‘Something that suddenly enters the story and…solves everything’.
Hits.
The twenty hit Braves
shall have no further need for saves
their winning margin so abundant
the bullpen now becomes redundant.
The idea that we might only have a three run lead going into the ninth in some strange game is patently absurd. We are a machine, a hitting machine. And we play great defense too. As of now, clearly, no one can touch us.We shall maintain this level of total superiority until the ASB and then extend Snit for a minimum 5 years. The Kemp statue shall be carved from a block of solid Carrera marble and placed in deep right field- at the top of a slope.
What finally has brought us to this Nirvana? Tonight’s game.
It started badly for the pitcher. Garcia got into all sorts of trouble in the first – lead off double, walks, hit batsman, the lot but a double play meant he exited only one run down.He then pitched well till he got to the fifth where another botched performance again only cost one. By this time we had 5 on the board, a number we would shortly more than double. So who did what?
We have to start with Kemp. 3 home runs, the first Brave since Tex 9 years ago. Such a relief to see him through his injury and back on the boil. A naysay, any one? Flowers, again, had multiple hits, 4 in his case. Nick and Freddie 3, Inciarte/Garcia/Dansby 2 each. The kid’s two included a so much needed homer down the line in left. Wisler finished it, looking decent.
So that was it, simple but profoundly symbolic. Again, never been done in the last 9 years, the twenty Braves hits. We’ll surely sweep tomorrow and go undefeated till the All Star Break. After we rest up I suggest a restart with a 6 game losing streak. Nothing fires us up like one of those. We also won’t need any saves for those, either.
Wow.
And Wisler with a 1 inning outing. Very interested to see what’s going on there.
Mauricio Cabrera, by the way, had a 2 inning outing for A+.
I think the Braves were foolish to not get a handcuff for Swanson
Thank you, blazon. Fare thee well.
Two games in a row I watched and liked what I saw.
Go Braves.
Ender is heating up.
According to Peanut, it took the 2016 Braves almost three times as long to hit the amount of HRs we’ve hit so far. It seems each position’s out-homered the previous year’s player to this point, except for catcher. Tyler Flowers, who has a .916 OPS in a SSS 54 PAs, still has yet to go deep. With that said, the backup catcher did not hit a HR until July 16th. Double-u, tee, eff. In doing this research, it reminded me how terrrrrrible the roster that Coppy assembled was.
Right now, we’re 18th in team ERA (18th starter ERA and 20th in bullpen ERA) and 12th in runs per game. I mean, we’re not… the worst team in baseball. That’s nice. In fact, we’re 24th in record (with the league-worst record in one-run games), and if we were to win today, we could potentially be the 16th best team in baseball. Of course, that means 8 teams all lost, but still. Still.
Ender Inciarte is on pace to steal 51 bases. Ok, I’ll stop all of the SSS fun. To be fair, we are 1/7 through the season, so maybe you could draw a few observations.
Wow, Thor out in the second with an apparent oblique issue after giving up 5R in the first.
Can’t believe the Mets sent him out there.
@8 they are such a mess when it comes to handling injuries, it is absolutely amazing. They wanted him take an MRI. He refused. So did they insist on it? Nope. Amazing.
Oh Folty, so much fun to watch.
Mike Foltynewicz, Top of Rotation Starter.
Seems like Freddie was safe and we didn’t challenge. Kind of like yesterday when it looked like Garcia was safe at second. Does Snitker like to hold these until later in the game since there were already 2 outs and this was a lower leverage situation?
Rob, you act like Coppy was trying to assemble a competitive offense last year, and you use it as proof of his ineptitude. The same Coppy assembled this year’s averagish offense without a single impact FA signing. Our cleanup hitter, the Padres paid us to take off their hands (and I was critical of it). Our second baseman was given to us for free. Coppy is doing a fine job from my perspective–you just have to realize what his goals are/were. The real test is whether all this pitching we have stockpiled will amount to a couple of aces in our big league rotation.
Well then he’s a liar. Pick one.
We’ve been through this. He obviously feels compelled to put a PR-spin on the rebuild. Call it lying–I’m not outraged by it, and I don’t feel betrayed.
And I’ve been through this. As GM, he’s presiding over his 5th half. He’s done fine in both halves of ’15, the second half of ’16, and so far in ’17. It was hardly part of his genius to start 9-27 and 16-41. Was he not privy to AJP’s waistline? Did he not misjudge the market at the end of ST, forcing him to set sail with Frenchy and EOF? Was he such a bad talent evaluator that he thought that pitching staff was going to be better? He clearly meant for the team to be better, but he made some mistakes, and that’s fine. All I said was that the roster was terrible, but I will now continue the assertion that it was a mistake on his part. It wasn’t part of The Plan (TM). And judging by the moves he made as the season went along (not trading JJ and trading for Kemp), he’s all but acknowledged as much.
Damn, Freddie.
Nice work Dansby
Sean Newcomb: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Completely predictable. I’m much more concerned about Dans’ glove than his bat.
Ouch.
ugh.
I miss Simba
I am quick to judge, one of many failings I possess; but why does Swanson get so much leeway? Dang, boy. Catch the easy ones at least.
Dansby hasn’t made me forget Andrelton.
I thought Swanson was a better glove guy than this !!! How many errors is that for him ???
Rendon with 9 RBI – they’re in the 5th inning.
Swanson no Andrelton for sure .. hopefully he will be a little better or consistent hitter in a few weeks … his defense needs work also but he will NEVER be a Andrelton …. period .. so yes just make the routine plays please !! Cost us 3 runs there … of course Folty needs to get the ball down to that guy who has taken him deep twicw now .. or hit with a 95 mile hour fastball on the hip to back him off plate …
@25
Four this month, 10 in 59 MLB games for his career.
@ 28 thanks for the data … not very impressive huh !!!
@24, he gets leeway because he’s a rookie. Patience will be needed. If he does this for another month they’ll probably send him down.
We don’t really have anyone to replace Swanson. Albies isn’t lighting it up at Gwinnett.
Some games you just don’t deserve to win. Bad error, bad double play, etc
Well, I’m ok with this loss. Dansby’s a good player, he’ll make his adjustments, and if Folty didn’t give up the homer, then he probably doesn’t get pinch hit for the next inning, and he gets to end his day with 6 IP, 1 ER, and 82 pitches. Keep him fresh for later in the year. Oh well. I’d rather lose with a young player making a key error than with a journeyman or suspect (cheers, Chief) SP getting bombed out in the 3rd.
Mike Foltynewicz is 12th in the NL in ERA. 23rd in WHIP, 34th in K’s, 32nd in WAR.
0-3.
Rob, I would suggest that Coppy is an analytic, a “process” guy, a “systems” thinker. It isn’t about what he “meant” for the offense to be or whether a particular trade panned out. He approaches baseball with a volume approach:
Lots of draft picks, so that some of them will succeed
Lots of veteran signings so that some will provide value to the roster or in trade
Lots of international signings, timed to avoid competition with the big players (Yanks)
Lots of injured pitchers, knowing some will bounce back
This is a systems-based approach to building a roster. It is dependent on a high volume of iterations and gambles. People who are goal-based or results-based will be very frustrated with it. Most GM’s think that way. Most GM’s lose. The exceptions either spend the most money or use a superior process.
Anthony Rendon just had one of the best days a hitter’s ever had. Mets aren’t looking so good…
Lol. Terry Collins might be out on his ass by 6PM.
Recapped.