LIVE: It’s time for the Braves (or is that the Black Knight?)
Do Omar Infante and the Braves have enough healthy bodies left to win the wild card? (AP photo)
Welcome back to Turner Field for a game involving what remains of your Atlanta Braves.
To all of the injury issues the team has had in the season — not the least of which were losing Chipper Jones and pitcher Kris Medlen for the year and pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Takashi Saito for extended periods, we add this: Martin Prado is “definitely going to be out for a while” with a hip-pointer, manager Bobby Cox said after Monday’s game.
The biggest problem with that: There’s not “a while” left in the season. In fact, there are more letters in “a while” (six) than there are games left on the Braves’ schedule (five).
Prado might be toast, but the Braves aren’t, yet. They enter tonight’s game against Florida with a one-half game lead over San Diego and 4 1/2 over all-but-dead Colorado in the National League wild card race.
Prado is having an MRI and was not available for comment before the game. Cox said he was “feeling better” today. But, even though we’re talking about one of the toughest players on the team, it would be surprising to see him back in the lineup this season. A hip-pointer is an extremely painful injury, one that prevents a player from pivoting — which eliminates pretty much every movement in a baseball game (fielding, throwing, hitting).
How are the Braves still here? They’re like Monty Python’s “Black Knight,” who kept fighting on despite severed limbs. (”It’s only a flesh wound!” … I am invincible! The Black Knight always triumphs!”)
In fact, since everybody can use a laugh these days . . .
On a related note, the “Black Knight” is batting third and playing center field for the Braves tonight.
OK, seriously. The lineup includes these changes: Catcher Brian McCann is batting third to replace Prado; the struggling Melky Cabrera (hitting only .229 with one homer in his last 49 games) is hitting fifth; Brooks Conrad starts at third base and hits seventh.
Pitching tonight on only three days rest (in place of the injured Jurrjens) is Tim Hudson. He’s only 1-4 with a 6.10 earned run average in five September starts after going 6-0 with a 1.43 ERA in his previous eight outings. One positive omen: Hudson has pitched on three days rest three times before in the regular season, going 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA.
That’s it for now. I’ll be back to live blog at game time. Can the Braves hang on?
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636 comments Add your comment
rugburn
September 28th, 2010
9:15 pm
i’m hoping wild pitch here
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:15 pm
Fire Marshall Bill does his normal crap. KKKK
5150 P.O.A.D
September 28th, 2010
9:15 pm
The picture is throwing strikes he is all around the plate, but the hitters just don’t seem to be guessing right on the pitch.
Robby
September 28th, 2010
9:15 pm
I just realized the secret for the braves offense. Everyone needs to get hurt and BOOBY is forced to bring in players seldom used or call ups.
rugburn
September 28th, 2010
9:15 pm
hinske!
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:15 pm
BOOM!
Billy
September 28th, 2010
9:15 pm
New game!
Jeff Schultz
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Do you believe this team?
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Milk Man delivers !
5150 P.O.A.D
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
BOOM BOOM BOOM I guess he GUESSED right on that pitch.
Bravesmb
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
i love hinske. simple as that. no reason to wonder why he’s been to the series the last 3 years
GT Alum
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Hinske HR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robby
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Yep Hinske never plays! Be sure to bench him and Brooks tomorrow booby
Bye Bye Bobby
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Good job Henske.
My O My
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Isn’t it fitting that all the guys that Bobby Cox sits is doing all the damage tonite!!
Just saying
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Excellent!
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Hinske delivers too !
Naboo the Enigma
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
HAHA, see the pitcher yelling and cussin after that one??
Jason
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Babe Hinske!
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:16 pm
Hinske pimped it after he dropped the bat
My O My
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
I say give GLAUS a swing!!!!
jack bull
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
i’d have to throw at him if he gets an at-bat tomorrow night..
Mad as H@## Fan
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
Go Henski.
Bye Bye Bobby
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
Hinske. Good job but you ticked Cox off. He will bench you tomorrow.
a
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
here’s an idea: how about every single person who has spent the first six innings leaving sarcastic and doubting comments GO TO BED. time for the real fans to watch the rest of this game. GO BRAVES!!!!
Robby
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
I believe that if the seldom used players play, we can win.
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
Play Hinske either in LF or 1B rest of year.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
OK I got to see a few good hits and the Braves lead. I will stop watching the game again so I don’t jinx the BRAVES.
bobbycoxcountdown: 5
September 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
Turns out the two players playing like their hair is on fire… were stuck on the bench!
My god why have Conrad and Hinske not been in the lineup more!
Jon from FL
September 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
I just got home, turned on the game to watch Clutch Conrad deliver that RBI triple. And then Hinske hits that 2-run homer. Coincidence? I think not.
GT Alum
September 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
JS, another Monty Python reference for you – “I’m not dead yet.”
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
My O My- Bobby played the guys that had the best career numbers against Sanchez. Hinske was 0 for 10 against him before that
Ree Roe
September 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
Braves lead!!!
-REEally Roe!!!
Black Knight
September 28th, 2010
9:19 pm
I am sorry folks but Hinske is clutch and as happless as the offense is/has been and despite the injuries the drive and emotion is there to win this thing. They will not quit. They don’t make excuses and that is why I think this is Bobby’s best effort so far. He keeps the players together.
Shawn
September 28th, 2010
9:19 pm
Who are the Marlins going to hit with a pitch after the way he admired that?
ijudgenot
September 28th, 2010
9:19 pm
If you want to know why Bobby Cox will never win another playoff series, all you have to do is look at what just happened. Man on third and only one out. All you need is someone who can make contact, but Bobby lets Ankiel he with the most strikeouts on the team, instead of sending up Hinski. Of course Ankiel strikes out. Hinski saves Bobby’s behind with homerun but how often will that happen in the playoffs.
Just saying
September 28th, 2010
9:19 pm
Hinske hit .200 in July in August. That’s supposed to have him in the lineup regularly? I suppose with this weak-hitting bunch it should, but it is not a strike against Cox than Hinske has been sitting.
jack bull
September 28th, 2010
9:19 pm
hitting, along with slumps, are contagious..
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:20 pm
Don’t hit the ball to your Cousins.
Nice hit Infante…
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:20 pm
Everyone b!tched and moaned at Bobby batting melky 5th. Melky has 2 hits tonight. shush!
kaminari
September 28th, 2010
9:20 pm
This feels like old times boys!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 28th, 2010
9:20 pm
Anybody want some deep fried dill pickels and hot sauce? You can’t have any of my Jack. You have to bring your own drink.
Jon from FL
September 28th, 2010
9:20 pm
When I got home, my first instinct was to go see what the lineup was, now that Prado is out. Then Clutch Conrad hits the triple, and then Hinske hits the homer.
But still…WHAT…THE…EFFF? Melky Cabrera is hitting in the 5 hole?
Jon from FL
September 28th, 2010
9:21 pm
Jesse Stone: Previous performance is all I have to go on when I talk about Melky. It’s not good.
Jeff Schultz
September 28th, 2010
9:21 pm
GT Alum– Certainly not, “This parrot is no more.”
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:21 pm
And McLouth & Derrek Lee hit .220 & .221 so what’s the difference ? Let Hinske play. He’s got power.
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:22 pm
Jon- He does very well against Sanchez
My O My
September 28th, 2010
9:22 pm
Go bench GO!!!
jack bull
September 28th, 2010
9:22 pm
still have my 6 tix for sale for Sunday’s last game, should i keep them??
rugburn
September 28th, 2010
9:23 pm
a crooked number goes up! take out the holy hand grenade of antioch and count to 3