Well, that sucked. Four measly outs from claiming an underwhelming victory in which the Braves failed to look overly impressive on either side of the ball against Ranger Suarez and the Phightin’s, A.J. Minter served up a cripple pitch meatball to Bryson Jeremy Stott, whose three-run homer more or less sealed the deal.
Some you win. Some you forget. I’m already making some great process on the latter.
“Anderson is a problem but I’m not sure he’s the biggest one. We still win some of his starts, and if you’ve got one weak link in your rotation you can survive that. But you better be winning three out of the other four.
I’d like to see Anderson figure it out with the big league club. I don’t want to bounce him back to AAA. I want Muller to have the year down there.
If memory serves, didn’t John Smoltz have a 5+ ERA in 23 starts in 1991? That club was in a pennant chase and Bobby stuck with him. The rest of the way he had a sub 2 ERA and pitched a CG in Game 7 against the Pirates to put us in the World Series.
I’m not saying Ian Anderson is John Smoltz but sometimes you’ve got to let guys figure things out.”
To me the question is what is the best way for Anderson or someone else to be ready for the playoffs? No one wants him to be shuttled back and forth, but if he can figure it out over 4 or 5 starts in AAA, he’s not hurting the team. Otoh, if Mueller impresses over 4 or 5 starts, we could have a great option for the playoffs. I just see very little downside to Anderson figuring things out in AAA. Only problem is it should be done soon. He needs at least a month imo.
@1–put out the bat signal for Dr Jack Llewelyn!
Amen!
I don’t have a lot of faith in Ian because he only has 1 plus pitch and the league has figured that out. He needs to go down and develop a pitch then work his ass off in the offseason doing the same.
@5 Exactly. If they don’t chase the changeup his fastball gets destroyed. He doesn’t throw hard enough to blow hitters away and isn’t deceptive enough anymore to get away with just two pitches when only one of them is above average.
Honestly, I think that’s too harsh on Ian. He was a top prospect who came up and experienced immediate success in the majors. I don’t think he’s an ace — I don’t think he’s Fried — but I think if you put together his prospect status, his scouting reports, his minor league performance, and his major league performance, especially his postseason performance, you see a guy who’s a very good bet to be a successful #3 starter in the majors, which is what he was last year. I think he’s fighting himself right now, just like Ozzie was earlier in the year and just like Ronald is now.
That’s not to deny that he sucks right now. He totally sucks right now! But I think you have to regress back to his expected / established level of performance, and he has shown himself capable of more than y’all are giving him credit for.
Ian’s been pretty much across-the-board bad this year. Fastball velocity down a bit and (most importantly) his command/control of the changeup and fastball has been bad. I think the issue is bad mechanics; he has a really long stride to home plate and with the over-the-top delivery it looks like it’s easy for him to get things out of whack. When Ian is right, he can spot his fastball at the top of the zone (or near enough to get swings). Right now the fastballs are either meatballs or waste pitches up high. Not sure if it’d be easier for him to work on that in AAA or in MLB but I have faith that he can get back to being good.
In the long run, I wonder if he would be better served with swapping out his curveball for a different 3rd pitch – maybe a cutter? The changeup/fastball pairing works north/south, a cutter would run east/west and give a different look.
They haven’t made a move, so I’m guessing he gets at least one more start. If he wasn’t going to make his next start they would have called up a reliever until that spot in the rotation came up.
@9 I was thinking the same thing. If they were going to send him down or IL him it would have happened by now you would think.
For what it’s worth, Anderson’s postseason results have been better when facing teams he had never faced before than when facing teams he had faced earlier in the same year or the previous postseason.
2020 vs. CIN, 2020 G2 vs. LAD, and 2021 vs. HOU: 15 IP, 0 ER, 3 singles, 10(!) BB, and 18K.
2020 vs. MIA, 2020 G7 vs. LAD, 2021 vs. MIL, and 2021 G2 & G6 vs. LAD: 20.2 IP, 5 ER, 13 singles, 4 doubles, 7 BB, and 22K.
Small sample size to be sure, but not inconsistent with the idea of teams figuring him out.
I would guess that’s why they haven’t made a move with Jethro.
@11, not sure I totally buy that. In the playoffs, all the teams he faced would have had months to build up a book against him and pore against every frame of video from every start. Not a lot of secrets about playoff starters.
The dude has not figured out how to pitch.
Forget the numbers he has not mastered the art of pitching, just as the Braves manager has not figured out how to MANAGE the bullpen. Both have serious work to do.
Strider tonight. I think of him as Paladin: Have Gun—Will Travel.
The Braves have the lowest team-bullpen ERA in the National League (3.15), lowest BA against (.220), 2nd-fewest HRs against (33), 2nd-most Ks (398)…
Heard an interview with Buck Showalter the other day & he made this point about the Braves’ relief corps. He was discussing the last Braves/Mets series & he said: “We did a good job of grinding their starters, getting them out of there early & getting to their bullpen. Problem is, the Braves have a really good bullpen.”
This is kind of a quiet room for a game where we’re beating Aaron Nola!
Also, I saw on LinkedIn that our old pal B.B. Abbott left Jet Sports Management and went to Wasserman as a VP and Managing Executive. Then I noticed this: Wasserman bought Jet.
Given the exceptional historical relationship that Abbott and his clients have had with the Braves, this seems like it could be a good thing.
(Also, Tylor Pastornicky is a sports agent now. Who knew?)
When Strider’s in a groove like this, he just seems impossible to hit.
C’mon Yanks… wake up. Need you to win one of these games.
Damn, Dansbo is just locked in.
Ububba, let me ask you something. Who had the most “unhittable” fastball you ever saw. Doc Gooden in 1985? Someone else?
Where does Strider’s heater rate in your memory, in pure unhittability?
Matt Olson, you’re alright.
This team wins a lot of not close games it feels like.
Remember Chip’s silly pushing of Riley for MVP last year? Perhaps he was just remarkably prescient. Austin may in fact be deserving this season.
Riley and Swanson are hotter than thermite in a bad mood.
McHugh following Strider has gotta be weird. After spending 6 innings trying to catch up to Strider, McHugh throws nothing hard, but nothing in the middle of the plate and all with movement.
Money.
So what’s the over-under on how many pitches Will Smith throws here before giving up a HR?
I say THREE.
Drinking game: every slider, take a shot. Hits the back foot, two shots.
Acuna hasn’t hit a ball hard in days .. boy does he have a bad hole in his swing .. imo .. he needs to back off plate and hit balls to cf and rf .. he is pulling everything and rolling over it .. he looks really discouraged and lost .. very bad .
@25 … I say 10 pitches ..
Chip is bad at math. “And now the lead is cut in half.”
“… and the lead is cut in half.”
From a 5-run lead to a 3-run lead.
Oh, Chip. You are to broadcasting what Will Smith has become to relief pitching.
Wow he got an out
Snit … would Matzek not been a better choice ?? I’ll be glad when we save that 13 mil Smith has been stealing every year …
@31 Smith needs to be dfa’d. Cruz is a better option in the minors than this clown.
just cant watch him anymore. please go get some arms and DFA him
Will Smith might just not have it anymore, but he earned his salary and more last year.
Speaking of sucking. Smith is the perfect example. A fucking embarrassment. No lead is safe with him.
And I agree other choices are much safer.
Snit you don’t have a clue when it comes to providing a positive influence towards winning games. I would get ride of both.
Smith’s WHIP creeped above 1.50 for the season tonight. It’s 2.57 for this month alone. (His July ERA is 9.00.) His FIP probably went back on the wrong side of 5.00 for the year, too. He looked like a beaten man when he left the mound. He’s about to be replaced by someone acquired at the deadline.
you would fire a coach who just won the Word Series because he has relievers who stink?
Then we should fire the GM too.
Michael Harris, I admire your game immensely. As soon as I think you are on your way to 250, you bounce back. Time and time again. Dude you may be for real even at the Major League level. My sincere compliments.
Acuna you are making great strides towards hitting 250 or less. And you don’t appear to give a damn.
Smith see you, thanks for doing what many thought you not capable of. You caught lighting in a bottle. How you are the giver of fireworks.
nattering nabobs of negativity
Everyone ripping on Will Smith. I’ve seen this movie.
It ends well, don’t worry so much.
Except sequels are almost never as good as the original. Will Smith ain’t no Godfather.
@41
This sequel is “Caddyshack II.”
@36 “ Smith’s about to be replaced by someone acquired at the deadline.”
And/or Yates when he gets back.
EdK might need another hobby.
Recapped, fine folks of Braves Journal.
https://bravesjournal.mystagingwebsite.com/2022/07/27/braves-6-phils-3/