It felt like Julio Teheran had 20 of these starts last year. He got squeezed a bit, got dinked and doinked to death, the defense suffered a collective aneurysm — at this point, we should probably just call Erick Aybar E-6 and be done with it — and he left after four innings with five runs in. Then the gas-pail brigade came in from the pen and removed all doubt.
At the end of the third inning, it was 3-2 Cards. Then the Cards scored in the fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, and ninth. Jason Grilli, our “closer,” came into the ninth inning of a 10-2 game and couldn’t even get three outs. After he walked the bases loaded, Fredi had to go get him and throw a sixth pitcher onto the tire fire. Then Arodys Vizcaino came in and induced a slow roller that Aybar managed not to throw away; the first-base umpire called it the third out of the inning, but the Cardinals, up by eight runs, challenged the call and got it reversed. The next grounder was tailor-made to Adonis Garcia, and Creed booted that one, too.
As bad as the pitching was, though, the box score really tells you everything you need to know:
| Â | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| STL | 12 | 14 | 3 |
| ATL | 2 | 4 | 3 |
I love Erick Aybar. I will hate to see him go, but he will net a huge haul at the trade deadline. Is what we need to be saying.
I’m appalled at how poorly professional baseball players who are better than this are playing. This team just seems completely unprepared to play. Stubbs is lost in CF and they have no form of communication. KJ is lazy in LF, doesn’t get behind a catch and throw, and allows a runner to get to third. Aybar looks lazy, AJ looks lazy, Freddie looks downtrodden every time he gets pulled off the bag by a crappy throw. The team is listless and lacks fundamentals. This team is a bad team, and I don’t debate that, but this team is not that bad. This is the first time I’m truly blaming Fredi for his teams’ issues. I think it’s time to move on from Fredi, hire a former player like Mark DeRosa, and get these young players and downslope-of-their-career veterans a new face. I get that Fredi is a Player’s Manager (TM), but let’s be honest, give me a list of 5 managers who aren’t considered Player’s Managers. You probably can’t do it. I’ve defended Fredi for years, but I’m just done. The lack of ABCs are just unacceptable.
“The Braves take on the suddenly resurgent St. Louis Cardinals.” -Chip Caray
Now why would they be “suddenly resurgent”?
The team that they’ve fielded for the second half of last season and the start of this season is quite literally the worst Braves team ever. They took a bad team from last year and made it worse by trading away the number one pitcher and the best defensive player on the team.
Looks like Mallex Smith is about to get called up so at least that’ll be a reason to watch.
It was really a dilemma last night on what broadcast to watch. You could go MLB.tv where you have the home announcers, but I have intermittent connection issues with MLB.tv, no commercials, and Chip Caray. Or, I could watch it on MLB Network, get some decent commercials, no connection issues, but it’s the opposing teams announcers, including TIM MCCARVER.
Shot or stabbed?
When the Cardinals’ p-b-p announcer suggested trading one of the few players (Freddie) I actually like on this collection of flotsam to continue the teardown, I put the broadcast on mute. I could live with McCarver and his meandering digressions, but I couldn’t deal with that.
What’s the deal with Adonis? He has walked 4 times in 5 games and has run many counts deep. Is this the same guy that some were predicting to get under 20 unintentional walks for the entire season?
I don’t often scream at the TV, but when they mentioned that Freeman thing, I got pissed. You shut up, Tim. I like listening to the opposing teams announcers for a variety of reasons, but last night’ seemed to be almost antagonistic of the Braves from the Cardinals announcers. Maybe I’m just too sensitive, but I got tired of some of the things they were saying. Say what you want about our crew, but they are usually at least respectful of the opposing team.
They are pitching around Adonis to get to Olivera.
I sometimes briefly wonder how Freeman must feel, spending what are his most prime baseball years (age 26 now) on this sinking ship.
Then I remember he’s making millions, and has tons of adoring fans here in Georgia, so I am sure he’ll survive.
Why was Smith not called up today?
I think he actually was, but not in time for the game.
Aybar doesn’t make any helpful plays.
I don’t know who Hazelbaker is, but he’s assuming bete noire status in record time.
Get Aybar off this team. Now. Of course, then we might have to see more of Beckham …
The Braves are obviously trying to score in the negative and win the Masters
Aybar’s inability to move 2 feet cost us all of those runs
I wonder if Stubbs is uncomfortable in this stadium because he’s played for the Braves for about 12 minutes. I don’t expect outfielders to rob HRs, but a towering shout that barely clears the fence is a good rob candidate. You have plenty of time to get back there, get set, and time your jump.
Why was Albies not called up today and Aybar given his unconditional release? I know we can’t expect Simmons, but we’re not even getting Jeff Blauser so far.
For all the Chip haters out there…this really happened.
Chip: “Moss has homered against every big league club, except the Braves.”
30 seconds later, Moss hits a 3-run homer.
He has an uncanny ability to do that.
Castro would be an immediate upgrade over Aybar
Altogether now: Simmons would have made that play.
Three outs in five pitches. Bravo.
Something bad happens, and the Braves all curl into the fetal position and suck their thumbs. Fredi didn’t cause the problem of this team being crap, but he does nothing to solve it, either.
In six more innings, this team will be 25-58 since it was at .500 last July. Even though it is not all Fredi’s fault, it’s time for a change, even if it is just change for change’s sake.
An average shortstop is not good for a young pitching staff, but a bad one is almost a death sentence. These pitchers have enough to worry about.
I don’t understand why they don’t just go with the kids all the way around. It least it would be worth watching. The Aj, Beckham, Aybar clown show is already tired
We’re showcasing Aybar, building that trade deadline value…
FoxSports needs to force Chip and Joe to drink scotch during all broadcasts.
I fear the Simmons trade may go down as one of the worst in franchise history, particularly since there was no pressure to trade him.
Newcomb and Blair better be damn good.
According to Peanut, Aybar to second, Castro to shortstop, and Peterson to AAA is in the works. Article on the official site.
Team sucks, the players blow, the manager’s clueless, the fans have bailed, the beat writers are morons, the new stadium looks cheap, the franchise is the dead worst in baseball. This is Donald Sterling levels of fartknocking management, only given to us by a faceless EvilGloboDynaCorp that we can’t even hate on a personal basis.
This is a team of Corky Millers. Get them out of my city immediately.
Everyone who gives Frenchy a standing ovation should be launched into the sun.
Don Simpson: “So a double and a walk and the Braves are threatening, and here comes Jace Peterson.”
He did an admirable job of avoiding pointing out that the second part of the sentence negated the first.
Never liked the idea of trading Simmons, but at least it made sense if the Braves were blown away, like they were in the Miller trade.
A couple of A-ball pitchers from a weak farm system was not that. Just don’t understand what was the rush.
Everyone who gives Frenchy a standing ovation should be launched into the sun.
Bravo. Bravo.
If Liberty Media could be launched into the sun, as well, I would be happy, but I would settle for what Kent Brockman once called “super duper bankruptcy.”
Bullpen was supposed to be better
I would say pitch to contact but every glove behind the pitcher is below average
@35: I can’t believe it’s not- oh wait, I believe it. It’s not like the management went to any real effort to find competent relievers.
(I feel it should be noted, for anyone reading this after the fact, that between 34 and 35, Drew Stubbs hit a 3-run homer to tie the game, and the next inning Markakis hit a double and scored on an Olivera sac fly to take the lead.)
Beckham?
Did Simpson jinx him, or what?
Oh man…that was ugly.
And then Gameday broke, because it appeared to suggest that Gordon Beckham doubled and scored.
I guess that’s what an arm falling off looks like…
oh no. losing is one thing, this is like seeing a racehorse breakdown. I’m sick.
Simpson definitely jinxed him!!
The Fonz is done
Who’s pitching?
Oh.
Proving that 0-162 is really within their grasp
Well, the site has a new tagline.
@49- Can’t go wrong with the classics.
Glad to see dumb a Fredi take up for his player there. I hate him
Jeff Francoeur coming to bat with the game on the line. Didn’t we use to have nightmares about this situation?
Edit: And how else could it end? Swing and a miss.
LOL Suckoeur.
So when are the open tryouts for the bullpen?
So now the butt kicking is on.
What part of Jose Ramirez’s career stats led this organization to believe he was a MLB player? I laughed when I saw them.
Winkler – fractured right elbow.
Sweet.
Man, I’m so glad that $30M speculated in October went to good use. $2m to Frenchy, $1.2m to O’Flaherty, some grizzle, and that’s all she wrote. And I’m supposed to believe a trade in August affected the beat writer’s understanding of the budget in October. Frustrating.
With all these injuries, some of the good players are going to have to be called up
@58 I’m excited for A. Pathy or D. Spair
Winkler and Inciarte were good players. Why couldn’t Frenchy or Ramirez fracture their arms?
That just sums it up. Markakis standing there taking a called strike three is emblematic of the season. This team will be lucky to win 62.
Long year is looooooooooooooooooooooooooong.
Plenty of issues got the organization to this point, but the one that will prevent any future success is faceless ownership only concerned with profit margins and asset appreciation.
Agreed with #62.
I’m all for an open market – – but not sure how this type of ownership structure is good for the game, the team and the fan base.
Most of us have complained about this for years – – it just hurts more when we go 0-5 for the first time since 1988.
Bud Selig is the devil.
@63
Free agency, poor ownership, poor management have lead to what the game is now.
@64 – I don’t disagree.
However, as I recall, Bud Selig approved the team’s sale to Liberty over a bid by Arthur Blank.
I submit to you that if Blank owned the Braves – – at least our payroll would be in a different position. I also don’t think Fredi would be here. I don’t know. My hindsight isn’t always 20/20.
If we were 5-0 right now, I would admittedly think a little less about it.
Predictions on when the Braves first win will occur. I’ll be optimistic and go game 3 of the series against the Nats (Wisler’s start).
I really thought improving the bullpen was meant to be one of the easiest things for this team to do. Apparently not.
not to try to put lipstick on a pig, but haven’t we held a lead relatively late in at least 4 of those 5 losses? there have to be a few bright spots. Even if they are mainly that the guys creating all those errors aren’t going to be here next year.
I’m pumped for Mallex Smith
We have the worst defense in the league, worst bullpen in the league, and the worst record in the league. Two of our better players have already hit the DL. Say what you want, but that’s bad.
Me too, Smitty.
But we have Drew Stubbs!
@71
there’s now elective surgery to fix that problem.
@71 – – ha ha. Seat Painter, you are a constant bright spot on the BJ. I loved your Friday night wrap-up.
The Braves will never be good again without a real owner. Liberty will make +/- the same amount of money and see their investment grown the same if the Braves win 60 games or 100.
Recap is up.