LIVE BLOG: Can Braves find some offense (and defense)?
The Braves are hoping for different scene tonight in San Francisco. (AP photo)
SAN FRANCISCO — Hello. We begin this evening with some good news, Braves fans. Tim Lincecum is not pitching. So the rest should be easy, right?
OK. Maybe not. The Braves and their depleted lineup aren’t much of a threat against most pitchers, let alone a two-time Cy Young Award winner. But if they have any hope of winning this National League Divisional Series, they’ll have to be far more patient at the plate tonight against Matt Cain than they were in Thursday’s series opener against Lincecum, who had 14 strikeouts and allowed only two hits in a complete-game shutout.
Here are the Braves taking batting practice. We'll find out if it helps.
Hitting coach Terry Pendleton clearly believes the Braves could have done better. When the word “great” was used in a question about Lincecum, Pendleton responded: “The guy [Roy Halladay] in Philly the other night was great. That’s a no-hitter. That’s great.”
This much is certain: There’s a ton of pressure on every Braves pitcher, knowing one run can decide it. Derek Lowe and four relievers allowed the Giants only one run and five hits, but Lincecum reduced them to an afterthought.
Just a few other things about tonight:
♦ Tommy Hanson will start for the Braves, as expected. You may have heard or read that he was hit in the eye by a batted ball in batting practice Thursday and immediately went to the clubhouse to be examined. Obviously, he’s fine. (But if he walks out to the mound with an eye patch and a parrot on his shoulder, we’ll know something is wrong). Hanson has allowed only one run in his last three starts (18 2/3 innings).
♦ Manager Bobby Cox made only one lineup change – Melky Cabrera replaces Matt Diaz in left field and will bat fifth. The batting order:
1. Omar Infante (5). 2. Jason Heyward (9). 3. Derrek Lee (3). 4. Brian McCann (2). 5. Melky Cabrera (7). 6. Brooks Conrad (4). 7. Alex Gonzalez (6). 8. Rick Ankiel (8). 9. Tommy Hanson (1).♦ Many readers continue to wonder why Troy Glaus is not getting into the lineup. To repeat, Glaus’s knees are so shot that he can’t play in the field and there’s not much left of him at the plate, either. But here’s something else that our David O’Brien dug up. Glaus is only 13 for 80 (.163) with one homer at AT&T Park. (He’s also 1 for 10 in his career against Cain.)
Finally, as mentioned in this space last night, I don’t believe the Braves lost the series opener because of a blown call but because they couldn’t hit or field. If they score a run off Lincecum, it doesn’t come down to one run. And if Omar Infante can knock down a ground ball in the fourth inning, Buster Posey never scores. That said– yes, baseball needs to expand its use of instant replay.
That’s it for now. I’ll check back with you shortly.
Do you believe the Braves can get out of here with a split?
♦
Instant re-blog
♦ Poll time: Does blown call reaffirm need for replay?
♦ Lincecum shuts down Braves; so what’s next Plan B?
♦ Weekend Predictions: Dogs win (it’s the ice cream talking)
♦
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1,958 comments Add your comment
miranda007
October 8th, 2010
10:26 pm
obviously you arent black or hispanic…thats the whole point ya simpelton…keep up ya fool
Pete
October 8th, 2010
10:26 pm
O-me, I agree. Why do you think Obama is President
TheAntiMe
October 8th, 2010
10:26 pm
Wow….you really are a sad little he/she aren’t you.
More like Cousin It, Katherine.
The Temporary Mascot formerly known as Russ
October 8th, 2010
10:26 pm
I have lots of orange to deal with tonight and tomorrow. I was wondering has any team lost the first three in a NLDS and not scored a run? I need to go make sure all the players are in bed and nobody gets arrested tonight.
homerun
October 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
Someone cane miranda
John Gotti
October 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
dis sucka emmel has cost me a buncha money. he’s dead!!
miranda007
October 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
stan…uhhh I dont have any CHILDREN pal…secondly..WERE THE BEST AND YOU CANT STAND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
PJ
October 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
Are the 2010 Braves the worst MLB playoff team of all time?
Cedrick (Arlington, TX)
October 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
What the hell!!!! When are these fools gonna show up and play!!!!
NCBravesFan
October 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
So has a team ever scored zero runs in a playoff series? Not saying it’s gonna happen, but the thought crosses the mind.
jeff
October 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
and How is Florida State Doing once they told Bobby Bowden to retire… 4-1 go Noles. Braves Christmas List.
Finally a Season without Bobby Cox touching and Blowing a game and a day we dont have to watch that old man squaddle like a duck everytime he wants to argue…
New Ownership who gives a crap
New General Manager who can actually do his job
New Manager
POWER and Speed, Something that Wren and Cox Can care less for..
a True Leadoff Hitter.
a Threat in This lineup.
A true Left Fielder…
Woodie
October 8th, 2010
10:28 pm
At least they don’t look as bad as the Hawks against the Magic in the playoffs.
Kathy
October 8th, 2010
10:28 pm
I can only hope that TP is gone at the end of this series of games. He was a great hitter but is very obviously NOT a hitting coach.
Stan
October 8th, 2010
10:28 pm
Miranda is probably some white trash from Cottman & the Blvd….for all of you Atlanta fans….that is where the ugliest white trash in Philly lives….and where Miranda was probably born
Terry Funk
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
Pop Quiz.. Does Bobby have a bottle of booze in the clubhouse..???
Tomahawked
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
It pains me to say this, but we look awful right now. As Skip used to say, “honesty compels me to report…that the playoffs are off to an inauspicious start.”
miranda007
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
You southern idiots need to read a book or 2…try it…it wont hurt…at least initially for you simpeltons
Kashi
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
That pitch to Heyward was yard outside the plate and he ringed him up. This is really messing up our hitters, WTF going on these umpires?
JMOR
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
This game is over…I would bet on another shutout. They should not be in the playoffs and they are laying down and out in 3. Pathetic showing for a major league team.Heyward is overrated, looks like an easy out most nights.
IlliniBrave
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
hey, something positive out of miranda – she has no kids!
Miranda Writes Behind Bars.
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
Heloo, me name is Muhranda, I leek the Pheelieez. Is deez da Pheeleez bwog? Chase? No? Right…. los Bravos. da Pheeleez is brave.
NCBravesFan
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
Sugar Bear @ 10:27 pm : EPIC FAIL
The Temporary Mascot formerly known as Russ
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
Put Chino in one of those orange shirts and you’d have the Great Pumpkin.
Jeff Schultz
October 8th, 2010
10:29 pm
Jeff — We don’t see a lot of “Thank Goodness it’s hockey season” comments on baseball blogs. The Thrashers thank you for that.
Terry Funk @ Woodie
October 8th, 2010
10:30 pm
the night is young…
count_schemula
October 8th, 2010
10:30 pm
Blanco played good CF. He had finally turned into slap hitter with some on-base potential. He could score from 2nd. But instead, Wren thought Ankiel would be a secret power source that nobody else in the league had considered. We did not need Farnsworth since we essentially had Kimbrel just coming up from AAA and is a healthy Freeman more useful than a Lee who was getting an epidural the weekend we obtained him? The Escobar trade, I mostly blame Escobar for being such a little biotch.
TheAntiMe
October 8th, 2010
10:30 pm
Oh great! A commercial with that friggin queer Sulu from Star Trek!
lmao – That’s kind of a funny statement coming from someone named Sugar Bear.
Katherine
October 8th, 2010
10:30 pm
Illini…miranda is a he
miranda007
October 8th, 2010
10:30 pm
im not white…and I hate the Northeast….they are dirty garbage up there..kinda like u stan
061293
October 8th, 2010
10:30 pm
miranda007 — Nobody says that you are dumb. They just say you were sixteen years old before you learned how to wave good-bye.
buick59
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
not a complete embarrassment but close……not ready for primetime.
Lil' Barry Bailout
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
The Braves vaunted pitching staff is getting outpitched yet again.
Kwajbraves
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
This team has the potential to become the lowest scoring team in postseason history. I’m not pulling for a win, I’ll settle for 1 run today.
Katherine
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
my comment was edited darn it lol
061293
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
miranda007 — Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you’d had enough oxygen at birth?
I went to skool with Miranda.
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
It is where I learned to spell so good. My English is right?
miranda007
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
hey bring it on chumps…braves arent gonna do anything anyway
rabiddawg
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
In the playoffs you don’t need to trot a different lineup every game. Melky tonight, diaz last night. I’m sure we will see mclouth in game 3. I just don’t understand it. You need consistency. How can you achieve that with different lineups. Pick one and let them work through it.
homerun
October 8th, 2010
10:31 pm
miranda is moonlighting tonight at the loading zone in the castro, in san francisco ——lol
Eddie Cook
October 8th, 2010
10:32 pm
Jeff, do you know if anyone has asked Paul Emmel if he ever saw a replay of the play at second base last night and what it any response he had?
JMOR
October 8th, 2010
10:32 pm
I love how the Braves hit the hanging curve balls to shallow center field…disgusting.
count_schemula
October 8th, 2010
10:32 pm
don’t feed the trolls
Katherine
October 8th, 2010
10:32 pm
so if you say the braves shouldn’t be in the playoffs..then neither should the rays or reds at this point.
Jeff Schultz
October 8th, 2010
10:32 pm
Miranda, Katherine, others — I don’t want to read another race comment or I’ll start banning. I’m not up for playing babysitter tonight.
Randal Patrick McMurphy
October 8th, 2010
10:33 pm
Wow… Miranda has been a Phillies fan for a whole 10-12 years or so – Johnny Come Lately. Dude, when you’ve lived thru the bad 60’s teams w/ the Clay Dalrymple, Dick Selma, Chris Short, Roger Freed… mid-late 70’s heartbreakers with Montanez, Carlton, Luzinski, Bowa, Doyle, Schmidt, Boone & Company… and even the 1980 Champs and 1983 Wheeze Kids… Dykstra, Hollins, Daulton, Schilling teams of the 90’s… THEN you can call yourself a Phillies fan. I really like both the Phillies and the Braves (born in South Jersey) and generally root for the Braves cause I’m a ‘homer’. Thankfully this year, I’ve got 2 dogs in the Race – unfortunately one appears to be washing out WAY too early…
Lil' Barry Bailout
October 8th, 2010
10:33 pm
Posey is outhitting the Braves all by himself. Must be pretty embarrassing for Heyward.
Tomahawk Choke Artists
October 8th, 2010
10:33 pm
Braves are revealing what they really are on the National stage now……
“Cough” “Cough” Chokers “Cough” “Cough”
dawgfan13
October 8th, 2010
10:33 pm
Has there ever been a series where a team gets swept and did not score a single run? If not, the Braves will make history! Their offense looks clueless and if their management bring back this same garbage and tell the fans this is what we are going to win with, then they should be fired or the games should be boycott by the fans. By the way Posey is clearly better than Heyward! This guy is getting hits all over the place and Heyward cant make contact.
Stan
October 8th, 2010
10:33 pm
HAHAHAHA Miranda is so stupid she thinks her Phils are the defending champs…..What….they aren’t…..but somehow your the best????? OK Philly FRONTRUNNER…..People….did anyone notice that Miranda cant address the frontrunner label her players hung on her and her fellow fans????? HAHAHAH
JMOR
October 8th, 2010
10:34 pm
The good news is we only have to watch this bunch one more game and its over…Next year, at least half of the roster will thankfully be gone.