Even with loss, Braves show they’re not going away
The scoreboard tells the story as Philadelphia's Roy Halladay tamed the Braves' lineup the night after Tuesday's comeback win by Atlanta. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
We’ve seen in sports how one athlete can seem to plug an entire franchise into a light socket.
One such occurrence came in 1979. The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Magic Johnson. There’s a great story about Johnson’s first game that set the tone for his career and that first season. The Lakers won their opening game on a hook shot by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the buzzer. They beat the San Diego Clippers, which generally doesn’t arouse thoughts of a postgame parade. But Magic was so taken by the moment that he ran and jumped into the arms of a stunned Abdul-Jabbar.
The story goes that Abdul-Jabbar — not the most excitable player in league history — then told Johnson, “You do realize we have 81 more games, don’t you?” But that moment set the tone for the Lakers’ season. They won the NBA title that year.
The Braves are only two weeks into the season. But what we’ve seen in recent days — notwithstanding Wednesday’s 2-0 loss to the occasionally mortal Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies — says something about what may lie ahead.
If Jason Heyward doesn’t have the career resume of Magic Johnson, he at least has accomplished something out of the box: He has plugged the Braves into a light socket. When a team wins games like Tuesday’s come-from-behind, 4-3 win over the Phillies (punctuated by a three-run rally in the ninth that included a game-tying blast by Heyward) and Sunday’s 4-3 win over Colorado (similarly punctuated by Heyward’s two-run hit in the ninth) it becomes infectious. Everybody starts believing.
“Oh, we can hang with them, there’s no doubt about that,” Chipper Jones said Wednesday night after the loss to Philadelphia, the National League’s best team over the past three seasons. “We know we can play with them on a day-in, day-out basis. We just have to play as consistently as they do against teams that, on paper, we should beat.
“Even though we got beat, there was a lot of intensity. There was no quit in anybody. We were always in the game. We had our chances. We just got beat by a pretty good pitcher.”
It was set up for another comeback. They trailed 2-0 in the seventh and had only two hits through six innings when it appeared they would finally get to Halladay (4-0, 0.82). Jones and Brian McCann started with singles. Glaus, who had a two-run homer Tuesday night, struck out. (Back to normal.)
That brought up Heyward. Everybody in the stadium seemed to collectively inhale. Alas, he only walked to load the bases. Remember when a walk to load the bases used to be enough?
Yunel Escobar then drove a pitch off the mound and up the middle that appeared ticketed for a game-tying, two-run single. But Chase Utley dove to his right and flipped the ball to Juan Castro at second to start an inning-ending double play.
Still, the Braves are proving something early. Even with their early offensive deficiencies, they’re not going away. They don’t view this season as a mere chase for the wild card.
“We know we’re a good team,” Brian McCann said. “We left spring training thinking we can win a World Series. A series this early in the season isn’t going to determine whether we’re going to go deep in the playoffs or even if we’re going make the playoffs. But we can play good baseball and see where we are when it’s over.”
Is it possible a team with so many holes in the lineup can make a race of it?
Philadelphia has won three consecutive division titles, two consecutive pennants and a World Series in 2008. The Braves have missed the postseason four consecutive years and last won a playoff series in 2001. Over the past three seasons, the Phillies are 274-212, the Braves 242-244.
“The fact is,” Bobby Cox said, “you don’t worry about the other teams. You worry about your own house. You play the schedule and find out where you stand in October.”
And what of projections that this is the Phillies’ division to lose?
“I think we’re competitive,” Cox said. “… All we’re doing is going out and playing as good as we can every night. That’s it. That’s been my philosophy forever.”
Early reviews: This could be a race.
♦
Earlier posts
♦ Live blog: Braves go for two over Phillies (and maybe a sign)
♦Goodell had no choice but to suspend Roethlisberger
♦ When Josh Smith is on, the Hawks can’t be stopped
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and on Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
99 comments Add your comment
DR
April 22nd, 2010
9:33 am
Last night’s game is a perfect example of what happens when a story (in this case a baseball game) is analyzed through highlights and soundbites. ESPN went on and on about Halladay being brilliant and Hudson being good. Not really fair. Both pitchers were brilliant. After ESPN finishes over-analyzing the line score then they show the Web Gems and Philly had 4 plays that made the highlight reel. Great defense won the game as much as the pitching. Hudson matched Halladay pitch-for-pitch. Halladay had some outstanding plays behind him that saved the game.
Great baseball all around.
WreckinBall
April 22nd, 2010
9:33 am
The world champions of baseball had to play a brilliant game of defense behind their best pitcher(and one of the best pitchers in baseball) to win 2-0 over the Braves. The Braves had a winning record over the Phils in 2009, and their is no reason they can’t have one in 2010.
Where were all the Phils fans and the belly-aching so-called Braves fans on this thread at yesterday, after the Braves jumped the Phils a$$’s for a win in 9th and 10th inning?
BRAVES WIN!!! Big Tiime Tonight.
saychuck
April 22nd, 2010
9:37 am
First change should be Terry Pendleton gone and a new hitting coach. Who has Terry helped come out of slump? Look what a new hitting coach has done for Jeff Francouer, Andrew Jones. Cut down on therir strike outs, added to their walks and improved their average. Nat McCouthjust the opposit he was a good hitter in Pitt.
My vote Terry first to go.
Dawgdad
April 22nd, 2010
9:42 am
Give Wren and Cox some credit for putting Heyward on the roster. Where would the Braves be if they had followed the logical process of starting Heyward in the minors to save a year of service before he becomes a free agent. We figured up, yesterday that without Heyward and Prado, the rest of the team is hitting below .200. Even with the awsome numbers of Hey and Prado they are like 3 from the bottom in batting average in the league. Way to go TP, for about the fourth year in a row. Too bad we do not have a Milt Thompson or Don Baylor, to name two of many better hitting coaches. I am afraid the miracles will even out and the Braves maybe better than last year, due to Heyward, but they can’t hang with the fighting Fills, unless they improve production in left, center, and first base, and slip Chipper some HGH.
Too tough 44
April 22nd, 2010
9:52 am
Glaus……come on man! Get with it!
Too tough 44
April 22nd, 2010
10:00 am
Ya, the Braves weakness is hitting, has been for the past few yrs. HOw many games have the Braves lost due to lack of run support? TP is good for the team in some capacity, but, unfortunately, the hitting is is feeble. Move TP to fielding coach, bring in chippers dad!
WreckinBall
April 22nd, 2010
10:02 am
I guess Glaus is destined to be the hero one night the next for some folks like Shultz.
It would be great to have Baylor back as hitting coach again.
Skeezix
April 22nd, 2010
10:04 am
The Phillies beat us last night the way the 90s Braves use to win—great pitching and great defense. Halladay was “Maddux like”. C’mon Braves and win the series tonight.
WreckinBall
April 22nd, 2010
10:04 am
Meant to say Glaus hero one night, dog the next night.
WreckinBall
April 22nd, 2010
10:08 am
The Braves stood up against them good last yr. and can do the same this yr. They just need to beat the bad teams that they suppose to win against this yr.
TheAntiMe
April 22nd, 2010
10:10 am
1 loss and the haters are back. Where did you haters go when the Braves just reeled off 5 out of 6 in the win column? Go play with yourselves.
Mitchell
April 22nd, 2010
10:24 am
BravesFan79
April 22nd, 2010
5:40 am
Good lord, we loose to the Best pitcher in the game and there is nothing but btching on here!?? Ive been telling everyone for years that Holliday was the best pitcher in the AL hands down! When he pitches…. we should probably expect to lose.
Seriously, does anybody have any respect for our pitchers? Expect to lose?! Good god. If it’s 1968 and Bob Gibson is pitching then maybe I would expect to lose.
For close to ten years we had three of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball at the peak of their careers and lost three World Series. Forget ‘91 and ‘92. We didn’t have Maddux then, just Smoltz and Glavine, oh, and Steve Avery who was just okay.
If only the Yankees, Phillies, Marlins, Padres and Yankees had gotten the memo. They forgot that they were supposed to lose.
Hello! You play to win the game!
It’s fine to have respect for Halladay, but did we not beat him last year? Shouldn’t that give us a pretty good reason to think we can beat him again even if he’s wearing a Phillies jersey? Didn’t Tim Hudson pitch well enough to get a win?
O’Neill
April 22nd, 2010
7:38 am
The Braves lost to the best pitcher in the game last night. They can hang with the Phils this year!
They can hang with the Phils?! We swept the Phils at home last year. We won the first 7 of 9 games. Do you not remember that? We have to do more than hang with them.
The Phillies don’t even have their best line-up out there and they could still blow us away but Tim Hudson shut them down. Two runs in six innings is better than a quality start. He deserved to win just as much as Halladay. He gave his team a chance and they gave him nothing.
Yes, it’s April but at some point it would be nice if some people would realize how important these games are. We basically blew our chance to make the playoffs this time last year, losing to the Pirates 1-0 in a JJ start. 3-2 to the Nationals. So on and so forth.
Having said that, the Braves probably would have exceeded expectations by making the playoffs. In some ways you could say it was a successful season… (of course, they never exceed expectations. That was foolish.)
This year, with this pitching staff and bullpen, you better make the playoffs or this season will be a complete failure. I would expect Bobby Cox to be fired if it doesn’t happen.
Oh wait.
Joshhh...
April 22nd, 2010
10:26 am
This whole board is now a joke…
gobravos
April 22nd, 2010
10:37 am
Lowe’s pitching tonight: Over/Under 6 runs for Bravos tonight? I’m thinking over. Jamie Moyer is pitching tonight. Lowe will be 4-0 with a 5.75 ERA and Tommy Hanson will be 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA.
Matt the Brave
April 22nd, 2010
10:37 am
Oh man, you had to know when Halladay went into the 9th we were toast. But I’m sort of glad that we got this game against him out of the way. I think each game against him is going to be hard, but the next one we’ll have a better gameplan and will have seen all of his stuff.
Blackberry Cobbler
April 22nd, 2010
10:49 am
Diaz .194
Glaus .184
McLouth .147
Cabrera .133
Until the Braves do something about this, they’re a 500 team at best. Why does Booby Cox trot a 147 hitting McLouth out there in the leadoff spot? Why is Glaus even starting– play Hinske!
extremus
April 22nd, 2010
11:05 am
I agree that so far this Braves team looks and feels special, and with continued timely hitting they could overcome a lot of deficiencies. But the fact is that so far this lineup has an awful lot of sub-.250 hitters and guys who are repeatedly killing rallies with double-play outs. The pitching staff, which overall has been excellent, is being asked to hard extremely hard just to limit opponents’ run totals enough to have a chance each night. We need more than that. We need offense. Consistency throughout the lineup.
This year’s team is drawing a lot of comparisons to those magical early 90s Braves teams, but in those years something happened that I’m not sure we’re likely to see under Liberty Media’s ownership: in 1991 we landed Alejandro Pena during mid-season to help close out games, and his effectiveness sealed the awesome run to the World Series. In 1993 we got Fred McGriff to add beef to the lineup, and after that the Braves were on fire, coming from 10 games behind to win over 100 games and beat the Giants for the division title. Will the 2010 Braves be able to go out and land the missing piece (or pieces) they need before the trade deadline to truly seal the deal on making this year magical? It took doing so back in the 90s; it may well take such an investment on ownership’s part this year as well, and how likely is that when it’s a corporate entity which bought the Braves just to have a tax write-off several years ago?
Not to rain on the parade; I’m just saying that there is a lot of baseball left to play and it’s asking an awful lot to expect a divisional win or World Series title from a team with so many obvious current needs. And like last year, they may well have to just make do with what they have already.
ryan
April 22nd, 2010
11:06 am
Let’s get back to the no-hitter, please.
Of the last 5 no-hitters in the NL, TWO of them are against the Braves!!!
When is the last time the Cardinals or Dodgers or Cubs were no-hit? I bet it’s been 20 years.
But we have had TWO against us just in the last 6 years???
Come on. We aren’t talking about simple shut-outs. NO-HITTERS!!! 2 of them!!!
I loved TP as a player, but given our futilties at the plate something isn’t right.
Furman Bitcher
April 22nd, 2010
11:12 am
Ryan, who gives a flip about a no hitter. I bet the Rockies would have rather won the series than get a no hitter. You dont get two wins for so who cares!!!!
JASon
April 22nd, 2010
11:18 am
“Glaus, who had a two-run homer Tuesday night, struck out. (Back to normal).”
If you watched the game, you also saw him hit one over the wall which Victorino stole from being a home run.
ShortBravesFan
April 22nd, 2010
11:38 am
Everyone is so hilarious on here! Lets win the series Braves! Whoot Whoot!
carlchamblee
April 22nd, 2010
11:49 am
Cobbler says – “Why does Booby Cox trot a 147 hitting McLouth out there in the leadoff spot? Why is Glaus even starting”
Well, Cobb, it’s because he is Bobby Cox. He doesn’t fill out a lineup card for maximum offensive potential. He “rewards” players for a good swing the day/week before or their years of past service, or just because he likes them. McLouth hits his first extra base hit all season but hey let’s say thanks to him by putting a .150 hitter (who didn’t even swing well in the spring and doesn’t take walks) in the leadoff spot against the best pitcher in baseball. Let’s keep a guy in the 3 hole who stunk the year before and is off to a sizzling .230 start and can’t get through a homestand without pulling his vag. Let’s put softball-body Glaus in the 5 hole and keep him there behind your allstar McCann because occasionally he hits a mistake pitch a mile but otherwise hits .160 and doesn’t work a count. Let’s keep your best hitter in the 6 or 7 hole so he can get on base half the time and be stranded there like the professor and maryanne by the dregs of the order. Let’s keep guys like Infante and Hinske rotting on the bench without even seeing if they could possibly be an upgrade to the free swinging, no discipline collection of hacks that currently is lowering the collective ERA of the National League.
That’s Bobby Cox
Don
April 22nd, 2010
11:55 am
Not Going Away!!!!????
In 14 games, the Braves have already been SHUT OUT 3 times and no hit once.
In their 6 losses, the Braves are averaging 1.5 runs per game.
In 9 of their 14 games, the Braves are averaging 2.2 runs per game.
And don’t forget, Bobby Cox is still the manager.
And they do not have a single proven major league quality outfielder (although hopefull Heyward is going to be great), they have a low BA, low OBA, high K hitting 3rd baseman playing first – who may no longer be able to produce effectively, and they have a poor defensive 3rd baseman who may or may not still be able to hit effectively.
shane
April 22nd, 2010
11:55 am
This is why Braves fans have such a bad reputation. Read some of the posts of fans on here. You wonder if they have ever watched a game at all.
All I can say is thank god Bobby Cox is running the show. He will get the most out of this team just like he has his whole career.
Scott
April 22nd, 2010
11:57 am
JEFF – how can you argue he’s plugged the braves into a light socket? half the lineup is hitting under .200. just because Heyward is awesome and energetic doesn’t mean it’s rubbed off on the rest of the team, which is fun to argue if you ignore, you know, stats and stuff
ron
April 22nd, 2010
11:59 am
I dont know what it is with the Braves, year after year, not hitting. They have had some great hitters in their lineup but they go for stretches where they just, as a team, do not hit a lick. The other night’s comeback against the Phils was a really exceptional case. Usually you can tell by the 4th inning if the Braves are just taking the night off. Damned shame, too, they have really good pitching.
saychuck
April 22nd, 2010
12:34 pm
My take on hitting coach TP is this is a job to keep him around. Ibelieve he will be Bobbie Cox replacement and has been in slated for that job for a number of years. I believe that is what got TP to take the hitting coach job, just waiting for Bobbie to retire.
Carl Spackler
April 22nd, 2010
12:39 pm
Jeff had obviously made up his mind to write a “feel good” story and was too lazy or stupid to change it after his pre-game press buffet.
allATL
April 22nd, 2010
12:48 pm
@All you negative fans… I swear to god you guys are so annoying. I mean you’re acting like the Braves are 6 games back. With the schedule and teams they’ve played I’d say they’ve done ok. It’s only 2 n a half weeks into the season. Everybody in this line up has had an positive effect on the 8 games we’ve won so far. We have really good pitching, starters/bullpen. When this team starts hitting its gonna be scary for the NL… I’m not a bandwagon fan. I’m with this team thru the thick n thin…GO BRAVES
BraveFalconHawk
April 22nd, 2010
12:52 pm
Agree BFH,
Funny how when the Braves are hitting no one says “great job TP” but when they’re not it’s “fire TP”
ryan
April 22nd, 2010
12:55 pm
Furman Bitcher…
Who cares about being no-hit??? Seriously?
There’s a problem with hitting on this team, as it has been for several years now. The reason that is a concern is because the poor hitting is costing you games.
When you are getting no-hit with frequency, imagine how many games are you losing by 1 or 2 runs that any other lineup would have won?
And wasn’t that a problem with the Braves two seasons ago? Losing so many 1 run games in 2008?
It matters.
Marc in FL
April 22nd, 2010
12:56 pm
As some posters have eluded to already… The Phillies needed once-a-season type defensive gems behind the best pitcher in baseball to beat us last night… It was much closer than it looks on the line score. On a typical night with typical defense we win that game 4-2.
Kudos to the Phils though for showing some slick leather. We win the series tonight.
DawgDad
April 22nd, 2010
1:38 pm
I went to the game last night. Real treat to watch Halladay pitch. The Braves fought hard and had some good at bats, but Halladay was just too much.
Glaus seems to be locking in. Good sign.
Heyward’s AB where he drew the walk was an incredible AB for anyone, let alone a 20-year old rookie. Keep in mind it’s just as hard to draw a walk off Halladay as it is to hit a HR off a typical pitcher.
Escobar’s DP at bat was actually a pretty good piece of hitting on his part. He really battled Halladay through the count and hit the ball very hard up the middle, just unlucky on the bounce. That was the end of any real chance the Braves had.
Melky made a nice catch. I don’t dislike him as a player, but it’s a major oversell of his ability to cast him as an everyday answer in the outfield. Left field is an offensive position; you either need a power hitter or a leadoff hitter out there and Melky/Diaz are neither (Diaz is fine vs. LHP). I haven’t given up on McLouth.
Hudson was very deliberate in his pitch preparation and delivery, almost to the point of looking like he was fighting something. I don’t recollect him appearing that “mechanical” vs. a looser, free-throwing appearance.
Draft day: Falcon options; Berry rips Deion; Tebow to Vikes? | Jeff Schultz
April 22nd, 2010
1:48 pm
[...] ♦ Even with loss, Braves show they’re not going away [...]
DawgDad
April 22nd, 2010
1:55 pm
Don: Braves DO have a single proven major league outfielder, Nate McLouth. Unfortunately, he’s been in a major slump. They also have good platoon value of another outfielder (Diaz vs. LHP), and as you say a rookie with great promise. Assuming McLouth comes around, which I believe will happen, the Braves are short one legitimate left fielder vs. RHP. I’m convinced the only thing holding back Heyward from making a major contribution as a #3 or #4 hitter is reluctance to overexpose him. All-around, he’s outperforming everybody else on the team including Prado, who is no power hitter.
MitchC
April 22nd, 2010
2:03 pm
Jeff, I hope what you’re saying is right. I was more excited about Tuesday’s win then I was angry about last night’s loss. Halliday just pitched great. When a top notch pitcher has a game like that, you just have to tip your hat, and get them the next night.
Psychologically, although it’s only April, I think it’s important for the Braves to win tonight. Hopefully, the team will get it’s usual large amount of runs for Lowe.
It’s only two weeks into the season, but so far, the Braves have played fairly well. Hopefully, that pattern can continue, and we can stay with the Phillies
gobravos
April 22nd, 2010
2:07 pm
DawgDad I agree about Melky. There is no way the Yankees, who it seems are always looking for another outfielder, let a guy going on 26 leave in a trade unless they don’t think he has much more to build on.
gobravos
April 22nd, 2010
2:09 pm
Ryan, didn’t the Braves win 2 one run games in a row before running into Halladay last night?
rebman76
April 22nd, 2010
2:25 pm
What did you expect. They were going against Roy freaking Halladay. Halladay was on top of his game and the Braves couldn’t do anything with him. Hudson pitched very well and was effective. They had a chance in the 7th but Escobar hit the ball hard and it hitthe pitcher’s mound allowing Utley to turn the double play. Things will get better. You just have to have faith.
rebman76
April 22nd, 2010
2:38 pm
And, also, let’s not forger the Braves started off playing the Cubs, Giants, Rockies and Phillies – 3 of the four teams started off hot, especially the Giants and Phillies. They had to face Lincecum (NL CY Young Winner) and Halladay (AL CY Young runner-up)during that stretch. as well.
athdog
April 22nd, 2010
3:10 pm
Troy and Melky have got to step up. Nate, also. And, with Diaz lighting it up as leadoff guy, why is Melky in the game? Give Glaus’ another week or so to start to find his timing, and if not the hue and cry for Hinske, Freeman or someone is going to start full blast…of course, based on last year with Frenchy, hue and cry don’t make it into the clubhouse until July
rebman76
April 22nd, 2010
3:51 pm
Glaus will get it going. I mean, come on, he hasn’t played for over a year. There is a lot of rust that needs to be shaken off. Don’t write him off yet.
Joe Fan
April 22nd, 2010
4:55 pm
Halladay can only pitch every fifth day and while he is certainly a top level pitcher without two sterling plays on defense the Braves would have tied the game or been ahead. Overall, the Braves have better pitching top to bottom and with a touch of offense thrown in, they will compete with the Phillies all summer.
Draft day: Falcon options; Berry rips Deion; Tebow to Vikes … | Current Events | Twitter Trends | Google Trends
April 22nd, 2010
8:16 pm
[...] ♦ Even with loss, Braves show they’re not going away [...]
Draft day (Part II): Tebow top 15, Morgan to Falcons? | Jeff Schultz
April 22nd, 2010
10:11 pm
[...] ♦ Even with loss, Braves show they’re not going away [...]
Garett Anderson
April 23rd, 2010
5:06 pm
What will every one complain about next year when Bobby Cox has retired?
macfleetwood
April 23rd, 2010
11:58 pm
The Braves suck..BIG TIME!! How in the hell does c.jones miss a fly ball on the infield?? And on top
of that..he does not call on? or off the other player!!!! Another glaring reason he should have retired 3 years ago!!
Pit a mediocre team against another mediocre team and what do you get?? Another Braves Loss!
Seenitall
April 24th, 2010
4:58 pm
“This could be a race”? Come on now. Early review succumbs to Cox self-esteem standard. The Braves we’ve seen over the last four games are the Braves we’ll see all season. They’ll win with improbable heroics just enough to give us hope. But when good teams, and a few bad ones, play sound baseball over the course of the season, the Braves won’t have an answer. Seeing what we’ve seen so far, how could it be different?
Bird Dog'n
April 25th, 2010
10:10 am
The Braves announcers say this is a great team? HOOoo WEEee how bout them apples!