There are a number of storylines that were objectively true about the Braves and the Cardinals:
-The Braves have the better bullpen.
–Nick Markakis is here because he’s veteran leadership. A heady player.
–Dallas Keuchel has playoff experience. He’s the guy you want on the mound if you don’t trust your young pitchers to pitch.
–Marcell Ozuna and Kolten Wong are probably not guys that are going to beat you. Ozuna has been ice cold in September and Kolton Wong has been injured, and wasn’t very good when he was healthy.
Well, it didn’t work out that way. Dallas Keuchel couldn’t get out of the 5th inning. Nick Markakis let a runner go to third on a normal single to right. The Braves bullpen gave up 6 runs in the process of getting 5 outs. Ozuna and Wong went 4-8 with 4 RBIs.
The Cardinals, in total, got 14 hits. Five of them were off Mark Melancon, our surest option in the late innings.
You’re just asking for it when you have to put 7 relievers in the game. One of them is not going to have their best stuff. Shoot, 2 or 3 might not even, as what happened tonight. Would it have been different if Chris Martin hadn’t gotten injured? I don’t know. Would it have been different if Jerry Blevins was on the roster, and you brought him in to pitch to Wong in the 8th? Probably. In a game otherwise very aggressively managed by Snit, was saving your only lefty potentially for multi-inning too conservative? Probably.
There’s no “goat” here. Lonnie Smith didn’t get pulled off a bag. Mark Wohlers didn’t hang a slider. Brooks Conrad didn’t boot a ball or miss a pop up. We just gave up one more run than we scored.
With Flaherty pitching tomorrow, things could get ugly. But does the offense ride the momentum of a strong 9th to get out on top tomorrow? If you don’t, things definitely get ugly. I do know that Mike Foltynewicz is about as good of a bet as any on either roster to come out and give you 7 strong innings. We will need it.
How is Luke Jackson even on a playoff roster? Did AA not watch the last few months of the season? And then he pitches in a huge high leverage late inning? I give up. This team is managed by literal morons.
Fried mowed them down in about a 5 minute inning. And we take him out. For what exactly? A game 4 start that isn’t even going to happen?
JC’d
Midst all the wailing and gnashing of teeth we need to keep track of some very good things…
First and foremost Acuna…tonight he hit the equivalent of two doubles and a giant home run. He hasn’t done that for months in one game. It was transformational. the contacts so pure.
Freddie. Our other ‘invalid’ hit an early off field single but got our hearts pounding with the rarest huge home run in the ninth that left us but one short.
So we have both of them back their very best to even this up. We had some bad luck too – the bullpen fiasco for a start. And no less than three ground balls slipped just inside the third base bag, all three for a double.
Plenty to be positive going into tomorrow. Get Ossie a righthander or two. Acuna, wow. Don’t cry for me Argentina.
I could’ve sworn the last RBI double on the ninth by first base was a foul ball.
But of course, that is a non reviewable play.
And the check swing on cervelli by that same ump was a travesty. Also unreviewable.
Mlb will never get their shit together.
Didn’t watch–and really glad I didn’t. See y’all next year.
Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!…
It ain’t over now, ’cause when the goin’ gets tough, the tough get goin’. Who’s with me? Let’s go! Come on!…(He ran to the front door but no one followed him)
Bluto (returning): What the f–k happened to the Delta I used to know? Where’s the spirit? Where’s the guts, huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you’re gonna let it be the worst. ‘Ooh, we’re afraid to go with you, Bluto, we might get in trouble.’ (shouting) Well, just kiss my ass from now on! Not me! I’m not gonna take this. Wormer, he’s a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer? Dead!
Suckakis and Snit are more to blame that Acuna.
The high in Atlanta is 97 tomorrow. Folty is gonna be battling heat exhaustion as well as his usual emotions. I’m betting against 7 strong innings.
Somewhere, kolby Allard is asking “was I worth it?”.
I mean, I didn’t have the greatest hope for him either, but its a pretty bad trade.
17 innings from martin, a few of them terrible. and now fucking us up in the playoffs. Obviously not intentionally, but damn man, at least stretch and warm up properly.
I honestly believe, given the idiocy that management has shown on occasion, that they might have have believed that Martin was still under control for additional years and not had that Japan clause.
Hmmm…sorry for the vent, but hey, I imagine most of us are ticked off about different aspects of the events that unfolded tonight.
And now Acuna is getting thrown under the bus when snit, neck, Luke and melancon are way more responsible for the loss.
The bright side is that we only have 2 more games of Markakis. At that point the rebuild is officially over.
I don’t hate any of the bullpen decisions other than maybe not bringing in Newk to pitch to Wong in the 8th. But we made our bed when we only carried one lefty. Could have brought in Blevins were he on the roster, for instance.
Obviously Martin getting injured changed the game. Doubt he gets rocked like Jackson.
I’d have agreed to eat my hat if you had told me that all of the following would occur: Keuchel doesn’t get out of the 5th, Kolten Wong has 4 RBIs, and Melancon gives up 5 hits. One or two of them, sure, but all 3?
@9. Hahahahaa, I bet you a shiny nickel that neck will be back next year.
I can just see the headlines for tomorrow ” Nick did nothing wrong”
Heck according to the commentator s, he’s faster than Duvall, too.
Fuck Ron Darling as well.
Easy on the swearing, man.
To be fair, I did say during the game thread that swearing was ok for the postseason. My bad, I should have just kept the place as it is.
@12 one F bomb per post is too much?
Well, I guess I better not comment again till the postseason is over.
Ron Darling deserves it , since everything good that happened for the braves was just bad luck for the cards, while every bloop they got was just awesome ABC baseball and grit.
I meeeeean, yeah, that’s a lot. It’s a hard balance to strike without having a “please no cussing” stance. Did I say words tonight that I would not want my mother to hear? Maybe a couple.
Acuna getting thrown out in the first definitely cost us a run. Acuna was a bit of enigma tonight; 3-4 with a sliding catch, but a very annoying lack of hustle, and a very costly caught stealing.
Did Snit manage *too* aggressively? Did he manage too much like it was Game 7 of the World Series? Should he have stuck with Keuchel longer, and should he have let Fried throw another inning? We’ve said it before that the more times you switch out the pitcher, it almost becomes Russian Roulette; eventually you’re going to catch the round.
The Braves lost tonight. Watch them lose tomorrow, the Gators lose on Saturday, the Braves lose on Sunday, and then I never watch sports again.
@16: good one, Rob, but you’re a Gator and Braves junkie. You’ll never kick this habit.
I’m a NY Knicks fan on the NBA side, so suffering is a part of life to me as well ;(
I’ll mind my manners, I forgot that this is the Cheers of braves blogs, and that was a network show, so it didn’t have a drunk cusser who pretends to have no hope for his team while secretly hoping that this year it will be different.
I still can’t believe they let Luke lose the game.
Folty @97F will be fun to watch. Could be the making of him.
Here’s a contrarian opinion. I think they should bring in Wright to replace Martin. He was great in September and he’s the only one on the list with similar stuff to Martin (not counting Sobotka).
I do think you have to go or STAY with the hot hand. Fried deserved another inning or two or three. And O’Day deserves to be more than a ROOGY. Except for a walk to the first batter he faced in September, O’Day has been lights out. If they do go with Blevins then O’Day has to take over the 7th from Martin.
Why did Snit go to Greene so early? He’s been the 8th inning guy. If Snit had gone to Martin first – in the 6th – then he could have switched gears to Fried for two or Newk earlier when Martin got injured. All the second half, he’s been going Martin – Greene/Newk – Melancon. And tonight he goes Greene – Fried/Martin – Melancon. Or he could have gone directly to Luke in the 6th – taken that chance earlier in a lower leverage situation. He could have faced the lower half of the order and never got anywhere close to Goldy.
Oh, and wouldn’t it have been nice to have Blevins tonight instead of Ortega?
I’m in Europe so I’m very thankful for the early games. But I still dozed off and missed the 6th-8th innings. Woke up in time for the two bs doubles down the line. My takeaway: we should have won the game, and we are the better team. Hopefully we respond by kicking the dogshit out of them today instead of folding in the wake of the disappointing loss. I hate the cardinals.
Why do we sick so bad in October?
The thing is, we learned something last night – these Cards are NOT the better team. We played like hell and Flaherty tonight is the best pitcher they have by miles, so if we’re going to win this series we’re going to have to earn it. But their bums aren’t better than our bums.
Headines this morning are about Braves teammates calling Ronald out for “lack of hustle.” I’m glad they’re calling him out (even Ozzie has). But for the media to portray what he was doing as a “lack of hustle” is ignorance.
“Lack of hustle” means distracted play, listlessness in the field, doing less than you could because you’re bored or lazy. Ronald’s problem was none of that. He was laser focused — just not on winning the baseball game. As soon as contact was made, he was intent on showboating, preening, “look at me and how awesome I am”. That’s what he was hustling for.
It’s a shame because it’s so pointless. Instead of looking like a hero you look like a fool. Even if the ball wound up clearing the fence, what’s the matter with doing a jump and a fist pump on your way to second? Why does it have to be on a slow walk out of the box?
If the Braves don’t win this series, it’s highly likely that THIS is what the whole 2019 season will be remembered for. And it’s such a shame. Young players hear all the time how they shouldn’t do this kind of thing, but I don’t think it’s fully explained to them the negative ramifications when you start strutting and then get pantsed by reality. Rather than a momentary ego boost of adulation, it’s a blemish that tars your reputation. I guess to some it’s worth the risk?
(A whole other topic could ensue of how young players are TOLD to not engage in this behavior, and yet other competing forces actually encourage them.)
It’s going to be a great day today, just you wait and see.
Go Braves!
In watching Acuna last night I was reminded of a quote from Shelby Foote.
“Gettysburg was the price the South paid for having Robert E. Lee.”
When Acuna hits, the whole bench needs to shout “andale (sorry for the lack of appropriate ‘marks’). ” Kind of like the Alabama student section shouting out for Forrest Gump.
Question: The moment Chris Martin walked off the field w/o throwing a pitch….Hypothetically, could Snit have told Fried to get back in the game? Or was it past that point where that wasn’t an option (i.e. introducing Martin to be the official pitcher).
Just wondering if Snit could have had the option to remain with Max in that situation.
@26 Maybe, but… the Gods conspire. Talent at this level, rara avis, leaves him no counterweight. The gum says it all, the omnipresent bubbles, the insecure smile. What else do you want me to do? My way or yours? My contract, really?
He’ll come round on his own far quicker if you leave him be rather than reconstruct the imperious sanctimony that predictably descends – Ozzie too? Good gracious, take that stupid thing out of your ear, Oz, and play baseball, impact the game. I did.
What stood out to me the most last night wasn’t a game any one player had, or a moment- but the postseason roster construction that this team chose to go with. I cannot begin to fathom how ANYONE aside from Luke Jackson’s mother thought Luke Jackson should be pitching in October. I completely serious here. I mean who thought he was more useful than having another LHP in the pen? I’m begging for an answer to that question. The Cards might be RH heavy in the box, but it’s not as if they don’t bloody have a LH on the roster! Plus Luke just doesn’t have the stuff to come into a game and be effective if he’s having an off night.
And I love Snit as a manager, and wouldn’t want another manager at the helm of this team. Riding with Dansby at short is hurting this team right now, though. Hech might not be Correa, but you have a puncher’s chance at the plate with him up there. Swanson is giving you nothing at the dish right now. His last HR came when we were all lighting fireworks, and Joey Chestnut was pounding hot dogs. He was fortunate the Cards had a mini-meltdown on defense last night, allowing him to help produce two runs.
@29
I believe that Hechavarria had pinch hit for Fried in the bottom of the 7th, after Dansby’s infield single that scored JD and Nick. So, max was definitely out.
As for Acuna, I don’t know that I’m as irked as some by the slow walk out of the box. I think with the hard bounce it took, they get him at 2nd anyway. We’ll never know. My stance is though if you’re sure it’s gone, by all means admire it, flip a bat, or whatever else gets your competitive juices going. Curtailing a player’s form of passion and self-expression can sometimes be counterproductive. You best be sure however if you do watch it fly. Otherwise you’ve got to run, especially in October; and that was far from a no-doubter.
My hope is this doesn’t make Acuna feel alone on an island. He’s young, too talented, and way too important to this team to let a play that was far from the only reason this team lost the game to be the news story here.
Roster construction is likely not a unilateral decision.
32 – That was the 6th inning that Hech hit. Fried could’ve pitched, but once Martin was announced, Fried was subbed out. King of a weird way that works though. If you had a pinch hitter waiting in the on deck circle and he injured something on a warmup swing, you could change him out because he hasn’t been announced and won’t until the at bat is about to take place. One could argue a bullpen guy warming up on the mound should be afforded the same leeway and he shouldn’t be announced until the at bat is ready to begin.
Beating a dead horse. An unfortunate metaphor from Freddie in this morning’s Guardian.
Failure is the best teacher. Today is a new game. Go, Braves!
Freddie’s home run was glorious to watch in the way it countered what had preceded it for weeks on end. Hope, always hope.
@32 Hech pinch hit for Greene. No one pinch hit for Fried. Martin just replaced him.
I would say that in games where your starter doesn’t get out of the 5th, your closer gives up 4 runs, opposing hitters who didn’t hit at all in September go 6-12, you give up a couple baserunners you probably shouldn’t have (Acuna and McCann), then you’re going to lose. And if you only have about half of those things happen, you probably win. So, just don’t do those things, and you’ll win. That’s really about as complicated as I can look at last night’s game.
I woke up with sort of a hangover feeling like, “What the heck happened last night?” Like, “How did we lose that game?” And that either says that we are DOOOOOOOOMED, or we just need our guys to do a little bit better to beat an inferior team 3 times before they win 2 more.
Julio officially takes Martin’s spot on the NLDS roster. I thought you couldn’t fill spots in the middle of a series; if a guy is injured, you’re stuck with a hole in the roster. I’m obviously wrong about that, but is this a new development?
@40 For all of the crap that happened last night, the game was lost by inches. Three STL 2Bs that were inches fair. If Goldy comes off the bag and Ozzie is safe then Freddie’s HR ties the game. And that’s not including Ronald possibly costing us two runs, too. The difference between last night and a Braves blowout win was not very big.
@41 you can replace an injured player mid-series, but (a) MLB has to verify that it’s a legit injury, and (b) the injured player has to sit out the rest of this series and the next one.
The talk is that Julio could start game 4 and Fried will stay in the pen.
I don’t buy it as Keuchel was pulled early and he would be a prime candidate to return on short rest for Game 4 and Folty could start Game 5 on regular rest. Perhaps Julio starts if the Braves are up 2-1 heading to game 4.
Just arrived in Atlanta. Today’s gonna be a good day. Go Braves!
Woah, it’s hot here.
There is a photo on Twitter showing Goldschmidt’s foot clearly off the base.
I’m not sure the point of replay.
@45
Welcome, timo, your million miles reward voucher sure come in handy for times like these.
Now you’re here we need you to be our shining star, our inspiration. Go to it.
Rob, I think we need Phil Collins. I now it is drastic, but this is a must win.
@46: The current point of replay (and it has changed) is not to get the call right, but to correct calls that everyone could see in real time were wrong. I’d say that about half the non-overturned calls (and about a tenth of the overturned ones) are in fact wrongly decided on the basis of what can be discerned in replay.
I expect Snit to look into Max’s chiseled visage—with his tight lipped expression and clenched jaw—poke him in his slight and perfect chest, and say “we’re riding you the rest of the way, Varsity.”
Cough. Go Braves.
If that’s the standard then fine. But then you can’t use it to see if a baserunner loses contact with the base for an otherwise imperceptible length of time.
I got you, Smitty.
Also, am I the only one that thinks that Snit needs to pump the brakes a little bit?
On Acuna, I hope he learns not to admire balls that are borderline, but on no-doubters like the one in the ninth, you gotta let him play and enjoy those.
And the particular Cardinals that took exception (Molina and CMart) can go jump in the river. Molina was quite demonstrative when he caught Ronnie stealing and CMart celebrates every strike.
Man, I hate the Cardinals and an NLCS between the Cards and Dodgers would be unbearable.
@52 No, you’re not alone there. What needed to be said was said, now leave it.
I’d prefer he brushed off the Cardinals criticisms. Or better yet, defend Ronald, and ruffle some Cardinal feathers. We don’t need to win any popularity contests with St. Louis.
I despise the Cardinals in a special kind of way.
Snitker had more to do with the loss than anyone, is anyone going to sit him down and have a talk?
Seriously, if we are going to talk bad about the performance of the players on our team through the media, let’s start with Melancon, Jackson and Markakis. I don’t hear any quotes about how “frustrating” it is to battle the whole game only to have your pen completely kill your chance to win.
Or as my new favorite non Brave, Amir Garrett puts it:
I’ll tell you what,
@ronaldacunajr24
is a major problem. He’s going to be good for a really long time.. still remember him hitting a 2run hr off me in the 9th this year. And guess what he flipped his bat and did all that. As he should have. We need that energy in baseball..
Taking Fried out of that game is one of the worst tactical decisions I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen every single playoff loss).
If Atlanta had actual sports media, the post game discussion would have spent a few hours on that single topic alone.
@47 thanks, blazon, exactly. I’m 4-0 at STP so far this season. Gotta win this one. Go Braves.
Martin was the right call against Goldschmidt in the 7th. Guessing Fried would have stayed in against anyone else. We just got unlucky on the lineup due up in the 7th and obviously even more unlucky that Martin got injured.
My steadfast faith in Folty gets put to the test in a couple hours. This is as do or die as it gets.
Dusty @56
I wasn’t a big fan of Melancon until last night. He owned his performance, didn’t offer excuses. He’s genuinely concerned about Martin after he had to leave the game. Melancon seems like a standup guy. Glad he’s an Atlanta Brave.
@62 agreed, Remy.
62 – I agree that Melancon handled it “the right way” but my point was more that no one is getting sound bites about how bad the bullpen was, just about #ronnybeingronny (trademark pending).
If you ask me who I’m mad about for the loss yesterday it goes:
1. Snitker
2. Jackson
3. Melancon
4. Markakis
5. Alan Porter (and Paul Nauert in the replay booth)
6. Yadi (just because)
7. Joe Torre (because I can)
8…
99…
100. The guy who went 3-4 and was the only reason the game wasn’t a blowout
Martin in the 8th and Melancon in the 9th is a defensible plan, and what most managers would have done. Once Martin goes down, then it’s either Luke, Newk, or Tomlin (or in some alternate universe Blevins, Newk, or Tomlin.)
Maybe Newk was a better choice, or maybe Snit thought Luke could get warmed up better on short notice, or he wanted Newk available for extra innings. I don’t know; Snit has information that I don’t.
Great recap and conversation here – – for an otherwise terribly disappointing game.
AAR: may I pick a nit with you? 😉
Ron Gant was pulled off 1B – – it wasn’t Skates.
Lonnie got dekked in the same series at 2B though.
I know you know. Go Braves!
I’m not going to bash Snit for any of his in-game pitching decisions after the Martin injury, because that just sucked. If he wants to harp on Acuna for last night though, when there’s plenty of blame to be shared… Well maybe the manager’s seat should get a little warmer if it’s another first round exit. Just saying.
You want to side with the veterans in your own clubhouse, by all means do. Siding with the other team though over some old school, outdated BS about “the right way” to play the game, and backing the bus over that kid is a load of…
Gah!!! I’m beyond annoyed.
Fried is arguably our 2nd best pitcher. To use him for one inning is an epic fail. The postseason roster is an atrocity already, and minimizing Fried’s contribution, intentionally, is borderline retarded. This is why we don’t win. It’s chronic stupidity.
Folty already looks kind of exhausted just throwing warm-up pitches.
Foltzy! Love the atmosphere today. Go Braves!
Nice start
Swanson cleared the pitcher; he doesn’t look quite as lost out there.
Folty on his game today.
Great crowd today and Folty so determined.
We look unlikely to score more off this guy. Need to hope he gets tired.
Folty pitching like he knows this is the most important start of his life so far.
Good grief I thought that was gone. Alright let’s run the pitch count up this inning boys.
Folty has done himself proud, and Flaherty ain’t chopped liver. I hope somebody’s getting loose, just in case .
Alright boys, get the runner home. Fundamentals time.
Bottom of the order up. Good chance we don’t score.
Garbage AB by McCann. They better get one run out of this.
Not our finest hour.
Rampant stupidity. Now Folty leads off the 5th.
Holy crap this team, they have to be the worst baserunning team in MLB.
Not to mention McCann’s pop up and Swanson taking a strike two over the heart of the plate while hacking at a way inside ball four.
Brutal. Just brutal.
That sucked hard. No whining about bad luck today. That was a horrible approach after 1st & 3rd with no out.
What
Snitker is a nice man and I wish him well in his retirement, but I can’t watch another season with him.
Little league.
Dangit. 1st and 3rd, no outs, and we can’t freaking get anyone home. We must do better. I liked the attempted squeeze but can’t someone hit something somewhere?? If BMac GIDPs, we score a run. If Dansby hits a sac fly, we score a run. Aaaaaargh.
And we can’t even clear Folty. What an amazing failure of the bottom of the lineup.
90 — This is what the Braves do in the postseason. Find ways to lose.
That sequence deserves a series of F bombs. (Aside from the one McCann yelled out).
I regret praising Swanson earlier. Watches a hittable pitch go by, swings at garbage.
They don’t even clear Folty.
Early contender for sequence that costs us the series if they lose this game.
As far as the baserunning, with Flaherty pitching, I’d a lot rather take a gamble to get that run in than worry about who’s leading off the next inning. The odds were poor, but no more poor than Folty driving the run in.
Have to let Folty hit. He’s been brilliant.
@93 I feel like Snit heard Darling hyping up Nick’s speed last night, and all of a sudden thought he had Billy Hamilton down there.
If you got a fast runner, sure it’s worth a shot. Nick ain’t quick though.
Who’s this ass behind the plate; he botched multiple calls at first last night and now has given flaherty 2 gift strikes this inning alone ( also the 3-1 pitch that made freeman pick up his bat again) . Assclown of an ump.
Foltzie, y’all.
@66, huh? I didn’t say anything about Skates. Maybe you’re thinking of someone else?
Pivotal inning for Folty here.
71 pitches through 6. Foltzy!
Hope the Braves can win this, so that atrocious first-and-third, no-one-out situation becomes forgotten.
Flaherty: ” I can finish the inning in 9 pitches”
Folty: ” Hold my beer. Doing it in 7 pitches”
If the Braves win this, things might not be so bad. Going in, I thought we’d win gm 1 and lose gm 2. If we split still, it’s a best of 3. Taking 2 of 3 isn’t near as daunting.
96 — He is consistently calling that pitch below the knees a strike, isn’t he?
Foltzie has been brilliant but I’d feel a lot better with a cushion.
Earning that “Foltzie” today.
I loved the follow the bouncing Folty footage. What a hoot!
Can one run possibly hold up?
Foltynewicz for complete game.
Folty is due up 4th. If anybody reaches I guess you have to pinch hit for him but I hate to rely on the pen to get the last six outs.
Pen has been fine. Yesterday was one of those days.
Why is noone pinch running??
Shocked that Hamilton’s not pinch running. Do they think Folty needs BMac behind the plate?
I miss Hech.
This is nuts, Snit.
Is the SunTrust crowd booing Duvall’s pinch hitting and Foltynewicz coming out of the game?
So why no Hamilton pinch running? This is the only reason he’s on the roster and that they have three catchers.
I don’t like the decision to take Folty out with only McCann on first. It’s a low leverage situation for scoring and Folty’s value as a pitcher is more than what might happen in this situation.
Looks like we are afraid to change catchers, lol. Which is why you carry three?!
This doesn’t feel right
Heck of a game, Big Red. Come on, Adam.
Of course Adam could make that moot by going yard
@103 called another one on Swanson that was over a foot below and inside.
Not a fan of taking out Folty. Fire snit if it doesn’t work out.
So if Folty is being hit for why is McCann still at first?
I don’t love the PH here. I’m just not sure you get a hit off Flaherty the way he’s pitching, and they’re pulling a hot SP to try.
I’m not superstitious, but if it all it took to get the offense going was a rally cap, some lucky underwear, refusing to turn left between the foul lines, rubbing a rabbit’s foot, putting hats on bats, or drawing a pentagram, I’d do it with bells on.
Rob, I second the motion. Time to unleash the Phil Collins Kraken.
SNITKER YOU GENIUS
Adam bomb!
Ok, that was worth it!
Holy shit
121 — Good call
@123 one of the great mysteries of our time along with the pyramids and UFO’s.
Go Duvall! Worth it to have him in the minors with a 3 million salary.
Guess that’s why I ain’t managing. Lol
One plate of crow, si’vous plait
Good for you, Ronald.
@me, yesterday: “I’m betting against 7 strong innings from Folty”
Happy to be wrong!
Duvie! Let’s go boys, 6 more outs to get.
@121–your welcome
I’d like to buy Folty a Coke. He just pitched as good of a game, in as important of a spot, as any Braves starting pitcher has done in the last 20 years. Whatever happens for the rest of the night or weekend, a hell of a lot of us owe him an apology, and I couldn’t be happier.
WOOOOOOOO
This place is going nuts!
Man I don’t know why the Cards are running Flaherty into the ground but I’m sure glad they’re doing it. Hope this means he’ll have a dead arm if the Braves see him again…
Tfloyd, prognosticator extraordinaire.
Varsity just has one hell of an arm.
Fried ain’t playing around.
I think Bethany might be on to something here.
Get the ammonia towel ready ‘cause Bethany’s got the vapors.
Truthfully, I worried that BMac couldn’t score from first on Duvall’s home run.
Max Fried is a pitcher.
Nice inning from Fried. Leave him in if he doesn’t have to bat this inning
Fried dominant. If Snit doesn’t let him start the 9th and the Braves lose it I might lose it
Whew lord Max you are too much I love you wow wow
@146 LMAO!! There might be no one happier than Mac that the ball went over the wall.
Melancon is warming up? Come on Snit
Mad Max has to come out for the 9th! C’mon Snit!
Snit is demonstrating his faith in Muh Lan son. I am okay with the decision.
You can’t take Max out here
Melancon?? Seriously?? Why??? Just keep Max in. For the love.
Fried >>>>> Melancon. This is just not what any sane person would do. Let’s just hope it works.
This is the biggest half inning of the year coming. If Melancon rights the ship and nails the save, the Braves are in great shape!
If he blows it, it may not be over, but it’s basically over.
Aw that’s bullshit. The 2nd pitch to Edman has been a strike all night.
@156 Let the record show that I agree.
I’d have stuck with Max, with Greene as my safety net.
I thought I liked Ron Darling. I was wrong.
Is there anyone aside from Snit who actually wants Melancon out there?
I can’t.
St. Louis and their devil magic.
Get him out
Okay. Enough drama. Let’s get this done.
Pecked to death by weasels…what a way to go.
Why’s the top of the ninth gotta be like this?
Double play please
As Mike Stanton used to say, “Ground ball, second base.”
Or a strikeout. Whichever.
Hell yeah!!!
Melancon!
Yes!
Braves win!
ALRIGHT!
Celebrate that sh*t!
Whew. Also, in the Wong at bat, the TV showed a crowd shot and I caught sight of a fan in a jersey with “Thomason” and the number 7 on it. Was that any of you guys?
I can relax now!! haha
Still don’t trust Melancon
Had it all the way. I really don’t know what you people are worried about. The long series of Braves triumphs in the postseason should have everyone OVERconfident, frankly.
I had to watch that game on 3 different TVs and on the radio in 2 different cars because I was traveling today. Wow, what a win!
This was the most fun Braves game I’ve ever been to. The crowd was really into it all night long. Go Braves!
I don’t know guys, I still don’t think Folty is worth his arbitration salary. 😉
Count me among those who thought Fried should have been left in. Fortunately it worked out.
A lot of yall owe Folty some love.
Watching Verlander and Glasnow before this game, I thought how I miss this kind of pitcher for the Braves. Smoltz, Verlander, Scherzer type… Folty was all that tonight.
Any money left over after JD gets All Of It, should go to Folty.
Pretty wild that our two heroes tonight spent much of the year demoted in AAA.
I was not going to mention this earlier (superstition and all), but yesterday’s loss represented only our second 4 game losing streak this year and the other one involved the Dodgers. We had not had any 5 game losing streak and we won’t. This team has had a habit this year of losing the first game of a series and yet winning the series. I hope we’re repeating that pattern here.
Soroka will get’r done.
Sorry AAR. It was Rob in the recap from the loss yesterday.
How about Folty. Wow. What a timely dominant start.
Can we win just one in Saint Luey??
I hope we bounce them. I HATE the Cardinals.
You called it, Carl. I get those early 90’s postseason mistakes mixed up.
Adam Duvall has the second pinch-hit home run in Atlanta Braves postseason history. Who had the first?
@191
Eric Hinske?
It was Hinske in Game 3 of the 2010 NLDS. An 8th inning 2 run homer that put the Braves up 2-1 before the Conrad error.
Great game. Continue to wish for more Fried.
Surprised and delighted with the Melancon redemption. A refined sugar. Duvall’s home run. A molasses. Here in Canada, I’m excited for Soroka. A complex, robust syrup.
Where’s Sam?
Where IS Sam?
Recapped.