A strange homestand yields a cold truth: More hitting needed
Roy Halladay at work Wednesday. Note goose eggs. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Strange homestand. The Braves were shut out twice and no-hit once and beaten by a guy who has never won the Cy Young Award but who roomed with Cy Young. And yet they won three of six against two playoff-caliber opponents.
At the same time, the Braves conjured up two walk-off wins, one among the more improbable in team annals — Troy Glaus? Nate McLouth? Seriously? — and still managed to look feeble for long stretches. Strange, strange homestand.
But it’s the kind we’re apt to see often, at least until Glaus and McLouth and Melky Cabrera start to hit. (Or, more probably, until Frank Wren gets around to making another round of deals.) The Braves are good at pitching but not very good at hitting. They can keep most games close enough to have a chance at the end. But Jason Heyward can’t work a wonder every night.
Stat of the series just completed: The Braves didn’t score an earned run against a Philadelphia starting pitcher. Not against Kyle Kendrick, who entered Tuesday’s game with an ERA of 17.47 but who worked eight scorless innings; not against Roy Halladay, who’s great, and not against Jamie Moyer, who took his first big-league bow three years before the aforementioned Heyward made his debut on Earth.
The only runs the Braves mustered in six innings against Moyer on Thursday came courtesy of double plays flubbed by Chase Utley. They’re not the first team to lose to a guy who’d lose playing burnout with your Aunt Minnie, but it’s never an endorsement of a team’s offense when it gets hog-tied by a 47-year-old and his 82-mph fastball.
And that, sad to say, is the lesson of this homestand: There’s no endorsing this offense. The Braves scored 20 runs in six games, but nine of those came against Colorado last Friday, and seven of the nine were in one inning. They were shut out twice and nearly a third time, which takes us back to Tuesday’s epic rally.
At that moment McLouth’s home run landed in the right-field seats, you’d have figured the winning team would have been so emboldened it wouldn’t have lost for the next week if not the next calendar year. Instead the Braves mustered three runs (one earned) over the next 18 innings. This, see, is baseball, the sport in which momentum is tomorrow’s starting pitcher.
You can’t hit if the other pitcher won’t allow it. This concept worked against the Braves the past two nights, but there’s a bright side here. They can pitch, too. They’ll hold up their end more often than not. Tim Hudson threw a nice game Wednesday but lost to the best in the business. Derek Lowe wasn’t effective Thursday, but he’s an adequate No. 4 starter.
Pitching will keep the Braves afloat, but the holes in this batting order could sink the vessel. Counting Lowe, the Braves started five men Thursday hitting .200 or less. They entered the game batting .227 as a team, second-worst in the National League.
The patches affixed by Wren over the winter haven’t held. Except for one big swing with two out in the ninth Tuesday, the Glaus Experiment has been a fizzle. (He struck out three times Thursday.) Cabrera has been worse. (Francisco Cabrera had as many RBIs in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS as Melky Cabrera in his first 2 1/2 weeks as a Brave.) Indeed, the Braves’ back line of defense appears to consist of Heyward and three fourth outfielders.
Yes, it has been only 2 1/2 weeks, but you wonder how much longer this can go. We were here a year ago, and Wren did quick work — importing McLouth and Adam LaRoche, exporting Jordan Schafer, Jeff Francoeur and Casey Kotchman — to make the Braves competitive over the second half. The bad news: Such a flurry of dealing might again be required.
The good news: It’s easier to find hitting than pitching. The cold truth: More hitting is needed, and soon. The team the Braves just saw, the team the Braves hope to overhaul, is good at both.
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220 comments Add your comment
Chip Shot
April 23rd, 2010
11:10 am
Freeman era should start may 1st, we need to sign dye for left field.
Mclouth
Prado
Chip
Dye
Mac
Hey
Escobar
Freeman
ugaaccountant
April 23rd, 2010
11:22 am
So you want Freeman – who will be good in 2011
and
you want Dye who was good in 2008
but
This is 2010 so it doesn’t work
count_schemula
April 23rd, 2010
11:42 am
McLouth should start in CF. He’s coming around, and hitting line drives. Melky is hitting infield choppers. Hinske has turned in some pro ABs, and should get some time at 1B. Cox is trying to let Glaus hit his way out of it, but he’s batting him 4th and he’s killing the team in the process. We don’t owe Glaus anything. Platoon that big slow bat of his. Even at his best he was a .250-.260 hitter and that was a couple/few years ago.
Brian D Hypes
April 23rd, 2010
12:05 pm
Get in touch with San Diego about Adrian Gonzales,we have a great track record dealing with The Padres.Anyone remember the Fred McGriff trade some 16 years ago?
Brian D Hypes-
I fixed the lineup better
April 23rd, 2010
12:06 pm
CF Infante
2B Prado
3B Chipper
C McCann
SS Escobar
RF Heyward
1B Hinske
LF Diaz
I fixed the lineup better
April 23rd, 2010
12:08 pm
And ditch Glaus and Cabrera and sign Jermaine Dye.
A strange homestand yields a cold truth: More hitting needed … Staff
April 23rd, 2010
12:09 pm
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bob
April 23rd, 2010
12:20 pm
consider the following Cox had 3 hall of fame pitchers for 14 years count on 50 wins between them . so with 112 games left ,go 500 and pick up another 50 games . .. MB you could manage that team and go to playoffs. So when Cox had to get creative, he slid back into mediocrity. JS brought us a great mix of players,
Freddie G
April 23rd, 2010
12:24 pm
The Braves offense over the years have been the same very anemic. Over this time the one constant has been the manager. His philosophy is not station to station so when the balls are not going over the fence the team is in trouble. It is good to see Chipper heating up, Glaus and McLouth will soon get going.
26-Year Braves Fan
April 23rd, 2010
12:32 pm
Better to discover the problems in April than deal with them for six months. Lowe, Diaz, McLouth, Glaus and Cabrera have all underperformed. They need to fix first base and the outfield. Freddie Freeman at Gwinnett is hitting after a slow start .. A week ago Frank Wren told a luncheon that nobody will keep Freeman from first base when he’s ready .. How about this weekend? They cannot continue to pretend McLouth, Diaz and Cabrera are capable of holding down two outfield spots ..
termigator
April 23rd, 2010
1:18 pm
Or could it be a new hitting coach? The 2 best hitters arguably are Chipper and McCann and I believe both of their Fathers watch every game and critique them. Pendleton ruined Francouer and I sure hope he doesnt replace Cox when he retires.
Delbert D.
April 23rd, 2010
1:37 pm
1)Troy Glaus and Merky Caballero do not inspire me (I’m still PO’s adout Steve Young and “Aurelius Thomas” last night).
2) Chipper Jones has to clutch hit
3) Chipper Jones has to clutch hit
4) Repeat 2) and 3) ad infinitum
Skeezix
April 23rd, 2010
2:10 pm
Via the trade route, for the last two years fumbling, bumbling Frank Wren has done zilch to improve the offense. He seems to think that somehow you can sign a lifetime 230-260 hitter, pay him more than he’s worth, put a Braves uniform on him and magically you have a 290/300 hitter. I remember being so disappointed with the signings of Mclouth, Glaus and Melky—just creating more holes in this swiss cheese line up. The only improvements have been 20 year old Jason Heyward (who Bobby promoted from our minor league system) and Hinske-who is an improvement over Norton in that he can actually hit a baseball.
nique
April 23rd, 2010
2:13 pm
TP must go. Hire Chipper’s dad.
Paul Hewitt
April 23rd, 2010
2:19 pm
Oh Mark: Tsk, Tsk. You should have said that the Braves have the finest offense in MLB. Now, every time the Braves lose, it will be your fault.
Jim Hertel
April 23rd, 2010
2:49 pm
It is too early to jump off a bridge, but the Braves hitting is troubling. Truthfully, they are a pitiful and weak hitting team in almost every respect. In a series in which, presumably, the Braves had the pitching edge, we lost 2 out of three. It is no disgrace to lose to Halladay. The shame is making Kendrick and Moyer look like Halladay.
Even though Lowe was a major disappointment again last night, 3 runs just won’t cut it in most games. What to do? Well, we’ve changed the players. The lineup has been turned over from last year, yet the weak hitting continues.
I have come to the reluctant conclusion that it is time to look for a new hitting coach. I loved Pendleton when he played, but apparently he is a terrible hitting coach. Can anyone name a player that has improved with Terry as a coach? Can anyone name a hitter that he has helped developed? No. In almost every respect our players regress under his tutelage. We’ve seen players look elsewhere for help. Our best hitters have their fathers to help them. We used to see players play better in Atlanta than they did elsewhere. Now, the players that leave do better than they did here.
I say it’s time to find a good excuse to relieve Pendleton of his duties, and find someone that can help this team hit. And, we need to do this before Terry has the time to ruin Heyword. It must not be the players. It must be the coaching.
LuidG
April 23rd, 2010
2:54 pm
INFANTE (LF)
PRADO (2B)
JONES (3B)
MCCANN (C)
HEYWARD (RF)
ESCOBAR (SS)
HINSKE (1B)
MCLOUTH (CF)
PITCHER’S SPOT
jake
April 23rd, 2010
3:07 pm
There was one at-bat that says it all, Mark. It was the night Halladay was pitching and two Braves were on, nobody out. John Smoltz said that while it might make fans mad, in that situation he orders Troy Glaus to bunt. Of course, Cox did not order Glaus to bunt, and of course Glaus struck out. Cox’s inability to adapt to situations, his lack of flexibility and intuition, and his failure to get the most out of what talent he has is the reason the Braves have looked so hapless these past several years.
bobby
April 23rd, 2010
3:55 pm
Doesn’t matter where Heyward bats, nobody is going to be on base in front of him.
F Troop
April 23rd, 2010
4:08 pm
Not worried about Matt Diaz one bit. He will hit. It’s Troy Glaus and Melky Cabrera that I’m concerned with. It’s early, but the clouds are looking grey.
count_schemula
April 23rd, 2010
4:20 pm
I’d better see Hinske at 1b tonight.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
April 23rd, 2010
4:52 pm
Somebody said something earlier about boycotting the Braves.
Seems a silent boycott has already commenced.
I believe lots of people were turned-off by some of the off-season moves. These moves were made to save money, plain and simple. Anyone who buys into the fable that a minor league pitcher (talented as he is) was the impetus for the Vazquez trade, is hopelessly insane. Money is the guiding light for the Bravos at this point. Winning is obviously secondary.
Biff Pocoroba
April 23rd, 2010
5:03 pm
The question seems to be – how long is Wren willing to wait before he makes some changes? I put the onus on Wren instead of ‘ol Bobby for a very good reason – Cox will faithfully run the same punch-less lineup out there day after day because he is butt-blind to what’s happening right in front of him. Always has been. His ridiculous loyalty to players who can neither hit (Glaus, McLouth, Cabrera) nor field (Glaus…he’s on both lists so what does that tell you?), is mind boggling. I’m no manager, but I would think you’d want to put your best hitters in the lineup…and yet Hinske rides the dang bench more often than not. Bobby should have been booted out of the dugout long ago – his focus is on how much his players love him, and clearly not on winning baseball games. Retire now, Bobby, and maybe we can still compete this season!
Two more things: 1. Derek Lowe is so overrated it’s painful. Where are the improvements we were promised with his “new” delivery? He’s just not the same pitcher he was a few years ago, and that makes him a $60 million bust! 2. I would really appreciate it if Yunel paid more attention to baseball and less to his stupid highlighted hair. You’re paid to hustle Yunel, not to stare adoringly at yourself in the mirror. His cockiness has always gotten in the way, and it’s really showing so far this year.
Something needs to be done about the state of things, and fast! 8-7 is a miracle with how we’ve played so far, but the miracles won’t last forever.
And
Edward
April 23rd, 2010
5:04 pm
We can tell now that Bobby Cox is not managing a Division Winner in his final year.
Wait till next year!
ed
April 23rd, 2010
6:28 pm
Why didn’t they keep Adam Laroche?
J-MAN
April 23rd, 2010
7:08 pm
HeyJERMAINE DYE IS STILL a free agent……..HINT HINT!!!!!
RT
April 23rd, 2010
8:06 pm
Will we ever get a leadoff hitter? This will be the worst hitting team in the majors this year.4th place at best.
Wreckmaniac
April 23rd, 2010
8:36 pm
Right on Mark. Some may say “Gee its early. Lets give ‘em a chance”
The purpose of spring training is to work out the “kinks” I say, like you, make your moves now.
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:06 pm
This hitting is anemic ! These guys are getting paid $2 to $16 million each and are getting shutdown by every pitcher they face whether its an ace like Halladay or a deuce like K. Kendrick. I think I could 3-hit this rag-tag bunch. I know any of us could get Melky,McClouth,and glaus out… Call up some top rookies Wren and put these losers on the bench ! What a waste of great pitching. Chipper is hitting well and Prado,McCann,Hinske,and Heyward are spotty. Everybody else blows !
They just made Jamie Moyer look like Bob Gibson… As Farook (WWE) says… Damn !
Matt
April 23rd, 2010
9:10 pm
I see the offensive juggernaut that it the Atlanta Braves offense is in full swing in New York!!!
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:10 pm
I echo the fire TP as hitting coach sentiments ! This guy couldn’t teach a T-baller to hit. 7 guys in slumps and what is TP doing to break them out of it ? Nada !
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:12 pm
Infante 3 for 3. Leadoff and SS possibilities Joe Simpleton just said.
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:28 pm
Takawhoshi ? Is this a MLB game or Japanese game ? Lol.
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:30 pm
Hinske makes Glaus look like glass. Hinske should start from now on at 1B.
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:35 pm
I think Karate Kid 3 could be made tonight. Saito could play Mr. Miagi and put some judo on Glaus,McClouth,and Melky. Francoeur could be Danielson.
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:39 pm
What’s wrong with Chipper tonight on defense ?
Tdawg
April 23rd, 2010
9:49 pm
todd, I echoed those same sentiments. The hitting is a joke.
Melky: A punch and judy hitter with not much punch but plenty of judy. With the Yankees he didn’t have to hit.
Troy Glaus: The man tried, the braves had no idea how his comeback would pan out. He was a long shot at best and his best is well behind him. Do you have to be hit with a mac truck in order to see that he’s finished. Why on god’s green earth is Hinske not starting? Cox how about doing some coaching for once in your life and insert your best lineup for crying out loud.
Nate MClouth: Nate, Nate,Nate, man you suck. I mean come on braves fans. The man was a .269 hitter when we got him. What did you expect? I know he was an all-star coming out of Pittsburgh. But that was only because every team had to have a representative.
robdawg08
April 23rd, 2010
9:53 pm
Bad night for Chipper. 2 errors ? Implode city…
Monger
April 23rd, 2010
9:56 pm
WE NEED A LOT MORE THAN HITTING NOW!!! THIS IS EMBARASSING…IN ADDITION TO ANOTHER TERRIBLE HITTING PERFORMANCE AGAINST A MEDIOCRE PITCHER, WE NOW MAKE 4 ERRORS IN ONE GAME!!! I DONT KNOW WHATS MORE EMBARRASSING BEING NO-HIT OR MAKING 4 ERRORS IN ONE GAME!! DONT STAND FOR THIS ATLANTA FANS…BOYCOTT GAMES, BRING SIGNS ANNOUNCING YOUR DISGUST WITH THE PRODUCT ON THE FIELD WHEN YOU DO GO, BOO MANAGEMENT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THAT TRUE ATLANTA FANS HATE, HATE, HATE THIS TERRIBLE, NO HUSTLE, NO HEART, NO OFFENSE TEAM SHOWING UP EVERY NIGHT!!!
Monger
April 23rd, 2010
9:58 pm
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!WE NEED A LOT MORE THAN HITTING NOW!!! THIS IS EMBARASSING…IN ADDITION TO ANOTHER TERRIBLE HITTING PERFORMANCE AGAINST A MEDIOCRE PITCHER, WE NOW MAKE 4 ERRORS IN ONE GAME!!! I DONT KNOW WHATS MORE EMBARRASSING BEING NO-HIT OR MAKING 4 ERRORS IN ONE GAME!! DONT STAND FOR THIS ATLANTA FANS…BOYCOTT GAMES, BRING SIGNS ANNOUNCING YOUR DISGUST WITH THE PRODUCT ON THE FIELD WHEN YOU DO GO, BOO MANAGEMENT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THAT TRUE ATLANTA FANS HATE, HATE, HATE THIS TERRIBLE, NO HUSTLE, NO HEART, NO OFFENSE TEAM SHOWING UP EVERY NIGHT!!!
Bye Bye Bobby
April 23rd, 2010
10:17 pm
Same ole S–t. We will never win until the old fart retires. He sticks with players that are doing it too long. All Bobby knows how to do is sit and the bench and pick boogers. Bye Bye Bobby.
MitchC
April 23rd, 2010
10:30 pm
Mark, I hope your prediction at the beginning of the season of “Ba Humbug, third place” isn’t going to come true. I know it’s only April, but based on what I’ve seen the last three nights, I’m concerned.
Tonight, as you know, four errors, and only two runs, against the less than intimidating Mets. Chipper looked just awful, and again, the team just didn’t hit. I thought that KK gave a credible effort tonight. If this team would ever hit, maybe he would win some of these games.
If this team doesn’t start hitting, or if FW doesn’t get another bat for this lineup soon, the Braves will be buried by June or July.
MitchC
April 23rd, 2010
10:33 pm
Again the comment didnt go up. I’ll try again. GRRRR!
The Braves looked awful tonight. KK gave a credible enough effort to win, but, Chipper looked horrible, and again the team did not hit.
If Frank doesn’t get another hitter for the Braves, and soon, this team will be buried without even a chance for the wild card, by July. We aren’t going to be competing with the Phillies, that’s for sure, but, the question now is, will we be decent this year, or just downright awful, in Bobby’s last year
beauvighn
April 23rd, 2010
10:40 pm
Booby Cocks is not going to make any changes..He will keep defending these bums till he goes to his grave. Face it, the braves sux…our front office and manager sux.. we will finish in last place behind the freakin’ nationals…They can all kiss my chipper jones….fire’em all..every freakin’ one of them….this season is toast..
invictus mon
April 23rd, 2010
10:54 pm
It’s amazing to me that it took this homestand and the start of the season to call this news. You’re just now catching on? It was a problem last year, this year our pitching is weaker, and dadgum if the hitting still isn’t there. Our front office thought they did all they needed to in the offseason to make us legit contenders. We’re a joke. The team is a joke. The team needs a bat, and not just a home run threat. If we continue to win off walkoff homeruns we can expect about 30 wins this year. We’ve actually got to have true offense. Singles, doubles, small ball. This is a joke and it’s embarrasing. I’m tired of the braves front office half way doing things. When they want to add a real bat to the lineup i’ll turn the tv back on.
Stumpknocker
April 23rd, 2010
11:13 pm
Much of the Braves hitting problem is T Pendleton. Every year now it seems the team goes into a prolonged hitting funk. Year after year the organization adds new players and changes the lineup, but the hitting funk continues. The common denominator is T Pendleton. This team hasn’t known what a quality AB is since he’s been hitting instructor. They constantly show signs of no guidance, no plan, no clue when it comes to situational hitting. Certainly Pendleton was a good player in his day, however that doesn’t equate to a good coach. He’s doing a sorry job and it’s time for him to go!!!!
adam
April 23rd, 2010
11:38 pm
bring in the outfield walls. turner field is a 1970s cookie cutter pitchers park
dale morphy
April 24th, 2010
1:19 am
Hitting is horrible, that’s a given. Nobody has really commented on the horrible defense! The common thread is a lack of discipline: discipline at the plate, discipline in the field. Major league managers affect the game by fielding their best players, making smart in-game decisions, and by having their players READY to play and succeed. Braves players, as usual, look soft and lackadaisical.
jj
April 24th, 2010
3:52 am
It sure would be nice to have the real #25(Andruw Jones) in LF.Oh yeah he hit #6hr tonite and he is only making 500,000dollars.GO BRAVES and it is time for Bobby to go.
Navigator
April 24th, 2010
8:17 am
Mark, you’ve nailed the problem with the Braves, more hitting. The sad thing is that was obvious before they finished last year (when they let a hard hitting first baseman walk). McLouth should be McGone, as he can’t hit a lick and leads off. Chipper should go down as the Brave that worked his fanny off one season to get a giant contract, then sit on his but to draw his check. The have an outfield that is one excellent rookie and two journeyman (who also draw a check for not much). They let one of their two best pitchers leave to keep a man who’s greatest gift is his family’s social work. It’s obvious the leadership on the Braves doesn’t know how to lead, a final season send off of a manager that should have been gone almost a decade ago, doesn’t give the fans much to be hopeful for.