After stumbling through a three game series with Philadelphia at Turner Field, the Braves have embarked on an extended road trip with the first stop in Washington – a wretched hive of scum and villainy – for a four game tilt. The Braves started play 1.5 games back of the first place Nationals, tied with the Marlins in the division, and flirting with a .500 record.
To stop the losing streak, the Braves turned to Gavin Floyd. The Nationals countered with Jordan Zimmermann, as the Nationals pitcher took the hill coming off back-to-back complete games. Both pitchers were incredibly sharp early, mowing down the opposition for the first three innings. The Braves made some noise in the fourth, as singles by Freddie Freeman, Evan Gattis (extending the hitting streak to eighteen games), and Jason Heyward loaded the bases with one out. Chris Johnson singled Zimmermann’s 3-1 pitch to center to score both Freeman and Gattis and give Atlanta a 2-0 lead.
Floyd was exceptional through the first six innings, surrendering just two hits and a walk against six strikeouts while needing only 63 pitches. Since nothing gold can stay, Floyd was removed from the game in the seventh after throwing a single pitch to Jayson Werth due to an apparent arm injury. Anthony Varvaro would replace Floyd and escape the seventh unscathed, and the Braves headed to the eighth inning with a 2-0 lead.
Following a Freeman double and a Gattis single, the Braves added to their lead in the eighth when Johnson knocked a single off Jerry Blevins (literally) to make the game 3-0. Jordan Walden and Craig Kimbrel threw scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to give the Braves a 3-0 shutout win in the opener. The Nationals managed only three hits on the night.
The Braves stopped the bleeding from the Philadelphia series and continued their dominance of the Nationals – winning six of seven in 2014. There’s 89 games left to play. Let’s win a few more.
One good news tonight besides the win is that Walden is back to man the eighth. No matter how unhealthy he has been, I would still take him any day over Tommy Hanson. Great trade Wren.
In regards to Floyd, there are nonsurgical and surgical options for fixation of a fracture to the Olecranon depending on the extent of the injury. Looking at management of the injury, it would appear that Floyd would be done for significant time if not the rest of the season. It seems like it would be a hard injury to come back in the same season for a pitcher due to the amount of stress the position puts on the elbow.
Freeman had an encouraging night at the plate.
This happened to Joel Zumaya back in 2010. Not pretty, and totally not the reason I wanted to come out of the nebulous void of lurkerdom.
http://detroit.sbnation.com/2010/6/29/1543528/joel-zumaya-injury-elbow-out-for-season
Just Holy Crap. Floyd is done for the year, I’m sure. Olecranen? WTH, over. I read on WIki that its possible for the triceps to cause an avulsion. Its a wonder more pitchers don’t get this injury.
I’m guessing the Braves will call up a reliever for the next few days until Floyd’s spot in the rotation comes up, then they will send down said reliever for Wood.
Well poopsicles. So how many trade chips do the Braves have now? Exactly none? Fantastic.
Hope to see Ian Thomas up tomorrow. A good pitcher that was put into way too many high-leverage situations in such an early stage in his career.
Gosh, we suck with elbows.
Well maybe this gets Wren involved with the trade market for another starter. And a better bullpen. And a better bench. And a better CF’r
The Braves must have their pitcher’s icing before starts and throwing cool down pitches after.
Peraza 3/5 with a triple, 3 runs scored and a stolen base in his AA debut.
David Hale is now the next man up if/when another pitching injury occurs. Behind him: probably Schlosser?
Those of you who wanted to trade David Hale a few weeks ago, remember that #8 man has a way of being a big part of a rotation any given year. Pitching health is so fickle.
@9
You have to be joking right? To make trades, you have to have something to trade. Actually, I know your joking. There is no way that comment is serious.
@13 We tend to post AJC blog quality opinion on this blog as a joke.
Doomed…
I think we should trade Uggla for Mike Trout.
Or a trout almandine
@16,
Well, yesterday, it was Uggla for Kershaw. Make up your mind.
I’ve seen an image on Twitter of what an olecranon repair looks like. Basically several pins and screws in the elbow. I don’t see how that would lend itself to the range-of-motion needed for pitching again.
https://mobile.twitter.com/kallen_0/status/479820262066515968/photo/1
I think we should trade Rabbit Maran villa for Ted Williams. It won’t really help the team much, but it will make our HOF roster much more impressive.
Joel Zumaya never again pitched in the majors after suffering this injury in 2010.
New poll.
18 — That wasn’t me. I think we should trade BJ Upton for Kershaw, and Chris Johnson for a
BLT.
@19, thanks for sharing sdp. Damn.
Juan Jaime for Beato (DL) if you hadn’t heard yet.
Well, Zumaya throws 100+, and so when he broke his, it looks like he really broke it. As a result, he tried to come back two years later, blew out of his elbow, TJed it, and he won’t be returning. Hopefully Floyd’s injury is not as severe (the reactions are clearly different), but he very well could be toast. Forever.
This season is starting to look like 2008. We know how that ended.
Salty, yes it was sarcasm. However there is this…
@JonHeymanCBS: Floyd is the 3rd good SP #braves have lost to elbow (medlen, beachy). Wonder if they’ll play for Samardzija, who they like.
@27
I can see it now…
@JonHeymanCBS: The Braves have just acquired Jeff Samardzija for every player in their Minor League system…plus Dan Uggla.
Yes, please! Go get ’em, Wren!
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/06/top-outfielder-yasmani-tomas-defects-from-cuba.html
Guess what team is 5th in scoring in the National League in runs scored/game in June? Yup, even with 2/3 of the team in a slump, it’s the Braves.
@29, Could we get Uggla to defect TO Cuba?
@Marc
Post of the day!
@JonHeymanCBS:The Braves have just acquired Jeff Samardzija for every player in their Minor League system…plus Dan Uggla
The Cubs would say no
@11
Peraza doubters, beware…he’s on his way…fast.
and could someone post the phonetics on Jamie pse..amy?
Blazon, I think you’re right and he might be a September callup, but it’s more likely that he’s not going to see real time until next year.
He is only 20. No need to rush him.
Where precisely are we planning playing Peraza? Moving him to CF? Moving LaStella to LF?
Remember when Edward Salcedo was supposed to be the 2nd coming of Andy Marte? Well, he didn’t even make it to the majors before he failed miserably. A .641 OPS at Gwinnett with 16 errors. He should be getting the pink slip at year’s end.
Throwing this out there: Peraza has a .382 BABIP this year.
@37
Peraza is rumored to be “the guy” once he is ready.
Can LaStella play third?
@38, And, like, a 3% walk rate. Peraza will fit right in!
Not knocking the player because he’s so young, but would it kill the Braves to slow this train down and teach him some plate discipline?
So Peraza is supposed to be the 2B of the future, to pair up the middle with Andrelton (in a no-walking, free swinging dance team spectacular?)
At that point one hopes they get LaStella into LF at least. (No, I don’t think he has the arm for 3B; he could be Prado-esque in LF.)
You could always let “Fookie 2: Electric Boogaloo” play shortstop, and trade Simmons for some teams 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th and 14th best prospects.
Jake Peavy for BJ Upton. Who hangs up first?
@43: Red Sox
The Red Sox. Peavy’s a free agent at the end of the year, and is probably owed something like $9 million on his $14.5 million contract for the rest of this year — his 2015 option won’t vest because he won’t have pitched enough innings. The Braves owe B.J. another $46 million or so.
Dog limps into a saloon and says, “I’m looking for the man what shot my paw.”
@46
HA HA HA HA!
Have you seen Jackie Bradley Jr? A trip to the AL may be what the doctor ordered for BJ.
The Red Sox aren’t going to bring in BJ Upton to block Mookie Betts.
@38 from what i have seen, Salcedo IS the 2nd coming of Andy Marte.
The Braves have: young pitching prospects
The Braves need: a ML starter, an ML reliever, an ML outfielder/bench bat
Who needs A and has one of B? The Cubs, obviously. Anyone else? Without Floyd in the mix, they’re limited to rebuilding clubs for partners, right?
50- It’s remarkable that Salcedo has gotten this far without really hitting well at any level above the Dominican Summer League. He’s still only 22, so it’s way too early to give up on him, but he needs to start killing pitches at some level. Maybe we should back him up to Mississippi. A position change might be in order, too.
Xavier Turner ruled out for the rest of the CWS. Stu, if you are around, what happened?
Here’s a graphic of Tommy John Surgery. The tendon is looped through holes drilled in the humerus and the ulna. I wonder if drilling holes in the ulna so close to the olecranon process (elbow) makes it more likely to fracture under stress. Seems like it would. I also wonder if it might have something to do with his trying to come back so quickly.
http://itsaboutthemoney.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/TJS-graphic-2.gif
Marte got 924 plate appearances in the majors, at least. Salcedo is far from getting there.
Game thread’s up.