of the season in the eighth.
Hudson had a rocky first, but then settled down and looked like the Hudson of old. He went six and two-thirds striking out seven.
The Braves continue to whiff at record rates, going getting mowed down 16 times today. Of course, 13 of those were by Samardzija, who looked great for part of the game, but appears to be a head case.
If you win five of every six, then who cares how much you strikeout?
The Braves (who are in first all by themselves) are taking their talents to South Beach to take on Giancarlo Stanton and a bunch of guys you have never heard of in your life.
@208 from the last, just for comparison –
Last years avg attendance – 29514
Last year after 6 games – 27500
Current avg – 35166
Will good attendance allow us to spend more?
Turns out Samardzija is Serbian for “Carlos Zambrano”. I suppose he was pissed about the HBP, but for a second there it looked like he might have been punking his infielders for missing on some ground balls. I know if I just missed a ball the last thing I’d want to see is the pitcher stomping around and screaming. It’s not just the Cubs’ handling of him that’s held him back, clearly.
I’ve heard of Placido Polanco. That’s how I know how funny it is for him to be hitting cleanup.
LOL, Phillies lose by 1 after scoring 4 in the 9th and leaving men on 2nd and 3rd.
KC tried desperately to give a 5 run 9th inning lead away, but in the end the Phillies strand runners on third and second and lose 9-8.
A few thoughts on attendance. First, the youngsters are a lot more stoked about this Upton/Upton thing than they were for the Bobby/Chipper retirement tours.
Second, I don’t think this is a real weather bump, as we’ve had a couple of rainy nights and one night that was 40 degrees out. That said, we might have a bit of an arbitrary bump this weekend due to fans from the Final Four being in the city and looking for things to do when not watching basketball. The Westside was crawling with tourists at brunch today. I imagine a ML baseball game in 62 degree perfect weather might appeal to folks down from Syracuse and Michican, and anyone coming from Witchita might just be out because CITY!
I saw the Marlins in DC on MOnday. The lineup, outside of Stanton is laughable. There are lots of things to do in Miami other than pay money to watch an awful team.
I have heard of maybe 20 out of 25 on the roster, but only because they’re in division, I’m sure.
Cole Hamels, who looked untouchable in Spring Training, is 0-2 now with a 10.97 ERA.
#7 & 1
Cubs, Final 4 & the hot start all go into it, I think.
But… you win, you usually draw. Basically speaking, most fanbases are filled with front-running bandwagon hoppers.
It’s allgood. Everyone’s itching for a big year.
SSS Best record in baseball
Loving this week:
Braves on fire
Michigan in Final
and I moved to the OBX of North Carolina on Thursday
Go Braves!
Eric Hinske trending on Twitter, but so is #braves. Hinske hit a two-run pinch-homer just a few minutes ago, apparently…
It seems like he always gets off to a hot start, but by the end of the year he’s generally shown why he’s a bench bat and not a starter.
How did we end up with this upcoming World Tour schedule?
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I’d sit Andrellton one more game than is required by his injury. Just one.
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UofL’s game plan is to foul everybody, all the time. Loved Tim Brando’s line: “It’s hard to foul more than the Louisville men, but the Louisville women actually pull it off.”
Wishing Hinske much success.
How are you doing, Sam? Still breathing?
New thread.