From Braves-Phils: Can the Bradley live-blog streak continue?
This young fellow always seems to hit when MB's here. (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
Strange homestand. The Braves have been shut out twice and no-hit once over these five games. On Sunday they were an out away from losing 3-2, and two nights ago they were an out away from losing 3-0. And yet they’ve won three times in five.
They’ve done it with two bursts of late-inning lightning, sure, but they’ve also done it with pitching. The Braves’ starting pitchers have managed only one win this homestand — that by Derek Lowe against Colorado on Friday in a game he led 7-0 after two innings — but they’ve kept their team close in every game except Saturday’s, which was the night Kenshin Kawakami worked against no-hit Ubaldo Jimenez.
Throw out that game and the Braves’ starting pitchers have yielded 10 earned runs in four starts against two good-hitting teams this homestand. And that is, I submit, what will have to keep the Braves close if they’re going to make a race of it — pitching.
The Braves are hitting .227 as a team. That’s second-worst in the National League. That will improve over time — it has to improve, does it not? — but this lineup isn’t apt to hit .270 all summer. Too many holes, as we’ve noted a time or two before.
But the lesson of three wins in five games is that pitching is the great equalizer. The Braves haven’t hit much this homestand — 33 hits and 17 runs in five games — but they haven’t let the other guys hit much, either. (The Rockies and Phillies have mustered 35 hits and 17 runs between them.) Tonight Lowe starts against Jamie Moyer, and Lowe is 3-0.
And I’ll be here all night, watching and reporting and typing and chattering away. I’d be obliged if you’d join me, and I should note that the four previous games we’ve done this the home team has prevailed. With two walk-off wins. With three wins in the final at-bat. With Jason Heyward having an RBI in all four games. As Kate Smith was to the Philly Flyers, I am to the 2010 Bravos.
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481 comments Add your comment
gayle
April 22nd, 2010
9:41 pm
When Ibanez played in Seattle, they did play “Werewolves of London” when he came to bat. Good ballplayer.
MK
April 22nd, 2010
9:42 pm
Why is Henske and Omar not in the line-up somewhere? Surly Cox sees what we see, a listless offense? Doesn’t he?
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:43 pm
i love the phillies bullpen…
Raul Mondesi's Fan Club President
April 22nd, 2010
9:43 pm
There is hope with the bullpen..
But did Joe just say, “The last inning took the steam out of the team?”
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:44 pm
Who do you think would throw harder today, Mark: Jamie Moyer or Nolan Ryan?
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:44 pm
the ‘last’ inning? or the last game?
Raul Mondesi's Fan Club President
April 22nd, 2010
9:44 pm
RISP
Phillies 8 for 32
Braves 0 for 13
rob graner
April 22nd, 2010
9:45 pm
Just came back to check in…you still staying positive Mark? Witherspoon is a great pick for the Falcons..than I watch MClouth strike out with RISP. Great!
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:46 pm
Can Witherspoon play CF?
MenVsBoys
April 22nd, 2010
9:46 pm
If ABC needs a show to replace “Lost”, just do a series about the Braves offense.
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:47 pm
demaryius thomas replaces brandon marshall.
rob graner
April 22nd, 2010
9:47 pm
Mark must be getting his writing done for that 10pm deadline….speaking of DEADline isnt that our offense as well?
Raul Mondesi's Fan Club President
April 22nd, 2010
9:48 pm
Smoltz says Braves should consider putting Martin in the leadoff spot.
MenVsBoys
April 22nd, 2010
9:48 pm
Runner at 3rd, 1 out……..Any takers?
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:49 pm
MVB…I’d guess double play
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:49 pm
i would agree with smoltz….but would it make a difference? he’d be on base for who exactly?
The Ghost of Greg Norton
April 22nd, 2010
9:50 pm
Wow.. 6 for 63 are the leadoff hitters.
rob graner
April 22nd, 2010
9:50 pm
Tell Smoltz—since he has Bobby’s ear to move up Heyward to 4th and sandwhich him in between Chipper and Brian….move up Prado just like he said as well. I am sure Bobby listens to Smoltz. Someone has to help out the fans
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:50 pm
that is greg norton-like production.
Raul Mondesi's Fan Club President
April 22nd, 2010
9:51 pm
Yeah.. with Martin leadoff, who in the two spot?
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:52 pm
Glaus time baby
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:53 pm
here’s glaus…the anticipation is killing me…
MenVsBoys
April 22nd, 2010
9:53 pm
Well, McCann did crush it, but the Phils have done their homework on our hitters. They are always in the right spot defensively.
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:53 pm
you know, in these situations i’d prefer the strike out to a ground ball.
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:54 pm
I think Troy Glaus swings and misses harder than Ryan Klesko
todd grantham
April 22nd, 2010
9:54 pm
glaus hitting a whopping .173
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:54 pm
What a shock….
todd grantham
April 22nd, 2010
9:54 pm
well, .169
MenVsBoys
April 22nd, 2010
9:54 pm
Missed it by a foot,
Vino Fino
April 22nd, 2010
9:55 pm
Blew the 86MPH fastball by him!!!
The Ghost of Greg Norton
April 22nd, 2010
9:55 pm
Another wasted opportunity… sounds like (my) 2009 all over again.
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:55 pm
WHEN DO WE START STARTING HINSKE!??!?!?! Mother F%#%$%#
todd grantham
April 22nd, 2010
9:55 pm
a major league player is making 831 outs for every 1,000 at bats.
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
9:56 pm
i bet glaus has more strikeouts than jurrjens and hudson do pitching.
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:57 pm
Freddie Freeman on line one…
MenVsBoys
April 22nd, 2010
9:57 pm
1995 seems like another century….Oh yeah, it was.
I mean 1995 seems like a hundred years ago.
Vino Fino
April 22nd, 2010
9:58 pm
Oh, good Hinske is in as a defensive replacement. Wouldn’t want him to get 3 or 4 at bats- he might hit 3 doubles!!
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
9:58 pm
VF – Need to put Hinske in late. We wouldn’t want Glaus to get hurt whiffing at 86 MPH fastballs in a blowout.
Mark Bradley
April 22nd, 2010
9:59 pm
Back now. These games last too long. That 10 p.m. deadline gets harder every night.
Mark Bradley
April 22nd, 2010
10:00 pm
But I did manage to peek over the computer to watch a Brave strike out to end an inning. That couldn’t have been Glaus.
The Ghost of Greg Norton
April 22nd, 2010
10:00 pm
Maybe you should have Joe West make some comments about the pace of these Brave-Phillie games.
Vino Fino
April 22nd, 2010
10:00 pm
Good call, Bryan- that’s an oblique strain waiting to happen
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
10:00 pm
Glaus really is getting Nortonian.
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
10:01 pm
VF – If we were so lucky
kurula
April 22nd, 2010
10:01 pm
well, i mean…you can’t REALLY blame wren for taking a cheap chance. if glaus would have hit like he did before his injury…that’s some cheap power. turns out, they got an everyday greg norton.
todd grantham
April 22nd, 2010
10:01 pm
Mark, how much of the story do you have to write for that deadline when the game’s not over? and no, that is a serious question. thanks
Mark Bradley
April 22nd, 2010
10:02 pm
By the way, I thought Weatherspoon was a good pick by Dimitroff. The two offensive linemen he wanted — Maurkice Pouncey and Mike Iupati — were gone, as were Brandon Graham and Derrick Morgan.
rob graner
April 22nd, 2010
10:02 pm
Dez Bryant to the Cowboys….now will he be like a real reciver or another Roy Williams
Bryan G.
April 22nd, 2010
10:02 pm
Kurula – I dont’ blame Wren for bringing Glaus in. It was worth the try. I blame Cox for playing him and batting him 5th.
MenVsBoys
April 22nd, 2010
10:02 pm
5 Runs, 6 Outs. C’MON!