Atlanta Braves vs. Florida Marlins – Box Score – September 11, 2013 – ESPN
Other than one bad-ass swing from the obviously-rejuvenated Evan Gattis, this game wasn’t much fun to watch. Mike Minor was not very sharp, surrendering 11 hits and five runs in six innings, and neither were the bats — at least, not once anybody got on base. The Braves squandered some early opportunities.
One of those hits Minor gave up was a homer to Jose Fernandez in the sixth, which led to the benches clearing. Fernandez watched his homer for a LONG time, presumably in response to whatever it was that Chris Johnson was jawing at him about in the previous inning. McCann, Johnson, and various others didn’t take too kindly to that, but at least, unlike most of the rest of the game, the episode was entertaining!
(Honestly, it appeared to me that Johnson was the instigator/primary douche — it looked like he shouted at Hernandez in that previous inning, for whatever reason, that the Braves were on his fastball and that he should only throw the slider — but it’s entirely possible that I missed something.)
Anyway, like I said, it was a pretty ugly game, but it’s hard for me to get too worked up about it, given how pitiful the opponent is and how big a lead we have. I know we want home-field advantage, but I’m really just monitoring Jason Heyward’s game-readiness and waiting on the playoffs.
Last game of the series tomorrow afternoon; we’re probably gonna see a pretty sweet lineup.
JC’ed: Why bring Uggla in to face a deceptive righty like Cishek? Uggla simply can’t see. He let two strikes hit the catcher’s mitt, then flailed wildly at a ball a foot off the plate. It’s sad watching him. Of all our hitters, I’d have brought in Georgie, there. Try for a bunt hit, anything’s better than Uggla’s blind flailing.
Tom Hart just tweeted that Fernandez was called away from his post game interview for an immediate team meeting. That’s a little weird. Guess we won’t get to hear his side of what happened.
I get the impression that CJ is a bit of a hothead. Best thing would have been to just let the veteran catcher McCann calmly say “Hey, nice hit, but that’s not quite how we do things here.”
@1 Yea, that was a terrible match-up for Uggla.
@64 (previous thread)
Hudson’s HR trot vs. Toronto in 2011 was 28.9 seconds, swing to plate. Fernandez’s stroll tonight was 28.4 seconds. But Hudson’s only gesture was a double-fist-pump back to the dugout. That, and he’s old and slow compared to the more spry youngster.
Here’s Hudson’s homer in Toronto. The worst thing I see in this clip is Nate McClouth in the dugout.
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=16117995&c_id=mlb
I don’t so much mind a pitcher taking a slow trot. Nobody wants to see pitchers unnecessarily overtaxing themselves on the basepaths. I think the big offense in Fernandez’s AB wasn’t the trot, it was standing on home plate for a very long beat and the spitting on third.
Man, Redmond laying into Fernandez’s behavior in post-game interview. “I’m not happy, ruined the night for me. We’re not gonna play the game like this. We don’t show teams up. We hit the ball and we run, that’s it. We respect the game. We’re 35 games under .500, those guys are going to the playoffs. It’s a mistake he’ll never make again.”
Apparently this all started with Fernandez’s reaction to Gattis’ homerun. He went all bugeyed and stared at Gattis as he was rounding the bases. I have a feeling this was misinterpreted as mocking Gattis, and it snowballed from there.
Yeah, all of the Marlins sound like they’re really lighting in to Fernandez. And he’s really apologizing, too. Apparently he found McCann and Minor afterwards and apologized in person.
@9, Yeah, unqualified mea culpa from Fernandez.
Yep, according to DOB Fernandez chirped at braves dugout after Gattis HR. Bmac was upset with him watching his HR. CJ was upset with the spitting at 3b. Fernandez met up with Minor and BMac and apologized to them after the game.
Might be time for the braves to shift their focus back to scoring some runs.
Well, all’s well that ends well, I guess. Other than us losing, of course. At least this probably means that there won’t be a carry-over into tomorrow.
I tell ya, I’m loving this passion that the Braves have. I was playing softball tonight, and watched the highlight of the drama on a St. Louis’ fans’ phone. I told him, “After throwing trash on the field and stuff like this, no one can say we don’t have passion.”
With that said, I think we need to channel it positive into scoring some runs. I think Chris Johnson is good for this team, as long as he performs. I see his anger on the field getting a little old if his BABIP goes down a little bit.
Is it just me or has Atlanta traditionally not been a real emotion team?
@12 It all started with JS/Bobby I believe, but the culture has changed a bit I think every since Wren/Fredi took over.
In the old days, Bobby was the one who provided the spark and energy to the team. Fredi, meanwhile, is about as fiery as a wet rag, so the team has to find the spark from within itself.
Was glad to read here what happened after the game, the apology…It was only an hour earlier he and Freddie renewed their fun banter from last week, they obviously like each other…time in a Cuban jail at age 15 is not the best introduction to the nuances of adult self control…that said what a classy statement from Redmond…and Jose will remember his first home run, it deserves it!
@ 12 .. not you, I would share that opinion, said earlier this season we are ‘too nice’, we need some fight…last night was good to see but even then we were classy the way we went about it – see Mac’s lecture at home plate…CJ is clearly the hothead, let him be…
the baseball brawl, it has its rules
an aggregation of like fools
who pose for much effect
but punches they neglect
protecting those high earning tools.
It looks like CJ is going to get knocked out of the batting title by Cuddyer, a Rockie. I recall when another CJ got knocked out of the batting title by a Rockie–Holliday.
Ah, there’s always the racial crowd who comes out and tries to make this a Cuban/American issue. Yeesh.
Dan Uggla, month prior to LASIK:
.138/.268/.319, 94 AB, 13 H, 12 BB, 33 K, 7 XBH, .140 BABIP
Dan Uggla, since returning from LASIK:
.129/.357/.129, 31 AB, 4 H, 9 BB, 10 K, 0 XBH, .190 BABIP
Fernandez’s actions post game probably save a Marlin from getting drilled today.
And could’ve saved another injury for us.
@19 Given the caveat of SSS, it looks like the only improvement there is BB… so he’s seeing the ball enough now to improve his walks but his swing mechanics are still crappy so everything else (especially the bits concerned with swinging the bat) are mostly unchanged? Now that his eyes are fixed, someone needs to fix that horrible swing of his but after these past few years I doubt very seriously that will ever happen.
re Hudson’s HR trot, I’ll say the same thing I said to a Nationals’ fan friend of mine when he said Harper’s admiration of his HR was no worse than JUpton’s: There’s a difference when an established veteran does something like than and when a punk ass 21 year old does it.
can’t wait till PTI tonight to hear Wilbon et al. rail against the braves and the unwritten code of baseball. I would much rather have no press at all than what I feel is coming today.
I like that this team has a bit of a chip on the shoulder. The talking heads can say what they want, but we know there won’t be time to discuss this with Jeter being hurt, the Yankees playing well, the Red Sox in first place, the Patriots winning, Bama vs Johnny Football.
24- With the Yankees contending for a playoff spot? They’ll probably go back to forgetting the Braves exist, which suite me just fine. (I see Smitty got to it first.)
I don’t know why the Braves feel they need to be the primary enforcement arm for the unwritten code. Too much douchebaggery for my tastes. Especially when our guys bat-flip and slow-trot just as much as anyone else. Just play the game.
Uggla and BJ did better than I expected; they only made two outs.
I don’t buy that Sam. There’s no difference in Gattis, Upton, Bonds, ManRam, Arod, Harper, or a pitcher admiring a HR. We try to justify it when it’s one of our guys, but no player “earns” the right to show up another player.
GATTIS!
Hulk wants to smash…
Don’t give it all back, Freddy.
C’mon Fredward, just two more innings….
line drive for car 30 in score book. A Prado on base paths.
A tale of two Freddy/ies.
I just noticed that the 3 due up in this inning are BJ Upton, Freddy Garcia and Eliot Johnson and I’m trying to imagine how I would have felt if you had told me last year that this would be true of the 2013 Braves for a game in September. I suppose I would have thought we were out of it just playing out the string.
Yet somehow it’s working.
IWOTMarlins, but Garcia’s pitched a good game; which is good news given the latest on Beachy.
Heh. Someone added a “Bastardo” to Freddy’s middle name on his Wikipedia page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddy_Garc%C3%ADa
My favorite in this genre was Horacio Ramirez’ Wiki page back in the day. It said something like “He throws a fastball, a slider, and a hanging curveball.”
Also, Freddy Garcia once got traded for Randy Johnson and I remember this and I am old and so is Freddy.
It might be time to put Uggla out to pasture.
40- Will he be able to see well enough to eat the grass?
I just found out that Arquimedes Caminero’s middle name is Euclides. I find that way cooler than it probably is.
@41 can always go old yeller on him. Put him out of his misery.
#25
Maybe that chip on the shoulder is the result of everyone still talking about the Nats as if they still have a chance?
It’s impressive what this team has accomplished with all the injuries and zero production from our two highest paid players. I see they are 1 for 8 today with 3K’s.
Most likely scenario is that Heyward is our CF’r in the playoffs and EJ is starting at 2B.
I bet Dan’s at second.
Shoot, I wish that hit had dropped for Regression. He was robbed. I really want to see a Brave win the batting title.
Magic # = 6
I suspect Dan’ll be at second for most of the playoff games too. And BJ in center.
On the bright side, magic number six.
Happy Birthday Freddie!!!
If Elliot can continue averaging a hit per start and play solid defense, he’ll be starting at second. Fredi set aside his seething hatred of Uggla for one game and started him against a crappy rookie lefty. He looked as lost at the plate as ever. If there are any returns from the eye surgery, they haven’t been seen yet.
And even though BJ was able to beat out a nine-hopper to the second baseman for an infield hit today, I expect Fredi’s seething hatred to return tomorrow and he’ll go back to the bench against righties.
I don’t see how Fredi can sit Gattis in favor of BJ Upton during the playoffs. Outfield of Gattis, Heyward, and Justin is out best bet.
@52 Agreed, unfortunately. And lets hope Justin gets hot again by the time October arrives.
Hey, we won 6-1! Magic number is 6!
Uggla better figure it out soon, or I can’t imagine he’ll be starting in the NLDS—and certainly not vs. RHP.
Gattis/Heyward/JUpton vs. LHP
JUpton/Schafer/Heyward vs. RHP
Who starts a Game 4, is my question. Wood? Maholm? New ace Freddy Garcia?
I’d start Wood but make sure someone’s ready just in case things go awry.
I hear all of you, and ububba makes the most sense if we start in the NLDS against a RHP… but Uggla’s going to get his chance to prove that he can do better in the playoffs than he’s done all season… and not as a pinch hitter. I suspect BJ will as well, but I’m not quite as certain about that.
Fredi hates Uggla?
Uggla is a good pinch runner, but that’s about it.
@56 my guess is that Freddi will start Maholm unless Wood starts pitching well again. His last 2 starts have been god awful and I wouldn’t trust him in a playoff game. Maybe if game 4 is an elimination game he just rolls the dice with Minor or Medlen or whoever starts game 1 on 3 days rest. Would really like to have Hudson starting that game actually…
Freddy Garcia for 5 innings then turn it to the bullpen may not be a terrible option either though. The Giants won the World Series and pitched Barry Zito in 2 elimination games because… baseball.
@58 Fredi does not trust Uggla at the bat.
Mighty Uggla has struck out.
Can someone tell me how Freddy Garcia is only 36?
At this point I still feel better about Wood than Maholm, but that could change between now and then.
There is no chance that Paul Maholm gets a game 4 road start.
Home – 2.18ERA .258BAA
Away – 5.86 ERA .291BAA
He’s also been bad since the Allstar break.
6.04ERA 1W 25IP 31H 17ER 13BB 14k. I hate quality start stats, but he’s only had 2 in his past 7 outings. He’s also got a hurting elbow.
Summary: He doesn’t get the ball in the playoffs.
I’m all for letting Wood try to play the part of Madison Bumgarner circa October 2010.
In game 4 we’ll either be up 2-1 or down 2-1 (or the series is already over). I can’t see Maholm or Wood going if we’re down 2-1. Maybe Wood gets a start if we’re up.
Recapped!