Braves suddenly lack pitching, defense and a clue
Michael Bourn misplayed this fly ball into a run-scoring triple by Rick Ankiel, one of the Braves' several lowlights. (AP photo)
If for a moment we can get past that the Braves currently have too many players who either can’t stand without wobbling (flu) or can’t see straight (blurred vision) or can’t walk without pain from a strained groin or a bruised leg (or “hematoma,” to use Chipper Jones’ new word), this isn’t a difficult problem to figure out.
If the Braves hope to survive this problematic intersection of injuries and batting slumps, they’re going to need two things: pitching and defense.
They received neither Saturday.
For the second game in a row the Braves spotted the Washington Nationals an early 4-0 lead. They scrambled back to tie, but ultimately spontaneously combusted again — like no perceived pennant contender should.
They lost 8-4. That makes six straight. They’ve suddenly tumbled into fourth in the National League East (not that standings are worthy of panic in late May).
Most important, the Braves not only lack any semblance of clutch in their offense — 15 stranded runners in two games — but their pitchers are being dismembered, and their defense Saturday looked one Volkswagen and a pair of exploding shoes short of a clown act.
“We’re not playing particularly well right now, and there’s no excuses,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Those words were stronger than any others spoken by Gonzalez in the postgame. Fact is, Gonzalez’ temperament seemed a little too mild for a manager whose team is playing so poorly and, at times, lifeless. The Braves have allowed Washington, the team ahead of them in the standings, 15 runs and 12 extra-base hits in two games — this after Cincinnati had 10 home runs in a four-game sweep last week.
Gonzalez barely said a peep about right fielder Jason Heyward, who in the fifth inning had the type of lackadaisical defensive play that aroused memories of a 1998 game, when center fielder Andruw Jones was slow to hustle for a fly ball that fell for a single, prompting Bobby Cox to yank him in the middle of the inning.
Heyward’s play didn’t result in a run. But it was heinous enough that many in the crowd of 42,698 loudly booed him. He bobbled Bryce Harper’s single and then was slow to pick up the ball, allowing Harper to get to second.
Gonzalez acknowledged the miscue later. But when asked about TV replays confirming Heyward’s nonchalantness, he said only, “I have not seen that [replay] yet. I was in the middle of trying to get [reliever Kris] Medlen warmed up.”
It might’ve been the worst coverup in postgame history.
Heyward later said, “I let the ball get away, and [Harper] took the extra base. If I had attacked it aggressively, I still more likely would’ve bobbled the ball, but he probably wouldn’t have run. … [Teammates] just said, ‘Let it go.’ I said, ‘My bad’ out there, and I said ‘My bad’ when I came in. I play the game as hard as I can. I want that to happen as few times as possible.”
The Braves were missing Chipper Jones (leg), Freddie Freeman (eyes), Brian McCann (flu) and David Ross (groin). It’s not like they have much margin for error.
But Heyward wasn’t alone. Three other plays led to runs: Left fielder Martin Prado got a slow jump on Danny Espinosa’s short fly to open the game, and the ball fell for a double. Center fielder Michael Bourn lost track of the wall, bumped into it and played a fly ball into a triple. (No error was charged.) Reliever Jonny Venters had his glove knocked off by Ryan Zimmerman’s comebacker, recovered but threw wide of first base. (The error was charged to Eric Hinske.)
Bourn was as stand-up as a guy could be: “I messed up.”
He said more. But that summed it up fine.
Nonetheless, this isn’t a time for Braves pitchers to feel victimized. Mike Minor recovered nicely after allowing four runs in the first two innings, but that doesn’t excuse the start. (He also allowed a two-single to pitcher Stephen Strasburg before Danny Espinosa’s three-run homer). Medlen and Venters were poor in relief (three runs in two innings combined).
Bourn’s tidy summary: “We were hot before. We’re not hot right now.”
Forget hot. A little less slapstick would suffice.
By Jeff Schultz
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247 comments Add your comment
extremus
May 27th, 2012
1:24 pm
There is definitely something causing the Atlanta Braves to be perennially snakebitten as an organization right now. It’s hard to put an exact finger on, but I believe management and ownership has a lot to do with it, along with a culture that’s frankly to laid back and dispassionate.
Look at Derek Lowe. No one here, myself included, wanted him in a Braves uniform this season, and look at what he’s doing now in Cleveland (on $10 million or whatever paid by the Braves, no less). Look at Rick Ankiel in St. Louis, or several Braves who stunk it up here only to be heavy contributors to another team’s success elsewhere. Now look at those who had success before and came to Atlanta, say Nate McLouth. Dan Uggla was unbelievably awful (save for one hot month) his first year here, and is trending back that way again. The farm system that once was “loaded” with pitching and position prospects now seems like it has no potential difference-makers within sight of the Majors (something especially telling given Jurrjens and Minor’s struggles). Jason Heyward is constantly drawing comparisons to Jeff Francoeur as a “should have been superstar” that’s looking more and more like a flash-in-the-pan, and his on-field attitude seems to be going in the wrong direction as well.
Something is wrong HERE, in THIS clubhouse, in THIS organization, that isn’t happening in successful organizations elsewhere around baseball. The Braves are trending downward as an organization, despite all their claims to the contrary. Maybe it’s a prevailing attitude or company line-spewing self-delusion, maybe it’s the culture (which looks more like the one ushered in by Eddie Haas in 1985 when he told his new team “Don’t be afraid to fail”. Maybe it’s the management that sits on its hands when it needs to act or the ownership that lives in Denver and probably attends more Rockies games. Maybe it’s a bunch of players who individually have done or could do great things elsewhere but for some reason can’t do so cohesively here. And maybe it’s just a Perfect Storm of all these things, but whatever it is, it needs to be found and rooted out for the Braves to ever see another day of true relevance in MLB.
NIck
May 27th, 2012
1:32 pm
Hey Peter…this is a article about a game…go post on a article about people who died
falconfan58
May 27th, 2012
1:45 pm
There are a couple of problems with the Braves-just a couple, but they are big ones.
1-The Braves only have average pitching. The Phillies, Nationals, and Marlins have better.
2-The Braves only have an average hitting team. The Nationals, Marlins, Phillies and Mets have better hitters.
3-The Braves have no effective bench hittlers/players and only an little better than average bullpen.
4-Manager and coaches are weak and lack experience. Example: Got to carry three catchers.
5-Minor league options are very limited in players and pitching.
TomB
May 27th, 2012
1:45 pm
Sucess starts with the general manager…just look at the Hawks. Should have done something with Jurrjens and Prado when he had the chance. Paying 10 million for Lowe to pitch lights out for Cleveland…that’s nice. We needed another good left handed starting pitcher, and good hitting outfielder. Now, we will hold our breath with upcoming McCann and Bourn decisions. Help wanted.
TenacuousD
May 27th, 2012
1:56 pm
You do realize that these are the real Braves, right. There was no way that Freeman, Heyward and Bourn could play at that pace all year. Plus, Chipper will be lucky to play in 100 games. I still say they end up closer to 100 losses than 100 wins.
From First to Fourth - EPIC COLLAPSE AGAIN!
May 27th, 2012
1:58 pm
It seems the only thing these Braves know how to do well is LOSE!!!! From First to Fourth place and all laid at the feet of the lousy manager Fredi Gonzalez….he needs to be run out of town faster than he had to leave Florida…..never has and never will be a big league manager. What a freaking waste!
Don Abernethy
May 27th, 2012
2:00 pm
I used to watch a lot of professional sports but I decided it was a waste of time so now I try to do more productive things. I still can’t get used to the high salaries they pay these players. So I really don’t care if our local teams win or loose.
Can we put Fredi on the DL?
May 27th, 2012
2:04 pm
Fredi ought to go on the DL….he is crippled too high for crutches…..
Dan
May 27th, 2012
2:11 pm
Right on, Extremus, @ 1:24 pm. The play in right field was cause for a mid inning roster change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fredi "Don't Argue The Call" Gonzalez
May 27th, 2012
2:15 pm
Should have been out of that dugout yesterday fighting for Mike Minor. It was bad enough to hear the announcers saying McDowell went out in place of Gonzalez and rarely does that happen. However The Manager of a ball club has a responsibility to back his players up when strikes are called balls. I for one saw alot of that yesterday not that Minor should have been given a pass. Please do us a favor Fredi go fight for this club….and quit sulking on the bench like a neanderthal! Quit throwing out these excuses for poor play because right now it’s pitiful. The Nats have like 6 guys injured and they are in first place!!!! How’s that working out for us????
iTiSi
May 27th, 2012
2:28 pm
Everyone knows the Japanese are big on robots, and have made various experimental types to do the jobs humans had been doing. I am now fully convinced that the manager of the Braves is nothing more than just that. It is an experiment being conducted right under our noses by Japanese robotmakers. Therefore, the reason for the non-emotional reactions, the repetitive answers, etc. Watch his face sometimes when something out of the ordinary happens on the field. Nothing! This has to be the obvious reason.
shadetree
May 27th, 2012
2:31 pm
The Braves are tired. I mean they’ve played like 30 games in a row with no break. That’s alot. The Braves aren’t that good and they’re not this bad. I do agree though that Fredi does “just sits there”. Heywards ball is when now you pick it up and get more agressive with it. Fight thru the tired and aching bodies. Just play hard.
Stinger2
May 27th, 2012
2:32 pm
Seems like a lot of you people are down on the Braves. Has the fact that they have lost six games without a win changed any of your lives? Calm down and see what happens today. Don`t be so uptight over something you cannot control.
double
May 27th, 2012
2:57 pm
Errors & Excuses.The team makes less errors.Excuses are about the same.Hustle a word they do not know.Pitching sub-par.Hitting sub-par.Management sub-par.Payroll above avg. I would think.If they are tired now.Toward end of season they will use the bat for a cane,and the pitching will fall short of home plate.
BooBoo
May 27th, 2012
3:07 pm
I seem to remember in Spring Training they showed how ineptly they could play (1-13-2). They are just living down to expectations now.
?
May 27th, 2012
3:21 pm
AIN’T NOBODY GOING TO FIRE THE FAT BALD HEADED ILLEGAL CUBAN,HE IS BOBBY CROTCHES MAIN MAN. AND FOR MIKE MINOR HE IS A WANNA BE PITCHER. PUT THE WHOLE TEAM IN A BA SHAKE THEM ALL UP AND THEY STILL COME OUT AS DOG TURDS.
Mister Frisky
May 27th, 2012
3:24 pm
Not even 50 games in and Schultz is already preparing us for his retraction on “standing pat’.Same team as last year but older,slower,fatter.and less athletic.Last place is coming soon.
WOW
May 27th, 2012
3:29 pm
From first to worst in a week. Wow! Terrible. Tale of two teams.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
Send Fredi to the guillotine?
WOW
May 27th, 2012
3:31 pm
Place your bets now. Check the braves sunday night ESPN record.
Common Sense
May 27th, 2012
3:48 pm
Lame @$$ Atl. Fair-weather fans. Crybabies. I will continue to watch whether they win or lose, because I have what is called long term affection for my local sporting franchises. LETS GO BRAVES TIL THE DAY I DIE
Common Sense
May 27th, 2012
3:48 pm
Not a huge Fredi Gonzalez fan though.
LWells2000
May 27th, 2012
4:18 pm
Like I said earlier….I’ll watch until they get behind. No more Braves watching during catch-up attempts. Makes the games more interesting.
Bill
May 27th, 2012
4:27 pm
The only time I’ll Tip My Cap is when Wren, Fredi and McDowell are gone.
How many millions will Wren throw away before they fire him? Its beginning to add up.ex Lowe=$10 million.
Bill
May 27th, 2012
4:29 pm
Adam Jones get new 85.5 million for 6 years with o’s.
LakeDawg
May 27th, 2012
4:58 pm
This is why I don’t consider baseball to be a sport. AT no time are they physically challenged. Never get winded, never have to suck it up. Then go on the 15 day disabled list with a BRUISE! Please. Take a damn aspirin and get out there. Chipper needs to take his own advice he gave to Heyward.
ugakev from columbus
May 27th, 2012
5:47 pm
I love Chipper but he screwed us by coming back. The injuries were inevitable and now 15 millions dollars that could have been used on a healthy young star are being compensated to Chipper Jones. This is no shot ate Chipper because he has been Mr. Brave for so long but man this hurts! Heyward is not going to get better! I just dont see it! Everytime he hits a monster shot we think he is back on track but the consistency isnt there! We need to go after Josh Hamilton in the off season! I’m tired of Cheap owners trying to put together a good a enough team to get people to watch but not good enough for championships!!!!!! Especially when the owners have the money but would rather use it on a third Beach house or tenth car they dont need!!! Atlanta doesnt deserve this crap! Fans are not stupid we see between the lines! Fredi Gonzalez is a nice guy but we are staring to see what the Marlins saw. He can not manage the game in important game situations! Maybe when or if we get healthy the outlook but wont be quite so gloomy but there is a storm brewing and it’s not Beryl!
NO O
May 27th, 2012
5:51 pm
Atlanta is Loserville simply because we can’t just can chipper because he has done so much for the team. They always want to hold on to their favorites even though they are way past their prime. Forget that we need everyday ballplayers.
Scott Brantley
May 27th, 2012
6:26 pm
I miss Bobby now more than ever. I miss seing #6 bolt from the dugout to argue at the drop of a hat if a close call goes against one of his guys. I miss hearing him chirping from the dugout non-stop. I wish he would come out of retirement and take over from FG who seems, well, indifferent.
Tdawg
May 27th, 2012
6:29 pm
Common sense you are right. I also an a Braves fan and will always be. That’s why I believe I have the right to say that they suck. Just because you are a die heart Braves fan, doesn’t mean that you have to settle or be happy with the product that management has put onto the field. I don’t like it and I will not watch such a laughable, lifeless and totally inept team. I have been watching this team sense they moved to Atlanta. I have seen some woeful Braves teams in the past, but not a one of them was as heartless as this bunch. This team has no answer to adversity other than to have their coach say. Well, ya just gotta tip your hat to them. No I don’t. I will however put the blame for a lot of these losses where they blame. On the player’s, the manager and management of he Braves. I would a heck of a lot more rather watch those lovable losers of the early years than those bunch of clueless lossers on that field today.
Heyward is what? 6′4″ 235 lbs. Will someone please tell that frigging idiot to please get the bat off of his d#mn freaking shoulders. This loon should go up there with the intentions of killing the ball if it is anywhere near the strike zone. He!! he should be a RBI man, not a walk as often as you can man. Crap all a opposing pitcher has to do is throw the first two pitches right down the pipe and that idiot will take them every time. It’s hard to hit when you limit yourself to one strike and that third strike is most often out of the strike zone. Now he will swing at a pitch out of the strike zone in a New York minute. Fool swing the dang bat. You are not good enough to take 2 strikes and still hit the ball. You’d figured by now the idiot would have figured that out all by himself by now.
Longtimefan
May 27th, 2012
6:48 pm
Some of you guys are nuts. You must have just started following the Braves after you finished pee wee league. The poster who said there was something wrong with the Braves organization must have been asleep the 14 straight years of division titles when the Braves organization was considered a model others attempted to emulate. Most of you guys really don’t have a clue. Just a bunch of angry haters. Go kick your dog again.
When will they learn?
May 27th, 2012
7:12 pm
I get so embarrased when I see dum ass fredi do nothing to secure his job or “his”team. How can such a loser be called a manager or a motivator? The Braves need a foot in the backside to rev em up. They look like they did last September. So they have injuries, and been on the road a lot…big deal. They make waaaaaaaay to much money to play like 5th graders. And the commercial says…”This is why we chop”. Yeah, right.
Don Corleone
May 27th, 2012
7:19 pm
Someone needs to light a fire under their butts. But who? Fredi doesn’t seem to know how to or have it in him.
Don Corleone
May 27th, 2012
7:22 pm
This sorry play keeps up much longer and soon Fredi will be back to coaching third base somewhere.
Rome? Mississippi?
When will they learn?
May 27th, 2012
7:22 pm
A good column JS. But I know nothing good will come of it. The higher ups are pleased, and will not rock any boat to keep this team from drowning. gonzalez couldnt manage a t-ball league, never mind none of them want him either. Many of us said at the end of last season to let him go, They didn’t listen then and they aren’t listening now. And it shows.
Don't forget
May 27th, 2012
7:26 pm
The Braves and idiot gonzalez can make fools of themselves on ESPN tonight. So all of the baseball world can see. Can it get any worse?
Jojo
May 27th, 2012
7:41 pm
OMG, will this season ever end? could we loose all the games we have left to play??? of course not. it’s still fairly early, let’s don’t get rid of everybody YET. when and if everybody gets well and back playing, then we’ll see how things play out. then we can start all over with another expansion team, new stadium, etc….
jerry
May 27th, 2012
7:41 pm
I’m just thankful the Braves didn’t play the Yankees in the ‘95 World Series. Hell, Atlanta still wouldn’t have a world champion.
Chaos
May 27th, 2012
8:33 pm
We will be OK, all you none Braves fans….Take a hike!
extremus
May 27th, 2012
9:03 pm
@ longtimefan,
Actually I’ve been following the Braves since 1982, so I’ve seen and weathered both the good and the bad. What is frustrating to me is the reality that the current Braves, on paper, have talent close to that of those great ’90s teams who ended up winning 14 straight division titles, but the results consistently come up far short of that. And yes, they’re trending down, and folks outside of the Atlanta sports journalism circle and fanbase have taken notice. Take a look at Buster Olney’s blog “A Tale of Two NL East Clubhouses” that’s up right now over at ESPN.com. Guess which club (between the Braves and the Nationals) is described as in “survival mode” and is definitely NOT “fired up” like their counterparts? Hint: It’s not the Nationals. Here’s a short exerpt (the link requires registration):
“There’s nobody dragging themselves into this clubhouse,” said Gio Gonzalez, who starts on Sunday Night Baseball against the Braves’ Brandon Beachy, in a matchup of early Cy Young candidates. “Everybody’s excited. Everybody’s fired up. You don’t see guys yawning as they’re going out to take batting practice. They’re into it.”
On the other hand, there is a completely different environment in the Braves’ clubhouse these days: They are in survival mode. –End quote
So no, “fair weather” Braves fans aren’t the only folks seeing glaring problems with this team. And if we were truly “fair weather”, most of us would’ve quit following the Braves a long time ago instead of caring enough to continue posting here. Sometimes your best friends (or fans) are the ones who tell you things straight as they are, not the ones who are all “rah rah” and spew the company line. I pull for the Braves and other Atlanta teams the same as you do; just because I criticize them when I feel it’s justified doesn’t mean I’m a troll.
BHZ
May 27th, 2012
10:08 pm
Young men probably became over-confident, and people were giving them so much love too early..
With Chipper, security in the line-up is gone..
Private lives may be a distraction at home…
Brave’s Legacy Pressure..
I always that Derrick Lowe wilted in the Atlanta Sun…He was sweating like the sprinklers were on the mound.
If you’re out of shape, and out of AC, the lack of endurance will show…Bad diets, etc..
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2012
10:32 pm
That photo of Mike Bourn brings back flashes of some of my misadventures in baseball.
OldTimer
May 27th, 2012
11:11 pm
Ownership rules all of sports. The Braves and the Hawks have jokes for owners. The Falcons on the other hand are in a quite different position. As a result, they will be getting a new stadium.
J-Man
May 28th, 2012
1:21 am
What?
TROLL PATROLL
May 28th, 2012
2:40 am
What squared?
reason
May 28th, 2012
6:48 am
The Braves as a team lack unity. Fredi maybe a good person, but as the Braves manager he lacks leadership.
Since last year, they go from hot to cold in a blink of an eye that is no way to win. They have become sappy and lazy. They repeat last year format. They have to shake up that team before it is too late, even if it means replacing Fredi. Fans are fed up with the I quite attitude of the Atlanta Braves Players. Striking out 3 or 4 times in a game can’t not be tolerated It time to let that player go. The Braves player’s, play as if their mined is somewhere else. This type of crap has being going on too long, to make excuses. What makes them tick; I do not care just want the team to play to their full pretention.
It is a shame when they depend on a breaking down 40 year old to win.
LAC
May 28th, 2012
6:49 am
Yes “freddi” Has to GO !!! Then worthless wren, they know nothing about the game. How are they where they are is Amazing, you’d think asg is in charge.
Being loyal, which the Braves are WAY too much of and WINNING are two different things,
the freddi show needs to be cancelled once and for all !!!!
Great jeff to see NO NHL coverage this season, you guys are really lost when it comes to all sports,
sec football, WHO CARES !
Tucker
May 28th, 2012
7:18 am
Toast.
James
May 28th, 2012
7:49 am
The Braves are not very good right now but hey it’s early in the season so hopefully the injuries will continue to mount and the bullpen will continue to blow games wide open and the hitting will continue to strike out.
BobbyDawg
May 28th, 2012
8:14 am
Same ole Braves!
Bob
May 28th, 2012
8:22 am
The thing the Braves lack most is heart. They don’t have enough players that hate to lose. For all of you fans who are still optimistic, this team will not be in the playoffs.