Even when the Braves rest Ozzie Albies, Jorge Soler, Austin Riley, Adam Duvall, and Travis d’Arnaud, the Mess still show up and do what they do best: LOSE.
It was a bullpen game for the Braves with Jesse Chavez throwing 2 scoreless and Drew Smyly throwing 3 scoreless. From there, the wheels wobbled as A.J. Minter, Dylan Lee, Richard Rodriguez, and Jacob Webb looked less than stellar, combining for 3 innings and 5 earned runs. Rich Rod looked especially horrible and while I expect him to make the postseason roster, he’s unfortunately no longer a late-inning option. Honestly, the writing was on the wall (and was before the trade deadline) as his stuff just hasn’t looked the same since the sticky lockdown. If he wants to keep making major league money, he’s going to have to do some serious work this offseason.
The postseason bullpen tryouts continued and I think Dylan Lee likely got his last chance yesterday. However, I’d wager a guess that the Braves try to keep him on the 40-man this offseason as the arm is accurate and LHPs with mid-90s fastballs and good command are hard to come by. Jacob Webb is going backward again and that doesn’t bode well for his chances to advance. If there were any doubt on Jesse Chavez or Drew Smyly making the postseason roster, that’s been put to rest as both put up good multi-inning outings.
The offense scored 6 runs in innings 3-6 aided by dingers from Joc Pederson and William Contreras. Contreras’s home run was especially delicious:
Orlando Arcia went 2-3 with a double and a walk. The bat that looked loud at Gwinnett is coming around in the bigs, but it seems too little too late when considering how well Ehire Adrianza has played all year. I guess it’s possible that they could both be carried, but it seems unlikely. And, ho-hum, Freddie Freeman and Eddie Rosario collected 2 hits each and neither look to be slowing down anytime soon.
The Braves finish off the regular season today with Charlie Morton facing off against Noah Syndergaard, who’ll likely throw 2-3 innings, call it a season, leave the Mets in the offseason, sign a 1 year contract with the Braves, and absolutely destroy his former team in 2022. Speak it into existence. My guess is we see Spencer Strider again today and if all goes well, he’ll make his way to the postseason.
I like that Syndergaard plan!
I like the plan too. But I think he goes to the Yankees.
MLB handles their final day quite stupidly in terms of national TV. TBS is the only entity that has a national TV game today (it’s Milwaukee-Los Angeles, for the record). Elsewise, there’s not even so much as an ESPN+ game or an MLB.tv free game of the day. MLB Network does have whiparound coverage, but they should let ESPN, Fox Sports and Turner Sports put games on as many of their channels as possible if those games are meaningful on the last day. If TBS, TNT, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and FS1 were all doing games today, you’d have every important game on national TV. Seems like that would be a positive thing.
Tucker Davidson getting a rehab start today and I don’t think that’s a coincidence, especially after Dylan Lee faltering again.
To Nathan in the last thread, you left out a bit of context on the Dúnadan nickname; it’s one of the earliest Elvish lessons in the Lord of the Rings, as Bilbo explains to Frodo that it comes from “dún,” meaning “West,” and “adan” meaning “Man” — hence, “Man of the West,” a euphemism for a Númenorian. (As you rightly note, “edain” is the plural of “adan.” Tolkien the linguist loved vowel-shifting plurals.)
The heritage of Númenor is a complicated legacy; it was the bequest from the Valar to the Men who had fought alongside the Elves in the Great War against Morgoth, but many generations later, the kings of Númenor were corrupted by Sauron into the open worship of Morgoth and the Valar destroyed the island. Relatively few escaped; many of those who did became the “Rangers,” Aragorn’s direct ancestors. Aragorn confesses his own fear that he will fall prey to the weakness that consumed those of his ancestors.
Aragorn’s true heritage is essentially unknown outside of Rivendell — where Bilbo gives Frodo this language lesson — as no one in the rest of the world realizes that he is the last heir of Númenor, and therefore the rightful king of Gondor, the last of the kingdoms established by the Númenorians in Middle-Earth. But they know it all too well in Rivendell, which is the home of Elrond Halfelven. Elrond chose to be an elf, and therefore immortal. His brother, Elros, chose to be a mortal. He was the very first king of Númenor. So, Aragorn’s most distant ancestor was actually the brother of his father-in-law.
Calling Strider “the Dúnedan” is therefore both accurate and slyly puckish, which describes Bilbo’s character quite well.
Now I know how blazon feels when I discuss uncertainty…
Possible playoff roster. The back of the bullpen is bad no matter how it is constructed. I know I probably left someone off. I might be tempted to go with the 3rd catcher given the 3 batter rule and the lack of quality in the bullpen anyway.
Infielders
Freeman
Albies
Swanson
Riley
Adrianza
Arcia
Outfielders
Soler
Duvall
Rosario
Pederson
Heredia
Catchers
D’Arnaud
Contreras
Pitchers
Morton
Fried
Anderson
Ynoa
Smyly
Smith
Jackson
Matzek
Chavez
Minter
Martin
Rodriquez
Webb
Strider
Newcomb/Lee/Davidson/Wright?
Well done, Ryan. Thanks to you and the crew for a great season. Just win your last game, Braves. That’s all I ask.
@41 CindyJ, it’s too bad we sold off all our jewel and dewdrop. You might have liked it. All we have left of our depression glass is a couple fo goblets and a salt and pepper shaker set.
@7 Postseason goes back to 26 so you need to subtract two.
Peanut left Smyly off of his projected roster which I think would be a mistake. I think it comes down to Arcia/Webb/Strider/Lee for the last two spots on the playoff roster.
If we get to the WS, the calculus might change with the addition of the DH in the AL city.
@10 Dang, my counting is terrible. Yes, Smyly stays as a reliever. I would leave Arcia in there too. They don’t need a zillion pitchers when most of them are bad. I honestly would keep Webb/Strider/Lee over RR. He has been horrible. The others at least have a couple of good pitches. He throws a stick straight fastball.
@9 I have a big collection of green Princess depression glass and a huge collection of Fostoria American crystal. I also buy a lot of glass and china to resell on eBay. It’s my retirement job/hobby.
Good to see Thor. Nice start to a relaxing game.
@5 yeah, see, I knew I wasn’t the only one.
Good audition by Strider there.
Hey boys, save some hits for the big games.
Strider looking better today but still needs to throw more strikes. Too many 3-ball counts.
I thought Lee looked too much like Hancock with 2Ks and a HR. I think I have preference for Strider over both Lee and Webb.
Freddie finishes the season with a BA of .300, OBP of .393 and wRC+ of 135. He led the Braves with a 4.4 fWAR. Sadly, Ronald still in 2nd with a 4.2 fWAR. What a season he was having.
I do think Strider is making the roster. As a fan of Webb I hope he makes it too.
The Giants are rolling.
Drama in the AL. Currently on pace for a three way tie for both wildcards
We don’t know what we’re on pace for because Tampa Bay and the Yankees are still tied late.
Austin finishes the season with a BA of .302, OBP of .366 and wRC+ of 135. He had a 4.1 fWAR.
My regular season MVPs are Freddie and Charlie.
Can we please see THIS version of Smith in the playoffs.
Whew. No ninth straight division title for the Dodgers.
So the best and the hottest teams – LAD and STL – meet in a one game elimination WC. Neat.
Good news is that Tucker Davidson pitched today and seems to be on the mend. Good omen for next year.
This was a day made for Bally and their much maligned scoring strip that’s on all our games.
Day 162 was made for it and you couldn’t help but keep switching your interest from one game to another and back again. They also took the time to spell out in detail what was significant in the scheme of things. to all their games not just the one you were watching. We had no such significance which is just as it should be for a good team who long since had taken control. At least 2 days.
Well played our guys. Infinitely proud of you.
If I’m looking at this right, the top three on the NL RBI leaderboards are all Braves.
Cindy….
Don’t be greedy please. It wouldn’t be the same if you always knew what to expect. No one wants to be taken for granted, it’s the stumbles that create – or more often nearly create in his case – the sublime highs when all goes well.
PS Red Sox, 5-1 down in the 5th – finally squeeze out the Nats.
Recapped.