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
George Washington
September 27th, 2011
7:34 pm
Knocked the cover off of THAT one!
OuttaGas
September 27th, 2011
7:34 pm
I wish Uggla would get his head in the game and actually throw the ball to first, one grounder is gonna come to him and he is gonna lolly gag and end up costing us the game.
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2011
7:34 pm
Gonzalez out. Jack Wilson pinch hitting (and probably staying in game). No report on Gonzo yet.
Eric-Bobby Idle
September 27th, 2011
7:34 pm
Sind sie vorbestraft? Du lieber Himmel ich wußte gar nicht, dass das immer noch nötig ist.”Britischer Witz über die Einreise nach Atlantan…
Or words to that effect anyway, but then you got that.
braves fan
September 27th, 2011
7:35 pm
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
7:32 pm
We’re not saying the Ted is in a bad neighborhood but the State Patrol is afraid to come down there. They get Lowe on the way home
you forgot to mention stop at hooters to check on chipper,and stop at prados house to make sure mommy is okay.
bet applies to u as well sonny
George Washington
September 27th, 2011
7:35 pm
Has this guy gotten a hit yet for the Braves?
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
7:35 pm
That was Chipper.
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
7:35 pm
Balls to the wall.
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:35 pm
After 1.5 innings AGone prob said…1 run…we’re done
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2011
7:36 pm
Braveitis — What were the other options?
Joe
September 27th, 2011
7:36 pm
Jeff – IF, neither the Braves or the Red Sox make it to the playoffs (and, I am extremely confident the Braves WILL make it!) is there any possibility that they could play a one game exhibition game before the playoffs begin?
braves fan
September 27th, 2011
7:36 pm
gonzo out with strained calf
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 27th, 2011
7:36 pm
whats up with Jack?
Julio
September 27th, 2011
7:36 pm
I blame 1-8 hitters Jeff. How can you hit like they’ve been hitting trying to win games ? If the Mets had our pitching they’d have won division instead of Phillies…
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2011
7:37 pm
Joe — Ahhh … no.
Kissinger
September 27th, 2011
7:37 pm
The Braves will bust out when you least expect it. Probably in Orlando.
George Washington
September 27th, 2011
7:37 pm
Sweet AB Jack.
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:37 pm
Here comes grounder to 2nd man…maybe SI can write another story about that
G
September 27th, 2011
7:38 pm
I am not sure I have seen a team that hits more little pop flies. Already 3 this game; Uggla, McCann and Wilson
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
7:38 pm
Will Heyward swing at the first one? yep.
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 27th, 2011
7:38 pm
At least Jack sportin the Hawk
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:38 pm
The Braves will bust out when you least expect it. Probably in Orlando.
A slump till april sounds about right for Braves standards
Dale-Bobby Gribble
September 27th, 2011
7:38 pm
Clusters, by now your name and particulars have been fed into every laptop, desktop, mainframe and supermarket scanner that collectively make up the AJC information conspiracy, otherwise known as “The Beast.”
OuttaGas
September 27th, 2011
7:39 pm
Jack Wilson in? Could be a good thing….have a feeling he gets a big hit in this one.
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
7:39 pm
Fredi looks a little tight in the dugout. Could be picking his nose before the night is out.
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2011
7:39 pm
About Gonzalez: If he was going to stage a walkout, I’d think he would’ve done it right after Utley’s homer.
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:39 pm
Nice Heyward…can’t even ground out to 2nd anymore…LOL
Guess he only does that when a DP is possible
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 27th, 2011
7:40 pm
Jason sure looks good getting off the bus
Undercover Whitey
September 27th, 2011
7:40 pm
Heyward is as good as Hank Aaron was right ? As he strikes out again…
G
September 27th, 2011
7:40 pm
Well not much has changed offensively.
OuttaGas
September 27th, 2011
7:40 pm
Put in Diaz atleast he swings the bat
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
7:40 pm
We was once a journalist ourselves.
The Natue Boy
September 27th, 2011
7:41 pm
it’s early….???? that’s what I’m saying to myself as I drink my beer while glancing up at the TV…this stinks….come on Braves..!!
Larry
September 27th, 2011
7:41 pm
Enter your comments here
braves fan
September 27th, 2011
7:42 pm
heyward should bebbatting 2nd thats where he was last year
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:42 pm
Jeff…
The Cards weren’t thiiis bad the last month before winning it all right?
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:43 pm
Ruiz>>>>>Fattyboy
Vain Jangling
September 27th, 2011
7:43 pm
Where’s Chico Escuela when you need him?
braves fan
September 27th, 2011
7:43 pm
cards wont win tonite
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2011
7:43 pm
Lowe never had a chance to make that play. Should’ve gotten the out.
Nick N Richmond
September 27th, 2011
7:43 pm
wow! can the Braves pleaseeeeeeeeeee release Derek BLOWEEEE
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
ATTA BOY LOWE!!!
Lets just completely blow it now!!! Guess he might still be drunk
George Washington
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
This is getting uglier than Madonna and Cher backstage.
OuttaGas
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
Lowe must be drunk tonight…
Kissinger
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
That’s McCann’s fault. Pitcher does what he’s told on that play.
Trbaes
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
cards wont win tonite
Can’t win the WC yet
Joe
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
I am sure this has already been asked but how long will the Braves leave Lowe in the game? If he gets off to a slow/bad start I am hoping the Braves will pull him before the deficit gets too big.
G
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
This is a team playing tight… realizing they cannot score runs they are panicking. Bad play, throw it to first
We Will Win It All
September 27th, 2011
7:45 pm
Never seen a more un-CLUTCH team…seriously, this is the best they can do…oh, wait…there’s another run…
Sonny Clusters
September 27th, 2011
7:45 pm
A little abc from the Phillies.