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
Good News Just In!
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
I feel bad for the coaches on the bench who are from our minor league affiliates. They are probably more thankful for their minor league job. I know I would be right now if I was a part of that organization!
H
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
I have a word for you….QUIT! I love how they say its time to scoreboard watch. This team doesn’t even look like they care.
FlaBrave695
September 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
St Louis
rally
September 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
The Atlanta Dream? Oh I dreamed that the Braves won a game one time if that is what you mean.
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
Stinky Wintes is what this team needs. Bucket of beer, Pocket full of mints, What this team needs, is Stinky Wintes!
braves
September 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
hit a single
game is thursday at st.louis
ViningsMichael
September 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
Braves….listen to me…..do not let Lowe pitch for the Braves EVER again. Let him go now!
Coach
September 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
@ Biff lol
rugburn
September 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
the phillies had nothing to play for and they beat us like a drum oh wait. pride is something to play for
Ridonkulous
September 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
The playoff game will be Thiursday night at 8:07 in St. Louis. The final score will be St. Louis 4, Atlanta 1.
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
RJ you are exactly right. Most players that put on a Braves uniform start to suck.
How about Andy Messerschmidt?
Hit A Single
September 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
Oh, well go Dream team!
BullDogMike
September 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
This has to be the worst Braves team ever. And that’s really saying something considering I’ve seen the 60’s and 70’s versions live and up close..”.
braves fan
September 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
they do care but like last night i turned off the tvs
count_schemula
September 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
Fredo needs to explain why he did not go with Len Barker tonight.
PhilliesFan
September 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
I am beginning to think Fat Joe Blanton might throw a gem tomorrow against these Braves. Where is their emotion
RC in the ATL
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
abrave,
Actually, Fredi is Bobby Cox all over again. Pitching Lowe tonight is EXACTLY what Cox would have done. And if we live to see another 3 or 4 games more, Lowe will pitch again.
Hit A Single
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
Thanks, I didn’t know. I really feel like we are going to finish in a tie.
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
If I were at the stadium tonight I would have been hammered and got ejected. Would have been the most exciting thing that happened. Sorry I missed it.
Roy Oswalt
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
Good night, and thanks for playing.
Rabid Dawg
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
To make matters worse….Tomorrow’s St Louis vs Houston game will be on nationally on espn. Thus…they’ll be showing some of the Braves game as well. Great….we get to get embarrased on national tv!!!! Cant wait!!!
Ed
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
THe 2011 Atlanta Braves are the sorriest bunch of crap I have ever seen for a team of any kind and I am a very old Sports fan. There is not one, NOT ONE, person in the organization worth a Tinkers’ Damn. No one from the president to the water boy has any value. The only hope is for some idiot to buy the franchise and fire every one. Gonzales is the worst manager ever. The coaches have not one clue. The players disintegrate as soon as the “coaches” get hold of them. They are pitiful, putrid, and pathetic. As porky pig would say…that’s all folks.
The Citizen
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
Freeman takes a called third strike. Typical of how everyone on this roster has just rolled over. They can spin all the cliches in the world about just having to win one game tomorrow, but I don’t think deep down they expect that to happen.
I expect them to go down early and tuck their tails in an ugly, ugly loss as the Phils’ back-end starter beats the Braves’ ace tomorrow.
Silverlake
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
Braves stink! This is the pro-Cox era and we are in big trouble!
braves fan
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
tim hudson please leave like the rest,thanks for keeping me here late last nite dummy
rugburn
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
nick esasky anyone
kl
September 27th, 2011
9:46 pm
Go Cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hit A Single
September 27th, 2011
9:46 pm
Ted, please buy the team back! I will loan you some if you need it.
count_schemula
September 27th, 2011
9:46 pm
At least Melk Dud showed heart! Oh, wait, no he didn’t.
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:46 pm
Count-GREAT LINE.
Len Barker-Excellent!!!!!
Boogie
September 27th, 2011
9:46 pm
Phillies starting Blanton tomorrow but expect Hamels to throw for a few innings in a tune up for the playoffs. We need to socre early……
Big Wally
September 27th, 2011
9:47 pm
Here’s tomorrows game plan for you Joe Simpson….whoever gets called looking at a 3rd strike gets executed on the spot.
braves fan
September 27th, 2011
9:47 pm
rabid
nationally?lol what u think mlb network is regional?too funny
up north
September 27th, 2011
9:47 pm
Nah-They will win tomorrow, and force us to endure an agonizing game on Thursday!
BaseballBuff
September 27th, 2011
9:48 pm
Choking is a psychological issue. Leadership can cure it, leadership that can come from one player who is confident and can show the rest of the team the way. We don’t have such a player and haven’t had one for years, decades in fact. I just can’t watch grown men wetting their pants during crunch time. Nothing turns off a sports fan more. Excuse me while I go barf.
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:48 pm
Now Ron Gant is going to tell us the painful obvious.
He could hit-do you think we can get him and Brian Jordan going tomorrow night???
rally
September 27th, 2011
9:48 pm
Can we save the humiliation and expense of travel to St. Louis for a one game playoff? Just forfeit. I am sure the forfeit score will be closer than the score of a real game there.
John
September 27th, 2011
9:48 pm
It’s hard to pitch and hit when you have a firm grip around your throat. Can you say choke?
Losers…..
Johnny Rotten
September 27th, 2011
9:48 pm
Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?
Ed
September 27th, 2011
9:49 pm
OK Folks. My comments were banned. This paper is on the same level as the 2011 Atlanta Braves. Afraid to hear or print the truth.
Old Dawg Fan
September 27th, 2011
9:49 pm
Joe and Chip have been hitting the Heiniken pretty hard tonight.
Good for them.
bulldogbubba
September 27th, 2011
9:49 pm
PITIFUL!!!!!!!!!GO ASTROS.
Vino Fino
September 27th, 2011
9:49 pm
Up North- Agree. We’ll go to St. Louis just so we can get humiliated in front of a national audience (why anyone in another market would tune in to watch that garbage is beyond me, though). We can win at Busch to save our lives. Their crowd will run us out of the stadium. It will be 5-0 by the 4th inning.
Chicknman
September 27th, 2011
9:49 pm
Same old story runners left on base! I’s all about hitting. The Phil’s took Atlanta fans out of this game so quick!
J-bone
September 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
THE ABSOLUTE WORST EXAMPLE OF CHOKING I’VE EVER SEEN! THIS IS PATHETIC! THIS TEAM DOESN’T DESERVE TO GO TO THE PLAYOFFS, AND EVEN IF THEY SOMEHOW MANAGE TO FALL BACKWARDS INTO THE POSTSEASON (BECAUSE THAT’S THE ONLY WAY THEY’LL GET THERE), THEY WILL BE SOUNDLY SWEPT AND HUMILIATED EVEN MORE IN THE NLDS. I’M ASHAMED TO BE A BRAVES FAN TODAY!
Blanton Is Chubby
September 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
Can Ron Gant put those biceps around D.Lowe’s neck ?
FlaBrave695
September 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
Rabid Dawg
September 27th, 2011
9:45 pm
To make matters worse….Tomorrow’s St Louis vs Houston game will be on nationally on espn. Thus…they’ll be showing some of the Braves game as well. Great….we get to get embarrased on national tv!!!! Cant wait!!!
Again…It won’t be the first…..
mam
September 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
Suggest that the fans not show up for the game tomorrow, just like the Braves. Lets give the effort they give. NO FIRE. That sarts with the manager. Can we just forefit tomorrows game? Thats pretty much whats been happening
BOB
September 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
Atlanta Dream 73-55 late in the 4th qtr
count_schemula
September 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
What’s that line from the Wire… “You cannot lose, if you do not play the game!”