The Braves once again got a very good performance from a starter, and once again did not support that starter with any offense whatsoever, because Barves, and fell to the Royals 5-1.
Julio Teheran was the latest starter to fall victim to a bad case of Shelbyitis last night. Julio surrendered an unearned run in the first when Jeff Francoeur misplayed an Alcides Escobar lead-off single into a two base error (props to Mallex Smith for hustling to back up the play), who came in to
score on a Lorenzo Cain ground out (props to Eric Aybar for making the routine throw to first).
In the bottom of the second Cheslor Cuthbert doubled with one out and came around to score one out later when Escobar singled him home. At that point, every Braves fan was expecting one of those 4 2/3, 6 runs, five earned lines from Julio, but he put on his big boy pitching pants, and stoned the Royals for the next 5 innings. The only hiccup was a pair of walks to lead off the bottom of the 6th, but after a fly ball advanced the runner to third with one out, Julio struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
But, of course, that was about as useful as tits on a boar hog, because other than an Kelly Johnson double off the top of the wall in the second, which was inches away from a homer, and a one out Aybar sac fly in the 7th, the Barves didn’t seriously threaten to score.
Hunter Cervenka had his first bad outing in the 8th, and Alexi Ogando completed the bed pooping for the final score.
I think it’s appropriate now to resurrect the first great tag line in Braves Journal history.
Francoeur delenda est.
Please delenda Aybar also while you’re delendaing.
Amen.
Remember when everyone thought Frenchy had a great arm and would throw the ball ten rows up? Now he 12 hops the plate. He has the worst fundamentals of any big leaguer I’ve ever seen.
You can tell he was one of these kids with great ability who told every coach he had to “shove it.” I bet his dad gripped about every coach he had. “Jeffery should play shortstop and pitch! That Bobby Cox is a moron! Why isn’t Jeffery batting third? That Chipper kid sucks!”
http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/baseball/gonzalez-handling-turmoil-better-than-most/nrK6n/
Yeah, Aybar is the one I want to see gone. During any other year cutting Francoeur would bring on a celebration. This year he is slightly above average compared to the rest of the team and any replacement would probably be worse.
@5
Despite Fredi’s infuriating in-game decisions, I have to give him credit for keeping his cool and not ripping the FO for this poop sandwich he was handed. Very profession, that Fredi G.
delenda
or preferably return to sender
veni, vidi, but very little vici
ab absurdo, go seek another nichi.
@6 He wouldn’t have a job if the team is not rebuilding and he knows it.
First game I didn’t watch this season. It was liberating.
http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/baseball/gonzalez-handling-turmoil-better-than-most/nrK6n/
All the dignity of Edward Smith.
Buster Olney has a post up on ESPN (behind the Insider paywall) about the decline of Jose Reyes, citing several unnamed scouts who opined things like “He’s a release candidate for me” and “I’m not sure what he has to offer”, though apparently some teams may have an interest in him (if the Rockies eat the bulk of his remaining contract).
It is, frankly, amazing how thoroughly the Rockies bungled the Tulo situation – the Rockies were sitting on an amazing player with MVP-level ability (and an admitted difficulty staying in the lineup) and traded him for an over-the-hill SS whose contract pays him $70M (!) from 2015 – 2017 (plus a few good-not-great prospects). As frustrating as the Wood and Simmons trades were, at least the Braves took on players with substantially better contracts along with the high-level prospects which were the real returns on those deals. The Rockies, on the other hand, haven’t been good very often in the short life of the franchise and don’t seem to have made any real progress building a winning team.
I guess what I’m saying is, as crummy as this season is, I’d much rather be a Braves fan than a Rockies fan (though I hear Rockies games are lots of fun, so that’s cool).
You can tell he was one of these kids with great ability who told every coach he had to “shove it.” I bet his dad gripped about every coach he had. “Jeffery should play shortstop and pitch! That Bobby Cox is a moron! Why isn’t Jeffery batting third? That Chipper kid sucks!”
I’m no Francoeur fan, but this is hogwash.
You don’t hang around as long as Francouer has playing sub-replacement outfield (about 5 years now of negative WAR) with an entitled attitude. I mean, what, do you think he gets by on his looks?
We’re facing Dillon Gee tonight, so Folty needs to realize he only has 1 run to play with. Better keep it in the yard.
Nothing wrong with a little mean spirited hogwash at Francoeur’s expense imo. Helps to cancel out Joe Simpson.
A new book, reviewed here, suggests that the ongoing disaggregation of cable coupled with the ever increasing average age of those who regularly watch MLB, 55 in 2014, could combine to the bursting of the revenue bubble.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/16/the-professional-sports-bubble
Liberty better sell the Braves fast!
@15,16:
“According to Futterman… [T]he average age of someone who watched a regular-season baseball game that season [2014] was fifty-eight.”
So I am exactly the average baseball fan. If the Braves don’t improve the average age of their fan base is going to get younger. Hey…. maybe that’s what they’re trying to do!
The article points out that Liberty is just following the path of Roger Staubach, successfully diversifying into real estate when he couldn’t hack it as an athlete.
@15
‘aestheticised labor’
a stylish description that’s lost on your annoying younger neighbor
after disaggregation
he reminds you he no longer need subsidize your aging fascination.
I hate small ball and speed. Can we please get some lard asses that can hit.
Blazon’s muse is working overtime. Good stuff.
Jinx here, but Folty’s looking good. KJ, not so much.
Endy!
Small ball and speed is great when you have a lineup full of guys who can get on base and hit singles and doubles. The problem with this offense is that nobody but markakis and freeman is any good. That said, if you’re going to have only 2 good hitters, might as well have prince fielder bc homers will be needed to score.
P.S.: Braves lead!
Hopefully a lightbulb has come on for Folty.
If Folty keeps pitching like this, he might be able to win a game.
Plenty of time…too much time!
Tremendous start by Folty.
Quick! Trade him for Trout!!!
Greetings from San Diego…
Surely, they can’t blow this one, right?
A win will put us back on a 120-loss pace, so let’s call that progress,
Our young starting rotation is pitching damn well right now.
I like Daniel Castro. So there.
I like Mallex Smith too.
Great play by Castro on a grounder up the middle to end the 8th inning! When I first saw the play live I couldn’t understand how Kelly Johnson had made such a spry and athletic play… it was only upon watching the replay did I see it was actually Castro, who I guess had been subbed into the game at some point.
Rumors of Foltynewicz’s death have been greatly exaggerated.
Life is good.
Why bring Grilli in there? Can’t Fredi just let me enjoy a rare win w/out doing something stupid for once?
Folty…throw away the damn chaw…you’re special, live up to it.
joy to watch him pitch tonight.
Ian Krol is insane from a LHB perspective. I think we have something here.
Another game during which I see glimmers of hope sufficient to continue to chip away at my pessismism about the Braves (short and long-term). They’re the Braves. So, go Braves. Profound, I realize.
Folty’s last two starts have been seriously filthy.
By the way, not sure how many metal heads we have here, but I saw the Obsessed last night. It was a real pleasure to see Wino live. If you don’t know them, listen to Lunar Womb.
Filthy and Faulty are Folty’s two alternate identities.
With how bad our defense is, I’m really ready to declare the pitching side of the rebuild a resounding success. I’m convinced that our defense gives back about a run a game, which means our pitchers should have about a run less on their ERAs. Teheran and Wisler have pitched like two of the best pitchers in baseball, and they should be seen like that. It’s not long before Folty and Blair will be in the same breath. If we keep seeing the same performance at the big league level and in the minors, and we actually bring in two guys who can play defense (Swanson and Albies), we’ll grab a bat or two and we’ll be in business.
@41, It’s funny if we’re supposed to be building up their trade value while simultaneously jacking their ERAs up by a full digit.
Also: Can folks more aware than I spell out the defensive prospects of Swanson and Albies?
BTW, Foltynewicz is now in a nine-way tie for team leader in Wins with one.
You don’t see many nine-way ties on a team for an individual stat, but this team is special.
This is almost unbelievable. At some point, you have to be trying to do this, right? This has to be the result of a systemic hitting approach.
@44 well, Drew Stubbs hit another homer. For the Rangers. Even Betancourt has hit 3 HR in limited action. Is this Seizers approach?
Wisler, Forty and Smith…you mean we are actually realizing some returns on the Kimbrel, Gattis, and JUpton trades?
Cold Saturday night in BBQ Land.
said Chip Caray
there’s plenty of time, to rush is so unnecessary
slow runner you know
Gee! golly! wow! just watch that big guy go.
the PowerBall Lotto
where you might take Trout and others Votto
i’m for Big Sal
i’ll wrap him up, take him home, my favorite new pal.
@41 yes, yes! only one missing, Catcher, desperately needed, nothing real yet in the pipeline – that guy ran their show last night, he is fabulous, all round..someone clever package 4 pitchers (Allardlike) currently at the not-quite-ready- for-prime time but much talked about stage then substitute Teheran for one to sex it up and send them over.
Extend him on the spot. 10/160M(remember 5/7M?)…the man is a pure athlete and a leader…the VALUE in that contract would make recent nonsenses like 7/175 and 8/184 look the rubbish they are…and BTW your insurance company just called, they are no longer covering TJ.
@39
no metal head
he never got beyond the Grateful Dead
it seems with age
that little bit more difficult to turn the newer page.
@44
Was mentioned here the other day when we came into the DBack series 6 vs 41…it’s hard to wrap your head around that and accept it. You can get angry.
all passion spent
we have to wonder where the power all went.
The Great Gatsby.
Bring him up NOW, absolutely enough f’ing Aybar.
Start him at short.
If/when he struggles, no prob.
Bring up Ozzie. Let’s have them both here.
If he never struggles, fine, still bring up Ozzie.
Sell 5000 more tickets per game.
Thereafter alternate from time to time to find their best position.
This is not rocket science. To deny it you have to be an accountant infatuated with Service Time.
43- Until a couple of days ago, every player on the team was tied for the Braves’ leadership in triples, as were the front office staff, the ushers, you and me.
Sally Perez looks like a catcher should look. I too wish he were a Brave, blazon.
Actually feeling a little optimistic this morning…
Now just dump Aybar, bring up Dansby & Ozzie, and trade Julio for a RH OF power bat and a catching prospect and put the finishing touches on this thing
Dansby and Ozzie have each hit a bit of a slump after their recent elevations to AA and AAA, respectively.
Recapped.