Since I liked Alex’s post for Friday’s game, I thought I’d go with the same here.
The Good:
The Braves are 17-10 at home and over the last 9 games are 7-2.
Mike Minor did not have his best stuff today, but was decent giving up 4 hits over 6 2/3.
BJ appears to have revived from his coma. Over the last ten or twelve games he is swinging the bat really well. He singled in the 3rd and again in the 8th. He scored the only Braves run after a double by Freddie Freeman and a sac fly by Justin Upton.
The Not Very Good At All:
The Braves got just two hits off Juan Nicasio, who was wild all night. They were very obliging in making him effectively wild. I thought the offense was going to have a good night when in the 3rd we loaded the bases with a walk to Jason Heyward, a single to BJ, and another walk to Freddie, but Justin popped up to first to end the threat.
Michael Cuddyer and Troy Tulowitski took Minor deep. In the second, Minor went 3-0 to Cuddyer and served up a pumpkin right over the middle. In the 6th Tulo took Minor deep to left.
Even without Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado, the Rockies had no problems at all.
Andrelton Simmons is 2 for his last 18.
The Incidental:
Prior to this game, Mike Minor had never lost to the Rockies and Juan Nicasio had never beaten the Braves.
But at 27-21, we are still in first.
Braves are 20-11 in games that Uggla starts. 7-10 when he rides the bench.
Braves won a World Series before they got Uggla. Haven’t even won a playoff series since they got him. But-for analysis is kind of tricky.
The US national debt was $15 trillion the year we traded for Uggla. It’s now $17.5 trillion. I think we know why.
Yes, but it’s smaller as a fraction of GDP (Gross Dan Product) which has skyrocketed.
Well, the Gross Dan Product most certainly skyrocketed with Bibi Jones.
Boom.
I think it’s pretty clear that he makes everyone around him better, at the expense of his own abilities.
@6, That wouldn’t explain why we’ve gotten such a lousy BJ.
Watching Dodgers at Philly right now… Beckett doing really well through 7.
3 more outs.
I don’t like the Dodgers, and I pretty much hate Josh Beckett. But I love watching a guy have the best day of his life. Good for him.
@10. Agree with you. Good for him!
Plus it’s always great to see the Phillies getting no-hit.
And our old buddy Yunel is responsible for a bench-clearing brawl with the Red Sox, stealing third up five runs in the 7th right now.
Red Sox are just mad because they suck.
Morales is throwing batting practice out there and we’re only hitting deep fly balls (except for Gattis). If he actually starts throwing decent stuff I’m afraid we’re in trouble.
I swear to God, Simpson tells that 2007 Rockies’ spring training ‘don’t let the ball hit the ground’ story every time these two teams match-up, year after year after year now. It’s gotten to the point that I knew just now that Simpson was about to say it, thirty seconds prior to his actually mentioning it.
Yep… I’m not sure why Joe doesn’t then mention that Hurdle is only 90 consecutive wins away from being a .500 career manager. It’s also amazing how no other managers ever thought to tell the team to play good defense.
If it was so effective, how come the Rockies haven’t done it since?
I love the way Simpson acts as though it was this big epiphany that turned a bunch of mediocre players into defensive gods. “Oh, don’t let the ball hit the ground you say?! I thought I was supposed to roll it to the cut-off man.”
Or the Pirates after Hurdle moved there. Hurdle is in his 12th season managing. In the first 11, his team finished 4th or 5th 8 times. First? Never. He clearly has the secret sauce — defense!
Gattis looks pretty OK.
Get rekt, ball.
That’s two times now Gattis has failed to hit to right and killed a rally.
Meanwhile, in New York, Mr. $85,000,000:
.227/.274/.383, seven home runs, 80 OPS+.
Teheran has a nasty curve working today.
“And our old buddy Yunel is responsible for a bench-clearing brawl with the Red Sox, stealing third up five runs in the 7th right now.”
Clearly, they’re frustrated over their losing streak, but that is ridiculous. A five-run lead can evaporate quickly, and it wasn’t even the ninth inning. Are teams supposed to just stop actively trying to score when they have a decent lead in the last third of the game?
The Red Sox are a bunch of babies.
David Ross evidently did the provoking of Yunel too.
I find most of baseball’s unwritten rules to be stupid, but those surrounding “running up the score” definitely top the list. Until there’s a mercy rule or the other team forfeits the game, you play to win, and that means scoring runs.
Man, thought that was going way out. Feel bad for BJ. He’s smoked three balls today and has nothing.
Maybe the Red Sox should grow some more of those magical Chemistry Beards™ again?
25 plate appearances since his last strikeout? That’s pretty darned good, BJ.
Two innings, 13 pitches, that’s good efficiency, Anthony.
@25: After seeing that, it makes me think those two didn’t get along when they were both in Atlanta. I’d bet Escobar and Ross have a history.
Wow, a genuine rubout — nice.
Good win. I’m very happy that Julio didn’t go much over 90 pitches despite having a shutout going and all that.
Also, this version of Avilan is much preferred to the early season one.
Don breaking out the old “pitching and a 3 run homer” to describe this year’s team at the end of a game that featured two 2 run homers and a solo shot was funny, to me anyway.
When this season comes to an end (hopeful winning the World Series), Wren should really think about extending Justin.
Recap up