Why the Braves’ 13-inning loss to the Nats gives me pause
The happy Nationals after unleashing their winning fusillade of infield singles. (AP photo)
I’m on record as believing the Braves are a very good team, and I’ve been around long enough not to overreact — or at least to try not to overreact — to any single regular-season baseball game. (They play 162 of them, after all.) That said, a couple of things about last night’s loss in Washington bothered me.
They bothered me because they fly in the face of what I’ve come to believe — and, truth to tell, what some in the Braves’ organization have come to believe — about this team vis-a-vis the Nationals. I (and certain Braves folks) believe the local nine is better than Washington everywhere but in the starting rotation, and here let’s concede that starting pitching has an outsize importance. And that’s the root of my unease.
The Braves and Nationals were tied at 4 by the top of the fifth inning. Jordan Zimmermann, the Nats’ starter, was gone after five. Tim Hudson was pulled after six. The Braves worked eight innings — almost a full game — against a Washington bullpen that has begun to fray, and they couldn’t score a run. They mustered only four hits in those eight innings, but when you add six walks you get 10 baserunners. They had runners aboard in six of the eight innings, and four times their leadoff man reached. Still couldn’t score.
The game ended in the 13th, when Washington plied three infield hits into the walk-off winner. The game-ending single — it was originally scored a error, which seemed the sensible call — was a grounder hit to a drawn-in Dan Uggla. He should have been able to throw out Danny Espinosa at the plate, but Uggla bobbled the ball.
If we return to GM Frank Wren’s words of Saturday, we’ll note that he emphasized how well the Braves “catch the ball” — and it’s true; they lead the National League in fielding percentage — and also that “we’re also really good in situational hitting.” Alas, they didn’t catch the ball, at least not cleanly, when it mattered, and they couldn’t get the knock that would have given them a precious late-inning lead. And their strength (situational hitting) was trumped by what has become a perceived Washington weakness (relief pitching).
Again, it’s one game. The Braves could well win tonight and tomorrow and leave D.C. closer to first place than when they arrived. But this one game, I’m forced to confess, troubled me. It was a game of some magnitude that the Braves coulda/shoulda won.
(Oh, and here’s a video chat with Brian Clark of CineSport regarding the Braves, Dan Uggla and the Nationals.)
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
285 comments Add your comment
birdo
August 21st, 2012
3:50 pm
@PaddyDC, thanks for getting me straight on Larry. He is too old and slow to be a hot dog. I would like to see him get in front of the ball , knock it down. (little league stuff) I would like to see some small ball form the Braves. Waiting for the long ball is not working. Can hitters try to get the ball in play when they get two strikes? Just make contact! (little league stuff)
MikeyDC
August 21st, 2012
3:54 pm
Chances of Mr. Frisky starting at 2B for the Braves tonight? Strong to quite strong.
Bobbys' Booger
August 21st, 2012
3:57 pm
Look every team has a weak hitter or two. We have that PLUS we have the biggest bunch of chokers ever! I called it in 2011 before anyone…this team is an EPIC FAIL…at least heads will roll this time. After we get blasted on this road trip look for the real choking to start…just like last year. Wren, not my fav, has actually done a good job this year. With FG, we might as well have a chaw of Red Man managing.
skeptomania
August 21st, 2012
3:59 pm
When almost half the team is an automatic out it’s tough to put a few hits together. Uggla, McCann, Janish and the pitcher. McCann’s shoulder is worse than he is admitting or his bat speed is slowing down faster than normal with the wear and tear of the catching position. Whether he likes it or not Ross should be playing more. Janish is doing the job in the field and battles at the plate but his average tells the truth. After 2 seasons of Uggla it is obvious he is overrated and overpaid.
show me kid
August 21st, 2012
4:04 pm
It’s tough to win an extra inning game as the visiting team. I was impresses with the way that the Braves hung in there throughout the game.
FrankensteinSolaris
August 21st, 2012
4:06 pm
The Braves loss last night means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I am PROUD of the team for coming back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game. That kind of competitivenes will go a long way, especially when the Braves are crowned CHAMPIONS OF THE BASEBALL WORLD, later this fall for the second time since 1995. Go Braves, I am proud of you regardless of your lack of sense of urgency.
B-Fan
August 21st, 2012
4:07 pm
Shelby: I’d rather see the Nats emerge as a contender than the Phillies. Of course, I’d rather see the Braves win it all in 2012!
jerry
August 21st, 2012
4:08 pm
And just what is Uggla’s problem? If I knew I would tell the dumb ass.
MikeyDC
August 21st, 2012
4:09 pm
Good news, Braves fans. Chipper is out of the lineup tonight. Looking forward to seeing Strasbourg carve up Uggs and the boys, tonight.
BravesThumper
August 21st, 2012
4:10 pm
“Losers make excuses, winners make commitments” – John Schuerholz. After reading most of these posts, I would say we have a lot of losers for fans. Our fans always seem to be making excuses. The Nationals are in the top 5 with most players spent on the DL this season, and they are still leading the division. I don’t hear any excuses coming from their end. We have a delusional team, and a delusional fan base.
skeptomania
August 21st, 2012
4:16 pm
What’s with Uggla looking at pitches down the middle raising his hands like it’s about to hit him. Then swings at the next pitch low and outside. One or two more pitches and he takes a seat. Does he not look at video of how bad he looks?
Nativebird
August 21st, 2012
4:38 pm
Liberty doesn’t care….why do you?
Marteen is a Ballplayer
August 21st, 2012
4:48 pm
At least I can say with confidence I prefer National fans to Phillies fans.
Norm
August 21st, 2012
4:49 pm
The extra inning at-bats were just horrible. Looked like everyone was trying to win the game with one swing instead of trying to manufacture a run. Until they start playing like a team in that regard, they wont be a team.
joe
August 21st, 2012
4:51 pm
2 guys that are supposed to have power in the lineup are now awful : McCann and Uggla. Name one starting pitcher you really feel good about, much less an ace ????? Everyone has their heads in the sand with the Braves, they are what they are…. a pretty good team, NOTHING MORE.
Marteen is a Ballplayer
August 21st, 2012
4:52 pm
The Braves are not that far removed from the Nationals level. Our biggest deficiencies in comparision to the Nats is middle infield (a healthy Simmons takes care of the left side), starting pitching that has been good, just not as good as the Nats…and most importantly a manager who manages to lose five to 10 games for us a year. While it is all conjecture, if we had a competent manager, a slightly better rotation (most notably an Ace) or a .270 2nd baseman, we likely would be knotted with the Nats.
Double Zero Eight
August 21st, 2012
4:55 pm
The Braves are the epitome of the “make em throw
you a strike” mentality. Most teams know tthis and
the first pitch is often right down the middle of the
plate. The Braves usually will not swing at this pitch,
no matter how good it looks. Consequently, they usually
only have two strikes to work with, I understand the
philosophy of making the pitcher work but the Braves take
it to the extreme.
Double Zero Eight
August 21st, 2012
5:00 pm
Spelled “this” incorrectly in my prior post.
I would like to add that Fredi should have Uggla
attempt to bunt with runners on base.. At least he
would have some chance of making contact..
Mike
August 21st, 2012
5:02 pm
At what was it — $60 million plus over five years? — has Dan Uggla become the new Derek Lowe? Or, the new Kenshin Kawakami? Scary thoughts. Could anyone have seen that coming?
Ken Stallings
August 21st, 2012
5:07 pm
People want to know why the Nats are better than the Braves. Here are the two essential reasons.
First, the Braves have not lost big over six to eight years as they did in the 1980’s so they could draft a stable of excellent players in their farm system.
Second, the Braves don’t have the budget of top-tier spending teams to keep that farm team and recycle the losses with free agents.
The Nats are where they are at with a smaller budget because they suffered for all those many years and their draft talent has finally paid off. The anger I hear from some would be dwarfed by the six to eight years of big losing it would take to replicate what the Braves did for that unparalleled run, and they are not willing to spend their cash to put money in the Braves coffers to match the Yankees payroll.
Next question?
Kyle
August 21st, 2012
5:09 pm
Just save this article and run it again in late August or early September next year too. It is always the same or worse with these guys but it is just an Atlanta team and I’m one of the few from here anymore so I should know.
bfred
August 21st, 2012
5:10 pm
I’d say the Lowe/Uggla comparison is fair. We should have seen it coming with Lowe, but in Uggla we had every reason to believe we were getting the best offensive 2nd baseman in baseball. I don’t think anyone in Atlanta (or elsewhere) would have reasonably predicted what we got instead. Now he has what, three years left on his deal?
Time for Fredi to man up and start benching some dudes. Team first, skipper. You think LaRussa would still be running him out there?
Sonny Clusters
August 21st, 2012
5:11 pm
We was wondering if everybody is going to be playing today seeing that last night’s game went extra innings? Is Chipper available? The Braves could certainly use some clutch play tonight and we was thinking who on this team might provide a clutch performance. Then, we thought it does’t really matter because Fredi just keeps running them out there waiting for them to live up to the back of the baseball card. Well, guess what? Uggla’s baseball card is not very pretty and McCann’s is looking a little dingy about now. What’s wrong with playing somebody who is healthy or somebody that is smart enough to have a good at-bat?
bfred
August 21st, 2012
5:13 pm
@ Ken Stallings – good comments. All the Atlanta teams essentially suffer from the same disease; good enough to be playoff teams, not good enough to win it all. So we get stuck in the middle. How would everyone feel about the Braves going Hawks and just blowing it up? My guess – not good.
HIVPositive
August 21st, 2012
5:14 pm
Mike, when I first heard how much money we spent on Struggla, I thought it was way too much for him being an average player at the time. He is way below average, and this will be just like the other busts we have dealt with lately.
Sonny Clusters
August 21st, 2012
5:18 pm
We know this fellow that has a friend who lives close to the restaurant Fredi likes to go to when he’s at home. He says that Fredi is now carrying a “Lucky Booger” that he got from Bobby Cox. Fredi seems to think this is going to be helpful when he needs to make some decisions as the team battles with Washington for the division. Oh, we don’t know what we was thinking when we said that. There’s no battle and very little decision making. Fredi just runs them out there and waits for them to get hot. He’s been with Uggla a long time and knows him better than anybody (well, not as well as they know him on the movie set, though). He’s sure to hit.
MLS
August 21st, 2012
5:19 pm
Dan Uggla is not near the quality player I thought he was. He seems to always be striking out or fumbling the ball around in important games! Atlanta don’t deserve to go to no playoff’s.
kevkat
August 21st, 2012
5:22 pm
It’s simple as this to me. What you have is a team that lacks confidence and a “killer instinct” when it comes to pressure games. When your veteran leaders can’t get it done and fold under the pressure of a big game, what do you expect from the others? In a game of significant importance last night, a game by which you had the chance to shake the confidence of the team that’s ahead of you and gain ground, what do your veterans do? Hudson gives up four runs, Chipper helps by “olaying” a grounder to third base, a ball at the very least should have been knocked down. We won’t even mention the play involving he and Janish and of course Uggla’s play to end it. Don’t exactly remember what year it was but the Braves were trailing first place in the standings and got on a roll. What stood out to me that year was a game in San Francisco where Maddux pitch and was facing Bonds and a very good Giants team and he struck him out. I say that to say the Braves were on a mission, the veterans stepped up when needed. You don’t have that on this team. Everyone is facing away from the “mirror” seems like. I hear no quotes really of personal accountability, which should at least come from the veterans if no one else. Managers that care force accountabilty upon their players. Others appear to be just happy managing. Which one does it appear we have? We have players who at times appear to play with no “brains”, which would be the second major organ they are missing. Their heart has been missing for a while now.
Columbus
August 21st, 2012
5:22 pm
It IS just one game Bradley. AND Washington couldnt score either for 12 INNINGS! So your argument has little weight. ALSO if you noticed the ERA of the relief pitchers Wash was running out there…..THEY HAD VERY GOOD ERA’S. It was a playoff game in the middle of the season. The players played intensely, including the pitchers. Both teams got some breaks and great pitching. The Nats got 2 huge breaks in the last inning. It was a heartbreaking loss, but those happens. Just as EASILY could have been the Nats. All this being said, it was a great game with great pitching and the Braves have nothing to hang their head about. Had Uggla turned that double play in the 13th like he has turned many times before, we might not be having this conversation. 2 out of the ordinary plays in that inning. The Braves showed that they are just as good as the Nats and on the road. ALso the Braves have something the nats do NOT have and that is the leadership of Chipper Jones who will get them past this lost and I believe come out tonight and beat Strausburg.
Straus knows his innings are likely limited and dont want to be shut down so he will be extremely focused and determined and on top of his game and unless its just one of his off games that ALL pitchers have, he will be extremely tough. But after last night, I expect the braves to match his focus and determination. I also expect Uggla to make up for that very understandable play last night. Things happen and if you played baseball for as many years as I did, you understand that. It can crush you if you let it, but these are men and it will fuel them to be more determined.
All you little girls stop whining and be thankful you 1) have a team in the pennant race because you could be in Kansas City or Chicago or Philadelphia or New York or Miami. 2) you got a team that can compete with the best in the NL and beat any of them. 3) this could be the 1980’s where they were out of the pennant race by late May every year. Be greatful instead of a bunch of little…….biaches!
kevkat
August 21st, 2012
5:23 pm
Enter your comments here
MoveAlongSally
August 21st, 2012
5:31 pm
I wouldn’t say Uggla was an average player before we got him. I thought he was a safe pick up at the time. I’m confident he will get better again. I’m not amused by the Brian McCann bash posts. I think it’s fair to say you think he should be benched, so he can be healthy. To say he is overrated is a ridiculous statement!
Sid
August 21st, 2012
5:40 pm
@bruce mac…..amen brother. don’t tell them the truth…they can’t handle the truth.
Gene
August 21st, 2012
5:40 pm
The Nationals are a better team. The braves will be lucky to win three out of the five remaining games. If they can pull that off, they remain in second place. They could be lucky enough to play the Nationals in the NLCS, but that’s a push.
1991 braves
August 21st, 2012
5:41 pm
Having 6 (#3 or#4 starters) doesn’t bode to well for the next couple of weeks, especially when the braves are fighting for a wildcard. This is a terrible time to start experimenting with the starting rotation. Braves biggest weakness is showing once again, and that is Wren&Fredi. If these 2 clowns had a clue, they would know who the best starters are, and they wouldn’t be experimenting and trying to find out. If the braves blow a couple of games they shouldn’t the next 2 weeks, it could be the difference in making the playoffs, just like last year. Too bad braves don’t have a real owner that wouldn’t allow these clowns to do this at the worst possible time. Thank God it’s football season in 2 weeks.
JT
August 21st, 2012
5:49 pm
When is someone (one who writes a column and one Uggla might actually see) take Uggla to task and call it what it is? Uggla is a lousy 2nd baseman and a worse hitter.
I would rather have Pastronecky playing and hitting than Dan Uggla, at least he makes contact with the ball. This Popeye short little fat ass, really put on over on the Braves organization with that contract, almost as bad as Derek Lowe’s.
Really, when will someone write a column telling it like it is, UGGLA SUCKS!!!!
NorCal Brave
August 21st, 2012
5:50 pm
Mark, last night’s blown scoring chances are nothing new; the team just doesn’t have a consistent offensive flow. Great pitching has kept us close since the all star game, and should it break down even the slightest the rest of the way, we’ll be done after 162.
Brave Hokie
August 21st, 2012
5:59 pm
@FrankensteinSolaris
Smoke weed everday.
Don’t get addicted to pulling for LOSERs son, you might become one.
Me
August 21st, 2012
6:08 pm
All the yelling for Prado. In the first two games against the Dodgers, he left a running at 3rd with less than 2 out. Struck out both times, looked horrible. Choked. Last night, 8th inning man on second with one out, looked horrible, popped out on a 2-0 pitch down the middle. All of the Braves hitters are choking when it matters against good teams.
LakeDawg
August 21st, 2012
6:31 pm
The Braves always lose these types of games. They have ever since the Yankees beat them with the walk off homer in the WS. Its psychological. The Bobby Cox culture still pervades.
ALL FALL APART........
August 21st, 2012
6:37 pm
I am sincerely ready to see this team completely fall apart and FAIL just like they did last year…..maybe then and only then will we get rid of that dumb suck for a manager we have Fredi Failure.
LakeDawg
August 21st, 2012
6:37 pm
Chipper only gives leadership if things are going smoothly. If the Braves had won last night, he would be in the line up. He’s not in the line up tonight. He will make a comment about how players on the team have to be accountable and take the next step. Then he will lay out for two or three games. You’ve got lead by example Larry. Of course, its not really Chippers fault that he’s not a leader. He was brought up from a pup under Cox. The majority of his career was after the Yankees series, where the Braves organization gave up. They’ve yet to find their spine to this day.
Stinger 2
August 21st, 2012
6:41 pm
Clusters: Keep on bashing Fredi all you like. Do you keep up with MLB standings day by day? If you do, then you know this terrible manager
has led the Braves to the 5th best record in MLB. So why be so hard on him? What makes him so bad?
Also, your feeble attempt at making a joke about boogers was gross.
extremus
August 21st, 2012
6:44 pm
The real reason for all the negativity here (aside from the obvious things already known by all) regarding the Braves is that for all these years we’ve waited while we watched the Phillies celebrate division championships (and a World Series title) year after year. Finally we have a team that is able to get past the Phillies, but only to see yet another young, hungry franchise swoop in and threaten to steal the coveted NL East crown that rightfully belonged to Atlanta for 14 straight seasons. How dare they?
Look closer, and you see a team quietly built up mostly from within its own organization with a stockpile of great pitching and a great balance of young hitters. The Nationals should look familiar to any Braves fan who was watching during the early 1990s, and there’s a reason for that “sudden” success: the architect of their organization’s rapid rise to power is none other than Stan Kasten, the same man who helped engineer those 14 straight Braves division titles.
I’m a Braves fan and I’m obviously not trying to heap praise on a division rival, but the sad fact is that the Braves are victims of bad timing. We finally got past the Phillies, yes, but the window for winning even one more NL East championship may have closed before it ever really opened…and it may be awhile before anyone ever makes the Nats relinquish their place atop the division.
I hope the Braves and we as fans remember this setback. In the long term it will make us hungry as opposed to feeling entitled, as I think that 14-year run’s effects linger to this day…we were spoiled by the foregone assumption of division titles and simultaneously made cynical by year after year of postseason disappointments. The fans who filled Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium with the thunderous sound of the Chop and fifty thousand foam tomahawks every game were hungry; we were going to cheer this team on until they finally got over the top, no matter how many heartbreaks it took to get there (’91, ‘92, ‘93). There’s a reason Turner Field boasts well less than half that number on an average night. We’ll all know when this Braves team is truly ready to win a championship; the electricity and swagger on the field and in the stands will be palpable. Right now there’s still very much that sense of cynicism and waiting for the inevitable “other shoe to drop”. We have a good team overall; the frustration is that we know deep down the Braves still aren’t quite good enough, at least not yet.
63 year Braves Fan
August 21st, 2012
6:46 pm
I agree with Smoltz fan and Baloo. These guys are smarter than Fredi. He can’t manage a win in close games.
Tim Scott
August 21st, 2012
8:06 pm
last nights game does give one pause. but thats baseball
Jim
August 21st, 2012
8:15 pm
If we implode again ala 2011, Wren has at least three priorities before next spring: 1. Sign Bourne to a big (realistic) contract. 2. Unload Uggla and get a more reliable 2nd baseman. 3. Unload Fredi and hire someone not in the Bobby Cox mold (be nice to the players and hope they motivate themselves).
extremus
August 21st, 2012
8:31 pm
@ Jim,
I doubt anyone would be willing to take Dan Uggla off the Braves’ hands, at least certainly not without them having to eat a sizable portion of his huge contract a’la Derek Lowe. If such a scenario ever did occur, the obvious (and I’d assume willing, sine he started out there) candidate for the position would be Martin Prado. And then there’d be the issue of finding an everyday-caliber left fielder, something I would be concerned about as the Braves’ ownership may very well be reluctant to pony up the dough necessary to keep our current everyday centerfielder (Bourn). And that takes us right back to the aforementioned mountain of money that’s owed to Uggla for several more years, which will likely prevent the Braves from making key moves or locking their best players down for long-term deals. Make no mistake, Uggla’s contract is going to have a cascade effect on this organization for years to come, whether he remains a Brave or not.
In related news, this is why fat, guaranteed contracts for sports athletes is absolutely stupid and is only asking for trouble.
ronaldh
August 21st, 2012
8:41 pm
Could someone please explain to me why Dan Uggla is the highest paid second baseman in baseball? I’m really dying to hear the logic behind that one. You know he isn’t going down to the minor leagues. I’m guilty of wishful thinking wanting him to be traded. What team is going to take his contract? If we traded him we’d have to work a deal where we paid most of the contract. Since we can’t trade him I’d wondering; can we trade the man who gave him that contract?
Jim
August 21st, 2012
8:43 pm
extremus,
I think you are right, but I really hate to see our best player in 2012, Bourne, leave. It’s been a while since we had a good lead-off man, a good base stealer, a good center fielder who hits around 300. Fat contracts more often than not don’t work out, but what is the alternative to stay competitive? Washington has struck gold with young players, but keeping them going forward may be a chore.
Happening Again?
August 21st, 2012
8:46 pm
OK, the games out of rain delay. Somebody better do something and get some runs. Would hate to lose a shut out 1 to zip to these guys.If we had a manager that knew how to manage that would be a step in the right direction.