At least the Braves have experience in win-or-blow-it games
Here's how it turned out last season. For reference purposes. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Looking on the bright side — and even finding a bright side takes concentrated effort — there’s this: If any team in the history of baseball knows how to win the 162nd game of a season behind Tim Hudson after losing two to the Phillies and entering Game No. 162 tied for the wild card after blowing a massive lead … well, the Braves are that team. Because they did it last season.
And that’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Rating the collapses, this season’s is much worse than last’s. The 2010 Braves ran out of everyday players; the 2011 Braves have run low on starting pitchers. Last year’s team had a hard time scoring for a pretty good reason; this team has a hard time scoring for no good reason.
Last year’s Braves lost a seven-game division lead because the Phillies got hot and got healthy (and got Roy Oswalt) and blew past them. This team has lost an 8 1/2-game wild-card lead to St. Louis, which was hot but is only 3-3 over the past six days and needed 23 players, eight of them pitchers, to override a five-run deficit against the 100-loss Astros on Tuesday.
So: Here we go again. One more game on the schedule, one game to assure these Braves of playing at least one more game after this.
Loading ...About the Cardinals: You’d have to think Chris Carpenter will win at Minute Maid Park tonight, but you’d have thought Carpenter would have beaten the Cubs on Friday and he could not. Carpenter was pulled after 93 pitchers for a pinch-hitter in a 1-1 game; the Cardinals yielded Alfonso Soriano’s winning three-run homer the next inning.
That Redbird loss pushed the Braves’ lead back to three games with five to play. They haven’t held it. Now they could face elimination if they don’t win tonight, but the way this stumbling chase is going they might lose to Philly and still get to play in St. Louis on Thursday. Indeed, for an hour or so Tuesday night it appeared the Braves — who trailed 7-0 — might take the wild card without actually winning another game. But the Cardinals rallied from 5-0 and 6-5 deficits, and here we are. Again.
Tim Hudson in the 162nd game. A team could do worse. For example: Derek Lowe in the 161st game — that was worse.
By Mark Bradley
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355 comments Add your comment
Oleo in South Ga.
September 28th, 2011
9:22 am
This whole debacle started in the loss to the Mets before Irene. Then we had 3 nights off because of the storm and completely loss any semblance of momentum or motivation. Amen.
Robert
September 28th, 2011
9:22 am
All things aside, can you imagine the pressure that Delgado, Minor and Beachy must feel knowing that they are forced to throw a shutout in order for their team to win?? I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Maybe the club should take the advice of Mark Grace and go find a few slump-busters!!!
Michael Marr
September 28th, 2011
9:23 am
Win or lose, they are rich, I’m not.
bad contracts
September 28th, 2011
9:25 am
I’m just looking forward to not having the Kawakami and McLouth contracts in 2012. That is going to free up a good chunk of money.
And we only have to put up with the Lowe and Jones contracts one more year. That’s even more money to be freed up for 2013.
Herschel Talker
September 28th, 2011
9:26 am
MB:
“Another silver lining: The Red Sox are providing cover, nationally speaking, with their flop.”
I disagree, that’s no silver lining. Less national press means less pressure on Frank Wren to fire this gang of bozos running the show in the dugout.
FIRE FREDI GONZALEZ!!!
HT
P Rose
September 28th, 2011
9:26 am
I know, ffjsisk, but a fish rots from the head down. This team is a rotting fish, and it has to start somewhere. I believe it has to do with the Braves’ general philosophy and their overall style of play. They desperately need a fresh new approach, but they’re never going to get one until the presence of their de facto leader is no longer in the dugout.
DetroitBraves
September 28th, 2011
9:27 am
@Smitty, good point. If you’ve already invested 161 games in this team you might as well stick around for one more. Who knows?
@Michael Marr, another good point.
Gene
September 28th, 2011
9:28 am
Thank you, sir. May I have another?
Darth Hater
September 28th, 2011
9:29 am
Trying to save this 2011 Season for the Braves with Lowe on the mound last night was like trying to perform CPR on Abraham Lincoln on the same evening.
Chipper is a Redneck
September 28th, 2011
9:29 am
Why would anyone love Chipper? Choke artist lazy fielder whose errors constantly hurt the Braves, and his anti-fan rant this February as documented in Schultz’s column was the ultimate indictment of this self-aggrandizing loser. Get out of town and let’s get a real 3B.
DetroitBraves
September 28th, 2011
9:30 am
@bad contracts, with the so much of the pitching being young and cheap for a few more years the Braves should be able to play in the FA market even without big payroll increases. I hope they find hitters that don’t make so many outs. A team that ranks 12th in the league in on-base percentage just makes too many outs to score enough runs, I don’t care how many homers they hit. Unfortunately, I am not under the impression that Frank Wren values on-base skills and Fredi admitted earlier this year that he doesn’t even know what his players’ on-base percentages are, which seems borderline criminal for a major league manager in 2011.
seabass
September 28th, 2011
9:30 am
How stupid can you be, to pitch Lowe, in a must win situation. I would have rather called up a rookie than to have pitched him. I honestly think the coach is intentionally throwing the game. Before the game Lowe had an era not equalled until 1917 in the month of Sept..The Braves might as well said we forfeit the game to rest the players and will put the season on Hudsons shoulders.
Ricardo Cabeza
September 28th, 2011
9:31 am
Not even paying attention to the Bravos. They’re done for the year. Looking forward to a barn burner of a series between the Card’s and the Phillies!
duronimo
September 28th, 2011
9:33 am
A meaningful game at the end of the season? Long-time Braves fans will take it. For hitters it’s like golf ….. it can all go south pretty quickly. But unlike golf, it’s a team sport so slumps and injuries hurt the whole team. But they are still playing for all the marbles. A switch could be flipped today that would turn it all around just in time. I believe players performed better in the old days when everyone played on one year contracts based on the prior year’s stats. I believe millions of dollars over a number of years takes some of the edge off the competitive spirit.
Ken Shelton
September 28th, 2011
9:36 am
As many countless moments of frustration as the Bravos have given this life-long fan of the boys with the Tomahawk Chop over the years, without a doubt, the recent fall from grace to lose a 8 1/2 game lead in such dramatic collapse is the most heart-wrenching ever. I, like many don’t believe even if Tim Hudson hurls a gem tonight and advances the Braves to either a one game playoff with the Redbirds or to a first round playoff series, their bags with be packed/unpacked quick homeward bound with a quick exit. One random thought for tonight to spark some speak/enthusiasm into the players, I wish the Braves management would urge Bobby Cox to dust off his cleats and don his number 6 uniform and join the Braves as a guest coach tonight to perhaps add some spark to players, Many fans may have noticed Tommy Lasorda joined the Dodgers last week as a guest coach, and if nothing else one thing Lasorda and Cox has in common they are both great motivators of urging their players to go the extra mile as myself, like many fans miss overhearing Bobby shout out encouragement like ‘way to go kid’ to Chipper Jones” etc.
rc35
September 28th, 2011
9:37 am
The ajc should really consider giving “Sonny Clusters” a regular column from time to time. That is some good comedy writing. Thanks, Sonny; we might as well have a few laughs to go with the tears and Tums.
Ted Striker
September 28th, 2011
9:37 am
I am torn with this Braves team. I want them to win so we can play in October but do we really want another visiting team celebrating on our home field? I’m tired of that……
wreckmaniac
September 28th, 2011
9:37 am
It’s much more appropriate for the Cardinals to get to the playoffs. They are the hot team and have desire. The Braves have scored no runs in how many games ? You have to pitch D Lowe in the most critical game of the seaon ? The Braves best pitchers except Huddy are gone for the season .
There’s no chance so why bother ?
Darth Hater
September 28th, 2011
9:38 am
Last night’s game was so bad and so ugly that I turned off the TV to go online and look for footage of Nancy Grace’s wardrobe malfunction.
Sigh….
rc35
September 28th, 2011
9:39 am
As the late Howard Cosell might have said, “To quote ‘The Old Professor,’ Casey Stengel, albeit in a different, yet similar situation, as the ineptitude of the expansion New York Metropolitans of 1962 was much more explainable than the failure to generate offense of the supposedly veteran Atlanta Braves, ‘Can’t anybody here play this game?’”
Jeff is goofing off
September 28th, 2011
9:39 am
It’s always a winning propositiion for the Braves. Where else do you get all that money to play golf?
ijonathan
September 28th, 2011
9:39 am
If you want to get really depressed, go to MLB.com and pull up the stats for the Kansas City Braves…I mean Royals. Pay specific attention to one Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francouer. Maybe it’s the lack of pressure playing in that market, but comparing those performances to some of the drek we are rolling out in our lineup, it is pretty discouraging.
Having said all of that, I was glad when both Melky and Jeffy left town.
Business Man
September 28th, 2011
9:39 am
Mark,
If they play Thursday, do they get to hang on to the call-ups or are they back to the 25 man roster?
DetroitBraves
September 28th, 2011
9:40 am
@rc35, agree. The Clusters have been the silver lining to the late season collapse. If I still lived in Atlanta I would start a collection to get enough money to pay the organist to play the theme song from Mr. Ed when Chipper comes to bat tonight.
Army Strong
September 28th, 2011
9:41 am
Brett Myers has been spectacular in September so he very well could give the Braves a little help. It all depends on what Cole Hamels the Braves face tonight.
Can Jose Constanza get in the starting lineup again please? Diaz has hit .298 against LHP’s this year which is very respectable, but Diaz can’t give the spark that Jose can. Jose hasn’t started since September 6th and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Braves have been sliding ever since. His WAR is higher than any player acquired at the Trading Deadline. I wouldn’t even mind Pastornicky who finished with a .365 AVG in a little over 100 AB’s for Gwinnett. I know it’s the last game for the rest of the rest of the season, but get this team a spark.
DetroitBraves
September 28th, 2011
9:43 am
@ijonathan, it is disturbing how many hitters have played better in other places (pitching seems to work opposite of that, with many pitchers being better in Atlanta). But yeah, given what those guys did in Atlanta it’s hard to fault the Braves for letting them go no matter what they may be doing this year. It should also be noted that Francouer did not play well in New York or Texas either and I would want to see him do it again before I buy it.
DetroitBraves
September 28th, 2011
9:44 am
@Sonny Clusters – I think I got filtered for trying to give you props.
enz
September 28th, 2011
9:44 am
This team won’t make it anywhere in the playoffs, anyway… Epic fail Fredi.
Play Constanza…Bench Heyward’s sorry a**
bring back Bobby
September 28th, 2011
9:44 am
Bobby would have smacked these boys around two weeks ago and knocked some sense into them. They look like a team with no leadership right now.
DCBrave33
September 28th, 2011
9:44 am
The answer about the callups for a one-game tiebreaker is YES. You get to keep all September players for that game. It is considered part of the regular season, and stats from that game count towards regular season statistics as well.
PDawg
September 28th, 2011
9:45 am
Braves are toast, Failcons are done, Tech is Great Blah Blah Blah, until Nov when a terrible Butt Whoopin will befall them when they play a REAL team from the SEC!
Bama Mike
September 28th, 2011
9:45 am
Frank Wren has never impressed me. His handling of Francour, Glavine and Smoltz just left an overall bad taste. Seems that Fredi’s teams come out of the gate on fire but fizzle towards the end. Same old song though pitching with limited to no offense. Seems we lost something we Constanza was removed from the line up.
kevkat
September 28th, 2011
9:47 am
Despite what’s happened, the Braves are still my team and it sucks the way things have gone. But to be honest, they don’t deserve a post season spot, even if they get in. They are not a post season product, alot of that having to do with injuries but mostly because of inept managing and basically players who appear to refuse to try to get better. This year started with so much promise and to come down to this is really sad.
Joycee Banicheck
September 28th, 2011
9:47 am
CMON AJC, don’t block my posts rippin’ Phily Trash of the NL, at least give us the chance to tell off trash philly fans.
ijonathan
September 28th, 2011
9:48 am
I think someone mentioned recently that last year the Braves were at or near the top of the league in on base percentage, and this yearr they are at or near the bottom. If true, how the heck does that happen? cough,cough *parrish* cough cough….???
AJC Censorship = Lame
September 28th, 2011
9:48 am
Mark,
Please rescue our posts from the Blog Monster.
wreckmaniac
September 28th, 2011
9:49 am
The only way this team can win is to go 12 innings in an 0-0 game and flip a coin. I would trade Heyward, Uggla,and Lowe for a .250 hitting utility infielder and improve my team. I would play Conrad and Henske every inning left this year ( which will probably be only 9) and at least show some determination. I would keep McCann, Freddie, Ross, and O’Ventbrel and get rid of everybody else.
Wren has a big job ahead of him and it should start today.
motor
September 28th, 2011
9:51 am
Turner Field is cursed. Tear it down.
Rob Roy
September 28th, 2011
9:51 am
Derek Lowe needs to sit on the bench in the pen. I could get you 6 wins.
MitchC
September 28th, 2011
9:52 am
Mark, I understand what you said about the Braves knowing how to win the 162nd game, but, as bad as this team has played, /I dont think they will.
That being said: I dont think the Cards will either. Thus, my gut tells me that both the Braves and Cards will lose tonight, and then the Braves will lose the 163rd game tomorrow in St Louis to complete the collapse, end of story.
Someone I know ranted to me about being a “fair weather fan”. Not true. As I’ve posted on here before, I’ve been a Braves fan since 1983, through last place and first. Its just, with the huge lead this team has blown, I have a hard time thinking they can win potentially two games, that may be needed to secure the playoff spot.
JoeMac
September 28th, 2011
9:53 am
Mark, I told you weeks ago that the Cardinals had a better team than the Braves and that they would catch them, but you pointed out some games to go stat, and poo-pooed my statement. Well, guess what…. I was right. The Braves are nothing more than a weak hitting team (that is in need of a makeover) that lived on an overachieving rotation and now that that rotation has worn down, they cannot win. They also had horrible middle relief causing the big 3 to be severely overworked and now they cannot be depended on to save a game. The Braves might actually get lucky and back into the playoffs, but if they do, it will be a joke and a better, more competitive team will be on the outside looking in.
extremus
September 28th, 2011
9:53 am
Hey, it could be worse; this could be NEXT year and the Braves and Cardinals would be playing that one-game wildcard “series” to see who advances. Yep, 162 regular season games all for nothing if you lose one single game. Pretty much the worst idea of “fixing” baseball’s playoff system since, I dunno, having a wildcard to begin with.
Oh yeah, and the Braves would then LITERALLY be one-and-done going by the way they’re playing right now. Hmm, wonder if they’d hang another banner to commemorate THAT?
RW Gweed
September 28th, 2011
9:55 am
Hey Goldenrod, did Tech ever get those “championship rings” for that one year they beat Georgia? Let’s see, what year was that they won?
wreckmaniac
September 28th, 2011
9:56 am
The only way this team can win a playoff game is to pitch a shutout. I give Charlie Manuel credit for keeping his team focused, pitching his best pitchers and playing as if it were the first game of the season. He has said to the Braves “if you think we’re resting for the playoffs think again”.
Ted M
September 28th, 2011
9:56 am
Fredi has made all the wrong moves. You have to fault Fredi there is no other way to look at this.
wreckmaniac
September 28th, 2011
9:57 am
Wren should make at least 20 trades this off-season.
Jason Heyward's Gynecologist
September 28th, 2011
9:58 am
I don’t get paid enough for this thankless job.
Ted M
September 28th, 2011
9:58 am
tomorrow would be a night game, right?
Ted M
September 28th, 2011
9:59 am
I’ve been filtered. I gotta figure out what those key words are.
wreckmaniac
September 28th, 2011
9:59 am
Gweed: Lets hear some of that “wait til next year” bulldawg talk. Its time for it and its still Sept.