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
markie mark
August 29th, 2010
2:55 pm
TTTT…great minds and all that…sorry, am at work and keep jumping in and out depending on phones….Jeff, can you confirm that with whoever wrote the story (Mark or Dave) and then check with Elias and let us know what they think?
Peter
August 29th, 2010
2:55 pm
Lowe for 2 years and how many for KK ?
I am so proud of Wren !
JMOR
August 29th, 2010
2:55 pm
This season seems to be slipping away with all trends turning negative…Starting pitching, relief pitching, defense, clutch hitting,all gone bad at the same time.
Belly Itchers
August 29th, 2010
2:55 pm
We want a pitcher!
Don
August 29th, 2010
2:57 pm
Look at fatty run! Couldn’t even make it close.
Kentavo
August 29th, 2010
2:57 pm
Seeing this matchup on paper, you had to know Braves didn’t have much of a chance.
charles barkley
August 29th, 2010
2:57 pm
turrible. he’s turrible
Joseph
August 29th, 2010
2:58 pm
I think the report on Ramirez was supposed to say light-heartedness
Terry Forster
August 29th, 2010
2:58 pm
He’s not THAT fat.
Darryl Blackberry
August 29th, 2010
2:59 pm
haha, Joseph! Zing!
Kentavo
August 29th, 2010
2:59 pm
Now it’s lay down and die time.
STRETCH
August 29th, 2010
3:00 pm
Im still scratching my head. What in the world made Wren give Lowe 15 mil a year??? Somebody please tell me!
Gdawg
August 29th, 2010
3:00 pm
Lowe is the rare case where it makes sense to dump him on anybody that wants him and eat half is salary. You know you won’t get any production out of him and maybe you can get somebody that doesn’t absolutely kill the team.
Get rid of this loser!
Richard the Lionheart
August 29th, 2010
3:00 pm
Are you sure the report on Ramirez was accurate?
brad
August 29th, 2010
3:00 pm
lowe is garbage! ive been a brave for years, if cox starts this guy in the post season it will be an embarrasment. lowe has nothing! i hope this is his last year as abrave. trade him!
Don
August 29th, 2010
3:00 pm
Still got 6 more with the fish. 4 with the cards who swept them in 4. And 6 with their nemesis the Nats!! And of course 6 with the phillies. I smell a 13-14 September.
kurula
August 29th, 2010
3:01 pm
if it weren’t josh johnson pitching, i might retain a little optimism…well, go padres.
Rufino Linares
August 29th, 2010
3:02 pm
I believe Lowe left the game due to light headedness as well.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:02 pm
Don….Looks like most of the Braves know how to eat……. I bet the are fighting Bobby for that last scrap of food !
Marty McFly's DeLorean
August 29th, 2010
3:03 pm
Lowe was hired because, despite the record, he consistently pitched 200 innings without injury. The Braves needed that at the time but had to overpay by a year to get him from going to Los Mets.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:03 pm
Brad you are ” assuming ” there is a post season ! There will be an end of season though !
Don
August 29th, 2010
3:03 pm
He’s not cecil fielder fat but give him a few years and he will be. He’s still a lazy slow fatty. Remember his left field blunder last week. Where’s that lazy pop up! Watch how long it takes him to run to first. My 65 year old father is that fast.
Kentavo
August 29th, 2010
3:05 pm
Don’t forget the Pirates; who have dusted the Braves in recent years, too.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:05 pm
I guess Jeff checked out…….. there is an interesting program on PBS about Mark Twain.
Son of Sam
August 29th, 2010
3:05 pm
So the Braves lose 5 of 6 to the Rockies and Marlins. I don’t think we have to worry about playoffs. Even if we were to get there it will be over very quickly.
brad
August 29th, 2010
3:05 pm
he is not a big game pitcher. just think. how can bobby cox pass up on jurjians, hanson and huddy in the playoffs.we will be dominant! i just pray that lowe will not start unless we happen to be up 3-0 in a series. sorry for my comment my fellow braves fans! but i am sick and tired of lowe.. maybe teheran will be raedy next year.
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:06 pm
Steve — It was a 4-year contract. Still 2 years left. And he’s just a better than average pitcher (usually), not an ace. That was the Braves’ mistake: they gave him “ace” money: $60 million for 4 years.
Don's 65 year old father
August 29th, 2010
3:06 pm
You bet your bottom I’m faster than that bum! In MY day, we didn’t have…..
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:07 pm
Wren is a baseball guy………. he knows his stuff…..kind of ?
Didn’t he come from Baltimore ? They have done so well in the past 15 years or so…….
So tell me what is the Record since the Blanco trade ?
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:07 pm
TTTT — Not a day goes by when we all don’t look for guidance and inspiration from you.
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
August 29th, 2010
3:07 pm
What was that loud clicking sound I just heard? Thousands of TV remotes switching to the LLWS? May do that myself. I will give them one more inning. I said it before and will say it again. I would rather the Braves not even make the playoffs than to go in playing like they are now, and not even get through the first round.
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:07 pm
Peter — Lowe’s not going to be “let go.”
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:08 pm
Richard the Lionheart — That’s what they announced in pressbox, via the Marlins.
Little League tutorial video
August 29th, 2010
3:08 pm
Kids, this is what you DON’T do. Watch carefully.
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
August 29th, 2010
3:08 pm
AWWWWWWW JS, you just made my day! (If only you were sincere)
brad
August 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
peter our pitching except for lowe is way to dominant for us not to make the playoffs. i cant wait to see teheran though!
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
I hear you Jeff loud and clear……..
How about KK….. Ankiel ? Lee ? Henski ? Cabrera ? Gonzales ? Farnsworth ?
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
Peter — Mark Twain would write a great lead off this game, I’m sure.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 29th, 2010
3:10 pm
D.Lowe = Joe Johnson @ the pay window.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:10 pm
Brad I politely disagree…….. Please note we are 3rd worse in the league in fielding…….
Only Cubs and Nats are worse than the Braves…… we will kill the pitching with errors !
zorba
August 29th, 2010
3:12 pm
Jeff, hope you write a follow up article about the “statement” Lowe has made! Over the hill to say the least. Was it $60 million?
Frank Wren's resume
August 29th, 2010
3:12 pm
Special talents: Predicting the future
(incorrectly, but he can still predict nonetheless)
Gwinnett Braves
August 29th, 2010
3:14 pm
Most expensive farm club in the majors.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:15 pm
Being politically correct Jeff can’t write articles say how badly Wren has done as a GM.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:17 pm
Jeff….How come nobody mentions how poorly the Braves are defensibly in the league ?
The Braves play defense like a basement dwelling team !
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:17 pm
Important update: Drill did a faceplant. Saw won the Home Depot tool race. Then the Drill ran over and drop-kicked the saw. Feisty tools.
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:19 pm
Zorba — It will be front and center in game column, thank you.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:19 pm
No comment on the defensive prow less of the team ?
POAD
August 29th, 2010
3:19 pm
The LLWS with Japan and Hawaii makes me feel like I and just watching an International game. The Hawaii team was smoking all the pitches in their last 2 games. I hope thay do it again today.
Oceanic Flight 815
August 29th, 2010
3:19 pm
Jeff’s here!