So, travelling west. It will screw with your internal clock man. Recapping out of Denver as we sit out a snowstorm that has all ATL directed flights in holding patterns for hours. Lovely.
Last night the Braves beat the Royals 6-3 on what might have been the most perfect encapsulation of Braves 2013 baseball to date imaginable. In the second inning, Juan Franciscao giveth, with a laser beam over the wall in RF. That’s the good part. Medlen gave it back with a shot by Chris Getz in the third, tying it up 1-1. Then in the fourth, Juan Fransisco taketh away, with a laser beam a foot and a half over Chris Johnson’s head. The protective fencing around the dugout saved him a two base error, but the runner (some random Royal named Perez) came around to score an unearned run, giving KC a thin lead.
Then Kris Medlen and Jeremy Guthrie – who is better than you would think, what with his being a Royal and all – settled into the middle innings and traded empty frames for a while. That lasted until the seventh, when Juan Francisco giveth again, this time with a moon shot to dead center. Tie game, nail-biter, 2-2. The Royals broadcast crew might have started thinking about free baseball in Atlanta.
But then the eighth happened. J-Hey bombed opposite field (3-2), JUpton crushed a ball down the LF line (4-2) and then Dan Uggla smashed a ball into the same LF stands. Bam. 5-2 in a blink of an eye. Chris Johnson added insult to injury by driving in a sixth run, scoring pinch running Success! on a single to RF. From tight and interesting to over and done in three swings, really.
That’s what this lineup does to opposing teams. And make no mistake, the Royals aren’t bad this year. They have a lot of young talent and they’re at least a WildCard longshot. And the Braves just waiting them out until a reliever thought he could get 96-99 MPH high cheese past the heart of our order. And that ended poorly for him.
The only downside of the evening was Luis Avilan falling down and crying like a baby due to the World’s Most Painful Cramp in the ninth. A meaningless third run scored for KC, but then Craig Kimbrel did that thing he does and it was over.
I suppose it’s worthwhile to point out the fact that Cap’n Freedompants had a pretty solid game in his return to his hometown. So there was that too.
We’re now into the bottom of the third, 0-0, for today’s game, because why the hell not, MLB schedule makers. Why the hell not. My travel schedule clearly doesn’t matter to you bastards.
Jesus.
FYF
You kinda had to figure that Franceour would do damage against us after all the shit we’ve given him.
It’s like Frenchy still has the pictures.
Re: Franceour: It’s because we make fun of him. It’s because we’re bad people.
1-0 won’t win this.
Frenchy hits lefties pretty well. It’s not mysterious.
Missed pickoff opportunity. Crappy swinging bunt. Terrible pitch to the worst player in baseball. That’s a sloppy inning.
But nothing a handful of long balls won’t cure.
I truly hate umpires.
What Adam said. The guy has always been a good hitter against LHP. Mike Minor is a LHP. Plus, with the trip back into ATL we’re seeing focused, trying hard Frenchy.
Jeff Francoeur is not the worst player in baseball.
@10: And because we’re bad people.
Sure, Yuniesky Betancourt is worse. But Francouer has earned the right to be in the discussion, and statistically in 2012 he was easily the worst starting outfielder in baseball.
I’m not a bad person. Francoeur sucks – how does that make anyone here bad? It’s absolutely ridiculous that a 29-year old this mediocre – and occasionally awful – has tallied over 4700 plate appearances already. He makes millions doing something that he’s not particularly good at, and it’s fair to call attention to that.
Heyward!! I’m having to listen to the radio feed today but it sounds like he made another great catch.
Heyward is so fantastic out there.
You’re confusing the truly bad decisions of front offices in the *uses* of Jeff Francoeur with Jeff Francoeur’s talent levels. He is not anywhere near the worst player in baseball.
Wow, terrific catch, Jason.
FWIW, in the 2 games, Frenchy has had a couple 2-strike, RBI singles. Give him credit, but it’s not really a big deal.
Fox is quoting Baseball Prospectus on playoff odds, on air, right now. I’m speechless.
Nice of Caray to break out the old Mom’s Basement joke about Baseball Prospectus’ playoff odds.
@19 They concluded the bit with a comment on how the computer guys are finally catching up to what we’ve seen with our own eyes. sigh.
Tipping the cap at work.
17- Right, so we agree he’s the worst starting outfielder in all of baseball.
Invariably the person who makes the “mom’s basement” joke is the lamest sort of square that is far more likely to be an example of the breed.
Yeah, the on-air team went with the stupid joke, but the producers are directing them to quote those sources on air, which is a step forward.
Also, quoting BP’s playoff odds predictor on April 17 is… questionable.
Good thing I had the sound off. I truly hate the tv broadcast – I usually watch the other team’s announcers. Not only are they usually surprisingly fair, but I even sometimes learn something about the Braves. Ironically.
Especially considering Baseball Prospectus and CoolStandings.com had the Braves and Red Sox at like a 97% chance to make the playoffs in September 2011.
@28 do you understand the difference between a prediction and a forecast?
@14 No need to be defensive when I’m being silly and sarcastic.
Get him in Justin!
@21- In a discussion on playoff odds? What did we see with our own eyes? “This team is good.”?
Here’s to watching this team at the Ted or in a bar on mute. Sheesh.
Best chance amounts to nothing.
Cain is annoying me with these pathetic hits.
Oy…and a steal.
Ayala knows how to pitch to Francouer.
I saw the steal, but how did Cain get on? I was watching CNN at the time as they said there has been an arrest in the Boston bombings.
Cain’s 2nd hit = weak dribbler that just barely rolled by our shuffling 2nd baseman.
Ayala knows how to pitch to Francouer.
With his right hand?
Wow. Those were not strikes.
Chip: “Strike three called and Uggla knew it. And now he’s arguing with the home plate umpire.”
Davis is getting some ridiculous calls. He just threw 5 balls to Uggla and still got the K looking.
38- With either hand, two feet out of the zone.
Uggla should have gotten himself ejected. That was ridiculous.
GOGOGOGO…NO
Snitker?????
SNITKER!!!!
Snitker? Really? REALLY?
Never should have sent Juan there.
What the F was that?
Francisco is so slow. He was actually out, unlike Simmons yesterday.
Well shite
Snitkered.
But Uggla’s run should count.
I am not sure I have ever seen someone thrown out at the plate by that much. That was bad even for Snitker.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
WHY WHY WHY WHY
Snitker should be demoted to concessions after that one.
I know there’s no precedent for pulling coaches from the game for poor performance, but Snitker should certainly be benched for that send.
Juan was coming in to 3rd way too late and running way too slow.
Does anyone keep stats on the # of runners that 3b coaches get thrown out at home? I’d like to see that.
Snitkered: To be thrown out on the basepaths, particularly at home, due to third base coach Brian Snitker waiving a player around when only [a] moderately competent outfield play will get them. (Added May 30, 2011.)
Snitker has been getting noticed these past few games – that’s three runners gunned out at the plate in the last four games. Not good.
Why Snitker is still wearing a uniform is beyond me. What an idiot.
Ned yost was the best they ever had at 3rd.
Tom Glavine, a throw that the catcher digs off his ankles and then turns and takes two steps to the plate is not a ‘perfect throw.’
Yeah uggla should have been on base and scored no problem. This ump has the worst zone.
@57: Maybe we should refer to him as Briuwn Snitker, make it more likely that could happen?
Also, Juan was looking at the ball and not his 3rd base coach.
Of course, it would have been better if Juan never looked at Snitker.
You don’t test the arm from 90 feet, no matter what Tom Glavine says.
It wasn’t going to take a perfect throw. It was going to take a lob in the general direction of home to throw out Juan.
I might be faster than hi….wait. No I’m not, but I still would have held at third.
Worse at job, Snitker or Eddings?
Gotta put your confidence in the next guy to get him in. A hit probably would have given us a lead too.
I’m not listening. Are the announcers now defending the decision? Because that would pretty much fit the bill.
I think Snitker’s body of work speaks for itself as to who is worse.
@64- I laughed aloud when Glavine said that. Perez caught the ball up the freaking first base line and was able to turn around and walk back to the plate in time to tag FJ out. Glavine followed by saying, during the replay, “If the ball had been a foot either way Francisco would have been safe.” If it had been a foot to Perez’s left, FJ would have been out by 15 feet instead of 10; to his right, he might actually have needed to jog the two steps back to the plate rather than walk.
Snitker generally doesn’t get in guys’ faces after he screws them over, though.
Going into the 8th inning against their bullpen within easy striking distance…we have them exactly where we want them.
They’ve brought Herrera back out. Interesting.
This is bullsh*t.
I’ve had it with these crappy umps.
Getting Eddingsed.
This is the 3rd time we have followed what should have been a walk with a hit.
I can imagine the end of year umpire performance review:
“Let’s see, you suck at your job enough to actually get noticed in a field rife with incompetence, and literally everyone hates you. What’s the lowest raise you would accept to stay on? Just tell us what it will take, we need you.”
Oh BJ.
BJ is going to start hitting one day, right? Right?
Is the win streak really going to end with them scoring zero runs?
Well damn.
AAAward.
@83
Seems fitting, actually.. our only other loss came when we got shut out as well
JUpton and Gattis coming up in the 9th… They’re just trying for the dramatic finish.
Thank you, Francouer.
I knew we were going to lose when Upton hit that drive off the pitcher’s rear end. It was a smash up the middle, heading right for the gap, and then…
Let’s hope they’re patient with Holland – his control has been terrible so far this season.
Not a single batter has walked today.
*sigh*
Oh well.
Oh, Dan.
@87 The other loss was on a getaway day, too. But this one is largely on Eddings wanting to make his flight on time.
@92, Not officially anyway.
How does Eddings have a job?
Still undefeated when scoring 1 or more runs.
Hands on those caps, boys and girls, aaaand… tip.
We’ve still got weaknesses to overcome like Snitker, low averages, Snitker, unfamiliar pitchers, and did I mention Snitker?
Fitting end.
Well, turns out one run DID beat us. I’m ok with that though. As long as we only lose when we don’t score, we’ll be alright.
Okay I’m now on board with umps being replaced.
Well, that sucked.
Maybe next time we can try not throwing fastballs to Jeff Francoeur.
Umpire 1 Braves 0
That Royals’ right fielder who had the game’s only RBI sure looks good. Wish we could send ours to AAA and trade for him.
@100 you forgot to add Eddings to that list.
As long as it takes a terrible ump calling balls and “strikes” for us to lose, this season will be a lot of fun. I think it’s ironic that Jeffy’s RBI beat us, though.
I’m not sure what’s worse: Eddings on getaway day or the detestable and thankfully retired Bill Hohn, any day.
@6 Wrong!
Hard to draw a walk when balls a foot on either side of the plate are being called strikes
Just gotta tip your cap to Doug Eddings. He beat us fair and square.
On the one run: the runner should have been picked off of first, and was advanced on a measly swinging bunt.
That’s why it is hard to run such long win streaks against any MLB competition. Weird stuff happens a game at a time.
Here’s to starting a new winning streak on Friday.
I say let’s start it on Thursday!
Happens. We’re 12-2. Forget about it & move on.
Davis was getting a lot of strikes called on the left side of the plate.
Doug Eddings has always sucked. This was a bad umpire crew. I am gald we got them for only two against KC
I’ll take 12-2 on the year. Go get em tomorrow, weather permitting.
Doug Eddings was the guy who baited Estrada in Miami several years ago. And I think he was the guy who baited O’Flaherty and Chipper against the Red Sox a couple of years ago. Not only does he suck, but he is a jackass.
@118: Yep, that’s him.
http://deadspin.com/5908040/better-know-an-umpire-doug-eddings
Mark Bowman @mlbbowman
McCann’s wrist ailment has been described as minor. He should begin catching in an ext. ST game tomorrow or Fri.
Yeah, I’ll take 12-2. Minor looked good, which is really the most important thing. When you have a strikeout-home run offense, you’re going to have a few days when the bats are asleep. But the continued development of Mike Minor is crucial for this team.
Bill Hohn was the guy who baited chipper and O’Flaherty
So who goes when Bmac returns, Gattis, Schafer, or Reed?
@123, I will preface with the obvious fact that I have no idea what will happen, but my layman’s read on this is that Fredi really likes Gattis, and that’s the only thing keeping me from thinking that Gattis won’t be sent to AAA. Clearly Reed and Schafer are expendable. Schafer is marginally more valuable at the end of the bench than Reed, so I think Reed is definitely the first one out.
I’m conflicted a bit, because I’ll admit whole-heartedly that I’m sucked in by the legend of El Oso Blanco. But if he’s not going to play 4 times a week, it might be best for him to start every day in Gwinnett. There’s like a 0% chance that McCann is a Brave in 2014, so developing Gattis is paramount. I have no idea what will happen here…it could be that McCann is still a *long* way from coming back and we still have more time than we think.
BTW, I’m coming around to the realization that Mike Minor is our best pitcher…thoughts?
Gattis can catch twice a week and play LF or 1B once a week and be the first PH every other night. Unless he starts really cooling off in the next two weeks, I think you gotta keep him here.
Totally agree.
@125 – Yeah, Fredi has already shown he’s not afraid to rest a regular; he did it about every day last week. Sit Heyward against a lefty one week, Freeman the next week, McCann once a week, catch day games after night games, and you’re done.
Chris Johnson leads the NL in BA. Who knew?
I really like Chris Johnson so far. Solid bat and seems to not kill us with the glove. He’s played solid, no great, at 1b also.
I don’t see how the Braves could justify sending their current cleanup hitter to Gwinnett. Our pItchers have raved about throwing to him. Even as a PH he could very easily replace Reed’s production. If I’m a betting man, I think Reed is the odd man out here.
Yeah, the fact that Gattis has been batting cleanup as a rookie sure seems indicate that management wants him in the bigs. He’s pretty damn versatile, too.
EDIT: Yeah, Chris Johnson looks like a real ball player so far.
SECOND EDIT: Yeah, I say ‘Yeah’ too much.
Recapped!