I know the Rockies play baseball on the moon and a lot of their stats are hyper-inflated, but they are a good team with very good hitters. They were totally dominated by Braves pitching this weekend.
Julio Teheran sent another message that he is one of the top starters in the league. Here we thought we didn’t have an ace.
El Oso Blanco decided that hitting the other way for singles is nice, but it is more fun to pull the ball and hit home runs. He had so much fun doing it, he did it twice. Justin Upton saw how much fun it was and joined in. Joe “Ted Williams doesn’t know what he is talking about” Simpson couldn’t even argue.
I work with a guy from Boston who is an actual life long Sox fan. He is really annoyed with all of the bandwagon jumper fans. He calls them Pink Sox fans. I am sure The Ted will have a pink hue over the next few days.
Enjoy your Memorial Day! Watch Patton, remember what the day is about, eat a hot dog and stay safe.
If the Falcons could indeed beat the Broncos 7-0….
@33 previous thread (re: Avilan’s outing)
The first pitch he threw was wonderful. I couldn’t believe it. Set the tone for the whole inning.
Glad to know Fredi is protecting Teheran:
“After a complete game the last time out, we wanted to keep him right where he was today,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We didn’t want to keep running him out there and having him throw pitches this early in the season. That worked out perfectly. You couldn’t ask for a better outing out of him.”
Gattis has the most HR for a catcher in the majors…by 3. McCann who?
Another fun fact: Braves are 1st in the Majors in ERA…next to last in runs scored.
Overall I don’t have a lot to complain about regarding Fredi. Bullpen management has been solid, SPs are being used effectively and wisely (mostly), and he’s made changes when they made sense (Uggla!). I have some trouble with bunting, not that Atlanta’s doing it too much, but they’re terrible at it. I also think the whole offseason conditioning thing for pitchers needs to be reconsidered (not sure if it would have affected injuries this year though).
All in all, I would put Fredi in the top 25% of MLB managers so far.
Good the see the Red Sox have a chance to end their 10-game losing streak by winning four against the Braves. You know it would happen.
Evan Gattis is a strong fella.
Thanks, Smitty.
Nice game! Whoever composed the condensed game was trolling BJ, showing all of his long outs even when by convention, they shouldn’t have been shown. Still, looked like he was swinging it really well yesterday.
And man but Gattis has been great.
My only concern about Gattis is that there seem to have been quite a few conferences on the mound when he’s been behind the plate. Sometimes there’s been a runner on second, hence the need to change the signs, but I wonder if there haven’t been some hiccups working with the staff? Santana, in particular, can’t seem to find a rhythm when he and Gattis form a tandem.
@10
You may be on to something. Laird is in there today
We have the best ERA in baseball so it’s hard to fault Gattis’ ability to call a game or his relationships with our pitchers. Plus I’m pretty sure a lot of our pitches are called from the dugout. In the end the pitch selection and location rests solely on the pitcher.
My only complaint about Gattis is that he’s playing a position that requires him to sit out 20% of our games. The Braves are also protecting him a bit so that he can hopefully not be too worn down at the end of the season (and didn’t he have both knees worked on in the offseason?). I do wish we could get his bat in there every day.
Catcher’s ERA is one of the dumbest stats.
@11 Doubt it. Typical day game after a night game rest for Gattis.
Yesterday wasn’t a really late night, because of the bizarre 5:10 pm start time. But yeah, they always rest the regular catcher in a day game after a night game.
Boy they’re talking up BJ Upton on FSS.
Sounded like a Red Sox home game when JUpton struck out.
Hopefully Upton can do something to make it sound like a Braves home game. So far there hasn’t been much of anything to cheer for on the Braves side, despite the fact that Buchholz has no command of a 90-mile an hour fastball.
The sub-headline for the game on ESPN.com is “Braves Struggling”
Yeah Buchholz looks pretty beatable. Hopefully we’ll be patient today. Santana has also thrown a few meatballs already.
Edit: but a good CF catches that.
That ball was hit really hard, but B.J. should have caught that. It grazed off his glove. And they’re going to call it a “triple.”
@21
Anyone else feel like that happens with a fair amount of regularity for BJ? Anything in front or to the side, he’s generally good with, but he really seems to struggle on picking up/catching balls over the shoulder.
Red Sox fans sure are loud and obnoxious for a last-place team on a ten-game losing streak.
Ugh…these pink hat Red Sox fans at Turner Field are disgusting.
Agreed
He could walk in a few runs.
Edit: not when the ump is calling those a strike. Upton had that AB taken away from him.
In fairness, the balls that are directly behind an outfielder are really hard. That’s one reason why Willie Mays’s catch on Vic Wertz is arguably the most famous catch in baseball history.
I really wish that our guys would stop swinging on the first pitch, though. Buchholz can’t find the plate. Let him tie the noose around his own neck.
Wow, BJ got screwed. This umpire blows.
This is why CB Bucknor and Angel Hernandez keep their jobs.
He rang up Justin Upton on pretty much the same pitch, same location in the first inning. It wasn’t a strike then either.
JUPTON!
JUpton!!
Our official scorer is a giant homer.
Bucholz is not right.
There is no official scorer in baseball who would call either that or the Red Sox triple an inning ago an error. It’s whether or not it would’ve taken “ordinary effort” to make a play, not whether a play could have been made or not. Both would’ve been great plays, therefore screwing them up does not result in an error.
Right. The problem is that the norms are stupid. Lots of plays that are called hits ought to be scored as errors.
We heap a lot on Uggla, but I think it’s time to spread the blame a little: our second basemen are terrible.
Bring on the TomStar.
I can agree it was more than “ordinary” effort, but I wouldn’t say either required much more than that.
Put it this way, neither one of those plays, if made, would’ve have even been considered for the Top 10/web gems.
@36
Fair enough, and I agree with you for the most part on that. Just wanted to point out that it’s not that our official scorer is a “giant homer.”
Also, nice placement by Laird there.
Ramiro Pena is a great supersub who just shouldn’t be a starting player. I’m ready for La Stella.
Good for Laird. Good thing that David Ortiz had absolutely no idea what to do on that play.
Santana, take a hack, brother.
G Laird!!!
I thought CJ’s grounder was pretty routine for a major league SS. Simmons makes that play easily. I feel that if a good throw beats the runner by 3 steps then it should be an error if the throw is bad.
It may be about time for “Free LaStella” to take up residence.
@42
Also, it’s ordinary effort for an average fielder at that position at that level. So what Simmons would’ve done is irrelevant.
@44, it was a barely above average degree-of-difficulty play. Our scorer almost always calls those hits – which is fine, he’s consistent – but I think there should be a higher standard.
What in God’s name is Pedroia’s problem? On ESPN, they just showed him rampaging through the dugout like a crazy person.
Yeah. I was wondering the same thing. He was a little perturbed.
People spout that “interleague everyday” line about the DH rule all the time, but it’s pretty much the same number of games. The Braves played all of one more interleague game in 2013 (19) after the Astros went to the AL, then they did in 2012 under the old rules (18).
The implication is that the NL needs to DH now because of “interleague everyday!!!”, and yet the desperation is over one or two mores games, maybe even the same number for other teams.
Yep, the number of interleague games hasn’t really changed. It’s just the fact that they’re no longer clustered.
Padroia is a prick.
@48
Yeah, it’s disingenuous, to say the least. When actually called on it, all anybody spouting this BS can come up with is something about AL pitchers having to take batting practice outside of the month of June. My heart weeps for them, truly.
BJ is keepin’ on.
I declare BJ fixed
Sure is good to see that.
BJ Upton with an XBH that wasn’t down and in!!!!
Watching Buchholtz pitch is not quite as painful as watching Rick Ankiel pitch, but it’s in the same zip code. OK… about as painful as watching Ankiel hit.
Much more balanced at the plate. That ball was squared up. Hope these ab’s are here to stay.
Buchholz has to be wondering just what he needs to do to get taken out of the game already.
Leave him in!
The most unfortunate pitcher name in the world.
Buchholz has to be wondering just what he needs to do to get taken out of the game already.
Better than Gonzalez leaving Harang in to give up nine runs against the Marlins.
Poor Clay Bucholz. I feel for that guy. That was sheet agony as he walked off the mound.
OK…now that should’ve been an error. Or at the very least a single and an error.
Bucholz had a really bizarre career so far.
BABIP!!!
At least the Red Sox fans have been shut up.
I like beating the Red Sox, but I love humiliating them.
One more hit this inning, and we’ll be close.
@65 – Amen
Oh, Ramiro.
wat happened?
We need a new 2B.
He committed batter’s interference by bunting the ball and then running into it in fair territory.
Heyward and Freeman are a combined 0/0 with 6 walks and 4 runs scored.
Should the Braves go for two?
Hits! Runs! Amazing!
Holy crap.
So much for humiliating anyone.
Santana was been terrible this inning
You gotta be kidding me!
Throw strikes and we aren’t in this position.
Red Sox really look like asses now for getting miffed at Escobar.
Santana was counted on to be a slump buster if needed — but I was hoping not for the other guys.
Thank God for Buchholtz.
“Throw strikes and we aren’t in this position.”
-Red Sox Fans
Well, that didn’t last long…
Gross
Chris Capuano? Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomed.
This is not as fun as it was a half hour ago.
One advantage of the new stadium: there will never be 30,000 Red Sox “fans” in it.
@87
Yeah, when did they sign Kryptonite?
I was watching on the espn app. The game just got bumped for a WNBA game. umm… not cool.
Who doesn’t love a little exciting j.v. hoops?
/kidding!!!!!
ha.
really hope it’s just for the delay
They’re pulling the tarp off.
At least the delay got Kryptonite out of there.
And the rain delay got Capuano out of the ballgame!
The NL leader in GIDP … sigh.
No excuse for whatever the hell happened there.
TELL THEM THE GAME STARTED.
FFS, Ian.
Ian Thomas getting it done. Nothing like the Atlanta Braves to cute a 10 game losing streak
Who’s this random reliever blowing the game?
The starter blew it. The random reliever’s just finishing the job.
Put Ian Thomas on a bus back to Manitoba or wherever we found him.
This clown isn’t even missing close
Why does it sound like we are playing at Fenway today?
The Braves are going to get swept by the Red Sox, I can just sense it.
GET HIM OFF MY TV.
GET HIM OFF MY TEAM.
“GET HIM OFF MY TV.”
Leave Chip Caray alone, the Braves are the problem today.
That a-hole should just keep walking to Gwinnett
Jonny Gomes, notorious lefty crusher, will
face Luis Avilan. Did the braves RH pitchers’ arms fall off?
Boston fans at Turner Field today: “Woo! Our last-place team is winning!”
Well, this will certainly be the leader in the clubhouse for worst loss of the year.
Thinking that this tripod 2nd base experiment needs to have all 3 legs kicked out from underneath it.
I am glad Pena’s .169 average is better than Uggla
The collapse began promptly after ESPN’s broadcasters noted that the Braves had not blown a lead that they had in the seventh inning all year. I choose to blame them.
Well the braves didn’t have a lead in the 7th
I don’t want to be a Braves fan anymore.
Heyward with a rare baserunning mistake.
They didn’t. But it was the implied assumption they would.
So we are back to swinging at crap and taking good pitches. This game started so good also
Report from the ballpark: this game sucks and blows. The Sox fans are annoying individually, and combined they are handily out-cheering the Braves fans. Pink Red Sox gear abounds. This game sure has gone downhill since the Braves knocked out Buchholtz.
Barf.
Fredi was too slow to pull Santana and too slow to pull Thomas.
Ugh. I hate everything.
Alex, your are so correct. Very frustrating day all the way around. First time that I can ever remember a home game having the distinct feeling of being on the road. That was ugly.
A miserable Braves loss if there ever were one.
@127
You obviously either haven’t been around very long or have forgotten about the Randy Johnson perfect game, Cal Ripken’s last game here and every single other time that the Red Sox or Yankees have come into town.
@119
Feel free to show up tomorrow with a Red Sox hat on like everybody else.
The 2003 NLDS vs. the Cubs also comes to mind.
This is the type of game that makes me worry about our pitching. We don’t have a staff that can consistently miss bats. Our offense has to be able to step up and win games. The Red Sox pitched poorly today and still won. We are going to have to win some games when we don’t pitch well.
I was at the Randy Johnson perfect game. A lot of the people who cheered for him, from the 7th inning on, were Braves fans.
Sucks, but shake it off & kick their ass tomorrow.
These are not the type of performances that will be getting Mr. Santana paid this off-season.
Ian Thomas’s performance is also frustrating, but the guy had pitched 2/3’ds of an inning over the past 10 days before today. Ultimately his fault, but Fredi needs to get him more work (ie: yesterday’s 7-0 game) or send him down.
Also agree with @125…the reason you keep 7 relievers is so you can pull a starter before he gives up a game tying HR to a guy who owns him as the culmination of an epic meltdown.
Yeah, the Randy Johnson perfect game was a case of Braves fans realizing “Our offense clearly isn’t going to do shit against him today. If we’re going to lose, we might as well see history in the process.” There was no invasion by bandwagon D’backs fans.
@134 Remember Fredi is an old school guy. He wanted Santana to get the win.
@135
So was the Cal Ripken game. It still counts, though. It’s even worse than an invasion by opposing fans, frankly.
Some may disagree, but I don’t think it’s actually a betrayal of the team for the fans to recognize an impressive achievement by the opposing side. If they clap when the other guy hits a homer, that’s treason. If they clap when the other guy throws a perfect game, I think that’s classy.
Now… at the Randy Johnson game, they started clapping in the 7th inning. And that’s early, especially given that Hampton had pitched well and it was still a winnable game in theory. But I don’t disagree with the concept of clapping when the other guy twirls a perfecto.
Had they just clapped, or even given a long standing ovation, afterwards, I wouldn’t have a problem. It was more than that, though. They spent the last three innings openly rooting for (supposedly) their team to be humiliated. That’s a problem.
I definitely have more problem with seeing us being outnumbered by Red Sox/Yankees/Cubs fans whenever they come to Atlanta.
Remember, Henry Aaron hit #714 on the road in Cincinnati, and the Reds fans cheered loudly. I think that’s cool.
@139, I agree. The fact that it was three innings was the problem.
Not to derail a cool thread but Ryu has a perfect game through 6, on MLB network right now. We should all tune in and root against it! Or for it. Depending on whose side you choose in the discussion above.
@140
The biggest issue I have with it is the knowledge that 25-50 percent of those people were playing both sides, best highlighted by the kid ESPN showed who was wearing a Braves shirt and a Red Sox hat while loudly cheering for David Ortiz. That kid needs therapy. Half of those people aren’t actually Red Sox fans, they just want everyone to think they are because being a Red Sox fan is cooler than being a Braves fan. Those people can all drive off a cliff, as far as I’m concerned.
@144 I don’t think baseball would mind having those customers as they are paying and they get the entertainment they want. I just feel sorry for the kids who do not have the parents to show them what it’s like to support one team wholeheartedly.
We are all going to be awesome dads.
Perhaps my memory/ears are slipping, but it seems that there’ve been significantly fewer Cubs fans at Turner Field in the last few years than there were in the mid-2000s. At least, there definitely haven’t been enough to make it sound like the game was at Wrigley. I saw a few people here and there proudly wearing Cubs gear back then; now, the Cubs fans I know don’t wear any gear (I know their affiliation only after speaking with them), and they’re mostly consumed by self-loathing. Makes me smile.
Seems like we will see two more TJ casualties in Ventura and Syndergaard.
Recapped by cliff.