Outside the original old city of Philadelphia, but within its modern metropolitan area, lies Valley Forge. Many suffered there for our freedom. Monday is a Valley Forge on the Braves schedule. The Braves go to Monday to be cold and miserable. If they had for all games, their won loss record for Monday, they would finish the year 54 and 108. That would be not early Mets awful or rebuilding Tigers awful, but pretty bad. The old saw says “you are going to win at least 54 and lose at lease 54 and what you do in the other 54 decides your season.” Hmm.
Take, on the other hand, the “Non Monday Braves 2018.” That team is on pace for a 105 win season. That mighty juggernaut sits at 26 and 14.
And yes, by CORRELATION, this obviously relates to me. But I have been doing Mondays for about 3 years and I have always had the good day of the week. So maybe I have a great sin altering the energy flow of the universe.
The Polish Prince Mike Foltenewicz pitched well. 6 innings and only 1 run and that on a solo home run. Overall 6 hits, 2 BBs, 5 K’s. Plenty good enough to win, unless the offense fails to show up. Oh, the offense failed to show up.
Nick Pivetta went 7 innings and gave up 4 hits, 1 BB, and got 7 K’s. We will have to deal with him for years. And the Phillies got him for Jonathan Papelbon. Chief Nocahoma needs to contemplate that over and over.
Shane Carle proved mortal after all. Obviously Aaron Altherr had some red Kryptonite. You never know what kind of weird symptoms that stuff is going to cause. A 2 run pinch hit home run ended the scoring.
Maybe we can get somebody to pass out some greenies and wake this team up.
Fredi (and Bobby Cox before him) was often criticized here for a Sunday lineup which had no chance to win… a collection of misfits thrown in once a week to keep them sharp and needed rest given to people who are really needed. Perhaps sensitive to those complaints, the team has borne down on Sundays, with the extra effort required spilling over to Mondays hoping no one would notice. cliff has noticed.
Folty has owned the Phils this year. Bats will wake up soon. Still think we will leave Philly in 1st place. I’m drinking the Kool-aid.
There are always Phillies pitchers who own us. But it’s so much more galling when it’s the crappy ones, like David Coggin and Brandon Duckworth and Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley. Nick Pivetta looks like he might not be completely crappy, which makes it mildly less infuriating to see the same Philadelphia Hibernation Mode as usual.
EDIT: Actually, turns out we killed Duckworth. But they’ve had plenty of other crappy pitchers who owned us for years.
Some days you just get beaten. Neither team was humiliated (like was the case in that Giants series, ugh), and both starting pitchers were sharp.
Ryan c has made it on the tube! Roger will agree with the trade targets:
And here’s what Mac wrote about Philadelphia eight years ago:
http://bravesjournal.us/2010/07/05/welcome-to-philadelphia-game-thread-july-6-braves-at-phillies/
All-time regular season POWER RANKINGS
We really do need to take two of three now.
Four Braves organizations combined scored six runs yesterday. Not a good showing for Braves bats.
Soccer people:
On a scale from 1 to Walk-Off Mammo, how excited should I be about Ian Ayre as CEO of the Nashville MLS club?
0
@5 That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about. I’d hate to lose Jackson and I agree that it seems kinda light but if the Braves take on that much payroll, the return will be “lighter”. I just don’t believe the Braves will add payroll this year. I dunno; maybe I’m wrong.
Either way, it doesn’t break the bank. Without Jackson, though, another trade in the offseason for a high end controllable catcher would be coming.
He’s a high quality hire from the world’s best league. Ran Liverpool for the last seven years. Wasn’t superbly successful there, missed on a couple of high profile transfer attempts (free agents/trades.) But hiring a GM from the EPL is a statement that Nashville is intent on copying Atlanta’s build plan, I think.
The Mets are collecting our rejects. Joey Bats is soon to join Carrera and C. Colon.
And A-Gon.
Looks like Velasquez has his best stuff tonight.
Ozzie!
ERA is not everything.
But it feels awfully nice to have two guys, Newcomb and Foltynewicz, in the top-20 in all of baseball.
(Also, to have 5 in the BJ fantasy league: Verlander, Sale, Nola, Manaea, Skaggs…with Bumgarner about to come off the DL. Y’all have fun trying to knock me out of 1st.)
Edit: And Ozzie Albies hits his 14th home run to move into a tie for best in the league!
Another note from the leaderboard:
The Braves have the top-3 total base leaders in the NL. Albies (by a mile), then Freeman, then Markakis. Neck’s tied with a couple of clowns, though.
We need a third baseman
AA really deserves a lot of credit for how he has handled third base. He knew Flaherty would become a pumpkin, and he was decisive. And he decisively handled both the acquisition and release of Bautista, so I think he’ll be decisive if he sees a deal for a third baseman.
Smitty, when they gon’ get that barber on MLB Network?
Well, we cleared the pitcher. Moral victory?
@20
He’s making too much cutting hair
We’re halfway to being able to withstand an Episode.
Gabermetrics out to save the day.
I think we’re on the verge of busting this game wide open. It’s just on Amanda’s husband to toe the line a little longer.
Actually this is just the kind of game that makes me nervous. We should have busted it open already. And as good as Amanda’s husband has been, in this park routine fly balls can become home runs.
@26 especially with the walks
Dansby and Flaherty look really bad tonight
A Nick Esasky vertigo reference on the broadcast!
This one feels like we’ve squandered too many chances.
Can someone please hit something far?
It’ll be hard for Dansby to show off his hair underneath that Golden Sombrero
The bottom of the order has become a pumpkin patch.
The bottom of our lineup has been so unbelievably wretched in this game
Has Dansby even hit a foul ball tonight? 23 LOBs combined by the lineup is unbelievable. I can’t believe that, with the bases loaded and no one out that neither Dansby nor Flaherty could even get a foul ball. At least McCarthy hit a foul before striking out. Maybe Dansby should be bunting….
I can’t say I’ve been impressed with Acuna’s arm. Only four tools?
The only thing worse than the bottom of the lineup tonight has been the consistency of Lance Barrett’s strike zone.
I am already beginning to get the Viz willies……
@35
It certainly looks like he’s fallen back into his slider trap from last year.
If there was ever a game when a little insurance wouldn’t hurt, this is it.
Top of the order to the rescue!
These kids!!! So much fun!!
Plop plop Viz Viz
Oh what a relief it is
(Sorry Blazon–best I could do)
Way to go Viz! Good win.
Joey Bats scored the only Shmets run tonight. I guess it’s THAT bad for them.
This is one of the third set of 54 that you need to find a way to win.
Great Win!
As an aside, y’all do know Joey Bats is destined to hit a walk off HR against us at some point this year right? It’s just how these things go…
https://twitter.com/braves/status/999117362686251008?s=21
Wisler?
When is Albies gonna quit hitting homers? I mean, it’s gonna happen eventually, right?
@48, Looks like they took it down. Obviously a graphics design intern who doesn’t know his Wisler from his Winkler. (Nice design, though!)
Missed tonight’s game, but seems like it was stressful.
Can’t wait for Gohara tomorrow
My cardiologist advises me to quit watching the Braves. Can anyone recommend a new heart doctor?
@49 Seeing as he also leads the team in doubles and triples (and is currently 2nd in the NL in doubles too), what can anyone honestly expect with Albies?
I’ve somewhat doubted Albies power surge because it’s not like his home runs are deep. However, his swing makes it all look effortless. If the homers start dropping into the outfield, that’s going to mean a lot more doubles.
Still working with a fairly short sample size, of course. Need at least a full season to look at. I just hope he keeps it up the whole year.
Regarding Dansby … I agree that he looked totally lost out there last night. It was like he walked up to the plate expecting to strike out. I think that performance should earn him a rest tonight so he can get his head together. Let’s hope a day or two off is all he needs.
Despite the walk-off the other night, Swanson is not a good player. The Braves should certainly be making alternative long term SS plans, IMO.
No.
Dansby has a 0.8 fWAR in 32 games this year.
More CHIEFING from Chief.
Actually, Ender is bad at CF.
The Braves are about to go on a losing streak.
Albies is a non-prospect.
Swanson is no good.
I am good at fantasy baseball.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
Anyway…
In my dreams, Gohara pitches well today in his showcase for the Rockies, who are going to send Arenado our way for Luiz and Austin Riley.
Dansby might have put too much pressure on himself after his clutch hit the other night. Furcal would do the same thing whenever he hit a home run: he’d swing from his heels for the next two weeks until he straightened himself out again. Dansby will be fine.
Dansby is the new Andruw and Heyward-type guy that was over-hyped and will forever be under appreciated. That’s going to be his career.
Dansby’s play since his hot start has not been consistently inspiring. There have been moments of glory, and he has been good defensively for the most part. Acceptable performance is, well, acceptable. He is lauded for his intangibles and acclaimed as a glue player. I can live with little offense and steady but unspectacular defense, but I miss Andrelton.
I don’t see how any Braves fan could not miss Andrelton.
Chief gonna Chief
And there’s another problem. For better or worse, Dansby will be tied to Andrelton, perhaps unfairly. You don’t want to be the guy to replace the legend. You want to be the guy who replaces the guy who replaces the legend.
Chief just has a very “fantasy baseball” criteria of player evaluation. If you don’t explode the offensive categories — especially power — then he has no place for you. Defense, cromulent offense, intangibles, and the culmination of all three means nothing. Chief, get right.
His prospect evaluations also mirror the same: if you don’t look like you’re going to be a masher, then you aren’t a good prospect. It all goes back to the longball.
Chief’s gonna chief, but in this case I agree with him. I’m still not sure about Dansby. He’s striking out almost 1 in every 3 ABs, he’s not walking, and his swinging approach makes me want to turn the channel every time I see it. Everybody’s got shortstop as done and taken care of, and I can see why people would think that. I’m just not there yet and feel like we need contingencies. Maybe Camargo is that contingency.
If Dansby is a 3 fWAR player, a number he is on pace to exceed, and he’s considered a strong leader, is that not enough?
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0
This is where he is on fWAR in a limited games played. I don’t think any one individual stat will do a player like Dansby justice, so that’s why I’m insisting on using WAR.
Many would argue that mid-season defensive numbers are misleading, and I agree, but if you want to go on defense, this is where Dansby checks in:
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=20,d
The rub on him is his lack of offense, and wRC+ confirms that:
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=17,d
He’s also going to be under team control for the next 4 1/2 seasons, so he’s also going to be insanely cheap. I don’t know who we would be willing to attempt to acquire and what we’d be willing to pay or give up to acquire that player that would be a better option.
@55 WTF…
I know I’m overreacting, but you’re not even willing to acknowledge Dansby was hitting really well before going to the DL with a wrist injury? He’s been back less than a week and is obviously rusty.
Going to have to disagree with you on this. Did you already forget the monumental disaster that was SS and 3B during his absence? I believe Swanson is going to be a significant offensive contributor.
Recap is up.