We witness a team that has won 20 out of its last 23 games. The pace is around 107 wins. That is good.
The first reference here goes to the front office and Snit. Rounds and rounds of criticism. Why did you call up Kolby Allard? Michael Soroka would be better. Allard will get shelled. What idiot would decide who to call up based on the offensive deficiencies of the deficient opponent against lefthanders. Well, once again, the FO shone. Once again, somehow, the powers that be will probably find some other “Executive of the Year.” But really, it’s proven. Alex Anthopoulos is Executive of the Century. We may well be witnessing the Branch Rickey of the 21st century.
I know it is a small sample size. 4 2/3 innings pitched, 8 (EIGHT!!!) strikeouts. 3 H, 1 BB 0 R. I got to listen to a little of the radio banter today and they gang was impressed. curve ball high with a massive drop followed by fastball (90 to 91 mph ha) high with more hop than you would expect. At 71 pitches, with runners first and second and 2 outs, Snit brought in Yates. Yates saw 4 batters and got 4 outs. Then Minter let a single get done, but got a double play to face the minimum. Then Joe Jimenez put away 3. Then, Raisel Iglesias got 2 strikeouts and one more out in 3 batters. Staff shutout. Most of the time, when you get that, you win.
How did the hitters do? Actually, by their standards, “not too good.” First off, that is 6 straight games with only 8 offensive innings. Winning teams lose some plate appearances, don’t they? They had 9 reach base safely. 3 of them got home. Acuna was the on base man today with 3 times. The first time came on a first inning walk. Then, he stole 2nd. Then, he went to 3rd on a wild pitch. Then, hitting star number 2, Matt Olson, doubled him in. Olson also hit an 8th inning home run to add cushion. Michael Harris II was 2 for 3. Otherwise, Albies had a sacrifice fly and Ozuna got a single, but that was about it.
So, a day off tomorrow. Then, the Fish come to Atlanta. Can we have a Fish fry? They don’t get the off day. They are playing tomorrow in Boston. Keeping this win streak for 3 more games would essentially end the division race before the All Star break (the all time lowest margin ever overcome in baseball was 14.5 games by the 1914 Miracle Braves, so the Mts are already very badly burned toast and the Phillies are close). Go get ’em Braves.
It really does feel like Harris is the X factor. Having him contributing at the bottom of the lineup and playing terrific defense just takes the team from very good to terrifying.
That said, the pitchers did an excellent job today, and Olson really is coming into his own. He had so much to live up to as a hometown kid coming back to try to fill Freddie’s shoes, but he is just killing the ball right now and he deserves a ton of credit for doing what he needed to do to get past the critics (like me). He’s a force.
Mets are toasty, yup.
If the Mets play .600 baseball the rest of the season, they’d win 86 games. Not sure that gets anybody an NL WC spot this year.
And with apologies to Ole & Gene Anderson, the Braves are the Minnesota Wrecking Crew.
I knew Ole and Gene. Visited with Ole especially many times. Really nice guys outside the ring. The scars on their foreheads from all the little razor cuts to make a dramatic bloody scene in the ring were very noticeable
Shuster has been optioned back to Gwinnett. Presumably, the corresponding move will be to call up Soroka to start Friday’s series opener against Miami. I really hope he can stick in the rotation for good this time.
It would seem like Allard has a spot too at least until Fried returns.
Great game for traveling the back roads north from the Georgia Florida line, and cliff capped the win with his wonderful summation.
I am too old to think a first baseman hitting south of .240 is an asset, but Olson’s winning me over. Runs batted in are good, and Matt’s good at batting runs in.
I remember being excited when the Braves drafted Allard. Somewhere along the journey I forgot that pitchers, especially portsiders, develop at their own pace. Whether today’s Allard is the harbinger of things to come or a one time fluke, the still-a-boy-at-25 exceeded my expectations.
There is a reason the keys to the franchise are entrusted to AA and not me.
Scale and gut those fish. Go Braves.
What back roads, coop? I have probably been nearby recently.
BraveMarine,
Yeah, you should see the cuts on Abdullah the Butcher’s forehead… looks like a roadmap.
From the insider-wrestling stories I heard, Ole was a tough ol’ cuss, especially when he was the booker in a territory. And his video ‘shoot interviews’ are pretty good, too — kinda cranky, but a good storyteller.
Cliff: 319, 202, Thigpin Trail, 112, 33. I am allergic to interstate highways.
The Thigpen Trail is the fastest route from Thomasville to Cordele. Highway 33 dead ends into u.s41 about 10 miles from my house.
We’re neighbors! I’m just north of Thomasville and south of Coolidge. South Georgia is the only place to be this time of year. Please stay warm, my friend.
I think a perfect game against the Athletics should come with an asterisk this season.
You would think so. But a perfect game against anybody, even the worst team in recent history, ain’t easy.
I watched most of the game last night & even though the A’s swung early & often in counts, German had amazing command & a drop-off-the-table curve. For one night, he was really in a zone. He only threw 99 pitches.
Marlins get no-hit for the first 7 innings and still win. They still have a negative run differential so I can’t get too worried about them. Still, you’d think with the absolute tear the Braves have been on, we’d have more than a 6 game lead.
From the hilarious news dept, the Mets are 17(!) games back!