The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
Bilbo
Well, this is it. Like Bilbo and Frodo’s journey, this 10.5 game West Coast trip will either solidify the Braves at the top of the division, taking out both Gollum (the Mets) and the Phillies (Sauron), or the Braves will perish in eternal fire in the heart of Mount Doom. I, the eternal optimist, stand on the brink of doubt, and dumping the ring doesn’t look so promising now. 10.5 games in 10 days, the .5 already an uphill battle, on the West Coast. It’s a 3 hour time zone difference for the good guys and a mere 3 game lead. My heart is doubting the journey.
Why’m I so skeptical? First, our team looks tired. Second, the last West Coast trip wasn’t pleasant: L, L, L, W, L, L, W. Going 5-6 likely puts the team in a marginal lead going into the last home stand against the Phillies and the Mets. And while the Braves will be playing the Giants, D’Backs and Padres, the Phillies will face off against the Mets, the Orioles, and the Pirates. The Mets aren’t as lucky as they face the Phillies, the Red Sox, the Brewers, and the Marlins.
I’m not worried about the Mets. At 5.5 games back with 15 to go, they’d have to get wicked hot and they’re too much of a hot mess to make that happen. The Mets…Gollum is just the one that gets in the way, but Sauron, the Phillies, was always the real threat.
Toss the ring, Frodo. Get back home in one piece and end this thing! Cheers.
It is but the deep breath before the plunge.
A gap well filled…thank you.
Why do we never see references to a “cold mess?”
For me, the Phillies aren’t important or powerful enough to be Sauron. Maybe Saruman since, as it turns out, they can do a lot of damage to our heroes. I guess the Dodgers would have to be Sauron because of their might. The Mets work as Gollum, especially if they help us in the end by sweeping the Phillies this weekend. Is Snit Barliman Butterbur?
Yes, Snit is definitely Butterbur. I’m fairly certain John Hart is Wormtongue.
Nice, Ryan.
Have you read Wisdom of Crowds yet?
Welp.
Yo Chip: It’s difficult to take solace from the absurd statistic that the Braves have won the last 5 out of 6 in SF while noticing that those games were in 2018 and 2019, when the Giants were 73-89 and 77-85.
Anderson looks like he did in Denver. Completely uncomfortable.
Well I told ya those 2 games with Rockies would come back to hurt .. we could had a 2 more game cushion .. we will be in 2nd place leaving SF .. ive seen Albies and Soler swing at such awful pitches…
TRAVIS!!!!
You were saying?
Haha, will smith screws the season once more….
The phils are going to pass us before the mets series
The hope is what kills you
I don’t understand why Will Smith is the closer.
Gopher Ball Smith – 12 blown saves now?
Throw Will Smith into McCovey Cove.
And go straight to hell, Chip.
But hey, our horrid closer is a humanitarian so we have that going for us. That guy stinks. If we lose the division it’s on him
Another flyball where you figure that if MLB had not changed the baseball, it might have gone out of the park.
Anyway, the team looks deflated again, as expected.
Injuries, Ozuna, etc, we should have known this was not our year. Sucks that the Phillies have been even worse but look to outplay us thanks to bruce hooper.
@18 guy friggin’ sucks. Cost us the NLCS and possibly the WS last year too.
The pitch selection to Solano was terrible as well, why did they throw the same pitch 5 times in the same location?
Will Smith would mess up a wet dream ..
Tyler Matzek is a “strike-throwing machine,” says Chip. And Matzek immediately throws two balls. Either we’re in a matrix that is designed to have everything Chip says be horribly wrong, or he’s just that stupid.
Braves are 2-37 in the tenth inning this year.
That is amazingly, historically bad, IMO
I really, really hope the Braves have seen enough of Kranitz. Almost our entire bullpen is mediocre. None of our pitchers seem to make any progress until they go to the minors for awhile.
That was bad.
Meh, whatever Webb, let it end already, it is not like the braves are ever getting a hit in extra innings.
And ozzie with a lackluster effort on that pick off as well.
So, is Hancock AA’s worst signing? I feel like I hate him more than presumed wife beater Ozuna…..
Edit: goodnight folks, sorry for my crankiness,
Congratulations to the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies.
This team is cooked.
I dislike Ozuna the most……..by far. Smith is just poorly played by his manager. Ozuna is a monster.
Beat by a freakin’ pitcher pinch hitting. Thanks Smitty.
@27, not looking to excuse Ozuna, but the fact that he called police for domestic violence by his wife towards him last year, the fact that I am not quite sure how he could choke someone while wearing a cast, and the whole weirdness surrounding his case (witness testimomy and the like), I will wait until bodycam footage is released before I decide the level of hatred on him.
Nice of Gausman to beat us. With another missed call by the ump on ball one, no less.
Rough loss… set things right tomorrow, Charlie.
Okay. Time to get back on track and remove Smith from his role already. Anyone else won’t do a worse job. Go get them today. Go Braves!
Smith is a joke. An embarrassment. A clown. Braves have an equal clown as manager.
Is that two extra inning Ls in the last 3 games?
Also does anyone have our starters ERA for September? Seems like the Braves are giving up a lot of runs early in relatively short outings.
Smith has been in trouble or given up go ahead and tying HR’s in most of his apperances .. the saves he gets he gets lucky .. this team is doomed because we didnt go out and secure a closer cause I dodnt think any were available but you cant keep running Smith out there and expect to win … Phils 2 back and we have the toughest schedule coming in .. Phils are licking their chops … they have better pitching .. thats what wins for you in the end … we dont have the starters or relief to get it done .
Giants are really good .. they have about 4 or 5 guys that never heard of that all look alike that are really good young players .. to go with Posey, Belk and Crawford ..
What th heck is wrong with Albies .. went 0- 5 … his 1st at bat was atrocious ..3 pitches and 2 were in the dirt swang at 3 and sat down ..I think he is worn out ..him and Swanson .. Snit has not given enough rest .. Freeman is killig the ball late .. the 2 balls he hit against Rockies and Giants late were just unlucky .. and Riley and Rosario hit screamers right at them …. tough loss after the big HR from Darnaud
Recapped
https://bravesjournal.mystagingwebsite.com/2021/09/18/braves-have-lead-will-smith-pitches-you-can-guess-what-happened-next/
My beautiful rescued dogs have settled in and there is great love all around.
Two weeks before the season started, I felt the Braves would win 84 games. During most of the season I had my doubts, than damn I thought they might exceed 84. Now 84 might be a task they are not capable of. This team misses Ronald Acuna Jr.. They miss his skills yes, but what they miss the most is his heart. This team has the heart of a bunny rabbit, when it needs the heart if a lion. Hell Morton is the only pitcher with a pair. The Braves in a rumble could not beat an other major league team. The are also very weak in one run games. They may win the East, but only because the rest lost it.
84, what do you think? Can the softies do it?