GUYS WEARING “BRAVES” UNIFORMS 10, CUBS 3
Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 3, 2012 – ESPN.
I don’t know who was playing yesterday. At first, I’m pretty sure that the Braves were on the field, because they gave up 3 unearned runs in the 3rd after Dan Uggla tossed a grounder to Martin Prado in left field and Jair Jurrjens had to be lifted after 5 barely-effective innings, giving up 9 hits and getting just 2 strikeouts.
After Jurrjens limped through the top of the fifth, it was 3-1, and it was pretty clear that we were going to lose — just read yesterday’s game thread after the Uggla error. Honestly, I’m not sure what happened after that. Kris Medlen came in and pitched three perfect innings of relief. Not much surprise there; he’s too good for the pen.
But then the bottom of the fifth happened. I’m not sure what to believe. I think it was body snatchers, or possibly pod people. Brian McCann singled and Andrelton Simmons reached on what GameDay called an infield hit but was really an infield brain fart by second baseman Darwin Barney, who looked to second before realizing that he wasn’t going to be able to get McCann, then threw late to first base. (Take the out, stupid.) Then Eric Hinske pinch hit for Jurrjens, who didn’t have much left in the tank anyway.
And then… Hinske walked.
After that, the floodgates opened. Michael Bourn hit a 3-run triple, Prado drove him home with a sac fly, and Heyward followed with a solo shot before the Cubs could get out of the inning. The Braves had batted around, so the exact same lineup came up in the sixth. And the Cubs forgot how to find the strike zone. Rafael Dolis got a groundout but walked the bases loaded, and so the Cubs brought in our old friend Jairo Asencio, The Artist Formerly Known As Luis Valdez. He walked in a run, gave up a three-run double to Chipper Jones, and walked the bases loaded again.
Then the Braves finally re-emerged in their own uniforms, as Brian McCann ended the inning and stranded three men by popping out to left after hitting a few grand slam-distance foul balls.
Despite our four famous pitching prospects entering the season, this is an offense-first ballclub with weak and unreliable pitching. The Braves are going to need a lot more blowouts. Here’s hoping the aliens steal their bodies a few more times this week.
Thanks, AAR
July 4th, 2012 at 1:26 pmSheets starts for Mississippi tonight.
July 4th, 2012 at 1:45 pmWhat’s the expectation with Sheets?
July 4th, 2012 at 2:10 pmAbsolute awesomeness.
July 4th, 2012 at 2:11 pmSheets will save the Braves with a miracle come back making everyone forget about Minor… or not.
July 4th, 2012 at 2:29 pmAnything less than a World Series victory would be a disappointment.
July 4th, 2012 at 2:48 pmSheets = 2012 NL Comeback Player of the Year and World Series MVP.
July 4th, 2012 at 3:44 pmrealistically I’m hoping Sheets is a better 4th starter than Minor or Delgado.
July 4th, 2012 at 3:45 pm1 Greinke 2 Hanson 3 Hudson 4 Sheets 5 Delgado is my pipedream.
Maybe one blazing half-season is all that Sheets has left—but I’ll damn-sure take it.
Happy 4th, y’all!
July 4th, 2012 at 4:13 pmHappy 4th!
Marlins just acquired Carlos Lee.
July 4th, 2012 at 4:40 pmGlad we dodged that bullet.
July 4th, 2012 at 4:50 pmIn hospital with pneumonia. Have recovered a lor
July 4th, 2012 at 5:00 pmGood to hear you are ok Mac. Prayers still sent your way.
July 4th, 2012 at 5:10 pmYou’re always in our thoughts and prayers, Mac. Get well soon. We need you.
July 4th, 2012 at 5:21 pmGet well soon, Mac!
July 4th, 2012 at 5:41 pmHope you’re doing better soon, Mac. We continue to pray for you.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:09 pmGood to hear you’re on the way to getting better, Mac. Just keep on getting better every day.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:16 pmWhat game was Freeman watching there?
July 4th, 2012 at 6:17 pmGet well soon, Mac.
Get bent, Randall.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:19 pmNobody else notice Freeman was an absolute statute on that slow grounder three feet to his right?
July 4th, 2012 at 6:20 pmGetting real tired of the giant sinkhole at the back-end of the rotation (Delgado and Minor.)
July 4th, 2012 at 6:22 pmMaybe Ben Sheets will help. And maybe I’ll sprout wings, fly to Turner Field, and start tomorrow.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:23 pmHang in Mac. Good to hear from you.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:34 pmWell, that was painfully predictable.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:35 pmFreddie, Freddie, Freddie.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:35 pmThe absolute most Braves inning possible. Three singles, no runs.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:36 pmBut its just as well, because Delgado’s about to give up a three-spot here, and the two runs we should have scored would just have gotten our hopes up.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:37 pmI hate Freeman… Fredi too for hitting him in front of Uggla with a lefty on the mound.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:38 pmFreddie’ll be okay, but he does aggravate at times.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:43 pmBuster Olney wrote yesterday that a Delgado for Greinke trade “makes complete sense”.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:46 pmi happen to like Delgado and think he has a good chance to be a solid pitcher, but i’ve gotta think it’d take more than that.
30 — Yeah probably, though he does only have just about half a season left on his contract.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:49 pmI like Delgado also and would much rather swap Minor plus than Randall.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:50 pmHalf year rentals do not cost that much. Think Tex-Kotchman.
Years of control have a lot of value.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:51 pmI love how the mic caught the Braves’ announcers at the end of the second – “That was the most ungraceful catch I’ve ever…” just before cutting away.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:52 pmIt’s hard not to like McCann. He seems like an excellent guy.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:56 pmIf Greinke can’t be signed long-term by the Braves, then a trade would be a bad decision. Atlanta’s trades for one season players–Drew, Tex come to mind–have won championships, just not for the Braves.
Our thoughts are with you, Mac.
July 4th, 2012 at 6:57 pmPlease, Wren, pay the man.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:00 pmPRADO!
July 4th, 2012 at 7:01 pmIt’ll look like a line drive in the box score, Nitram.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:02 pmIf Bourn had a just a little larger frame we’d be in first by a mile, but guys, HE CAN’T CARRY EVERYONE ON HIS SHOULDERS!
July 4th, 2012 at 7:08 pmSheets gives up back-to-back triples to start things off in Mississippi. I don’t know about you, but I doubt that’s a good sign.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:12 pmWell, heck. Go get ‘em again, boys.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:16 pmI think Freeman needs a few days off. He looks pretty bad. Upper cutting pitches at his shoulders.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:21 pmDo we lead the world in GIDP?
July 4th, 2012 at 7:23 pmSurprisingly, the Braves were only 11th in the NL in GIDP coming into today. But it’s all about timing!
July 4th, 2012 at 7:31 pmIt would be nice to score on a regular basis. Our feast or famine offense has got to suck if you’re not the pitcher invited to the feast.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:34 pmBourn is just killing time here, waiting to be called up to a better league.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:38 pmPay him, please.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:40 pmThat was a fine double play.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:49 pmDelgado made it through six. Get him some runs, boys.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:49 pmOne of these days Freddie is going to snap in halves doing that.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:52 pmIn the short ribs. Ouch.
July 4th, 2012 at 7:57 pmI like those throws from the outfield a lot more when Heyward makes them.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:01 pmThought we were in business there.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:01 pmChipper, run, don’t look.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:01 pmDon’t let him go too long, Fredi. He’s pitched well.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:04 pmLove ya, Chipper, but guys that slow shouldn’t make turns that wide.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:04 pmWell, here comes Venters; remember when we looked forward to him with anticipation instead of dread?
July 4th, 2012 at 8:06 pmI hate being right.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:08 pmYay Venters!
/FU
July 4th, 2012 at 8:08 pmGreat, can we DL this Venters guy?
July 4th, 2012 at 8:08 pmPoor Randall and poor Jonny.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:08 pmBut nothing’s wrong with Venters, right, Frediot?
July 4th, 2012 at 8:08 pmVenters… Now more worthless then Durbin
July 4th, 2012 at 8:10 pmson of a bitch. poor venters. im surprised his arm just doesnt just fly off when he throws
July 4th, 2012 at 8:11 pmDurbin has been unacountably good. Too late, but good.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:14 pmGod help Atlanta,
July 4th, 2012 at 8:15 pmTeam that I love!
We’ve got Chipper, and Kimbrel,
And a manager we execrate!
We’re five hunderd,
Cause he’s blundered
We won’t un-
Til he’s gone…
God help Atlanta,
Fredi, go home…
God help Atlanta,
Frediiiii, goooooo HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!
6.08 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, .393 OBP against since May 1.
I’m sick of watching Venters pitch us out of chances to win.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:16 pmI don’t want to see Jonny Venters until he throws three straight scoreless innings in Gwinnett.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:19 pmThis loss isn’t attrbutable to starting pitching but rather to an inept offense and horrible relief pitching plus a pinch of poor pitcher management by Fredi.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:23 pmGood night.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:25 pmSell.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:30 pm@69 mig possible
@72 start with McCann
July 4th, 2012 at 8:34 pmCan we make a trade with Gwinnett?
July 4th, 2012 at 8:36 pmUgh.. Not possible… Stupid iPhone
July 4th, 2012 at 8:37 pmFreeman… Another fine af bat
July 4th, 2012 at 8:44 pmHow can Venters be out of options? This should be his third option year
July 4th, 2012 at 8:44 pmI blame the offense as much as anything for the problems. Someone said this is an offense-first team. If so,we really have a problem here. The inability to score early (or, in many cases, late as well) puts too much pressure on a pitching staff that isn’t that good. If they would get a few runs early, maybe guys like Delgado could relax. I don’t think the offense is very good despite the good WARs for some of the players. The middle of the order has become a black hole. I frankly don’t see how trading for a half year of Greinke makes much sense unless McCann and Uggla start hitting. Any lefthander, no matter how bad, causes the Braves to start tipping their caps.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:47 pmFreeman has been beyond awful against LHP this year.
July 4th, 2012 at 8:49 pmWhat am I bid for an all-star second baseman?
July 4th, 2012 at 8:54 pmSeriously…screw some baseball right now.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:00 pmThe Braves have now lost 23 of 38. Great job guys.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:04 pmnow 6 back also.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:06 pmIf this team falls out, I’d fire the manager, I’d move Hanson,O’Flaherty, Durbin and probably Ross at the deadline. In the offseason I’d move McCann, Uggla if anybody would take him, and think hard about Prado. I’d non-tender Jurrjens, let Diaz and Hinske walk.
I’d plug all the prospects we got in right away, treat ’13 like ’89 and hope Teheran, Delgado, Vizcaino and whomever else we got in those deals become Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz and Avery and try to win a WS before Heyward and Freeman are FA eligible, maybe start a new run.
But that won’t happen. We’ll plug along as an 88 win team and hope everything breaks right some year.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:08 pm@82, That’s u-g-l-y you ain’t got no alibi territory. You ugly.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:09 pm@84 – you’ve got my vote for our new GM
July 4th, 2012 at 9:13 pmI mean, who do they think they’re kidding, talking about trading for Greinke? The Brewers are no further back than we are, and they’re going in the opposite direction.
If the team plays well after the break, sure, go get somebody, roll the dice that we get hot in September. But if they play like this for two more weeks… You gotta start fielding offers, because we’re not one player away.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:18 pmSheets today: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 HR
I’m actually kind of encouraged by that.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:19 pmRecapped. Ugh.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:49 pm