Live from the ballyard: The skidding Braves need a win (duh)
The NL's pitcher of the month for May needs to halt a June swoon. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
The Braves had a chance to consolidate the gains made on their road trip, on which they went 7-3. They’ve since gone 1-4, their only victory coming on a walk-off balk. They lost a series to the Mets and have lost this one to the Rangers, and now they’re just trying to exercise damage control.
Jair Jurrjens is pitching today, and that’s usually a good thing. He’s 8-3 with an ERA of 2.13. But Alexi Ogando is working for Texas, and he’s 7-1 with an ERA of 2.71. And the Braves, as you know, have a way of making ordinary pitchers look like Walter Johnson. Imagine what they might do against a good one.
The Braves trailed the Phillies by two games a week ago. They’re six behind now, Philadelphia having beaten Felix Hernandez in Seattle last night. They’re still in good shape for the wild card — tied with St. Louis and Arizona for the lead in that category — but that six-game spread between first and second in the National League East is the widest in baseball.
A cheery note: Dan Uggla had two doubles Saturday, lifting his average to .176 and his RBI total to 21. (He’s sixth on the team in ribbies.) He’s batting second today in a strange lineup that has Jason Heyward hitting third, Freddie Freeman fifth and Nate McLouth — back from the DL — seventh. Diory Hernandez plays third base and hits eighth.
Of the Braves’ starting nine, only Brian McCann is hitting above .264. Only four are above .240. I’ve been saying for a while now that this time is going to hit, but I have to confess even the famous Bradley patience is eroding. Six games back on Father’s Day — time to get going.
And with that, the figurative floor is again open for questions, comments and Father’s Day greetings. I’ll be here all day, and I’d love your company. Thanks, as ever, in advance.
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179 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
1:57 pm
Jordan Schafer making Ogando work. Good AB.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
1:57 pm
Ogando needed 10 pitches to strike out Schafer.
rob
June 19th, 2011
1:59 pm
@chef- thanks for reminding me. ha
rilo
June 19th, 2011
2:03 pm
” Ogando needed 10 pitches to strikeout Schafer”
MB…I like how your reaching for positive things to say… Leadoff hitters shouldn’t strikeout….why we have two of our three most struggling hitters batting 1-2-3 I have no idea. Why don’t we just put FF in the leadoff spot…that way the innings will go by faster.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:07 pm
This is Jurrjens’ 40th pitch.
rilo
June 19th, 2011
2:08 pm
and he’s not fooling anyone
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:09 pm
Ogando singles. Two out, two out.
Cousin Vicker
June 19th, 2011
2:10 pm
This team is not comprised of enough proven players to say they are “better than they have been playing”. Uggla? He’s just another Mclouth (great trade on paper, then disappears when they put on a Braves uni). Heyward? Stop hyping this overrated kid until he proves himself. All he’s proven so far is that he stays injured and can put on a show in BP. Chipper is past his prime. Gonzales has been mediocre at the plate for nearly a year now. Seriously, this team is doing good to be where they are. They aren’t that good.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:11 pm
And now an error on Diory.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:13 pm
Jurrjens escapes again. Fifty pitches.
rilo
June 19th, 2011
2:20 pm
McCann’s at bat…small blip of the kind of at bat we had the whole team doing last year.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:21 pm
Freeman just missed a two-run shot. Nelson Cruz caught it at the top of the wall.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:25 pm
McCann steals second without a throw.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:26 pm
Ogando plunks Nate McLouth in the knee. Two out, two out.
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:27 pm
Will Nate stiffen up after that blow?
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:28 pm
Chipper still day to day?
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:28 pm
a quiet, quiet end of the second
rilo
June 19th, 2011
2:29 pm
This team is horrible…on to Soccer…This team is going nowhere
Dawgs Man
June 19th, 2011
2:32 pm
Is it negative when you just know that Hernandez would strike out to end the inning? Or was it just realizm based on prior performance. Is it negative when you know Alex Gonzalez is going to strike out on a low outside curveball even before he steps up to the plate? I dont think so. It is reality based on prior performance. Why can’t Parrish spend about a half day with Gonzalez to stop him from doing it?
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:32 pm
Nate McPlunk Nate McDrilled now Nate McSore
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:36 pm
Easier inning for J.J.
Pete
June 19th, 2011
2:36 pm
Wonder if Heyward could hit water if he fell out of a boat?
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:37 pm
JJ will do well to go 6 after 50 plus pitches already
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:39 pm
Mark, didnt a long forgotten ancestor of yours shorten the surmane from McBradley after he landed here?
rally
June 19th, 2011
2:39 pm
Rally to Bradley: Why is that these coaches can’t see what the fans see. Are they that nieve and believe that all is well or do they know something is wrong. I just can’t believe how many fundamentals of ABC are missing from hitting which is A to B to C.Because this is lacking every time they get two men or one men on they ought to be bunting them over until they can fix this funk. Its Pathetic personally. We are at the midpoint you either know we got hitters or we don’t. Unfortunately I say we don’t.
dandaman
June 19th, 2011
2:39 pm
Looks like its up to the pitcher to get the offense going again…
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:41 pm
Braves are swinging at terrible pitches.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:42 pm
I’m not sure about my ancestors, tg. I come from a long line of nondescript folks. (Just kidding. My Dad: Greatest man I’ve ever known.)
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
Well, Rally, they couldn’t have bunted them over in the second because there were two out.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
There’s one you don’t see every month: Catcher’s interference. Schafer on first with one out.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:44 pm
Now there’s two on with one out. But you don’t bunt with your No. 3 hitter.
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:44 pm
Jordan’s favorite singer is Jason Cheek, and Nate’s favorite historical event is Wounded Knee.
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:45 pm
what in the world was the interference?
Pete
June 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
You bent when your 3 hitter is hitting .210
Pete
June 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
bunt guys not bent
Pete
June 19th, 2011
2:48 pm
LOL, Heyward is awful. I mean awful. In over 500 at bats since the end of May last year he has 15 HR and 48 RBI
rob
June 19th, 2011
2:49 pm
@mark – do you think they will leave uggla in the 2 spot when martin comes back? maybe slide prado to 3rd and slide chipper down one? uggla is obviously hitting better as the #2
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:50 pm
Jason Heyward drives in two. Singles to left.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:52 pm
Don’t know, rob. Don’t know that you want McCann hitting fifth.
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:53 pm
at last for Jason.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:53 pm
Freeman singles. Men on first and third, two out.
Dawgs Man
June 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
Good rally Braves, but I am betting it is now over with Mr. No-Clutch Gonzalez who will more than likely strike out on one in the dirt.
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
wish JJ was only at about 30 pitches right now
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:55 pm
I will be very glad to see Diori go back to the bench
Dawgs Man
June 19th, 2011
2:55 pm
Well done Mr. No Clutch!!!! You suck.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
2:57 pm
Pretty bad. Torrealba and Young knock each other off Alex Gonzalez’s pop. Scored an error on the catcher. It’s 3-0.
rob
June 19th, 2011
2:57 pm
yeah mccann in 5th is the only prob. would that dare put chipper in the 5th spot? ha
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:58 pm
catcher’s having one of those days!
todd grantham
June 19th, 2011
2:59 pm
it was really pretty funny.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
Rally started with catcher’s interference, was aided by catcher’s incompetence.