Johan Camargo‘s 2 run pinch-hit homer in the top of the 10th broke a 2 – 2 tie, and provided the Luke Leeway needed to take the series 2 games to 1.
The bullpen was put to the test in the 3rd when Mike Soroka was removed for precautionary reasons after taking an Austin Voth fastball off the inside of his right forearm, and Josh Tomlin responded with 4 scoreless innings. Tomlin allowed 1 hit and struck out 3, as he equaled his longest outing of the year. A.J. Minter got the win with a scoreless 9th, and Luke Jackson picked up his 11th save despite allowing 2 hits, a walk, and a run in the 10th.
Soroka was avenged in the 4th and 6th innings, as off whom did Josh Donaldson and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit solo homers? Voth. Count it!
The Nationals tied it in the 7th, however. Grant Dayton retired the first 2 batters, but a Juan Soto homer and Matt Adams single led to Jacob Webb. Adams went to 3rd when Acuna booted Howie Kendrick‘s single to center, and scored on Gerardo Parra‘s single, the run judged to have been unearned. In the 8th, a force at 3rd on a bunt attempt, followed by a double play, helped Anthony Swarzak get out of trouble.
X-rays on Soroka were negative, and barring any delayed reaction, he should be ready for his next start. For those worried about how the Braves would respond on the road after the terrific home stand, well, so far, so good. At Wrigley Field Monday at 8:05 Eastern; Julio Teheran vs. Jon Lester scheduled.
Great recap, Rusty. Count it!
The Nats have released Trevor Rosenthal.
The Marlins are doing good deeds.
The Marlins have now swept both the Mets and the Phils. We are 5-1 against them.
@2 – it would be hard for any team, even the Orioles, to absorb a 22.74 ERA for long. With extended spring training and long times between outings, they were about as patient as possible with him. I wonder if they’ll push hard for a serious pitching upgrade – someone like a Charlie Culberson.
Rusty, great recap. One of the stories I read mentioned that Soroka and Voth had practiced/worked-out together at some point so they are more than just acquaintances. I guess that adds some context to the visible apology that Voth offered.
Also, just read this – a nice nod of the head to Claude: https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/braves-win-on-johan-camargo-homer
However, this quote just burns me up. I hate this kind of thinking.
“The kid has had a great attitude,” Snitker said. “He understands his role. We came into it thinking we were going to get him all these at-bats. We’re not constructed that way to really have that. We’re a traditional team that has a lineup.”
Now that makes me considerably less of a fan of Snitker. What the means to me is “I don’t want to bother trying to get the most out of all my players; I just want to do the same thing every day and have it work.” A traditional team? What the hell does that mean. Wait, I know, there’s nine guys on the field and one of them pitches. That’s it. That’s the ticket.
My recap was better.
@7
I think Chief might disagree.
@ #6
Yeah, that’s disappointing to hear. One step forward, two steps back.
Somehow, I honestly don’t remember. Why do we call him Claude?
#10
After Claude Raines, the actor who starred in the film The Invisible Man. Camargo hasn’t been seen on the playing field all that much.
After getting dismantled by LA in early May, we have won 11 out of 13 series since, including 3 sweeps. The run this team is on is pretty incredible. Instead of a June Swoon, it’s been a June Boon. So keep that in mind as we go 4 @ CHI starting today. Then 3 @ LOLMets, 3 vs. Phils, 3 vs. Marlins and then the All-Star break.
There are 9 teams in baseball that have a bullpen ERA over 5 for the last 30 days, 5 of which over 6, and one of which over 7. Yesterday’s game widened the Braves’ lead in bullpen ERA between them and the second place team in the last 30 days.
Starters, not so much. They’re 26th in baseball during that span. They are one of 11 teams in baseball with a starters ERA over 5 in the last 30 days. The Dodgers have a 2.22 starter ERA during that span, which is almost a full run better than the second-place team (the Marlins).
The offense has scored the second-most runs in baseball in the last month, with the Rockies ahead of them. They are second in position player WAR, behind the Dodgers. They have the 11th-most defensive WAR. They have the 3rd-highest OBP, two points behind both the Rockies and Dodgers. And even with all the HRs, they are 5th in HR in MLB, but second in slugging behind only, you guessed it, the Dodgers.
We are at a point in the season where teams who are trailing need to make something happen or risk being done before the stretch drive even starts. In case there is confusion, it is not Atlanta that needs to make that something happen. They simply need to maintain their current course to grab a second division title in as many years.
The Phillies and Nats don’t even show on the attached snip of the current MLB wide standings. The Dodgers are head and shoulders above the NL in general. The AL powers are still super teams as you’d imagine.
But ATL is still currently the second best club on the senior circuit, despite having zero talent, a GM who has no idea how to acquire talent, a field manager too stupid to understand the basic ideas of the modern game, and an ownership group who see the team as nothing more than a tax write off and real estate boondoggle.
Preach it, Sam.
Does anyone have the name of a good shrink? Lately I find myself in agreement with a lot on what Sam’s selling. That cannot be good.
@14 https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-nationals-have-a-chance-to-save-their-season/
I love the sarcasm and all, but the task of the current management team is to make this team elite, a WS contender – better than the Dodgers. All of the other building was done under other GMs, other managers, with the ownership shedding salary left and right. In that sense, your sarcasm is very misplaced. Our complaints about ownership and management are reasonable and legitimate.
I hope our GM does at least as good a job for us as he did for the Dodgers, huh.
We still need a closer and, likely, some rotation help. I’m still in on a MadBum/W. Smith trade. I also think MadBum will be able to step up when it matters in the playoffs, so I’m not relying on statistics alone to think he’d be a good pickup.
The team should always aim to improve. There are obvious areas for that to happen with this year’s squad, mostly across the entire pitching staff. I am sure management is working every angle available to them to do as much.
I am also sure they are doing so with an eye on the long term viability of the franchise, trying to get better – preferably to the point where they can believably go toe to toe with the Dodgers, Yankees, Astros, etc. in a 7 game series. But not at the cost of losing Austin Riley or Christian Pache.
Current 2019 OPS:
Tyler Flowers: .840
Brian McCann: .820
J.T. Realmuto: .743
@7 The only thing I would have added to your recap was “Two-time World Champion” Marlins.
But which recap was better? Both of them.
I really can’t wrap my head around the lust so many seem to have for trading for Bumgarner and his below-league-average 4.28 ERA here in A.D. 2019, but count me in the “no thanks” crowd. Feels like people are mentally stuck in 2014, even after his disastrous NLDS in 2016 (which is his most recent postseason appearance too.) I’d rather the team get a closer or at least a solid relief pitcher.
@14
Well, I think it’s pretty likely that Liberty Media does only “see the team as nothing more than a tax write-off and real estate boondoggle,” so there’s that.
Fair enough on the rest of it, though it would be an awful shame to not shore up this pitching staff to the point where it can compete with the aforementioned teams in a seven-game series. Not doing so at this point would be punting a real chance to win a World Series.
I think Liberty Media see the Atlanta Braves Baseball Club as a subsidiary element of their larger portfolio. I think they treat them as such, and apply more or less the same rules they apply to all of their subsidiary entities with regard to margins and profits.
I think other than that, Liberty Media doesn’t care one way or another how the Braves are run. If the Braves management goes out and trades the top 14 prospects for Max Scherzer and a fling with some high end call girls, and hit their margins, Liberty doesn’t care. If they horde prospects all day and refuse to pay anyone more than than 12 dollars per hour, and miss their margins, Liberty will have a problem.
I see no reason to even ask “what does Liberty want” anymore. Liberty has a set of rules. The Braves have completely free reign to run their business as they like, so long as they hit those margins.
I do like Sam’s take.
Coop, yes, this is weird.
To be fair, having a “set of rules” from the corporation that owns your baseball team as a subsidiary interest is often a frustrating experience. Especially for a fan base that in recent years knew the pure joy of having a “set or rules” from a single private owner that consisted of “this is my current checkbook, let me know if you run out.” But complaining or stressing about the loss of the Uncle Ted model, or day dreaming about they day Uncle Arthur buys up every single professional sporting enterprise in Atlanta, seems pointless to me. It’s like sitting around and hoping another decade or so of the same laughably failed policy is going to really result in the profits “trickling down” this time.
Yep. That’s me. Stepping all up on your precious lines of demarcation like that. I’m Josh Donaldson baby!
(Hopefully this has flushed the fear of agreeing with Sam from people’s systems.)
Our fanbase, at least those that were watching in the 90’s and beyond, is still having a hard time with the 2019 offense environment. If you give up 5 runs it seems freaking horrible because you remember all those 2-0 and 3-1 games from years back.
I’m starting to feel like 5 runs allowed is a quality outing.
@26 For some of our pitchers (looking at you Folty and Gaus) it certainly should be
June is bursting out all over.
Allow me to remind you. On the first day of this month I posted here to draw your attention to it being the 125th anniversary of the last great sea battle fought under sail which became known as the Battle of The Glorious First of June.
Why I wrote, could the Braves not establish dominance of that same month we were then entering? Make June happen for us each year. Which is exactly what we have done. You’re welcome.
Historical footnote. The protagonists were Britain and France. We Brits won of course.
Mathematics was never my forte. Two hundred and twenty five.
@25: Turnabout. I believe that is “hoard.” On substance, however, I agree with you — still.
I like to think of prospects as if they were kobolds, and kobolds always attack in hordes. So there.
When discussing naval battles in general, one can just assume it was England and someone. Naval battles under sail even more so. Though this does undersell the great Baltic battles of the Swedish Empire against the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Julio looks extremely wild. I think he’s prone to grip issues in certain cities like SF and others due to the climate.
It’s just one game and still early, but my Braves may need to shore up the starting rotation. Javy escaped, but these highwire acts work on me.
Errrr…what’s the history here with Contreras? I think I’ve missed an episode or two in this saga.
Wth was that douche chirping about? Flow didn’t play that game…
With the wind blowing out, Julio gonna Julio I am afraid
Looked like Contreras was dropping some F-bombs there…..
I can’t be too upset, because this is more in line with what I expected from Julio, this year.
He’s definitely more of a 5 era kind of guy, than the sub 2 guy that magically appeared for a month or so.
It seemed like his teammates were just as disgusted with Contreras as the Braves.
Very fortunate to get out of the first 2 innings only allowing 1 run.
I half expect Flowers to get into it in this next AB. Some grade-a d-baggery going on in this one.
Unless there’s something I don’t know about, I imagine the Cubs weren’t as amused by Donaldson shushing them as I was.
The umpire has a larger strike zone than most.
Come on, Tyler. Jeez.
Good inning, Julio.
Tough play, Dansby. Should have made it.
Riley is slow if he can’t score on that.
Wow…what a horrible at bat by flowers
If. Wishes and wings.
I hate Chips love of the Cubs
Julio just fell off the tightrope.
The sequence to Lester was the worst. If Julio had thrown him a fastball rather than the two off speed pitches out of the zone, he would have bunted. Once it was 2 and 0, Lester knew it would be a fastball down the pike.
Well that’s enough barving for me tonight.
Can Inciarte play cf and acuna to rf when he returns?
Bout to throw in the towel on this one. Go get’em tomorrow.
Uncle.
Get them tomorrow, boys.
I think Snit has punted this one.
I never want to throw in the towel on this team, but it looks like the Braves will need to score double digits to have a chance in this one.
By leaving Julio out there, Snit is doing some towel throwing himself.
The ivy looks good. Not our night. Go get ‘em tomorrow.
Starting pitching is a disaster and will spell doom in NLDS
That 2.88 WHIP in Julio’s last two starts … mercy.
We have no idea against Lester. Not sure what our pre-game plan is, but we need to burn it.
Nasty Touki. Sweet Touki. Good Touki.
Swanson homers. Get out of bed!
Freddie singles.
Chicago bullpen crisis confab. New pitcher.
D/P…nice while it lasted. Back to bed then sleepy heads.
not so good Touki.
At least most of the usual relievers got the night off.
recapped.