The game was never a blowout, but it was pretty obvious very early on where it was going. Once Dansby Swanson grounded out with two runners in scoring position and Max Fried couldn’t command a breaking ball in the first inning, you could see what was about to unfold.
J.T. Realmuto hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first and the Phillies never looked back from there en route to a 5-1 victory in the second game of the series. Around and around we go, never falling too far under .500 without ever crossing over onto the plus side of it.
Only one week until the trade deadline.
Positives:
- Freddie Freeman is white hot at the plate. Give him two more hits tonight and he is now up to 33 consecutive plate appearances without swinging and missing at a pitch.
- It could have been a lot worse a lot earlier if the Phillies had cashed in on their big first inning threat. Hooray for not getting totally embarrassed.
- The bar is low, but Stephen Vogt is the best hitting catcher the Braves have had since Travis d’Arnaud went down. They’ve at least found someone better than Kevan Smith to plug into the lineup most days.
Negatives:
- Ozzie Albies has had better nights defensively. Two brutal mistakes for the usually surefire second baseman didn’t help matters tonight.
- I’m not looking forward to seeing a bunch of clips of Bryce Harper stealing home on highlight packs and commercials for years to come.
- Max Fried never got on the beam tonight. On another day with slightly different wind this could have gotten really ugly for him.
- 1-for-7 with RISP and 10 runners left on base. Story of 2021.
Former Brave Of The Day:
Brad Brach had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning for the Reds tonight against the Cardinals.
Quote Of The Game:
“It’s always one step forward and three steps back.â€
— Olivia Rodrigo
Tomorrow’s Goal:
Get some early runs on the board. These teams are due for at least one shootout in this series and it could very well be tomorrow with two inconsistent starting pitchers on the mound.
The old adage “momentum is tomorrow’s starting pitcher” does not apply to this team. It is more like “momentum is tomorrow’s opponent”.
I was out last night and so don’t know if the broadcasters gave any context to Freeman’s streak of PA (and pitches) without a swing-and-miss. Anyone know if it’s historically unusual or just the sort of thing that a couple of players do each year? I assume the data doesn’t go back too many years, and it seems like the sort of thing that would’ve been much more common in the early 1900s.
For the Braves to win even 87 games, which will not win the Wild Card and may even not win the division, they will have to go 40-26.
By this pace, they’ll be eliminated from playoff contention in the second week of September, just in time for a large swath of Braves fans to get fired up about them Dawgs.
@2: The record seems to go back about 5 years…That’s all.
I would point out though, that there was a half-season when Robert Gsellman was forbidden by Drs from swinging. This record is attainable by anyone who is allowed to comes to the plate enough times without swinging. The record shouldn’t be in Plate Appearances, but in swings.
I was exhausted and slept through most of the game. Seems like that was a good thing.
Hill 3.87 ERA American League.
National League Adjusted 3.48
Morton ERA 3.65
Hill is the Mets 4th. or 5th. starter.
Would be ace on the Braves.
Prospects are just that until they play two or three years with the big boys. Until than their minor league stats mean nothing. Also opinions of them from all sources mean nothing. Ratings mean nothing, brief appearances mean nothing.
Their performance in the big leagues for an extended period means everything.
Our long regional nightmare is over.
@2, 4
It’s definitely impressive, but I agree with you guys that there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of context to tell just how impressive it is. The Bally Sports/Braves Radio Network guys are playing it up like it’s the amazingest thing that’s ever happened, of course, but I would like some historical context.
Don’t get me wrong, though, it does at least serve to show how locked in he is right now, because though JF makes a good point @4 about the record for this, we know that Freddie’s not just going up there with the bat on his shoulder and watching a bunch of pitches, so it is pretty impressive even in a vacuum.
If all it took was me going to more road games to get Ender DFA’d I’ll go to more.
Ender isn’t getting kicked out onto the streets. He was well paid. When he was bad, he was very, very bad; and when he was good, he was almost adequate. I wish him well and well away from wearing the Clowns uniform.
For some context on FF5’s streak (per DOB):
Freddie Freeman’s 133 pitches without a swing-and-miss is the longest active streak, but there have been three longer this season: White Sox’s Nick Madrigal (190 pitches), San Diego’s Jake Croneworth (158) and Angels’ David Fletcher (143).
Courtesy: Elias Sports Bureau. #Braves
Impressive. But not other-wordly (yet).
@8 Yes. It’s about time. But it only matters if they add someone better.
No one has noticed or mentioned how great Demeritte has been the last few days. HRs, AVG, SBs, OF assists; he’s really doing it all. Showing all five tools. He really should get a chance.
Next out is Panda.
Representing the Journal.
Yeah, it’s been time for Ender to go. He had three years as a Brave in which he averaged about 3 WAR, which definitely has value, and 2-1/2 more in which he averaged basically replacement-level and was hurt a lot. He got old early, but at 30 I don’t see much chance that he’ll have any value going forward. (For comparison, Heredia is the same age and has never had a year as good as any of Ender’s first five in the majors, but he certainly looks like a better player now and until AA can find someone good.)
Maybe this will open up a roster spot for an acquisition and/or be a sign that they’ll give Pache more MLB time to try and figure things out.
@13, thanks. Croneworth has some power but the other two don’t, so maybe Freeman’s number of HR between swinging strikes is more noteworthy.
Ender likely ends up in AAA, methinks. This just gets him off the active and 40-man. Love it.
@8 WOW…..I didn’t think that would ever happen
Ender was a really good player when the Braves first traded for him. Injuries I think did him in. Ender + Dansby for Miller was still a huge win for the Braves.
It’s always good when the Braves face El Gran Pintor.
Phillie fans are as rude as advertised.
I don’t really feel bad for Ender, but what is Ryan doing to do with all the time he will save in no longer dreaming up Ender trades?
Atta boy Drew… walk the first two of the inning in a band box with a 6 run lead.
Edit- I mean first three
@24 Don’t worry about Drew. He’s a winner. Just pitching to the score.
@25 unreal. This is angling a really bad direction
Edit …and he weaseled out of it. That was something.
Five innings to get through with this bullpen, what could go wrong?
@26 Your choice of words suggest you don’t approve of Smyly’s winning ways.
@27 2021 Braves play two varieties of games: blowout wins and heartbreaking losses.
Tomlin is a gas can.
@27 Josh. Tomlin.
Why was Smiley taken out ????
Tomlin actually looked like he can run and wants to – immediately turning for second after the pitcher’s bad throw and taking a big turn around third on Peterson’s single. I’d certainly rather use him than a starter or a somewhat more valuable reliever the next time the team needs someone to pinch-run for Sandoval.
Got a closing this week, and the buyer banks with Citizens Bank. Citizens Bank doesn’t allow you to do wires online, only in the branch, which is a little unheard of nowadays. So the buyer has to drive an hour and a half to make her wire. Just another reason to hate the Phillies.
Rob, are Citizens and Citi Banks the same animal? Just curious.
#31
Smyly complained of pain in his left knee.
@34 I don’t believe so. Nor is First Citizens Bank, which does have locations here in Pinellas County. Because that’s not confusing at all. Ha
I hope Greene gets into this game. Running out of time for him to be useful.
Chief, I trust you are having the appropriate amount of fun.
Luke is turning back into the pumpkin he has always been.
With Tomlin’s and Jackson’s runs allowed tonight we have a winner in the bullpen challenge, and it’s CindyJ with the pen of Matzek, Chavez, and Smith.
https://bravesjournal.mystagingwebsite.com/2021/07/18/rays-7-braves-5/
It is looking like the rest of the bullpen is starting to turn it around. If Jackson turns back into what he was last year and the rest of the bullpen turns in to what they were last year, I think I can live with that.
@40 Yipppeee. I never win anything.
We have such a BS positive run differential.
@43 It’s about as useful as pitcher wins
My daughter got to meet her crush, Fried after the game, so it’s been a good day here in the Illadelph.
Since Memorial Day the Braves are 23-23.
The Mets are 25-24.
The Phillies are 23-20.
Any of these teams can win this, and I wouldn’t count the Nats out yet.
I am counting the Nats out. They are 5 and 14 since July 1 and are 7.5 games back. If they aren’t sellers at the deadline, they’re crazy.
Recapped
https://bravesjournal.mystagingwebsite.com/2021/07/24/braves-clobber-phillies-15-3/