Being a Braves fan is a bit tough these days. This isn’t a great team, and we don’t even really preserve moral victories. We either win by the skin of our teeth or we lose in a laugher. That said, I’m a Braves fan through thick and thin, and I’m not giving up now.
This is just a good song, and any resemblance between the sentiments expressed above and the sentiments expressed in the song are purely coincidental, probably.
I never met a metaphor I didn’t like!
Awesome!
These are the times that try fans’ souls.
Nice to see Stras getting roughed up by the Brewers.
Hank, JC’d from last thread:
Btw, what’s the objection to a BJ / Schafer platoon (I mean, other than the fact that neither is hitting their weight)? Put both at leadoff and wish it so.
1. BJ has a reverse platoon split in 2014: vRHP 219/259/386; vLHP 152/309/182. I guess you could argue that he gets on base a little against LHP, but still.
2. He shows that same reverse split in 2013. He shows no splits for his career, but at this point we can’t reference BJ’s career for much of anything. His collapse can be said to be driven by his utter collapse in hitting LHP.
3. Jordan Schafer vs RHP isn’t notably better than BJ vs RHP. 2014: 200/245/260. He does show better numbers vs RHP for his career: 239/322/326
BJ 8 La Stella 4 Freeman 3 Gattis 2 Heyward 9 Justin 7 CJ 5 Doumit DH Simmons 6 (Wood 1)
Other than BJ leading off, not too bad, like getting Doumit in there.
Dusty
Still stupid that in a lineup with three lefties, two of them are hitting back-to-back.
Look, you can complain about having an automatic out at the top of the lineup, or you can complain about the L/R/L sequencing. It’s really hard to complain about both. I guess the desire is to go Streetcar/JUpton/Freeman/Gattis/Heyward/CJ/Doumit/dreck?
The sad part about all this is that La Stella has not been producing at the top of the lineup. He might be a more viable option at the 8-hole because of his willingness to take a walk. I am sure his BA would steady out, and his OBP would increase due to the increase in walks. Since moving to the top of the lineup, he has consistently popped out the LF or rolled over on balls and grounded out to 2nd and 1st.
Basically, some hitters just do better in certain areas of the lineup. I think the last 2 months tell us that C. Johnson hits better when 6th or 7th rather than 4th or 5th like the beginning of the season. This could be true of La Stella as well considering how he started off for us.
The only other alternative is that pitchers have found his weakness, and he has not been able to improve upon his weaknesses at this point.
Probably Heyward/Justin/Freeman/Gattis/Johnson/La Stella/Doumit/Simmons/BJ. But really, just don’t give them the chance to get through two lefties with one LOOGY unless they’re willing to risk exposing the LOOGY to a good righthanded bat (Gattis or Justin).
Does Houston have a good LOOGY?
@11 – Yes. Tony Sipp. (Darin Downs also throws lefty, but he doesn’t show the LHB killing splits that Sipp does this year.)
Thru 7 IP, Tim Lincecum is no-hitting the Padres, this year’s hitless wonders.
As a team, San Diego’s hitting 215/275/340 — ouch. I think that’s the lowest team OBP since the ’65 Mets.
This may not apply to professionals (especially those with attitudes like BJ and Success), but I’ve always believed that some guys just need a well-defined role and be told that this is what we, the team, the guys that are paying you, believe to be the role in which we think you can best contribute to the team.
As such, this is the amount of playing time you can expect (I’m stubborn about the platoon idea) and we’ll give you time to fail so that you can really embrace all aspects of the role.
As a leadoff hitter, your primary role is to get on base and steal a few once you’re there. Take it or leave it. Your feelings in this matter do not matter to us.
As Fredi said, we’re out of options.
@10
I like that order better than the one we are popping up there now.
I guess it is a wait and see. We know he is going to give B.J. a few games as leadoff just to see. Possibly going:
B.J./J.Upton/Freeman/Gattis/Heyward/Johnson/Simmons/LaStella/Pitcher
would be a nice lineup to see. I really have liked seeing Heyward in the 5-hole. Plus, I would love to see how LaStella handles 8th. I think he would be a walk machine because he has a great batter’s eye.
Now he takes it to the 9th…
Funny, Linceum no-hit the Padres almost the same time last year.
And he’s done it. Not to mention reaching base himself three times as often as the entire Padre lineup. Not quite Rick Wise territory, but still a fine day’s work.
One walk away from a perfect game. I’d say that is a gem. He did it on far less pitches this time around, too. I think once he has himself figured out again and determines how to pitch without his 98mph fastball consistently, he is going to be a force once again. His stuff is still nasty.
@13, My God, that’s a lineup full of BJ Uptons, except slightly better.
Well, B.J. at least stretched the lead off at bat to 5 pitches. I guess we can smile about that.
Well, that was ugly.
Andrelton’s shortstop play is not ugly, however.
Great at bat for La Stella there. Now, let’s see if we can manufacture a run like earlier.
The scouting report on McHugh clearly reads “look for strikes to hit early in the count.”
This game is absolutely flying by.
I’m convinced: the Cy Young goes to McHugh.
Or maybe Alex Wood.
Why wouldn’t we want 3 consecutive lefties to get 2-3 at bats against a right handed starter? Seems like that would be a better play than worrying about one hypothetical match up at a point in the game when it may even already be decided.
So far, Alex Wood is showing why he is a starter and not a reliever.
@27
To be honest, I understand the concept because you worry when it comes down to a critical part of the game and you have 3 lefties that can’t touch a lefty pitcher. The difference for the Braves is that Freeman hits lefties well, and so far, La Stella hasn’t been bad against lefties. Heyward is a completely different story though. Lefties kill him.
I do believe that was La Stella’s first strikeout of the year looking. The replay showed that it was about 8 inches outside. Good eye La Stella. Bad call umpire.
Fast Freddie.
Chip may have inadvertently solved the leadoff problem. Is Eddie Gaedel still alive?
Nice escape, Alex.
What a terrible interview. Can we please stop these?
Who is this? I missed the beginning of the inning.
Edit: Nevermind. Gattis’ mom.
No more parent interviews please.
That was great
When was the last time that we had a hit and run?
Edit: well we don’t need one now. Nice swing J-up
Breathing room!
That will do, Justin.
Do you think Houston will let us use their stadium as our home park? The Upton brothers really seem to like it.
Farnsworth pitching in Houston. I still have nightmares about this.
Edit: And now Chip is talking about That Game. Make it stop.
#42
Was just thinking the same thing.
Farmsworth is pissed that he’s getting pulled. Well, he did give up a double to BJ
Great job La Stella. Look at our 1- and 2-hole batters.
Anybody want to take bets on if one of Houston’s players ends up getting hit now? Where is David Carpenter when you need him?
Freddie leaves the game for the first time this year. Hope this isn’t a bad sign…
Good thing we have a 1B at AAA just raking right now … oh, wait, um, never mind.
I hope they just pulled him for precautionary reasons. Also, why pull Alex here? I am not understanding that move. He has been dominating and it allows us to get one more inning out of a starter instead of using the bullpen.
He’s not completely stretched out.
But it is almost as though Alex Wood is a really good pitcher, or something. I can’t quite tell.
Win, win, win.
Great win. We gained some ground on the Nationals. Now, we just have to hope pulling Freeman was precautionary and nothing serious. He might miss a day I figure because tomorrow is a rubber match, but I hope he doesn’t miss extended time. He just started getting back his bat.
@RealCJ10: Jaime???? Never heard of ya!! But I likey 99 on the black!
Between Jaime, Simmons, Walden, and Kimbrel, we have a bullpen of closers and possible closers. If those guys can all get on a role, we could have our 7th, 8th, and 9th on lockdown again.
Recapped.