Braves 6, Mets 1
ESPN – Mets vs. Braves – Box Score – May 20, 2008
See, that’s how you do it. Forget “aggressive”. Work the count. Take pitches out of the strike zone, foul off the ones you can’t handle, and good things will happen. The Braves got Mets starter John Maine to throw 99 pitches… In four innings, and two batters of the fifth. They weren’t getting big innings, but got single runs in the first, third, fourth, and (after Maine left) fifth. Their best big-inning chance was the third, when Escobar led off with a single but was caught stealing; with two out, Chipper, Teixeira, and McCann singled to score one run, but it could have been more. Still, it works.
Tom Glavine didn’t look long for the game in the first, when he allowed a solo homer to Luis Castillo, of all people, then loaded the bases with one out. But he got out of it with a lineout and flyout, and after that the Mets couldn’t touch him. He left after the sixth having retired the last seventeen men he faced. He’d only thrown 82 pitches, but he really hasn’t had any stamina this year and Bobby probably didn’t want to risk it with the game only 4-1, so he hit for him leading off the sixth.
McCann hit a two-run homer in the seventh that pretty much put it away, though. Ohman did his thing, working behind the hitters but somehow getting them out, in the seventh and to the first batter of the eighth. Bobby, bizarrely, used Boyer to finish the eighth and Acosta the ninth. Of course, Acosta isn’t really reliable and gave up two hits, but he’s the putative Closer™ so you’d think you’d hold him back for the nightcap. Whatever.
Teixeira was 3-3 with a walk, and I am guardedly optimistic. Everyone had a hit but Francoeur, who looks completely useless right now but was intentionally walked ealked in the fifth anyway. There are good reasons that the Mets fans want Willie Randolph’s head.
This will serve as the game thread for the nightcap.
UPDATE: Since this is a game thread, I guess there should be a video. This is dedicated to Jeff Francoeur and/or Blaine Boyer.
Jeff Francouer is dumb. Like Andruw Jones and Chuck James. Just dumb.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:08 pmYeah, like a rock. Utterly useless.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:10 pmDid I say dumb?
May 20th, 2008 at 3:11 pmFrancoeur’s slugging percentage is now .398. Thanks to the ealk, he has maintained a .305 OBP. And yet he’s the one Brave we know will play in the nightcap.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:13 pmI wish we could have captions above Chipper’s head to see what he is thinking when Francouer is at bat….I bet it would be funny as hell
May 20th, 2008 at 3:16 pmSoriano is set to begin a rehab assignment:
http://tinyurl.com/5gp74v
May 20th, 2008 at 3:26 pmIn case you want to submit baseball poetry…
May 20th, 2008 at 3:41 pmGood idea! Comedic gold.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:44 pm.421,
.385
.475
That would be the OBP’s if Gregor hit first.
What does Blanco have to do in this world to show Bobby that he’s a leadoff hitter? Look at the 2nd innning, that was about a 10 pitch walk. Then he steals second, only to have Glavine after him.
Imagine how much better Yunel would be with Blanco on base, holding the pitchers attention. Even if he cant steal more than 35-40 bases, he’s fast enough to make it around on a gapper.
Sure, maybe without the pitcher behind him, they’d come after him a bit more. But he’s still hitting over .300, so its not like he’s Eddie Gaedel up there.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:50 pmPlease Bobby, give Francoeur the nightcap off. Diaz-Kotsay-Blanco in the outfield. It’s the right thing to do.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:53 pmI couldn’t be more all for Blanco at leadoff. He’s actually a prototypical leadoff hitter, even if we’d forgotten what that looked like.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:56 pmFrancoeur will start. And Boyer will probably pitch again.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:57 pmHere’s an idea, maybe instead of Jurrjens’ Surgeons, McCann’s Canns, etc, we could start a group called “Frenchy’s Days Off” or something like that and fill up the empty seats with some sort of sign, just an idea ….
May 20th, 2008 at 3:58 pmOr, “Blaine’s Labrum Fibers,” and everyone could just look like death warmed over or something.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:04 pmJJ3bagger,
that’s genius. I catch a lot of grief from fellow braves fans for giving Francournakova such hell, but he’s brought it on himself with his contract hijinks and inability for self reflection.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:06 pmWhy not Resop in the 8th or 9th on a 2 baserunner limit?
Why not Stockman instead of either Boyer or Acosta?
I understand holding Bennett back. Campillo will not start the 3rd time through the order. Then, Bennett will need to go through it once (2 to 3 innings). Then, Ring gets a lefty or two and that leaves Stockman. (maybe an inning out of Hudson if they have him do his “regular work” in the 5th innng or so. I do not understand why managers don’t do that more often).
May 20th, 2008 at 4:11 pmWait…didn’t Francouer bulk in the offseason to hit more homeruns?
May 20th, 2008 at 4:12 pmI am not so sure that Acosta is the closer. It seems Bobby has used Bennett recently in the more high leverage situation. I would rather see Stockman in a close game, though he is recently untested.
I am less happy that we burned Boyer with one out in the 8th and a 5-run lead.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:15 pmCliff–no way Hudson pitches except maybe extra inning marathon. Boyer and/or Acosta will get used again if it is a close game. Pitchers can be used in both games of a DH.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:18 pmI still have the cadence of limericks in my head.
Did they impact the Braves’ approach at the plate? If so, we may have a new routine.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:22 pmFunny Braves Imitations video:
http://tinyurl.com/5vqpyx
May 20th, 2008 at 4:33 pmMaybe somebody came up with something more clever, but “Jeff’s Days Off” needs to happen or some kind of campaign.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:40 pmDOB reporting Francoeur is out of the lineup tonight.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:45 pmLineups are in for Game Two tonight and Frenchy is NOT in it.
Escobar 6
May 20th, 2008 at 4:45 pmInfante 8
Jones 5
Teixeira 3
Johnson 4
Diaz 7
Blanco 9
Miller 2
Campillo 1
Hey Mac. Glad I’ve found you again. Hope all is well. Nice tidy little first game win.
And I agree with whoever stated the intellectual merits of Francoeur, James, and Andruw. No Phi Beta Kappa keys hanging around those guys’ necks.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:50 pmInfante in center?
May 20th, 2008 at 4:55 pmInfante in CF against a righty, huh? I guess he’s just being extra cautious with Kotsay’s back.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:58 pm“DOB reporting Francoeur is out of the lineup tonight.”
Ripken breathes easy.
I think the Blanco kool-aid is premature. I think he’s doing now what Willie Harris did last year.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:58 pmDoes anyone ever try to think along with Bobby and then feel dumber as a result?
Thought Got to rest Francouer
May 20th, 2008 at 5:01 pmErgo, need another out machine the lineup to replace him…
EUREKA!
IT’S MILLER TIME!
Who knew that Gallagher was the drummer?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:02 pmDuring the WGST broadcast today, Skip mentioned that he asked Bobby about Frenchy’s “consecutive-game streak” and he made it sound like Bobby was going to keep playing him.
Glad to see that he’s getting a game off—he’s “earned” it.
A couple hours between games on WFAN here & it’s become a “Pile-on-Willie” festival. And no, nobody mentioned the Frenchy IBB.
They’re trying to give some nice props to Piazza, who retired today, but the callers keep thrashing on Willie. Such an angry bunch.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:02 pmMiller’s being in the lineup has nothing to do w/ Francoeur–it has to do with giving McCann a game off.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:03 pmI don’t get this team’s weird fascination with Corky Miller. What’s wrong with Brayan Pena and Clint Sammons?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:07 pmangry mets fans?…………they wont get any sympathy here. baraves fans are pissed when they win…………great video mac…….38 yrs. ol and still and still kicking serious ass…………….those guys never even made a really great record (except the live recordings) but they were on the way to becoming the greatest American band. too bad the vagaries of life and death got in the way.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:09 pmhe handles pitchers well or some such @#$!
May 20th, 2008 at 5:11 pmHow has Francoeur managed to avoid the dreaded Bobby lefty-right platoon all these years considering what a replacement level or worse player he is? I want to know what’s in the pictures he has.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:17 pmAllmans and motorcycles just never mixed. But, boy was Duane a bad-ass.
And I’d like to dedicated “Whipping Post” to Willie Randolph & the Mets.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:20 pmif Willie could make his players snap and snarl like Duanes slide guitar, he wouldn”t be having these troubles.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:29 pmSammon’s only problem is that he’s got options.
And as much as this pains me, I think it’s time we make a reality check here on two issues:
The first one is Pena. He’s NOT really that good. He’s a catcher who doesn’t walk and hits singles. He’s a .300 hitter; that’s about all. His career (MINOR LEAGUE) OBP is .360. That transalates to at best .330, and probably a lot worse. His minor league slugging is .405. That’s pathetic.
Oh, and he’s not very good behind the plate, either.
So what you’ve got is a bat-first C whose OBP is almost completely BA-dependent and doesn’t hit for any power. He’d be a good 3rd C, but no one uses a third catcher anymore. This is why the Braves haven’t really used him and (similarly) why no one wants to trade for him.
Now, we come to Gregor Blanco. Unlike Pena, Blanco is a useful ML player. But he’s not an every-day guy. He’s doing well so far, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him lead off eventually from time to time. But he’s not an every-day guy. His upside is like Otis Nixon minus the really good SB rate. (Blanco has been mediocre in the minors, so unless something has changed dramatically, he’s probably going to be mediocre in the majors.) Okay, he might slug a little better than Nixon (whose career mark is .314), but not a lot.
Moreover, Blanco is NOT an ideal guy to be taking up ABs in LF. Brandon Jones would be much better suited to that spot now that we’ve got a backup CF in Infante. (Speaking of which, why is Infante there instead of Blanco today? Weird.)
Blanco is better than Willie Harris, both offensively and defensively. But his start isn’t all that dissimilar. It’s highly dependent on his BABIP (which is like .450) and as a result, he won’t be able to sustain it.
The upshot here is that the Braves need to not make the mistake they made last year and continue playing Blanco when he stops being hot and give Brandon Jones another shot. Blanco is a useful player, but more as a bench guy/4th OF. He’s a guy who should get like 200 ABs a year rather than the 400+ it’s looking like he might get this year, and most of those coming at CF/PH situations rather than starting in LF.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:29 pmSo, ububba, what are Mets fans saying about Glavine?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:31 pmGood post, mraver. Of course you’re a Gator fan.
Right?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:40 pmRemy,
Here’s a verbatim response:
“Gotta love the Mets building off that momentum of beating the Yankees. Typical that they would let Glavine make a fool of them.”
May 20th, 2008 at 5:43 pmOkay, this theory probably doesn’t hold much water, but I think that one reason Peña is still around (albeit on the DL) is because the Braves want him to help Escobar, a childhood friend, make the transition to life in the United States and the major leagues. They want to make sure that Escobar establishes himself before they let Peña go.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:48 pmRob & mraver?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:50 pmSo they do wear jeans shorts!
May 20th, 2008 at 5:52 pm“The first one is Pena. He’s NOT really that good. He’s a catcher who doesn’t walk and hits singles. He’s a .300 hitter; that’s about all. His career (MINOR LEAGUE) OBP is .360. That transalates to at best .330, and probably a lot worse. His minor league slugging is .405. That’s pathetic. ”
I dont think anyone here will disagree with you on this topic, but he still has more value than Miller. My only thought here is why dont you let your catcher who may hit .280 stay on the roster instead of Miller who isnt good offensively or defensively. Pena, a switch hitting singles hitter at least has the potential to give you a hit or two when he plays.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:56 pmI wouldn’t expect a full game tonight. Softball-sized hail reported in Alpharetta area.. tornado spotted on the ground up that ways.
The storms are moving to the SE, but the line to the south, so there will be a few huge storms tonight.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:57 pmThanks for the report, ububba. I’m sure there are a few long faces down at the deli.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:59 pmHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Nice, Stu.
My cut-offs are way sweeter than that.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:01 pmLooks like this one’s been delayed. Tarp on field, pitchers not warming up.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pmLooks like God is a Jeff Francoeur fan.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:07 pmInfante is out in CF to give Kotsay the night off. Im just glad Frenchy is out of the lineup and we dont have to worry about this stupid little streak. He needs some rest.
mraver, you probably know a lot more about stats than I do, but when I see a player like Blanco who can work the count so well and has such a good approach at the plate it becomes very difficult for me to say he shouldnt be getting regular ab’s. He doesnt have much power, but he should be able to keep his avg around .280 and obp around .370 or so. Brandon Jones on the other hand would give us a little more pop, but he looks to have a problem with K’s and his AAA avg and obp arent anything to get overly excited about. I think he would have a tough transistion to the pitching at this level
May 20th, 2008 at 6:07 pmmaybe God is wanting to keep Campillo from being the starter, last time he started he need TJ surgery after an inning
May 20th, 2008 at 6:09 pmDamn, Stu, even as a non SEC fan, that was pretty damn funny.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:10 pmThe Francoeur streak could still live.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:11 pmIf they play this game, there is no doubt in my mind that Frenchy still gets a pinch hit AB, which I’m okay with.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:13 pmYeah, a bases-loaded GIDP.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:14 pmHaha, Mac true true, but Bobby will keep the streak alive, but one positive of the rain delay for us Extra Innings viewers is my first look at Katy Temple. Simply fantastic.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:16 pmTornado warning, local CBS affiliate pretty sure of tornado over Marietta/Smyrna.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:19 pmI’m hoping that trading Frenchy and Brandon Lyon for Danny Haren in my fantasy team will somewhat help my not throwing things at my TV during his at bats from now on.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:23 pmThe ballfield is a long damn way from Marietta. It’s not raining on the Ted so let’s play some ball!
May 20th, 2008 at 6:25 pmI don’t believe a game can start or be in action while a tornado warning is out for that county. Fulton County til 8..
May 20th, 2008 at 6:40 pmDo we have a first pitch estimation, yet?
Base on my weather radar, the storms are just about to hit the Ted. Seems like it could be a delay of a couple of hours.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:40 pmGot hail twice up here in Johns Creek (new city north of Roswell). Wind picked up pretty good along with lightning and green skies, but looks like the Ted is dodging the bullet so far.
Next batch is on its way right now. There are two just west of town that will affect the Ted in about 30 minutes or so.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:40 pmNow it looks like it’s raining downtown. I was going to get to enjoy one game in 3 years undespoiled by Frankorr’s hacktastic flailings and then it rains.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:41 pmgreat gator pic stu………..its been 30 years since i hacked the legs off a kneed out pair of jeans and called them shorts………. apparently my wifes advice is good for something. and shes a GD gator.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:42 pmWait a minute. Andruw gets married and falls apart.
Francouer gets married and looks a whole lot like Andruw did last year.
Hmmmm …
There once were two Braves that got married.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:42 pmFrom The Chase they were formally carried.
Not saying they’re gay
In the traditional way
But let’s face it, their swings have been totally fairyed.
here’s why Glavine got pulled after 6, if you’re wondering
Glavine needed just 82 pitches to retire the punchless Mets, and 26 of those came in a sloppy first inning. He didn’t return after the sixth because of a nagging right knee injury that he said has bothered him for a couple of weeks.
“Today was the first it has bothered me and I don’t know why,” Glavine said.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:43 pmhow many scoreless innings has our bullpen thrown consec. now? Does Campillo start continue the streak?
May 20th, 2008 at 6:46 pm#44
Of course, it is very difficult to be fashionable when wearing orange and blue, so you might as well go to the other extreme and be exceptionally tacky. The red-headed mullet is a nice touch.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:47 pmI should add that until the game starts, the Braves are in control; after first pitch, the umpires are. I’d much rather the Braves were in control.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:50 pmHooray!
Francoeur’s not starting game 2!!
May 20th, 2008 at 6:59 pmStu-
Quit stalking me!!!
csg- Miller sticks because he’s a Veteran (TM) and because he’s a good glove guy (from what I’ve heard). For whatever reason, this is apparently what you want in your #2 C. Doesn’t make a ton of sense to me (seems like there are cases where you’d want a good bat as much as a good glove, even at catcher), but that’s the way teams seem to run it. (Especially in Atlanta. Can anyone think of a time when we had a backup C who could actually hit?)
Regarding Blanco, his ability to work the count is definitely one of his best “skills”. And if he were to maintain a .370 OBP, he would be a very good leadoff hitter. And in fairness, his OBP has been up there while he’s been in the minors. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he can maintain that level in the majors.
Realistically, a line of .280/.350/.350 is about the best we can hope for. And that’s fine for a CF who plays solid defense. It’s not great, but it won’t kill you either. The problem is having him soak up 400 ABs as your LF. I think he can have a solid ML career, I just don’t think he’s an ideal fit for the Braves’ roster.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:00 pmMraver, good comments on Blanco.
I think we are at 19 consecutive scoreless innings by the pen (knocking on wood).
I am seeing blue sky again in Alpharetta. Can more baseball be far behind?
May 20th, 2008 at 7:03 pmI feel I should add, but putting “skills” in quotation marks in my previous post, I don’t mean it sarcastically or anything; I mean “skills” in the “7 skills” or “5 tools” or whatever sense that some people mean. He’s definitely good at working the count, and he’s shown that ability throughout his pro career.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:10 pm“csg- Miller sticks because he’s a Veteran (TM) and because he’s a good glove guy (from what I’ve heard). For whatever reason, this is apparently what you want in your #2 C. ”
Yeah I know thats why he’s around, but COrky already has 3 passed balls in only 7 games. Thats terrible for your veteran with the good glove thats hitting with a nice line of .067 .167 .067
May 20th, 2008 at 7:10 pmBobby-y likes guys that are already named in accordence with Bobby-y nomenclature. It shows the proper respect for authority that a ballplayer ought to have.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:14 pmIf this game is in fact played, it will be the subject of a morning recap due to me having to get to sleep at a decent hour.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:29 pmWGST seems to be off the air… what’s up with that?
May 20th, 2008 at 7:44 pmThe game will begin!
May 20th, 2008 at 7:49 pmBEISUBORU! GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
May 20th, 2008 at 7:54 pmChipper doubles in Yunel to make it 1-0.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:00 pmThe game is on Sports South tonight.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:01 pmstorm coming through Bham pretty quickly, dont know if it’ll go through ATL or not
May 20th, 2008 at 8:03 pmOK, guys, I need wisdom and I know I can get it here. I’ve been home for three weeks, and at my house (where I’ll be all summer), we don’t get Turner South or Sports South or Peachtree TV or whatever these stations are that show Braves baseball. So, as I’ve said, I got MLB.TV and went halfsies with a friend. So, that’s been ok. But it’s getting really old, and I wanna watch a dadgum game on a normal TV. So, here’s my questions:
1) Would it do any good to complain to Comcast, my cable provider? I don’t wanna buy MLB Extra Innings, especially since we’re so far into the season, and I go back to school in mid-August.
2) Do any of you guys have a satellite provider? I’ve thought about Dish or DirecTV, but does the basic packages have these stations, or do I have to get a sports package?
Thanks guys.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:07 pmDiaz needs to show us something tonight.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:07 pm#85 – if you go through Dish Network and get the middle package you’ll get every game except those on Peachtree. I’ve been pleased with them, I think I get 120 channels plus locals for $39 per month
May 20th, 2008 at 8:10 pmladies Campillo has some nasty stuff
May 20th, 2008 at 8:13 pm#35
Extra Innings is your only option. Or you could move closer to ATL.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:21 pmIm guessing Campillo is like Kevin from the office. He looks like the most unathletic person, but probably does everything extremely well
May 20th, 2008 at 8:22 pmThanks, csg. We do the whole DVR thing here at, so I’m sure my family doesn’t wanna give up that. But if this worked out to a wash, and we got some extra programming, then I think we would jump at it (and if I did some lobbying to get my Braves, that’d probably help). Do you pay for each TV that you use in your house? We only have one cable box, and but we got 4 TVs hooked up too that I’m not sure we pay for.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:22 pmI have Directv and have bought EI the last few years. I love it.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:22 pm#90 – and Campillo is also a compulsive gambler and in a band called Scrantonicity.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:24 pmwe have DVR with Dish network and I believe you can only hook up two tv’s to each box. I have one box for two of my tv’s, but dont have any in the other rooms. You would need two, im guessing. Check with Directv also, I know they get Turner South and Sports south. They may also get Peachtree in your area. If you go to the braves schedule you can see if you’re able to get Peachtree in your area
May 20th, 2008 at 8:25 pmrob, you could always hook your computer up to the tv and get a bigger image that’s bad quality.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:25 pmc. shorter, I thought about going that route, but my TV doesn’t have a VGA input, and S-Video seems to never work well. And if it looks that bad using a quarter of my 15.4″ display, I’ll hate it on a 32″.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:27 pmby the way — loved the video of the hitting stances. i laughed out loud a few times. that’s stuff we used to do playing whiffle ball as kids.
and, stu, the gator pic was fantastic.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:27 pmIve got a feeling Chuckie wont have a spot for a while
May 20th, 2008 at 8:27 pmCampillo knows how to pitch.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:28 pm96.. hmm, s-video should work ok. but i was just kidding because i figured you didn’t just want a bigger picture with worse quality.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:28 pmSo this Campillo guy, he’s pretty good.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:28 pmCampillo pitching a smart one so far.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:28 pmOne of the other blogs I frequent for commentary has Mets fans too, and one commented an inning ago: “Apparently the Braves traded for Mad Dog circa 1995.”
May 20th, 2008 at 8:30 pmDo Chip’s inane ideas to “improve” the game ever cease? Baseball is fucking great. Leave it alone please.
Good to see Mark getting on track.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pmKJ!!!!!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pmOh yes! Light these MF up!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pmThis is a fun game to watch.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pmhit -o-rama!…and 4 you old timers
May 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pmVAN-O-MANIA!
Kelly Johnson: too slow to bat leadoff
May 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pmway slow!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:38 pmI’m probably not going to be able to stay up to the end, but I won’t go to sleep until the Mets dow something. Anyway, what are the odds Willie Randolph isn’t managing them tomorrow?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:39 pmI think I like KJ hitting behind Tex.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:39 pmFreaking Snitker’s stupid ass cost us a run.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:40 pmWho do you think the Mets might declare war on? If the Mets declare war and nobody comes, what happens?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:40 pmYeah, think you’re right, Jeremy. Should have sent KJ there.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:41 pmAlso, wow, Reyes just looked BAD on that first pitch. The pitch was only halfway to the plate when he swung.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:42 pmI’m guessing the 2-game “sweep” of the Yankees bought Willie a couple more weeks.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:42 pmKJ had no chance of scoring on that fly
anyways, there goes the no no
May 20th, 2008 at 8:43 pmI don’t know if I’ve enjoyed watching a Brave pitch this much since Maddux.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:43 pmLangerhans is a good guess – I’m clueless.
Brian Jordan?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:43 pmYou surely have no chance if you don’t try.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:43 pmLangerhans is a good guess for what?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:44 pmI’m actually somewhat interested to see how Campillo does this second time through the order.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:44 pmGood job, Quirky!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:46 pm..granted Reyes was safe, but oh well.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:46 pmHeh. Nice one, Corky.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:46 pmokay Miller you can stay
May 20th, 2008 at 8:47 pmcorky “don’t mess w/texas” miller
May 20th, 2008 at 8:47 pmhe may be getting a little gassed
May 20th, 2008 at 8:49 pmor maybe “remember the alamo” ?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:49 pmGood 4th.
How about Corky daring Reyes to go!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:49 pmThe Mets have never had a no-hitter
And their fans are exceedingly bitter
They whine, cry and groan
As they sorrowfully moan
“Our season’s going down the…”
Well, I won’t repeat what Mets fans say.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:50 pmMy guess was Jordan for the Aflac question too. But it’s not, you’ll never guess who it is.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:51 pmAnd I think it was Langerhans.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:52 pmI thought Langerhans played mostly left, no? My first instinct was Raul Mondesi, but I’m almost always wrong on these.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:52 pmIf it’s not Jordan or Langerhans… KJ?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:52 pmDid Todd Hollandsworth play any RF that year?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:52 pmNah, it’s not him either, Jordan started in left that game and Langerhans started in center. I love Baseball Reference.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:53 pmwhat was the question
May 20th, 2008 at 8:54 pmGood Lord, Damion Easley..
May 20th, 2008 at 8:54 pmIt was asking who the last person to start in RF for the Braves was.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:54 pmI had totally forgotten they traded for Hollandsworth that year.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:54 pmWhat is the question?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:54 pmHollandsworth! That’s a good guess.
Wow. Campillo was just robbed.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pmcsg,
May 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pmLast Brave other than Francoeur to start a game in RF.
HATE!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pmThe question: Who was the last player other than Frenchy to start in RF?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pmWhat was the Aflac question?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pmDid we still have DeRosa?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:56 pmGenius on the Hollandsworth answer.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:57 pmI love Seattle – giving us Soriano for Horacio and then signing and releasing Horacio in the next offseason while we signed Campillo from them.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:59 pmYou know what I love best about Campillo — he just goes out there and throws strikes. No free runners, that lead to runs.
Also, I have to ask again — how does having a catcher now batting .059 for the season exactly benefit us? If we ever get rid of Resop, Corky is next.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pmGood payback against Easley.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pmnice…please don’t be hurt
May 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pmSciambi,
May 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pmEscobar’s hurting because a guy just undercut him. That hurts.
Skip Caray earlier this year: “Mets batters call time more than any other team I’ve ever seen”
I agree.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:01 pmRenteria missed the cycle by a double tonight – 2 singles, triple, hr, 5 rbi’s
May 20th, 2008 at 9:02 pmCampillo! Not bad at all.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:03 pmDelgado is done.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:03 pmCampillo’s done a great job, but I’m not sure I want the Mets lineup to see him a third time through.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:04 pmI wish we could play the Mets every night. Why were we stuck with the Nats all the time earlier this season?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:05 pmWho is that to the right of Kotsay in the dugout?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:06 pmGotay to Kotsay’s right, Prado to left I believe
May 20th, 2008 at 9:08 pmso has Gonzo started his rehab yet?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:09 pmThis is the last inning I would give Campillo and I think I would have him on a short leash.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:09 pmjust saw he’s still about 3 weeks out
May 20th, 2008 at 9:12 pmper braves site…
Mike Gonzalez, who is coming back from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, completed three innings during an extended Spring Training game on Tuesday.
Cox said Gonzalez will rest two days and throw back-to-back days again at the team’s Spring Training headquarters. The plan is for him to then return to Atlanta to undergo a medical exam before beginning his Minor League rehab stint.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:13 pmthnx csg
May 20th, 2008 at 9:13 pmHeh. Campillo just threw a pitch under 70 mph. Been awhile since I’ve seen that.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:13 pmNice pitch, Jorge.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:14 pmHow do the Braves keep turning up these
May 20th, 2008 at 9:14 pmunheard-of scrap heap guys that can actually play?
Campillo = o runs, o bb, K K K K K K K
count em
May 20th, 2008 at 9:14 pmgotta give Rog a little credit with this staff right now
May 20th, 2008 at 9:15 pmSciambi does look quite a bit like Syndrome.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:16 pmi’ll take it
May 20th, 2008 at 9:17 pmReyes = hella overrated
May 20th, 2008 at 9:17 pmI love the way Campillo pitches. 89-69 with movement and location. If he misses it’s in a “good” place. Looks mean. What’s not to love?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:19 pmSweet start by Campillo.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:20 pm(playing around with baseball musings’ database)-
Since July 1st of last year, Jose Reyes is hitting .254/.319/.412
May 20th, 2008 at 9:20 pmJoe was just asking Sciambi if he thought the Braves would give him another start??? seriously, who else do they have that would do any better
May 20th, 2008 at 9:21 pmUm Diaz has not shown us anything tonight.
C’mon Matty!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:21 pmJoe Simpson – “Willie Randolph has done a good job.”
Yeah, but he ealked Jeff Francoeur.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:23 pmseriously, Stockman better come in and knock down Wright or something
May 20th, 2008 at 9:24 pmThis is what they meant when the announcers said Feliciano “is tough on lefties.”
May 20th, 2008 at 9:25 pmI just figured out the best possible use for Chris Resop: beaning 3 straight Mets batters before being ejected.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:25 pmForget the petty revenge stuff. Just beat the Mets.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:25 pmnice parish
May 20th, 2008 at 9:25 pmMr Swings, he’d leave the ball over the middle of the plate
May 20th, 2008 at 9:27 pmMr. Swings,
I would love nothing better than to see David Wright get a beanball.
There may be a good use for Resop after all. Good thinking.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:28 pmi think beaning is outside of “the towel’s” scope of duty
May 20th, 2008 at 9:30 pmCampillo’s start was great, and I’m hoping he can keep this up. But, before we start crowning him the next Maddux, remember Kyle Davies started very well, too. His first start in Boston was great. And look where he ended up. Let’s hope Campillo doesn’t go Davies on us.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pmSIT ON IT POTSIE!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pmwell, I think Campillo far exceeded everyone’s expectations…
May 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pmif we can get anything extra out of campillo it will be great.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:32 pmwhat a freakin play by Yunel!!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:33 pmDid you guys see that? Wright is hitting .196 against the Braves since the beginning of last season. I guess I can see why Braves’ fans are less impressed than Met fans.
Great play Yesco!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:34 pmI never really thought about that but I suppose intentially hitting batters does require some measure of control.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:34 pmamazing
May 20th, 2008 at 9:34 pmBobby should try and let Bennett finish out this game if possible
May 20th, 2008 at 9:34 pmYeah but don’t draw comparisons between Davies and Campillo. Jorge has already established himself this season in the bullpen. 1.27, 5/17 (bb/k)
Davies had a phenomenal first start against the Red Sox but that was before he had faced anyone at all.
I don’t think this means Jorge’s our next ace on the rotation but I think it means he’s a legitimately good pitcher. There’s nothing to naysay or comparisons to be made to KD.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:37 pmtime 4 a bunt
May 20th, 2008 at 9:37 pmor a double
May 20th, 2008 at 9:39 pmc’mon KJ
May 20th, 2008 at 9:42 pmKJ, we need a run out of this situation.
Dang!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:43 pmok matt, let’s get these guys home
May 20th, 2008 at 9:44 pmThat inning made no sense, why wouldn’t you walk Chipper if you’re going to walk Tex in the same situation?
It worked, but it doesn’t make sense to me.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:45 pmJust got up and see that we have a chance for a sweep–but what a disappointing half inning.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:46 pmBoyer is going to die
May 20th, 2008 at 9:47 pmBoyer?!?!?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:47 pm1 out when Tex came up. At that point, DP gets you out of the inning.
Boyer?!?
Oi!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:47 pmhey…i’ll take a win anyway it comes. so wrap this thing up up boys.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:48 pmBoyer again? To quote Hank Hill, “What the Hell?”
May 20th, 2008 at 9:48 pmboy he loves working from behind in the count
May 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pmyeah Boyer’s arm is probably numb–would have been a good time for Bennett to have a 2 inning appearance
May 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pmBrandon,
There were no outs when Chipper was up, and one out when Tex was up. So you walk Tex so that you can get out of it with a DP. I also imagine it’s more palatable to IBB somebody to get to KJ instead of getting to Tex.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pmI nearly posted earlier I hope Boyer doesn’t get into this game, but it was going to be in a sarcastic we’re-up-by-4-in-the-second-game-of-a-doubleheader way. Seriously, Boyer is going to be no good by July and more than likely never recover, and it will be Bobby’s fault entirely. It’s not like the guy is coming off of surgery or anything, either.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:50 pmThe Mets just look a little slow tonight.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:51 pmDid Roger Cedeno’s homemade brownies find their way back into the club house?
man who is he pitching to?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:51 pmI called it. The Boyer appearance, I mean. Bobby is a fool.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:52 pmwalk delgado? c’mon
May 20th, 2008 at 9:53 pmWe should petition for a day off for Boyer like we petitioned for a day off for Frenchy.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:54 pmis this gonna come all undone?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:54 pmcant blame Boyer, he’s almost thrown as many pitches as Campillo has today
May 20th, 2008 at 9:55 pmLast inning is looking even bigger…
May 20th, 2008 at 9:55 pmYeah, I know the walk there sets up the inning-ending DP and the IBB is better to get to KJ instead of Tex.
But I figured they would’ve been more careful pitching to Chipper, semi-pitching around him.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:56 pmAnd Boyer’s arm starts to fall off……..
May 20th, 2008 at 9:56 pmInsane. Why didn’t Bennett pitch another inning? Bobby to blame for this one, not Boyer.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:58 pmshit…pull boyer for the love of god and all thing holy!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:58 pmWell, I’m hating the Boyer over Bennett choice now.
Actually, I hated it before, as I recall.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:58 pmI really don’t understand why we’re using Boyer so much. He’s good, but he’s not that good to be using him so much. We’ve got good guys in the pen, for goodness’ sake.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:59 pmI don’t think anybody can blame boyer for anything that happens this year.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:00 pmdont you bring in Ring here???
May 20th, 2008 at 10:00 pmI’d rather Acosta’s arm fall off than Boyer’s if I had to choose.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:00 pmAcosta again? WTF?
May 20th, 2008 at 10:00 pmSigh – Acosta. I will say right now I would not go to him.
And that’s why.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:01 pmand the nitemare continues
May 20th, 2008 at 10:01 pmThis is getting ugly! And the Braves should have come away with at least a run last inning….
May 20th, 2008 at 10:01 pmPulling Bennett….
Gotta get Anderson here. I DO NOT want to see Wright this inning.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:01 pmThe Braves really need to win it all this year so Cox can retire.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:02 pmFinally! Lets get some runs….
May 20th, 2008 at 10:03 pmYost is really on the hot seat in Mil. What are the chances he is the heir apparant?
May 20th, 2008 at 10:04 pmi’d hire ned
May 20th, 2008 at 10:05 pmMilwaukee is so disappointing that Yost is likely to be the first manager fired this year. Some consolation for Randolph perhaps.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:07 pmLooks like no Frenchy this game at all, not even a pinch hit appearance. I wonder if he’s hurt, or if Bobby is actually thinking (which he just demonstrated with the 8th inning pitching choices that he is not thinking).
May 20th, 2008 at 10:08 pmWell, we need to start a rally so thank goodness Corky is……nevermind.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:08 pmCorky has two more hits this season than I do!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmKOTSAY !!!!!! i love this man!!!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmZ-Man!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmCorky nearly doubled his BA right there!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmway to show’em corkmiester!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmJust about the time I was wanting to see Sammons….
May 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmHa, the Mets bad catcher got a hit this inning, and so did ours. A little payback there.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmYARD!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:10 pmKotsay!!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:10 pmWhy exactly are the Brewer’s considered to be underacheiving? They’re only a couple of games behind us.
And Yesss! Kotsay!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:11 pmI’d say Kotsay has more than silenced his critics. Seriously, he has given us way more so far than we dared hope he’d give us this season.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:11 pmI think Kotsay was thinking, “That crazy old man in the dugout is going to pitch Acosta again? Holy crap, I better jack one out to give us a cushion.”
May 20th, 2008 at 10:12 pmi guess this wasn’t such a “crap trade”, heh…
May 20th, 2008 at 10:13 pmWas there anyone up in the bullpen? Any chance we see Stockman in the 9th?
May 20th, 2008 at 10:14 pmGuess not.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:15 pmThe Brewers were 2nd in the Central last year, only 2 back of the Cubs (though only 83-79). They’re in last this year, something like 7 back.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:15 pmbobby really want’s acosta to blow this
May 20th, 2008 at 10:15 pmWhat do you think the guys on the DL, i.e. Soriano / Gonzo are thinking about trusting their already balky elbows to Bobby?
May 20th, 2008 at 10:16 pmk,
May 20th, 2008 at 10:17 pmthey’re probably think’n hampton is a smart guy
4 run lead – do not walk Church
May 20th, 2008 at 10:17 pmexcellent
May 20th, 2008 at 10:18 pmwow, Ohman and Resop are up
May 20th, 2008 at 10:19 pmbeedee, that’s kind of what I figured as well.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:19 pmwhy do i stay up for these games? they just end up pissing me off.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:20 pmBallgame!
I love it.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:20 pmwow, what a freakin throw by Acosta – Escobar got his revenge on Church also. Both players are down though
May 20th, 2008 at 10:20 pmBeautiful.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:20 pmgreat Escobar is getting carried
May 20th, 2008 at 10:21 pmtake that bitch…church is a dirt bag.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:21 pmChurch was out of the baseline there. Not even trying to touch the bag.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:22 pmChurch got hit the way I saw a player slammed in the EPL recently….
Awful way to end a great day for the Braves…
May 20th, 2008 at 10:22 pmi would like to add that i hope he isn’t hurt. but that was the second time he pulled that tonight.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:23 pmNo sympathy for Church. You go in that high, and you deserve that.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:23 pmIs Escobar okay?
May 20th, 2008 at 10:23 pmwhat’s with all the love for church? I’m more concered with Yunel.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:23 pmServes Church right. Turnabout is fair play. I hope Esco is OK, though.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:23 pmyep, he was out cold too. I think Escobar is fine, but Church was out of the baseline and got taught a nice little lesson there. How about that throw from Acosta though
May 20th, 2008 at 10:24 pmSometimes it takes a concussion to show you that you’re a retarded baserunner. That was just dumb.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:24 pmWow. I’m listening on radio. Can anyone describe the play? All I’ve got to go on is Chip’s bumbling and Pete implying that Church may have been concussed on that collision.
Heck, I can’t even visualize how that kind of thing would happen.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:24 pmChurch – What a D-Bag.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:25 pmWell, there’s nothing wrong with going out of the baseline. As long as you can conceivably get to the bag, and you’re trying to take out the fielder, I think it’s legit. When you come in that high, and your head ends up on the knee of the guy already jumping in the air, then you didn’t get the job done. Church didn’t, and he gets injured for it. Good thing Escobar’s ok.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:26 pmI will be pissed if Yesco is hurt. Church deserved to get clocked and I hope he has to sit out the rest of the series.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:26 pmyep – chopper hit to Manny, he throws a fastball at 2nd and Yunel catches it on the run. Yunel going towards our second baseman throws a strike to Tex while trying to leap over Church who isnt sliding and is out of the baseline. Yunel’s knee squares up on the Side of Church’s head. Church falls, helmet off, and smacks his face on the dirt and slides five feet – out cold. Yunel took a pretty good shot (again), but seemed to be walking off by himself. Same cant be said about Church
May 20th, 2008 at 10:28 pmI’m not sure we know that Escobar is okay. I almost expecthim to get the day off tomorrow if the knee hurts at all. Hopefully he was just exhibiting the pain one would expect when you get your knee hit with someone’s skull.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:28 pmmraver, Church goes in hard into the bag, except he doesn’t get down and basically goes in kinda borderline-trying-to-take-out-Escobar-like-he’s-a-catcher. As Escobar’s throwing to first and getting out of the way, Escobar’s knee nails Church in the head. Church goes face-first into the clay and probably messed up his noggin pretty good.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:29 pmChurch came in wide of the base. Yunel had already sidestepped, and church was waaay out of the basepath. Church stayed high, and when Yunel went to jump over him, his trail leg smoked Church in the head at the knee.
Church deserved what he got.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:29 pmSorry, late on that.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:30 pmwho would’ve thought our potential rotation
Hudson, Jurrjens, Glavine, Reyes, Campillo
May 20th, 2008 at 10:31 pmWhat the hell was Church thinking? (Well, he’s not thinking about anything now.)
If Esco’s really hurt, that would be a huge drag.
Still, a DH sweep is always sweet. And let’s not forget, our pitching staff is really going well right now.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:32 pmWhat a great day. The Mets suck. Did I say how much I love seeing the Braves beating the Mets?
May 20th, 2008 at 10:34 pmI think Boyer needs to call in sick tomorrow
May 20th, 2008 at 10:35 pmI hope Escobar’s okay. Otherwise, a great day to be a Braves fan.
Campillo!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:36 pmcsg, I’m not hating that rotation right now. We’ll see how it’s going in a few weeks…
May 20th, 2008 at 10:37 pmupdate on Yunel – he has 3 bags on ice on his knee and Yunel was quoted saying “no DL no DL” – Bobby said he’s day to day
May 20th, 2008 at 10:49 pmHa. What if, to guarantee he wouldn’t have to pitch, Boyer called in with the flu.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:49 pmhopefully escobar’s knee is fine. he might be out with “flu-like symptoms” after winning both games of the double header, though.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:50 pmHere’s my non-expert medical diagnosis: if nothing’s broken or dislocated, then it’s just a contusion and he should be back in a few days.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:51 pmFWIW, Church has a “mild concussion.” He’s headed to Piedmont.
Hey, let’s sweep these guys.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:02 pmOne game at a time.
We got Jurrjens vs. Pelphrey tomorrow.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:05 pmububba, I thought about a sweep when JJ won the first game in NY with Huddy and Smoltzie lining up…I no longer think about a series sweep after that.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:28 pmThis Jorge Campillo guy, he’s a pretty good baseball player. I think we’ll keep him.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:30 pmWe will probably not know about Yunnel’s injury until tomorrow. Given the way the season has unfolded, it would not surprise me to see him go on the DL.
If we lose Escobar to the DL, then I want to see Diory Hernandez rather than Lillibridge….
May 20th, 2008 at 11:44 pmSorry, I’m greedy & I can dream.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:52 pmStephen, I am just glad that we are not hearing any news on Prado…
ububba, no problem, I am just telling you my experience. I sure hope you are correct!
May 20th, 2008 at 11:59 pmPretty ugly night on the farm last night.
Eric Barrett who is one of Rome’s collection of pitching prospects got roughed up last. The worrying thing is that Barrett started the season well has now been hit very hard in consecutive starts. In the minors trends matter more than many realize.
Lets hope he gets it together in the next start.
Despite some command problems, Kyle Cofield pitched reasonably well at the Beach.
Does anybody out there know what has happened to Evarts?
May 21st, 2008 at 12:00 amKC and ububba–I am certainly dreaming of a sweep until reality wakes me up….
May 21st, 2008 at 12:01 amThat Church “slide” was terrible. It looked like he was trying to headbutt Yunel in the groin. I think Yunel will be fine, but he will definitely get the day off tomorrow. He’s earned it, but I’m sure Esco would rather be in the game. And that is why he is most excellent.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:02 amI just find the following quote from Bobby to be extremely funny:
“You have to use common sense once in a while.”
May 21st, 2008 at 12:24 amHK,
May 21st, 2008 at 12:29 amHow was PVD in Charlotte?
It was awesome. Good crowd. PVD seemed to be enjoying it which didn’t hurt. I would recommend it for anyone looking to trance out to one of the best. I am still more of an Armin Van Buuren fan, though.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:25 amFrom braves.com
When he came back last year and led the Pacific Coast League with a 3.07 ERA, the Mariners couldn’t find room for him on their 40-man roster.
how the hell can you not find room for this guy on your 40 man roster Mariners? thats the single dumbest things I’ve heard all month. No wonder your team sucks.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:27 amRead the write-up on Metsblog about the Church/Escobar collision… their take was “Escobar basically kicked him right in the face”. In the comments surprisingly only one guy was calling for Escobar to get beaned, and there was actually a reasonable discussion of it from somebody who said he thought the onus was on Church but it was a combo of Escobar’s momentum carrying him to first and Church not getting down. Somebody else pointed out that they thought Church had aggravated his concussion from spring earlier in the game when he ran into the wall a couple times, and the Escobar collision was just the icing on the cake.
you can see: http://tiny.cc/Picture184 that they’re a bit on the first base side of the bag, and Escobar is way up in the air… hope both guys are OK (though I wouldn’t mind the Mets being without [what has been one of their best bats] for at least this series).
May 21st, 2008 at 7:28 amRyan Church was still almost upright when his head hit Yunel’s knee. Church had not even begun to get down until approximately 1/4 second before they collided.
Church was not so far out of the baseline as to allow the umpire to call and out or for somebody to call that dirty. However, Church’s late drop was stupid and dirty. If a Mets moron doesn’t think it was Church’s fault, then we can’t help that.
For his long term health’s sake, Church should go 14 or so days at low physical activity. If he has had a recent concussion, he is at extreme risk of permanent damage if he does not follow a very careful treatment plan.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:36 amOpen letter to Blaine Boyer’s agent:
You have the second most at stake in Boyer’s long time career earnings. You have got to tell him to tell the trainer to hold him out every once and a while. Cox is apparently unable to count appearances or something.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:38 amI have not had as much time as I’d hoped the last several weeks to be around Bravesjournal more, so I have to skip what I am sure are endless kudos to Campillo for that amazing start. Congrats…and he absolutely has earned himself a spot in the rotation. Please tell me this means no more Chuck James, at all?
But sweeping a doubleheader vs. the Mets is beyond sweet…if we in the next 2, that will be even sweeter and will give us some desperately needed momentum as we would need it against easily the best team in the National League, the D’Backs.
If Campillo and Jurggjens continue to look as the have, and Glavine is back on track, along with Hudson, I think we could be at a point where we have a reliable front 4, and Jo Jo Reyes has been as solid as you can be as the pseudo fifth starter.
I never dreamed I could say this, but we may still have a very good starting rotation, despite not having Smoltz. That would be rather impressive.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:55 amBelated recap is up.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:10 amI just looked at the collision picture, and I can’t believe how high Escobar’s leg is. There is no way that is remotely his fault.
Concussions are serious things, though, and I hope Church is not seriously hurt. Pictures show his forehead bleeding, and, even though his injury came from his own stupidity, that is never something you want to see.
I hope Escobar is not out for more than a game (although I certainly don’t want him to rush back if he’s hurt). Our lack of a back-up shortstop is coming back to haunt us.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:14 am