Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves — Box Score — May 26, 2012 — ESPN
Mike Minor is a problem with this team. Unfortunately, he is not the greatest of this team’s problems.
When you give up 8 runs you are probably going to lose. Unfortunately, the 8 runs were given up by three pitchers that the Braves really can’t do without. Four were off Minor — “No doy,” as the kids used to say about 20 years ago — but equally problematically, two were off Kris Medlen and two were off Jonny Venters. There is clearly something very, very wrong with Minor, who has given up 34 earned runs, including 12 homers, in his last 32 2/3 innings. There is also clearly something very, very wrong with Venters, who has given up five runs (four earned) in his last five innings, including two homers.
What else is there to say about this badly hobbled team? Chipper Jones is going to the DL, which is a shame, because the team can’t hit without him. Brian McCann is still sick and David Ross strained his groin on a checked swing. Freddie Freeman is having vision problems. Tyler Pastornicky still sucks at baseball. Somehow the Braves offense managed four runs in five innings against Stephen Strasburg and not a blessed thing against Tom Gorzelanny.
Are the Braves terrible? I don’t know. So many of our players are either injured and out of the lineup or injured but still in the lineup that it’s hard to assess. But this team sucks. A lot.
This song is by Phil Collins’ son Simon. That’s how awful this team is. You’re welcome, Smitty.
I wrote this. Also, congratulations, Rob.
What’s the record for going from division leader to last place? The Braves are almost there.
Well, at least we did not wait until the end of September….
Congrats Rob.
Time to see if Beachy is an ace.
Also, who is the teams optometrist? It took two years to get McCann’s eyes right, now Freeman? Come on, they are in Atlanta, Georgia, not on the moon. Are they consulting the Lion’s Club for glasses?
The Eye Center at Emory is great. In a city that big, it shouldn’t be hard to get this all worked out.
Thanks for the well-wishes guys. On our way to the Bahamas for the honeymoon. Hope the Braves can win at least one while we’re there!
Hey wait, isn’t Rob Cope the high school kid who posts here? Ay caramba. Congrats Rob!
Yeah, how does the team allow Freeman to scratch his dry eyes to the point of badly damaging them? How does HE not say something to the team about how bad they are bothering him?
Why universe, why?
Thanks for the brave effort at the recap, Alex, it’s better than the team deserves right now. I’m worried that even if this is really a good team going through an unlucky/injured stretch, we won’t be able to dig out of the hole because the division is so competitive. You can’t lose a week’s worth of games in the NL east and get away with it.
There’s an eerie correspondence in the standings of the respective divisions in each league right now, particularly in the Central divisions. What does it all mean??
Well, the teams are bunched between first and last. The division is competitive but none of the teams are real juggernauts that are likely to run away. Of course, the Braves haven’t played particularly well within the division.
This slump-and six games isn’t that much really-seems to illustrate the lack of depth on the team. How can you be so dependent on a 40 year old on his last legs? That bothers me more than anything else. The Braves aren’t the only team with injury problems. The strength of the team was supposed to be their young starting pitching, but other than Beachy, the pitching has been so-so. Watching Minor you can just see him struggling to get the ball where he wants it. I wonder if he is overthrowing.
please tell me that we will not have to listen to anymore Simon Collins if the Braves win today.?.
Here comes yet another defense of Tommy Hanson, who is also decidedly not the problem:
3.12 ERA
4.08 xFIP
123 ERA+
7.96 K/9
3.59 BB/9
7.8% HR/FB
It is an interesting question, though, regarding the offense and roster construction. In order to have a playoff caliber offense, how many hitters have to be above average for their position? And if you’ve got a first-ballot HOFer in your lineup, how many more above-average hitters do you typically need to support him to get more than 90 wins?
With respect to the Braves’ young pitchers, either (a) they are not as good as was hoped for and expected or (b) they are in a collective pitching slump. If (a), then moves must be made if this team is to be competitive in a relatively tough division, which would include moving some of those young arms before they completely lose value. If (b), then the team’s coaching staff, especially it’s pitching coach, better be under the microscope.
Bandit, suffice to say that I have no idea how I will react if the Braves win today.
Better win today because we have no chance at winning on a Monday.
@12
I think they are still young and the bats have bailed them out this year. However, the bats have been real streaky.
We need Beachy to dominate tonight.
We should trade Heyward as a voodoo baseball sacrifice. Or actually sacrifice Chad Durbin to C’thulu just because.
Just thinking outside the box.
DOOOOOOOOMED
Since Fredi doesn’t want to move Prado back and forth (understandable), I hope he shifts Prado to 3rd for the time being. I think the Braves are better off with his plus defense at third and a Diaz/Hinske platoon than Francisco everyday.
Going to the game tonight. Hopefully a win! I think Francisco is the third baseman until Chipper get back , with a spot start maybe for Tyler Pastornicky at third to start his eventual role of super sub.
Pastornicky doesnt need to be anywherebon the infield.
Congrats to Rob!
Braves on espn3 tonight… Great time to see them play.
Make it happen, Beachy!
McCann available to pinch-hit but no more, according to ESPN.
Is it raining in Atlanta? We’re getting drenched on the central Florida coast.
Not here, an hour south of ATL. We have a slight chance tomorrow and a good chance on Tuesday. Hope it comes, we really need some rain.
Not bad, and Beachy would be doing even better if he wasn’t bouncing one pitch per batter.
On one hand, bunting in this situation is usually counterproductive, but then so is having Pastornicky hit.
round of applause for taking one in the goods
Now now, Brandon. McDaniel’s calls weren’t that bad.
GOGOGOGOGOGOGO! Whew! Way to go Bourn.
I don’t like it but I’ll take the run. A squeeze with the infield in?
No walks please, Mr. Beachy,
What an awful defensive middle infield we have.
Yes, but remember, everything Tyler and Dan give up with the glove… well, Tyler gives up again with the bat.
Not the guy I want to see at the plate.
Well, that makes as much sense as the rest of this inning.
Ugh.
Way to get beat on your 3rd best pitch, Beachy.
If Pastornicky goes to first or if Uggla catches the flip, the inning’s over.
Again, it could have been worse. When’s Andrellton getting in from Mississippi?
Charge those runs to Pastornicky.
It’s almost to the point that I’d rather see Wilson play short everyday until Simmons is ready. Pastornicky isn’t adding anything with the bat.
Pastornicky wanted a Web Gem and ends up raping Beachy.
Sure would be nice to get Beachy a couple of runs before the bullpen takes over.
This umpire’s strike zone is about as big as a teacup.
I would hate for Beachy to take the loss.
So done.
I think I have to quit caring until Fredi is gone, no matter how many years that takes. I just despise him so much and can’t stand to hear the man even speak without being annoyed. I should blame Wren for hiring him and putting together a roster with no short stop or depth, but much easier to dislike Fredi.
So many people to hate on this team, so little time.
ugh
It’s like the beginning of the season again where it looks like this team will never win another game.
Bad teams always say they need to work on the fundamentals, but this team’s defense is so bad at such a basic level that they probably do need more practice on things like having the ball in the glove before throwing.
Livan Hernandez is making me miss Mike Minor.
Speaking of, why is Livan still out there? Yeah, the game’s lost, but it’s not like he’ll ever get 10 more outs at this rate.
Last Sunday the Braves were 1.5 games in first place.
I have never seen anything like it. I have never been one to blame the manager, but Fredi sucks. He has no control over the clubhouse. If he did, Chipper would have been the DH in Tampa.
Now seems like a particularly obnoxious time to point that the shortstop I wanted this offseason — who cost $1.5 mil and a cost-controlled reliever who happens to be in AAA right now — has established a personal best in fWAR and is hitting .272/.352/.469.
Cardinals up next. Time for a team meeting, or something.
Anyone suggesting that we t*p o*r c*p is going to deal with me throwing up into it. Honestly, between the pitching staff, the hitters, the coaches, the manager, the trainers, and the front office, who can’t we blame?
God damn you, Tyler. Does North Korea have a baseball league we can sell him to?
Remember when we joked that Chris Woodward was a secret Mets spy?
Haha, yeah, that was funny.
Gio reminds me a lot of Oliver Perez.
Every hit by Francisco fills me with dismay- it means we’ll have to pretend he’s a major leaguer for a while longer. And now I can’t use that “One goddamn hit?” line from Bob Uecker tonight.
I’m never dismayed when a Brave does something good. I always know that we have someone behind him who’s worse in every respect. We’re gonna be seeing a lot of Francisco’s sorry butt this year. You might as well get used to rooting for him.
This is the team we have. We’re not as good as it looked when we were scoring 8 runs a game for what seemed like a two week period. And we’re not as bad as the team that barely can scratch across more than two runs in a little league ball park. Overall we’re a very mediocre team without Chipper. If he only plays 50% of the games then we have no hope.
Recapped. DOOOOOOOOOOMED.
I thought Heyward would be the kind of player that would push a .900 OPS when on a hot streak, but it looks more like it’ll be .800.