Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – August 13, 2011 – ESPN.
Derek Lowe, everybody!
Lowe gave up a run on two hits and a fly ball in the first, then did his tightrope act for a few innings. In the fourth, Dan Uggla, who had already singled in the first, homered again to tie the score. Unfortunately, Chipper Jones‘ long fly ball bounced off the wall for a double, and he got thrown out on the bases on a groundout as the Braves blew a chance to take the lead.
Not that Lowe would have held it. Lowe got the first two, then single, single, double, it’s 3-1. After getting the first hitter in the sixth, he gave up a triple on a ball to the wall that Michael Bourn couldn’t quite hold onto. The next batter grounded to third and Chipper threw terribly towards home allowing the run to score and the batter to reach. A later hit made it 5-1.
The Braves cut it to 5-2 in the bottom of the inning when Uggla was hit by a pitch, Chipper singled, and Alex Gonzalez singled off of the second baseman’s glove. But the Cubs manager got his starter out of there — even at just 75 pitches — and the reliever got out of it with no further runs scoring.
Cristhian Martinez got through the seventh with no trouble, but after an infield single leading off the eighth things unraveled in a hurry, precipitated by Martin Prado simply dropping a fly ball for a two-base error. It was 8-2 at the end of the inning.
The Braves got a run in the eighth on a Jose Constanza groundout, and loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, at least forcing the Cubs closer into the game; Chipper hit a sac fly to make it 8-4 but that was all they got.
#59 and #64 from the previous thread: Listening to Braves Radio means not having to endure Chip Caray.
Out for my birthday dinner but just stopped by to say Derek Lowe sucks balls.
Thanks for the recap mac! Visiting my parents and dad insisted on watching lawrence welk, so I missed most of this one.
Before tonight, Constanza could have gone 1-4 for 21 straight games before his average would fall below .300, 0-4 for 7 straight games. I think we’ve got our right fielder for the remainder of the season regardless of how he actually produces.
Oh Heyward is totally Pipped right now. You won’t see much of him unless we make the WS, and even then it will be a Heyward/Ross DH platoon.
Making me feel somewhat better is that Logan Morrison, he of the 116 wRC+, has apparently been demoted to AAA. I could be that one marlins fan. Boy would that suck for a lot of reasons. The blue jays’ Heyward, Rasmus, Morrison outfield is going to be insane.
can we Google-bomb “Derek Lowe, worst pitcher in the universe currently making $15 million per year”? I know its a little long, but its still catchier than “Derek Lowe, Frank Wren’s biggest mistake besides that Japanese guy who is pitching relief in AA when he’s not spending time on the disabled list” don’t you think?
#5: That’s really weird. He’s got the second highest slugging numbers on the team! He’s got an .836 OPS for this month’s games, in which he’s been playing regularly. That’s not terrible.
Maybe there’s some off the field stuff going on here?
They’re probably just trying to fuck with his service time.
Logan was pretty candid about how pissed off he was, which probably wasn’t the right move. Apparently, he is a terrible defender. He did allude to his thinking it was related to something “off the field”.
Lowe tonight: 6 IP, 6 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 9-3 groundout-flyout ratio.
If you really do believe that pitchers have little to no control over what happens to balls in play, then you have to think Lowe pitched great tonight, right? Anyone care to defend him?
I think he’s been unlucky also. Lots of groundballs are getting through. His xFIP is in the 3.60 range.
Dan Uggla’s OPS+ is now over 100.
Where do all these hates on Heyward coming from? I honestly don’t get it. The kid never complained about losing playing time, he didn’t have bad relationship with his managers. He was just hurt most of the past two seasons. I really think the Braves should really send him down to Gwinnett for couple weeks and bring him back at the end of the month so that he can get some at-bats.
@12
I don’t get the Heyward hate thing. I think the Braves are working on rebuilding his swing.
Heyward should be sent to AAA until September. I really can’t see how this is helping him.
5 – At least they’ve stopped his service time. I too would like to see the Braves send Heyward down instead of relegating him to #3 pinch hitter/pinch runner.
That said, I think it’s a bit early to conclude that Heyward has been “pipped.”
McCann is back in the lineup today.
do you guys think that Jose Reyes’ price has dropped enough due to his hamstring injuries that we could get in on the bidding?
Does service time matter if a player is not on the cusp of Super Two status? Morrison was brought up late enough in 2010 that he wouldn’t be a Super Two after 2012 regardless where he spends the rest of this season.
I also see this brought up in re Heyward, but it seems irrelevant for the opposite reason — because he spent all of 2010 accruing service time (DL time counts), he would have to be sent down for at least six weeks or so in order to avoid Super Two eligibility after 2012. And even then, there’s no guarantee — the service time calculation changes from year to year, so there’s no magic number to aim for.
Hanson to the DL
Heyward in, Chipper out.
Hanson to the DL. I don’t know who’s called up; I assume that if Jurrjens isn’t ready for the next start in that spot Teheran will get it. Linebrink activated, Varvaro sent down.
@17
He will never be a Brave. Also, I did a post a few weeks back regarding payroll for 2012. Unless we trade Lowe and/or Chipper retires, there will be no money to sign anyone significant.
1. 62 million committed to 7 players (Chipper, BMac, Lowe, Hudson, Hinske, Ross, Uggla)
2. About 20 million to 5 arb-eligible players (Bourn, Prado, Jurrjens, O’Flaherty, Medlen). There’s also a chance Hanson becomes arb-eligible next year.
3. About 5 million to Pre-arb guys: Freeman, Heyward, Venters, Kimbrel, Teheran, Minor, Beachy, Lisp, Conrad, Constanza, Delgado, Marek, Gearrin…)
That’s approx. 87 million committed to 22-23 players. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Braves were to re-sign Alex Gonzalez or give Pastornicky the job out of Spring. If Chipper were to retire, the $ will probably go to get a big named left fielder via trade. The OF free agent market for next year is really weak with guys that can hit but cant field particularly well. Next year, I’d like to see the bench round out with Scott Hairston and Omar Infante.
Please Heyward, hit 2 HRs today. PLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEASE! Is that too much to ask?
Edit: Wasn’t it just yesterday that the Braves’ brass was saying Linebrink hadn’t even thrown a bullpen since his injury?
Even if we have the payroll space, I would not want Reyes unless he is willing to take a three-year contract.
Joe Posnanski » Posts The Uggla Duckling «.
Potential free agent shortstops (from Cot’s):
Shortstops
Yuniesky Betancourt MIL *
Ronny Cedeno PIT
Adam Everett CLE
Rafael Furcal LAD
Alex Gonzalez ATL
J.J. Hardy BAL
Cesar Izturis BAL
John McDonald TOR
Augie Ojeda ARI
Jose Reyes NYM
Nick Punto STL
Edgar Renteria CIN
Jose Reyes NYM
Jimmy Rollins PHI
Ramon Santiago DET
Marco Scutaro BOS *
Jack Wilson SEA
JJ Hardy is no longer available. Jimmy Rollins will be with the Phillies. It’s sad to day but there’s no one on that list that’s going to be as cheap and as good as Alex. The Braves could try to go after Furcal on a 1 year “rebuilding his value” contract. In that case, they better sign Infante and have Pastornicky ready at all times.
Delgado to start for Hanson on Tuesday. Also, Fredi says Chipper will probably bat 6th in normal lineup.
Fredi says Chipper will probably bat 6th when he and Mac are both in the lineup. That is a pretty darn good order with Chipper hitting 6th and Heyward 7th if he is playing.
I could most definitely get behind a 2012 roster that looked like this…
Lineup: Bourn Prado BMac Uggla Freeman Chipper Heyward Furcal
Bench: Hairston Ross Hinske Constanza Infante
Starters: Hanson Hudson Jurrjens Teheran Beachy
Bullpen: Kimbrel Venters O’Flaherty Vizcaino Medlen Hoover Gearrin
If the Braves have any takers for Lowe that will pay 5 million of his salary, they better frickin’ take it!
I’d rather figure out how to get Scutaro for one year with Pastornicky ready at some point to step in.
DOB:
Rather than call up Ramirez or someone for couple of days, D. Ross will be RH bat off bench for #Braves
Maybe Fredi’s starting to get it.
Didn’t watch the game, but based on the recap it sounds more like bad defense than Derek Lowe was responsible for this one.
@31, the Red Sox would love some pitching, and if Iglesias is the man for 2012, you try and trade for Lowrie.
I would imagine that Pastornicky and AAG would probably share time next year if they think Pastornicky is ready
@34, Agree. I would try there first, but I don’t think they’re actually going to bench Lowrie. Enrique Iglesias is a better hitter than Jose, thus far.
if they think Pastornicky is ready
Well he has gone all Costanza on the IL – maybe you are right.
@36, Elvis Andrus is the new market inefficiency.
#33 A lot of hard hit grounders that found holes. Castro pulled to the left so many times that a team should consider the shift against him. The best thing that I can say about Lowe is that despite the outcome, he didn’t suck completely. The frustrating thing was we couldn’t get consecutive hits to build a big inning. And Martin Prado had a very bad day in the field yesterday.
@37, Stop it, you’re getting my hopes up. I would love Wren acting like he wants Iglesias in a deal and then merely “settling” for Lowrie.
Braves lineup per Peanut:
1. Bourn CF
2. Prado 3B
3. McCann C
4. Uggla 2B
5. Freeman 1B
6. Heyward RF
7. Gonzalez SS
8. Constanza LF
9. Beachy
18 – You might well be right. In fact, you probably are–I don’t have a firm understanding of the service time thing. The clock seems to have started on both guys, right?
I also think the Braves will go with Pastornicky at SS. If Chipper retires, which is certainly possible, I imagine the team’s intention would be to add a LF.
So glad I missed the Caray ‘Barney the dinosaur’ reference he apparently made last night according to some posters here in the game thread.
Wow, we are making that a-hole a star
That Starling kid looks like he should be in a boy band.
Please don’t bunt. Please don’t bunt. Please don’t bunt.
UPDATE: Okay, no pretense of a bunt by Prado. But he did hit a wimpy grounder to the pitcher. Not sure if he’d a been doubled up or not, but we’ll never know…
Swinging bunt… thank goodness these are the LOLCubs.
Good grief. Garza is such a headcase, they’d do well to get to him here.
LOL
Man On Fire is up with a man on third and one out. Awesome.
Well, that was nice too.
For once, speed actually did matter.
Does mlb.com not let anyone else switch broadcasts? I know others have said that they can, but I’m wondering if other’s can’t. Because it won’t let me have any broadcast but the home team’s broadcast.
Really nice swing by Dan on that sac fly. If his bat hadn’t broken he might have given it a drive.
@52, I think that’s the one of the differences between “basic” and “premium”
54 – That’s what I was wondering, if I just needed to pay more. Unless Chip is fired in the offseason, I’m spending the extra money next year.
The game is being broadcast on WGN-Chicago, BTW.
Good lord! Garza has 6 errors on 23 starts on the year. That’s awful.
Uh oh. Murph’s in the TV booth with Glavine. Wonder if a fight’s gonna break out?
They just flashed a title on the screen for Dale: “Former Braves Outfielder.” Can’t find a more appropriate adjective than “former”? How about “Legendary”? It’s like they’ve got Keith Mitchell or Tommy Gregg in the booth.
Glavine was pretty awful in 1987 and 1988. Not sure if it’s best to be asking: “do you regret leaving after seeing these great young players the Braves were calling up at the time”.
58: True, but both he and Smoltz had really solid years in 1989, and both were putting up good numbers by the time Murph was traded in ’90. In the end, 1990 was a year of mild regression for Glavine but it was pretty obvious that Murph was leaving a team with some great young players.
Do my ears deceive me, or did they just say that Agony got an infield hit?
Man, T-Bone sure is good at that
56 – thank you.
That was all elite hitting ability from Constanza and Gonzalez.
Yay Cubs.
Bunt it to Garza
LOLCUBS!
I love playing the Cubs. OMG It’s almost as great as playing the Mets.
Bad News Cubs…
The universe loves Constanza.
Well that was bizarre.
LOLCubs.
LOL! I love it. This is EXACTLY what people mean by Georgie “putting pressure on the defense.” [/sarcasm]
Start up the Constanza for MVP campaign.
How was it “smart base running” to get caught in that run-down and only escape because of getting accidently hit with the baseball?
Don’t understand Simpson speak.
The Braves might score 10 runs on ground balls.
With a good defensive third baseman, there would have been about five outs so far this inning.
Come on B Mac, put them away
This might be the worst defensive display I have ever seen from a major league club.
Hit it where they are!
73: I’d need to see the replay again but a case could be made that Georgie was sacrificing himself to draw the throw to third instead of going home where A-Gon might have been thrown out with a good throw. He had the play in front of him and Byrd did seem to get on the ball really well.
But if that wasn’t in his head, then it’s another example of bad baserunning by our new cult hero.
Somebody needs to work with Beachy (and some other pitchers) on their bunting technique. That at bat was a complete waste. He stands so upright that putting down a bunt is just about an impossibility.
#79
I don’t think Constanza needed to draw the throw. I’m pretty sure, AAG would’ve scored anyway. Seemed like he just put his head down, rounded 2nd & ended up getting lucky.
Alright, Uggla. Let’s get this out of the way.
79 – it looked to me like he was just running. But either way, I didn’t think Gonzalez would have been thrown out.
Ok Dan, let’s get a hit here.
Can Jason Heyward have his own hitting streak for grounding out to second base?
Wow, nice catch Heyward! Definitely thought that was falling.
Really nice play to end the inning there.
Great job by Heyward, Don sounded real scared that would drop.
That ball drops in pretty much every defensive OF alignment the Braves have played since the days of Good Andruw Jones.
Jose, we still need four balls for a walk.
Edit: Okay, so he’s clairvoyant too.
Nice, Georgie.
Constanza’s like the Ty Cobb of 27 year old rookies.
he looks like such a nutjob sometimes, but that’s some good manufacturing. Beachy can’t get a bunt down, so go ahead and steal a couple bases. otis nixon stylee.
For all of the purists, this is like a dream come true.
It’s Broken Bat Bourn today! Well done… 4-0!
I kinda dissed the whole speed thing but it seems to be the way to go
Are the Braves really lucky or are the Cubs really bad at defense?
96- Yes.
Simpson and Caray are nauseating with their incessant ‘speed is so great’ preaching.
Well, the speed has been nice.
I have to give Fredi credit for being even more aggressive than usual against a defense that isn’t capable of making basic defensive plays. He found a weakness, and he’s exploiting the snot out of it.
96 – Well, there have been three errors, another hit that should have been an error, two infield hits, and two broken bat bloop hits. I’d say that both good fortune and Cub ineptitude have worked together today, but we’ll obviously take it.
@99
Couldn’t agree more. I love seeing the Braves have this as part of their offense. I got so tired of having to string together 3 hits in a row or hit a homer to score any runs. At least they have some variety now.
Honest question; are the people complaining about the announcing re: speed just annoyed by the announcing (completely understandable), or do you guys not recognize the kernel of truth behind what they’re saying (even if they say it in an annoying way.)
So far, the speed-and-defense thing is kinda working today.
If Zambrano was pitching today instead of Garza, he’d have shot one of the other Cubs by now.
Personally I’m annoyed by Chip in general and the speed thing by how often it’s repeated.
@101
I think having fast guys on has forced some throws that caused an error or two. Speed is a nice thing to have, if it is getting on base.
@103: for me, it’s mostly because the two stooges won’t shut up.
Swear I’ve heard Caray say some variation of: “the game is getting away from the home run, it’s opening up more for the speedy players that can steal bases” over three dozen times.
Beachy threw 5 strikes that at bat. At least he got the last called correctly.
It’s the exaggeration that annoys me. Speed is nice, but it really doesn’t add all that many runs to the offense, and the idea that speed is necessary in the postseason because power doesn’t work is absurd. How many times have the Yankees led the league in stolen bases?
Who cares what announcers say?
If anyone’s annoyed, there’s a mute button.
This game so far: Eight strikeouts, No walks, No Home Runs.
Last game: Seven strikeouts, One walk, One Home Run.
Wow wow wow.
Exaggeration is kind of like Chip’s thing.
@111: most people do, when they’re listening to them and have trouble muting it because of not liking awkward silence.
It seems safe (from the speed talk) to listen when the opposing team bats, but not when the Braves are up. So maybe I’ll consider muting the half of the game in which the Braves are batting.
103 –
I haven’t made an cracks, but I generally agree with the criticism. I was hoping for a Bourn trade for much of the season and was absolutely thrilled when they added him. In particular, I thought that his skill set, and especially his speed, was a perfect complement to the Braves (on both offense and defense). Like others here I had grown frustrated with the slow baserunners, the team’s inability to advance 2 bases on a hit, and the manager’s infatuation with trying to force something on the base-paths with slow guys.
But the announcers and broader public’s infatuation with speed for speed’s sake is a bridge too far for me. Speed is important, and wonderful to have, but it’s hard for me to distinguish between some of the praise heaped on certain fast guys from the bizarre infatuation with “grit” and “scrappy-ness.” A belief that speed is a replacement for power just seems odd to me: and guys like Joe Simpson do indeed often mistake praise for speed with a dismissal of power. There have been a couple instances of this argument today, for instance.
@112 – yeah, the difference between the first and third games of this series, as opposed to the Lowe start, were striking. It’s almost as if the Cubs saved up all of their luck and situational hitting for Lowe, reserving their typical Cubs incompetency for Minor and Beachy.
Simpson and Caray are nauseating
You just have to accept this part of it as axiomatic. The topic doesn’t matter.
Great play by Barney. Dammit.
It takes that kind of supernatural feat to break this streak.
I hate Darwin Barney.
Hitting streak will end today. Too bad. But it`s been a great ride.
Here we go again with another 6th-inning adventure. Beachy seems to hit this wall often.
I agree that the announcers oversell the impact of speed. And it’s easy to blur the “good soldier” announcing, where they praise an OBP sink like Jordan Schafer for his “speed,” as if that makes up for not getting on base, with the legitimate praise of players like Bourn and (until the wheels fall off) Constanza.
You can easily (and often) oversell “manufacturing runs” and speed as an asset, but the 4th run scored today was completely manufactured by Constanza’s speed.
@123,
Banned.
At least Chip has toned down his “I use to work in Chicago for the Cub” crap.
Good thing Linebrink is back. I think you gotta use the LOOGY for Colvin.
Oh no.
Heck of a choice with Linestink here, Gonzalez.
Dammit, did Proctor sneak back in a Linebrink jersey?
Playing the role of Scott Proctor … Scott Linebrink.
That fourth “speed-created” run is much more important now.
How the hell does Freddi leave Linebrink in there with the bases loaded in a 4-1 game? Idiot.
Does Fredi have money on the Cubs?
Ugh.
So Fredi makes a good decision by pulling Beachy but negates it by leaving Linebrink in to face Colvin. Sounds about right.
The best thing Linebrink can do for the Braves is to pitch himself off the postseason roster (before he does something that really hurts).
I hate to say it, but maybe Fredi was a little quick with Beachy’s hook.
Maybe it was naive of me but I’ve been really kinda falling in love with our bullpen over the last 15 days.
We’ll be lucky to hold onto a tie now. What does Linebrink bring to the table, exactly? He’s a reliever who doesn’t strike anyone out. Haven’t we had enough of those?
I thought they were going to leave him in there for a second.
Good idea to bring in Linebrink (fresh from the DL) in this spot. Nice work.
@79 With 2 outs both AAG and George left at crack of bat. If George was going to be out by 45 feet I doubt if AGON would have been safe
That was way too predictable. Two straight hard hit balls, so yeah, let’s leave him in to face a lefty.
@139 It’s okay to love O’Ventbrel. Vizcaino has to earn love (and he can here by getting out of this by holding onto the lead). The rest can be worthy of contempt.
Well I’m done watching this game.
Dammit McCann.
Wild pitch? lol.
Oh no. Again.
$(#(@($)@@#$@!
McCann’s a little rusty, I guess. Crud.
If Beachy broke his hand by taking a swing at Fredi for using the shallow end of the bullpen to relieve him the last two starts, he’d be justified.
This, if we lose, is all on Freddi. Terrible decisions.
Jesus McCann.
We’re out-LolCubbing the LolCubs.
McCann is struggling back there
Good Lord.
On both wild pitches, McCann’s technique has been terrible.
Woof.
There have been worse innings this year, but probably none more frustrating.
Not that it matters to the score or anything, but those two wild pitches should’ve been scored as passed balls. Both pitches got to McCann on the fly; he’s got to corral them.
So, using O’Ventbrel when up 4 runs is unforgivable stupidity, unless the guy getting the no-decision is a fan-boy favorite? I see.
Beachy needs to get through six, no? Aside from not going to Sherrill for the one LHB, what’s the problem with the pen usage exactly? Aside from the results, of course.
140: Apparently Vizcaino is a pitcher who strikes too many out!
145: I was kinda feeling Varvarro there before he got demoted. And the Lisp has earned much respect in my eyes.
Vizcaino is so much better than Linebrink that it’s hurting my brain.
Beachy just needs to learn how to pitch complete games (or at least 7 and turn it over to Venters/Kimbrel). He always gets screwed like this.
Three strikeouts for two outs and one run scored.
For what it’s worth on Linebrink, Soriano hit a ball an inch off the ground for a base hit, and Colvin’s ball was just guided through the right side. It wasn’t like he got pounded. He just got a little unlucky.
And shall I simply assume that Scott Linebrink is the new Scott Proctor around here? Even though he used to be the guy that should have been called in instead of Proctor?
161: Just to clarify, Linebrink was brought in with baserunners and a three-run lead.
Beachy needs to learn to not get gassed after 5. I can’t blame Fredi for too much of this.
166 – Gonna happen when you don’t strike guys out. Moreover, most guys who don’t strike many guys out induce ground balls. Linebrink is a reliever who gets few swings-and-misses yet surrenders fly balls. He’s not the right guy in that situation.
161 – You’ve simultaneously built a strawman and dismissed as a caveat the exact issue causing most folks frustration.
For those of us who aren’t watching the game, is Vizciaino’s stuff as good as advertised?
@161 Linebrink coming straight off the DL instead of Vizcaino. Too high-leverage a situation to use a guy in his first appearance back (especially when his groundball/flyball ratio since the walk-off HR at Cincinnati was 2-to-8 and his WHIP in that same span was 1.50).
The one questionable call that inning was not going the full Tony LaRussa and bringing in Sherrill to face one batter. He trusted his guy to get an out, and his guy didn’t get that out. I personally detest one-hitter relief appearances on principle, so I’m not complaining too much about that.
Vizcaino looked good. Mac is still stiff and slow behind the plate. Block those two balls and we’re still up 1 and Beachy’s still in line for the “win.”
Randall Delgado is apparently starting Tuesday vs the Giants.
Viz’s stuff looks great.
Does Beachy get gassed or do lineups tee off on him third time through?
@171 – It *looks* good from TV.
Damn, I’d just about cry if I were covering second with Heyward coming in like that
4 steals today…I think that’s more than we had all of April. And May, maybe.
Lord, the Cubs are bad. Thanks, guys…
Man, this is a joke of a game.
God bless the Cubs defense.
Yowza!
lolCubs usurping their ‘lol’ status back from the Braves after that previous inning.
Also, the Cubs’ pitchers can’t field at all.
Thanks gang. Here’s hoping he develops a third pitch for next year’s octo-rotation.
Lol. This game will not appear in the next Tom Emanski video.
LOLCubs!
And with that, Vizcaino gets his first major league pitching win.
No wonder my 81-year-old father-in-law, a lifelong Cubs fan, is such a morose man.
Heyward manufacturing a run! (I cringe when he slides headfirst on a steal, but great play to get into scoring position and then make the Cubs D break again.)
Please have Georgie run bunting drills with the Braves starters. That was a good one.
What happened to Ross as the RH pinch-hitter?
Pastornicky just left the Gwinnett game with leg injury.
Fredi doesn’t want to be in a situation where he has to put Boscan into the game?
Re: Beachy:
Looking at his 2011 splits on Baseball Reference, Beachy has been outstanding in the 5th and 6th innings. His sample size for the 7th and 8th is really small (only 3 innings) and they’re not exactly good numbers. But for the record, his worst numbers come in the 1st inning: Players hit .292/.354/.486.
OK, I really hate Darwin Barney.
Classic example where stats (as they are kept) don’t tell the full story. Brandon has had a hard time getting outs the third time through, puts guys on, and then gets the hook.
I suspect Fredi would really like to give Ross a day off too.
Darwin Barney is like the new Cody Ross
Beachy needs to get better at the third time through the lineup, going deeper into games. He’s an awesome find out of nowhere, and a lot better than Derek Lowe, but if Derek Lowe had pitched this exact same ball game folks here wouldn’t be complaining about the relievers, per se.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Well, he throws a lot of pitches to get outs.
Sigh.
Well, poop.
Ouch
O’Ventbrel picked a bad time to become vincible again.
Maybe O’Failurety has now hit the wall
How was that Fredi’s fault?
Isn’t Lowe known for falling apart in the middle innings?
197, 200: The numbers don’t show Beachy having any problem getting outs the third time through the lineup. To wit: .153/.287/.247.
102 plate appearances, 29 hitters got on base (1 intentionally via walk). I’m not a stat geek, but that indicates to me a lot of outs.
Who wants to lose this game the least at this point?
So a team well under .500, with an inept offense, making errors left and right, losing 4-0 just last inning; is now winning.
Which team here is ‘lol’ again?
@208 Who said it was Fredi’s fault?
@213 – No one, yet. I’m just asking. I mean, every bad result has to be Fredi’s fault, right?
175 – Beachy is probably just not quite effective enough still, he ended at 102 pitches.
If the streak ends today and we lose, I will declare this the worst game of the year.
Venters makin’ people look like a damned fool.
All that matters is the Braves winning. Uggla’s streak really isn’t all that important; it’s not like anyone actually thinks he is a serious threat to DiMaggio’s record.
216: I’ll feel partly responsible because I made a concerted effort to go to a sports bar to watch this game. I knew I shouldn’t have done it.
So this brings up the question: What other games are eligible for “worst game of the year”?
Imagine if Fredi had brought in Venters to pitch with a 4-1 lead in the sixth.
2 things: Barney made a great play. Freddie Freeman is a slow, slow man.
Fredi hates Heyward, it’s that simple.
I thought for sure that wasn’t even gonna be close.
I hate guys named Castro.
and I hate AAG.
Wasn’t willing to say it an inning before, will say it after a 1-2-3 eighth: Thus endeth the hitting streak.
Close games allow Fredi to do odd things.
@220 – Was that the 8th inning? Exactly.
@226 He could still theoretically come up in the 9th. Bases loaded, two out. Or any other combination of 5 hitters making 2 outs or less while scoring less than 2 runs (obviously this changes if the Cubs score).
Fredi wouldn’t hit for Diory Hernandez with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie game, but Heyward? Sure. Will someone just fire his ass already?
Why do you bring in Linebrink in the 6th if you’re going to go with your battery regardless?
This is what happens with you coronate a manager based on the previous one’s wishes, rather than doing any real leg-work looking for the best candidate.
King Fredidiot I shall never be fired.
Complete tactical inflexibility (walking Ty Wigginton to face Carlos Gonzalez in Colorado to create a lefty-lefty matchup; refusing to consider using Venters in the sixth even when it is a high-leverage situation) is my primary beef with Fredi. Of course, it was also my issue with Cox, too.
Careful Mac…you are going to upset Sam
@212
And we have 17 strikeouts. Good grief.
The most depressing thing about all of this Fredi idiocy is that you know we’re stuck with it for years.
Mac can vent his frustrations at his own site, obviously. I’m not sure where the hubbub for PHing for a 170-something hitter vs LHP comes from, but you boys like to hate Fredi more than pretty much anything else in the world, so have at it.
236 – Exactly.
Great job by the Braves’ hitters in the 7-8-9 after the Cubs took the lead.
Wow, the first 5 pitches to Bourn were balls, yet 2 were called strikes
Howzabout a gapper, Prado?
UPDATE: Or a clean single up the middle?
But amid the hot mess that is the last four innings, I adore Bourn.
Damnitall.
Martin is such a freaking hacker. Ugh.
WTF Prado?
What was with that defensive swing on a 3-1 count?
Great ending. There’s a wall around here that I need to bang my head against.
Nice swing Prado…way to commit to a pitch you clown
Well damn. Ugly game.
Prado has been swinging for contact all season. It’s the primary reason that his season has been so mediocre.
What a horrible loss and even more horrible swing by Prado.
That ought to buy Prado about a week off, swinging like that at a 3-1 pitch.
What a joke.
@236 Unfortunately.
Don just called Prado a “heady” hitter. As much as I love him, Prado never has a plan, or if he does, it makes no sense.
251—Don’t worry, Fredi will really lay into Heyward for Prado’s misdeeds.
I would be for a lineup with Chipper at 3rd, Heyward in right and T-Bone in left with Prado the right handed bench bat
No one’s been hurt more by exposure to Larry Parrish than Prado.
Heyward is like Fredi’s personal voodoo doll
Just a brief note from reality amidst the caterwauling and hate:
Eric O’Flaherty lost this game.
236: Remember all the hubbub in Braves Country when Fredi was fired by the Marlins? Bobby particularly was livid over it. I don’t recall any justifications given by the Marlins at the time; IIRC they were pretty tight lipped about the reasons for his dismissal. I didn’t follow his managerial career at all but I would imagine based on what I’ve seen that they were fed up with his “frediocy” and gave him the proper heave ho.
Did they ever discuss why they let him go? Is there a “reason” that’s been publicized or even rumored?
257: Yeah, there’s a big “L” next to his name for sure. A rare lapse in performance to an otherwise phenomenal season. Are you suggesting we ought to be calling for his head rather than Linebrink or Fredi?
Wait, don’t answer that question.
@258: thought the Marlins canned Gonzalez for his benching, and overall handling, of shortstop Ramirez?
And now Gonzalez is here, benching another good young player…
“Tomorrow. I think it’s a different day.”
-Brian Jordan
It’s a team loss: McCann’s passed balls, EOF’s gopher ball, Beachy’s inability to pitch efficiently, and yes, Fredo’s poor bullpen usage and strange aversion to allowing Heyward to play all combined to overcome the comic stylings of the LOLCubs.
260: Yeah, okay. That’s right, now I remember. That move may have been defensible in an Andruw kind of way, I dunno.
261: And Tuesday comes after words.
Recapped.
I think you mean “Recrapped.”