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
Chuck Tanner
August 29th, 2010
3:48 pm
3 hits??!! Are you kidding me.
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
August 29th, 2010
3:48 pm
Me thinks the Braves should kidnap some of those little league players from Japan, put fake mustaches on them, and insert them in the lineup. Couldn’t be any worse.
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:49 pm
Venters coming in for Braves.
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
3:49 pm
Peter- The product? You mean a first place team that overachieves?
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:50 pm
Jeff called Lowe a # 4 with a # 1 paycheck….. Wren is a genius !
Matt k
August 29th, 2010
3:50 pm
Why bring in venters? We are losing and he needs all the rest he can get.
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
3:51 pm
Be thankful Burnett didn’t take our money.
Rusty
August 29th, 2010
3:51 pm
If Lowe made a statement today it was one that we all knew already: … “I blow.”
Chuck Tanner
August 29th, 2010
3:51 pm
The most you can ask from these Braves is to bridge the gap between football seasons. In that, these Braves have been a big success.
Doesn’t look like they will be much of a distraction a week from today.
Bobby Valentine
August 29th, 2010
3:51 pm
TTTT….fake moustaches? Hmmm…..I like it!
Little League World Series
August 29th, 2010
3:52 pm
Kyle Petty sighting? Kyle Petty sighting.
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
3:53 pm
And there’s another error by Gonzalez (not that it’s going to matter this game).
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
3:53 pm
chuck Tanner- People have been saying that for a month. The team is still in first place.
Yunell
August 29th, 2010
3:53 pm
A Gonzales? Really??
Glad he is such a “professional”. Not much of a shortstop.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:53 pm
Jesse it is a long season, and the luck is just catching up with reality.
They are a very poor fielding team, and the concept of patience at the plate, seems to be evaporating.
We also have One real good starter, and after that, who knows ? The bull pen has been over worked, and thus the implosion.
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
3:53 pm
If there was a good time for an error….
Dog Day Afternoon
August 29th, 2010
3:53 pm
Sonny: That’s all they’re interested in – it’s a freak show to them. I can’t control it, Sal – let’em say what they want. Forget it. It don’t matter.
Kentavo
August 29th, 2010
3:54 pm
Another E for “He never makes errors” according to Bobby.
Wrenmeadeal!
August 29th, 2010
3:54 pm
Jeff, It seems like every transaction frank wren has made (starting with vazquez) over the course of this season has not turned out too well, including gonzo who just recorded his 7th error with the braves, is frank wren to blame if the braves fall out of contention?
The Grinch
August 29th, 2010
3:55 pm
Who DIDN’T see Venters coming in at this stage? Bobby probably thinks he “needed a little work.”
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
3:55 pm
But people have been saying for a month that “this is the week we’ll fall out of first:. This is a resilient team. Atlanta fans seem very fickle.
Chuck Tanner
August 29th, 2010
3:55 pm
You are absolutely right Jesse. The lead is melting away though and the Braves are playing their worst baseball since May
BTW, Venters not looking so good.
The Doktor
August 29th, 2010
3:55 pm
Lowe, Glaus, McLouth & Kawikami should all be wearing ski masks to pick up their paychecks. There are quite a few others should be embarrassed for themselves at a minimum. Since about a week before the All-Star break, this team has gone to hell in a hand-basket at a rapid rate – in just about every basic phase of the game too, and THAT’S the disappointing part…
joe
August 29th, 2010
3:56 pm
last year it wasn’t a big deal that Lowe typically gave the Braves very little chance to win, now it is…..
Bobby
August 29th, 2010
3:56 pm
“Gotta hand it to Helms. He really hit the daylights out of that ball.”
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
3:57 pm
That’s only 2 more errors than EscoBRAT. Should we compare their offensive production?
SG10
August 29th, 2010
3:57 pm
Jeff,
We hear from Mark and his belief that this team still has it…what do you think? Are the wheels falling or just a temporary slump?
Honestly, this team hasn’t played consistent baseball since All-star break. You get a week of good baseball followed by the week of bad baseball. This team beats Padres and Rays but loses to Rockies and White Sox..it’s quite frustrating!
Peter
August 29th, 2010
3:58 pm
Jesse you can’t be the 3rd worst fielding team in the league, and expect to finish strong.
The team is slow, they play station to station…….they are an older group, thus tired, and Bobby has killed the bullpen.
Why is fickle being used instead of seeing reality ?
Wrenmeadeal!
August 29th, 2010
3:58 pm
Dont worry guys Rick ankiel will pull out out of this one with his big bat like he always does…
Chuck Tanner
August 29th, 2010
3:58 pm
Bobby, You forgot to add that Lowe had “no-hit stuff” today.
Rusty
August 29th, 2010
3:59 pm
Can’t wait for Bradley’s next article! We’re great!!
Bobby Cox, Bobby Dews, Bobby Wine, Bobby Sue
August 29th, 2010
3:59 pm
C’mon guys! It’s rally timezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
4:00 pm
Peter- REALITY is that we are currently in FIRST PLACE. You are GUESSING about what MAY HAPPEN. But as we speak, we have a 3 game playoff lead and a 1.5 division lead.
Bravesfansince66
August 29th, 2010
4:00 pm
And not execute fundementals like covering first and bunting…
Bravesfansince66
August 29th, 2010
4:01 pm
Don’t look now but we are pissing that lead away!
Tony the Tiger
August 29th, 2010
4:01 pm
THHHHHHHEEEEYYYYYY’RRRRREEE
not so great
TM
August 29th, 2010
4:01 pm
Why would you put your most over-worked young pitcher in a 6-1 game in the 8th inning?
Are you trying to hurt his arm?
Gman
August 29th, 2010
4:02 pm
The September call-ups can’t come soon enough
Tanner
August 29th, 2010
4:03 pm
Watch Buttermaker put Rudi Stein in next.
Bravesfansince66
August 29th, 2010
4:04 pm
Bet we call up Freeman and all he does is collect splinters in his but…
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
4:04 pm
Rudi Stein + Carmen Ranzani > Derek Lowe
BevisNButthead
August 29th, 2010
4:04 pm
He said “Peter-Lowe” huh, huh, huh
Jesse Stone
August 29th, 2010
4:05 pm
bet no matter what happens you’ll keep whining.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
4:05 pm
OK Jesse…..today they are…….. how long ago was it a 8 game lead ?
What is the road record ?
What is the record since the Blanco trade ?
Where are they in Fielding in the league ?
Where is the club house RBI leader ?
Who is the second stopper ?
Yes today they are in first….. after today what will be the record in the last 10 or last 20 games ?
The Grinch
August 29th, 2010
4:05 pm
Venters should sue for the career lost wages he would have had if Bobby hadn’t blown his arm out in his rookie season. This guy couldn’t have been our closer or setup man for years. And yes, I know I’m speaking in past tense already but it’s inevitable.
Tim
August 29th, 2010
4:05 pm
Bobby got tired of watching it too, so he got tossed.
Tanner
August 29th, 2010
4:06 pm
Timmy Lupus + Stephen Hawking > Derek Lowe
Jeff Schultz
August 29th, 2010
4:06 pm
Wrenmeadeal — No. Given budget constraints and injuries, I can’t put this one on Wren. But you could make the case that budget constraints were partly the result of his signings of Lowe and Kawakami.
Dusty Baker
August 29th, 2010
4:07 pm
Bobby Cox is doing just fine with handling young pitchers.
Peter
August 29th, 2010
4:08 pm
Blanco 9th stolen base today as a Royal…….. is stealing necessary ?