Well, you can’t win ’em all. In a tight game the whole way, the Braves couldn’t quite get the big hit and the stellar relief work they got last night. As a result, they fell 4-3 to the San Francisco Giants, who managed to salvage a game from the three-game set.
Today was the first game in awhile where a bullpen episode has really cost the Braves, but with the game tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, Kirby Yates sure had one. He allowed the first three Giants to reach base in the inning, all on free passes. He walked Michael Conforto to lead off the frame before hitting both Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores with pitches. He suddenly seemed to find his command again, striking out both Patrick Bailey and J.D. Davis to come to the brink of getting out of the inning. But he just as quickly lost it again, walking Joc Pederson on four pitches that weren’t close and forcing in the winning run.
Meanwhile, the offense was pretty quiet today. Orlando Arcia launched a two-run homer in the second to give the Braves a 2-1 lead at the time, but that was it until the eighth. Ronald Acuna and Eddie Rosario walked with one out and the Braves down 3-2. Austin Riley followed with a strikeout, but with Matt Olson batting, Acuna attempted to steal third and forced a wild throw into left field by San Francisco catcher Bailey. That allowed Ronald to score the tying run and advanced Rosario to second. The Giants intentionally walked Olson at that point and brought Marcell Ozuna to the plate with a chance to give the Braves the lead. Giants reliever Camilo Doval strike out Ozuna though, sending the game to the ninth still tied.
Max Fried struggled for much of his outing, particularly in giving up three runs on two homers over the first three innings. He locked in later in his outing and allowed only a couple baserunners over his final 2.2 innings. Overall, he gave up three runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings. I think it’s pretty clear he’s still trying to fully find his command after his long layoff. Thankfully, the team has enough of a lead where he has the chance to do that.
Michael Harris was scratched prior to the game, apparently dealing with a sore foot after taking a foul ball off it last night. He’s apparently day-to-day and nobody seems especially concerned.
Tomorrow, we will get the news…
Wordie from a birdie that Chirinos is “hurty”.
And Winans is starting tomorrow.
Our pitchers had a brief dry spell. Now our hitters are in a bit of a lull, particularly with Ozzie out. I hope Vaughn gets his chances. It looks like Nicky Lopez probably won’t hit .700 again.
I’m glad I don’t have to make a decision on the roster for the playoffs and for the month of September for that matter. The pitchers below should be ready at some point before the end of the year. As we’ve found out with Fried, we shouldn’t necessarily expect any of them to be be fully ready after 1 or 2 appearances. My guess would be Lee and Wright somehow make the playoff roster. Soroka sill seems to have some potential, but it will be a long shot for him to make the roster at this point.
Dylan Lee
Nick Anderson
Jesse Chavez
Kyle Wright
Chirinos was no Josh Tomlin.
Wasn’t he, Fun Police? Wasn’t he?
The birdy with the wordy was right. Chirinos to the “IL”.
I am mourning the untimely IL’ing of our hero by listening to Yanni and eating Cheerios. Perhaps later I will switch it up and do Yanni + chorizo. Please respect my privacy at this difficult time.
We all process things in our own way. As for me, I am thinking about Esteban Yan’s unfinished autobiography, ‘ Yan: Each Year, He Knows.’
I hope that Chirinos stays on the IL. There’s a lot more value in seeing what Winans, Soroka, Wright and A.S.S. can do.
I hope we don’t use the IL the way it appears we use the IL. Because if we’re faking or exaggerating injuries, we’re no better than the Astros, in my surely unpopular opinion.
Everyone is using the IL this way, especially for pitchers. I’m not justifying it, but it’s happening league-wide.
I don’t like it, but I don’t like a lot of things.
I would prefer that we gave Chirinos his walking papers. I don’t see any value in keeping him in Atlanta in any way unless he’s been hurt and could actually perform at a higher level – not likely. I don’t really know what we are expecting within 6 weeks from Chirinos that would justify EVER putting him on the playoff roster. That makes me think we are either dong this for Yonny or he is really hurt at whatever level.
To be fair, very few veteran pitchers don’t have an owie of some sort most of the time.
TD, that’s a remarkable typo.
#DongThisForYonny
Don’t look at me, td said it first.
I think Yonny will ultimately make a fine and cheaper replacement for McHugh next year. That may be the entire strategy behind this.
Are we absolutely certain that he can outpitch Nicky Lopez?