Let’s do a notes column as we haven’t done that for awhile
T1 – Strider starts hot, looks unhittable. D’oh! How did Arcia not get to that pop? 10 extra pitches to get out of it, which could be the difference between 6 or 7 innings
B1 – Acuna has slow bat syndrome at the moment. If Dans is going to start walking too then he really might be MVP at the end of the year. Olson was behind everything there. Good steal. Riley finally recognizes the curve! BJ noticed! Chip has been subdued so far – think 3 in the booth could be the answer for him?
T2 – How is it that Lars Nootbaar made it to the plate without his broadsword? 5 outs/5 k’s so far. Make it 6.
B2 – Hustle double for Duval. Went to the opposite field so Joe Simpson needs to change his underwear. Duval runs into a stupid out. Again. We need to cash in some of these opportunities…
T3 – 7 for 7. Should we tell Chip that 2 Cards have reached? 8 for 8. Yepez looks really good for a guy I was happy to give away. I still say Matt Adams was worth it that year. 9 K’s now, but 51 pitches.
B3 – Ronald pops up again, late again. Does their guy ever throw the curve in the zone? Surely someone has noticed. Olson was on that one, shame on the lack of elevation.
T4 – Popup! Good, he really should get a few outs quickly. That foul off Travis’ shoulder looks like it hurt. I expect them to steal. Nope. That was automatic back in my little league days. Great jump by II on the liner to center.
B4 – Brian has noticed the curve is never a strike. Good walk from Travis. Doesn’t he need a nickname? Yepez shows why we thought he was a DH. 2nd and 3rd/no outs we must get 2 here. Ump is very uneven tonight, seems to be guessing about everything on the edge. Ouch on the strikeout for Duval. Counting on Arcia??? Come on Harris! That was not how great teams do it 🙁
T5 – Sosa could have swung that in a phone booth 🙂 10k’s now although Romine shouldn’t count as he really can’t hit anymore. Great play by Arcia up the middle. The bottom of the order hasn’t hit tonight but they are all contributing. Good teams get that.
B5 – Good play from Sosa on Ronald. Better swing that time. Lucky break on the bad throw. Base hit?? Twice tonight Olson swings at ball 4. Really need to cash in some of these guys in scoring position.
T6 – 11K’s on the slider. And now 12. Popup and that’s likely it for the day. Guren *nÃniatha n’i lû n’i a-govenitham!
B6 – Let’s get the kid some runs now. Hancock in the pen. This is not a bad role for him. Good walk from Travis. The difference between Hicks and Strider is that Strider repeats his delivery very well while Hicks release point has extreme variance. 0-8 w/RISP is not good.
T7 – I note that Snit brought Smith in to face the 3 lefties. Not that it matters to Hancock! The regular nightmare ensues. Maybe Pujols can help? Terribad throw from Duval with no carry to it. We waste another gem. If you throw your bat your runner should not be allowed to advance. Nice high cheese for out 2. 17/19 were strikes, so that was good for once.
B7 – MoneyMikee! Ronnie needs a day off. 3-2 on Olson again.
T8 – Don’t like O’Day in this spot but is justified by Yepez/Goldschmit batting 2 and 3 here. I guess we can call that an episode for him. Like Mac, I’m surprised he kept control of all of his bodily functions along with control of the strike zone. Big strikeout from Lee. May I exhibit some optimism here?
B8 – Riley singles. Good start. Really good double play, dammit. Another howler from Blue – we will take it. Another walk. Eddie needs at bats to get his timing back. Ugh.
T9 – I note that the Braves have no sac bunts this season. All Snitger haters take heed. DH sucks in so many ways. The Cards are not that stupid either. 18 strikeouts so far.
B9 – Time for a walkoff. Or a walk and the play of the season. Dang.
And now for the horror show that is Braves extra innings.
T10 – Of course they score immediately. Great catch by II.
B10 – Olson! We never score here. Riley! Who are these guys? Back to normal so on to the 11th
T11 – What can I say, this is the worst rule change ever and I said so before it was instituted.
B11 –
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Loved the last line. Thanks for the relief effort, snowshine.
Re: Duvall
I don’t think I was overlay critical or lacked perspective. He hit some home runs in June, but he still struck out 33% of the time, doesn’t walk that much and in the aggregate he’s been bad this year. In his career he’s hit lefties better, but not by that much. There are probably better platoon partners to be had and the prospect cost wouldn’t be too high. I would personally hate to see him go but we’re in a pennant race and that’s probably the only position you can upgrade.
We aren’t sitting Ozuna, for better or worse; Ozzie should be back this season; and everyone else is pretty much performing as well as you could expect, save Olson hitting a few more home runs and Acuna breaking out of his current slump.
@2 Kip, it’s true that the skills Duvall possesses, offensively, are the kind that erode quickly and he’s almost 34. I think, for this year, he can still hit lefties. I also think we could still use another lefty who’s a good defender. Let Rosario platoon with Ozuna and a good defender platoon with Duvall. That would improve both our offense and defense.
Of course, the biggest improvements would be Acuna breaking out of his slump and Ozzie returning to the lineup. Getting Jansen back and Matzek getting his command up to snuff will solve any pitching problems. Soroka and Yates are bonus. If O’Day, Chavez, and Stephens are the back end of our bullpen, we’re doing OK.
Last night the Cards scored one run and two Manfred-men. That is NOT bad pitching. Arcia/Goselin, Duvall/Rosario, and Acuna’s slump are the big problems at the moment.
How good would this team be if we somehow got Benintendi and Merrifield to replace Goselin and Heredia? A bench of Contreras/Duvall/Rosario/Arcia would be really good and then Ozzie could replace Arcia.
Acuna .. misses balls down the gut .. and is way outta sync ….. he gonna have to make adjustment .. can you imagine if he got going ..
The Braves gotta make some moves to replace Gosselin and Heredia … we are getting nothing out of them .. nothing …
Money, it’s a hit.
I’m not giving Soto anything in middle of plate .. he can walk to first if I’m pitching to him….
If a team hits one home run (and not more) in each inning, what do you think the win probability is (all other things being average)?
Nice write-up. Thanks.
My step-brother calls TDA “Little d” and that’s been good enough for me. Feel free to use it if you like.
Don’t think this means much. I hope Acuna does get going now, but against Fedde it just doesn’t mean too much. The Braves kill Fedde.
On the other hand, where would we be without Harris? Wow, what an addition. He could be another superstar.
@9 is the question how many games you’d win if you scored 9 runs a game in the regulation nine innings? because, like, 145?
@ 12,
Home runs can be solo or grand slams except all other events (walk, reached on error, other hits) are all average.
My guess is that would be 12 runs a game at home and you would be over 90%.
Ohh, I see. Guarantee a home run every inning, everything else is average. I bet over 12 runs a game.
I think Swansby will hit .300 this year.
Sharp base running by the slowest runner in the lineup tonight!
You win 60, you lose 60. The result of the other 42 is dependent on many factors.
The biggest one being the managers ability to use his pitching staff properly.
The Braves manager lacks that a ability.
One nothing game were your team is not hitting so runs are rare. So the pitcher most likely to give up one run is foolishly used. There goes one of those 42 that you should have one.
For those of you who say, but ed his management in the playoffs and W S was great. It was not, it was just as bad, except the players used did things they never did before and will never do again. This is how you win two best of seven series four games to two when you are NOT flavored.
Example of Bobby Cox’s constant losing. His team was always favored and one just one W S win to show for it. Two many one run loses. Players did not come through like Braves did last year.
The game is simple but very cerebral. Some just don’t have the ability to think under pressure. Too many call it choking. Not true, central nervous system responding differently.
Great Ray’s, Reds game. Moronic extra innings. This is not Major League baseball. If you think it is you don’t know baseball.
Marlins winning 4-1
That was a huuuge homer from Harris. 435 ft, 112 mph off the bat.
Great joy was derived by Harris getting four hits. I like the dude.
Welp, Acuña is broken again
I am not a smart man, but I know what love is.
All Star voting as usual is a joke, proving once again fans have their heads up their ass.
It takes a smart man to know real love.
Good win.
Good night.
We have 6 more games vs. the Nats before the all-star break.
As The Incredible Hulk might say: It’s clobberin’ time.
@22 There’s mixing metaphors and then there’s mixing comic heroes….. That’s Fantastic Four’s Thing. But the sentiment is for real. 🙂
Harris II – Strider 2022
@24, this sentiment may belong on the politics board, but I would prefer Harris II – Strider 2024 to most of the other options if they were old enough.
Matt Wisler, one of the greatest pitchers in history, graciously allowed the winning run last night to score on a balk. He’s not only a brilliant pitcher but also a humanitarian. Ya love to see it.
I have recap duty for last night’s game, but I may not be able to post anything. My wifi is out, and I’m not sure I can do it on my phone. No great loss to y’all, as I wasn’t able to watch the game or even follow on gameday, so I don’t have much to add to what you can learn elsewhere.
My wifi is out because we lost power due to storms after the first inning and it was out for the rest of the game. And my phone ran out of battery after the third so I couldn’t even follow on my phone. It was quite disorienting to know the Braves were playing and have no way of following. I’ll leave it to y’all to decide what that says about me.
Tfloyd I hope you don’t suffer much in the heat.
Thanks. My power—and AC—are back on, thankfully. Still no wifi and weak cell service. It makes me wonder how young Abe Lincoln was able to follow his favorite team by the fireside.
@27: TFloyd. But in the old days we had transistor radios to listen to Milo Hamilton. “There’s a drive!!…Waaay Back!!!….”
And of course back then West Coast games didn’t make the morning paper. I think that was the only reason anybody got the afternoon paper: the Atlanta Journal.
@15
You’re wrong
@29. Abe was sort of like EdK, always had an axe to grind.
Recapped.
https://bravesjournal.mystagingwebsite.com/2022/07/09/gnats-suck-braves-dont/