A warm and fuzzy result on a hot day: Minor beats Strasburg
By winning Saturday, Mike Minor gave the Braves a major lift. (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
This being baseball, there are no must-win games in June. There can be, however, need-to-win games. For the Braves, Saturday’s encounter rose to the latter level.
They’d fallen 4 ½ games behind Washington in the National League East and to fourth place in the wild-card standings. They’d followed a 14-15 May with a 12-12 June, which meant they’d been mediocre for two solid months. And here, on the hottest day Hotlanta had ever known, came Stephen Strasburg to bring the big heat.
Strasburg is the best young pitcher in baseball. His opponent was Mike Minor, who had, according to FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement index, been the worst starting pitcher in the National League. Seeing those names, the mind ran through a set of chilling calculations: “So Strasburg beats Minor and the Braves are 5 ½ back and they’re facing Gio Gonzalez, who’s 10-3, on Sunday, and this could be out of hand by the Fourth.”
But that sound you heard was that doomsday scenario getting wadded up and flung toward yonder trashcan. Stephen Strasburg did not beat Mike Minor. Other way around.
Strasburg was gone after three innings, having walked Michael Bourn and Martin Prado twice each and having paid the price the second time. He was pulled because of heat-related symptoms – gametime temperature was 104 degrees – but also because the Braves made him throw 67 pitches to get nine outs.
That was clever: On a day that was oppressive for everyone, starting pitchers figured to have it the worst. A hitter could stand there with the bat on his shoulder, but a pitcher had to exert himself. Bourn and Prado made Strasburg work from the very first, and after two innings the famous flinger was in a curious position: Leading 2-0 and working on a no-hitter but, owing to his labors, bound for trouble.
“We’ve been pretty good at driving up his pitch count here,” said Chipper Jones, who didn’t play Saturday. “But when he beat us up there, he just controlled us.”
Maybe Strasburg would have gotten off easier had Minor not thrown the biggest pitch of the season’s first three months: A change-up to Ian Desmond that induced a double play with the bases loaded. Minor had yielded runs in the first and second innings and wobbling in the third. The Nationals had gone walk, single, walk, whereupon pitching coach Roger McDowell finally roused himself.
Said Minor, recalling his coach’s message: “He said, ‘We’re all right. Get the double play and we’re out of this.’ It was better having had a little break and realizing it’s not as bad as what you might think.”
Well, yes. That’s the purpose of a mound visit, a strategic device the Braves can be slow to utilize. But this consultation could have worked no better. The first-pitch change-up ended the inning, and when next Minor took the ball, his team was ahead 3-2 and Strasburg was done.
Said manager Fredi Gonzalez, speaking of Minor: “I think we took a step forward with him today. He competed his butt off.”
The Braves would score four more times off reliever Chien-Ming Wang, and they’d need the cushion. Minor tired in the sixth and the Braves needed four relievers to finish, but Kris Medlen and Chad Durbin worked out of pickles and the sweltering afternoon ended in smiles.
June concluded with the Braves 3 ½ games back, as opposed to 5 ½, which would have marked their biggest deficit of the season. They’d beaten one the best in Strasburg, even if extenuating meteorological circumstances did play some part. They can greet July feeling that their best work is still ahead, because – let’s be frank – they’ve been running in place since April.
Catching the Nats won’t be easy. Washington has the better rotation by some distance, and it figures to get outfielder Jayson Werth, who broke his wrist May 7, back soon. The Braves are better than they’ve played, but they’ll need more good starts from Minor and Randall Delgado to have a chance at winning the East.
Minor did his bit Saturday, winning a sizable game on a sizzling Saturday. Baseball being baseball, there’s a chance we’ll have no reason to recall this day three months hence. But if October arrives and the Braves are still playing for something, we should.
By Mark Bradley
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80 comments Add your comment
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:42 pm
Mark, glad we have a less incendiary subject to talk about tonight.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:43 pm
Mark, Braves are a better subject right now than arrested Georgia players.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:44 pm
Certainly less incendiary than last night. Comments got out of hand. I was a part of that and i regret it.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:45 pm
I guess you’re seeing this but its not showing up on the blog.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:47 pm
It was so hot at Turner Field that every beer hawker that said “cold beer!!” needs to go to Confession.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:50 pm
It was sooo hot at Turner Field that Don Sutton’s hair perm fell and knocked out Jim Powell for 3 innings.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
8:51 pm
You failed to mention that the Nats have a much better manager. A manager who would have bunted Freddie Freeman over. We know from last Septembers collaspe that one mis-managed game can be deadly.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:51 pm
It was soo hot at Turner Field that the food vendors were hawking “cold dogs”.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:52 pm
It was sooo hot at Turner Field that the gametime temp was above the Mendoza line.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
8:53 pm
Great managers make great moves. Poor managers are fired.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
8:54 pm
It was so hot that Fredi couldn’t keep running him out there he just had to walk.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:54 pm
It was soooo hot at Turner Field today that the Bravos thought fans were doing the “chop” during the entire game. Not so. The Gnats were swarming. Heh, heh
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:55 pm
It was sooo hot at Turner Field today that Snitker got 5 Braves thrown out at the plate when he was only shooing gnats.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
8:56 pm
It was so hot today Barry Bonds tested positive for Snapple.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
8:58 pm
It was soooo hot at Turner Field that Minor was promoted to Major.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
8:58 pm
It was so hot today at Turner Field, Walter Banks couldn’t think of anything to go with the number 104.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:00 pm
It was sooo hot at Turner Field today Roger Clemens, attending the game, said “this is what hell must be like without HGH”.
1991 braves
June 30th, 2012
9:00 pm
You have got to be kidding, right?? First of all the braves didn’t beat Strasburg, the heat did. And why do you always ask what the idiot manager Fred Flintstone has to say?? This guy has about as much knowledge about baseball as your average fan on these blogs. Yet, we have to read after every game what this moron has to say. But hey, you never ask him a question about his inept managerial decisions. You only sugar coat your questions. Why don’t you grow a pair and ask this moron the questions that need to be asked. Like yesterday when the idiot refused to bunt over Freeman when he was at 2nd base and no outs, with the worst pinch hitter in baseball at the plate. Don’t worry, nobody really cares anymore what you or this idiot have to say. That’s why i’m the only one on this blog now. This is not a sizable win, this is a lucky win. And if you or this idiot manager think this will turn Minor’s season around, that really tells everyone that the two of you are nothing more than DUMB&DUMBER!! Minor and Delgado are nothing more than AAA pitchers, and the braves are nothing more than a .500 team. They have no bench, one starter that is consistent, and one guy in the bullpen that is consistent. Add the fact that the braves have a terrible record against N.L. east rivals, and you have a .500 or below team. Compare that to the Nats, and you will see how far behind the braves and this franchise has fallen. So you go ahead and write about what a sizable win this was, and it will show what a terrible sports writer you really are. But everyone except Fred Flintstone knows that, but you can have comfort in the fact that Flintstone is an idiot, and Wren was an idiot to ever hire this clown. Wren, Fred&Bradley= 3 stooges!!!
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:00 pm
It was soo, soo very hot at Turner Field today that Bob Davidson refused to call a balk.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
9:01 pm
It was so hot at Turner Field today, Marvin Hudson enlarged his strike zone.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:03 pm
it was soo, soo, soo very hot at Turner Field today i boiled peanuts in my shoes.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
9:03 pm
It was so hot today at Turner Field, when the catcher appealed to Brian Runge, he agreed it was HOT.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:05 pm
It was soo hot today at Turner that Nat Hudson (he of the famous “got a block behind him” on the Belue to Scott TD) changed his name to Gnat.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
9:06 pm
The sotfball question asked to Fredi by the AJC on his decision not to bunt was to be expected. What would have made news was if they would really question his moves. If this was Larry Drew making these kind of decisions for the hawks he would be run out of town on a rail.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:07 pm
It was sooo hot today at TF that Guy McIntyre changed his name to Gay. NOOO. that’s just a joke.
magiccyclopsh8er
June 30th, 2012
9:09 pm
It was so hot today at Turner Field, Drew Brees admitted the Saints bounty system existed.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
9:10 pm
Some years ago when the braves announcers questioned the teams effort they were kicked off the charter. These beat riders don’t want to be kicked out of the clubhouse or off the Harley rides in the off season.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:10 pm
it was soo, soo very hot today that at the ballgame some Nat fan suggested i go to hell and i said i appreciated his concern for my saftey.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
9:10 pm
It was so hot today at Turner Field, I couldn’t yell Fire Freddie when he came out of the dugout.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
9:11 pm
It is so hot that Bradley is not handing out Kudos.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:11 pm
it was sooo hot today at Turner, i asked if the coach had ever drew a breeze.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
9:12 pm
It was so hot that this is how the hot seat should be feeling for Fredi and his managerial moves.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:12 pm
it was sooo very hot today that Mike was minor.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:14 pm
it ws so hot that Wren told Fredi he was on the hot seat and Fredi replied ” thanks! I can use the cooling off!”
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:15 pm
it was soo hot today at Turner when i yelled “fire” people came rushing up to me to cool off.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
9:15 pm
It was so hot today at Turner Field that Frank Wren’s makeup was running faster than the Braves.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:17 pm
it was soo hot at Turner today when i turned to my wife and said “this is what hell must be like” she replied “i dont think they play baseball in hell”.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:18 pm
it was soo hot at Turner Field today Matty Ice was Matty Lukewarm.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:19 pm
It was soo hot at Turner I was looking for anyone to give me the cold shoulder!
Robert
June 30th, 2012
9:20 pm
Fredi Gonzalez is certainly not the best manager in baseball. He is, in fact, very average. But please remember that he is a million-fold better than the abolsute idiot that managed from mid-1990 thru 2010
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:23 pm
Fave movies for today: The Iceman Cometh; Ice Station Zebra.
Fave music: Ice Tea
Fave drink: ice tea
Fave football move: Icing the kicker
Fave sport: Ice Hockey; Ice Skating
Fave venue: Rockefeller Plaza
Ralph
June 30th, 2012
9:26 pm
Said manager Fredi Gonzalez, speaking of Minor: “I think we took a step forward with him today
Only bad thing about that is that Minor has in the past taken one step forward then took two steps backward.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
9:29 pm
It was so hot today at Turner Field that the pizza was warm.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:32 pm
it was soo hot today that i swear i saw my pet mouse chasing a stray cat across the yard
Hillbilly D
June 30th, 2012
9:33 pm
I love baseball as much as anybody but it’s plumb crazy to play in that kind of heat. They’ve got lights, why not change the game to the P.M. They change starting times for TV all the time, so why not for common sense?
Bryan
June 30th, 2012
9:33 pm
Fredi will get his fat gut in the way of any momentum the team gains. He can’t help it.
Billy Beaneater
June 30th, 2012
9:35 pm
It was so hot today at Turner Field that when Freddie tipped his cap, an ice cube fell off his head.
todd grantham
June 30th, 2012
9:51 pm
2 columns in a row Mark with not the slightest acknowldgement of first. I left my first wife for less than that.
Mark Bradley
June 30th, 2012
9:52 pm
Kudos. And kudos.
Bob From Cobb
June 30th, 2012
9:53 pm
todd grantham. Do us a favor. Leave the comedy to the professionals. Or get a better writer. And if you continue in this vein,.get better material. Johnny Carson you’re not.
duronimo
June 30th, 2012
9:53 pm
Todd (and the other names he posting under) is like the a lot of singers on American Idol who are oblivious to the fact they can’t sing. He is had a clue he was so lame, he wouldn’t be such a multiple offender. Minor showed some grit today … a step in the right direction.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
10:01 pm
If indeed Fredi is an average manager then he must be at the bottom of the bell curve.
ACE
June 30th, 2012
10:04 pm
This was a step in the right direction for Minor. Let’s hope he can put good back to back starts together.
Skeezix
June 30th, 2012
10:15 pm
Great win today! Surprising – Minor beats Strasburg. Credit the Braves batters for running up his pitch count in that heat. Also, he was on the bases twice, which had to further wear him down. Dare we hope for a win tomorrow? Go Huddy!
(Glad I wasn’t out there in that heat)
Mark Bradley
June 30th, 2012
10:21 pm
Am I to understand that Fredi should have bunted Freeman to second after his leadoff single in the fifth? Am I to understand that a manager should have had his No. 5 hitter (Uggla) BUNT? In a game the Braves already led by four runs? Really?
Mark Bradley
June 30th, 2012
10:22 pm
Oh, one thing more. Freeman wound up scoring in the fifth inning.
Hillbilly D
June 30th, 2012
10:33 pm
MB
I’m not really a Braves fan, just a baseball fan and I didn’t see the game but given the situation you describe, I can’t imagine what manager would’ve bunted.
TuffShhhtuff
June 30th, 2012
10:48 pm
MB, I do believe he is referring to last night’s game, when the Braves had a chance to tie it up with no outs and FF on 2B. He let Hinske come up and hit(flied out) and should have sent Hudson or Jurrgens up to bunt and get him to 3B. Would have scored on a sac fly that came next. The question he is talking about was when DOB asked FG(in his usual style) “The way your bench is composed, is there much you can do besides have Hinske swing away?” If that’s not a leading, softball question I don’t know what is. Just ridiculous, so I agree with the poster. BTW, according to the stats I looked at today on MLB Hinske has 0 SACs in 106ABs while Hudson had 3 SAC bunts in 27ABs, and Jurrgens even better at 3SACs for 11ABs. Another monumental failure from FG, and he wasn’t even questioned about not bunting there. That’s why people get so upset sometimes. Just wanted to clear it up that the poster was talking about last night’s game still, as a lot of people are.
Norcal Brave
June 30th, 2012
11:04 pm
Just one question: why in heavens name doesn’t our leadoff hitter make the pitcher work in every game?
Mark Bradley
June 30th, 2012
11:25 pm
Duly noted. I couldn’t believe anyone would have second-guessed that non-bunt today.
Ken Stallings
June 30th, 2012
11:48 pm
The heat put Strausburg out of the game, but given the week long heat wave I really wish the Braves had rescheduled the start time of this game to the standard 1930 first pitch start, and done the same for Sunday.
Player safety should come first in this case. It seems that Strausburg suffered initial symptoms of heat stroke — white skin, dizziness, lack of sweat, and slurred speech. Thats scary stuff, man! People can die from that!
Ken Stallings
June 30th, 2012
11:50 pm
Mark, the fact it was the middle of the game and the Braves led is why you don’t bunt in that situation today. However, last night with the Braves needing to score a run to tie, and it being the eighth inning, meant that the Braves should have bunted the runners over.
You play for the tie at home in the late innings, and in that case, a base hit could have platted the winning run.
Ken Stallings
June 30th, 2012
11:55 pm
Mark,
Apples and oranges situation regarding the bunt. Today, the Braves were ahead and it was the middle of the game. Of course you don’t bunt!
However, I think Fredi made a mistake in not ordering the bunt with runners on second and third with no one out with the Braves down a run in the bottom of the eighth inning! Playing at home that was clearly the time to go for the tie, but with a successful bunt a base hit had a great chance to plate the tying and go ahead runs. Fredi missed that opportunity last night and he should be criticized for it.
LakeDawg
July 1st, 2012
12:00 am
The Braves are great!
Hillbilly D
July 1st, 2012
12:09 am
Ken Stallings
Agreed. It has to be hard on players and fans, alike. We all love it but it’s just a game. Not worth anybody’s health.
eric fort
July 1st, 2012
12:33 am
Thank you Bob from Cobb. I was beginning to think that this was only T.G.’s column.Nice win after last night!
eric fort
July 1st, 2012
12:36 am
Enter your comments here
Ken Stallings
July 1st, 2012
2:08 am
And of course I meant to type “runners on first and second with no outs …”
Ken Stallings
July 1st, 2012
2:13 am
And also, Mark, the reason for the double post is there must have been some glitch with the blog server because my first iteration of that bunt post simply failed to show up even after I did a refresh to try to ensure it was not there.
Ancely
July 1st, 2012
5:28 am
MB really got the games mixed up. Happens I guess when you work in a low budget organization. A cheap rag with a cheap website.
juice sourcer
July 1st, 2012
6:51 am
todd grantham needs to seriously get a life
DaveinNEPA
July 1st, 2012
7:55 am
Somebody asked why the game wasn’t switched to a later time when it would be cooler.
FOX has “exclusive” rights to the 7-10 time frame on Saturdays and since the Braves game was not scheduled to be shown on FOX, they couldn’t change the time unless they wanted to play at 10PM.
Jfreak13713
July 1st, 2012
8:35 am
Bradley, you said it all when you said the braves have played about .500 ball for two straight months. This team is a .500 team unless some changes are made mainly with the pitching staff. I hope Minor, Delgado, and JJ pitch really well because then we are a playoff team but can the Braves really hang their hat on that kind of hope? JJ based on past experience could rebound and provide number 2 or 3 stater stuff but the other two are kids who’ve only shown they can win some games but not consistently.
Then there is Hanson! Good Lord this guy is a one man bullpen wrecking machine! Takes him 90 pitches to get through 5 innings then Braves have to use up their bullpen. The Braves starting pitching just isn’t good enough to carry this team too far beyond .500
Ralph
July 1st, 2012
8:59 am
Ken Stallings
I don’t agree with re-scheduling game times because of the heat I do however think they should not schedule games from mid June thru early Sept during the day unless travel is involved. They know it is going to be hot and people buy their tickets sometimes months in advance so in many cases they wouldn’t be able to use their tickets if the game time was changed.
Hebrews11
July 1st, 2012
9:00 am
Faith is the evidence of things not seen, the proof of things hoped for.
shorty
July 1st, 2012
9:21 am
Robert I don’t know what you are smoking but Bobby Cox was a better manager on his worst day than Fredi the Fail has ever been…we never went through the collapse like last September or the inconsitancy like this year under Cox…the only thing i’m mad at Bobby about is that he recommended this poor excuse for a manager.
Ken Stallings
July 1st, 2012
11:18 am
Dave,
Excellent information, but I think given the situation, perhaps even Fox Network would have agreed to waive their exclusivity. At the very least, the media should ask the question and if it turns out Fox was given the heat index data and refused, then that should be made a story.
It is supposed to be over 103 this afternoon for the Sunday game.
Hillbilly D
July 1st, 2012
1:01 pm
Starting times of games (and not just in baseball) get changed all the time to accommodate TV and they don’t worry about the fans having already made plans then. It used to be a pet peeve of Furman Bisher.
GSUgrad1991
July 1st, 2012
2:58 pm
It’s not often that I comment on Braves, but: congratulations and Thank You for the admiration ansd support and expression of thanks to our military personnel. Salute!!!!
MD braves fan
July 1st, 2012
6:23 pm
Seriously?? This is what you come out of the woodwork to write a story about?? You guys at AJC are in bed with the Braves big time. I live near DC and if the Nats need to get called out, they get called out big time. You writers at the AJC are a disgrace. What would your journalism professor think of you right now? How come Larry Drew gets ripped if he farts too loud but Fredi and Wren can do no wrong? Really, I want to know.