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
TheAntiMe
September 27th, 2011
8:02 am
I will hold onto hope for the Braves until the bitter end but I must say, it ain’t looking good. It seems like years since the Braves have won on two nights in a row.
perk
September 27th, 2011
8:16 am
I loved Ernie Johnson……………but, ever since they put the microphone patch on their jersey, they have been in a tail spin. I’m just saying………..
Whiskey Breath
September 27th, 2011
8:45 am
I will ask it for everybody. ” How in the hell would you know how many wins the Braves will need?”
Did you get that idea from talking to some guy walking down the street? And by the way leave Bradley alone, he doesn’t need your career advice.
P Rose
September 27th, 2011
9:34 am
I’ll try to post this here, because it won’t post on Bradley’s blog.
Flipping between the Braves game and Monday Night Football, I was struck by the difference in the levels of excitement between the two games.
Now, I hate the Dallas Cowboys, and I never liked Tony Romo. But he was playing with a cracked rib, and he kept taking hit after vicious hit. I kept expecting him to get knocked out of the game. But he got up every time. After each hit, he’d get in the face of the blocker who missed his assignment, or the receiver who dropped the ball, and scream at him. I could read his lips: “COME ON! Let’s GO!”
Then I’d watch the Braves. Someone would strike out or pop up in a crucial situation, and just walk back to the dugout with his head down, and the team’s leader stood blank-faced.
The Cowboys fought back, came from behind and willed themselves to a win. The Braves didn’t.
Roadsterron
September 27th, 2011
9:45 am
Chipper Jones pretty well set the standard for the entire Braves pathetic season last night. he homered—GREAT——nobody on base. he doubled—-GREAT—-nobody on base. then with runners on first and second he hits into a rally killing double play. Put that along side all the lowlights for the year. Then where is MR. ALLSTAR McCann? What a loser!!! Let’s throw in Freddie Freeloader Freeman to boot. What a choke he has become. Fredi and Lowe—-MUST GO!!!!
GTJeff
September 27th, 2011
9:46 am
Hope they loose the rest of their games. Then maybe the AJC can start covering more College football instead of this dieing,boring, worthless sport they call baseball.
Chipper Jones
September 27th, 2011
10:47 am
Dang those Cardinals – If they dont get their act together, I’m gonna have to play baseball this weekend. And I had plans to go hunting.
Maybe I’ll just go hunting anyway, and if I get a deer early enough, I can makle it back to the stadium in time to pinch hit
Dr. Phil
September 27th, 2011
10:48 am
What about using the Hank Aaron statue batting third?
Reality Check
September 27th, 2011
10:56 am
It probably wasn’t mentioned on the Braves telecast but Chippers’ DP was the first DP thrown by Lidge all year. Also, how can you people in Atlanta call yourself fans. Fans come out and support their team. Last nights’ attendance was artificially inflated by all the Phillie fans that showed up. Shameful performance by the tomahawk choppers.
Chipper Jones
September 27th, 2011
11:10 am
“It probably wasn’t mentioned on the Braves telecast but Chippers’ DP was the first DP thrown by Lidge all year”
What does that have to do with deer hunting?
J
September 27th, 2011
11:36 am
once again, negative nancies around here … Braves got lucky last night but let’s hope they pull some magic out of the hat.
Chipper Jones
September 27th, 2011
11:48 am
Negative nancies? No way baby. My stat line from last night looks great and I’m on track to go hunting this weekend with my boy. Kiss my behind with that negative nancies stuff
swimdawg68
September 27th, 2011
11:50 am
Hopefully, this is the last game I will have to endure with Lowe on the mound. If we are lucky enough to get to the playoffs, Lowe does not need to make an appearance. As a matter of a fact he does not need to be on the roster next year, we have too many young pitchers that ahv passed Lowe by.
swimdawg68
September 27th, 2011
11:50 am
Enter your comments here
Slip Sliding Braves.
September 27th, 2011
12:04 pm
You can say that again dtanner
Jim Moron..
September 27th, 2011
12:18 pm
Toast! Done! Nada!
Time warp?
September 27th, 2011
12:19 pm
its 2011 not 1911
BooBoo
September 27th, 2011
12:25 pm
Face it. This series with the Phillies IS the Braves’ playoff series. So they get swept out of the real playoffs? It saves Joe Fan about $20 per ticket to see a sweep later. Go Braves! ….. into the offseason.
BooBoo
September 27th, 2011
12:42 pm
swimdawg68,
If Lowe is such a bad pitcher, then the whole staff is a collection of bad pitchers. Do you suggest they get rid of their pitchers and go with beefed up outfielders as pitchers?
If the Braves could hit better than the pantywaist batters they have turned into, and if they could score 4-5 runs a game, then Lowe would have as many wins as Hudson.
Find me a team with no offense (like the Braves), and it better be pitching Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Koosman, or Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddox in order to get into a playoff with a chance to win the World Series.
Uggly – bust this year – take away 35 games and he is a .170 hitter
McCannt – off the roids he needs to work on growing hair again because his oblique and his hitting abilities have evaporated
Hayward – Suffering from a pronounced case of Sophmore Joke
Gonzales (ss) – Now we see why the visiting Bluejays waited until getting to Atlanta to sign Escobar to a long-term contract – they were glad to get rid of an underachiever
Jones – The only player resembling a professional baseball player the Braves have, but at 39 the roids have reduced him to a shell of himself
Bourne – If he is looking around the clubhouse, he will shop himself around the league to a winner – maybe be a Philly next year?
Freeman – A rookie bearing too much weight on his young shoulders. He might be looking at that Sophmore Joke disease his shadow in right field has
Conrad – Are you kidding me? This guy singlehandedly sunk the Braves in the playoffs against the Giants last year and they keep him and let Infante leave?
The Braves have many more problems than Lowe pitching his heart out for no respect
George Washington
September 27th, 2011
1:24 pm
Relax everyone! I’m sure that now the Braves are home and rested, that tonight it will all be different! I’m not worried a bit! This time for sure! Oh, gotta go. Lucy is holding the football and I’m going to kick it to Kingdom Come!
Jonny
September 27th, 2011
1:43 pm
BooBoo – take your phily-delphia annoying as* on to a filhty-industrial-elphia newspaper site and chat it up with the ugly pig women and guidos all you want… GET A LIFE AND PETITION YOUR CITY TO CLEAN UP THE WASTE IN THE RIVER RUNNING UNDER THE WALT WHITMAN BRIDGE…
Robert
September 27th, 2011
2:10 pm
Newsflash – Braves Issue Restraining Order Against Bobby Cox
In a move calculated to dramatically improve their odds of reaching, and having success in, the postseason, the Atlanta Braves have filed with Fulton County officials to have a restraining order sworn out against former Braves manager Bobby Cox
Under the conditions of the order, Cox would not be allowed to have any contact with the team until after baseball’s playoffs end. In addition to not be allowed to visit or phone the team’s front offices, he would be allowed no contact with any present or past Braves players, would be prohibited from reading or posting on any Braves blogs or websites, and would have remain at least two miles away from any stadium where the Braves were playing.
Club officials would not give out any information regarding Cox’s whereabouts, but this reporter was able to track him to a small cruise vessel currently sailing circles in the middle of the Pacific ocean. The cruise ship had apparently been hired by a contingent of Braves fans who feel that two miles is not nearly a safe enough distance and would rather that Cox be kept more isolated from the team. According to the ship’s captain, his instructions are to keep sailing in circles while until he receives further notice, which he said he was told to expect sometime around Halloween. In the meantime, ship staff will ensure that Cox is kept heavily sedated and that his diaper is changed regularly
Robert
September 27th, 2011
2:16 pm
This reporter managed to board the cruise ship in question but was stopped outside the door to Cox’s potty room by a contingent of strong armed guards who bore a stiking resemblence to ex-Braves late season heroes Dan Kolb and Greg Norton
Kolb and Norton vehemently denied access to Cox. From inside the curtained off barnyard stall, a frantic deranged heehawing could be heard, while a calm voice reminiscent of ex-Braves hitting instructor Terry Pendleton was heard cooing softly “I’m sorry Donk but we cant watch the game. You’re not allowed. Now be a good retarded donkey and have a sugar cube. I promise there’s no medicine in it.” A few seconds after the sound of slurping, a new frenzy of hee-hawing emenated from behind the door. As a stable boy resembling former Brave Rafael Belliard rushed inside with two bales of fresh hay, Pendleton;s voice could be heard “Sorry Donk. I know I fibbed. You have to get your medicine Donk. Now lay your ears on the straw and close your eyes and go to sleep. I promise you’ll dream of Chipper and Glavey if you’re a good boy for me”
Kelvin
September 27th, 2011
3:18 pm
What’s the title of tomorrow’s article? “Braves need one win”, the bottom line is if the Braves can’t beat the Mets, Marlins, and Nats, how are they going to beat the Phillies? I say the Braves get swept at home and the only way we make the playoffs is the Cardinals get swept as well.
Robert
September 27th, 2011
4:00 pm
Here’s a humdinger quote from Chipper Jones – “It’s all hands on deck from now until the end of the season, so no excuses. Just go out and do your job.”
Uh huh. All hands on deck. Now.
But not last week. Last week it was ok to take a game day off to be with family for a nonemergent situation.
And he liked the effort last night. How wonderful. Anyone wanna ruin his day and risk being told to kiss his butt by telling him that effort alone isnt gonna cut it at this point? That what the team needs is RESULTS?
I’m glad Chipper is happy. See, it’s all about him. It’s not about the team’s success. It’s about whether Chipper is happy. It didnt matter when the Braves were cruising along and winning and building an almost double digit lead in the wild card race. No. What mattered was that Chipper was not happy hitting second because he wanted to be in a run-producing slot in the order
Of course – given a golden opportunity to produce some much-needed runs at a critical juncture last night, Chipper instead produced two outs with one swing. Not his fault. Those slacker teammates of his shouldve been on base when he doubled earlier. That hit shouldve shown everybody that the Braves were still boss
Chipper Jones – a truly gifted switch hitter who compiled some very nice personal stats but whose presence does help turn a team into a champion. Never has. Never will.
The Dominique Wilkins of baseball
Starting in 1999 I said that the Braves would never win another championship so long as Bobby Cox continued managing the team.
I had huge hope this year.
Sadly, I think Chipper needs to go too before the team can win. The distraction involved in making sure he is happy are too much (not to mention the $14 million that he pockets)
Mid Town Joe
September 27th, 2011
4:41 pm
We’ve got the Phils and the rest of the league right where we want them.
Parson Brownlow
September 27th, 2011
7:18 pm
I’d feel better with Venus de Milo pitching than Lowe.