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
Upper Class Twit of the Year
September 28th, 2010
9:40 pm
McCann is hitting cleanup because there is no one else to do it. That such an anemic offense is in the playoff hunt this late is impressive to me.
On the whole I’m a Cox fan, but I won’t miss the annual ritual of watching him fry a set up man.
Can’t we be lukewarm on Cox anyway? Are the only choices “genius” and “idiot?”
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:40 pm
If you get just one hit from Lee per game its a blessing…
bobbycoxcountdown: 5
September 28th, 2010
9:41 pm
jack bull- yeah, they gave him a US Flag in a nice shadow box frame that flew over the Capital i think… pretty cool.
rugburn
September 28th, 2010
9:41 pm
mccann is a good hitter for a catcher, but he is average at best behind the plate. his average will continue to drop if he keeps trying to pull everything into the seats. other teams couldn’t put that shift on him 3-4 years ago because he used to drive the ball into left a lot. he’s trying to hard to be a 4 hitter. oh, and his speed doesn’t help the ole avg. either
ReddJonn68
September 28th, 2010
9:42 pm
What was the purpose of sending Glaus down if he can’t play third, Booby is an idiot thats why he is still playing Mc Out .We have not been scoring over 3 runs a game lately, same old Booby ball. if we make it, we will get swept !!!
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:42 pm
Come on Beavis, its Hinske…
One bourbon one scotch and one beer
September 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
Wags!
rugburn
September 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
washington gave bobby a butt-kicking and a migraine
Black Knight
September 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
come billiam need strikes
One bourbon one scotch and one beer
September 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
You can do it!
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
ReddJonn- Look at our current roster and starters. We should not be anywhere near a WildCard
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:44 pm
Its not like Hinske is tough to spell like these : Doug Mientkiewicz,Carl Yastrzemski,Fernando Valenzuela,and Bill Lee…
bobbycoxcountdown: 5
September 28th, 2010
9:45 pm
rugburn- well played sir. Well Played! lol
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:45 pm
Scooby- I agree. How about Medlin?
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:46 pm
Scott Kamieniecki
rugburn
September 28th, 2010
9:46 pm
you don’t want to know what philly gave him
sidslid
September 28th, 2010
9:47 pm
Big one. He walks Helmswe are in Jeff Reardon zone
jack bull
September 28th, 2010
9:48 pm
thanx, countdown…
man, walks will kill ya……
Bravesmb
September 28th, 2010
9:48 pm
Nelson, yeah, all team’s slump, that’s baseball. the yanks have the highest payroll in the game and are still trailing the rays. but the braves beat the marlins yesterday and are winning tonight, and have 10 games over the marlins this season. Baseball is different than other sports. the last place team has a better chance of beating a first place team in a 7 game series than in most other sport. there’s a lot more about success in the postseason than just the manager and the players; a lot of it has to do with momentum and luck. the mark of a good manager is all time wins and winning percentage, and Bobby doesn’t trail many in those categories
Upper Class Twit of the Year
September 28th, 2010
9:48 pm
Walk after 0-2. That ain’t good.
One bourbon one scotch and one beer
September 28th, 2010
9:48 pm
I would like to order one DP please!
MWC
September 28th, 2010
9:48 pm
Saltalama… Saltalalama…. Saltta……WTF………
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:49 pm
Higetoshi Hasegawa
One bourbon one scotch and one beer
September 28th, 2010
9:49 pm
this is BK right? I can still have it my way?
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:49 pm
one bourbon- You’re on the wrong website
old
September 28th, 2010
9:49 pm
What was up with Snitker sending Brian (slower than Bruce Benedict) from third? We should’ve had the lead earlier…
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:50 pm
Shigetosi
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:50 pm
And Rick Reed. Okay enough names.
Let’s go Wags !
jack bull
September 28th, 2010
9:50 pm
same thing,,
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:50 pm
Ed Ott
Upper Class Twit of the Year
September 28th, 2010
9:51 pm
Mike Lum
old
September 28th, 2010
9:51 pm
WAY TO GO BILLY WAGS!!!!!!!! YESSSSS!!!
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:51 pm
Nice Stone, you’re paying attention !
Chris Berman : Rick “Can’t” Reed.
One bourbon one scotch and one beer
September 28th, 2010
9:51 pm
Stone: I will spell it out for you. Double Play.
bobbycoxcountdown: 5
September 28th, 2010
9:52 pm
jack bull- if you want to read it… here is a link:
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2010/09/26/cox-honored-with-flag-from-u-s-capitol/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_braves_blog
sidslid
September 28th, 2010
9:52 pm
Whew
One bourbon one scotch and one beer
September 28th, 2010
9:52 pm
nevermind. one more strikeout please.
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:52 pm
Wagner should’ve been a Brave a long time ago. He is more Houston and Atlanta than he is Phillie, New York, or Boston
jack bull
September 28th, 2010
9:52 pm
don’t hang a slider here…
JOHN Q
September 28th, 2010
9:53 pm
so milky got two hits,he cost tim the win
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:53 pm
A slider here would be Wohlers-esque
bobbycoxcountdown: 5
September 28th, 2010
9:53 pm
do not throw off speed over the plate!
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:53 pm
Wags throwing the $295 premium stuff tonight !
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
John Q- It looked goofy but wasnt an error
rugburn
September 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
ron say?
Scooby-Don't
September 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
$2.95 I meant
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
Glaus would’ve missed 2 of those throws
blazerdawg
September 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
BOOOM! Braves win in front of 36K on a Tuesday night…oh yes, I believe in this team!
Old devil
September 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
WAY TO GO BILLY WAGS!!!!!! YEAH BRAVES!!!!!!!!!
Bravesmb
September 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
beautiful