Well, well, well.
Don’t you think the Twins are regretting the delay of that rumored trade for Jaime Garcia?
Garcia went out and allowed the Dodgers three runs in seven innings, while hitting a grand slam in the fifth off Alex Wood. The Braves had their hitting shoes on, as Freddie Freeman hit his 18th of the season to open the fifth, and Tyler Flowers added a three run shot in the sixth. Matt Kemp had three hits, while Johan Camargo and Nick Markakis added a pair of hits for Atlanta, which handed the Dodgers their first back-to-back loss since sometime in the early Pleistocene Era. Okay, June 6th if you want accuracy, but who’s counting among friends? Especially when you’ve gone in and outscored the hottest team in baseball 18 to 6 in two games?
Atlanta opened the scoring in the first, when Camargo doubled home Ender Inciarte. He was then driven in by Flowers with a two out single. In the fourth, the Braves doubled their lead thanks to a fielding miscue by Wood. With two out, and Markakis on third and Sean Rodriguez on second, Garcia’s pop-up was lost in the night sky by Cody Bellinger, and Wood, attempting to catch the ball, had it hit off the heel of his glove. Markakis scored easily, and Rodriguez, who ran hard from the sound of contact, was right behind him.
L.A. got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, on a Yasiel Puig groundout, and added two in the bottom of the seventh as Atlanta, with an 11 run lead, was only too happy to trade a run for an out. Ian Krol and Akeel Morris worked the final two innings with nothing exciting happening. Which is EXCACTLY what you want your bullpen to do with a 9 run lead.
Julio Teheran goes tonight against Rich Hill, with a chance to climb back to .500 with Clayton Kershaw looming on Sunday.
I was happy at 4-0 when I lapsed into narcosis. Did I dream?
Wonderful recap, Painter. It’s good to have you with us.
This was not the result I was expecting to see when I got up this morning, although the 2-0 lead I saw in the 1st inning did lead me to think a win might have been slightly possible. Who is this team, and where were they against the Cubs?
Baseball is hard to figure. I just hope that the front office doesn’t get ideas about contending this season and make ill advised trades. The fact is that it’s very rare that a trade deadline trade makes a difference in the regular season, pulling a team into the playoffs from well back. Too much of the season is in the books already. Fred McGriff was the exception not the rule.
The Braves are likely to finish the season around.500. That’s a success, all things considered. The offseason is when changes should be made.
I’m surprised the Braves have won 2 in a row in L.A., but I’m not surprised the Dodgers didn’t go 33-4, if that makes sense.
Last night’s thread was excellent. Very clever funny – this is why bravesjournal is the best thing on the internet.
Also, late to the party, but great news blazon and coop. Very happy for you all. Garcia!
If they really want to go for it the talent is within the organization. I’d like to keep Garcia, but I’d be fine with parting with him if they were ready to promote someone who can play this game.
Thanks Stu. Much appreciated.
Did not expect much of any of this. I think we’re still more of the team that got swept by Houston and Chicago vs. sweeping Arizona and the Dodgers. Man, that 2-5 record vs. Philly and all of those Bartolo starts look pretty important right now.
I bet Garcia goes to Milwaukee or Arizona if he goes anywhere.
According to Rosenthal, the trade with the Twins was stalled because of the Braves’ medical concern over the Twins prospect. Who would have thought that the medical concern with a trade involving Garcia wouldn’t be Garcia himself?
More learned people than I on Twitter speculate that the medically concerning player has to be Tyler Jay, the Twins’ #5 prospect according to Pipeline and Sickels. If true, that player had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, so I don’t know Atlanta would want such a risky player. Of course, their #4 prospect, an OF, also had TJ surgery, so it could be him. A little less risky to take a post-TJ OF. And of course, there could be any number of players with any number of non-disclosed injuries that could be on the table.
Word is the medical concern was Bartolo Colon’s weight.
Jaime Garcia
blimey, we had no idea
you could swing like that for the fences
as it approached we first understood what tense is.
Alex Wood
if only you could
choose which game was destined to end all the raves
it most certainly would not have been the Atlanta Braves.
The Twims AA team is really good
It’s being reported that Nick Burdi was the player with the concerning medical report.
A pre-season B-/C+ reliever who underwent TJ and is 24. Sweeeeeet.
August and September of a soft-tossing lefty rental doesn’t go as far as it used to.
@16 – As far as reliever prospects go, he’s about as good as it gets, but the the TJ is worrisome and I feel the Bravos has as much experience as anyone at evaluating elbow tears. If they have concerns, I’ll take it at face value that they’re warranted.
The larger question for me is what a half season of Jaime Garcia is worth at this point?
“I know you’re ready to change positions to help this team, Freddie, but you should know this season barely matters to us.”
@19
Exactly. What exactly is the point of trading Garcia for a C-level relief prospect? We might as well just hold onto Garcia and let him walk. The return isn’t worth the headache with the clubhouse and the portion of the fanbase that’s sick of this crap.
This is exactly the type of player I no longer am interested in. It doesn’t make our team better this year, certainly, but it probably never makes our team better…and for what? It’s not 2015 anymore.
@20 I took a gander at both Messers Burdi and Jay’s bRef pages.
You’re 100% right and neither will ever amount to anything in MLB, most likely.
According to Wikipedia, Burdi is from a place called Downer’s Grove, so maybe he was destined to disappoint y’all. But, looking on the bright side, if he becomes a filthy reliever, we could call him Dirty Burdi.
@22: “When I was 10, my family moved to Downer’s Grove. When I was 12, I found them.”–Emo Philips
Burdi is filthy when healthy. Had the Braves been comfortable with his medicals, I’d have been excited to have him.
If we don’t trade Garcia and he walks next year, do we get a pick?
I’m glad the Braves didn’t trade Garcia if they hold out of for a better deal. I’m also fine with keeping him if all we can get is salary relief and a mid level prospect. Unless we package him with someone else, I don’t think Garcia will bring in much of a haul
@25 I think we would have to give him a “Qualifying Offer” after the season, and have him refuse it, to get a pick if he leaves.
I think the QO is around $18M, so these guys will all walk for nothing.
DOWN ON THE FARM TONIGHT
Kevin Maitan
first homer today for the man!
he was quietly pleased
said i’ve had just about enough of being teased.
Ozzie Albies
hit his ninth with much ease
while Ronald Acuna
his first AAA stolen base, you’d have expected that sooner.
Drew Lugbauer
continues to show consistent HR power
if only he could catch
we would have no reason to dispatch.
HOW YOU GONNA KEEP ‘EM DOWN ON THE FARM
NOW THAT THEY’RE ON TV.
That went a long way.
DOB is tweeting some depressing numbers on Swanson. I think he is greasing the skids for a demotion.
I hate Chase Utley.
“Boo? F— you.”
Kemp with the glove.
I have some memory that Hill doesn’t go deep into games. I hope that is correct.
Dansby is eating up Ozzie’s roster spot.
Rich Hill has had a weird career. Because of injuries and ineffectiveness, Hill has had less starts by his age-37 season than Julio Teheran had through his age-25 season. And even after he only made 20 starts last year, Hill will still make more than twice what Teheran will make this year.
What would Gwinnett do with their shortstop if Swanson goes down? Anyone have a suggestion?
Sean Kazmar, Gwinnett’s SS, has been there for 5 years and has only played over 100 games once. I’m sure it’ll be aight for Dans to man the spot for a little while.
Yup, kid moved to second I see.
Looks like Hill is averaging 5 IP per start, this season anyway.
How about a Rio recall and a Dansby demotion? Couple weeks.
Hill’s pitch count is fine. He’ll go 6-7 innings.
Long inning and no breather.
Followed by short inning.
That was the most BS run in the history of ball.
Teheran is a HR machine.
I think Dansby needs to go down to Triple A. He can play everyday while we ride the hot hand of Camargo.
Painter, thank you…recapped