R.A. Dickey gave the Braves a much needed boost, allowing only 1 run in 7 innings, and Brandon Phillips had 2 hits, including a 2 run homer in the 5th to provide a 4 – 0 lead, helping the Braves to salvage 1 of 3 games from the Cardinals and break a 5 game losing streak. The Cardinals cut the lead to 5 – 3 in the 8th and loaded the bases with one out, mainly as Jim Johnson allowed 3 hits, including a solo home run by Paul DeJong. Jose Ramirez did the hard work; Arodys Vizcaino got the save.
Jace Peterson hit a pinch hit triple in the 9th and scored on a wild pitch to conclude the scoring. Ender Inciarte went 3 for 5, and Danny Santana, Sixth Hitter Extraordinaire, added an RBI.
The Braves are now 14 – 22 since Freddie Freeman‘s return from the disabled list, and remain in 4th place, a game behind the Mets and 17 behind the Nationals. Â On to Colorado Monday.
The 2nd funniest thing I ever heard about St. Louis:Â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KzPirIQkPQ
Julio is pitching in Denver tonight. That could get ugly in a hurry.
On whether the Braves can compete next year, I’m not sure. I think we’ll work to get a front line starter and possibly a 3rd baseman. The emergence of Acuna is a big development and I think he’ll have a significant impact. Otoh, the development of our pitching prospects and regression of Julio has been disappointing to say the least.
To compete we need Folty to take a few more steps forward, Julio to turn it around, and at least one of our pitching prospects to have a break out year. That, along with our hitting being a little better and more consistent, along with our new starting pitcher and 3rd baseman having a great year is a very tall order. My guess is we will kick the rebuild can to 2019.
Rusty for the win: thank you.
For the funniest thing I ever heard about St. Louis it’s their pizza, and by funny I mean it makes my stomach want to turn inside out just thinking about it. It’s something else to meet a St. Louisan who thinks it’s not only delicious but unironically recommends it to visitors.
Is there any reason to think the following players haven’t earned a September promotion, have a spot on the 40-man, and the only reason they wouldn’t be promoted is because of a lack of playing time:
-MoCab (might be best to give him a mental break though)
-Medlen (especially after last start)
-Acuna (maybe just let him play in the AFL?)
-Ruiz
-Biddle (strong season in AA, already on 40 man)
-Blair (as reliever)
-Wisler (as reliever)
-Morris
-Hursh
-Winkler (I think he has to be added anyway)
-Camargo (after DL stint)
-Micah Johnson
-Lane Adams or Santana (assuming Kemp gets activated before 9/1)
-Minter
That’s going to be a very crowded dugout.
For September I think you only bring up a handful. Five or so.
Acuña, which I believe is the word for “heaven” in Curaçaoian, can wait.
I think we get a new pitching coach next year.
I am so happy for Bartolo and his 4.09 Era in Minnesota.
@9, This is a case where you’d want to look at other stats besides ERA to figure out if he really is pitching better.
Another perspective: If Bartolo is still relying on pitching coaches to fix himself after 20 years, something is very wrong.
Father/Son pilgrimages to the enemy Ball Park over decades. It’s all so genteel now.
..and did you see 20 y old rookie Devers who’s been in ML for all of 2 weeks take out a 103 mph Chapman pitch in the 9th? The first he’s given up to a LHH in 6 years. Bring ’em up.
@10
His BB/9, H/9, and HR/9 are all down. His K/BB ratio is significantly down. Accordingly, his FIP is right in line.
Another perspective: we have no luck.
Another perspective: Bartolo Colon hates us.
Another perspective: Our pitching coach has no ability to tweak the mechanics or approach of pitchers who have temporarily lost their way.
Another perspective: the food in Minnesota is better.
@12 Starting to have my concerns about our pitching coach as well. I hope Smitty is right @8 that we have a new pitching coach next year. Maybe Leo can come out of retirement and mentor a new coach
Pitching and hitting coaches are very weird sometimes. Your team has to have one, but he could connect with the vast majority of guys on the team one year, and everyone could just tune him out three years later. Both Mazzone and McDowell were very good for awhile, then suddenly they weren’t. I really doubt the message changed all that much.
Mac used to point out that it makes a great deal of sense for a team to employ multiple hitting coaches, and they often already do whether or not you actually call them that — after all, Chipper Jones’s dad was his hitting coach for his entire career.
Here’s hoping Coors Field affects our hitters more than our pitchers.
@12, We haven’t examined the possibility that he’s a Mets sleeper agent either.
More for the scouting details than the rankings: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/updated-top-10-prospects-nl-east/
@17
Well, if he was, I fail to see how it’s helped them any.
I may be half convinced, come to think of it, as it would be the most Mets thing ever to do something like that, actually pull it off, then somehow still be worse than the team they sabotaged.
@4 – Thanks Coop, 6 and 13 on Sundays now. #whoscounting #noimnotbitter
@5 – I’ll add the pizza to the list, also Blazon’s “bloated red Cardinelles.”
Our 3B coaches don’t seem capable of making good decisions.
If the scroll was read right the 20 y old rookie Rafael Devers has already hit 2 more home runs tonight for the Red Sox.
If memory serves right that makes 6 homers by this his fifth game.
Beyond incredible, historic surely.
Nick Markakis, cleanup hitter extraordinaire.
Ron Washington Snitkered Inciarte.
Ender was not happy with Dansby on that pop up.
As an outfielder, if neither of us were sure enough to call it, I preferred the infielder get out of the way so I could try a dive. I will defer to Ender in this case, but it’s not a good look.
As a terrible outfielder, I always preferred if some else, anyone else called for it so I wouldn’t embarrass and/or hurt myself.
You know how I know no one is on here tonight? There aren’t 5,000 posts complaining about that bunt already.
Three first-pitch swings, three outs to close the seventh. Way to make Bettis work, fellas.
I’m still here!
It’s alright. I went over to Talking Chop for my anti-bunt freakout fix. It didn’t disappoint.
Christ, I’m turning into Jay!
Terehan had strike three right down the middle. F…….
UPDATE: Well…at least he got a popup two pitches later.
I honestly have no idea what Bud Black is doing here. Playing pinch hitter musical chairs is the answer, but I’m not sure why.
The only thing worse than the bunt by us was the managing by Bud Black in the 7th.
Nice, Julio! Probably his best performance of the year so far.
Julio has pitched his butt off tonight…in Denver…no runs allowed… and the Braves haven’t scored yet.
Great for Julio. He’s easy to cheer for, and days like today make you hope he can turn it around.
That’s Teheran’s best performance of the season. Good fastball, breaking pitches, and change of speeds.
Julio! Loved his reaction after the strikeout. What a game.
Great outing by Julio. Need to get a run or two here and hope the pen can hold it
Damn! Get this guy some runs!
No, Chip. We will not pardon the pun.
If only we could score enough to accommodate our pen’s ineptitude.
Julio has proven he has what it takes to pitch in Coors Field. Take it from here, Coppy…
@43 haha
And a no decision for Julio in his best start of the year. Typical.
Snitker loves him some Rex Brothers.
@48 unfortunately he does.
I sure do hope the kid has that “Makeup” the FO was telling us all about. Looks like he’s going to need every ounce of it. I’m going to bed.
Bunting in Coors, runner thrown out at plate with no outs…tank mode is *on* yall.
Things sure ain’t going very well for Dansby.
Hurry back, Johan. We need a shortstop, lip of the grass or not.
Brothers has replaced Krol as the inexplicable late inning LHP.
I’m assuming Dansby learned to keep his eye on the ball in Little League. Perhaps his Little League coach was as irritated by that play as I was.
Just about had it with.Dansby’s lazy Roger Dorn defense.
Terrible loss.
Julio/Arenado…the stuff of memories.
If a base runner is thrown out at the plate but it took two perfect throws to just nail him then logically the decision by the third base coach to send him was perfectly correct. Two perfect throws from deep, at the wall, how often?
Runner at 3rd with no outs will very likely score. No reason to take a risk there.
Sure it would be nice if Dansby could grade out to Jeff Blauser but at this point I’ll take Andres Thomas.
Not if you never send him.
recap up.