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
Naboo the Enigma
September 28th, 2010
8:13 pm
Hey look! Our cleanup hitter is up.
turtsnap
September 28th, 2010
8:13 pm
Hopefully, next year……. we won’t have AnKiel and Melky “milk dud” on the roster anymore
jl
September 28th, 2010
8:13 pm
Brian is in the groove now! Pop Up Strike Out and Next at Bat his infamous DOUBLE PLAY BALL!!!!
Grownin Samoan
September 28th, 2010
8:13 pm
Thanks GT…they did teach you something at North Ave Tech
GT Alum
September 28th, 2010
8:14 pm
Aaron -
Because he had a MRI at 4:30 and they just got the results. And fans want to know.
Grownin Samoan
September 28th, 2010
8:14 pm
check out that bullet by Milkman
native_braves_fan
September 28th, 2010
8:14 pm
jared if that’s the best you got, then let your husband make the comments and go back to your sewing. You suck!
Negative Nancy
September 28th, 2010
8:14 pm
I see a lot of my lady friends are on here tonight. Jared and jl’s husbands must be bowling tonight
jl
September 28th, 2010
8:15 pm
Melky Big Fat ASS !!!!
david s
September 28th, 2010
8:15 pm
I now see Melky’s problem, he can’t concentrate with a runner on base.
Negative Nancy
September 28th, 2010
8:15 pm
jared = Pasco
G
September 28th, 2010
8:16 pm
Man Melky really got a hold of another one. Thanks again Frank!!
Naboo the Enigma
September 28th, 2010
8:16 pm
Question of the Night: Would you concede the rest of the season if it meant having a new GM going into this offseason? Yes or No.
I say YES
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 28th, 2010
8:17 pm
Nice 56 footer by Timmy
G
September 28th, 2010
8:17 pm
Can I vote yes more than one to that?
Grownin Samoan
September 28th, 2010
8:17 pm
not yes but Hell YES
Hester
September 28th, 2010
8:17 pm
I wonder if you put D Lee in a home run contest if he could hit one out? Just lobbing balls up there. Nice pick up Frank!
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 28th, 2010
8:18 pm
what was wrong with that?
Black Knight
September 28th, 2010
8:18 pm
I am thinking we might need to geive Lemer out of the pre-game radio booth and give Bud-man Blauser a call. Gant looks like he could still hit too. It would have to be better then his bumbling and stumbling on Braves Live.
Henry
September 28th, 2010
8:19 pm
This team is so bad I am going to watch a replay of the Falcons game instead.
The marlins have nothing to play for and are stealing bases, trying to get on while we just stand there striking out and hit little dinky dribblers.
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 28th, 2010
8:20 pm
Catcher inferrence?
Grownin Samoan
September 28th, 2010
8:20 pm
I do like that they have McCann not even throwing to second on steals…it does eliminate the runner going to 3B like 40 other times this year
SABR
September 28th, 2010
8:20 pm
Is Diaz hurt? Ankiel sure does seem to get the “nod” quite often.
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
8:20 pm
Henry- Bonifacio may be the fastest player in baseball. we have nobody remotely like that
GT Alum
September 28th, 2010
8:20 pm
Rick -
I thought maybe this was a blessing in disguise to get a struggling Prado out of the lineup. But he had actually heated up recently, hitting .318 the last 7 games.
Oh, and 40 games would go back before he came off the DL. He hit 333 with an OPS of 900 after coming off the DL in August. I’d call that doing something.
Pasco
September 28th, 2010
8:21 pm
wrong. when i see a stupid comment, I call the person out.
negative = moron
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 28th, 2010
8:21 pm
Chino’s sporting a cyst…
bobbycoxcountdown: 5
September 28th, 2010
8:22 pm
JS- I heard the radio guys say Prado’s injury would require 3 months No activity… but they didn’t say if surgery was needed. Can you check on that and post if he is having surgery?
Thanks.
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 28th, 2010
8:22 pm
Man, Timmy’s just missing/ getting the call.
SG10
September 28th, 2010
8:22 pm
If a team’s offense chokes in the playoff chase, can it perform when it is actually in playoffs?
bobbycoxcountdown: 5
September 28th, 2010
8:22 pm
sorry 2 months. not 3
Grownin Samoan
September 28th, 2010
8:22 pm
J Stone…we did name was BLANCO and trhe team started going downhill when he and his run manufactoring abilities was traded for Mr you can’t spell K with our ricK anKiel
turtsnap
September 28th, 2010
8:23 pm
Gotta hold ‘em here Tim…. Marlins already have an insurmountable lead!
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
8:23 pm
yes we did, but he’s not here now.
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
8:24 pm
Tommy Hutton is PAINFUL to listen to
walk
September 28th, 2010
8:25 pm
i feel an uggla homer…..
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 28th, 2010
8:25 pm
Timmy’s loose and dry, could throw 120.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 28th, 2010
8:26 pm
RUSS you are KILLER. What the F are you going to do after the new UGA VIII takes over? Please keep coming with the comments.
Jeff pull the BRAVE through tonight please. I can’t watch I am just reading your blog and flipping to the game once in awhile. I don’t want to jinx the team by watching the whole game for the next few games.
Rick
September 28th, 2010
8:26 pm
GT Alum
Prado has 0 rbi’s in his last 10 games while batting .180
He is NOT batting .318 his past 7 games. He’s batting .270
But like I said , .180 in his past 10 and 0 rbi’s. You are flat out wrong.
Bye Bye Bobby
September 28th, 2010
8:26 pm
I don’t care how many people are injured, even with a healthy line-up these Braves have not been able to score runs. I don’t understand how any team can be as low scoring as we have been. Pendleton has to be blamed for some of it.
One bourbon one scotch and one beer
September 28th, 2010
8:27 pm
I dont think Heyward is a very good outfielder but that was a very good catch.
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
8:27 pm
Is it true that UGA just took Oregon off their future schedule? Any reasonable excuses?
Jeff Schultz
September 28th, 2010
8:28 pm
Sorry I’ve been gone everyone. Had to update an early version of print column with Prado news. Awful. Honestly figured he was done for the year anyway with the hip pointer but the torn oblique revealed by the MRI means he’s going to have a long rehab before next spring. That requires two months of rest.
Jesse Stone
September 28th, 2010
8:29 pm
Ken Rosenthal on Marlins broadcast favors Heyward over Posey for NLROY
walk
September 28th, 2010
8:29 pm
heart of the line up due up
5150 P.O.A.D
September 28th, 2010
8:30 pm
Jesse because McGarity doesn’t want to go past the Mississippi. UGA has only played a regular season OOC game past the Mississippi 5 times since 1950 and they LOSE the games. Damon Evan thought he was going to play the AFLAC DUCKS not the Oregon Ducks when he made the deal.
SG10
September 28th, 2010
8:30 pm
Despite the high pitch-count, Hudson has given exactly what Braves had hoped for on a short rest..5 innings and 1 run. If he can go another scoreless inning, that would be awesome..I guess the bigger problem is if offense could score some runs..
Bye Bye Bobby
September 28th, 2010
8:30 pm
Did anyone here notice that MFIKY is leading the majors in saves with Tampa Bay?
GT Alum
September 28th, 2010
8:31 pm
Grownin Samoan -
Blanco’s hit 250 since he went to KC, which is right around his career average. He’s really not “the answer”. Given, that’s no worse than our OFs not named Heyward have done, but, if we hadn’t made that trade, everyone would probably be complaining that we didn’t even try to improve the offense from the OF.
Evan Longoria and David Price
September 28th, 2010
8:31 pm
wow, another good turnout for the Braves Fans. Looks as pathetic as our crowd last night