Hey look, no offense! Braves starter Jair Jurrjens had some early trouble, but cruised late in the game while pitching 8 innings of terific baseball. He allowed only 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9 -- that should get him a win, but not this offensively-challenged Braves team.
The Braves tied the game in the sixth on a Brian McCann 2-run single. The Nats went ahead in the tenth inning when Peter Moylan got into some two-out trouble, but the Braves came back in the bottom half of the inning on two RBI pinch hits -- when was the last time that happened. Kelly Johnson had an RBI double and Greg Norton produced an RBI single.
Then Manny Acosta came on to pitch the eleventh and (of course) gave up a two-run homerun and sent the Braves to their fifth loss in a row.
0 recs | 29 comments
This
sucks.
In other news: 10 MORE DAYS UNTIL I SEE JASON HEYWARD AND CO. IN THE AFL! Can’t freakin wait.
Scott Coleman - October 3, 2009
thats like the only positive
drumzalicious - October 3, 2009
LIFETIME CONTRACT FOR GREG NORTON!!!!
bravos1984 - October 3, 2009
KJ!
Jareth Cutestory - October 3, 2009
Well, I predicted a few days ago that KJ and Norton would have some big hits for us late in the season…
lol
justincredubil02 - October 3, 2009
yep, Norton, its just remarkable all those clutch big hits he’s delivered over and over, all season long.
fandave - October 3, 2009
well, that high OBP is pretty cool…and he leads the league in PH walks, that is pretty cool too….
justincredubil02 - October 4, 2009
well seeing that he was called on to pinch hit every other game or so, yet hardly ever got a basehit, the least he could do was draw a walk every now and then.
Scott Coleman - October 4, 2009 via mobile
Fewer than 100 ABs….it would be hard for anyone to get out of a slump in fewer than 100 ABs for a whole season.
justincredubil02 - October 5, 2009
chipper
please retire you give this team nothing anymore. Jair probably would be nl cy young if he had any kind of offense behind him when pitching. Sad to watch how pathetic this braves offense is. And how in the world Manny Accosta still is on this roster amazes me.
Richshuturmouth - October 3, 2009
Chipper’s near .400 OBP disagrees with you.
justincredubil02 - October 4, 2009
Mainly because he get a lot of intentional walks, but lets face it Chipper has done poorly this year. I think he might have done better if he had rested more. I’m sure,age or not, he’ll hit .300+ next year with 30 HRs. I have no idea what happened to him this year but I don’t think he’s finished yet and sadly if he doesn’t get 2 HRs today he won’t get the record.
not2wired - October 4, 2009
If a 18 HR, 71 RBI, .260+ avg and .388 OBP season is poor by his standards, he is a hell of a player!
These numbers are not Chipper-esque, but they aren’t horrible by any stretch of the imagination.
I wish that I was awesome enough to have this kind of season considered my worst.
justincredubil02 - October 5, 2009
"A lot of intentional walks?"
He only got 18, and that number didn’t come close to leading the league. Without the IBBs, he’s still at .370.
MichaelProcton - October 7, 2009
I just about died when I saw Norton in the on-deck circle to pinch-hit for McCann, but somehow he got a hit. Then, seeing Acosta pitching in the 11th, with Gonzalez, Kawakami, Medlen, O’Flaherty (who was already warm), Logan, and Carlyle watching…I knew they were going to lose. Bobby must be trying to help Riggleman keep his job for next season.
John Holton - October 3, 2009
no offense!
well, well, well. this seems to be a recurring huge problem.
it will be interesting to see what Wren does to address it.
in my opinion, we have two screaming needs: a legit leadoff hitter and right-handed middle of the lineup big bat/run-producer.
fandave - October 3, 2009
wow.
thats all i can say.
This team needs some fire in it.
drumzalicious - October 3, 2009
Now everyone is forgeting that we put together at great run
and now we “suck” and have no passion.
esadb - October 3, 2009
if thats how you play
then thats what it is
drumzalicious - October 3, 2009
Shit
Is it against the rules to criticize the Braves on TalkingChop? It seems like anyone who bad mouths the Braves is then a horrible fan or something.
It’s not just here, but in many other posts as well. It really is okay to bash your favorite team when they play bad, believe it or not.
Scott Coleman - October 3, 2009 via mobile
For confirmation, look no further than McCovey Chronicles.
TheLetter2 - October 4, 2009
I hate this team. All they did was have one of the top 3 records in the majors since June-ish! They suck!
They have no fire and no passion! Who cares that they have nothing to play for now??? I DEMAND that they play like it is game 7 of the world series…if McCann gets hurt in the process, oh well! That is baseball!
Why in the world would Bobby Cox try to get one more look at his younger players when he could keep his stars in and use his overworked BP one more time!?!?!?!?
justincredubil02 - October 4, 2009
The idea is not to lose, I’m totally sorry Bobby’s coming back next year and it will be more poor managing and having a hitting coach that can’t bring players out of slumps. I am fed up with seeing poor players put into the game when there are better options. Acosta!? Really? Shit, I’m fed up with people defending mediocrity. The best thing this team has had is awesome pitching unfortunately backed up by offence that hasn’t hit good pitchers all year,4 in a row against the worst team in baseball. I’ll be at the game tomorrow because I have tix and my grandson wants to go. I had season tix this year, but probably won’t next year. Well win or lose tomorrow Creedence is going to be there.
jimmontg - October 4, 2009
No coach can "bring players out of slumps."
MichaelProcton - October 7, 2009
What do the Braves have to play For? How about the FANS!!!
not2wired - October 4, 2009
Really,the Braves might try playing a little harder for their fans,we pay all,I repeat,ALL the bills one way or another. I would appreciate Bobby giving a shit about me and the $100 I spend every time I go watch a game. Instead it’s another stupid f#*king management move that lost another game that could have been won. Acosta isn’t a young unknown and Norton sure as Hell isn’t, I know he got a hit but he usually doesn’t, he’s who you want in there if you want a walk. I go along with jimmontg and will say I’m sorry Bobby will be back next year,him and the same old staff in the dugout. Well I hope Wren gets some really good players in the offseason who don’t need much in the way of any coaching or next year will be the same, we should have been in the playoffs with the talent that’s on this team instead it’s looking like we end it with a 6 game losing streak if we don’t win today.
not2wired - October 4, 2009
I hate to break it to you, but professional sports stopped being about the fans a long time ago…
justincredubil02 - October 5, 2009
Because he should know Acosta sucks by now.
MichaelProcton - October 7, 2009
Put=past tense.
MichaelProcton - October 7, 2009
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