Braves need at least 2 wins (and don’t expect Phillies to fold)
If the Braves don't want to turn this Phillies fan into a prophet, they'll have to show it on the field. (AP photo)
It would be beneficial for the Braves if the Philadelphia Phillies came to town with all of their starters wrapped in bubble wrap and treated the next three games as spring training. But don’t expect it.
Realistically, the fizzling Braves need to win at least two out of three against the Phillies — and maybe sweep – to advance to the postseason. St. Louis, which trails them in the wild card race by only one game, ends the season against the 104-loss Houston Astros.
The Phillies may have everything wrapped up, but they shouldn’t be lacking in motivation. They lost eight straight games until defeating the New York Mets on Sunday and they don’t want to head into the divisional playoffs on a downturn. Eliminating an East Division rival also could be motivating. So while Phillies manager Charlie Manuel isn’t going to do anything to endanger his team’s postseason success, he’s certainly not going to lay down.
Manuel pretty much reaffirmed this to the Philadelphia Daily News’ Paul Hagen when addressing the likelihood of starter Cole Hamels not pitching in Wednesday’s regular season finale (it would leave Hamels on short rest for game three of the playoffs).
“We do have to think about that, but that’s tough to handle,” Manuel said. “We’ve got to get ready for ourselves. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready. And we want to play better than we’ve been playing and we want to be ready going in. And we’re not going to be able to use Hamels in that game for quite a long ways because he’s going to pitch that third [NLDS] game for us.”
Don’t forget a year ago. When the Phillies closed last season at Turner Field, they had no clear motivation to win other than to spread misery in Atlanta. But they won the first two games anyway by lopsided scores of 11-5 and 7-0, before the Braves took the finale 8-7 to reach the postseason.
The Braves will have to earn their way into the playoffs the next three nights. In other words, they can’t look anything like the team that is coming off series losses to the Mets, Marlins and Nationals.
By Jeff Schultz
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227 comments Add your comment
monarch
September 26th, 2011
12:58 pm
why do I feel confident
NO MORE PARRISH
September 26th, 2011
12:59 pm
I like that people who post under Schultz talk baseball and not old movies and music like the kiss ups that post on the DOB blog.
BBrown
September 26th, 2011
1:00 pm
This is surely a fine mess they have gotten themselves into – i.e. needing to take at least two of three from the Phillies, not the Marlins, Nats, or Mets, but the Phillies. The proverbial wheels are officially on the verge of falling off baring resurgence this week.
Bill Campbell
September 26th, 2011
1:02 pm
Hope this is Chipper’s last year! The team can’t afford to pay so much for a part-time player!
DawgFanInDC
September 26th, 2011
1:03 pm
The braves are toast..should have closed it out 2 weeks ago…not gonna happen…seems like the philles would rather face the braves than the red hot cards in the playoffs…
LoweBlows
September 26th, 2011
1:04 pm
I don’t know if I can stomach another year of fredi or lowe. We are all beating a dead horse in this blog anyway. The fans have no say; Liberty Media doesn’t give a crap, so why are we even entertaining this? The same thing has been repeated over and over by a lot of folks. Not going to change a thing.
Ted M
September 26th, 2011
1:06 pm
Chipper has already declared he is returning next year.
Philly Phanatic
September 26th, 2011
1:06 pm
Omnipotent One – Do you understand that the Phillies can’t play the Braves in the first round. You’re saying the Phils will fold so they get Atlanta in the playoffs and not the Cards. the Phillies would only play the Braves if they win the wildcard and beat either Arizona or Milwaukee and the Phils do the same. If you’re implying the Braves will be wildcard and then win in the first round you haven’t been watching your own team very closely. You’re either uneducated on the rules or overly optimistic about your team.
On a different note I’m dying to see attendance tonight.
Ted M
September 26th, 2011
1:09 pm
I think he is saying the Phillies my not try hard so the don’t have to play the Cards in the opening round of the POs.
steve brown
September 26th, 2011
1:09 pm
I miss Omar Infante, Jeff Francouer and I wonder why the #1 minor league pitcher, Julio Teheran, in all of baseball hasn’t started a game. By the way, Jeff has a higher average than anyone but Bourne and more RBI’s than anyone on the team. Perhaps our front office isn’t that brilliant after all.
Born2Buzz
September 26th, 2011
1:10 pm
Is it hard to hit with one hand clutching your throat. I guess so.
Sonny Clusters
September 26th, 2011
1:10 pm
Deer Jeff, what makes you think the Braves are fizzling? We are trying our best. If we was to fizzle, we’d just have a group hug, do some serious fanny patting, and sing uh, kumbaya. Your pal, Chipper Jones
JEB
September 26th, 2011
1:11 pm
Braves started the year not being able to hit with runners in scoring position
and end year with the same problem!
I do not suddenly see that being corrected in the next 3 days.
For the Phillies – if you knock the Braves out – it is one less team to face in the playoffs!
steve brown
September 26th, 2011
1:12 pm
monarch-you’ve got to stop having those martini lunches.
Ted M
September 26th, 2011
1:13 pm
Jeff – Since the Braves season will be over before your weekend predictions.
Lets hear your prediction…Do the Braves make the playoffs?
I say they limp in… looking and playing like crap!
1eyedJack
September 26th, 2011
1:13 pm
After this series Larry Parrish needs to turn either right or left onto I-75, put the petal to the metal and never come back.
Dozer
September 26th, 2011
1:14 pm
If I’m the Phillies I tank the series – getting the Braves in means one less team they have to worry about. Right now, there’s no one in their right mind that would rather play the Cardinals than the Tin-Men Braves….
Dozer
September 26th, 2011
1:15 pm
Gotta tip my cap to you for the column, Jeff……
Ted M
September 26th, 2011
1:17 pm
Steve Brown – Melky Cabrera, too, would have the highest ave & RBI if he were a Brave.
.304 & 87..why did he suck w/us?
Abnerish
September 26th, 2011
1:17 pm
The Phils aren’t going to let the Braves win, period. While I’m sure everyone in that clubhouse has opinions on who they’d rather face, they would never give a game away on purpose. Now, they will definitely have Lee on a pitch count and they may sit a few regulars to rest nagging injuries, but I don’t expect to see anything but the Phillies best (unfortunately). Oh, and don’t think the Astros are just going to roll over. There’s a lot of younger players that are trying to impress their coaches and I’m sure they hear all this talk about being the worst team in the league and that the Cards are going to sweep them.
freddi leo cox
September 26th, 2011
1:20 pm
to all the fair weather brave fans: we are ready. the long relievers (starters) are well rested for the playoffs. our hitters are well rested (no offense) for the playoffs. our short relievers are burned out but the long relievers (our well rested). we are in good shape. no need to panic. this is just another series in a long year. freddi knows what he is doing. he has been there before (marlins and braves). he knows how to make a good team average like his idol bobby knew how to take a great team to a good team. we cant put any pressure on high priced professional athletes.
Sonny Clusters
September 26th, 2011
1:21 pm
We was wondering if anybody ever lost a deer in the lights? Imagine if we was up in a tree stand and was getting ready to take a shot and suddenly there was some bright lights and we started hopping around like we was going to get hit by the deer and ended up missing the shot altogether, falling out of the tree stand, and the deer runs on past us and pats us on the fanny on the way by. That was probably just a dream but it could happen. And the sad thing is we’re going to have the same dream all over again next year.
steve brown
September 26th, 2011
1:21 pm
Chipper Jones our team leader-announces that he should not be batting second, schedules his son’s sinus surgery on a game day instead of the next day which happens to be an off day, leading off he does not attempt to slide into first to avoid a very high throw. Am I missing something-oh yeah-I forget the sacrifices he is making by showing up for a game versus goin’ huntin’. My bad.
Dawg4Life
September 26th, 2011
1:23 pm
Painful, but gotta say it. This edition of the Braves is done………….
Monarch
September 26th, 2011
1:26 pm
A Braves game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings
Bravefan for life
September 26th, 2011
1:27 pm
Braves need two wins? Good luck with that one. No matter how good the pitching is, the hitting went home the beginning of this month. Dont forget that Lowe pitches game two. That my friends is a guaranted loss.
Richard Dawson
September 26th, 2011
1:30 pm
Yes, DOB’s blog is for kiss-ups. It’s incredible the fanboyism in that blog by the readers. Get the music/movie crap outta there and talk baseball. Well, baseball is a subject DOB is not very adept in, so maybe he should be moved to Access Atlanta.
bulldogbubba
September 26th, 2011
1:31 pm
Who takes Parrish’s job as hitting coach, Terry Pendleton? No way! What about Dale Murphy.Just wondering.
Dr. Warren
September 26th, 2011
1:33 pm
This could be the biggest, latest collapse ever. (Along with the Red Sox, of course, unbelievably).
Sonny Clusters
September 26th, 2011
1:33 pm
Habit: Losing the big games. Losing the games that are must win. Failing at the end of the season. Not coming up big. Not getting the hits. Not making the plays. Speaking wisdom without a portfolio. Experiencing flu-like symptons against Halladay, Lincecum, and others.
Getting ready for deer season before baseball season is over. Coming back again next year for more of the same. This is boring. Let’s hope Fredi will want to shake things up before Fredi is invited to leave. Playing with a BobbyBall lineup isn’t going to cut it for the long term and two years may be all the term Fredi is going to get. Somebody embodies team mediocrity on this team. We are having flu like symptoms so we may miss posting anymore today.
Monarch
September 26th, 2011
1:35 pm
swing hard, in case you hit the ball
Dr. Warren
September 26th, 2011
1:38 pm
The syntax, voice, tone, and style police have determined you are a fake Sonny Clusters, sir.
Help, I Can't Breathe...
September 26th, 2011
1:38 pm
GAG!!!!! SPUTTER!!!!!! AARGHHHH!!!!
Ted M
September 26th, 2011
1:39 pm
I don’t have problem w/Chipper attending his son’s surgery but I do have a big problem his complete uninspiring play this past month. He’s been like lump on log. On that chopper he lost in lights, holy crap, he backed away from that weak grounder like sissy little leaguer whose being forced to play.
Doug
September 26th, 2011
1:40 pm
MLB scheduling is broken. It is UNFAIR to award the wild card to the 2nd place team with the best record when teams play an unbalanced schedule. Atlanta had to play the Phillies 18 times. The weaker Central Division teams get to play the Cubs and Astros 18 times each. Plus, is anyone else getting tired of seeing Braves/Mets, Braves/Phillies/ NY Yankees/Boston matchups every other week? 18 times against teams in your division is too many. Play a balanced scheudle and I guarantee you the Braves would not be sweating out making the playoffs right now.
Sonny Clusters
September 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
Spitting is part of baseball. Scratching is, too. Nose picking is snot, but Bobby made it so. Hugging and fanny patting is not for baseball just like there’s no cying in baseball. Somewhere along the line this team got to be huggers and fanny patters and forgot how to hit and field and throw and win. Having pet names for the players has always been a Braves thing. That borders on soft. Instead of Duke, or Rock, or something tough like that the Braves have had sissy nicknames. What we’re saying is that this team could use Stinky Wintes, a non-bather nobody would want to hug. Stinky Wintes would fix a lot of what’s broken on this team.
taxman
September 26th, 2011
1:48 pm
I don’t think the braves will make the playoffs. The Phillies will sweep them and the Cardinals will sweep the Astros. The Cardinals are playing like they want to win the WC and the Braves are not. This team cannot do the little things needed to win. With the bases loaded and no outs there is no excuse for not scoring at least one run. They had the bases loaded with no outs and 2nd & 3rd with one out and did not score and that is unacceptable as far as I am concerned. Prado needs to be benched for the remainder of the season. He is not performing at all and neither is McCann. I am not going to watch any more games because it makes me so mad the way they are playing. I agree with Monarch @ 1:26 PM. He hit it on the head. Chipper needs to retire, Lowe needs to retire, and use some of that money and try to acquire a good power hitter but if they do the Atlanta hitting coach will ruin him. The whole team stinks. I will glad when they are swept by the Phillies and fall out of the WC race and maybe, just maybe somebody in the organization will see the light but I doubt it. They haven’t seen the light for years. I think the braves should have kept Ankiel. The catch he made in Washington against the braves off the bat of Bourn took the sap out of the braves and it was all downhill from there. I wish I knew the answer but I don’t. I will watch something else on tv rather than waste my time looking at a bunch of losers.
bulldogbubba
September 26th, 2011
1:49 pm
Stinky is what the Braves season has turned into.No offense to the deer huggers.
Sonny Clusters
September 26th, 2011
1:51 pm
There’s a statue of Henry Grady downtown and that statue is being under-utilized. We think Jeff ought to offer the Braves, on behalf of the Cox entities, free use of the Henry Grady statue at third base. That would free the guy who plays third like a statue now to take some more time off. Henry Grady could stand there and miss grounders as well as Chipper and cost a lot less. A bonus is that a real statue will never miss a game from flu-like symproms. Another bonus is that the statue can probably give a better interview.
Kentavo
September 26th, 2011
1:53 pm
I’m liking the prediction of 1-game Wildcard playoff against the Cards. That is very likely – Braves will go 1-2 against Phils and play Cards on Thursday – losing, of course.
what of it?
September 26th, 2011
1:53 pm
What potential second round opponent would you rather face Jeff, the Cards or the Braves? I can’t imagine the phillies will approach this series with anything more than casual indifference.
hesalive
September 26th, 2011
2:00 pm
Keep fighting Braves! Sweep this series and roar into the playoffs with renewed enthusiasm!
markie mark
September 26th, 2011
2:00 pm
I agree with the guy with the sign….stick a fork in em, their done.
Ted M
September 26th, 2011
2:02 pm
too funny Sonny. The Henry Grady statue may keep some balls in the infield too – that bounce off his chest. The current statue only moves to get out of the way of balls.
Larvell Blanks
September 26th, 2011
2:04 pm
For the Phillies – if you knock the Braves out – it is one less team to face in the playoffs!
That’s right — due to a quirk in the rules, if the Braves are knocked out, only three teams will make the playoffs, and the Phillies will get a first-round bye.
crackbaby
September 26th, 2011
2:06 pm
Braves still lead the wild card race. Rather be 1 game up than where the Cards are.
Need some pitching tonight and we’ll be fine. Go Braves.
tristan
September 26th, 2011
2:10 pm
Knock the Braves out and you have to face the surging extra hot Cardinals and their much more potent offense. Pick your poison Manuel, pick your poison.
bulldogbubba
September 26th, 2011
2:10 pm
Sonny, if you rub some deer scent on your chest it will take care of the flu-like symptons you are having.There is no 15 day disable list for you.
ijonathan
September 26th, 2011
2:12 pm
Chipper has been dreaming of deer urine and buckshot for weeks now.
tristan
September 26th, 2011
2:13 pm
By the way for those of you who think not, the Phillies will play the wild card team if it is not from their division. Seems some folks are confused. If the Braves make it, the Phils play the worst division winner.