Live from Braves-Phils: First place – wouldn’t it be nice?
"Got to keep those lovin' good vibrations happenin'." (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Braves haven’t been in first place this late in a season since Oct. 2, 2005. They’ll be in first place if they win today.
How’s that for a snappy lead?
Memorial Day at the ballyard. Phils in the house.Big crowd assembling. Traffic a mess. Clouds overhead. Beach Boys to perform afterward.
(And here I pause for a Beach Boys digression. I saw Brian Wilson perform at the Daytona 500 a few years ago, and I thought to myself: Here’s an individual who couldn’t bring himself to leave his house — the one with the sandbox in the living room — for years at a time, and now he’s standing up there in front of a couple hundred thousand other individuals.)
Chipper Jones said it Sunday: “We’d like to win two of three. When we’ve played these guys the last few years, we went in knowing we had to sweep.”
True enough. Since 2005, which ended the run of excellence, the latest the Braves have been in first was May 15, 2007. So you could say there’s something at stake today. Then again …
It’s baseball. This is Game No. 51. There will be 111 games remaining after this. You don’t clinch pennants on Memorial Day, and the Phillies, who have been hurting — Jimmy Rollins is on the disabled list and Placido Polanco has been hurt — and who haven’t been scoring (six runs in the past eight games, three in the past six). And the Braves won’t face either Roy Halladay, who just worked a perfect game, or Jamie Moyer, who’s 2-0 against the Braves this season without yielding an earned run.
In sum, you have to think the Braves have a splendid chance to win this series, which would not only put them in first place on Memorial Day but would leave them there on June 2. Which would be big news ’round here.
And I’ll be here to witness the doings, and I invite you to join me. And if Brian Wilson and Mike Love get into a fistfight afterward — Love famously thought Wilson’s shelved masterpiece “Smile” was gobbedlygook — I’ll tell you who prevails.
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513 comments Add your comment
Marty
May 31st, 2010
3:16 pm
They are just getting Wagner a save situation.
ATL FAN363
May 31st, 2010
3:16 pm
come on now
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
3:16 pm
Tommy Hanson throws 109 pitches and gives up three hits. Peter Moylan throws 11 and yields three.
kurula
May 31st, 2010
3:16 pm
yep…uh oh.
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
3:17 pm
I hope Moylan hasnt awakened the sleeping giant…
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 31st, 2010
3:17 pm
3 righties, 3 doubles, ball coming out flat good day senoir Moylan.
TheJHeyKid.com
May 31st, 2010
3:17 pm
Get the official The J-Hey Kid shirt only at http://thejheykid.com
kurula
May 31st, 2010
3:18 pm
venters has yet to give of a run at home…knock on wood.
Sid
May 31st, 2010
3:18 pm
typical Bobby Cox… Hansen retires 13 in a row gives up a hit which really should have been caught and gets pulled for that hack. Retirement day can’t get here soon enough.
JTH
May 31st, 2010
3:18 pm
Ha, too slow Marty!
Ashley
May 31st, 2010
3:18 pm
Since Hanson didn’t hit anyone with a pitch during the game, maybe he can throw one at Moylan in the clubhouse?
ATL FAN363
May 31st, 2010
3:18 pm
Yea mabey hanson should have finished the inng
.
May 31st, 2010
3:18 pm
It ant over till its over, right berra.
G
May 31st, 2010
3:19 pm
Better get your out here with Utley and Howard waiting.
Bobby Cox
May 31st, 2010
3:19 pm
Shouldn’t I be in jail for years of abusing alcohol and my wife? At the least, I should’ve be fired by the Braves, like any other member of society!!!!!!!
Brock
May 31st, 2010
3:20 pm
So Tommy retires 14 out of 15 and he gets pulled because a guy hits a double. Moylan lets the first guy get a double and he keeps him in. Then another guy gets a double and he leaves him in. Then another…..you get the picture.
Dr. Warren
May 31st, 2010
3:20 pm
Braves keeping or losing this lead could determine a lot about their self-image for the rest of this season. Or I should say–if they lose, it will be a damn hard blow.
David
May 31st, 2010
3:20 pm
I knew the Phillies would wake up.They have to good of a offense.But I do believe the Braves will hang on and win this game.If Tommy can limit is walks.He would be able to pitch longer.Moylan just didn’t have it today.But we need to say.Hey we are still leading.We can get these runs back.Just stay focused.Cause the Phillies will score soon enough.GO BRAVES
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
3:21 pm
Venters plunks Gload. Even Vanover sees this one.
Michael
May 31st, 2010
3:21 pm
And if Tommy had given up three runs, Brock, you’d be saying Bobby sucks for not getting him out early enough.
JTH
May 31st, 2010
3:21 pm
No Bobby you should be in the damn dugout!
D B Cooper
May 31st, 2010
3:21 pm
why in the hell did Cox pull Hanson? God Ill be glad when he is gone
GT Alum
May 31st, 2010
3:21 pm
Guys, Hanson had thrown 109 pitches, and the ‘pen’s been one of the best in the majors so far this season. I would’ve liked to see Tommy get through the inning, but Bobby wanted to get him out of there with a very positive outing. Moylan’s having an off day. We’ll see if the next guy can do better.
Sid
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
absolutely Brock
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
Venters gets out of it.
G
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
This is bringing back memories of the collapse last year against these guys… At least Blaine Boyer can’t resurface.
Brock
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
IF IF IF IF. Let it happen. it didn’t did it. Shut up jackass
kurula
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
don’t want to wake this offense up….they have already exploded for 3 runs…IN ONE INNING!
Bo Diddley
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
Lay off Bobby! Pulling Hanson made complete sense at the time. Claudell Washington would’ve done the same thing if he were a manager.
JTH
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
Yes, it was the right call to pull Hanson. Moylan just had a bad day. 6-3 with the Braves at bat feels good.
Marty
May 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
Glad that 3rd out finally came.
ATL FAN363
May 31st, 2010
3:23 pm
Lets get those runs back and end this one
Ashley
May 31st, 2010
3:23 pm
Naptime Phillies offense! Go back to sleep!
kurula
May 31st, 2010
3:24 pm
heyward hasn’t had a hit in his last three at bats… let’s see if he’ll end that slump.
Brock
May 31st, 2010
3:24 pm
Looks like the offense may have to bail out another bonehead decision by Cox….again.
Kashi
May 31st, 2010
3:26 pm
Bradley……u think we can stop Phillies here? Phillies has a comeback win history against braves. C’mon braves…..just 6 more out and we are in FIRST place.
Sid
May 31st, 2010
3:27 pm
Brock…how many dozens of times have we seen this in the past 20 years.
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
3:27 pm
They brought their Bastardo in…hmmm
Brock
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
hell sid in the last month. I feel ya though.
ATL FAN363
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
Mabey haywards just saving it up for the next two
Marty
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
I don’t know what your problems are with Bobby Cox. Moylan is a great picture that was having an off day. Why don’t you put in an application next year from your couch since you can do so much better.
Stone
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
hey Bradley,… maybe Brian Wilson can come in and pitch since he’s not in the Beach Boy’s band anymore.
BKP
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
Hey Mark, you said at the beginning of the game that we had to feel good with a 3 run lead. It’s still 3 runs, so no sweat.
Rainy night in Ga.
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
my one armed granny > Peter Moylan
GT Alum
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
Brock, I’m one of the first to criticize Bobby as one of the worst in-game strategists ever. However, this really wasn’t that bad of a call. No, it didn’t work out well, but criticizing a move that really wasn’t that bad just makes you look ignorant and biased.
DC Braves Fan
May 31st, 2010
3:28 pm
Brock,
How many ML games have you won? Is it 2,500? No? Not yet.
Geez, Cox makes decisions that work adn decisions that dont, just like every manager, but the logic behind lifting a guy after 109 picthes and a 6-0 lead is pretty sound.
You know, the guy has got his team on the verge of going into 1st place in the division, has won 14 of 18. At some point, you have to give the guy credit.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
3:29 pm
I probably would have let Hanson finish the inning, assuming he could. I probably would have pulled Kawakami after the walk yesterday. But those are, as has been noted, the easiest second-guesses.
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
3:29 pm
Im sure you could do a better job Brock……homer
Elliptical Logician
May 31st, 2010
3:29 pm
Chipper’s due for another dinger.
Marty
May 31st, 2010
3:29 pm
Excuse me I meant pitcher. haha