Braves muster four hits, lose 1-0 to Mets in season opener
NEW YORK – The first day of the Braves’ 2012 season looked quite similar to the final days of the 2011 season, only with better pitching.
Tommy Hanson and the bullpen limited the New York Mets to one run and seven hits, but the Braves mustered just four hits of their own in a 1-0 loss at Citi Field against the team that’s a consensus pick to finish last in the National League East.
They didn’t have many scoring chances against Johan Santana and the Mets bullpen, and the Braves squandered the few they had, failing to score after Matt Diaz’s one-out double in the fifth inning and Tyler Pastornicky’s one-out triple in the seventh.
“We did a good job being patient with Santana,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We got him over 80 pitches [in five innings]. We just didn’t swing the bat.”
Every National League playoff team hit better than the Braves did with runners in scoring position in 2011, and Atlanta’s .195 average in those situations during September was the second-worst in the majors and a big part of the team’s 10-20 collapse that blew their big wild-card lead.
They went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position Monday, and the Braves have now scored seven runs in 58 innings during six consecutive losses going back to last season.
Hanson (0-1) allowed one run, four hits and three walks in five-plus innings in his first opening-day start. The Mets scored against him in the sixth, when Hanson issued a leadoff walk to Andres Torres and before consecutive hits by Daniel Murphy and David Wright gave New York a 1-0 lead.
“It was just one run,” Hanson said. “Sometimes that’s going to happen. Sometimes you’re going to go out and that’s going to happen. Sometimes you’re going to go out and have a bad game and you’re going to win. That’s just the way it is. But I felt like I went out and did my job. I gave us a chance to win and we were in there until the ninth inning. All it would have taken is one swing.”
Kris Medlen relieved Hanson with two on and none out in the sixth and worked out of the jam on his way to getting six outs in six batters over two innings. But the Mets made the lead stand to the delight of a crowd of 42,080, the largest in the three-year history of Citi Field.
Seven of Hanson’s 23 career losses have come by one run, and in eight of his last nine losses the Braves scored two or fewer runs while he’s been in the game.
After the Diaz double off Santana the Braves had a feeling they were able to break through against the veteran left-hander. But Jason Heyward popped out. And after consecutive walks by Pastornicky and Hanson loaded the bases, Michael Bourn hit a grounder back to Santana that ended the inning.
In the sixth inning, reliever Ramon Ramirez (1-0) walked Brian McCann and Uggla singled to put two on with one out, but Freddie Freeman flied out deep to right and Diaz grounded out to end the inning. And after Pastornicky’s triple in the seventh, reliever Tim Byrdak struck out Jose Constanza and and Michael Bourn to end the inning.
In three consecutive innings the Braves had runners in scoring position with less than two outs and failed to score.
“We felt like we were about to do something big,” Uggla said. “I think those last four or five innings everybody felt comfortable and settled in a little bit, and we put together some good at-bats. We just didn’t find the holes, maybe just missed a pitch here and there. But Freddie squared up a ball to right field, it just didn’t carry enough to get out of the ballpark. But all in all today we just came up a little short.”
His last start before Monday had also come against the Braves on Sept. 2, 2010, when Santana left after five innings with a strained pectoral muscle. A week later an MRI showed a tear in the anterior capsule of his left shoulder.
“He’s not the guy who’s throwing 94 [mph] anymore but I tell you what, he still knows how to pitch,” Uggla said. “He knows how to compete and he’s still got that great change-up. He went out and battled and got us today. Tommy went out and battled, too. They were able to scrape one across. We had a couple of opportunities to get some runs but we didn’t come through. But at least we got this game out of the way. Opening day is always a lot of fun, but there’s a always a lot of jitters involved, a lot of butterflies.”
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107 comments Add your comment
reckingball
April 5th, 2012
6:36 pm
go braves
reckingball
April 5th, 2012
6:39 pm
Hate to see them lose the 1st game in this fashion.
They have got to get some hits with RISP, simple fact.
I believe that they will start getting those hits.
This team can take it all the way to the WS and win it.
let’s go braves!
Nerdbucket Moylan
April 5th, 2012
6:39 pm
and let the hat tipping begin….
Nerdbucket Moylan
April 5th, 2012
6:44 pm
this is what happens when u have low obp lineups
tip man
April 5th, 2012
6:46 pm
you gotta tip your hat to the mets they are a wild bunch!!!!!!!!! lol (fredi’s comments)
Frenchie
April 5th, 2012
6:47 pm
Glad to see that Wren and his baseball wisdom thought that the Braves had enough firepower not to make ANY offensive additions for 2012. I’m sorry Frankie, you were wrong!!!!!
Gray Mule
April 5th, 2012
6:52 pm
Different season. Same old Braves.
Braves Fan for 55 yrs
April 5th, 2012
6:55 pm
With SIR CHIP CARAY doing the game I watched less than 1 minute. Get the Braves an announcer such as: Pete van Wieren, Jack Buck, or someone with some class who doesn’t think he is God’s Gift. Thanks.
reckingball
April 5th, 2012
6:57 pm
1st game loss, they might as well cancel the season, huh?
Who Me?
April 5th, 2012
6:58 pm
REALLY nice editing taking my posts down guys. Nothing like the AJC gestapo. Don’t say anything negative folks, it WILL be removed.
Matt
April 5th, 2012
6:58 pm
Not going to any games until this nonsense ends.
Chip Carey's Mama
April 5th, 2012
6:59 pm
Chip is the best broadcaster in baseball.
JS
April 5th, 2012
6:59 pm
fire fredi. tell wren to get a few obp guys in here. that is all.
Who Me?
April 5th, 2012
7:00 pm
Apologies to the AJC staff. New bloggage, not posting removal. Mea Culpa, DOB’s a busy guy this afternoon. Guilty as charged your honor!!
reckingball
April 5th, 2012
7:03 pm
Perhaps the Braves could trade Chip and some broadcaster-to-be-named-later, to Milwaukee for that old guy, that calls the games for the Brewers.
Rich
April 5th, 2012
7:03 pm
Braves Fan for 55 yrs – Amen to that brother….Chip Caray would have to improve to suck
dawg4u
April 5th, 2012
7:04 pm
Braves now have two hitting coaches and looks like they’ll need them both. Maybe they still think it is September of 2011. No need to panic after one opening day shutout because this team will hit according to Frank (stand pat) Wren. Right…..Right FW.
Who Me?
April 5th, 2012
7:06 pm
Looking at this game from the top-down, you can’t start out the year losing 1 run games again. If you’re Hanson, you go back to your room tonight and you’re thinking “Here we go again…”.
Bourn – 0 for 4
McCann – 0 for 3
Freeman – 0 for 4
Heyward – 0 for 4
Hey at least Hanson drew a BB in his 1 AB.
Yes it was Santana. So what. You CANT have your best hitters going 0 for 15 – even on Opening Day!!
Who Me?
April 5th, 2012
7:08 pm
Hanson finished the day with a microscopic 1.80 ERA. Let’s hope that holds all season right?
clint
April 5th, 2012
7:11 pm
Truly I have never seen such an impotent bunch. It is painful to watch. Would viagra help?
dawg4u
April 5th, 2012
7:11 pm
@Who Me? Our pitchers better have microscopic ERA’s for us to be in the hunt -dontcha think?
BIG MAC
April 5th, 2012
7:12 pm
Bourn & McCann are on my fantasy team….nice moves, huh? Bourn killed me with the RBI’s left on the table.
t.j.
April 5th, 2012
7:14 pm
Well it looks like we picked up right were we left off. If you cant score, you cant win. Simple as that.
Michael G.
April 5th, 2012
7:19 pm
It’s only 1 loss, but it stings none the less. Playing the Mets (twice), Astros, and Brewers, it’s important to get off to a fast start. Something like 10-2. We have historically struggled against the Nats and Marlins, and those teams are much improved. So it becomes even more important to beat the lesser teams we are supposed to handle.
reckingball
April 5th, 2012
7:20 pm
WHO ME?@6:58 & 7:00…….
Once upon a time there were two flies that had just landed on a shovel handle leaning against a barn, right after they had left a pile of bull manure, that they had been eating.
One fly said to the other, that sure was some good manure.
The second fly agreed.
The first fly then said, I am as full as a tick, but I think I am going to go get just a little bit more.
He flew down off of the shovel handle and onto the pile of manure.
Just then, a bird flew down and ate the first fly.
The moral of the story is, DON’T go flying off of the handle, when you already know, that you are full of s##t.
Let’s go Braves!! Get some hits!
Marty "Taco" Perez
April 5th, 2012
7:23 pm
Now if We was running the show We would just get rid of Chipper, score lots of runs and We would win these types of games. Oh wait…Chipper didn’t play?
reckingball
April 5th, 2012
7:24 pm
The Braves lost a lot of games to the Nats, and the Fish, when they were bad, now that they have improved, maybe the Braves can beat them more often. ???
bill
April 5th, 2012
7:27 pm
left runners in scoring position with less than two outs and we walked the light hitting leadoff man and he scored. Santana walked the damn pitcher and we still lost. PLease do not interview the village idiot again this year he makes George Bush and Barack Obama seem articulate. I know fet him a teleprompter like the POTUS or keep him quiet.
bravesfan79
April 5th, 2012
7:30 pm
Well, at least the Marlins are 0-2. Makes the loss a little easier.
BRAVESFAN
April 5th, 2012
7:31 pm
Man I missed baseball, what am I going to do tomorrow?
Way to go Tommy!
PapaDawg
April 5th, 2012
7:33 pm
What did expect from this Pitiful Anemic offense especially playing against the mighty Mets. Expect a WHOLE LOT more of this.
Mike Lewis
April 5th, 2012
7:33 pm
Just for the record for some of you posters….it is only the first game….give them all (the players and GM) some time BEFORE you start blowing the doomsday horns…look at the positive side of our pitching and how well they did. No team goes all year w/o being shut-out…Yes, I wish we had a future HOF for 3rd base just waiting in Chipper’s place…and maybe another Cal Ripken at short….a Hank Aaron and a Dale Murphy waiting in the outfield…but, we don’t….so give it a rest and be a Braves fan…we have too many critics as it is….
And, thank you AJC for the articles….DOB too.
alanfalcon
April 5th, 2012
7:34 pm
Nothing like starting the 2012 season the way we finished off 2011, no excuses other than we just don’t know how to execute with runners in scoring positions (the Mets did).
I do like Freddies soft approach (we made santana throw 80 pitches) guess what , the Mets kicked our arse !-0.
ChrisfromSacramento,Ca
April 5th, 2012
7:50 pm
Got home here on the west coast. Turned on the DVR excited to watch a game.
Then I threw up after it was over. NICE HITTING. SAME BULL SHYT.
HEYWARD SUCKS. GET RID OF HIM PLEASE. EVERYONE LOOKED LIKE CHICS TRYING TO HIT.
THIS TEAM IS IN TROUBLE
ChrisfromSacramento,Ca
April 5th, 2012
7:51 pm
Heyward is such a piece of garbage.
alex
April 5th, 2012
8:00 pm
It’s deja vu all over again…..Positive side: cheap resale tickets on stubhub.
aaa
April 5th, 2012
8:08 pm
Everybody complaining about Wren not doing anything during the off-season, just remember it was Chipper who encouraged him not to make any big moves.
Charlie
April 5th, 2012
8:08 pm
Fredi…”We were patient with Santana…” WOW! Fredi is a total idiot! Do they give you runs for that? What a dumb ass. His managerial skills are similar to his logic. Pretty brain dead. Uggla looked like “Last April Dan.” McCann was nothing. Heyward was as bad as last year. Bourn was a total loss. I can’t wait for 161 more games from Boras’ buddy, Bourn. He was actually the worst of a lousy lot.
This is a team of chokers. Winners win, and the Braves lose. Thanks for your good work, Franki Wren. Take a team of chokers, keep them intact over the winter, and expect a different result.
Chokers, led by idoits.
Same old Braves, different season. Chokers / Losers…not a clutch ball player in the group.
Kris
April 5th, 2012
8:26 pm
All in all it looks like the same garbage team that trotted out to the field last September. All in all “coming up a little bit short” is a phrase that is becoming far too common for the Braves. Yea it’s only one game in April, but one more win in April of 2011 and the Braves would have been in the post-season. Very disappointing to see the Braves pick up where they left off, I’m not feeling inspired.
FSUBrave
April 5th, 2012
8:35 pm
This team is going nowhere…they are still nothing but a bunch of free swinging hacks..Bring back Bobby and Scherhoultz..they were the only 2 with half a clue
FSUBrave
April 5th, 2012
8:37 pm
chipper is killing this team…12mil to play 120 games if he’s lucky and at 40 yrs old with no knees…that money could have been spent on a true hitter, not a cheeleader
MR
April 5th, 2012
8:41 pm
It’s only one game…but it stil looked like last season, which still looked like this spring training. I don’t believe the Braves hype espescially from locals around here. This team is nothing special, it’s very average and has many holes. Add that to the reality that Heyward is not the second coming of Willie Mays or even David Justice for that matter, and this crop of young pitchers so hyped by the organization may be nothing more than average or slightly better than, and you have the makings of another second or possibly third place finish behind the aging Phils again this year. Let’s hope the staff posts an all-time MLB best ERA and the team may have a chance.
hank1957
April 5th, 2012
8:50 pm
This line-up is softer than a baby’s behind. There is no pop, and gambling that some of these guys will snap out of it. There is no such thing as a 1-year slump, it just means you can’t hit at a major league level. (Heyward)
Frank Wren
April 5th, 2012
8:51 pm
To enhance the speed of our team and the offense, I just signed Sid Bream to a one year contract for $10,000,000.
Waffle House or Bust
April 5th, 2012
8:55 pm
“It was just one run,” Hanson said. “Sometimes that’s going to happen. Sometimes you’re going to go out and that’s going to happen. Sometimes you’re going to go out and have a bad game and you’re going to win. That’s just the way it is. But I felt like I went out and did my job. I gave us a chance to win and we were in there until the ninth inning. All it would have taken is one swing.”
This proves that Braves players accept losing and no one calls anyone out anymore since Smoltz left. Just one big happy family of losers.
GoBravos124
April 5th, 2012
9:02 pm
Here’s to hitting sub .200 w/ RISP for the season!! I was actually excited for this season to begin, just like every season, & I have already lost all faith in the Braves in the 1st game of the season. Nothing pisses me off more then RISP w/ less than 2 out & not even able to get the damn ball out of the infield. Can Bourn, he obviously doesn’t wanna be in Atlanta, can Heyward, he’s a joke & never will do anything with his career, bring in a big bat to put on either 3rd or LF, Chipper’s done for, & Diaz/Hinske/Constanza aren’t going to cut it playing every day. The only upside to today’s game was watching Kris Medlen pitching like a mad man for 2 innings.
chief pitchanono
April 5th, 2012
9:07 pm
The positives were our pitching looked great all the way around, really couldn’t have asked for much better. Hanson and Medlin look like they are back and healthy. Now unfortunatley the putrid offense is back too. After last year its gonna take a while before the fans can believe in this offense. They have to figure out a way to score some runs on a consistent basis. Wasting all these great pitching perfermances is gut wrenching to watch. On paper this should be a good offense, but on the field it just hasn’t clicked yet. I believe in this team and I don’t blame Wren for keeping it together and giveing these guys another shot, we just gota hope it starts clicking soon.
Greg Mendel
April 5th, 2012
9:08 pm
It’s early. Anything can happen. That’s why we worry.
Parrish
April 5th, 2012
9:14 pm
I guess it was not my fault.
Eddie Matthews' Ghost
April 5th, 2012
9:39 pm
This worthless bunch of has beens and never going to bees will lose 85-90 games. The Braves will be trading away players at the trade deadline. They are going to become the Oakland A’s of the NL. Even the sorry Pirates are trying to improve. The Braves did nothing to improve. Enjoy Borne, because he is gone by July 31st. The will get rid of his millions, Chipper DL Jones’ $15 million, and several others and be a $65-70 million payroll next year, tops. Heygood who will be hitting about a Buck Seventy Five and 2 HRs and 14 RBI at the all star break will go for 3 Class AA players to be named later. McCann is an idiot to resign with this mob. He will be better off going to the AL where he can get the contract, catch and DH and save his career for a couple more years. Boston will give him millions to hit in Fenway. They are stuck with Ugly’s $65 million. No idiot will take that mess. Enjoy the summer fans. THIS, is the best it will be. Beaten by a pitcher who has not basically pitched for a year and a half. Good grief.
Batter up
April 5th, 2012
9:47 pm
It’s not that they lost 1-0, it’s HOW they lost. The same NO HIT roster. Even IF they manage to scrape a few runs together, the games will be BORING pitching duels. They are paid MAJOR money and still can’t even hit the ball. Anyone could do that and make much less than this group of losers. So, right now, many players have a batting avg of ZERO.
mad31dog
April 5th, 2012
9:51 pm
3 points.
1) Someone needs to ask Fredi how he intends to save the bullpen if he pulls starters after five innings of one run ball on only 83 pitches. Medlen can’t go 2 every night.
2) Speaking of Medlen, we spent all winter debating whether or not he was the 5th best starter. From what I’ve seen of him, stuff and location, he would be our best starter if given the chance.
3) The first 2 points are mute because, as we all expected, pitching isn’t the problem.
tim
April 5th, 2012
9:54 pm
This is my team their are 29 other teams but this is mine and they have been every since they arrived in Atlanta Georgia. Win lose or draw I will stick with my Braves every team in every sport at every level goes through bad times. A true fan stays with them no matter what. My mother always taught me that if you can’t say something nice keep your mouth shut. Go Braves
GOP Cannon
April 5th, 2012
10:02 pm
It is just one game and there are MANY more to come; yet, it is still very furstrating to watch the Braves offense get carved up by a guy that has not pitched in 13 months.
I think that I speak for a lot of people here when I say that I want to see something differnt from last September… today we did not see anything differnt (good pitching, zero offense, nothing clutch).
I am not loosing hope, we still have time to get the offense clicking.
ohhhhYEAH
April 5th, 2012
10:12 pm
To the idiots trying to blame Fredi for this loss…get a grip. YES it IS a good thing that the Braves were patient with Santana and made him throw a lot of pitches, No they dont give us runs for it, but the more pitches you see, the better feel you get. You idiots claiming his comments are stupid would be the same ones who would complain if they went out there swinging at first pitches saying they need to be patient. You morons just want to complain about something and it makes me sick. Fredi made all the right moves today. Didnt leave Hanson in too long, Saved the bullpen, made the right subs at the right time (even if you dont agree that Constanza should be on the team). So stop trying to blame Fredi when he did what he could at the right time today, he cant play for the players. He cant MAKE Bourn swing at all 7 pitches down the middle that he took. Get a life trollers
Furio Vader
April 5th, 2012
10:17 pm
I find your lack of faith disturbing
ohhhhYEAH
April 5th, 2012
10:20 pm
Waffle House
It;s called being a TEAM PLAYER moron. Not everyone is like you, and are willing to throw people under the bus at the drop of a hat, especially after one game. If you dont like it, shut the he## up, because no one cares about your negative opinions on who should throw who under the bus instead of being a team player and keepin that crap inside the clubhouse. Hope someone calls you out at your job when you mess up one day in front of everyone so you know what its like. What a jerk
phil
April 5th, 2012
10:21 pm
Mad31dog – our problems are mute?
Good grief.
phil
April 5th, 2012
10:24 pm
ohhhhYEAH
April 5th, 2012
10:12 pm
To the idiots trying to blame Fredi for this loss…get a grip. YES it IS a good thing that the Braves were patient with Santana and made him throw a lot of pitches, No they dont give us runs for it, but the more pitches you see, the better feel you get. You idiots claiming his comments are stupid would be the same ones who would complain if they went out there swinging at first pitches saying they need to be patient. You morons just want to complain about something and it makes me sick. Fredi made all the right moves today. Didnt leave Hanson in too long, Saved the bullpen, made the right subs at the right time (even if you dont agree that Constanza should be on the team). So stop trying to blame Fredi when he did what he could at the right time today, he cant play for the players. He cant MAKE Bourn swing at all 7 pitches down the middle that he took. Get a life trollers
*****
fire FG!!
ohhhhYEAH
April 5th, 2012
10:25 pm
phil……..If I didnt already know you just like to instigate, Id probably have a comment for you lol
MikeY
April 5th, 2012
10:42 pm
We still need a RH bat…Heyward needs a platoon partner.
Jonny Gomes would have been great:.$1M for 2012, rakes vs. LH pitching.
#3
April 5th, 2012
11:02 pm
Google Atlanta Braves Payroll 2012 and you will see the problem
What is our payroll?
Who is making all the money?
The Braves will not win the Series this year. So I don’t know about you guys but I am just going to enjoy the summer and hope to spoil it for the Filthy’s.
Glad to have baseball back. See you at the park.
Guthro
April 5th, 2012
11:09 pm
Unfortunately the Braves of April 2012 look as punchless as the Braves of September 2011 did.
Unless Chipper has a miraculous season and Heyward figures out how to make regular good contact with pitches, it’s going to be an awfully long year.
jo killa
April 5th, 2012
11:16 pm
its one game chill people the offense will click just relax and hanson pitched well medlen is defiantly back he stood out to me today GO BRAVES!
jo killa
April 5th, 2012
11:19 pm
waffle house are you serious your mental
Busch Leaguer
April 5th, 2012
11:51 pm
I guess Constanza’s performance in spring training earned him his spot on the 25 man active roster.Parraz and Durrango both played better this spring. It must be easier for the Braves to cut Constanza after they activate Chipper than waste an option on Durrango or Parraz.Another game where the Braves can’t get a runner in from third with less than 2 outs.Just like last year during the September swoon.Glad the Braves have an off day tomorrow bullpen can get some rest,going to be a long year if starters can’t pitch more than 5 innings.
asisson10
April 5th, 2012
11:55 pm
new blog breaking down Braves decisions. First Blog: Diaz/Constanza debacle…
http://bravedecisions.wordpress.com/
Michael G. McDonald
April 6th, 2012
12:36 am
Malone sells Braves for $1.5 Billion and tax advantages; buys tax-advantaged control of Sirius. The Wall Street financial bozos who stiffed the US tax payers and missed out on LA Dodgers, buy the Braves. MLB continues a long, downward spiral, under the aegis of Czar Bud (None- the-Wiser) and his cronies.
The temporary, good news is that McGuirk, Wren and the hapless Freddi, are collateral damage, removed from the scene of their crimes.
“MLB is a Barnum & Bailey world, just as phony as it can be”.
Steve
April 6th, 2012
2:10 am
Not worried about Bourn, McCann or Freeman. We know they will come around. Maybe they won’t have their greatest seasons, but maybe they will. They will all be .270 or better, probably closer to .290 or better.
Can’t really say that for Heyward, but he was listed as a top prospect for a reason. Maybe he is one of these quadA guys. Who knows. I think he was trying to hit a HR today a little too much. He won’t say he was, but you know he had it in his mind.
I will give them a couple of weeks before I completely lose faith, but I am like the rest of you .. I am fairly sick of hoarding pitchers like no ones business only to wait until after their value has depreciated to the point we can’t get players we actually need.
I think we are up against a rightie on Saturday. I hope we get a chance to see out newest acquisition play at 3b. He might give us a spark and maybe a change of scenery will get him out of his ‘I am too awesome to actually try’ attitude he had as a Red.
Boston Braves
April 6th, 2012
6:49 am
At least we didn’t go into xtra innings and over use our bullpen in the 1-0 loss, that’s an improvement over 2011 right?
PA Brave
April 6th, 2012
7:06 am
No, the Braves didn’t need to add any hitters in the off season. Way to go, Frank Wren.
PapaDawg
April 6th, 2012
7:27 am
How many hits did Chipper get? Oh my bad he’s hurt as usual and didn’t play
MD Braves fan
April 6th, 2012
7:45 am
This team needs a culture shake up. As long as Cox is involved with this team, their will be no fire or enthusiasm on this team. Hard to tell whether they won or lost.
larry(notLARRY)
April 6th, 2012
8:01 am
Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results, Frank?
Jimmy Crack
April 6th, 2012
8:05 am
The excitement is back! Oh, the intensity!!!
161 more, please!
alanfalcon
April 6th, 2012
8:09 am
Weare all complaining(myself included) about the hitting,
Loosing Managar = Loosing Record
April 6th, 2012
8:23 am
4 hits a 0 runs = fire the loosing managar now!
Bring back Ted
April 6th, 2012
8:26 am
Frank Wren shows us he is a complete idiot – we still cannot score a run and he wants us to have faith! Faith in what?
reckingball
April 6th, 2012
9:10 am
keep on crying
Tampa Fan
April 6th, 2012
9:12 am
This is a dull team. We are reduced to looking forward to the debut of our new 3rd baseman, a guy who was cut by the Reds. The last 2 additions to our bullpen were also castoffs. A decent effort by Hanson but the troubling trend continues of our starters, other than Huddy unable to go more than 5-6 innings on their best days before hitting a wall. A recipe for another worn out bullpen by Sept. Heyward will not provide consistent offense, LF is a joke, Uggla is HR or nothing, SS is a huge question, and its doubtful JJ and Hanson will stay healthy.
Don
April 6th, 2012
9:31 am
I know that others also did not hit in yesterday’s game —BUT why was HEYWARD in the game against Santana – when everyone (but apparently Fredi) knew that there was almost no chance that he was going to hit Santana???????
David O'Brien
April 6th, 2012
9:47 am
I know that others also did not hit in yesterday’s game —BUT why was HEYWARD in the game against Santana – when everyone (but apparently Fredi) knew that there was almost no chance that he was going to hit Santana??????? — Don
So you wanted him to start the season with Heyward on bench against a lefty? That sure wouldn’t have had a huge section of Braves fans howling…..
By the way, Uggla was 1-for-19 with 10 K’s against Santana before yesterday. You have him on the bench on Opening Day, too. You have Heyward and Uggla on the bench? Yes, that would’ve gone over well throughout Braves Country and in the clubhouse.
Winchesteer
April 6th, 2012
9:52 am
The first two paragraphs say it all. I might add that it is the mentality on this ball club that says it all, also.
“It was just one run”, said Hanson. “We put together some good at-bats”, said Uggla. Well, well. The same old excuses just like last year. No big deal, huh? This is a team with a collective casual excuse that last year’s collapse was a fluke and this year we have learned from our mistakes.
This year’s team still has no symbolence of any hitting threat, scoring threat, or run production. When you can’t beat a team that is picked to be a last place finisher the Braves just showed us that they will be the last place finisher in this division rather than the Mets.
Richard Cranium
April 6th, 2012
10:00 am
Patience…let’s get a little bigger sample size before we make conclusions…but at some point we’ll need a guy who can hit a sac fly with TP on 3 and 1 out.
Don
April 6th, 2012
10:04 am
Mr. O’Brien, let’s see how great Heyward is hitting at the end of the season or even by July – especially against left handers. BTW, I thought that the Managers priority concern was supposed to be how to win games – not how to please the fans.
True, Heyward may end up having a great season – but do not understand all the optomism when he showed no signs of making necessary adjustments once the pitchers learn how to pitch to him.
Hopefully, one or both of the new hitting coaches can change this. But there are verry, very few really great hitting coaches — hope that we have ONE.
D man
April 6th, 2012
10:04 am
I waited all winter to watch 4 hits. C’mon offense, wake up will ya…
The girl on the back of Bobby Petrino's scooter
April 6th, 2012
10:06 am
You think you guys had a rough afternoon? One minute we’ve got the wind in our face and we’re…well, you know, and the next minute it’s “Hello asphalt, nice to meet you. Here, have a layer of my skin.” Karma is a funny thing…
BravesFanSince1966
April 6th, 2012
10:23 am
Seems to me that yesterday’s game was a continuation of last season. Was there much doubt that JH would be blown away for the final out?
bvillebaron
April 6th, 2012
10:27 am
Many of you posters are right: it is deja vu again. One loss and all the negative “experts” have their keyboards working overtime. Time to canel the rest of the season! This team stinks! Yada Yada Yada. You guys are as predictable as the sun coming up in the east and setting in the west everyday.
I am as disappointed as the rest of you about getting shut out in the season opener and the team again falining to hit with RISP, but it is ONE stinking game guys, there are only a measly 161 left to play. Many of you who repeatedly rip the Braves here keep telling me how great the Marlins’ are going to be this year and how they are going to finish ahead of the Braves. In case you haven’t noticed, that offensive juggernaut has scored exactly ONE run in two games off guys named Lohse and Cueto (nice pitchers, but not to be confused with Hallday and Kershaw) and that one run was a gift because the runner who scored the only run on a two out double was clearly out at first base on the preceding play.
I also get a kick out of Don and others immediately singling out Heyward despite the fact that several other veterans on the team also were hitless yesterday. Please noteI also that last year’s savior according to many of the Heyward bashers, Constanza, struck out with a fast runner on 3rd with no outs. Since Constanza has no power and is only on the team due to his speed and presumed ability to make contact, his failure to make contact in that situation is what sticks out for me.
Sonny Jackson
April 6th, 2012
10:35 am
Don’t like it? Don’t watch… pick another team. We have a long way to go and plenty of time to get there. Leave Fredi alone for a while and let him do his job. I’ve never seen so many critical people… must be fun to be around you guys all day.
BraveMan
April 6th, 2012
10:58 am
If I was to predict the result of a Braves game in 2012, it would have looked like yesterday’s vs the lowly Mets. Excellent pitching by Hanson and Medlen, weak bats, and too many LOB. Braves fans — get ready for a long season!
tombklyn
April 6th, 2012
11:01 am
I was OK with the game yesterday….still am today! Tommy/med/vent all right on. We will win a significant number of 1-run games….and reach the PLAYOFFS.
Steve
April 6th, 2012
11:02 am
Rumor has it that Clayton Kershaw was hoping to win the Cy Young and when he saw how good the Braves offense was he got sick as he realized he had no chance since he didn’t pitch in the NL East.
Bill Malone
April 6th, 2012
11:12 am
I’m with you, bvillebaron… insightful comments!
PCOLA Braves Fan
April 6th, 2012
11:37 am
I’m a big Braves fan and plan to stay that way and also am really trying to be optimistic about the team. With that being said, it’s really hard to watch an offense that has only scored 7 runs in 58 innings. Yes it includes last year, but if you still have the same players, it’s the exact same team. I hear that it’s only one game, it’s only spring training, we did well offensively, but we didn’t score runs(how can that be?). There’s just too many excuses being made for losing. The only excuse is that we weren’t good enough and we couldn’t get hits with risp. I’m still going to be in the stands next Friday and going to be cheering the Braves as hard as anyone but my optimism is slowly waning!
John A.
April 6th, 2012
11:42 am
It’s quite true that this was ONLY the first game of the season, but for all of you that say that, aren’t you the same bunch that were saying”What’s the big deal… it’s only Spring Training”?
The pitching looked great, but the hitting is still the problem. Without runs on the board you can’t win.
STH
April 6th, 2012
11:52 am
IF and HOPE still can’t hit.
Dennis
April 6th, 2012
11:57 am
My favorite comment here is “Loosing Managar=Loosing Record”. Gotta see one of those loosing managar. Do they come pre-assembled or do I have to do it myself. Good Lord! I said recently I would not comment here again after being assaulted by the inane and incomprehensible comments. Nothing short of 120-42 season, Chipper hitting 50 home runs, Bourn stealing 100 bases, Pastornicky as ROY and Hanson with the Cy Young will make many here happy. I suspect even in October after the Braves follow that up with a sweep of the World Series against the Yankees we would read comments on here like “Fredi should be fired for for not winning 121 games”. “We would have won 130 without having to carry Chipper”. You get the idea. Nothing is good enough for so many here and there are so many here who sit in their mother’s basement thinking of idiotic things to day to spice up their day.
?
April 6th, 2012
12:04 pm
Goodbye cruel world…
Richard Cranium
April 6th, 2012
12:04 pm
Who’s ROY? Ha Ha just kidding