Can one disastrous inning overshadow two great games?
I had hoped to be writing about a sweet sweep in Philly to start the season, but that’s not the case, thanks to a disastrous seventh inning in yesterday’s 12-11 loss. So now the question is, did that one inning overshadow the two electrifying games before it?
It shouldn’t. Taking the series as a whole, there’s not a lot to complain about — aside from that excruciating seventh, of course. The Braves averaged more than six runs per game, and the starters allowed only three earned runs in 19 2/3 innings. Derek Lowe looked like the ace he’s supposed to be, Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vazquez produced quality starts in the two and three spots. The back end of the ‘pen performed well, too, as both Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez did their jobs.
And how about that offense? If you said you saw this power surge coming, no one would believe you. The Braves hit eight home runs and five doubles, with Brian McCann and Jordan Schafer each going deep twice.
That’s a whole lot of positives to build on, but the sour taste of that seventh inning is still with me. How do you overlook four bases-loaded walks? It’s too painful for me to recount, so check out Dave O’Brien’s game story if you need the play-by-play.
How does Bobby Cox, the ultimate player’s manager, put a positive spin on this eight-run debacle? “Everybody loses games like this in here,” Cox told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. “Philadelphia loses them too. You get a five- or six-run lead and it’s like a two-run lead the way the ballpark plays. It’s a hitter’s park from the word ‘Go.’ But you can’t catch walks.”
Matt Diaz told O’Brien: “One of the solid parts of our team is our pitching, front to back. So that [seventh inning] is just an aberration. You can’t describe it. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen it, and hopefully it’s the last. I don’t count on seeing anything like that again this year, that’s for sure.”
I’m still excited about going to the home opener tomorrow night (fingers crossed it doesn’t rain), but, unlike Diaz, I’m definitely a bit more concerned about the middle relief. Maybe this year the Braves will have enough offense to overcome some shaky outings — as long as they don’t all lead to eight-run innings.
What do you think? Were the first two games the real indication of how this season’s going to go and that seventh inning was merely an aberration? Or does that one inning take away from the excitement of the first two games and have you concerned about this year?
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128 comments Add your comment
The Patron Saint of the Lost Art
April 9th, 2009
1:29 pm
This whole “you win some, you lose some” attitude is what has cost us from making the playoffs for three straight years. We can’t keep shruggin games off, saying “oh, it will roll our way next time…” Not when you blow a 7-run lead in one inning. That is just bad.
Random
April 9th, 2009
1:41 pm
N8 (10:03 pm): “Coach, your 9:49 ['It’s just one game, another one run loss….. And if our Braves win 88 games and some other team wins the wild card with 89, then what?'] is dead on. Too many people want to say “it’s a long season” or “it’s just one game”.
“I wonder when people type that or say it calling into the sports talk shows, if they realize that in 4 of the past 5 NL Wild-Card races, it’s been decided by 1 game. The other year (2006) was a 3 game margin.
“If we’re a serious contender and we fail by one game to get in. This will likely be the game that stings the most. Yes. The 3rd game of the year, could turn out to be THAT important.”
No, once again, as sometimes does happen, Coach is dead OFF.
You’re both emptily indulging yourselves in meaningless mental mind games, is all.
How many games will the Braves win this season that they should have lost? At least one? I’d say that’s a safe bet. In which case, it’s a push.
If you can accept an undeserved good luck win, you should accept the undeserved hard luck loss. Over a full season, it all comes out in the wash, and teams end up where they deserve to be.
It’s a simple point — the Braves are going to win a game later this season that by all rights they should have lost. It’s a wash.
If you’re going to accept a pennant based partly on “undeserved” wins, you should be prepared to lose one on account of “undeserved” losses.
Andrew
April 9th, 2009
2:14 pm
Good ideas, but the games this weekend are against Washington. No biggie, just helping out.
Chop Chick
April 9th, 2009
2:20 pm
Thanks for the heads-up Andrew. I obviously am having trouble getting past that Phillies series.
Scorby Jones
April 9th, 2009
2:42 pm
I’m nervous about our bullpen, but I believe they’ll be able to put it together more often than not… especially when the lineup is somewhat productive, like we know they can be, and the starters are good, like we know they will be.
The Braves got off to a great start. Every team gets rocked every now and then, and it sucks, but take it for what it is… the Braves were gonna win that game, too. It’s not because the lineup didn’t produce (I mean, 11 freakin’ runs!?), or because Vazquez didn’t hold up his end of the game. Those guys are the core of the team – our everyday regulars and starting pitching, and they’ve been playing great.
Nothing to worry about – just one of the downs, in the ups and downs that is a baseball season.
Dixie Dawg
April 9th, 2009
2:51 pm
This off day would have been a little sweeter if not for the bullpen’s defecation! It has to get better. It just has to.
Ben
April 9th, 2009
2:53 pm
Wren shouldn’t have let the Braves break camp with this bullpen. Same thing last year. Maybe they should have tryouts one day and find someone who can throw strikes. Terrible!
bulldogbubba
April 9th, 2009
2:53 pm
The hitting is good so runs are not the issue. My concern is that we get quality starts and these guys don’t hold them.We have seen that time after time with Tim Hudson the last two years.He pitches a good game and the bullpen loses the lead and we can all remember those 1-run loses last year.I hope Bobby does not leave some of these pitchers in the game longer than he has in the past.We seem to have some good pitching in Gwinnett so we can send 1 down and bring 1 up to keep a strong staff. Go Braves!!
Mike
April 9th, 2009
2:54 pm
Unfortunately this is an omen. The bullpen with the exception of Gonzo is a shaky situation. Get ready for more meltdowns.
Phillies Fan
April 9th, 2009
2:57 pm
Why is Cox using the bandbox excuse? The ballpark had zero to do with the Phils coming back. It wasn’t like we hit homeruns to come back. We played small ball and worked the count,
And he says the Phils lose those types of games too because of the park? Uhm, no we don’t Bobby. Your middle relief just sucks admit it and stop blaming the ball park.
PMC
April 9th, 2009
2:58 pm
Sorry, I’m extatic about the positives, Love that the bats are hot, love more what I’ve seen from Francouer.
This BS from the pen is a continuation of the last several years. This was as bad as the Johnson pop out drop last year. game in hand…. given away.
If you score 11 and have an 8 run lead you win. If you don’t… and the people partially responsible are people who have a history of pouring gasoline on a fire when they come in… namely Blaine Boyer… you really need to think about making some moves. Yes even THIS EARLY. It’s not getting any better from Blaine Boyer. Nice Stuff. he can strike people out… but he’s not consistant and he’s not mentally tough enough to be on a major league team… sorry 72 innings of that crap was enough last year. He’s got to go. There have to be better pitchers in the organization.
The biggest question mark on the team was the pen. What this one game lets us know is that no lead is ever safe and from the 6th to the 9th we are going to be praying for outs if not strikes.
Awesome that we got a series win and the starters did well… the pen…. once again a grease fire.
eltrompoBRAVESfan
April 9th, 2009
3:04 pm
I would be surprised if that bullpen wasn’t raked through the coals after that game, if not by management and team, then most certainly by the fans they will hear from. I expect a very different bullpen come tomorrow.
David
April 9th, 2009
3:09 pm
Blaine Boyer always makes me nervous. He’s just not consistent enough. This type of loss is very tough on the pysche.
TT44
April 9th, 2009
3:12 pm
ABSOLUTELY AWFUL. THOSE TWO PITCHERS, THEY WERE NOT GOOD LAST YEAR. THIS YR. EVEN SEEMS WORSE. IF I WERE BC, I WOULD CERTAINLY NOT TAKE MY STARTER OUT AS LONG AS HE IS PHYSICALLY OK. LET UM PITCH 9 INNINGS. YOU KNOW A GAME LIKE THAT WILL WIND UP COSTING THE BRAVES. YOU WAIT AND SEE, THEY WILL MISS THE WILD CARD BY ONE GAME. THE ONE THAT THEY P####D AWAY! DISGUSTING! COULDNT HARDLY SLEEP LAST NIGHT….GEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZ!
the evil rich
April 9th, 2009
3:18 pm
Oh come one…did you not watch Sunday’s game? The tying run was up with one out after leading 4-0. This weekend will tell a lot, win the games against good teams and then drop 2 of 3 at home against WASH.
no more excuses
April 9th, 2009
3:18 pm
chipper said it best, no more finishing 4th, stop the excuses, the stadium, the cold, still rusty from the time off, blah,blah. the same ones with the hoo,hum attitude is probably the ones from last year saying the 1 run losses would even out in the end, well they didn’t, did they, anyone in that clubhouse happy to take 2 of 3 should be run off, let’s just wait and see if this continues with this pen if wren does anything, or let’s bobby keep trotting out insane blaine and co.
Ben
April 9th, 2009
3:20 pm
I am sick and tired of Blaine Boyer. He has been awful each year he has pitched. He’ll have one good outing, followed by three bad ones. He is terribe. McKay McBride hit the dusty trail, so too should Blaine Boyer–I don’t care if he was born and raised in ATL-Fulton Co. stadium/Turner Field. Makes me sick.
eric the elder
April 9th, 2009
3:28 pm
My problem is that middle relief blew a 7 run lead. What is going to happen when they are called in to hold a 1 or 2 run lead?
I’ll cut slack for O’Flaherty because he’s new and for Moylan because he’s just back from surgery and needs to get the rust off. He was one of our best last year. I’m fine with Campillo as a starter, but I get nervous with him relieving. Boyer did a decent job last year before he was worked to death.
The pivotal moment came, imo, when Bobby let Moylan pitch to a third batter. Moylan obviously had absolutely nothing, and keeping him out there was insane.
Better days ahead . . . maybe.
no more excuses
April 9th, 2009
3:31 pm
remember that one year when the bullpen blewup and several were sent down, I believe brad clonts was part of that group, and the other guys were brought up, well if a pattern developes with these, bring up somebody, if tommy h. can get the job done, then get him up here, he’s got better stuff than most here. jordan was given his chance and is making the most of it, I know tommy h. would too,
Blaine Boyer
April 9th, 2009
3:34 pm
I’m horrible. Absolutely pathetic. I worked hard all spring to come out and throw 8 balls out of 9 pitches. And to top things off my name is BLAINE
bigcooterb
April 9th, 2009
3:39 pm
No doubt the bullpen stunk but Bobby is still the worst handler of pitchers in history. If nothing else he could have just told one of them to underhand the ball up to the plate and take their chances on them hitting the ball to someone.
Supes
April 9th, 2009
3:40 pm
Absolutely inexcusable performance by the pen in that last Philly game.
While I’m pleasantly surprised with the starters, and our offense…I’m afraid the pen will be an issue all year long.
It maybe the one thing (plus the shaky health of Anderson) that prevents the Braves for contending for the WC or the division.
Will Ohman should have been re-signed!
Mike S
April 9th, 2009
3:42 pm
I would be lying if I said that the 7th inning meltdown was not worrisome.
I can write-off Moylan’s effort to adrenaline, he basdically said himself he was amped up to finally pitch and that he got off mechanically and over threw. Moylan will be fine.
Boyer and Campillo worry me though, both pitch brilliant at times, but both have also had a lot of these type outings. I also am not sold on O’Flaherty yet.
All in all, I think the Braves will have a very good year. The starting pitching will be excellent top to bottom (I truly believe that), and most games will get us to Moylan, Soriano, Gonzo — and when that happens the Braves will be fine. It is going to be the games where the starters struggle and we have to rely on Boyer, Bennett, Campillo, Oflaherty, etc to get us a couple good innings to get to the back of the pen that will be the nailbiter nights. All of them have the ability to be lights out, but all of them also have the abiltity to implode like yesterday.
fifthbusiness
April 9th, 2009
3:43 pm
Games like this usually happen in June which is the cruelest month for a Braves fan. I say we a letting the bad air out this month and beating the June hex. By the way Moylan was excellent in 2007, give him a chance to get his groove back before he is crucified.
Jimv
April 9th, 2009
3:46 pm
The starting pitching looks great. The relievers look terrible. As usual…
blaine boyer
April 9th, 2009
3:46 pm
I was born in atlanta, so to keep with the young homegrown talent thing, they said I could play with brian and frenchy, just give me another chance, I’m sure I’ll let you guys down, they promised me a bobble head night in july.
Bill McManus
April 9th, 2009
3:51 pm
Let’s leave the starters out there til the 8th inning – regardless of the pitch count! Eliminate the middle men.
bravo
April 9th, 2009
3:52 pm
I know moylan will need time from surgery, my thing is this, why not let him pitch alot in gwinnett and get the work in, and when he’s back in form , then bring him back, rather have the rust off in AAA than here in the bigs, where it counts the most
Dandaman
April 9th, 2009
3:54 pm
Braves fans had better get used to seeing more of this. Unless the starters can go at least seven inninngs, the bullpen will have more meltdowns. We need a good solid bridge to get us from starters to Gonzo. But, if you look around the majors, good relief is hard to come by. I guess we’ll just have to tough it out.
bravo
April 9th, 2009
3:55 pm
good point bill, there’s too much specialty this and that, pitch counts this and that, they have enough depth to let the starters still get their rest as they go along,
rickman5
April 9th, 2009
3:57 pm
You know I’d rather this happen now in the beginning of the season than at the end of the season while we are pushing for a playoff spot. I understand Bobby’s logic of not letting our starting pitchers go too many innings because the season is long and we’re gonna need those guys down the stretch. Whats going to make or break the season is if we beat the teams we are suppose to beat (i.e the Nationals) On a side note, Blaine Boyer is terrible. I thought that towards the end of the last year and now this year. How is he still on the roster??
bravo
April 9th, 2009
4:00 pm
because he’s bobby’s nephew, or niece for that matter
Raizz R. Blaide
April 9th, 2009
4:01 pm
Chop Chick get real!!! Of course this one horrible inning overshadowed the rest of the series because all we had heard during spring was how these guys were better, better era’s, no injuries….You cant have a performance like that now!!! No one was tired or overworked and they had all worked enough during spring to not be rusty – - SO WHAT HAPPENED???? That was the worst pitching I’ve ever seen from so called major leaguers….THat was the kind of crap that negates all the positives put up by the starters and the offense….To think all we had to do was guarantee John Smoltz 5 or 6 Mil and make him the closer and pitch Gonzalez in the 7th and 8th…It must have been awfully tough being a Braves fielder and watch all of those bases on balls….
CommunistAJC
April 9th, 2009
4:02 pm
Get some new relievers in there. There, problem solved. Starting pitching looks solid. Hitting is solid.
Russell
April 9th, 2009
4:03 pm
The Braves have NEVER spent money on the bullpen. We have never had that shutdown type guy in the bullpen with the exception of John Smoltz who wouldn’t even had been in the bullpen if it weren’t for arm problems. We have never went out and traded for, signed, or developed that dominating bullpen guy like a Trevor Hoffman or Mariano Rivera. We have always tried to get along with castoffs, has-beens, reclaimation projects or unproven young guys. See – Aleandro Pena, Jeff Reardon, Bob Wickman, Dan Kolb, etc. Rafeal Soreino & Mike Gonzalez were good in theory, but they were never proven, and Rafeal had never been a closer anyway. We will never win another World Series or even playoff series unless we have dominent back end of the bullpen. Should have spent the money and brought Ohman back.
bravo
April 9th, 2009
4:05 pm
amen, absolutely
OutsideRobber
April 9th, 2009
4:05 pm
There’s no excuse and little room for spin control after that abortion of an effort in the 3d game against the Phils. Flush it down the toilet where it belongs and trust that it won’t in any way surface again.
Carson10
April 9th, 2009
4:07 pm
Get rid of Blaine Boyer. I have always noticed his accuracy problem. It isn’t just walking and not walking batters… I don’t think you should be a Major Leaguer when your catcher sets up outside and you throw it INSIDE, and in terms of yesterday, TWO FEET inside. Look at past games, he doesn’t hit his target. I could go out there and throw on a certain side of the plate, what are you getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for?
Plus your necklace is beyond GAY. If I see you where that at Turner Field I’m going to throw an iced lemonade at you. I’m already going to boo you regardless though…
Carson10
April 9th, 2009
4:08 pm
WEAR*
bravo
April 9th, 2009
4:10 pm
One good thing today, the mets lost earlier,
Russell
April 9th, 2009
4:18 pm
Open up the pocket book and get someone who can pitch. The Braves had the same opportunities as the Phillies & Mets the past several seasons to add a closer. The Mets traded for Billy Wagner, when he went down they signed K-Rod. The Phillies traded for Brad Lidge. These aren’t guys the Phillies and Mets just “lucked” into. They were all proven, dominent closers when they were aquired. Why don’t the Braves go out there and do the same thing?
Ed
April 9th, 2009
4:19 pm
Boy oh Boyer.
Oh man, why not Ohman?
What has Bennett been eatin?
Russell
April 9th, 2009
4:26 pm
From 1991-1995 Maddux, Glavine & Smoltz as a group averaged almost 18 complete games a year- NO BULLPEN NEEDED. If Bobby Cox and baseball in general would the starters pitch longer, there would be no need to be so dependent on the bullpen. Why Lowe after 8 shutout, 2 hit, innings on opening night? He was almost unhittable. Why pull Jurrjens after 5 2/3 innnings of shout out ball? Let him keep going. If we would let our starters go deeper in games, we wouldn’t have these problems.
crap-wheelie
April 9th, 2009
4:28 pm
One. We HAVE to win Friday night. Two. If this bullpen can’t throw strikes, bring up the one from Gwinett.
Braves Fan
April 9th, 2009
4:29 pm
Friday night, i feel alright….who ready? who ready?
Blackberry Cobbler
April 9th, 2009
4:31 pm
Middle relief was a problem last year and looks like it may be again this year. The solution is to get more innings out of the starters. So far so good in that department.
I’ll admit that I didn’t watch or hear every inning of every game and haven’t seen all the stats, but it seems to me that Kelly Johnson, Garret Anderson, and Yunel Escobar are off to a slow start?
Chippers rash of boo-boos is starting to creep in a little early this year and Brian McCann still demonstrates he doesn’t know how to protect that bear hand. If those 2 can’t start 130+ games each, we are in trouble for sure.
Jack G.
April 9th, 2009
4:33 pm
I dont think the loss is what has everyone upset, but the way it was lost.
This was a complete breakdown of the bullpen. If this is an indicator of things to come, we are in deep doo.
TT44
April 9th, 2009
4:41 pm
CHEERS TO ALL OF YOU WHO REALIZE AS GREAT A COACH AS BC IS, HE ABSOLUTELY STINKS WITH HIS PITHCERS, NOT MAKING THE RIGHT CHANGES….AT THE RIGHT TIME!!!!!! MY GOODNESS, THINK BACK TO THE BRAVES TWINS WS…..HE STILL CANT HANDLE PITCHERS….BB, AWFUL! MOYER, AWFUL…..TRADE UM! I STILL CANT GET OVER YESTERDAY……
Mac
April 9th, 2009
4:43 pm
I don’t think all or middle relievers will ever stink that bad all at once again. Aberration, unless proven otherwise.
A friend says she likes Schafer, except that he looks like Eminem. Dang if he doesn’t.
Chop Chick has alluring eyes.
Mac
April 9th, 2009
4:45 pm
Um, it takes at least 10 games to determine if someone is having a slow start. Instant communication is ruining the world. What’s next, asking if someone is in a slump after one 0-4 game? Perspective, people.
jc_dawgs
April 9th, 2009
5:04 pm
I simplify things this way……
I never cared much for the play of Blaine Boyer. As for Moylan….the guy gets a pass as he is coming off the Tommy John surgery.
Cox needs to keep a close eye on both. If they can’t do the job…ship them to the minors and bring someone else in. If they can’t throw strikes they dont need to be on the mound. Lets just given them another chance or 2 to make sure.
blowyer
April 9th, 2009
5:09 pm
named needs to be corrected to Blowyer as in blown games.
Atlantarama
April 9th, 2009
5:22 pm
A month from now, this game will be forgotten, but I see it as a good sign to get that sort of meltdown out of the way early in the season. I’m not so sure a sweep of the Phillies would have been such a good thing anyway; it would have just given the Phillies a sense of purpose. It’s just too bad that one inning has overshadowed an otherwise outstanding performance by the Braves during the entire series with the Phillies.
jake
April 9th, 2009
5:39 pm
I’m not sure Bobby Cox isn’t the problem. He tends to lock in on a couple of guys and use them over and over as if he were on autopilot. He’s not intuitive and doesn’t seem to have a feel for what’s going on. Moylan should have been gone yesterday after two batters, and even that would be generous. And the comment above is a good one: who says you can’t use your closer in the 7th? That’s the difference between being awake and in the moment, and Cox’s unimaginative, ritualized approach.
It may also be that the approach the Braves have taken to personnel — bringing in good corporate citizens in the Schuerholz paradigm (Soriano excepted) — doesn’t work with relievers, where confidence and attitude are at a premium.
John
April 9th, 2009
5:46 pm
To allow relief pitchers to blow a game shows two things. First,ownership and management are incompetent to have such players on the roster. Second, the relief pitchers stink. This will be another bad year again
soxman
April 9th, 2009
5:48 pm
Same ol same ol- the Braves have lost since 1991 because of the bullpen- and more specifically because of Cox’s handling of it. He has no clue when to change pitchers and who to bring in and always stays too long with the bad ones. And the ATL fans just keep cheering him on- they are a bunch of Bobby Cox suckers!
HCS
April 9th, 2009
5:53 pm
We, as fans, are used to the bull pen losing games for the Braves but not every one of them blowing their chance like last night. We, as fans, can’t do any thing about it but voice our dismay but Braves management can. We have seen Boyer do it too often but he is still in there. WHY????? Folks, please quit talking about Ohman. He is gone.
soxman
April 9th, 2009
6:00 pm
I wouldn’t want to be Cox’s wife after a game like that…
Brad
April 9th, 2009
6:00 pm
I think some of you fans are overreacting a bit on the loss. Yes, I was PO’d too but I was more shocked than I was angry. I mean, how often in baseball does a whole BP have trouble throwing strikes? Never. I can see one guy not having command but when nobody could throw strikes that happens like never. The BP will be fine as long as our starters this season stay healthy. This game was a COMPLETE aberation and something I’ve never seen in my life and I don’t expect to see it again this year. If they’re used on Friday I guarantee you they’ll throw strikes and be more effective.
This one game won’t mean anything because as someone said earlier there will be at least one game that we’ll get back in the standings to make up for this one because it was a game that we won after originally being a game we should’ve lost.
I’m not giving up on this pen until May because I’ll have a better idea then of where the Braves are in the standings and plus every BP pitcher will get more appearances. If they’re showing signs of improvement then it’ll be encouraging. If they’re basically performing the same they are now then we’re screwed.
PS: The BP owes Vazquez a huge apology for what happened last night. When he pitches against Florida they better come in and nail down the game for him (if we’re leading).
kashi
April 9th, 2009
6:31 pm
I am sick of these relief pitchers. Is this how we arengoing to win play off games? Really sick sick of this and I do put some blame on BOBBY COX manage of game. He let it slip. I can’t believe he brought Moylan with runners on base right after surgery and Boyer with bases loaded. If soriano have come in to stop the bleeding we would be 3-0 today. This team is going to be in 3rd place again.
BravesFanFoLife
April 9th, 2009
6:35 pm
Bobby cant get it through his big, thick, old, dumb skull – You have starters for a reason; LET THEM PITCH!!!!! for Chirst sakes. He’s been doing this for years. We all know Glavine can’t go more than 4 innings so save the bullpen for him. But Vasquez? A veteran with a 7 run league. Let him finish the friggin game. I am SO ready for Cox to go. I can’t wait until he either retires or is Fired. The problem has been him all along with his stubborn ness and ignorant fool-minded trust in the worst bullpen in the majors.
Go Braves, down with Cox……..freakin moron. And yes, i DO think i could do a better job managing if i were in his shoes.
DC
April 9th, 2009
6:37 pm
Here is a reality check for you. Many of the pitchers in our bullpen were there last year. Last years bullpen was a disaster. We added some “inning eaters” in the starting rotation. Do not expect anyone but Derick to go beyond 6 innings per night, on average. The bullpen, which is questionable at best, will not be able to hold up. They can’t even hold up when they aren’t tired. Wednesday afternoon was nothing more than a foreshadow of what’s to come. Sorry, truth hurts, huh?
ozzie
April 9th, 2009
7:18 pm
Apart from Buddy the Braves middle relief is akin to Forest Gump’s saying “you never know what you gonna get”
That is no way to run a railroad. If this continues for more than a handful of games Wren & Bobby need to make wholesale changes.
scottbravesfan
April 9th, 2009
7:30 pm
Our bullpen is not very good. They need to call some of the kids up from Gwinnett soon if not the bullpen could end up costing us a trip to the playoffs. I know it’s only three games into the season but you got to get this stuff straight now.
TK
April 9th, 2009
8:05 pm
This is the same crap we put up with last year and Frank Wren did not do anything to help with this problem. The way I see it, two of the best pitchers out of spring was Tommy Hanson and Jo-Jo Reyes, they are both starters and can chew up alot of innings, so why not bring one of them up to be that middle relief pitcher we need. It can’t be any worse.
santa cruz dawg
April 9th, 2009
8:15 pm
I have always been puzzled by the way Bobby Cox leaves in relievers who are not throwing strikes. When any pitcher can’t get the ball over the plate, get the hook out. Hey; on the bright-side our hitting and starting pitching looks awesome!
Tomy Fournier
April 9th, 2009
8:38 pm
Just one comment…”Mr. Cox…pleaaaaase….”GO HOME…AND NEVER COME-BACK….PLEASE”…YOU SUCK!!!!
scott s.
April 9th, 2009
9:32 pm
OK, lets not get crazy here folks. I will take 2 out of three any day even if the one is like Wednesdays game. We need to get behind these Braves and sweep the Nats. If we dwell too long on one inning regardless of how bad we can forget about what is to come. Our pitchers were getting squeezed a bit and we were playing in a hitters park end of story. Boyer will end the season with a mid two era and we will be happy again. Forget the one inning and forget the gloomy gus attitudes and LETS GO BRAVES!!!!!!!
biff pocoroba
April 9th, 2009
10:05 pm
just admit it,,that was awful!! now i know that it is still way early, and i know from a managers standpoint, at this time of the year, you’ve got to give everyone a little lee-way..i just really hope that wasn’t a sign of things to come…and truly, i don’t think it was,but….
i do know this, if i were a starting pitcher for this team, i would be begging to stay out there as long as i were getting guys out…that has to piss you off..and i can’t count how many times the bullpen has blown games like that one, maybe i should ask tim hudson, its happened to him so many times.
anyway, sure would have liked to demoralize the phils right out of the shoot,being world champs and all…i’ll give the bullpen another chance. i sure hope they don’t fool me again..GO BRAVES!!!
DNR
April 9th, 2009
10:07 pm
Hmm…we won the series. We’re only in game 4 here, I’m not too concerned. I mean, if we win 2 out of 3 for the rest of the year we win over 100 games, and that’s a pretty good season.
UGA FAN
April 9th, 2009
10:32 pm
Do the Braves have a consecutive one run loss record continuing from last year? I think it was 27. Does last night’s debacle add another? 28/
rickman
April 9th, 2009
10:36 pm
Hey, we have all these studs in AAA why not bring them up for relief and can these chumps we have. Let Boyer, Ben-it, and Campillo smell bus fumes for a while.
Chinese Tech Fan
April 9th, 2009
11:03 pm
To me it’s straight and simple, Bobby overprotected his players. He didn’t take those guys out when they couldn’t even get one single out or throw strikes, because he didn’t want to hurt their feelings. But come on, those guys are GROWN-UP MEN!! If they can’t get the job done, take them off the mound!! I can’t remember how many times that I shouted “TAKE HIM OUT” in Turner Field or before TV in the late innings of those close games last year.
With all due respect, Bobby, our beloved all-time manager, please treat your players like real men and make them become mentally tough by themselves. Otherwise, this kind of nightmare and those heartbroken close loses WILL happen again…
richbrave
April 9th, 2009
11:07 pm
NO!!!!
ronald
April 9th, 2009
11:14 pm
There is no way to polish this turd. Watching this bullpen emplode yesterday made you think you were watching one of last season’s game. It looked just like one. We had no bullpen last year. It doesn’t look like much this year. How are you not going to “overwork” a pathetically poor bullpen if you don’t let the starters pitch more innings? Another thing, here we are, the third game of the season and Brittle Jones is already missing in action.
Scorby Jones
April 9th, 2009
11:16 pm
Man, I wish I could comment on DOB’s article about D-Lowe pitching tomorrow. That quote down at the end gets me all fired up about the season all over again… that he’s really happy to be pitching in Atlanta and just psyched as hell to be pitching the home opener. Just to know that the Braves are loaded with optimism and excitement about this year, just like we are.
That is one rockin’ dude.
7
April 9th, 2009
11:44 pm
Where is Leo? Tell the truth, Braves have not won since he’s been gone. If you hate the man, fine. If you love the man, fine.Say what you will we won when he was here and zip since he been gone. Bring Leo back!
gotigers72
April 10th, 2009
12:02 am
Bennett, O’Flaherty nor Boyer are MLB quality pitchers. I was shocked that Bennett and O’Flaherty were brought north. O’Flaherty only because he throws left handed, Boyer only because he has comprimising pictures of BC and a hot woman.
Boyer has had 2 years now and has never proven he belongs. He’s fine as long as no one is on base and the Braves have a 3+ run lead. He was brought into the game on Wednesday in a pressure situation and could not handle it. He is so inconsistent, especially with his control. Walks too many hitters. The only thing Bennett is good for is a walking advertisement in a mouth cancer commercial. How ignorant he looks with that huge chaw in his cheek. Hell, just do like the rest of the players and spit. You don’t need the chaw for that. Campillo is hanging by a string too, but at least he did throw strikes form the most part. Only one BB.
The Braves need to do something NOW! The pictures of faces of the guys on the bench during the meltdown told the story. That kind of s**t is horrible for morale. If you get beat, at least make the other team do it by hitting the ball.
Mike45
April 10th, 2009
12:46 am
Bad
proeye
April 10th, 2009
1:06 am
Random… Your 1:41 PM post was right on. So many of these guys like Coach seem to think that the season is actually a race. In baseball, it’s not. Your talent and ability to play up to your talent determines the number of wins you end up with. Sure you can screw it up along the way and that’s why I said “ability to play up to your talent”. But really, in baseball you are only really competing against yourself. In the end, each team ends up with a certain number of wins at the end of the season based on talent. Period.
It’s not like a team can say, “Hey, there are two teams ahead of us, let’s play better so we can catch them.” Yeah, right… You only play as well as you are capable and that’s it, and sometimes even the hardest working clubs finish last.
Like you said, some games will be horrible like this one was and some games will be stolen. It all averages out. Hopefully we get more pure luck games on our side however…
Really, I think this game was just a bad game that may have been a result of early season cold arms. We all know that Moylan is coming off arm surgery. Spring training is not the real thing given that 1) Pitchers don’t always air it out knowing they could hurt themselves–geez, no sense doing that before the season even starts! 2) They play against saps who don’t belong in the majors.So who knows where Moylan is right now. It might take him a month, two months, or even the entire season to get his pin point accuracy back. As far as Boyer, well, there is no excuse there. I’ve been harping against this guy for years. Like others have said, he is really inconsistent and it is incredibly annoying.My god, next time just lob the ball in there! What is the difference between a grandslam and 4 bases loaded walks? Hummmm, not much huh? (no Boyer isn’t responsible for the entire inning–not my point).
Frankly, I will never understand the Braves philosophy. The reason they don’t have a decent pen, and have NEVER had a decent pen, is management’s attitude towards relief pitchers! They seem to think that a small core of guys is enough and damn the rest. Yeah, 95 mph unhittable ball then blast this one out of the park. Why didn’t the Braves care anything about Ohman??? Really bizarre behavior unless they know something we don’t. Hope to god that Moylan comes back, Soriano proves he can pitch, and Gonzo is the real thing this season. And geez, can we get at least one more thtn can at least put the ball over the plate and actually get someone out for a change?? PLEASE??
Mike45
April 10th, 2009
1:23 am
Bobby needs to stop the dam$ ballpark didnt have a dam$ thing to do with them losing.That Shi$y bullpin did.He!! they didnt even need to hit the ball.And that left me wondering why in the He!! Bobby took out o’flahrity he was solid up to the hit batmen runner on second 1 out and Howard at first big deal 7 run lead he could of got out of it with minimum damage.This all could Of been avoided if Bobby staid his a$$ on the bench.The young guy has to learn how to pitch in tough situation at some point and then bobby brings in the bullpin from He!!.STOP WITH LAME EXCUSES BOBBY.
richbrave
April 10th, 2009
8:01 am
PHILLIES FAN:
You worked the count. You worked the count on the three blind mice. Are you s****ing me? And MATT DIAZ almost pulled it out for the BRAVES in the ninth? Oh yeah, he worked the count, then hit a fly-ball. An out? BANDBOX. Don’t expect any generosity next time either. This is all you get.
Acworth Don
April 10th, 2009
8:21 am
Well, we’re 2 and 1 and the Phillies ain’t! I’m thinking this was a real wakeup call for our “pen.”
Bobby, you win some and you lose some. And, your old pitching coach is available if you need
some real help that you can depend on.
stupup74
April 10th, 2009
8:55 am
In a word…………….YES. Yes it can overshadow all the good work of the week. Very simply, the seed of doubt about the bullpen has been planted and they have taken root ever so slightly.
It was the ugliest of losses, but the next 6 games are going to tell a tale about our Bravos. Can they overcome the struggles vs. the Nats and how good is Florida????? If they go 4-2 or better on this homestand, all should be forgiven in Philly.
PMC
April 10th, 2009
9:16 am
Hey, you know, at least it wasn’t Charlie Leibrant in another crucial World Series Game.
I know Wholers was a big part of 95 but then you think back to 96 and Leyritz…
It’s really ashamed, maybe if we leave Smoltz in in 91… if Wholers gets Leyritz out in 96…
We were so close to 4 WS titles in the 90’s with an opportunity for potentially 2 more. Maybe one of these days we will have a bullpen and starting rotation we feel really comfortable with.
Random
April 10th, 2009
9:26 am
proeye — Thanks. I agree with most all of your 1:06 am (except that I really do have hopes that Boyer will excell this year. And, hopefully, for the Braves. Just call me KC, Jr.
OldFan
April 10th, 2009
10:05 am
Thank goodness the natural order has been restored. After the Braves won the first two, I thought their resurgence would require me to pay more attention and follow the team as closely as I did in the old times. That game wasn’t a fluke,bad luck,”some just get away” game. It was the Braves of late as their customary selves. Good teams just don’t lose that way. So, now I can just enjoy the Braves because they play a game I love and worry about more important things like how Saban is going to sign all of Georgia’s top recruits (except for the ones UF signs).
bakerman
April 10th, 2009
10:20 am
Just throw strikes!!!1
Fan from Dallas
April 10th, 2009
11:04 am
Bring Hanson up and move Glavine to middle relief; then I would get excited. Glavine can throw strikes
and any starter would not mind nearly as much leaving the game knowing that Glavine was coming in behind them. Just his presence in the bull pen would help the younger pitchers.
Pal Joey
April 10th, 2009
11:51 am
Bobby should stop yanking his starters in the middle of the game if they are doing the job. It just doesn’t seem to be in his psyche to allow a pitcher to finish a game. Some of those arms in the bullpen are a virus that will infect this team and sap its strength, just like last year. It is a scary sight to see him hop out of the dugout in the sixth or seventh inning and wave in one of the batting practice hurlers (better known ad relievers) to waste a good starting effort. I truly hope the Braves are a better team this year. But unless the bullpen can get its act together, all the great starting pitching we get will be for naught. Unless Bobby will let starters pitch and stop treating the game like Spring Training, good starters will be insufficent to overcome the scourge of the bullpen. He should know by now that some of his relievers resemble arsonists who bring gasoline to fight a fire, and keep them away from action until the game is completely out of control.
Jim
April 10th, 2009
2:21 pm
I think that inning was a portent of things to come. I predict the the gwinnete braves will be better than the Bravo’s this year.
FlaBravesFan
April 10th, 2009
2:52 pm
What the braves need to do is looking into there farm system and find a guy like Tommie Hason from what i read the kid has great stuff call him up send Boyer back down to minors and figure what pitch he can throw for a Strike….and lets get someone who can throw that fastball in there to shout hitter out cuase as of now blaine is worthless along with the other sorry fellow pitcher who made that horrible 7th inning disaster!!!!!!!!!
AGTFan
April 10th, 2009
3:22 pm
It sure is fun to read these blogs and see how many people haven’t got a clue about the sport. It was ONE game. It was ONE INNING of one game. It’s a 162 game marathon, not a 3 game sprint. (Of course if was a 3 game sprint, we’d have won 2/1.)You don’t burn your starting pitchers out in April. You don’t panic and squander a talent like Hanson in the bullpen. You don’t lynch a relief pitcher because he walked in 2 runs. You think hard about it, but you don’t do it. If we can take 2 out of 3 on the road for the rest of the season, we’ll all be pretty happy. Even if the bullpen has an occasional meltdown, we’ll be OK.
BravPhin
April 10th, 2009
4:39 pm
Cox shouldn’t have ever let Moylan stay in the game long enough to bring the tying run to the plate. It was OBVIOUS Moylan didn’t have it, and once the tying run came to the plate, every other reliever was nervous about serving up a gopher ball, so they had no control.
Had Moylan been pulled 2 batters earlier, Maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad.
I do think that game made the Phillie’s believe THEY won the series, because they obviously are still in the heads of the braves pitchers, in the pen. WHY so scared to throw a strike? With a 7 run lead, if they cant nibble, throw the dang ball over the middle, and let them HIT it! As long as they are going to pitch SCARED , they will get beat!
Ben
April 10th, 2009
6:08 pm
Where is Leo? Maybe we need to bring back Leo and put him in charge of the bullpen. Something needs to be done or this is last year all over again.
David Duncan
April 10th, 2009
8:29 pm
For the past three years the Braves bullpen has cost them to many games that the Braves should have won. Playoffs! forget about the playoffs. I would like to see the bullpen hold a seven run lead.
Minor League stuff
April 13th, 2009
4:49 am
Lots of Gwinnett and Mississippi Braves stuff on this site-
http://minorsandmajors.com
richbrave
April 14th, 2009
12:02 am
After injesting all that vitriol that is the WIZARDS, I find myself needing a doctor. Yo’ doc, where you at?
Richard Dawson
April 16th, 2009
9:46 am
I said it when we were 5-1, I’ll say it again when we’re 5-3. This team is MEDIOCRE. Below average. Will finish under .500. Weak hitting, weak fielding, weak pitching = 1980s Atlanta Braves. You are deluding yourself if you think this is a playoff team.
Richard Dawson
April 16th, 2009
9:56 am
Don’t look now but Andruw Jones is hitting .545 with 8 runs, 4 RBI, 3 2B, and 1 HR in 11 AB for Texas.
I doubt he’s actually rehabilitated (from his freeswinging ways) and I’m glad we got rid of him, but that’s more production than the entire 2008 season for LA.