It’s Labor Day Weekend
After a five month gestation period, the Braves and Phillies announce the birth of a pennant race. Everyone now gets two months of maternity/paternity leave to nurture the offspring. If you insist on going in to work, daydreaming is required.
Oh… that’s not what Labor Day weekend means? Then why is that picture at the top of the post? Oh, that’s it. Labor Day Weekend is when you look for a Sale. Well, if you looked on Friday night, you got one. Move fast… there won’t be another Sale until next week.
The Game
After stranding Ronald Acuña Jr. at third base in the first inning, the Braves put 3 up against Cristopher Sánchez in the 2nd, on a walk, three seeing-eye singles, a timely groundout, and a right field error. It was the sort of inning that might be called an Episode™ if those were not exclusively reserved for Braves pitchers. Sánchez, who is unsatisfied with making the first H in his first name silent, preferring to make it both silent and invisible, has been a great pitcher this season, though he has been a little bit hittable recently.
Sale handled everyone well early but Alec Bohm, who doubled in a run in the 2nd and hit a solo homer in the 4th. Bohm also has a silent H. (I think that’s part of a clause in Harper’s contract that only he is allowed a pronounceable H. “That’s not true”: Derek Hill.) Fans love to hate Harper for some reason that I’ve never quite understood, but Bohm seems instantly hateable to me.
Harper came to the plate in the 5th inning with Phillies on 2nd and 3rd and two outs. A popout to third ended the threat.
When Luis Arraez led off with a double to start the sixth and Bohm came to the plate worries mounted. But a Bohm groundout and two strikeouts ended Sale’s night.
For all the talk of the starting pitching matchups in this series, the expected result in every one of these games is a bullpen battle unless someone happens to get shelled. Sánchez and Sale were both a little over 100 pitches through 6, and with the Braves up by 1, the bullpen maneuvering began.
The 7th inning was Alex McFarlane against Didier Fuentes. Standoff.
The 8th inning was Orion Kerkering against The Return of the Fuentes. I was slightly surprised to see Orion Kerkering return to the Phillies this year after his miscue eliminated the Phillies from the playoffs last year. This is not fair, of course. In fact, it’s pretty dumb. But I’ve seen Phillies fans tolerate less. When Kerkering walked Yaz and then gave up a homer to Mauricio Dubón to make it 5-2, I could picture people throughout the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, many of whom were in Citizens Bank Park, explaining to their companions that his return to the team was a gigantic mistake — in Philly, that’s a Cheesemistake: they’re famous for it, apparently.
9th inning: Tim Mayza vs. Iggy. Standoff.
Talismans
I’m not a huge believer in fan action superstitions. (Who was the baseball player who said: “I’m not superstitious, but I’m a little stitious?”) However, if you do something like I did tonight, and decide to wear your vintage jersey to watch the game, and the Braves win, you definitely tempt fate by switching. So this is how I’ll look tomorrow at 6 when the Braves and Phillies meet again.
If we win again tomorrow I’ll show you the front.
If we win again tomorrow, I’ll show you the front.
This was a Beeg win.
That homer by Dubon was one of the biggest homers in memory when we had a lead already. What a ballplayer.
It’s been a few years, but the one that sprung to mind was Brian Hunter’s HR in game 7 of the 1991 NLCS. The series had been so close & tense (the 3 previous games were 3-2 in 10 innings, 1-0, and 1-0 with the run scored in the 9th, with another 1-0 earlier in the series), and going from up 1-0 to up 3-0 in the top of the first with Smoltz on the mound (9-1 with an ERA just over 1.5 in his previous 14 starts) felt like the win and the pennant were assured.
I was sure glad to see 5 runs and I can’t remember the last time the Braves had a 3-run inning. If you haven’t noticed the Braves are second in MLB in fewest runs allowed. The ptiching has been great. Many teams have more runs. I think the pitchers are better when they have a 2-run or more lead…..
One more win against the Phillies and the Braves take the season series…. GO BRAVES!
The Braves seem to play better against better teams (note the record against LAD, PHI, SFG, and NYM).
Roger I owe you a beer, and if you’re sober…I owe you an apology. If I’m ever back in the city I will buy you one…unless you’re in recovery, and then forget whatever I said, let’s just play spades and sip club soda. Go Braves!