We’re LIVE from Braves, as Lowe tries to make statement
If Derek Lowe wants to start games in the postseason, he needs to win games like these.
Welcome to the Braves’ series finale against the Florida Marlins.
It’s “Bark in The Park” day, so there are several dogs in the stadium, although I’m not sure at this time if Bob Wickman has been invited back to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
(Thank you. I’m here all game.)
The Braves, coming off Saturday’s 12-3 win over the Marlins, will try to win consecutive games for the first time since winning four straight Aug. 15-18 (two over Los Angeles, two over Washington). That was followed by a 6-2 loss to the Nationals and a stretch of six losses in eight games before Saturday’s 12-3 win over Florida.
A few subplots in today’s game:
♦ Derrek Lee suffered a strained in his right side Saturday night and is out of the lineup today (Eric Hinske starts at first). The injury is believed to be minor and Lee could be back Monday night against the New York Mets.
♦ If pitcher Derek Lowe (11-12, 4.33) wants to make a statement that he should be a postseason starter, he needs to win games like today’s and start stringing together some impressive games. He was tagged early in his last outing at Colorado, though he ended up allowing only three runs in six innings in a 5-2 loss to the Rockies. The Braves have won only one of Lowe’s last seven starts (Lowe in that span: 1-4, two no decisions, 4.17 ERA).
♦ The Braves are 45-18 at home this season and 17-1-2 in home series (trying to make it 18-1-2 today). Their only home series loss of the season came to Philadelphia back in April.
♦ Omar Infante, who went 2-for-4 with a double Saturday, is batting .344 — 18 points higher than National League batting leader Joey Votto (.326). Infante, however, doesn’t qualify for the batting title. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Infante needs 146 plate appearances in the Braves’ final 33 games (4.42 per game) to qualify.
That’s it for now. Here’s the question of the day (and a possible subject of my column later): How important do you think it is for Lowe to have an impressive performance, going into the postseason (should the Braves make it)?
♦
DID YOU MISS . . .
♦ College football special: Predicting Georgia Tech’s season
♦ College football special: Richt says Georgia is poised for bounce-back season
♦ Contest announcement: Here’s your chance to pick winners and ‘Sack Schultz’
♦
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656 comments Add your comment
Buzz ATLien
August 29th, 2010
1:53 pm
Sorry. I didn’t realize calling Kawakami an asian was a slur.
Bravesfansince66
August 29th, 2010
1:53 pm
Amazing how Lowe brings out the best in the commenting with the worst of pitching…
Tucker T
August 29th, 2010
1:53 pm
Bringing your dog to a baseball game sounds stupid to me. Why am I wrong?
Phredd
August 29th, 2010
1:54 pm
our approach turns my stomach
Joey
August 29th, 2010
1:54 pm
Lowe is a stud! 15K day here we come!
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
1:54 pm
ive seen worse
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
1:55 pm
Lowe threw 37 pitches in that inning.
Phredd
August 29th, 2010
1:55 pm
who wants to bet we don’t see patient plate appearances
Kentavo
August 29th, 2010
1:56 pm
Another Uggla play by the Marlins.
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
August 29th, 2010
1:56 pm
That was an “Ugglya” throw!
Darryl Blackberry
August 29th, 2010
1:57 pm
I know Bobby said that most ballclubs “know what they have around mid-June,” but honestly, it seems like Cox and company are still trying to figure out what these guys can do! Hanson is unpredictable all of a sudden, Lowe either can’t pitch well or can’t get run support when he actually does, JJ can’t hold a massive lead, Minor’s arm suddenly needs to be coddled, Glaus may or may not be “back,” Lee may or may not be hurt, and the Hinske-Melky combo looks like our salvation one night and a unruly pair of swings the next night. And don’t even get me started on defense…
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
1:57 pm
Buzz — Please. That’s not what you did.
Jim
August 29th, 2010
1:57 pm
Just a pitch here or there? Huh
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
August 29th, 2010
1:58 pm
Tucker T, you don’t need to be talking about some of those guys girlfriends like that.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
1:59 pm
Some how we need to come back from this yet again lousy start…….Is it me or do the Braves only seem confident when Husdon pitches ?
Give Me A Break
August 29th, 2010
1:59 pm
Mark my words! This is going to be like Tommy Friday night! Lowe may have finally finished the first, but he’ll be in there until he gives up 6 or 7 and HE WILL give up 6 or 7 before Cox gets him out of there. Just like he left JJ in in Colorado until he gave up 7. And Hanson in until he gave up 7.
Bobby manages like it’s April and he has the entire season to make up the ground he loses by leaving his starter in to get shelled.
rc35
August 29th, 2010
1:59 pm
The Braves should be renamed the Gophers. It seems like they’re always trying to dig their way out of a hole.
Phredd
August 29th, 2010
2:00 pm
wow! Johnson is really struggling
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
2:00 pm
its up to mccan
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
2:00 pm
That pitch was 95 according to the radar gun.
Tucker T
August 29th, 2010
2:01 pm
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
You said it. Not me.
Reid Adair
August 29th, 2010
2:01 pm
I would say Derek Lowe would be the odd man out for a playoff rotation, but with Tommy Hanson’s struggles lately, that’s far from guaranteed. The only two I’m comfortable with at this point are Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens.
NCBravesFan
August 29th, 2010
2:01 pm
Mike McDonald – your comments on Bobby and Omar may be the single dumbest things I’ve seen on an AJC blog – that’s quite an accomplishment.
Cheers, and congratulations!
Heath
August 29th, 2010
2:01 pm
Sheesh, you gotta take adavantage of a leadoff runner.
JMOR
August 29th, 2010
2:01 pm
For those of you interested in how much Lowe is costing the Braves to perform at this level I have done some math: Lowe is paid $92,592 for each of the Braves 162 games and assuming he starts 32 games(every 5th), he is paid $468,750 per start.
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
2:02 pm
i mean hinske
rc35
August 29th, 2010
2:02 pm
Jeff, do you see any possibility of Bobby putting Prado back at 2B, Conrad at 3B, and using Infante at SS for a game or two? I’d feel much better with Gonzalez out of there, and Prado never looks comfortable at third to me.
Phredd
August 29th, 2010
2:02 pm
Hinske is a mascot, not a ballpalyer!
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
August 29th, 2010
2:02 pm
MLB needs to institute little league pitching rules. That way Lowe would only be able to throw 48 more pitches to reach his 85 limit. That would be a “blessing in disguise” today and some other days also the way BC manages.
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
2:03 pm
knock on wood
Kentavo
August 29th, 2010
2:03 pm
Alright; that was some grit.
Phredd
August 29th, 2010
2:03 pm
okay, a good mascot…
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
2:03 pm
That’s some clutch hitting by Hinske. RBI single, 3-1.
Tucker T
August 29th, 2010
2:04 pm
Lee who?
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
2:04 pm
all right its up to gonzalez
Heath
August 29th, 2010
2:04 pm
Hinske! Wooh!
rc35
August 29th, 2010
2:05 pm
Maybe Gonzalez will hit a 3-run homer and we can pull him then before he makes the 3-run error in later innings?
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
2:06 pm
you heard the man miracles can happen
Heath
August 29th, 2010
2:06 pm
Hitting the ball hard. We’ll have a chance if Lowe will let us.
LuisG - Win-it-4Bobby-n-Chipper
August 29th, 2010
2:07 pm
Go Braves!
Boss
August 29th, 2010
2:07 pm
Little League WS starts at 3 on abc==got to be better than this (Lowe ?)
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
2:07 pm
cotton candy sweet and lowe
kirkinga
August 29th, 2010
2:07 pm
Let’s just hope the Bobby has a quick hook today. I don’t think Lowe should be allowed to give up 5-6 runs before there’s a change.
Don
August 29th, 2010
2:08 pm
Lowe will make a statement alright. That he sucks. I told you suckers yesterday that if they won, it would be with the only good pitcher they have and they did. I said the Phillies would sweep the padres and they are 2-0 now. I said this game would def be a loss. 3 runs in the first. Anyone else want to look like a moron and talk smack about my results AND about how pathetic this team is.
Phredd
August 29th, 2010
2:09 pm
It’s just time to play some better ball all the way around. It’s okay to drop a game here and there when you are playing hard nosed baseball for 9 innings.
greg norton facts
August 29th, 2010
2:09 pm
come on guts get behind your pitcher
ramblngman
August 29th, 2010
2:10 pm
Okay they got one run back. Now let’s hope they can hold them while getting some more runs.
You guys who are trying to rain on the parade…try not to hurt yourself when jumping off the bandwagon, okay? See you when you come crawling back after the Braves clinch the playoffs when you post that you knew it all along.
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
2:10 pm
Is it a turnaround? Lowe has retired 5 straight since the first-inning walk to Chad Tracy, although that liner by Logan Morrison to Ankiel in center was hit pretty hard.
Phredd
August 29th, 2010
2:11 pm
Good luck Don! Cole Hamels is a beast! I think Lowe is actually pitching better…
JMOR
August 29th, 2010
2:11 pm
The Marlins are stinging the ball and it is just a matter of time before someone hits a 2 or 3 run nomer to put the game out of reach. I would rather see anyone from the bullpen than watching Lowe serve up batting practice.