On the “Mountain Destroyers,” I saw a program in the last few days on the building of Dodger Stadium. The sideline seating is cut back into a mountain top and the fill from that raised the field level. The parking for each deck enters directly to that deck. I have seen many shots of that stadium and never put that together before.

Application is everything. That Athaletic Oath, “First, don’t suck.” You suck when you get swept. It is good progress on not sucking not to get swept. So, the Braves avoided the sweep and avoided the suck.

As Braves fans I am beginning to wonder if we aren’t all a little like Dirk and Al in “Sahara” when they notice something looming in the distance of the desert and start to realize it isn’t some type of sandstone promontory, it is actually a watchtower of an ancient city wall. This story of an ancient city that was on a river (in a place solid desert now) maybe is actually TRUE.

Stop Asking Questions. Accept it

That is where I am with Bryce Elder. I have rubbed my eyes. I have contemplated. At some point, “Runs Allowed” is runs allowed and ERA, FIP, xFIP and SIERA are all just nerdy abbreviations and acronyms. The Braves fan that put money on this in Vegas in March has made a crap pile of money. 6IP, 6 K, 1 BB, ! R. When “Quality Start” is 3 runs, then 1 is more like “Exceptional Start” and this is a whole lot better. When your starter is performing like Elder did, you should win. The Braves still almost messed it up.

Elder was slated against Tony Gonsolin, one of those Dodgers phenom pitchers. They traded zeros until the Braves got on the board in bottom half of 4. Then, Matt Olson hit a ball a long, long way and it stayed within the permitted 90 horizontal degrees. When you do that, the xBA is 1.000 and the XSLG is 4.000. Good for Matt and good for the Braves.

The Mountain Destroyers had Mookie Betts even it up in the next half. That was Elder’s only run allowed. In the next half inning, The Braves remembered the Athaletic Oath. The application was “frogs hibernate, bears sleep, but we are awake and on the job.” Ozzie Albies the Wizard walked and Marcel Ozuna continued his recent run with a home run. How many times does a dead cat bounce before you check the cat’s pulse? As of this morning, he shows .1 WAR. POSITIVE. How many of you had that ever happening again? 1.059 OPS in the past 30 days. Is he a sandstone pinnacle or a castle tower. Rub your eyes a little.

“Woe is Me” said the Bullpen

After one inning of Uncle Jesse Chavez, Nick Anderson agreed to be the designated bullpen sucker for the night. He gave up two in top of 8 and we had a perilous tie. Gamecast still had probability of a Braves win around 62%. I wasn’t that convinced.

Bottom of 9 it was still 3 to 3. So, Austin Riley stroked a leadoff double. Then, Travis d’Arnaud (the “Gascon”, as in d’Artagnan) hit a right side ground ball and Riley went to third. Then, just like Brian Snitker and Ron Washington drew it up, The Wizard hit a long fly ball to right field and it was a walk off.

M-M-M-M-M-Mike Soroka

In Tuesday’s action in MiLB, Michael Soroka had by far his best outing yet this year. I think some on here predicted it sooner, but I am coming around to believe he may be a castle tower and not a stone pinnacle.

Stay tuned same Braves time, save Braves channel. The “Philadelphia Experiment” is coming in tonight.