Live from the ballyard: The Lowe-down on a big-game pitcher
Derek Lowe started Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS in the old Yankee Stadium. No pressure there. Only 85 years of Red Sox angst bottled into one night in the Bronx.
He won the game. Went on two days’ rest. Pitched six innings, yielded one hit and one earned run.
One week later, Derek Lowe started Game 4 of the World Series in the old Busch Stadium. No pressure there. Only the Curse of the Bambino and all that other sad New England history to put to rest.
He won the game. Pitched seven innings, yielded three hits and no runs.
Yeah, 2004 was a while ago — but not so long as 1918 was to Red Sox Nation — and we in Atlanta haven’t seen much of that D-Lowe in his two seasons here. But the Braves signed him for $15 million per annum for two reasons: First, Lowe never misses a start, and second, he’s a big-game pitcher.
Lowe missed one start this season. It came early this month after he received a cortisone shot for the bone chip in his elbow. He’s 4-0 since. He has yielded three earned runs in 25 September innings. He’s the reason the Braves lead the wild card chase by 1 1/2 games with four to play. He has done what even Tim Hudson couldn’t do — won big games by the bunch.
A lot of people wanted rid of Lowe after last season, Frank Wren chief among them. But the GM couldn’t find anybody willing to take that salary, and you know what? Sometimes the best trades (all together now) …
Are the ones you don’t make. The Braves would have been long gone without D-Lowe, and today they dispatch him to the hill again. He’s pitching on three days’ rest. Doesn’t matter. He’s Derek Lowe. He’s a gamer.
And with that, the floor is open for questions, comments and postseason projections. (I think the Braves will play the Giants in Round 1.) I’ll be here until the end of this strangely timed — game time is 4:35 p.m. — tilt, and I’d be obliged if you’d ride along. And I offer my thanks in advance.
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baseball pitcher elbow injuries | AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL
September 29th, 2010
7:52 pm
[...] Live from the ballyard: The Lowe-down on a big-game pitcher | Mark … [...]
jpk
September 29th, 2010
7:57 pm
Lowe has proven his value in big games and in taking the ball every 5th day or 3rd day as needed. Remember he was the fallback option after AJ Burnett turned down $80M+. With AJ and his 15 losses for a 1st place team likely dropped from the rotation and maybe the playoff roster, I am happy we had to go to Lowe as our fallback.
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
7:59 pm
No, david s. The wild card qualifier doesn’t get home field
rc35
September 29th, 2010
8:04 pm
A-Gon left 8 men on base tonight with his o-fer. Could we at least give Diory a shot next time and let ol’ Agony give us a break?
Headley Lamar
September 29th, 2010
8:11 pm
Go Cubs Go !!!
Padres lose tonight its over.
Sons of Rick Matula
September 29th, 2010
8:14 pm
As a Sawx fan, thanks Mark for the ‘04 references for D Lowe. Good times. The bottom line in 2010 is win and get in. We still can’t seem to break anything open. Gonzo is struggling. But we did what we had to do – sweep the Fish. This Braves team by all rights should be 20 games out. Ain’t it fun?
hot err
September 29th, 2010
8:24 pm
Brooks Conrad is the 2010 Mark Lemke. Hopefully he can provide some of the same magic in the Playoffs…
Chief Knockahoma X
September 29th, 2010
8:29 pm
Braves win. Braves win. Chop! Chop!
Clarence
September 29th, 2010
8:39 pm
Is the game over yet?
Chief Knockahoma X
September 29th, 2010
8:41 pm
@ charlie,
Yes, Braves won 5-1. The game started at 4: 30.
Farnsworth
September 29th, 2010
8:44 pm
The Braves pitching has been awesome! Lowe was really good today; the best I’ve seen him. He is defintely a cold weather pitcher. The bullpen has been fantastic! Just imagine how good this team would be if we had a couple more quality hitters in the line up. They’d be good enough to really challenge the Phillies.
After the misery of losing to the Pirates/Phils/Nats—it has become fun again. We are back in this thing!
Farnsworth
September 29th, 2010
8:47 pm
The cable channel went out* and I listened to the last three innings on radio—it was great! Like old times.
*Time Warner’s service in this area sucks….
Keith
September 29th, 2010
8:50 pm
Bradley, I’m soooo glad I went down to the ballpark today!
Lowe may be warming up for the playoff run. Remember a few of those big playoff games he has pitched in recent years.
Huddy/Hanson/Lowe would be a formidable rotation in a short series, and I’m encouraged by JJ’s bullpen session…those 4 guys healthy would give me hope again.
Bobby HAS to be considered for MANAGER OF THE YEAR this year! He has done soo much with so little…I mean, it was laughable when i was looking at our lineup tonight…the averages went something like this…
326
279
255
255
259
286
262
Something like that. To see that we have only ONE .300 hitter on our lineup these days after Prado’s injury, and Infante didn’t even play the entire year.
GO BRAVES!
Keith
September 29th, 2010
8:53 pm
My post just vanished. Only does it with yours, Bradley.
Farnsworth
September 29th, 2010
8:54 pm
Final comment: It was nice reading the blog and not having some annoying Phillies fan horning in every other post. We get enough of that rudeness from obnoxious Mets fans.
Keith
September 29th, 2010
8:54 pm
Lowe may be gearing up for the postseason. He has been our pitcher when it really mattered.
Also, was looking at the lineup tonight and it made me laugh @ the Bobby-bashers out there….our lineup went something like this (averages)
326
279
255
255
259
262
285
252
Cox deserves to be considered for MANAGER OF THE YEAR!
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
8:55 pm
Here’s the game column, if you’re inclined. If not, thanks for hanging with me again.
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
8:56 pm
Keith, it has to do with the length of your posts, I believe. The spam filter doesn’t like long posts.
Keith
September 29th, 2010
8:58 pm
Mark, ok. I’ll keep that in mind in teh future. You can delete one of my redundancies then.
Thanks for answering my question regarding that.
What do you think about post for Cox = MGR OF THE YEAR?
Booyah
September 29th, 2010
8:59 pm
Had a blast at the park today Mark – just plowed through your comments – nice stuff as usual.
Uggla nuked a BP homer five or six row into the second deck right up under the Coke bottle tonight. Ever seen one longer than that?
Also – nice buzz and energy at the park – have not seen than in years.
Damon Redpanty
September 29th, 2010
8:59 pm
I would make a great PR guy for the Braves
Booyah
September 29th, 2010
9:01 pm
Mark – saw Uggla nuke a BP homer into second deck right up under Coke bottle this afternoon. Ever seen one hit further than that?
Great buzz and energy at park today!
BMW guy
October 1st, 2010
7:36 pm
I wish I could write like you as Margaret Laurence once said “When I say “work” I only mean writing. Everything else is just odd jobs.”