The Braves used to be able to hit. What the heck happened?
A sight seldom seen of late: The Atlanta Braves scoring a run. (AP photo by John Amis)
We begin by saying that no one regular-season series tells anything approaching the whole story. Remember when the Braves were swept by the Yankees here in June? Remember how that series seemed an example of boys against men? Well, if you check today, you’ll find that the Braves have a better record than the Bronx Bombers. (Only a half-game better, but still.)
That said, it was nonetheless chilling that the Braves could go the final three games of a four-game set against Colorado and not score a single earned run. The Rockies have the worst team ERA in the big leagues, and here, after a 6-1 victory on Labor Day, is how the Braves fared: Shut out on Tuesday, won 1-0 on a run scored via a bad throw on Wednesday, won 1-0 on a run scored on a flubbed return catcher’s toss by the pitcher, which might have happened in the big leagues twice in the past two decades.
For the first half of the season, the Braves hit better than they pitched. Indeed, they were fourth in the National League in runs scored at the All-Star break. Here are their numbers since: Ninth in runs, 10th in on-base percentage, 14th in batting average, 12th in slugging percentage. They hit .232 as a team in August; they’ve hit .230 in September.
The good news is that they’ve pitched superbly. (Their team ERA is the league’s best since the All-Star break.) The bad news is that they’ve had to pitch superbly, and much of that pitching has been done against lesser opposition. (Since the break, only 17 of the Braves’ 53 games have been against teams currently above .500.)
This is worrisome not because the Braves are apt to play themselves out of the postseason — with 24 games remaining, they still hold a five-game lead over Pittsburgh and Los Angeles for the second wild card — but because they won’t be facing substandard teams once there. There’s no reason this lineup shouldn’t hit better than it has the past month. This same lineup, give or take, hit rather well for the season’s first half. But now it isn’t, and that’s troubling.
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
115 comments Add your comment
dawg4u
September 7th, 2012
7:18 pm
Maybe Fredi has a hunch that Uggla will break out of the slump tonight.
longtimefan
September 7th, 2012
7:19 pm
The Braves have been ranked this year as high as third in NL in offense(runs scored), as recently as a few weeks ago and are currently fifth. I wouldn’t say that’s light hitting.
dawg4u
September 7th, 2012
7:20 pm
Go Uggla!
bulldogbubba
September 7th, 2012
7:21 pm
Mr Stinger2- I wil be more than happy to admit I was wrong if they make it. Maybe me , you and Clusters can go to the Dairy Queen and have a dilly bar to end the sillyness.Now if the Braves scored 10 runs in a game more often I might see this team in a different light.Sense they only do that about once a month my opinion won’t change and if Fredi keeps putting this years Derek Lowe at second base we don’t have a chance.Have a great weekend fella.
dawg4u
September 7th, 2012
7:22 pm
@longtimefan – they were much better earlier in the season but now in September let’s just hope that we can hit like we did earlier instead of a repeat of last year’s woes.
bulldogbubba
September 7th, 2012
7:41 pm
“Bullet hit by Uggla – taken by the second baseman to end the inning”.Runner left on base.Now thats what I call getting it done.Fredi is right he’s gonna break out any time now. YEAH RIGHT!
smallmouth6
September 7th, 2012
7:43 pm
Mister Frisky: You’re a DH.
Nativebird
September 8th, 2012
8:49 am
The second wild card? You mean the one-game lottery? are you kidding me? Thats not the playoffs….that’s a gimmick welfare game that has NO business in baseball…..if this team or any team can’t win a division or the best runner up after 162 games then GOHOME…..you don’t deserve it!M period. This welfare 1 game lottery shot to knock off a deserving team is the WORSt decision MLB has ever made. It cheapens the game.
RGP
September 8th, 2012
8:59 am
Uggla needs two or three hits every game the rest of the season to end up with a respectable batting average. Freeman needs to get hot with the bat again. Ross is playing more which is a good thing since McCann is not hitting.
Art K.
September 8th, 2012
3:08 pm
Also agree with Heisenberg. I often wonder if the batting coach, or a player not starting, tracks what pitches the hitters consistently take and consistently miss. Has anyone noticed that M. Bourne cannot hit a curve from a lefty? M. Prado always takes a strike, sometimes two, then has to be defensive and reach for pitches. I always thought 2-0 was a batters count. I’ve seen more Braves take a strike down the middle on that count. Almost like they’re getting the take sign. McCann also takes too many strikes.
TOMMY HANSON STINKS!!!!
September 8th, 2012
4:46 pm
Tommy Hanson just stinks and that is being nice….Demote, Trade, or just OUTRIGHT release the LOSER!
Tarheel
September 9th, 2012
12:29 am
4th best record in major league baseball. Most that comment here don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground about baseball and most certainly have never played.
Escalante
September 9th, 2012
4:55 pm
Look guys yeah we may not be hitting well but we are pitching well and guess what we are winning ballgames and thats all that matters in the end of the day especially in September!!
Heat Check: Keeping up with the Joneses (Julio and Jarvis) | Mark Bradley
September 10th, 2012
7:44 am
[...] Really pitching now, and starting to hit a bit better. (Brian McCann and Dan Uggla did some weekend damage in New York.) Actually gained a game on the [...]
Fibo
September 13th, 2012
8:29 am
Only until they get a better offer. Major college sports has become another variation of the oldest profession in the world. Can you say w….. and p……….?