A weeklong playoff preview stamps Braves as October-ready
Who needs insurance runs? Alex Gonzalez after his homer. (AP photo)
We saw a week’s worth of October baseball in August, and what we saw tells us these Braves will be playing for more than a week when October comes. We didn’t just see them win the week. We saw them dominate.
They played seven games. They won six. Four of the victories came by one run. Two, Sunday’s included, finished 1-nil. These were the same manner of games the Braves played against San Francisco last fall, and they weren’t quite good enough — largely because they weren’t healthy enough — then. They’re good enough now.
October baseball is like World Cup soccer. (Hence the “1-nil” reference.) You have to score when you have a chance and keep the other guy from scoring when he gets his. The Braves won Sunday because Alex Gonzalez hit a home run, just as Chipper Jones had hit a home run off Tim Lincecum three days earlier, and because this team is tenacious enough to hold a one-run lead.
Said Fredi Gonzalez, the manager: “Our whole thing is, ‘Just get in.’ We feel like we have enough pitching to win in a short series. We can match up No. 1 and No. 2 against anybody.”
This week all but assured the Braves of a postseason berth. They lead the wild-card hunt by eight games with 34 remaining. They’re not blowing that. “It’s what we needed,” Chipper Jones said. “It allows us to relax and set our sights on the division [title].”
But winning the division doesn’t really matter. All that counts is being in position to play beyond the 162nd game. Then, as the cliche goes, everybody starts anew. And the Braves will be accustomed to what awaits them as anyone.
Said Chipper: “We’ve been playing playoff baseball for a long time now. The bottom line is that we’re not going to go out and score 10 runs very often. But we can go out and shut people down on the mound and defensively.”
Tim Hudson was great Sunday: Seven innings, three hits yielded. He wobbled only once. Kelly Johnson tripled to lead off the sixth, but he didn’t score. Heck, he wound up being the inning’s third out. Hudson induced Willie Bloomquist to ground to short. Then Freddie Freeman, the National League’s second-best rookie, gloved Chris Young’s foul pop while running away from the plate. Whirling, Freeman threw in the general direction of home. Brian McCann took the throw and lunged to tag Johnson. Hudson pumped his fist several times.
In the ninth, the National League’s best rookie did his own wriggling. First and third, one down. Craig Kimbrel struck out Paul Goldschmidt with a 99-mph fastball and Sean Burroughs on an 89-mph slider. Stirring stuff all around.
Loading ...Let’s be honest: The Phillies are a tremendous team. But let’s also note that tremendous regular seasons don’t guarantee anything in October. (Ask the Braves.) These Braves are suited to October in a way not many of their predecessors were: The splendid pitching doesn’t end when the starter exits. If anything, it’s only beginning: Eric O’Flaherty and Jonny Venters and now Arodys Vizcaino — he could be huge in the postseason — and finally Kimbrel.
Chipper again: “We can shorten games. It’s a race to the end of the sixth inning against us. If we’re winning then, we’ve got a 95 to 100 percent chance. If we’re tied or losing by a run, it’s a tossup.”
That was the Yankee Way under Joe Torre: Get a lead, nurse a lead, hold the lead. It helped that the Yankees had Mariano Rivera, the greatest reliever ever, but that’s October baseball. The team with the better bullpen tends to win. That’s why the Braves of the past 20 years, for all their starting pitching, took the World Series but once.
This is not the most gifted Braves team of recent vintage, but it might be the best-equipped to handle the playoffs. We now have every reason to believe this bunch won’t just make the playoffs but will win its Division Series. And then they’ll see the Phillies in the NLCS, and even then you have to like the Braves’ chances.
Just as the Phillies remind us of the Braves of the ’90s, don’t these Braves bear a resemblance to those Yankees? Refresh my memory: Who won when those two met?
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
152 comments Add your comment
Marolivina
August 21st, 2011
5:47 pm
Go Bravos!
Doggg
August 21st, 2011
5:49 pm
go Braves!!!
StottsEra
August 21st, 2011
5:50 pm
prediction: fredi gonzalez will over manage us out of the first NLDS. he’s just awful
Doggg
August 21st, 2011
5:51 pm
drools the drool of discust into the deep ditch of doldrums and dejection at not being first… while I do not like the “just get in” thing (I always want to win em all).. I can understand the emotion… great write, Mark…
Runner-
August 21st, 2011
5:53 pm
Looks more and more like the Braves will play the Brewers in the Division Series. Not liking our chances there, especially with the Brew Crew’s record at home. Gonna be tough, and I say we lose 3-1, but anything goes in the postseason and there’s still alot of baseball to be played.
wagster1969
August 21st, 2011
6:04 pm
Being a Braves fan here in Wisconsin, I go to quite a few Brewers games. The Brew Crew will be tough at home, however one thing about this Braves team. When they get a lead, they don’t let it go. I believe the playoff experience from last season will serve the Braves well. They got the pitching to go toe to toe with the Brewers. It’ll be a great series and whichever team comes out on top, will give the Phillies a hell of a time. GO BRAVES!!!
jerry
August 21st, 2011
6:04 pm
I miss the .230 hitting outfield of Nate, Jordan, and Jason. They were so predictble.
stevie zero
August 21st, 2011
6:05 pm
nice piece, mark. i really like our bench too with vets like hinske
NorCalBrave
August 21st, 2011
6:07 pm
If Moylan comes back strong, and we stay healthy, I like our chances to win it all. Wouldn’t hurt to get more consistent with RISP.
UGAJD
August 21st, 2011
6:12 pm
Ninth. And I’ll go on record with only a “Tommy Hanson needs to be ready to go caveat”– this team is going to win the World Series.
Really?
August 21st, 2011
6:13 pm
Heard briefly that the Braves signed someone to play 1st… a right hander (of course for that position) to give Freeman some time off… info please
Nate
August 21st, 2011
6:14 pm
I disagree Mark. If anything it showed me the Braves lack the ability to manufacture runs which is a must for playoff baseball. During the homestand against the Giants and Dbacks the Braves squandered multiple opportunities to score a runner from third with less than two outs. Too reliant on the homerun ball right now which is less likely to come in the postseason.
BravesWin
August 21st, 2011
6:19 pm
I’m feeling good about our prospects, too, MB, but we’re now in a 34-game pennant stretch. Lotta baseball left to be played. Great quote from Chipper about shortening games.
UGAJD
August 21st, 2011
6:20 pm
Nate, You must have missed the 2-1 extra innings victory in the Giants series. Or the first win of the D’Backs series. This team pitches, hits, plays defense and has tons of speed and a devastatingly effective bullpen. Most playoff ready Braves team since 96.
BoatDoc
August 21st, 2011
6:36 pm
The distance to the Phillies: 6.5 games
The distance from the Giants to the Braves for the WC: 8 games
Do they hear footsteps in the City of Brotherly Love?
Are they looking forward to facing our lineup and our starters and going past the sixth inning without the lead and knowing the O’Ventbrel will come out of the bullpen with fire in their eyes, smoke in their nostrils and lightning in their arms?
Wiggity Wiggity Whack
August 21st, 2011
6:37 pm
Sell them hope Mr. Bradley, sell them hope, just pay attention to that man in the dugout…
Granny's Hammer
August 21st, 2011
6:38 pm
“….Do they hear footsteps in the City of Brotherly Love?…”
Nope BD, we don’t.
Do you?
DetroitBraves
August 21st, 2011
6:42 pm
StottsEra – it is weird isn’t it to complain about a team with Atlanta’s record and talent but I’m with you. There have been so many times where they might have won except for his terrible in-game managing. Good article Mark. Good team. I totally see where Stotts is coming from but I sure hope his prediction doesn’t come to pass.
Terry Funk
August 21st, 2011
6:48 pm
I say what UGAJD said…this team is special..and here’s MY caveat..Jason Heyward is the “x factor”…he can push us past the Phillies if he plays like he can play….
DetroitBraves
August 21st, 2011
6:51 pm
Nate, it was a good week for the Braves but I see what you’re saying. Better to win than lose but all this grit, heart, and resolve stuff – I would feel better if they could score a few runs every now and then. Right now they would match up with the Brewers in the first round. I like the Braves bullpen better but the Brewers hit and have a pretty formidable top 3 in their rotation. I mean, is that series any better than a toss up for the Braves?
DaveinNEPA
August 21st, 2011
6:55 pm
Good article Bradley but I wish you would have kept it on ice. We don’t want to p*** off the baseball gods while we’re going so good, or did you forget “The 8 Reasons Why the Braves Won’t Blow This Lead” story from last year?
DetroitBraves
August 21st, 2011
6:55 pm
@Terry Funk, I’ve been arguing on here for a while that the main thing wrong with Jason Heyward is that shoulder hasn’t been right most of the year. Before that injury he was playing at least as well as he was last year, but since not so much. So if that’s right, hopefully he can get some time to get well before the playoffs now that the Braves have such a big lead. Big plus that really hasn’t been there since early May if the Heyward we all expected shows up in October.
Stinger2
August 21st, 2011
7:00 pm
Bradley does it again except this time you did not give us
eight reasons why the Braves will not blow the WC spot.
I can give you a couple of reasons why they could not make the playoffs. I don`t think its a sure thing yet.
1. If they continue to play against the mediocre teams losing series like they did against the Cubs last weekend and against the Nats before that.
2. If they continue to botch scoring opportunities leaving RISP like the have done in many recent games. The cannot expect to keep wining one or two run games consistently. This will put too much pressure on both the starters and reliefers.
3. The DBacks and Giants and possibly St. Louis may not be done yet. Granted the Braves handled the West leaders with ease this week,but it does not mean these teams are done.
Growler
August 21st, 2011
7:02 pm
Boatdoc, I’d say the Cardinals are the only team with a even a small chance of catching the Braves. The events of the past week virtually assure the NL West loser stays home (remember: they have to play each other 6 times, which automatically adds to the Braves lead vs. either of them). If the Braves avoid getting swept in St. Louis next month, they’ll breeze into the post-season. I still am not buying their offense, and hoping the don’t do stupid things like the failed suicid squeeze.. .but yeah, their late-inning pitching is beyond great… what other team can say that right now?
Idiot Blogger
August 21st, 2011
7:03 pm
Yes, Freddie a terrible manager, they are 75-52, Freddie has cost them at least 15 games, they realistically should be 90-37 with the payroll and talent they have. Oh, and Wren is terrible too, if I were GM, we would have even more talent that would have won us another 10 games, so then we would be 100-27. Yea, that’s it, because I know baseball, I played little league.
Mr Charlie
August 21st, 2011
7:07 pm
Braves have 24 games left, if they go 16-18 they probably get the WC.
Mr Charlie
August 21st, 2011
7:08 pm
34 games left….
Brave Braverson
August 21st, 2011
7:13 pm
i’m gonna go on record, and everyone remember i said this, braves take the brewers, braves and phillies in NLCS. braves win it in the 7th game. braves and yankees in WS. braves wont even need 7 games to get the payback we deserve. oh to dream… but we’ll definitely take the brewers at least if we keep playing like this, that is unless, ya know we kick some philliy ass and take the division. which we will. i could do this for days
Stinger2
August 21st, 2011
7:16 pm
Mark Bradley: I left off an important point in my post above relating to its not a sure thing yet. The Braves have four games at Chicago and three in NY this week.
They could not beat the Cubs at home last week nor the Mets week before last. This is what I meant about losing to medicore teams. A repeat performance this week could
be a major setback to cinching a WC berth.
reebok
August 21st, 2011
7:19 pm
with Booby Cox gone, the Braves have a real chance to do some damage in the posteason. GO BRAVES!
THE WILLSTER
August 21st, 2011
7:20 pm
The Braves just need to continue winning series. Glavine brought something up during the broadcast last night that winning 7 in a row is great, but winning series (2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4) is what you want. Also, the Braves still have 6 left against those damn Phillies. Just continue to win series, and stay healthy and they have half a chance this year…
J-bone
August 21st, 2011
7:24 pm
i’m with Idiot Blogger.
a.j.
August 21st, 2011
7:30 pm
It’s not how you are playing now that matters.
Look at Colorado a few short years ago.
The last two weeks in September will be
key whether it’s something with the Phillies,
or playoff position with Milwaukee.
BrianSC
August 21st, 2011
7:33 pm
Just think. The bullpen is already nasty with O’Ventbrel (7th, 8th, and 9th). Add in Moylan and you’ve got O’Moyventbrel. Guess what? They gets shortened from the 6th inning to the 5th inning because you have…
O’Flaherty or Moylan – 6th
Moylan O’Flaherty – 7th
Venters – 8th
Kimbrel – 9th
WoW!!! These guys just have to stay healthy. Fredi can’t burn them out down the stretch. Don’t use them unless necessary.
Great games this week, Braves!!! Way to go!!!
I guess I shouldn’t be happy, but J-Roll left the game today for the Phils with a barking groin. Could this be the weakness in the armor that leads to a slip. For the record, I was happy. That was great news!
Off to Chicago for four. 3 out of 4 is the goal. Let’s go Braves! Keep up the great work.
a.j.
August 21st, 2011
7:39 pm
Important road games in Chicage and New York.
These are the situations that you don’t like, especially
coming off two big series.
Cliff Lee's second cousin twice removed
August 21st, 2011
7:42 pm
You Atlanta boys don’t stand a chance. You can’t even fill your stadium. Give it up now punks. Come to Philly and get punched in the mouth.
mikdeDW
August 21st, 2011
7:59 pm
Scot and Detroit: you’re wrong.
Thank god for a little, actual management. Bobby’s philosophy sucked; “let’s just run the same 9 out there every night.” That’s why we have 1 w.s. out of how many post seasons?
Glad to have a little thought behind things.
I support Freddi.
Fish Bisch
August 21st, 2011
7:59 pm
We owned the Dbags and Gnats.
Jeff
August 21st, 2011
8:11 pm
Problem is the brewers are just as good as the braves and that’s who we will play. Not sure why you think they will so easily beat them.
Furman Bitcher
August 21st, 2011
8:12 pm
Phils bullpen sucks! did you see that hack pitch the ninth for the Phils today. i love to see him.
Furman Bitcher
August 21st, 2011
8:13 pm
Braves were 5-3 against Brewers this year. I say we match up real well
Doug
August 21st, 2011
8:23 pm
Maybe since no one on the team can bunt, we should stop trying the suicide squeeze.
Pat's Rockett
August 21st, 2011
8:40 pm
What scares me is that knucklehead, Fredi Gonzalas . He has actually cost the Braves 7 games this year because of his dumb decisions and almost cost his team an 8th with that stupid suicide squeeze. You can tell when he tries to outthink himself by the far away look he gets in his eyes. This team wins in spite of its manager.
30324dawg
August 21st, 2011
8:40 pm
i agree with UGAJD- if Hanson pitches like he did for a while this team is deep enough and consistent enough to win it all.
pdt
August 21st, 2011
8:41 pm
Two things will make it possible to win it all. 1) do not, under any circumstances put Sherrill or Linebrink in a game. 2) If Alex the Rallykiller comes up with someone on base do NOT let him swing. Stand there and either walk or strike out. Either is better than the guaranteed double play.
mojochopper
August 21st, 2011
8:45 pm
Enter your comments here
Furman Bitcher
August 21st, 2011
8:46 pm
The squeeze was the worst call of the year
WestOfAthens
August 21st, 2011
8:48 pm
I bear witness, these Braves will deliver. Oh, thanks for you apparent love and homage to these Bravos Mr. Bradley.
mojochopper
August 21st, 2011
8:48 pm
Unfortunately (Furman Bitcher) the Brew crew the braves faced earlier this season and man handled are not the same team now. They have added a few nice pieces and are HOT right now. Don’t get me wrong I still very much like our chances but I don’t seeing them as an automatic cake walk.
Steve
August 21st, 2011
8:53 pm
Idiot blogger:
the best post of the day, by far !