In this marathon of a season, the Braves vaulted over the NL wins leader Stephen Strasburg with an 8-5 win Friday night, ending a 14 game losing streak in DC with an Olympian effort Friday night.
Freddie Freeman led the way, shotputting a three run homer and an RBI double off his Strasburg, to continue his personal streak of being higher, faster, and stronger than the Washington hurler. Jace Peterson wrestled a solo shot off the Nats 15 game winner, while Anthony Recker sculled a two run dinger off Matt Belisle for his first homer as a Brave.
Jace completed the scoring, freestyling a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the final Braves tally. Mike Foltynewicz went 5 2/3 innings for the win, scoring a questionable 9.1 from the Bulgarian judge in the bottom of the sixth, but Ian Krol came in to quell the uprising. In the seventh, Jose Ramirez was summoned in to take Krol’s place in the 4×9 inning relay, but a questionable hand-off almost led to a dropped baton – but only one Grybo was assessed to Krol.
Mauricio Cabrera and Jim Johnson executed a near flawless synchronized dive through the eighth and ninth innings to nail down the win and lead the Braves to the gold medal spot.
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Bryce Harper is also treating his stiff neck with “cupping.” The Nats made a big deal of changing up their medical staff over the winter. Apparently, the new guy is Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber.
I’ll have another, please.
Thank you, Seat Painter.
Nice recap, Seat Painter.
Winning is fun.
It would be incredibly frustrating to be losing leads in the 9th during a losing season like this, and Jim Johnson has been big for us. Looks like double hernia surgery is what really kept him down earlier this year.
I think JJ had uniquely as much value to us as he would to another team in that if Coppy couldn’t get a projectable hitting prospect vs. some random pitching prospect, then he might as well hold onto him. He’s not making much, he’s filling a key role for us, and I bet he has some value to a hard-thrower like Cabrera who needs to learn how to pitch. I hope we bring him back next year.
Going to the game tonight, and there is a heat warning in DC.
Askia — I went last night and it was brutal. Had to retreat to the centerfield bar with AC. Go with God.
For those who are too young to remember, a link: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/theodoric-of-york/n8661
@2
Somebody is going to have to explain to me how putting a series of bruises, which are areas where blood is clotting, by definition, on one’s neck and back is supposed to encourage better blood flow. Seems like complete BS to me.
Maybe pressure builds trying to work through the clots?
More likely, trainers don’t want to explain that it is BS and ruin whatever placebo effect might be at work
Heh…
http://www.espn.com/blog/mlb/rumors/post/_/id/28118/mlb-rumor-central-braves-called-brewers-about-ryan-braun
Braun’s contract/production compared to Kemp’s is a downright bargain. I’m sure the asking price was more than Hector bleeping Olivera.
Theodoric of York
became best known as the quintessential dork
suggesting platitudinus remedies
to the gratitudinus younger set of Kennedys.
@7
Was that the same guy who drove the Bronco? Forgive me.
@9
All we have to do is convince everyone that the origins of it have been mistaken and that, rather than being an “ancient Chinese” remedy, it was really a development of modern Western medicine. If we can do that, no professional athlete will ever undergo cupping again.
coop was almost able
to climb the appalling Tower of Babel
by using senior suction
not cups – instead, his usual lengthy introduction.
Quite enough from me – for now. Don’t miss the midnight recap where greatness on the ball field is certain to be distilled to a few memorable words – plus a musical introduction, guess.
Arodys Vizcaino started and pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab outing for the GCL Braves.
Also in that game, Brady Feigl pitched another scoreless inning in his third rehab appearance. I had nearly forgotten about this guy. He’s a lefty reliever who pitched well in high A in 2014 and pitched well enough in spring training last year to be considered for a roster spot. He was optioned to Gwinnett instead but only made one appearance, leaving with an injury and ultimately needing Tommy John surgery. WELP, he’s back rehabbing, so he’ll be a name to watch for our pen next year.
http://m.milb.com/milb/player/621399
@13. Dead on. In fact, cupping WAS practiced in Europe in medieval times probably into the 19th century, and found its way into American quackery as well. It had been largely discredited as lacking any scientific basis, and this recent renaissance is indeed due to the “ancient Chinese secret” gloss they put on it and some good ole logical fallacies –“cum hoc ergo propter hoc”…..
Daniel Murphy’s bat point is one of my favorite idiosyncrasies of current MLB players.
How many future MLB stars have hit .262 in AA ball with minimal power? Asking for a friend.
I like Rob Whalen a lot. He’s not flashy, but he can pitch. Folty’s broken more of a sweat tonight than Rob has.
And Aybar at bat is loose and joking. He’s having fun playing the kid game right now. Sign him up, JWDB.
Okay, Nats, here’s the deal. I’ll give you Dansby and Ozzie. You give me Trea Turner. Tell you what, I’ll throw in Rob Whalen too.
Whalen’s allowing 2.70 HR/9 and a slugging percentage of .577. Um, no.
I still like him. He’s a baby and will grow.
Albies is destroying AA at age 19. Just hit a two out bases loaded triple in the 9th to turn a loss into what should be yet another win.
I’m at this game. Barves.
Tonight’s a good time to get the first game jitters out of the way, I guess. At least Jason’s got that done.
Scouting report on Jason Hursh: if you can’t command your fastball, you can’t hack it in the Show.
Mississippi blew the save in the 9th. Oh well. Albies still doesn’t belong there.
And right on cue, Aybad makes the first out of the inning at third base.
Okay, we’re under review.
That’s our Aybad.
The game is blacked out here. How bad was it?
Close call, but the score and situation and batters due to hit next made Aybar’s choice inexcusably stupid.
Yeah, it looked stupid on Gameday
Apparently Akeel Morris was sent down and Ryan Weber was called up. Morris even pitched at AA today. He was brought up for depth yesterday because Weber wasn’t eligible to be called up until today.
Flowers, Wisler, and Simmons all performed at AAA today. Flowers was 2-4, Wisler gave up 3 in 5 2/3, and Simmons pitched a scoreless inning.
the midnight recap is up, a tad early.