LIVE: Ailing Braves try to end skid against Strasburg
The Braves hope to break out of a slump today but will face Washington's young fireballer, Stephen Strasburg (AP photo).
The Braves are not completely devoid of positive signs these days. It’s just that after starting the season 22-13 and beginning to take the form of a wrecking ball, there has been a market correction.
And the question is: How ugly will this get?
Losers of five straight games and faced with the prospects of missing Chipper Jones for another several games, the Braves face the Washington Nationals today (4 p.m.).
Mike Minor (2-4, 6.96) — who allowed four home runs in his last start and generally has been a mess for the past month — will be opposed by Stephen Strasburg (4-1, 2.21). So much for positive foreshadowing.
It’s only late May. The Braves are two games out of first place, and trail
Mike Minor has allowed 31 runs and 11 homers in his last five starts. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)
a team (Nationals) who don’t exactly have a resume of Octobers behind them. So it’s hardly panic time. But yes, there is concern.
The positives: Martin Prado (.333) is on a tear. Michael Bourn (.307 with 13 stolen bases) is still doing his part. Dan Uggla (.256, 6 homers, 25 RBI) is fine.
But overall, the team is struggling to come up with key base hits — they stranded eight base runners in Friday’s 7-4 loss, including six in the first three innings — and the starting pitching has fallen off. Then there are the individuals:
• Jones was put on the 15-day disabled list after Friday’s game, retroactive to his pinch-hitting appearance Wednesday. His contused left calf is still to painful to play on and the Braves needed his roster spot because . . .
• No. 2 catcher David Ross suffered a minor groin strain Friday and will miss at least a few games. The Braves recalled J.C. Boscan, who will start today. Ross was playing because . . .
• Starting catcher Brian McCann is still weak from the flu. He replaced Ross in the game but by late in the evening felt sapped of energy. There’s a chance he could start Sunday night.
• First baseman Freddie Freeman is struggling with blurred vision and is adjusting to new contact lenses. Freeman’s batting average is down to .247, which isn’t much higher than Jason Heyward’s .239. Stating the obvious: The Braves can’t succeed with those two hitting at that level.
The Braves, only 4-8 since that 22-13 start, need a strong effort from Minor, who hasn’t had a quality start since winning at Los Angeles 4-3 April 24 (six innings, three runs, eight hits). In five starts since, he has allowed 31 earned runs, 37 hits and 11 home runs in 26 2/3 innings (10.46 ERA).
Sometimes in sports, teams win games they’re not necessarily expected to win. The Braves better hope that’s the case today.
And now, the cyber floor is yours. We’ll be live blogging from the first pitch.
By Jeff Schultz
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234 comments Add your comment
oldfart
May 26th, 2012
7:17 pm
My pony is dead so send my saddle home!
todd grantham
May 26th, 2012
7:20 pm
thanks for the blog Jeffrey. Enjoyed it. Best, Todd
Denard Span
May 26th, 2012
7:22 pm
The End
LakeDawg
May 26th, 2012
7:22 pm
Actually, this is a very talented team. It appears they’ve quit. That is pitiful so early in the season. The manager normally doesn’t have much to do with the play on the field, but is needed in times like these. This is where they earn their keep and MANAGE the situation before it spins out of control. Even though its early, a long winning streak or a long losing streak can decide your season. See Braves 1982 and 2011.
BulldogBen
May 26th, 2012
7:22 pm
Total free fall right now. Nothing working. Shades of last September.
If you believe the injury reports, it could be sad swan song season for Chipper.
LakeDawg
May 26th, 2012
7:24 pm
Man, its way too early for the season to be over. Still 3 months before football kicks off.
todd grantham
May 26th, 2012
7:28 pm
Jeff, how could F. Wren have put so much weight of responsibility of the Braves’ offense on Chippper’s gimpy knees?
Scott
May 26th, 2012
7:30 pm
Can you say done? This team couldn’t beat my 12u girls softball team
LakeDawg
May 26th, 2012
7:31 pm
26-136?
JWOOD
May 26th, 2012
7:32 pm
Teheran HAS to get a shot now. I just don’t see how you can keep running Minor out there. This isn’t the Astros.
Larry
May 26th, 2012
7:41 pm
I hope you all recognize that I called this a long time ago. Anybody can be a good manager when you’re winning. It’s when you’re losing that the quality of the manager is most important. We are now losing regularly and it’s because we have a lousy manager. When we were winning, sure Freddi seemed like a good manager but that’s because we were winning. He never does what I say he should do, and that makes him a bad manager. Hence, the losing.
Uncle Tom
May 26th, 2012
7:41 pm
With the possible exception of the 1969 New York Jets (and Joe Namath), has there EVER been a sports team like the Braves that was so helpless without its star player?????? And what about the future when there is no Chipper?
jimmie
May 26th, 2012
7:42 pm
who won?
real braves fan
May 26th, 2012
7:43 pm
I feel like selling my tickets for tomorrow night. I really don’t feel like wasting my time watching these guys right now. There has to be something else better to do tomorrow night.
Larry
May 26th, 2012
7:45 pm
If we start winning again, it might look like Fredi is a good manager. Don’t be fooled. He’ll only “look” like a good manager because we are winning. In fact, if we win the World Series he will look like a really good manager. Again, I say don’t be fooled. Anyone who wins the World Series will “look” like a good manager but that’s because they won the World Series. He really is not a good manager and I don’t care if we win 5 World Series in a row. He just doesn’t listen to me. Look at us now! We can’t win a game and that’s the mark of a bad manager.
BulldogBen
May 26th, 2012
7:49 pm
I think you may be insane Larry.
extremus
May 26th, 2012
7:51 pm
I was out of the house so I didn’t see the play Mr. Schultz referred to where Jason Heyward “lackadaisically” went after a misplayed ball, but that REALLY doesn’t sound good at all. Considering all the talk about Heyward’s “great attitude, work ethic, patience, etc, etc” we heard when he first came to the Majors, we’ve seen an awful lot of evidence since then to call those statements into question. I realize that like all of us he’s human and maybe he was just frustrated on that play and unfortunately let it be visible, but body language can say a lot about someone’s mindset (and from Mr. Schultz’s post it sounds like that body language made a lot of fans present quite angry).
I think it’s becoming obvious that the Braves are in need of something to “stir the pot”, whether it’s sending people down and calling up replacements or perhaps a player throwing stuff around the locker room and calling an impromptu “team meeting” to get some sense of accountability going and light a fire under some people. If players are quitting out there the problem needs to be addressed NOW, and decisively, because if this mess continues for much longer, I don’t see Fredi Gonzalez’s managerial tenure lasting through the end of the season.
Larry
May 26th, 2012
7:52 pm
Tomato harvest during a losing streak. Sorry I got so analytic…
Fred Will Screw It Up Somehow
May 26th, 2012
7:56 pm
LMAO! He fooled you all again!
Po Boy Tim
May 26th, 2012
7:58 pm
I question the desire of McCann & Freeman. They know Chipper’s injured and they don’t man-up and play. There’s no Cal Ripken Jr.’s on this team…
Maria
May 26th, 2012
8:00 pm
Does anybody but me think it’s time to send Roger McDowell packing? He is not doing something right with this staff this season. He didn’t even go out to the mound after Minor gave up the three run homer to tell him, “it’s okay, kid, there’s a lot of game left to be played”, they sent Hinske over to do it or perhaps he just did it on his own. Once Strasburg had his first sign of trouble, his pitching coach went right out and talked to him. Even when the Braves were hitting lights out, the pitching was sub par and now that the offense has gone cold, it’s really showing. McDowell is not doing something right and I think it’s time to give him the heave ho.
Mets R Best
May 26th, 2012
8:02 pm
Hello there Braves fans. How is it going for you? It has been great here in Mets country! As I so predicted, the Mighty New York Mets have now surged past your team. The magnificant Metropolitans accomplished this feat with superior talent, skill and coaching. The Braves players felt the heat the Mighty Mets were bringing and as usual—they did what they are best at–they choked.
Tomy Fournier
May 26th, 2012
8:04 pm
Enter your comments here
The Braves
May 26th, 2012
8:13 pm
We don’t understand why you guys care so much that we are losing. You see we really don’t care if we win or lose. We aren’t like you working smucks who get demoted or fired if you don’t perform. You see we have big fat million dollar contracts and get paid the same whether we win 40 games or 100. So don’t sweat it Atlanta because we aren’t.
Chillahill
May 26th, 2012
8:24 pm
Same team that was 10 up with 17 to play. Last year. 26-16 until FG starts coaching
Thats the team that has shown up. Frddy g is a joke. And it shows. This team has no spirit
Lucky to finish 11 games outta first. Late srptember cone back and read this chillahill said ut.
How about. Ventors,heward,henski,Diaz, JJ,wilson minor Freddi G and Joe johnson to the rangers for
Hamilton. Lets pull the string and get it done!
George Washington
May 26th, 2012
8:31 pm
The Braves should have traded heyward for Hunter pence last season and brought Francona in to replace gonzalez. I’ve been adamant about those moves for months now and my intuition is proving to be true. But next season will be here before you know it and we’ll be hoping for a successful season again.
Larry
May 26th, 2012
8:35 pm
I think we would turn this thing around if we’d get better pitching. So if I was Fredi, I’d ask our starters to do a better job. In addition, we need to score more runs, so we should probably pick it up offensively. I’m pretty sure Fredi doesn’t see how simple the solution is, but if I were manager that would be my approach. Score more runs and tell the starters to stop giving up so many. Then, and only then, can we unleash the bullpen on our unsuspecting opponents and win more games.
Don Corleone
May 26th, 2012
8:36 pm
This team needs a new manager. Motivating by being a nice guy ain’t working with this bunch. Might be time to get someone like Lou Pinella — a manager who can chew some butt, shake things up and kick up some dirt. A fire breathing maniac who will find out real quick who wants to play their guts out and who needs to be sent packing.
Larry
May 26th, 2012
8:39 pm
Good point Don, except that Lou Pinella is a confirmed non-winner as a manager. Yeah, he won back in 1990, but that was kind of a fluke. Other than that, he has been in charge of more under performing teams than whoever runs the Atlanta Hawks.
GameChanger
May 26th, 2012
9:02 pm
But at least the Braves beat the Cubs who have lost 10 in a row and are in LAST PLACE. Oh wait, they lost the series to them as well.
Ted
May 26th, 2012
9:08 pm
Excellent! The Braves have lost SIX games in a row!!! Love it!!!!
CK Bigoldi
May 26th, 2012
9:20 pm
This is the 2011 braves. To think they would be better is illogical.
DAMON
May 26th, 2012
9:21 pm
Let’s see where things are mid-August; then I’ll have a comment…….
Jeff Schultz
May 26th, 2012
9:32 pm
Folks, game column is posted if you want to transfer commenting over there.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2012/05/26/braves-suddenly-lacking-pitching-defense-and-a-clue/