After playing some pretty inspired baseball for the first two series of the year, the Braves looked completely helpless in their series against the Marlins. We didn't pitch well, we didn't hit enough, we played some terrible defense -- it pretty much all went wrong. The key play on Thursday being an error by Kelly Johnson that could have been a double play. The next batter hit a 3-run homerun that was the difference in the game.
"This is one of the hardest places to play a day game," Johnson said. "I saw it out of his hand, and I at least knew it was coming at me. I put my glove where I thought it was going and just couldn't see it."
Then why on earth do we play day games at Turner Field?!? Let's just throw home field advantage right out the door if we know this and still let the team schedule day games.
"It's a long season," Johnson said. "You don't get down about anything. We might turn around and sweep them some other time, maybe at their place, and return the favor."
I wouldn't really call it a favor, but whatever. It is a long season, and maybe the road will be kinder to us this year. We start a 9-game trip tomorrow in Pittsburgh. For his part, Thursday's starter Kenshin Kawakami had a pretty decent start, save for that one pitch that he gave up the 3-run homerun -- it was an improvement on his first start.
0 recs | 19 comments
Kawakami throws WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too many pitches. I doubt we’ll ever see him get to the seventh inning.
bigjoe - April 16, 2009
Braves pitchers aren’t exactly pounding the strike zone and forcing hitters to have to not take so many pitches. They all know that if they can stretch a starter out, they can get to the sweet, sweet, soft-under belly that is the Braves bullpen to feast upon.
royhobbs - April 17, 2009
Cheer up!
The Braves will be okay!!
mvandonsel - April 16, 2009
Campillo put on DL…Reyes NOT called up??
bigjoe - April 16, 2009
He’ll get the call on Saturday. Parr is just filling in on Friday. I wonder if they’ll demote someone else and keep Parr in the pen.
gondeee - April 16, 2009
Since Parr most likely wont get another shot at the starting rotation in ATL, I would like to see what he has to offer the pen, for both his and the team’s sake.
bbxxj - April 16, 2009
oh jesus, please tell me James Parr is not throwing out the first pitch at the Gwinnett home opener tonight.
royhobbs - April 17, 2009
Hopefully, they will designate Boyer for assignment when they call Jo Jo up for Saturday’s game.
Mountngrown - April 17, 2009
Let's hope DOB doesn't ask about Chuck (El Primer Perro)
FrankyWren - April 16, 2009
(ask Parr)
FrankyWren - April 16, 2009
I know we played badly...
But I think the Marlins are pretty good, too. They have decent pitching, are fast, and can manufacture runs. They also have a bit of power as well. If they can just field consistently and have their young pitchers stay on track, they could stay atop the division for a while. Am I totally crazy, or does anyone else agree?
jug - April 17, 2009
Agreed
This series wasn’t so much that the Braves stank, it is a testament to how well the Fish are playing now. Volstad shut down Atlanta bats, Sanchez did his job, and the Florida bullpen kept the Braves quiet. Sure, game 2 had another bullpen meltdown, but the first and third games were had opportunities for the Braves to score some runs and potentially win, but the offense didn’t deliver. The Braves beat themselves in game 2, but the Marlins simply beat the Braves in the first and third games.
royhobbs - April 17, 2009
A saving grace
I think that while the series against the marlins was pretty depressing, you could say that in that first series against the phillies we made them look as average as the marlins made us. If you take away the bullpen meltdown (and even if you leave it in) they barely hit, their pitching got knocked around and they generally didn’t look like anything special. Both their performance against us ours against the marlins could be put down to early season ironing out of issues but also i get the feeling that this is how this division will go, with teams fluctuating in competitiveness and generally beating up on each other.
Bream to the plate, and he is... - April 17, 2009
Somebody
Post that hilarious meme pic of All Thumbs looking afraid of the ball.
WienerDog - April 17, 2009
The Fish are good, but we gave them runs.
WALKS WALKS WALKS.
Throughout the series, I would look at the scoreboard and the Marlins would have more runs than hits. Not to mention we made like 5 errors in 3 games. The Marlins ’pen completely shut us down. I think their line for the series was 8 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs. Outside of Soriano and Gonzalez, I have absolutely no confidence in any Braves reliever.
Kawakami looked pretty good yesterday, besides the walks and the mistake to Cody Ross. He needs to throw more strikes so he can go deeper into a game (thats the only way to avoid our middle relief guys giving up the game). I have all the confidence in the world that our starters will go out there and give us a chance to win every game. Lowe, Vasquez, Jurrjens, Kawakami, and eventually, Tommy Hanson. We’re really missing Will Ohman right now and we need a live right handed arm for middle relief because these guys obviously cannot get it done on a regular basis.
tdoublem23 - April 17, 2009
Some of those walks (and just runs in general) came from a few incredible small strike zones, but yes that was certainly a major problem.
As far as the bullpen…Carlyle pitched efficiently and well on Wed, Bennett came back to put up two scoreless innings yesterday after a poor performance on Tuesday (he’s giving up ALOT of hits though), and EOF came in and did his job on Tuesday and Wednesday. I think it’s a little too early to give up on any of those three. Moylan has been hit or miss and I guess you could attribute that to him rushing back from the sugery, and Boyer just needs to go.
Smoltz's Beard - April 17, 2009
The lineup today should be interesting with Escobar hurt, Chipper hurt, Anderson not 100% Schafer striking every other at bat. It is deja vu all over again.
Fortune favors the brave(s) - April 17, 2009
anderson hasnt been 100% healthy in 10 years
GreatOden'sRaven - April 17, 2009
very true
I’m not understanding Bobbys lineup choices either. He hits Anderson in cleanup when hes not 100% and batting .200 and he puts Frenchy 7th? i understand he likes to spread out the righties but still, youre playing without chipper and mccann, just put the best guys in your most important spots. i think it should have been:
1. Johnson
2. Infante
3. Escobar
4. Francouer
5. Anderson
6. Kotchman
7. Schafer
8. Ross
tdoublem23 - April 17, 2009
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