Julio Teheran was betrayed by a shaky bullpen and some shaky defense as IWOTB fell 6-4 to the Mets last night.
The game started off poorly, as Teheran loaded the bases in the top of the first with one out, but he managed to wriggle off the hook by getting Wilmer Flores to ground into a double play to escape with no damage. A Matt Kemp solo shot leading off the second gave Our Heroes a 1-0 lead. After his first inning adventure, Jome Julio tagged in for Shaky Julio, and he was Open For Business. The only Met to reach was Curtis Granderson on a 4th inning walk until the 6th.
Atlanta tallied three more in the 5th, with Adonis Garcia driving in Dansby Swanson, followed by the big two out hit from Nick Markakis which plated Garcia and Freddie Freeman.
In the top of the 6th, Julio got Yoenis Cespedes to a quick 0-2 count, but as Cespesdes attempted to call time, the umpire didn’t grant it, and he drove the next pitch straight back up the box, and nicked Julio in the elbow, for only the second Met baserunner since the first. Grandeson followed that with a two run bomb, and Julio had just surrended his first runs to New York in his last 29 2/3 innings.
The Braves threatened in the bottom of the frame, with Jace Peterson singling to lead off, and smartly going to third on Lt. Dansby’s infield hit to third. Unfortunately A.J. Pierzynski struck out as a pinch hitter, and Ender Inciarte grounded into the DP to end the threat.
It all came a cropper in the 8th. It all started when Mauricio Cabrera walked Alejandro De Aza to start the inning. Jose Reyes then grounded to Swanson, who booted the force play at second. Asdrubal Cabrera walked, Cespedes hit a sac fly, and Granderson tied it up with a single. Kelly Johnson then showed why the Mets keep trading for him, doubling in the go-ahead run. After Jay Bruce was intentionally walked to load the bases, Jose Ramirez came in and hit Michael Conforto before striking out the next two hitters.
Atlanta did manage a hit in the bottom of the 8th with Swanson singling, and Garcia led off the ninth with a double, but could do no further damage.
John Gant hopes to show New York tonight that even Kelly Johnson wasn’t worth trading him away against everyone’s favorite Fat Pitcher – Bartolo Colon.
Thanks, SP. Didn’t like the ending.
The Braves have had the most efficient offense in the NL in the second half.
Gotta love the headline from the Braves site. “Swanson Plans to Learn from Costly Error. ” My thought is that I hope so. What else can he do? What would you expect the headline to read? “Swanson plans to ignore costly error and make a bunch more of them. ” As Dandy Don used to say about Howard Cossell. “Howard, you have an incredible grasp for the obvious. “
Melvin Upton just got to 20-20; he’s the first to get there from Up, Up, and a Hey.
He clearly wasn’t having fun while he struggled in Atlanta so good for him.
There may not be enough bourbon on the planet to get UGA fans through this season.
Hey, there’s only one way to find out.
@4, What Melvin went through in Atlanta sucked for everyone, and it was so bad for him it couldn’t possibly have been because he wanted it to be that way. Glad to see him getting a little bit of his baseball dignity back.
He was always in shape, trying to do the little things, and pissed off. I saved my hatred for Dan Uggla.
@4 And Jasons OBP dropped to .296. You gotta feel for him. Not a single BB so far this month.
Must be some football games on.
If you had a policy where you never spent big bucks on a guy who had a below .300 OBP for the most recent full season, I think you’d do well by it. It’s not BJ’s fault Wren paid him to be our MVP. Hated him while he was here, glad he’s gone, glad for him he’s doing better.
Tyrell: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Sims: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Fried: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K – Rome clinches
It’s a good day. C’mon, win one, Braves.
Fatt Blemp passes Babe Ruth on the all-time Braves HR list with his seventh dinger.
All 3 Braves minor league affiliates won their playoff series tonight.
AJP has retired.
DOB – #Braves Pierzynski hugging all teammates, passed out cigars. He’s retiring, apparently right now.
I liked him more than I thought I would. Nice career
Yeah, I liked that rascal. For such a villain, I had a good overall experience with AJ Pierzynski, the Brave.
And apparently he’s not retiring right now. A bizarre situation.
So many of the Braves top prospects turned in stellar 2nd halves that I think it’s safe to say that we now have the #1 or #2 farm in the majors. It’s going to be fun seeing talent at every level for the next 5-6 years.
Weird with AJP.
We’ll “graduate” Swanson, so I’m not sure how our ranking will play out.
Not necessarily. He’ll maintain prospect status if his PAs stay below 130. At 77 right now with 20 games to go.
Per DOB, AJP said,”I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring, but if that’s it, then it was fun.”
That’s life, pretty much. It sucks sometimes, but it’s been fun. Enjoy, AJP. It was good to know you.
In re: AJP: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/09/a-j-pierzynski-to-retire.html
Very strange indeed.
They DL’ed him, which is probably the same thing, for all intents and purposes. Good for him.
If my math is right, Dansby will end with 44 days of service, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re limiting his ABs to keep him under the rookie threshold. With an .806 OPS in 77 PAs and solid defense, hopefully he can make a RoY run next year. I didn’t know that “prospect” status was pretty much the same as rookie status. Good to know. The ChopCast was debating moving him up in the order, and while he’ll eventually be great in the #2 hole, he needs to stay where he’s at for a long time.
And watch out: for the first time since 2009, Florida might have a QB.
This way he can collect his contract for the rest of the season.
Oh yeah. Good point. I was wondering why he couldn’t just wait 20 more days. Not like he’s playing much…
The Bills are just horrible. I don’t know why they keep running them out there.
It’s too bad Dansby couldn’t score on AJP’s hit in the 10th last night. That would have been a cool way to end a career.
Also, our pitching is truly horrendous.
Kyle Shanahan is such a genius that even his own players can’t see it.
Bills, I was rooting for at least one of you to succeed, but your career arcs have been a identical. It would appear you are destined for AAAA status.
Pitchers I would prefer to never see pitching for the Braves after this year
Williams Perez
Williams Perez
Joel De La Cruz
There are several iffy pitchers after that, but those 3 top the list!
Recapped.