LIVE: Braves can clinch tonight (and it starts with Lowe)
The Braves will do more scoreboard watching tonight, and hope to have another banner to raise.
Amid all of the angst of the Braves’ collapse (10-18), the injured starters (Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson), the slumping hitters (Martin Prado, Jason Heyward, Brian McCann) and the overused bullpen, guess what? The Braves can actually clinch the wild card tonight.
OK, for that to happen, the Braves need to hit a long-odds parlay: 1) The maligned starter, Derek Lowe, needs a strong outing to defeat the Phillies at Turner Field; 2) The St. Louis Cardinals need to lose for a second straight game in Houston. Those two developments would give the Braves the National League wild card spot for the second straight year, and render Wednesday’s regular-season finale against Philadelphia meaningless.
Few expected the Cards to lose to the Astros Monday night. It happened (5-4 in 10 innings). But the Braves’ postseason chances mostly hinge on Lowe. If he and the Braves win tonight, at worst the magic number is down to one, with Tim Hudson on the mound Wednesday against Joe Blanton (advantage: Braves).
What the Braves need is the Lowe of Sept. 2010, not 2011. Last season, he went 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA (29 strikeouts, three walks) in his final five regular season starts. But this has been the worst season of his career. He’s 9-16 with a 4.92 ERA. He’s 0-4 in his last four starts with an 8.24 ERA (though his last start at Florida was solid).
The other obvious issue for the Braves is a lack of offense. They lost 4-2 on Monday, have scored two or fewer runs in four of their last five games and three or fewer in six of their last 10. They’re also hitting only .239 in the month of September and .181 (32-for-177) with with runners in scoring position this month.
They’ll need to break out of that against the Phillies’ Roy Oswalt, who has been strong in two starts against the Braves this season (1-0, 2.08 in two starts) but in his career is only 1-3 with a 5.15 ERA.
As you prepare to scoreboard watch, your second favorite team, the Astros, will start Henry Sosa (3-5, 4.68) against the Cardinals’ Jake Westbrook (12-9, 4.48).
And with that, I turn it over to you. We wait to see what Lowe gives us.
Can this be an omen? There was a rainbow over Turner Field two hours before the Braves' game.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,258 comments Add your comment
NagoyaBrave
September 27th, 2011
8:28 pm
McCann is a joke. Get this guy outta there calling for junk like that. I’m so sick of this guy.
George Washington
September 27th, 2011
8:28 pm
It feels like it’s 30-0
No Way
September 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
OK, I read here that Blowe lost 15 games, is that right? And he’s making 15 mill a year, is that right? so that comes to a cool million each game lost. Oh! Great! A 2 run homer….insert and twist
Aggrevated Brave
September 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
From Chop shop to choke shop! Way to go guys!!
Silky-d
September 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
When I realized that Lowe was pitching tonight, I immediately said that the Phillies would put up 10 on the scoreboard. Well, they now have 6 and it’s just the 5th inning!
5 Time National Champs Nebraska
September 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
Isn’t there a Three’s Company marathon on somewhere?
Come on knock on my door!
Nick N Richmond
September 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
i’m sorry but this team does not even deserve to sniff the behinds of the wild card winner…
boots
September 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
Is it too early to look ahead to next year, because this year is over. New SS, new RF and some bullpen arms. Get rid of Lowe and beef up the bench. The days of Diaz, Conrad and Henske are over.
CONservative Johnson
September 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
Are we really stuck with dumb ass Fredi Gonzalez for the next few years?
rally
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
Braves look like 4th or 5th place for 2012. The Phils will still be good, the Mets will improve, the Nationals have finished strong and that should carry over to next year, and the Marlins are ready to spend big money for someone like Pujols or Fielder to go with Ozzie and their new stadium. At least we will not suffer the same let down next year.
BRAVESFAN
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
Liberty Media start paying attention to the stock. Sell, sell, sell!
What
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
I blame Michael Moore, Reed and Obama for Braves problems
Derek
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
Chipper – I have to get the Porsche detailed first
monarch
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
Florida fired Freddie and got Ozzie- we get Fred – who’s the winner here
chuck
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
Somebody find a lat lady to sing. The question is now what do they have in the way of salaries for next year?
Matt Websters
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
I told all you positive fans all season long that when you settle for number 2, number 2 is what you get. And no toilet paper.
R2D2
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
Can the announcers at least call out the Braves offense ?
chase
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
This is RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the WORST effort I have ever seen! I cannot believe that this team is LAYING DOWN like this….even a win here or there over the last 2 weeks and this thing is clinched…if they don’t make the playoffs, FREDI MUST BE FIRED!
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 27th, 2011
8:30 pm
Is Ross even on the 40 Man?
man and dog
September 27th, 2011
8:31 pm
6-0…….need I say more
boots
September 27th, 2011
8:31 pm
Dawgs 2-2. Falcons 1-2. Braves choke on an epic level. This fall pretty much sucks.
jerry
September 27th, 2011
8:31 pm
Where are all the groupies that were on here gushing over the Braves a month ago? Hello?
George Washington
September 27th, 2011
8:31 pm
I just sharted.
Diddy
September 27th, 2011
8:31 pm
Yep…watching glee with the wife is better than the Braves game. I hope the cardinals get in and win it all. They deserve it. And Leo mazzone on 680…..look up EAT CROW! Bunch of morons
Ridonkulous
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
You know you have to tip your cap to Frank Wren … He refused to give up Mike Minor to get Hunter Pence. How’s that looking now, Frank?
Chipper
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
Well, maybe Glavine can hit a few with me.
BRAVESFAN
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
Worst owners ever!
Life long Braves fan
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
Jeff, Is Lowe’s contract for next year fully guaranteed or can the Braves release him for a portion of the salary?
Robbie
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
Fredi goes over to the Phillies dugout and says “Hey, why don’t we go ahead and concede this game so we can go home and rest up for tomorrow”.
FlaBrave695
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
“We give you permission to walk your dog as long as you patronize our sponsers.” The late Skip Caray…
Runner-
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
I’m telling you… it all started when Heyward was played in favor of Constanza… we had a thing going there and Fredi blew it.. No offense since then
IlliniBrave
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
This wound could go very very deep. We need the right leadership to ensure that this does not do serious damage to the fragile psyche of our realtively young team. And I’m not sure that Fredi is the guy to provide that leadership.
01HAWK
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
BRAVES 2012 WISH LIST :
NEW …………………3B
NEW …………………SS
NEW ………………….LF and RF
NEW…………………..MANAGER…………………….and COACHES
NEW………………….OWNER and GM
R2D2
September 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
If I’m the manager, Teheran woulda started tonight. Who cares how Lowe feels…
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
8:33 pm
Probably the worst team I have ever seen. I remember going to Atlanta Fulton Co Stadium when the Braves were really terrible. They did have Hank Aaron, Dale Murphy and Cheif Knokahoma.
Listening to Earnie Johnson Sr. and Milo Hamilton was great. The TV announcers on tonight are trying their best not to laugh.
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
8:33 pm
Jason Heyward can use some time to work on his game.
TampaGator
September 27th, 2011
8:33 pm
Aggrevated Brave…..
The Braves were better when Prado played second. I would put Uggla out in left and move Prado back to second. Uggla would not have to think so much in the field…..and Prado would stay in the game more. Both would probably hit better. Chipper is still a good major league 3B…..and he deserves to play the postion for the Braves for as long as he desires. He would retire before being a backup at any postion. The key next year…..and we should be thinking next year….if for Heyward to go back to extended training and learn a new hitting approach from someone other than Parrish. Pendleton could help him if he would listen to him. He simply needs to focus on becoming an all-field hitter and not try to pull everything. But he is currently unable to cover both sides of the plate….and that is about his approach to hitting the ball….which needs altering big time.
count_schemula
September 27th, 2011
8:33 pm
Braves.
IlliniBrave
September 27th, 2011
8:33 pm
Let me guess – ground out to 2B or 1B.
boots
September 27th, 2011
8:33 pm
Wow – last 6 games versus Phillies: Phillies 42, Braves 8.
Skip Would Say
September 27th, 2011
8:33 pm
There seems to be a lot a fat ladies in the stands tonight tuning up
monarch
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
Freddi is waving a white flag hoping Charlie takes Oswald out
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
Astros 1, Cardinals 0.
kerryb
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
Some phenom. How can the #1 prospect in baseball last year completely forget how to hit? He couldn’t hit a basketball right now.
Aggrevated Brave
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
Its George Constanza at bat!
IlliniBrave
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
Nope – K. Heyward might be the worst sophomore slump I can ever remember.
soduK
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
‘Stros took a 1-0 lead!
BRAVESFAN
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
It’s like Fredi is speaking another language.
boots
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
Heyward sucks.
Ridonkulous
September 27th, 2011
8:34 pm
Frank Wren cannot be the man to rebuild this roster. He was hired because he is a mini-Schuerholtz, who wouldn’t rock the boat – just like Fredi is Bobby Cox lite. It’s a smug, bland, bunch of place servers. Very sad, actually.