Braves Report

OK, it’s still pretty much over, but at least the Braves are making it interesting. We are actually getting closer in the Wild Card. San Diego has injury issues. We have a great opportunity to gain ground on the Phils right now. Colorado is still the hottest team in baseball. The Braves have won eight of their last ten, this is the kind of streak we were looking for when Tex first came over, but this is largely credited to improvement in the back half of our starting rotation.

James was bit by the long ball today, but it wasn’t totally his fault. The ump was calling a very tight zone and James just doesn’t have the stuff to overpower people over the heart of the plate. Once James gave up the tie, Bobby couldn’t risk letting him go any further. He went 3.2 innings giving up 3 hits, all of them home runs, giving up 4 ER in the process. Bennett came in in the 4th, went 1.1 innings, allowing one run. It was a gutsy move by Bobby, but it worked out well as Bennett ended up getting the win, his second. Acosta pitched 2 innings, he gave up one long ball, but no one else reached base. After that run the pen really stepped up. Mahay did his job getting out a left hander. Moylan finished the inning and was also perfect. Soriano pitched the ninth, non save, and didn’t allow a hit.

I think its pretty clear with scoring 10 runs that our bats were pretty good. Tex saw to the early lead and Chipper put the game out of reach. I guess that’s what you want the heart of the order to do. Escobar was in the lead off spot and did his usual outstanding job going 2 for 5 with a double. His average is back up over .330. He has been the picture of consistency. Chipper commented today that Renty is far more deserving of the batting title than he his. He said Renty is such an unselfish hitter and constantly gives himself up to move runners over, just think what his average would be without some of those outs. Well, Renty snapped out of his mini slump with 2 hits and walk, scoring 2 and driving in 2. Chipper lost a point on his average with only 1 hit, but it was a biggie. He crushed a 2-run shot in the 9th, putting the game out of reach. Tex got the game off to a good start with a 3-run shot in the first. Frenchy might not end the season at .300, but he had 2 hits today, scoring once. Surprisingly the hottest hitter of the night was Andruw. He notched 3 hits, scoring twice and driving in one. A nice day for the bats.

Tomorrow’s game, 7:05 PM on ESPN.

Feel free to leave a comment or join the discussion in the Forum.

It really is a shame the Braves waited till this late to make their playoff push. If we had just been a little closer, taken a few more games from the Mets those last 2 series, we would be making a very exciting finish. As it stands, all we have to celebrate is the return to a winning season. That’s not bad, but that’s not what we Braves fans have come to expect.

Jo-Jo seemed to have another good outing, not as good as his last one, but still good. He went 5.1 inning allowing only 4 hits and 2 walks. In that time, 4 runs scored, 3 earned. It’s really a shame this wasn’t the pitcher we saw most of the season. Ring came in next, walked the only batter he faced and was pulled. Moylan was the called into pitch out of a jam. He did his usual superb job, .2 innings, no hits and striking out one. Acosta got the win, his first. He went 1 inning allowing 1 hit. Dotel and Soriano were fantastic, each striking out the side. A fantastic outing by the pen, giving our bats a chance to storm back.

The bats were quite good today. We jumped out to an early lead, fell behind then came back late. Chipper remains atop the batting chase going 1 for 3 with two walks, scoring once. Escobar was back in the lead off spot with 2 hits, finally I heard an announcer give him some rookie of the year props. Andruw hit his way out of the little skid he has been on with 2 hits, scoring 2 runs and driving in one. Tex also had 2 hits, including a 2-run double in the 8th. Diaz, who FOX referred to as “slumping” had three hits on the day driving in one.

No game tomorrow. Tuesday’s game, 7:05 PM, not nationally televised.

Feel free to leave a comment or join the discussion in the Forum.

What a roller coaster this game was. First, it looked like Smoltz was going to cruise to an easy win, then it looked like all was lost, but finally we pulled it out.

Smoltz was in total control today, taking a no-hitter into the 6th. Unfortunately, he gave up a two run shot on 1 hit. In the end, he still had an impressive outing, going 8 innings, only allowing the 2 runs on 2 hits. He struck out 8 in the process and lowered his era to 2.95. Soriano pitched the ninth, he looked great striking out 2 of the 3 he faced, allowing none to reach. Moylan came for the 10th. It looked like he gave up the run that cost us the game, allowing 3 hits in the process, but thanks to some heroics, the game went on. Then, came a mess of pitchers going .1 innings. Ring, .1 innings, 1 strikeout. Dotel, .1 innings, 1 strikeout. Mahay, .1 innings 1 hit, 1 walk. None of the three allowed a run to cross. Devine was called into a mess in the 11th. I was worried with the bases loaded, there is only so much a psych can take, but he was equal to the task and received his first win for it.

The bats were elsewhere for much of the day, but in the end, when it counted they came through. Chipper continued his run at the batting title going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and a home run. He was the only Brave to manage more than one hit, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t heroics. Thor hit a monster shot in the 10th to tie the game. Of course, we can’t forget Tex’s single in the 11th to win the game.

Tomorrow’s game, 1:05 PM, on TBS.

Feel free to leave a comment or join the discussion in the Forum.

Bobby has always given his veteran pitchers a long leash, and let’s be honest, with names like Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz and Hudson, they have earned it. But, with that comes a responsibility. On several occasions this year, Huddy has pitched well deep into games only to have it blow up in his face in the 8th or 9th. I remember Maddux in his hey day pull himself out of games mid-inning, when he knew he was out of gas. Huddy needs to start doing the same. While some of the blame today does rest with Bobby, you know Huddy was saying, “I’ve got enough left for one more batter let me go, I can do it.” While I appreciate his competitiveness, sometimes you have to put your own ego aside and do what is best for the team. Sure, today, with the way the pen pitched, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Huddy almost pitched a great game. He pitched 7 scoreless innings, and into the eighth, but that is where he started to lose it. He got within one out of getting out of it, but in the end he went 7.2 innings, allowed 8 hits, walked 2 and was charged with 3 runs. Only 1 of the 3 crossed with Huddy still in the game. Mahay came in next, faced one batter, walked him, walking a run in, Bobby got tossed and was Mahay was pulled. Yates came in next, did what was expected, 2 walks and a hit as 2 more runs crossed the plate. Think the Mets want him back? Devine was called into a mess in ninth, walked one, no hits, but one scored on a sac fly. Not a bad bit of pitching considering what he was brought into. I wonder if the powers that be in Atlanta will deem him “major league ready” next season?

The Braves apparently left the lumber at home. Tex had a nice home run, but that was it for the Braves scoring. Both Renty and Chipper were tagged with 0 for’s, losing ground in the batting chase. No Brave had more than one hit and 14 men were left on base. Frenchy did gun down a runner at home.

Tomorrow’s game, 3:55 PM, on FOX.

Leave a comment or join the discussion in the Forum.

I think we all knew as we watched this team back in August and earlier in September that the Braves were a better team than we were seeing. It’s just a shame we finally got on this streak a little too late. At this point, all we can do is keep winning and watch the scoreboard, hoping the other teams lose.

We got our first look at our call-up today. He was impressive in the minors, very impressive. Today he was outstanding. He went 5.2 innings of 6-hit ball, only allowing 1 run. While facing his old team, he struck out 8, only allowing 1 free pass. Very nice. He ran into a little bit of trouble in the first, but after that it was pretty much smooth sailing. He did get into a little trouble in the 6th, but Acosta came in and got out of it with no problem. Acosta went on the pitch the 7th, walked 2 but didn’t allow a run to score. Mahay started the 8th, walked one and struck one out. Yates pitched the rest of the 8th, striking out one, not allowing a hit. Soriano breezed through the ninth not allowing a hit, striking out 1.

It’s a good thing we got on the board early, because after the 2nd, we were shut down. Chipper jumped ahead in the batting hunt with a 3 for 4 night lifting his average to .342. He drove in 2 and scored 1. McCann also had two hits on the day, driving in the only other run.

Tomorrow’s game, 7:05 PM, on ESPN.

Be sure to join the discussion in the Forum.