This offense is like Andres Thomas on Vicodin. It needs to wake the hell up. My prescription is BRUTAL.
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This offense is like Andres Thomas on Vicodin. It needs to wake the hell up. My prescription is BRUTAL.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
La Stella was given a day off yesterday. A possible promotion in the works?
Maybe this concern of mine is overrated, but calling La Stella up when the offense has been exposed as terrible and the team is in a six-game tailspin puts the patina of “save our season” on his call-up.
I’d rather call him up when times are good and Uggla sucks so we can just plug himself in without any burden of expectations on him.
I think its time regardless. I see your concerns but the Braves brass have to put the best 9 out there. I am not sure if the good times will ever arrive if we don’t take at least one of the black holes out of the offense. This ain’t all Uggla’s fault, I’m looking at you Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons but at least those two are contributing power and defense respectively. BJ is creating a smaller partial vacuum and Heyward is trending upward and we know they are contributing defense. Uggla is contributing nothing at this point.
La Stella isn’t there (if he gets called up) to save the season. He’s there to save 2B. Dan Uggla is done.
Also, nice song link.
Thanks! What’s funny is how relevant the lyrics are.
Lesson
the honoring instinct of animal
pressure
no blame on the red bull
throw fury at him
aim gorge and win
less contenders on the way today
let them pay
nothing lost
nothing gained
listen
here lies the warning for matador
blackout
blood running the dirt floor
won’t bleed by accident
burn your game plan
I suspect La Stella is going to get about 300 Ab’s in AAA before he gets the call. And Uggla probably gets the rest of the month to prove he’s done. Pastornicky/Pena will handle the interim.
@1, It seems to have been just a routine day off after an 0-for-3. La Stella pinch-hit yesterday… Hopefully, soon.
I tend to think that Pastornicky or Pena will get 2B way before La Stella gets a shot.
Theory: The ability of a team’s pitchers to properly execute a sacrifice bunt is the canary in the coal mine for how good a job the hitting coach is doing.
Bowman saying Braves evaluating LaStella/Uggla closely. May happen sooner than we think.
@11, from your lips to God’s ears.
@11
That is usually a sign things are very close.
The relevant Bowman speculation.
O’Brien on the same scuttlebutt
Also from DOB: “JUpton in the 2 spot….Pena at second base….and batting ninth! Harang will hit eighth tonight for the #Braves”
DOB says 2 weeks. Are they giving La Stella more time in AAA or are they thinking that Uggla can do in two weeks what he hasn’t done in 5.
In the DOB piece he outlined the perps in this latest slump. Wow it is UGLY.
the good news is we get to play the Cubs later this week.
RF Jason Heyward LF Justin Upton 1B Freddie Freeman C Evan Gattis CF B.J. Upton 3B Chris Johnson SS A. Simmons P Aaron Harang 2B Ramiro Pena
It’s different and can’t be worse. I like shaking it up some.
From the Bowman article linked @14: “But while producing a .408 on-base percentage during his professional career, he has provided indication that he has the potential to provide much-needed contact presence to a Braves lineup that has been lifeless over the past week.”
Good lord, that’s bad writing.
Wow terrible writing indeed. Someone pays him to do that?
Even though it’s mathematically suboptimal &c., I actually don’t mind the old “hit the pitcher eighth” gimmick tonight. At this point I’d try a reverse batting order, or writing Chipper into the 3-hole as DH and seeing if the umps notice, or having a Dozen Egg Night promotion at the ballpark, or anything.
20 — He could use half the amount of words in that sentence and still mean the same thing.
Peanut’s subjects are always providing glimpses or indications, when they’re not silencing their critics.
Hell, I’m not even sure it’s mathematically suboptimal with the given lineup. You want Heyward/JUpton/Freeman to get as many at bats as possible, so you lead off with them. You want Simmons to hit in a spot where his ability to drive the ball can score runners if they’re on. Pena doesn’t give you that, really. Flip flopping Pena for Harang is virtually meaningless.
Harang will presumably get more fastballs hitting in front of Pena.
Braves are the mlb.tv free game tonight, for those of you who are cheapskates (like me).
I’m also not sure that it’s mathematically suboptimal given that I’ve been watching these guys play baseball over the last week. Harang should probably bat cleanup.
IMO, it just means that, in a game that you’re losing late, the pitcher’s spot will give you a pinch-hit opportunity a little faster. I think it would be a bigger deal if Gattis were riding the bench tonight.
Wow, I wonder what Pastornicky needs to do to get a couple or four starts? Just to, you know, see?
30- Not be the same guy who has hit 250/ 296/ 332 during his time in the majors? We’ve pretty much “seen” what he is; a marginal utility infielder.
He looked safe to me, but I wouldn’t waste a challenge there.
That 1-2-3 inning could have easily been two on/no out. Maybe some good breaks (and Simmons’s great defense) like those will help us get in the winning column again.
Well, that was completely unexpected and in no way typical of the season to date.
No runs, one hit, two left: is this a step in the right direction? Nay, not so.
That inning was a prime example of the Braves’ offensive troubles at the moment.
Two runners in scoring position with one out & cannot even put the ball in play in 2 consecutive ABs.
Maybe we can win with a couple solo HRs…
We could start all 9 innings with a guy on 2nd and we’d only score 2 runs.
1-2-3 doesn’t cut it either. At least Pena leads off the third.
This would be my line up tomorrow:
Cf Schafer
Ss Simmons
Rf Heyward
Lf J Up
1b Domit
3b Pena
2b Pastornicky
C Laird
Andrelton Simmons, Shortstop.
Might’ve gotten a break there…
Andrelton taketh away and giveth, there.
I’m seeing Mastodon in Pittsburgh on Friday. It’s the concert equivalent of being hit by a truck.
Ramiro! Smoke it, dude.
Heyward does the Braves thing of late.
It’s always up to Freddie.
Edit: tough luck, Fred.
Apparently, having Braves in scoring position is exactly what opposing pitchers want. It’s a chance to rack up those Ks!
37- I took your word for it; I didn’t really need to see your hypothesis tested.
Man I thought that was going to make the gap.
Greg Walker is on the hot seat
Miller has no clue where it’s going. He’s lucky we suck right now.
sickening baseball.
Harang’s delivery looks so effortless.
How many will we leave om base this inning?
Chris Johnson is worthless right now.
How long, oh Lord?
54- Be careful what you wish for.
We need to steal a base or play hit and run. Force the issue
Andrelton?
Did Andrelton empty a bottle of NyQuil before the game?
Game. Blouses
Game. Blouses
Sigh. That’s probably the ballgame.
Normally, we want Chris to field like Andrelton, but somehow this feels wrong.
I hate Johnson almost as much as Uggla right now.
That was not a Major-League play.
With a little help from the defense this inning, Harang would be in good shape. Our poor pitchers right now.
This is terrible. Seven in a row? How will DOB soin this? “They are trying hard! Greg Walker can fix them like he did BJ! OH wait…”
the only question is whether Heyward will strike out or roll one over to 2nd here.
Anyone got Chipper’s dad’s number?
@70—Maybe we should just start with Chipper.
I do believe Harang’s out of gas and fairy dust. Certainly for the night, and maybe for good.
Once the other team gets to 4 runs we should put in a position player to pitch and save our real arms for games where we might actually get a lead.
I just remembered this is stinko de maio.
Edit: Vaya con Dios, amigos.
Edit the edit: Wow. I thought he beat CJ.
@73 What is this ‘lead’ that you mention? I’m intrigued by it and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
never seen so many guys with their dobber dangling .. uninspired ..care less looks on faces .. somebody needs to kick some butt or ????
Got him on the kick save. So we should only lose by four.
@75, I’ve only heard stories…but the whole idea sounds magical.
@76, benching the entire starting lineup seems like it might be worth a try. Put a few relief pitchers in the outfield if we have to. Worst they can do is score zero runs…same as this bunch.
If it weren’t for terrible luck, we wouldn’t have any at all. Why am I still watching this game?
Edit: Okay, thank you replay. However, with our bunch right now, it’s not like being behind by 4 or being behind by 5 will make any difference, whatsoever.
Runners on the corners, no one out. They’ve got us where they want us.
Lol, Alex is answering DOB’s Twitter. DOB is telling people they should fight Uggla.
we scored , we scored , we scored
What just happened?
We may score again. Oh wait that’s BJ Upton’s music
Fortunately, he found a way to make an out (as is required in his contract, I think) and yet drive in a run.
2 runs .. 2 runs … i dont know wat to say or act …
Two runs in one inning? Inconceivable. Also, insufficient.
#87 … sad but true
Two big runs
This offense blows.
Varvaro’s okay though. Can lightning strike twice?
Hey Pastornicky! Grab your bat and get up there and try to hit 97mph gas without warming up!
Tough duty.
RAMIRO!!
Wally Piped
Yes. Yes, it can. We’ve scored a week’s worth of runs tonight. Can we score more?
Maybe. Nice, Jason.
I think Pena really wants a starting job…
I think my TV is broken.
Take strike three and sit down, Justin.
Freeman has been robbed twice
Poor Freddie—hit the ball hard twice tonight but right at ’em. He could have had 2 RBIs with a few inches here or there.
Same for BJ too.
How long has it been since Kimbral pitched? His shoulder should be rested by now.
Merry Christmas. Do it, Braves, right now.
Simmons with the single. Given our putrid hitting with runners on, does that help us or hurt us?
So we’re about to make one of our 3 remaining outs on purpose. Just trying to prepare myself for this.
Walk Jason, pitch to strike out boy, you think?
@106, you nailed it. Let’s see if this makes JUpton angry.
107- We don’t like him when he’s angry. Come to think of it, I don’t like him most of the rest of the time.
Another miserable Braves loss
Blows.
Called, not swinging. Justin wears the big sombrero on cinco de maio.
Did the home plate ump hate justin tonight?
What an idiot. Best pitch of the at-bat is the one he doesn’t swing at.
Okay, this Justin Upton watching strike three to end the game with the winning run on stuff has GOT to stop. I know it’s not April anymore, but, seriously, just stop.
All I take away from tonight’s game is that Ervin Santana looks just like Snoop from the Wire.
Justin may or may not be angry, but I am pretty sure we are all pretty pissed. Swing the F-ing bat…hard to get hits with risp with the bat on your shoulder
It sucks to lose, and as usual, we get in our own way against the Cardinals. But it looks a little like they’re snapping out of it. A little.
Justin doesn’t know what a strike is anymore, and with good reason, The strike zone to him the last four days has been capricious and atrocious.
Justin has absolutely no idea where the strike zone is. Why do the Uptons make it so hard to like them?
I’d think it’d be hard to be pissed at someone coming into the game hitting .299/.375/.579…
He’s the main culprit in the current streak though – but I’ll admit he has company. If he and Freeman go cold we’re beyond doomed.
Gee, 3 runs. We picked a helluva night to drop the ball all over the field.
On the bright side…the bullpen pitched three strong innings. And a guy who hasn’t pitched in over a year is going tomorrow to try to break the streak. So we got that going for us. Which is nice.
Justin Upton is not the problem with this offense. He’s fighting it a little right now, and getting weird calls all over the place, but if this lineup was filled 1-7 with Justin Upton clones, we would be doing just fine. Keep Uggla on the bench, keep Heyward/JUpton/Freeman bunched at the top of the order, and hope Gattis, Johnson and Simmons can manage a combined OBP above .300.
1-14 with 10Ks is definitely fighting it. I’d say he’s basically the entire offense. If he hits we look good. When he doesn’t we look like a 95 loss team.
Justin Upton is not the problem. The problem is our team is 27th in the league in OBP.
I just saw this in Crasnick’s column. Did anyone else see that the Braves accused the Marlins of stealing signs?
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/46904/braves-search-for-answers-to-break-streak
#127
The radio guys were discussing it in the third game of the Miami series.
17-7
17-14
Ok. So I’ve got a template for a time machine here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080025/ An added benefit is that I can meet Mary Steenburgen back when she was really hot. The problem is that I only seem to be able to kill Jack the Ripper, not Hitler. And, frankly, if I were really to go back in time and kill someone, it would be either Eric Gregg or Jim Leyritz.
@127, the Marlins are 15-5 at home and 2-10 on the road. That kind of split will make you go hmmm.
I’ve often wondered why every team doesn’t have a guy in a closed room watching the CF television feed and relaying pitches to the batter via radios in their helmets.
What do Tom Petty and the Braves have in common?
Freefalllllllllllllllling!
@132
Big hats and aging second bass players
Or just a group full of heartbreakers?
Recapped.
Disheartening.