August 27, 2008
[Image: Yahoo! Sports]
I guess this serves me right. I get home last night, rather than turn the game on I decided to check the score online to see if it was worth turning on. At that point the Braves were down 4-8, so I figured, no point. I put in a movie. Then, the next morning I check the score and what do I see? Braves win 10 - 9.
Pitching was, well, inconsistent. Jurrjens was tagged with the shortest outing of the season. He is having a rough month. In his three innings, he gave up six runs on six hits. I wonder if he is starting to wear out? So, that set up another long night for the pen, which is another good reason to assume we were going to lose, and they gave up enough runs we should have. Carlyle pitched a scoreless inning as did Nunez. Tavarez gave up two runs. Bennett was scoreless. Ohman gave up a run in the ninth, but was still given the win.
Clearly with ten runs we had some hitting last night, 14 in fact. Blanco, I’m still not sold on him as a lead off hitter, but he did well tonight with two hits, two RBI and a run scored. Infante had three hits and three runs. Prado had 2 hits and scored two runs. Frenchy had two hits as well, along with two RBI and two runs. KJ also notched two hits.
Braves win 10 - 9.
Today’s game, 7:10 PM.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Braves have traded outfielder Mark Kotsay to Boston for a minor league pitcher. Stay with Braves-Report for updates on this breaking news.
August 25, 2008
What else can be said about this team? They just don’t seem to care anymore and appear to just be going through the motions. I can not ever remember seeing the Braves doing this.
Sunday was just another day at the office. Another game, another loss. Another hitless game for Francoeur.
The offense was able to muster a measly 7 hits. With Martin Prado, making just his 4th career start at first base, getting 2 hit’s the only Brave to do so. Gregor Blanco got a hit and a RBI, but he struck out in his other 3 Abs. Jojo Reyes saw that the offense want going to help him so he decided to help himself getting himself a hit and a pair of RBIs. The Jones boys, Chipper and Brandon, each got a hit. The remaining hit came from Greg Norton when he pinch hit for Blaine Boyer.
As for the pitching, Jojo started the game. He definetly didn’t have his best outing but he has had worse. He went 5.2 IP. He allowed 9 hits, 6 runs (5 of which were earned), and 4 walks all while striking out a pair of Cardinals. Blaine Boyer came on in the 6th with 2 on and 2 out, and in 2 pitches got Ryan Ludwick to pop out to end the inning. Manny Acosta made his return from the DL, he pitched 2 innings, allowed a pair of hits and walks, but no runs and struck out one poor soul.
Braves lose yet again, falling to the Cards 6-3.
Next game (or loss) is Tuesday, August 26th, at 7:00 EST against the Marlins. This game is not nationally televised.
We are behind on these recaps, but not down. The middle game of the series against the Cardinals was a blessing, because it was the first win this team has seen in too long.
Campillo got the nod, and he was decent. 5 innings, 3 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Buddy relieved him, and picked up the win, with two innings of work, only allowing a hit. Ohman and Bennett each pitched an out, but Ohman gave up a run. Gonzalez came in for the 4 out save, which he got without any trouble.
The offense, which seems to be on one day and off the next six, was fortunately the former. 8 runs, coming from a double by Chipper, a bases-loaded walk by KJ, and singles by Prado, Norton, and Francoeur.
[Image: Yahoo! Sports]
“Slap hands!”
Another notable is Escobar and Prado each had three hits. Not bad, not bad at all.
Braves win, 8 - 4.
August 23, 2008
There’s losing, and then there’s losing. Friday night’s opener against the Cardinals was definitely the latter. The Braves got absolutely pummeled, losing by their largest margin of the season, and suffering their sixth loss in a row. Change needs to happen, now, or football season needs to start very soon.
So, where to begin with this train wreck? Well, I’ll start with the pitching. To put it gently, the pitching staff has seen better days. As a whole, they were entirely ineffective, as they gave up 26 hits and 18 runs. Not a great day. Charlie Morton was given the ball to start, but he shortly gave it back to Bobby: 1.1 innings pitched, 5 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks (c’mon), and a strikeout. He threw 57 pitches, but only 25 of them landed as strikes. Nunez followed for 2.2 innings, and gave up two runs. Matt DeSalvo came in, threw some gasoline on the fire, and then proceeded to throw more gasoline on the fire. He lasted an inning, gave up 8 hits, and 6 runs.
[Image: Yahoo! Sports]
Bobby watches as the infield is set ablaze
Boyer and Tavarez each gave up three runs in their inning of work. The only highlight for the pitching came from Bennett, who pitched a perfect inning. Nice work, Jeff.
The offense proved to be it’s usual, too little, too late self, though not like it really mattered in this game. Three runs, coming from a homer by Norton, a single by KJ, and a double by Brandon Jones. Infante, Prado, and KJ each had two hits. If the team had been able to sextuple their amount of runs, they could’ve had a chance of winning. Unfortunately and realistically, they couldn’t, and lost big.
Please send help.
Braves lose a heartbreaker, 18 - 3.
Next game, 3:55 PM, on FOX, probably blacked out nationally and on MLB.tv. Do yourself a favor, and watch the LLWS kids instead.
