Francisco’s 11th-inning hit lifts Braves to 4-3 win over Dodgers
For seven innings Friday night, it looked as if the Braves’ Friday good fortunes and Chipper Jones’ hot bat wouldn’t be enough to offset the left arm of Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano.
But the bottom of the batting order started a two-out, two-run rally in the eighth inning rally to tie, and the Braves pulled out a 4-3 win on Juan Francisco’s pinch-hit single with two out in the 11th inning of a series opener at Turner Field.
“Down two runs we came back and battled, tied the ballgame — a lot of great things going on today,” said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose Braves won their fourth in a row since dropping the opener of a seven-game homestand.
David Ross and Paul Janish had consecutive two-out singles before Francisco lashed an opposite-field hit to left off Jamey Wright, sending a charge through a chopping and chanting crowd of 33,093 and starting a celebration on the field as teammates raced from the dugout to mob Francisco.
“Going into extra innings you’re on the edge of your seat, anything can happen,” said Janish, who had three hits including another two-out hit to start the eighth-inning rally. “The biggest thing is to win games like that, because they’re so emotionally involved. It’s kind of a kick in the pants if you don’t find a way to win them. It’s definitely a sign – good teams tend to find a way to win those games.”
Jason Heyward’s two-out single in the eighth drove in the tying run for the Braves, who collected their 18th win in 23 games and raised their Friday record to a stunning 17-2.
“We were able to hang in there and get some runners home late, and put up some tough at-bats against their pitchers out of the bullpen,” Heyward said after the Braves improved to 6-1 in extra-inning games.
The usual pull-hitting Francisco’s rare hit to left gave them their ninth walkoff win and the Braves moved to a season-high 21 games over .500 (70-49).
“We string a couple together and then Juan – that was huge coming off the bench, and being able to stick a ball in the outfield with two outs right there,” Janish said. “You really can’t say enough about that.”
Francisco, is 14-for-31 (.451) with 10 RBIs in his past 16 games, split between pinch-hitting and backup third-base duties.
“He’s been getting some playing time and he’s swinging the bat,” Gonzalez said. “A hell of an at-bat there.”
The Braves had a prime opportunity to win in the 10th, after Michael Bourn singled with one out, stole second and went to third on catcher Matt Treanor’s throwing error. But Martin Prado struck out, and after Heyward walked and stole second, Jones flied out to end the inning.
Many in the crowd had naturally expected more magic at that moment from Jones, who second-inning homer was his third in two nights.
Andre Ethier’s towering two-run homer off Braves starter Tommy Hanson in the sixth inning gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, and they added a run in the seventh on a pair of doubles including a two-out hit by Shane Victorino.
Jones led off the second inning with his 467th career homer, but the Braves managed only four other hits (all singles) against Capuano, who was charged with three runs – two after he left the game — and one walk with eight strikeouts. He got no decision and has a 1.81 ERA in his past nine starts against the Braves.
“When J-Hey tied it up for us, he gave us that spark to come back,” Ross said. “Because we’d been pretty dormant other than Chipper’s home run.”
The Braves’ offense awakened in the eighth, beginning with singles by Janish and pinch-hitter Reed Johnson. They had two in scoring position after Bourn’s sacrifice bunt off Capuano, and Prado got one runner in with a groundout to second base against reliever Ronald Belisario to cut the lead to 3-2.
Next up was Heyward, who was 6-for-63 with 23 strikeouts in his career against the Dodgers before coming through with his tying single to left-center. He was fully aware of his struggles against the Dodgers.
“This is my first year swinging the bat decent out there in L.A,” said Heyward, who had one hit in each of the Braves’ three games at Dodger Stadium in late April. “That’s the thing, I’ve only hit one home run in Philly and that’s one of the smallest ballparks. Same with Cincinnati. But time goes on and you get wiser with more at-bats. Same thing with two-out RBI situations, clutch situations and whatnot. You just want to keep improving.
“Last week the way the game ended in New York, it ended with me at the plate with two outs, a chance for an RBI to tie the game. And here we go again tonight, it was another chance, and it happened. So you just want to be patient with yourself and don’t over-think it, just relax and take what you can from each situation.”
Hanson started strong before getting knocked around late in his 6-2/3-inning outing. It was his first start since July 30, after a stint on the 15-day disabled list for a strained back. Hanson was charged with seven hits, three runs and two walks.
“He battled and got right to 100 pitches,” Gonzalez said. “That was a very promising outing.”
It was the beginning of what amounts to a two-week pitching competition for Hanson and other Braves starters. The team is temporarily going with a six-man starting rotation with the intention of scaling it back to five at the end of the month.
Hanson didn’t allow a hit until Hanley Ramirez’s two-out double in the fourth inning, and Ethier was out trying to score from first base on the play when left fielder Prado and relay man Janish both made strong throws.
The Dodgers started the fifth with consecutive singles by James Loney and Luis Cruz, but Hanson worked out of that tight spot with a groundout, a line-out and a Victorino strikeout with two in scoring position.
There would be no escape for Hanson in the next inning. Mark Ellis led off the sixth with a double that skipped off Jones’ glove. One out later, Ethier connected with Hanson’s first-pitch slider and launched it high and long, the ball landing about 15 rows backin the right-field bleachers.
“Besides the ball to Ethier, I thought I threw pretty good,” said Hanson, adding that his back felt fine. “I was happy with how I threw, but know I can throw better.”
Before Friday, Hanson was 7-1 in 11 starts since the beginning of June, despite a 4.71 ERA with 12 homers and 28 walks allowed in 65 innings. He had benefited from an average of more than six support runs per nine innings pitched in that period, and the Braves scored five or more runs while he was in the game in seven of those 11 starts.
Braves hitters found the going a lot tougher for most of the night against Capuano, although they eventually found a crack with the hits by Janish and newcomer Johnson, who has been just the bench contributor the Braves hoped he’d be when they got him from the Cubs in the same July 30 deal that brought starting pitcher Paul Maholm to Atlanta.
“I haven’t been swinging the bat as bad as maybe it looks like,” said Janish, who had a .210 average before Friday. “I’ve been hitting the ball hard at people, and having decent at-bats and just not getting the results. On a night like tonight, when we really couldn’t get much going offensively, to be able to come up with some key hits at key times, that’s obviously a good thing.”
Gonzalez said of Janish: “I know him and Walk [hitting coach Greg Walker] have worked hard to get a swing where he’s not an out. And he’s not by any means. And like we always say, he’s not here to win a batting title, he’s here to help us win on defense. And he’s done that. Whatever we get offensively out of him is a plus.”
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120 comments Add your comment
Jesus
August 17th, 2012
11:22 pm
First!
willy
August 17th, 2012
11:22 pm
first
Ken Stallings
August 17th, 2012
11:24 pm
Great job of situational hitting by several Braves hitters tonight. All of the last three runs scored were earned with hitting to the opposite field. That’s the way you have to beat an excellent team like the Dodgers and this game was a real sign post because it shows that the Braves hitters are doing what it takes. I’m sure Greg Walker has an extra bounce in his stride after seeing what was done to win this game tonight!
Lee Marvin
August 17th, 2012
11:29 pm
The Big Red Juan!
THAT'S why W-L records are deceiving
August 17th, 2012
11:29 pm
A 7-1 record since June with a 4.7 ERA? He’s getting six runs per nine innings of run support. What would Huddy’s record, or Minors record, look like with that support? Basically, if he had gotten the 3-4 runs of support that the rest of the staff mostly gets, he’d be 0-8 since June?
Good luck, TH.
Paddy
August 17th, 2012
11:30 pm
That is ML baseball played at the highest level.
BravesfaninAugusta
August 17th, 2012
11:30 pm
I thought after Prado’s poor AB that the Braves might drop this one but this team has no quit in them….very impressive W tonite
THAT'S why W-L records are deceiving
August 17th, 2012
11:30 pm
Ken Stallings…Great post. Dead on target.
THAT'S why W-L records are deceiving
August 17th, 2012
11:31 pm
Now, DOB. Time for a Pig in a Pup!
Just Asking?
August 17th, 2012
11:34 pm
Chipper started this with his (467) home run in the 2nd. How are we going to replace him next year. Where are all the Chipper haters now? Just Asking
Da bomb
August 17th, 2012
11:34 pm
Fifth!
Ken Stallings
August 17th, 2012
11:34 pm
Thank you! Very kind of you!
mike on lake hartwell
August 17th, 2012
11:35 pm
GOOD GAME. PLAY HARD. GATA.
whoa nelly!
August 17th, 2012
11:36 pm
These are the type games the Braves would lose in years past. Good job boys! Way to persevere. GO BRAVES!!!!!!!
Acer
August 17th, 2012
11:36 pm
Pitcher was Jamey Wright, Ellis came in to catch.
Yickety
August 17th, 2012
11:39 pm
Chipper!!!!!!!!!! Unstopable, best Brave future hitting coach/manger…..Best Draft Pick Ever!!!!!!
Da bomb
August 17th, 2012
11:40 pm
17th!!
Ken Stallings
August 17th, 2012
11:40 pm
Hanson looked better in this game than he did in his previous starts over the last few weeks before going on the DL. He had a bit more velocity on his fastball tonight, even touching 91 mph. And in the first two innings most of his pitches were staying down and he did well. Then, in the third and fourth innings he got very fortunate as Carol’s column stated. However, the rabbit’s foot and lucky nickle in the pockets lost their charm when Epier stepped up and launched a two-run bomb on another hanging slider that broke dead over the middle of the plate letter high.
When Hanson’s pitches miss, they tend to miss in the red zone for most hitters and that’s a dangerous way to pitch and it is why Hanson is so inconsistent. I’m not sold on the six-man rotation but agree that it is perhaps the best way to give Hanson one more chance to show he can recover his control. The results of this game were somewhat encouraging for two innings, but then after that he was the same old Hanson on the mound.
Hanson is not a bad pitcher. On many teams he would be a quality starter. But, the Braves have a wealth of pitching talent right now and a starting rotation one through five stacked with pitchers who can likely average at or below an ERA of 3.0! Another start like this one by Hanson puts Fredi and Roger in the situation of deciding what is best for Hanson — to put him in long relief or to bring back up Cory Gearrin and either trade or demote Hanson. Not an easy choice, but made easier by the knowledge that right now, Hudson, Sheets, Minor, Medlen, and Maholm are clearly superior pitchers for the starting rotation.
Brand-New
August 17th, 2012
11:41 pm
Does anybody happen to know where you can buy those civil rights game hats they wore tonight? keep in mind i’m in NJ.
lee maye
August 17th, 2012
11:41 pm
Nice to see some of you are trying to get on the Francisco bandwagon. I have said all year that we need to either leave Prado in LF or get rid of Uggla and move Prado to 2B. We have a 3B who comes very cheap and is going to hit 25 HR’s and drive in about 80 runs and hit about .275 given the chance next year. The kid can play.
Some of you were calling for him to be released or sent down which he can’t be. If Wren uses the 36 mil wisely, the Braves are going to be forces to reckon with for the next 5-6 years. If he can find a taker for Uggla, he has almost 50 mil to work with.
The following year, he can have another 24 mil with the end of McCann’s and Hudson’s contract.
Uggla 0-5 with 3 more K’s tonight. Fredi let him swing at a 3-0 or we might have won it earlier. Dan is really swinging a hot bat lately per the announcers. “He just missed it”. yeah, right.
Ken Stallings
August 17th, 2012
11:42 pm
Good grief! That’s the second time I spelled Andre Ethier’s name with a “P” and I don’t know why I keep doing it!
Rick Mahler
August 17th, 2012
11:42 pm
6 more against nats,got to win 2-3 in each
Strasburg out of rotation should help
Why isnt Kemp suspended, oh thats right mlb will wait until he leaves ATL
spartygw
August 17th, 2012
11:43 pm
Don’t forget Janish’s best game yet. 3 for 5 and an assist on the 7-6-2.
blackdog
August 17th, 2012
11:44 pm
24th
Ken Stallings
August 17th, 2012
11:45 pm
Oops, just noticed David O’Brien’s name on the byline, I thought Carol was working this game tonight!
TheDude
August 17th, 2012
11:47 pm
25th
TheDude
August 17th, 2012
11:47 pm
damnit. 26th
Pat
August 17th, 2012
11:50 pm
I think it’s hilarious you people that get a first post in a blog. You wait anxiously for DOB’s post game wrap to come up then you post ‘first’ the excitement then diminishes and you are
Left with the fact that your greatest accomplishment of the day was a first posing to a blog.
Quack Quack
August 17th, 2012
11:54 pm
Great game Bravos!!
Oh yeah, and that no hitting Janish 3 for 5 tonight…Just saying!
Lets keep this going, and get to the Gnats next week.
GO BRAVES!!!
Jerry in Tennessee
August 18th, 2012
12:04 am
Remember Francisco only bats against right handers. Put him in every day and the numbers drop.
mountain_jim
August 18th, 2012
12:08 am
I agree and called it that Hanson should not have been back in the 6th. Braves hitters bailed out Freddy tonight.
the truth...
August 18th, 2012
12:11 am
How sweet it is!!!
I was upset when we had Bourn on third and Prado at the plate….2 balls no strikes and one out….I wanted to bunt Prado ….squeeze or safety squeeze….all he has to do is get it down and game over…
Found myself again criticizing Fredi for not being agressive there………..
Speedy Bourn on third…..great bat control Prado at the plate….. I like the chances there….
…..great the way it turned out….maybe better in that the pen got some work under pressure at that, and…….
Francisco got a boost for his own confidence…. and the team’s confidence in him…..
Braves Win !
COOPER
August 18th, 2012
12:11 am
Don Gurian
I said the same thing on another blog. This team may be the best they have ever had when you take all facets of the team into consideration and Gonzolez does the dumbest things . We had a well rested bullpen and there was no reason for Hanson to pitch the 7TH. Atlanta . This game should have been over in the 9th inning.
Brand-New
August 18th, 2012
12:12 am
Hanson’s era in 6th innings this year is 10.03
Jerry Willard
August 18th, 2012
12:13 am
Did anyone notice JHey showing emotion at first base after he knocked in the tying run? I love to see that!!! Wish he would do more of that. Go Braves!
BravesFanInBama
August 18th, 2012
12:13 am
This may be a bit arrogant, but no team can beat the Braves when you have Kimbrel, O, and Venters going in the 9th, 10th, and 11th…It’s so nice not having to burn those guys early in the game. Really happy for Big Juan getting the huge winnig hit! This was a REALLY exciting game to watch tonight! Go Braves!
Jerry Willard
August 18th, 2012
12:18 am
There is no doubt Francisco can rake. It’s his defense I worry about. I was really excited for him to come through though.
Who Me?
August 18th, 2012
12:21 am
Good W, gotta admit Venters worried me a bit. and for the life of me I can’t figure out why Uggla was swinging with a 3-0 count in the bottom of the 10th. Good thing we hung on, all pitchers involved did a good job. Need a sweep with the Nats keeping pace tonight. 4 games back still, we have to keep the gap close.
Glen Mercer
August 18th, 2012
12:25 am
Greg Walker is a AWESOME hitting coach. Home Grown.
Paul In Richmond.
August 18th, 2012
12:28 am
Not even a month ago we were all crying about a lack of starting pitching. Now we are debating a six man rotation. SOMEONE needs to give some credit to Braves management and coaches.
lee maye
August 18th, 2012
12:32 am
Fredi says Uggla was going to end the game on a homer with 3-0 count. He didn’t. 0-5. Janish now hitting .14 higher than Uggla. I was hoping for a walk from Uggla. Fredi says he was going yard. He didn’t.
the truth...
August 18th, 2012
12:37 am
Hanson…..
I want him to be good enough for us to reap a nice return for him in a trade in the off season….but not good enough for Fredi to be “forced” to keep him in the rotation….
Hanson is good for five innings and dangerous for any more………..exactly the kind of pitcher we don’t want …………….
Great Win!
Russ Nixon
August 18th, 2012
12:49 am
Get’m on, Get’m over and Get’m in. Textbook Baseball.
DawgDad
August 18th, 2012
12:56 am
“Where are all the Chipper haters now?”
“Haters” is such an ugly word for people who just want to share their opinion. I’d bet NOBODY on this blog “hates” Chipper.
I’m pretty sure you realize most of the criticism relates to his value vs. salary. Chipper has played very well, much better than he had the past couple of seasons. He’s played in right about 65% of the Braves games; there’s no way to sugar-coat this, that is not ideal for your highest paid player. It’s working so far this year because his production is WAY up and his fill-ins are producing, too.
Chipper’s looked pretty gimpy on a number of occasions this year, but lately he’s been playing like he’s 10 years younger. It would be nice to see him hold up and go out with a great postseason performance.
DawgDad
August 18th, 2012
1:01 am
“Fredi says Uggla was going to end the game on a homer with 3-0 count.”
Come on, guys, you can’t really fault Fredi for green-lighting Uggla there. He gets paid to hit home runs, and he’s been hitting a bit the past couple of weeks. Figure he might get a fat fastball in that spot.
Mistermak
August 18th, 2012
1:19 am
Janish has raised his average almost 50 points since he signed with the Braves. I like this kid! He is top notch defensively and I think he is coming around as a hitter. Great pick-up!!
On another note… Hanson barely survived the 5th inning and should have never come back out for the 6th. What were they thinking?
DOB Needs To Ask Tough Questions!
August 18th, 2012
1:28 am
You just have tip your cap to the Bravos for gutting this out. And big Tipper to Wren for making sure he shows management that he doesn’t need more than 60 mil next year to have a winning team! An Atta boy to all in Braves management and the team!!!
Mike McDonald
August 18th, 2012
1:29 am
Freddi and his adopted son Uggla, Dan have to go ASAP or its curtains for the Braves. Hanson who aims to be a starter should have been gone by the sixth, especially since he was just coming off the DL with back problems and was clearly walking on eggs up to that point
Freeman is a klutz in the clutch in an overwhelming number of opportunities. Sit and eventually trade Uggla, Hayward and Hanson and fire Freddi. Clearly, Bourn is a positive game changer every game whereas Uggla’s fielding (2 major bad throws tonight) and his lack of hitting are negatives … virtually every night.
Other than these three misfits, the Braves are solid with pitching and on the positions.
Hope that the heavy use of the bullpen tonight beause of Freddi’s incompetence doesn’t take its toll on the rest of this and subsequent series.
the truth...
August 18th, 2012
1:48 am
@Mike McDonald
Your post has more holes in it than Uggla’s bat….to propose getting rid of Hayward and dismiss Freeman as “klutz in the clutch” is asinine and tells me you know little about baseball, player development, chemistry and the ups and downs most every player experiences in a 162 season….
I’m in agreement with most of what you said about Fredi and Uggla, but like it or not we’ve managed to find ourselves with the 4th best record in basebal……..
….and if every move had been perfect and every player right on cue for every moment…. no errors here or there….
then we’s find ourselves with the best record…………
I’m thankful for what we do have…..it sure as hell could be worst.
You might want to bone up on the history of baseball and try and gather some understanding of the ups and downs of the game….
do you realize that the BEST hitters are phenomenal when their batting average says they got hits one times out of three….and that guys that hit .250 are considered somewhat successful…..
Oh maybe you should go down to the batting cage and dial up some 90+ miles per hour fast balls….and every few pitches an off speed pitch 10 mph slower…………..
That ought to do it and then you might post a more enlightened entry….
ATLevitt
August 18th, 2012
1:53 am
McDonald your post doesn’t even make sense.
Mike McDonald
August 18th, 2012
1:59 am
Correction:
I misspoke about Freeman, i meant Hayward in my trio of misfits. Other than that, I stand by my opinion and obsevations.
birddawgbill
August 18th, 2012
1:59 am
Mike, do you even watch any games. First, Freeman is among league leaders in two out RBIs. Second it is spelled Heyward, and he is turning into a star before our eyes. I agree about Hanson, perhaps in the offseason they trade him for a decent LF bat. But please know what your saying before posting or you just look bad.
Grandma Giffin
August 18th, 2012
2:10 am
McDonald. You complain that Hanson stays out for too long, then you complain that the bullpen gets overworked tonight. Make up your mind.
Lastly, it is HEYWARD, not, HAYWARD.
Mike McDonald
August 18th, 2012
2:32 am
Grandma, if that’s your real name and not some wolf in sheep’s clothing always ready to pounce, If Hanson goes five we might not have to go eleven inasmuch as the bullpen didn’t give up any runs. That saves arms. In that, my mind is made up.
Mistermak
August 18th, 2012
3:21 am
all this criticism of a team that is 21 games over 500 late in August. I do agree about Hanson though, Medlin runs cirlcles around him!!
Chipper = Legend
August 18th, 2012
3:42 am
Best third baseman of all time.
Brandon
August 18th, 2012
3:58 am
mike mcdonald –
as stated earlier by DOB on Twitter: “Heyward has 14 game-winning RBIs, tied w/ C.Grandersons for 2nd in the majors, behind Hanley R’s 18 w/Marlins & Dodgers”
(that was a post by me on aug 16th)
he also had the game tying hit in this last game…
Heyward will not come through every time, but that stat alone should tell you something, and anyways, how would you justify trading a player with stats like .275AVG 20 HR .841OPS 17SB? Also, he wont see free agency until 2016.
I see you already realize you misspoke about Freeman.
man and dog
August 18th, 2012
4:03 am
Is Uggla giving FG some of his salary to keep playing?
SA
August 18th, 2012
5:04 am
@Just Asking? :: Battleaxes replacement next year is Juan Francisco! He looks like he will do just fine at 3B!
phil
August 18th, 2012
5:20 am
Mike mcdonald = doofus
phil
August 18th, 2012
5:23 am
Oh yeah…..
62nd!!!
phil
August 18th, 2012
5:28 am
Great write up, David! Thx for the long hard night’s effort….
Fransico Cabrera
August 18th, 2012
6:19 am
Good article. It worked out but not a fan of having Michael Bourn bunt over the runners in 8th. Bourn to good of a hitter and doesnt double up, Go Braves
Mike/ in ATL
August 18th, 2012
6:51 am
I keep hearing the braves having 1 or a half gm above the pirates for the wilcardspot, but they have a 3 game lead by the records. I’ve heard earlier this year bout the wild card spot changing,
does the other 3 teams tied for 2nd plc.in the wild card have anythg to do with the standings that would change the braves lead in the wild card?
tim
August 18th, 2012
6:56 am
Great game Braves! It is hard keeping up with my team here in N Fl I wish sportsouth was allowed to broadcast in Florida there is no local radio broadcast I have to stream on my laptop let me tell you slow way to keep up.
Wrecker
August 18th, 2012
7:05 am
I can see Janish’s batting average going up slightly in the long term, if he continues to get some AB’s. The guy only has 1097 plate appearances in his career of 6 years. His BABIP this year with the Braves is .272, suggesting that his slash line may increase a bit more.
If the Braves’ other main starters had the same run support in their losses as Hanson has averaged this year (5.7 per start), Hanson would be 14-2 (instead of 12-4), Minor would be 10-5 (instead of 6-9), Jurrjens would 4-3 (instead of 3-4), Delgado would be 10-3 (instead of 4-9), Beachy would be 8-2 (instead of 5-5).
Clearly, Hanson’s record (or the win-loss record of any pitcher) is worthless to evaluate him as a pitcher. Hanson’s ERA, WHIP, and slash line against are all at career highs. He has some sort of nagging injury, or a dead arm, or is not making adjustments to batters, or something. My bet is some sort of injury (that back problem?) given his 3 mph drop in average fastball velocity from his previous three years.
Mike/ in ATL
August 18th, 2012
7:16 am
Just when u thought you would never see a game so intense than the one they came back after bein down 9 runs to the nats. The best game i seen in awhile. LIFE IS GREAT IN BRAVES COUNTRY!!!! Keep up the AWESOME work. Feels like the come back kids of the 90s. Keep that train moving the G-NATS or right down the road. Cant get enough of the braves right now, its bout the highlite of my day,but dont tell the wife. GO BRAVES!!!!!
Regular Season Links – 8/18/2012 - Goodsportsart Blog = Baseball news
August 18th, 2012
7:21 am
[...] Francisco’s 11th-inning hit lifts Braves to 4-3 win over Dodgers [...]
southern hope
August 18th, 2012
7:54 am
ken stallings — i really appreciate your baseball talk.
All – — what a game!
also, keep in mind my offer from the other thread
i have 40 or so ajc baseball sports pages from 1995…all the losses and all the wins….a great read…I found them at thrift store maybe 10 years ago…I’ll drop them into the mail for anybody who wants them free. (I just want someone to appreciate them 
longtimefan
August 18th, 2012
8:08 am
I believe FG did a good job of managing the game. As they say “the proof is in the pudding” and the Braves record of 70 wins, fourth best in baseball, attests to that. FG has done a very good job of managing the bullpen; I believe he learned from his overuse of the big three last year. Like Cox, he does a good job of keeping players fresh and getting everyone playing time. I absolutely think you green light a power hitter on 3-0, nobody on, when a homer wins the game. The Braves are clicking on all cylinders right now; there are no weaknesses. SP check. Hitting check. Bullpen double check. If the Bravos keep this up they have a legit chance to catch the Nationals. Braves/National, Nationals/Braves-looks like a recurring theme the next several years!!
RunninWithTheDawgs
August 18th, 2012
8:13 am
We’ve got to give credit to Greg Walker (new hitting coach) for the obvious work he’s done with the Braves hitting. This time last year under Larry Parrish the bats were dead on the whole team,but this year the guys seem to be tagging up on the ball pretty well. Maybe eventually Walker will be able to help Uggla out of his slump. GO BRAVES !
wtf
August 18th, 2012
8:14 am
When you win games like this, you have to believe the Braves may just pull off a division title this year.
Hands down
August 18th, 2012
8:19 am
NATS R A BUNCH OF SISY GIRLIE MEN BRAVES WILL SHOW THEM!!
william cranman
August 18th, 2012
8:50 am
Dave, you stole Terrence Moore’s old saying of “chopping and chanting”. He used to use that in EVERY Braves column he wrote. I think that saying needs to be retired.
bravesgrl4life
August 18th, 2012
8:51 am
Great game! After the Thursday night rout of the Padres, last night was just different. No really big offense game, but play-by-play baseball. Shows that this Braves team is better this year by the fact they don’t have to rely on the long ball to get the job done. Last year’s team would have found a way to lose last night’s game. No doubt.
74bravesjersey
August 18th, 2012
8:59 am
Awe Man! What A Thrill! The ‘Big Juan”, What Clutch! Juan, You have become Clutch! Showed plate Discipline, awesome at-bat, noth’n flail’in about ‘cha big Juan. Another Diamond in the ruff, could be. Could go alot further, “Clutch Juan” !
oldmike
August 18th, 2012
9:03 am
Hanson’s problems are velocity related. His sharp breaking pitches are not offset by his once mid 90’s fastball. I think his mechanics kill any chance of getting better.
UPGRAYEDD
August 18th, 2012
9:08 am
It’ll be a damn shame when Simmons comes off the DL and the Braves have to sit Janish. Doesn’t seem quite fair to put him on the bench after weeks of consistent defensive performance and a nice bat here and there. Simmons is a rookie and who knows if he’ll start back the way he left off, or whether the time off will slow him down. Good problem to have, no doubt, and Simmons is clearly the SS of the future, but Janish deserves an everyday role IMO.
Amber Girl
August 18th, 2012
9:11 am
@ Mr 74bravesjersey Good morning. How are you. School is yucky, but Braves rock
Winchester
August 18th, 2012
9:21 am
Hanson’s delivery mechanism is his undoing. Once a team figures it out they begin to light him up. It only took 4 innings for the Dodger’s to dissect his weakness.
Hanson has been lucky in the fact that he usually gets enough run support to stay winning. Should the Braves find themselves in post season play, opposing clubs will eat his lunch readily.
Hope the Braves can trade him before he buries our chances of wild card success.
Winchester
August 18th, 2012
9:24 am
Oh, by the way…aren’t you tired of hearing Hanson complimenting himself on his throwing and never hearing how he makes any mistakes?
mpimentel
August 18th, 2012
9:27 am
hey janish is playing so well…a Q´s when simmons will come back?…and what we gonna do with 3 infielders without power (pastor, janish and simmons)…but don´t mind…great win , let´s enjoy this win…GO BRAVES
Elvis
August 18th, 2012
9:33 am
Wren deserves credit for making the right moves this summer. Thank you very much!
Jimmy Crack
August 18th, 2012
9:44 am
“Whatever we get offensively out of him is a plus.”
Probably an unintended slight to Janish from Gonzalez. We have already heard that “anything else is gravy” bit about our new shortstop, and so has Paul. The guy just had a 3 hit night with huge implications in the wild card race. Tell the press he’s alot better hitter than given credit. Everybody needs props, Fredi, especially when they are deserved. Way to go, Paul.
Beauvighn
August 18th, 2012
9:55 am
I have become a huge Janish fan. The guy makes every play at short and seems to come up with hits at the biggest times. I hope we will keep him as a back up to Simmons and let jack Wilson ride off into the sunset.
Mikey
August 18th, 2012
9:57 am
Great exciting comeback win last night. Great to see some of the Wren acquisitions Francisco, Janish and Johnson make major contributions.
Question for DOB; Is McCann hurt? Just checking his hitting stats and he is 1-21 over last 7 games and batting .111 for the month of Aug. With no hr. and only 1 RBI. Reminds me of how he finished last year.
LakeDawg
August 18th, 2012
10:01 am
Brves’ MVP may be South Georgian Greg Walker-
Brave New World
August 18th, 2012
10:10 am
This is a fun team to watch. They are all pulling for each other! Great to see Francisco win the game and the reaction from his team mates. GO BRAVES!
Pappy
August 18th, 2012
10:23 am
I read the blogs unitl an asinine post just comes out of nowere… and then I’m outa-here. Ding…ding… ding… M. McDonald has the “winner”.
ChipperisGod
August 18th, 2012
10:44 am
The Braves showed what they were made of tonight. They had some really undisciplined at bats until the eighth inning, but were able to keep their focus, adjust and get the job done in the end. Great games by Janish, Rossy and Juan. Clutch hit by J Hey, Chipper goes Mammo, and Hanson pitched decently. Best start he’s had since June.
Bullpen was huge. Enough said.
Still though, I could tell they were going to get to him after the fifth. I really wish Fredi would have pulled him with the knowledge of the 2-3-4 hitters coming up since Tommy was starting to get tagged. Really should have pulled him after that homer if anything.
splendid splinter
August 18th, 2012
10:54 am
McDonald has his mind made up. Don’t confuse him with the facts!
ijudgenot
August 18th, 2012
10:56 am
No Longtimefan you don’t let a guy who has not hit but one home run in the last 25 games and is hitting .200 swing 3-0. Uggla and the hero of last nights game, Francisco both swung for the fences every at bat early in the season, but now Walker has Francisco hitting the ball where it is pitched and it is paying off in hits not necessarily home runs but hits that help win games. Uggla’s stubbornness to keep going back to his whirlley bird uppercut home run swing despite Walker’s instruction should make Fredi sit him more often.
old brave, retired
August 18th, 2012
10:56 am
I dare say, this is the best bench the Braves have ever had. Reed Johnson, Paul Janish when Simmons gets back, Juan Francisco, and Ross are really strong. We bring up Evan Gattis for right field and then it’s lights out. You have to tip your hat to Frank Wren for Maholm. What a pick up. This is our year. Go Bravos. Peace
JoeFan
August 18th, 2012
11:43 am
The only spot Wren is going to have to fill for 2013 is CF and that will depend on whether he is willing to spend the money on Bourn. Francisco will be at 3B and Uggla likely will be back at 2B. Although it would be interesting to see them trade him, move Prado to 2B and find a top shelf player, offensively and defensively for LF. It will also fun to see how the rotation shakes out with all the pitchers lining up for a shot. Hopefully the Braves are on the verge of being a very good team for a long time.
Largo
August 18th, 2012
11:46 am
Once again, Prado let a perfect pitch (pecker high and middle of the plate) and struck out on a pitch in the dirt. All he had to do to win the game was put wood on the ball and Bourn could have scored from third. But, I guess you can’t fix stupid.
BrandonLee49
August 18th, 2012
11:49 am
No, Ken , Actually he Pitch Ethier hit was Knee-high, He just had an Excellent Swing on it, as if he knew what was coming.. another Sign that Hanson was Tiring… Eithier (being the Excellent Hitter he is) Just Whacked it !!! Hanson did look like he pitched decent enough up to that point. Maybe he’s not as close to 100% as he thinks he is.
Braves fan - 40 years
August 18th, 2012
11:49 am
Braves in-season pick-ups:
Francisco – filling in for Chipper – allowing rest and MUCH more production
Janish – Pastornicky’s not the man, Simmons gets hurt
Johnson – giving the outfielders a rest, especially with Diaz hurt
Maholm and Sheets – replacing Beachy and Jurrjens, without missing a step
If the Braves go deep in the play-offs, one would think Wren would be a candidate for executive of the year,
Braves fan - 40 years
August 18th, 2012
11:55 am
I would like to see the Braves really try to keep Bourn. He really has the skills and understands the game. He will turn 30 in December. I think in 4 years, he will still be playing the game at a high level. Lock him in!
1 – Bourn CF
2 – Prado LF
3 – Heyward – RF
4 – Freeman – 1B
5 – McCann – C
6 – Francisco – 3B
7 – Uggla – 2B
8 – Simmons SS
9 – Pitcher
Jac
August 18th, 2012
12:28 pm
-Francisco is the next Regular 3rd Base-he has tremendous potential-seems to be making attitude change which Chipper can be a big help with, also, Freddi G
-Thanks Cincinnatti for half Braves Infield
DC NAT
August 18th, 2012
12:34 pm
Enjoy it now boys. You’ll come craching back down to earth next week as we whip you AGAIN as we have been doing this for years! GO NATS!!!