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
Coach
September 27th, 2011
9:35 pm
@Mitchell relax sparky
Good News Just In!
September 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
“There’s the start! A solo homerun.” Chip, hahahahhahha!!!! “Theres the start!” “Lets carry it into tomorrow!” Joe, hahaha!!!!
Geno
September 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
I read that Jurrjens was going to pitch in an instructional league on thursday. Is he prepping for some winter ball in Curacao?
IlliniBrave
September 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
When an animal is sick with a terminal disease, you don’t mock it (Phillies trolls on this website), you don’t yell at it (frustrated Braves fans here), and you don’t waste time and money trying to prop it up (Braves fans at games these past few days). You put it down – you end it’s life. It is the kind thing to do. Please Cards – help us!
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
Chipper is out-I am shocked!! Time for that old man to go home. The ball was placed up there for him to hit and he flys out!
dawgfan38
September 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
At least we don’t have to watch another first round playoff exit
Ridonkulous
September 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
4 runs in 35 and a third innings.
count_schemula
September 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
I know where Winnipeg can get a baseball, football and basketball team cheap. We’ll keep the Coca-Cola 500 though.
dawgfan38
September 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
Derek Lowe is horrible!!!!!!!
BOB
September 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Hey there is a GOOD BASKETBALL GAME On espn 2 Dream is Crushing the Fever in the eastern conference finals. GO DREAM
extremus
September 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
This team should be sponsored by those new Dyson vacuums. I can see the announcers saying the catch phrase now: “We suck harder than anyone!”
Hit A Single
September 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
I just hope Hudson took alot of BP today and can swing it well tomorrow. We may need his bat more than we need his arm.
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Remember the pitch from the movie “benchwarmers” that was served up in the “big game”?
Same pitch to Chipper-he choked.
Vino Fino
September 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Randal Patrick- You are dead on and I couldn’t agree more. It’s apparent that management has been happy with pretty good for years. Maybe ownership will finally come down and clean house. Oh wait, ownership doesn’t give a rat’s arse about this team!!!!!!
up north
September 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Well, braves fan(s), tomorrow is another day. Dead even to start. All they have to do is win.
Turtsnap
September 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Can’t wait to read the quotes tonight…….. Gotta tip your cap to the Phils
BaseballBuff
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
Marketing the 2012 Braves is going to be really tough.
rugburn
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
with melky, frenchy, and escobar we would have been great
Funny How
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
No one gave the old guy credit for holding it together all those years. Guess we see the difference.
Feels like 1987 again. Empty stadium. Bad product. Where’s Gene Garber?
Tucker
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
Derek Lowe will be enduring symbol of the collapse of the Braves after their era of greatness.
FlaBrave695
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
Uggla has been Ugglyy
C3PO
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
Gotta tip yer cap to Oswalt,Rollins,Utley,Victorino,Pence,Howard,the 1B pitcher,hell the whole Phillies roster..
BOB
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
ATLANTA DREAM leads 67-41 going in to the 4th quarter. want to see a winning Atlanta team go to Espn 2
Hit A Single
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
Got a give Uggla credit by god he runs everything out.
Mytsiplic
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
See, it doesn’t matter who the Braves pitch, THEY DON’T SCORE RUNS (with an s)!
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
Uggla grounds out-2 outs-who is up? Freeman-at least he tries.
Hit A Single
September 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
Who is the Atlanta Dream?
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
No hugging, No fanny patting. No joy in Mudville.
RJ
September 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
I hope Chipper does not say, “I’ll take that effort every time” again after tonights debacle.
FlaBrave695
September 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
Braves radio talking how FrediG takes these losses hard…
count_schemula
September 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
Beast Berkman with a 1 out double. Thank god we ran with McLouth this season.
up north
September 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
Somebody please present a lineup for tomorrow’s game. How about all rookies, except Freeman?
Biff Pocoroba
September 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
Schultz went off to cry. He is going to have to go cover the WNBA finals instead of the NLDS next week now.
IlliniBrave
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
@BaseballBuff: Don’t you know, here in ATL, the fan base is so pathetic, you don’t market the Braves. You market the Cubs, the Mets, the Phillies, the Brewers, the Dodgers, etc. coming to town.
Ted
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
Another great game! Thank you Phillies!!!!!!
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
Bruce Sutter starts tomorrow night! come on out.
Ridonkulous
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
1 run, 4 hits, feel the excitement.
Curtis "no kin to Derek" Loew
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
DEREK LOWE (to the tune of “The Ballad of Curtis Loew”)
Well, I used to wake the mornin’
Before the roster growed
Searchin’ last night’s box scores
For names of those he mowed
Threw ‘em strikes to the corner
Down with the sinker backdoor
Ring ‘em up, and give more money
To a man named Derek Lowe
(short music break)
Old Derek was a rich man
With long, sweaty hair
When he had a fifth of wine
He should have called a cab
He used to own a live fastball
Used to throw it ‘cross the knee
I’d give old Derek mo money
If he’d play like that for me
chorus:
Play me for a fool
Derek Lowe, Derek Lowe
Well, you spent your drinkin’ money
‘Stead of warming up some mo
People now say he’s useless
Them people ain’t no fools
‘Cause Derek Lowe is the worst darn pitcher
To ever make the news
He looked to throw sixty
And his ERA was ten
Batters used to whoop him
But he’d throw the same again
I’d pull my hair, stomp my feet
Try to say, “Next time”
He’d give up a homer or two
Then go out drinkin’ wine
chorus
Yes, sir
(long music break)
On the day of old Derek’s last game
Nobody came to play
Ol’ Chipper said some words
And grounded into a double play
Well, Lowe lived a lifetime
Pitchin’ without no clues
And on the day he lost his 17th
That’s all he had to lose
Please move along
Derek Lowe, Derek Lowe
I wish that you weren’t here so
Our playoff hopes would grow
People say you are useless
Them people ain’t no fools
‘Cause D Lowe you’re the poorest pitcher
Ever paid to lose
BOB
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
I dont want to hear I dont like WNBA they are winning and they are a professional sports team in Atlanta in the Playoffs watch them
count_schemula
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
Ok Cardinals, now take care of business.
Big Wally
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
Then again………maybe not.
Vain Jangling
September 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
Schultz is off checking the thesaurus for words to use in tomorrow’s column. Here’s a few suggestions: craptacular, diddly squat, slipshod, pathetic, wretched, languid, flaccid, feeble, dud, pud, spud, and impotent.
extremus
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
Freddi’s new catchphrase he’s been working on: “You gotta hand it to the Cardinals! And we did! We sure did, handed it right to them on a silver platter!”
Yeah, sarcasm is my way of dealing with frustration. I’ve been frustrated a lot by the Braves this year.
Hit A Single
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
If we tie with the Cardinals where would the playoff game be?
abravefan
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
Gonzales should be fired for overseeing a eight and a half game lead and selecting lowe to pitch in a critcal game that would determine the braves chances at the playoffs. He is no Bobby Cox.
braves
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
strikeout way to watch the strike down the middle,don’t worry hooters is open chipper ,dlowe u coming?dont worry im driving
Geno
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
Can Air Bud play baseball? I know he played basketball and football.
RJ
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
I remember how Bruce Sutter was AWESOME until he put on his Brave’s uniform.
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
Hit a Single-Dream is the pro atlanta women’s basketball team.
Darn good-better than the Hawks anyday.
tired
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
no more LOWE!!!!!