4 hours of a rain delay and 11 innings made it a long long long night…. As a result of missing several opportunities to score, the Braves were handed a very tough loss last night sometime after 2:30 am.
This game probably should have been called, however just moments before 11:00 EST, the Braves took the field against the Nationals.
Aaron Harang came out again and did what was typical, he went 7, scattered 6 hits, 2 BBs, 2 k’s and pitched out of multiple jams, allowing only a long solo home run to Adam La Roche.
Jordan Walden pitched the 8th, Craig Kimbrel pitched the 9th and David Carpenter pitched the 10th. All looked great. However, Carpenter came out for the 11th and gave up singles to Rendon and LaRoche. Rendon scored. Russell came in to pitch to Bryce Harper and he walked him. Bases loaded, one out, Nats up 2-1. Varvaro relieved Russell. A Ramos single, a Frandsen double and it was all over.
The Braves took the field for their half of the inning, but at that point, the air had left the stadium, the stench of another lost opportunity had permeated the seats and everyone staggered out wondering when is this going to end….
IMHO it’s time for the BJ experiment to end. He struck out swinging in the 1st, 3rd, and the 7th. According to Dave O’Brien, that’s a league leading 145. In fact, BJ was 0 for 5 for the night. When we desperately need a spark from the top of the order, we almost always have no chance.
Our best scoring opportunities came first in the 5th when Chris Johnson singled, Emilio Bonifacio starting at short for Andrelton, singled moving Chris to second. DISCLAIMER: What happened next was so hideously ugly that children should not have been in the room…Harang bunted into a double play, pitcher to third to get Chris, then to second to double up Bonifacio. With the speedy Harang on base, the possibilities existed, but then BJ flied out to center.
Another opportunity came up in the 8th when La Stella walked, Freeman singled and JUpton walked. We had the bases loaded for Heyward, who is presumably our best hitter at the moment. He managed to go 3-2 which looked very very juicy, but we got only a sac fly to plate La Stella. Gattis struck out and CJ ended it with a come-backer and it was all done. The fat lady started to sing, but ended up crying hysterically and could not finish. It was sad.
We are now 4.5 games back of the Nats, 2 ahead of Miami. We are 59 – 57, 32 – 25 at home, 27 – 32 on the road. At this rate, we are projecting to win between 82 and 85 games, expected to be 5 – 8 back of the Nationals. If we have a chance to turn this around, we have to do something about the top of the order.
Just like Uggla, the Braves are backed into another corner with the choice of playing BJ hoping that he turns it around enough so he can be packaged in the offseason, or benching him and eating his contract. Really sucks.
Regardless, he shouldn’t be leading off and it’s mindnumbingly stupid to let him continue to do so.
If the Braves have to package Minor with BJ next offseason, so be it. Get. Him. Gone.
On another note, love having Bonifacio and hope we can sign him again this offseason.
Today’s game is must win, right?
The worst part of the BJ Upton Experience last night was in the bottom of the 9th. Bonifacio singles with two outs and steals second. Storen intentionally walks the devastating (sarcasm) pinch hitter, Ramiro Pena, to get to our leadoff guy. After waving at two 92 mph fastballs right down the middle to go down 0-2, BJ briefly raises hopes before grounding weakly to short.
@3
No, but it is as close to it as you can get
Advice to BJ: stfu and try to play decent baseball. You winey jackass. You make more for one game than I make in a year. And I am good at my job and you suck at yours.
So this happened:
http://deadspin.com/bryce-harper-drags-foot-through-a-behind-home-plate-i-1619021159
@7
Maybe there is some incremental value in batting a pitcher 8th, but I’ve always viewed it as a stunt. But seriously, if B.J. is going to play, I think it would be good for him to bat 9th.
A fastball to the ribs can’t be discounted.
Harang’s disgusting and heartbreaking bunt in the 5th was eerily reminiscent of the double play he weakly hit into with the bases loaded and no outs in the 2nd inning of the May 27th game against the Red Sox. I deeply regret staying at the Ted through the rain delay and all 11 innings last night. This team sucks.
Only because people can be idiots sometimes.
My guess is that BJ’s playing time will be severely limited when Simmons gets back. Bonifacio has shown he can hit like Ted Williams in comparison to BJ.
I still laugh at the idea of “packaging” BJ, either now or in the offseason. Here’s what a package would look like: we give BJ and Minor, we get…nothing.
The braves would have to sweeten the pot to ditch BJs salary.
So the rumor of an alleged lousy return for the alleged BJ+Minor/Santana trade….no joke! What did the Braves expect? BJ is a zero, Minor has been awful, and Santana is only on contract for two more months.
I’m sure they’re haggling over how much of BJ’s contract we’d pay, even with including Minor, to get back some player that doesn’t make our organization look like the embarrassment that it is in this whole thing.
New thread.