Kimbrel is undone by Infante, and this believer says, ‘Uh, oh’
Is the former skipper waving goodbye to the postseason? (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
I had my lecture notes ready, and the subject was, “Patience, children.” The Braves had overridden a 4-1 deficit through much help from the opponent and were one out from victory, and victory would mean a 3 1/1-game lead with eight remaining. And Craig Kimbrel, Mr. Automatic for the People, was on to do what Craig Kimbrel does, and after a nervous couple of days — heck, a nervous couple of weeks — order was set to be restored.
Then Craig Kimbrel, who had yielded one home run in his first 97 big-league appearances, was touched for his second in two days. Doing the deed: Omar Infante, former Brave and author of five homers this season. And the lead’s down to 2 1/2 games with eight left, the Cardinals somehow having gained ground on a night when they faced Roy Halladay and the Braves were one out from victory.
And now I say, “Patience? It can be overrated.”
As of Sunday afternoon, I was convinced the Braves were still in fine shape. They were 4 1/2 up and had a one-run lead on the Mets, and the Braves with a one-run lead this season have been safe as houses. But Jonny Venters started walking people, which Jonny Venters sometimes does, and this time he couldn’t tiptoe out of it. One blown save, one game lost on the field, one game lost (after St. Louis beat Cole Hamels on Sunday night) in the standings. And now this reversal in Miami. And now …
My faith is, shall we say, undergoing a test.
Even in a season where Dan Uggla stopped hitting for three months and 40 percent of the rotation has gotten hurt, these Braves have been able to bank on their bullpen. It’s why they were 8 1/2 games in front the morning after Labor Day. It’s why they figure — figured? — to be a tough out in the postseason. But now the bullpen is showing the strain, and if that goes then what’s left?
I don’t know the answer. I’m not sure I want to know the answer. All I know for certain is this: I no longer consider the Braves a postseason certainty.
On paper, they still should make it. But some games are so galling they make you wad up that paper and toss it in the trashcan.
By Mark Bradley
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222 comments Add your comment
todd grantham
September 19th, 2011
11:09 pm
Yes, but have you ever tried to shake off the catcher? Man, some of those guys can get mad.
heh heh
Herschel Talker
September 19th, 2011
11:10 pm
MB:
We Atlanta fans are sick and tired of the stomach punches, so we see these things coming ahead of time and prepare ourselves. We suggest you do the same. Keep up the good blogging.
HT
RaleighDawg
September 19th, 2011
11:10 pm
….and when is Fredi going to man up and start pulling Chipper for defense ? This is NOT the first easy grounder he’s missed…
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:11 pm
And here’s why you can’t ever assume anything in baseball: The Cardinals faced Roy Halladay, who’s about the best there is, tonight. Who won?
Oh Brother
September 19th, 2011
11:11 pm
Blame this on the philosophy that a starter goes 6 innings. I am with Leo (who knows much more than the current staff) – if a starter is pitching well, keep him in as long as possible. Leo never had his bullpen collapse like this….he knows baseball.
todd grantham
September 19th, 2011
11:12 pm
I think Chipper’s gotta volunteer to come out for defense. His position with the Braves is a lot stronger (at least at the moment) than Fredi’s is.
Bill
September 19th, 2011
11:12 pm
If they make play-offs will it be three and out..1st round flop!
Oh Brother
September 19th, 2011
11:13 pm
These young kids have been over used. This isn’t on them.
LakeDawg
September 19th, 2011
11:13 pm
The Braves don’t have a killer instinct. After gaining the lead, they took the 8th and 9th innings off at the plate. Clearly not the same focus they had in the 7th. It left them with no room for error. Its a recurring theme and the reason they came out after the all-star break slow after being red hot and one of the reasons for the current slump (injuries have had something to do with it also). The Phillies focus every game, every inning and have pulled away. Stiil think the Braves are in, though.
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:14 pm
And that’s another thing: You can’t extrapolate a postseason loss from what you’re seeing now. The Giants lost Games No. 160 and 161 to fall into a tie with San Diego last fall. They won No. 162 to make the playoffs. Then they won the World Series.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:14 pm
Mark,
Pretty dreadful day..but after your column like this, I feel better..seriously, somehow every time you write ‘confident, we are going to do it’ column, Braves come reeling down…and when you write column with harsh words, things turn around…I know it is just a coincidence but it has happened way too often in my memory.. May be Braves players read your column and either get a wake-up call or get complacent depending upon how you wrote it
Sonny Clusters
September 19th, 2011
11:14 pm
Constanza should be in the lineup.
todd grantham
September 19th, 2011
11:15 pm
Mark, just wondering why you didnt move on to ESPN or national forum as so very many of your colleagues have. Seeing Mark Schlabach on tv tonight spurred that thought.
Oh Brother
September 19th, 2011
11:16 pm
Loser vs Winner – braves vs. falcons. the braves have wren (sheesh) and the falcons have dimitroff. the braves have gonzo (sheesh times two) and the falcons have smith. The braves lose with more (sheesh infinity) and the falcons win with less.
Glad it is football season cause I am sick of these braves.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:16 pm
Here is a thought that even Philly fans won’t like..If Cardinals do reach play-off, they will be facing Phillies in the first round. Having taken 3 out of 4 recently, that should serve give them some edge..
DetroitBraves
September 19th, 2011
11:17 pm
I think saying Leo Mazzone’s staffs never had tough, late inning losses out of the bullpen is conveniently forgetting 1991, and 1992, and 1993, and 1996, and 1999, and 2002, and …….
But I’m with MB. Tough loss. Several missed opportunities this month. Numbers still favor the Braves. Don’t put those postseason tickets up on Stubhub just yet.
McCant
September 19th, 2011
11:17 pm
Mark do you watch baseball much? You think young pitchers are going to shake off their veteran catcher? They won’t! and they shouldn’t have to! McCann overthinks too much.
Robb
September 19th, 2011
11:17 pm
definitely not feeling good about the Braves right now. it sure doesn’t help when two key members of the starting staff are on the DL-hopefully, we can get out of the doldrums and win some games. Cards and Giants are coming on strong, don’t want to have to beat Philly for the wild card
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:18 pm
Mark,
If my memory serves right, the Braves downfall started after the Irene break..would that be right?
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:19 pm
That’s what the Braves think, SG10.
Me, I think that’s a pretty weak excuse. Time off in a six-month season is a bad thing?
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:20 pm
What happened with the Braves (funny how things are easy to see in hindsight): The hitting got going for a while and they built the wild-card lead to a margin not usually seen in wild-card races, and then Jurrjens and Hanson got hurt and the hitting receded and pretty much all that was left was the bullpen, and the strain on the bullpen is showing.
Oh Brother
September 19th, 2011
11:20 pm
duh…every team has tough, late inning losses. Our team is now making a habit of it….overworked overworked overworked. Leo didn’t over work his guys.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:22 pm
I know..the break should be great thing, I would imagine..particularly for those relievers. I think I have another explanation.. The Braves fall would have started much earlier if not for few brilliant weeks that Constanza had until he twisted his ankle.. I think after he missed few games, the Braves downfall has started…unfortunately, there is no cure with the way McCann and Prado are hitting these days.. Uggla cannot carry offense like Howard, Pujols do or Chipper did in his good days.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:24 pm
Okay. Let me ask you question that I asked few weeks back..may be the answer is different now. How many wins or losses would you attribute to FG being the coach versus BC last year? I think it would be +3 to +5.
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:24 pm
McCann not hitting is a massive factor. He carried this team for three months.
That said, the starting pitching was so good for so long that not much offense was warranted.
Oh Brother
September 19th, 2011
11:24 pm
Cardinal fans know their baseball…Cards will get better support in the playoffs anyway.
Benadawg
September 19th, 2011
11:25 pm
If we get in it will be over really quick……We suck, its a different player every night who screws up a hard played game….Thanks Chipper.
todd grantham
September 19th, 2011
11:27 pm
Do YOU think its overwork Mark?
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:27 pm
I think the Braves are getting hits..no question..as everyone knows, they are not getting timely hits.. I don’t know how you can fix that..it is not a technical thing that can be fixed..it is mostly mental and somewhat luck based..
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:27 pm
On Aug. 29, the Cardinals trailed the Braves by 9 1/2 games. Just a note.
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:28 pm
Yeah, I do, todd. But what’s the alternative? Let Kimbrel and Venters have two weeks off in July and let Linebrink and Sherrill close?
Bill
September 19th, 2011
11:28 pm
constanza needs to play..agree
Michael
September 19th, 2011
11:29 pm
I’m not even going to ask why anyone would want this team in the playoffs. Let the WC go to a team that might put up a fight once they got there.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:29 pm
When McCann carried the Braves, he mostly did it by hitting big home runs…now late in the season, he seems to be tired and those HR hits are now fly-balls.. would that be correct to say?
todd grantham
September 19th, 2011
11:29 pm
Just a note is a polite way of saying just sayin’
Mark Bradley
September 19th, 2011
11:30 pm
McCann is doing what hitters do when they’re aren’t hitting: He’s swinging too hard.
Bradley's Foggy Crystal Ball
September 19th, 2011
11:30 pm
No backing out now, Bradley! You predicted they would close it out this week and you whiffed, proving once again that you are the worst baseball writer and prognosticator in the country.
Please go to Macon!
wes
September 19th, 2011
11:31 pm
FG has blown alot more than Bobby would have. For instance the first game against the Dodgers at Turner Field on Sept 1. The Braves have a lead late in the game 5-3 he doesn’t use kimbrel or venters in that game to hold the lead. We lose that game and its been a pattern the whole month. Now he has no choice but to use them if he even get a lead with these sorry hitters.
todd grantham
September 19th, 2011
11:31 pm
Why use both in every game? although the innings add up the same if you pitch one every night or 2 every other night.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:31 pm
Actually, saying that Venters, Kimbrel lost it yesterday or Chipper, Kimbrel lost it today is putting blame at the wrong place…it is like Conrad lost it last year. The main culprit is offense which should score enough runs to give more than 1 run cushion to your team to absorb fielding errors or bad pitches.. it seems like Braves hitters are spoilt by this awesome trio of relief pitchers that after getting 1 run lead, they just basically shut-down their offense..don’t try to score more runs..it has happened way too often.
TheAntiMe
September 19th, 2011
11:32 pm
Maybe the Braves and Red Sox can meet in the postseason in a match-up of two teams who managed to blow an almost insurmountable wild-card lead. In honor of the way the two teams are playing like clowns it could be played to honor the memory of the late great Bozo The Clown and be called – The Almost Wild-Card Winner Series. Just a thought.
Bradley's Foggy Crystal Ball
September 19th, 2011
11:32 pm
1991 World Series – “Braves in Six and Pitching is Why” by Mark Bradley.
todd grantham
September 19th, 2011
11:33 pm
Man, the filters being a pain tonight
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:34 pm
I feel like Braves players are mentally fatigued.. I know watching them these days, I feel fatigued.. I can’t imagine the players.. of course, the only cure to this is winning few games but doing that is hard when you are mentally fatigued.. (not to mention physically fatigued with overload)
Bradley's Foggy Crystal Ball
September 19th, 2011
11:34 pm
Bradley is doing what writers do when they know nothing about the sports they write about: they backtrack on their earlier predictions.
PhilsFanFromNJ
September 19th, 2011
11:35 pm
@SG10 at 11:18, I beleive the Phils would rather face the Cards vs the Braves. The Braves are a better team regardless of the outcome of the WC race, they have much better relief pitching. Trust me the Phils would be happy to face the Cards instead of the Braves. Of all the postseason candidates (Braves, Brewers, Dbacks, Cards, Giants), the Phils would be most scared of the following teams (in order of hardest to easiest)
1. Giants (Phils do not want Cain and Lincecum 4 times in 7 game series)
2. Braves
3. Brewers
4. Cards
5. Dbacks
I still beleive the Brave will win wildcard. Remember the last 3 games against the Phils in Atlanta are W’s since AAA players will be in the lineup from the 5th inning on.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:37 pm
I bet that tomorrow we will see Heyward in 2nd spot in the batting order. Time to move Prado down.. it is really sad watching Prado struggle. He has been my favorite player these past couple of seasons. He seemed like one of the players who would always figure things out.
Dr. Phil
September 19th, 2011
11:38 pm
I go to see the Braves each spring in Florida, and I am a pretty loyal fan. Fredi has done a good job for a first-year manager. The Braves lost their two best pitchers, and that has certainly made a difference in the last two months. But this team does not deserve to be in the playoffs. St.Louis obviously is a better team and wants it more than the Braves. It will not be good for the city or the team for the Braves to stumble into the post season playing the way they have lately.
MitchC
September 19th, 2011
11:39 pm
Mark, over the years I’ve posted here, you know that I’ve fondly referred to you as “Mr Negative” regarding your stance on the Braves. This time, I think you may be taking an overconfident stance.
The Braves are in a freefall. They are playing as badly and stinking things up ah la the 2007 Mets who I as a Mets hater so cruelly laughed at.
The reason the Braves have a chance is that, unless the Phillies want to strive to keep the Braves out of the playoffs. Charlie Manuel, like Cox used to when he won division titles early, wont be pitching guys like Halliday and Hamels for eight innings in next weeks season finales.
The Braves need to win siome games, and soon. This is getting scary. The Cardinals are hot, and the Phillies may well sleepwalk through the rest of the season.
SG10
September 19th, 2011
11:39 pm
If Red Sox lose out in WC race, what must A. Gonzalez feel like watching his teams choke in the last month for two seasons in a row ?