Truth be told, I don’t really like Sunday night baseball. And it isn’t just because the Braves lost to the Rangers, 6-4.
In a little over a year, my guy Brandon Gaudin has ruined my TV viewing experience when other networks have rights to the game. Brandon is so good! Yes, I realize I can listen to Ben and Joe on the radio broadcast. That ESPN broadcast, with all of those freaking interviews, is mid, as the kids say.
And yes, I guess I can also admit that I don’t like losing. There, I said it! It’s the ESPN telecast and the losing. That’s why I don’t really like Sunday night baseball.
Atlanta has the best record in baseball, despite losing Spencer Strider for the season, and playing without Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies. The Braves have won six in a row and are leading their division. And I still don’t really like Sunday night baseball.
It just wasn’t meant to be
Matt Olson came up in the bottom of the eighth inning with runners on first and third with nobody out. Rather than cutting into the 6-4 deficit, Olson kept his strikeout streak alive at four for the game. Marcell OHzuna then popped out, and Orlando Arcia struck out the end the threat. Old friend Kirby Yates made Arcia look pretty bad, in fact, and got three fly outs in the night for the save.
It just wasn’t meant to be tonight.
Darius Vines made a decent start in his second start of the season. He worked 5+ innings, but game up two gopher balls in the fourth to leave trailing 4-3.
Early, it seemed as though the Braves would help with the fact that I don’t really like Sunday night baseball. After Austin Riley left two more runners on base, and Olson followed suit, OHzuna crushed one to right to give the Braves a 3-0 first inning lead.
Garcia’s 8th inning in the spotlight
Adolis Garcia and his fancy shoes pushed the lead to 6-3 in the eighth when he homered to right. Garcia also made it possible for the Braves to have a chance. He dropped a Michael Harris II pop fly in the bottom of the eighth, setting the stage for a 53 mph single through the right side to cut the lead to 6-4. I’m not sure what the deal was with the drop…maybe he was admiring Money Mike’s blooper shoes.
It wasn’t meant to be tonight, as the Rangers salvaged one game of the three-game series. The Rangers amassed 11 hits to Atlanta’s five, and eight-hole hitter Andrew Knizner was the hero. Knizner is hitting just .150 on the season after his two hits tonight, including the three-run home run he hit in the fourth inning.
Vines took the L. He allowed seven hits and four runs. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out two. The fourth inning bombs he surrendered spoiled an otherwise solid outing.
The Fish come calling tomorrow night. Lefty Ryan Weathers will face Atlanta’s ace, Reynaldo Lopez in a game set for 7:20 EDT/6:20 CDT. Even if I don’t really like Sunday night baseball, it is safe to say I love a Monday night Fish fry! Bounce back tomorrow, boys!
Nice recap, but you really haven’t made clear what you think about Sunday Night Baseball. If your objection rhymes with Reduardo Derez, I’ll understand.
I think it does…and Savid Pone.
At least there was no one whose name rhymes with Balex Gobriguez.
It’s pretty amazing how much the Braves offense is producing considering the slump both Riley and Olson are in. Acuna and Harris keep getting on base and have usually been stranded. Ozuna has pasted over some of this but not all,
Vines was optioned after the game for Elder, who will start tomorrow and push the other starters back a day.
I agree I didn’t really care for the broadcast either. They wanted to talk about other things besides the game, and when they did talk about the game, it was clear that the announcers were in the tank for the Rangers.
And if they are going to talk about other things besides the game, then maybe they shouldn’t have former baseball guys in the booth doing that. I don’t mind Karl Ravech, but take a page from Kenny Smith and Chuck on TNT – do anything but keep doing what you’re doing.
All they ever do is talk about other things besides the game. There really should be a “crowd noise only” audio option, like mlb.tv has (or at least used to have; I haven’t used mlb.tv in a while.)
I guess we could simply mute the sound like I do when I am in a meeting or out for dinner with some friends. 🙂
Who is the color guy on the radio right now? It hasn’t been Joe. I seem to recall hearing the name “Darren,” and he referred to being a pitcher, but it looks like Darren Holmes is the Cubs pitching coach. Anyone know who it is?
Darren O’Day