Apologies, Chuck, but …

This was the worst of games. This was the best of games. Nah, this was really the worst of games.

Shelby Miller stunk it up: 4.1 innings, six hits, six walks (a career high!), 4 runs, all earned. He had a full-blown episode in the bottom of the second, throwing 40 pitches and walking three. Shelby was due a bad game, and he certainly had one.

Cody Martin belongs on the Braves staff. He only pitched 2/3 of an inning, but he pitched well. Tonight that was rare.

Jace Peterson is a player. He beat out a bunt to lead off the sixth. After an Andrelton out, Freddie was robbed of a hit by Nick Ahmed, who got the force on Jace at second. Neck Cakes Arab doubled for the second time in the game, moving Freddie to third.

J.C. Ramirez relieved Josh Collmenter with two outs and promptly walked Juan Uribe on four pitches to load the bases. AJP singled in two runs; and Jonny Gomes, who cannot hit right-handed pitchers, doubled off the right-handed Ramirez to tie the game.

Holy moly! Opie doubled off Andrew Chafin to drive in two runs. BRAVES LEAD 6-4. Pedro Ciriaco pinch hit for Martin and, as expected, struck out.

Freddie plumbed the depths of our BS pen and fished out Nick Masset. Massett walked Ender Wiggin, er, Inciarte on four pitches. Inciarte stole his second base of the night, allowing Massett to walk Paul Goldschmidt intentionally following an A.J. Pollock strikeout. Goldy walked four times on the night, twice intentionally. The only time we didn’t walk him, he doubled. Freddie ain’t no Paul Goldschmidt.

Masset got his second and final out, then gave up a run-scoring single toYasmany Tomas. Brandon Cunniff relieved Massett, walked Jordan Pacheco, but got Chris Owings on a popup. Braves escape the sixth clinging to a 7-6 lead.

The lead was short-lived. Cunniff didn’t grybo. He only gave up his own runs. He walked Ender and gave up the game-losing home run to Arizona’s version of AJP.

Luis Avilan pitched the bottom of the eighth and got the Snakes 1-2-3, but we’d already been bitten.

Here’s some thoughts from a disgruntled Braves fan:

  1. The Braves are not contenders, but they are competitive. They could contend if the bullpen wasn’t so gosh-awful AWFUL!
  2. That said, Cody Martin should help alleviate the pen’s awfulness. It would probably have been better to let him hit and go another inning than to have Pedro strike out for him.
  3. Although he doubled in the tying run, Jonny Gomes should not face right-handed pitchers. Blind hogs do find acorns, but that’s not the usual result.
  4. A.J. Pierzynski and defense should never be mentioned in the same sentence.
  5. Juan Uribe is a baseball player. Whatever happens from now on, we won that trade.

Baseball’s just a game. It’s the best game, but we can’t win them all. Sometimes like in San Francisco, you win games you should have lost. Sometimes like tonight, you lose games you should have won; but you suit up for tomorrow’s game, are thankful that Folty’s pitching, and hope the Braves give ’em heck this afternoon.