I'm tempted to just reuse my recap of last night's game for this one. Aside from the score, it was almost a mirror image. Braves leave a bunch of runners on early, finally break through with a run, and then immediately give up the lead. The defense wasn't as bad tonight, but it wasn't good, either, and Yunel Escobar made one of the worst baserunning errors I've ever seen, failing to tag up on from third with 1 out and turning a sure sac fly RBI into a double play. I think I speak for all Braves fans when I say that I hope Yunel can get his head back into the game soon. He's an exciting player when he's on, but these mental lapses are wearying.
Jair Jurrjens went 6.2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks. He struck out 3 and had a WPA of -0.134. He was great through the first 5 innings, but couldn't hold the slim lead. He gave up an RBI double to Jason Bay that tied it at 1, then another RBI double to Francoeur that gave the Mets the lead. Still, at least one good thing came out of this game. We know now that there's nothing wrong with JJ that a little offensive support won't cure.
Mets starter Jon Niese was hardly dominant but the Braves couldn't break through off him. He gave up 5 hits and 5 walks in 5.1 IP, but he struck out 6 and only gave up 1 run. His WPA was 0.069. Manny Acosta (of all people) came on to get him out of a jam in the 6th, and would end up getting the win. Acosta worked 1.2 innings, striking out 3, giving up a walk and no hits; he had an excellent 0.178 WPA. It figures that we'd get the good Acosta today, when we so desperately needed an Acostalypse. Oh well.
Chipper Jones left the game in the 4th with an apparent leg injury. He hurt it while swinging in the 1st but stayed in to strike out twice before being replaced by Martin Prado. He will presumably be out for at least a few games. We'll keep you posted.
We're on ESPN tomorrow night. (TV mute buttons everywhere will be getting a workout.) Let's all take up voodoo between now and then. The Braves need all the help we can give them right now.
Awards (such as they are) after the jump.
MVPs: Jason Bay-- 3/4, 2B, RBI, 0.196 WPA; and Jeff Francoeur-- 1/3, 2B, R, RBI, K, 0.177 WPA.
LVP: Yunel Escobar for his boneheaded baserunning gaffe. Honorable mention to every hitter but Prado (who went 1/2 with a BB).
MVPILE: Nobody is deserving.
Clutch Play: Francoeur's RBI double, 0.237 WPA
Un-clutch Play: Escobar's gaffe, which led to Glaus unfairly being charged with a -0.186 WPA. (I wish WPA had some way of accounting for defense and baserunning errors like that, but oh well. Just know that Glaus' WPA should be higher and Esco's lower.)
0 recs | 115 comments
I figured out why the Braves lost today...
Chipper got injured. He normally hits HRs on his birthday. They would’ve won if he’d stayed in the game.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
Don’t remember what movie this is from, but I love the quote…
“This is no time to panic.”
“…….This is the perfect time to panic!!!”
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
Toy Story
TonyAlmeyda - April 24, 2010
Thank you. That’s it.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
Or Aladdin
“Abu this is no time to panic!” “Start panicking”
kreese555 - April 24, 2010
So we're probably not playing tomorrow
Great.
Scott Coleman - April 24, 2010
I think most of the heavy rain will be gone before game time tomorrow.
From weather.com:
TonyAlmeyda - April 24, 2010
The problem is our rotation doesn't WANT to win
In fact they sick, twisted pleasure from losing.
What we need are BASEBALL PLAYERS.
WINNERS.
Men who play the game of baseball and win.
I say blow up the rotation and get:
1. Moyer
2. Petit
3. Wakefield
4. Hernandez
5. Millwood
993 WINS COMBINED
/Joe Morgan
TheBravestWay To Block A Decent Prospect - April 24, 2010
We're not keeping D. Lowe?
D. Lowe knows how to winz…
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
It's bobby's last season
we can’t afford to have anyone but the best, most proven winners.
TheBravestWay To Block A Decent Prospect - April 24, 2010
You gave it away right there. There’s no way Joe Morgan knows who any of those people are.
UMDBHIK - April 25, 2010
TIME TO PANIC!!!
TonyAlmeyda - April 24, 2010
I hate April baseball. Can we fast forward to July please?
redwards95 - April 24, 2010
Just because it’s April shouldn’t be an excuse for us to play like a shitty double A team
Fire Pendleton. Look for change. Before it’s too late.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
We'll get better as the year goes on
we don’t need to panic
southman - April 24, 2010
Even if Glaus and Cabrera do “get better,” they’re sub-par.
How many outfield pop-ups were lost today?
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
And when I say “sub-par” here, I mean “shitty.”
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
Yes please fire TP!
PLEASE!
For the teams sake – someone write a letter to Frank Wren or TP telling them to take a hike. But not Bobby. No…we can’t fire Bobby. Especially in his last season. That would just be cruel.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
We beat ourselves
And the old Braves helped
BeantownVol - April 24, 2010 via mobile
On 680 the fan they were talking about Escobar’s terrible play. They said Bobby just took off his hat in the dugout. I don’t know what exactly he did with it, he just took it off. But I would have thrown it at Escobar…
The past four games have been the worst I’ve seen in a long time. I don’t mean to be all negative…but this isn’t just early season woes. This REALLY stinks.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Troy Glaus
Is the problem with Troy Glaus a timing issue or has age slowed down his bat?
JimH - April 24, 2010
He's been hitting the ball fairly well the last week
Just nothing is dropping and even when he should get a RBI….he gets a double play. It’s kinda amusing really.
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
First to Worst
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
Sigh, Cheif-Noc-A-Homa is right.
That’s all there is to it.
I heard on 680 The Fan that Yunel could be traded soon if he keeps acting like this.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
We’re fucked in the outfield, already…..moreso than the infield, anyway. That would just fuck us worse. Yunel is actually someone that will turn it around. He’s in a rough patch. But that dumbass move today was inexcuseable.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
unless we get Francurer in it
then we have no problems
southman - April 27, 2010
Yunel plays hard for the most part.
I think he had a brain lapse of some kind. Seems like to me the team is playing pretty tight in general.
I still think this team can be really good because the pitching is good enough.
JimH - April 24, 2010
Still a long season and I'm very optimistic but.....
Pitching is good. Defense isn’t horrible. There’s one glaring weakness that we’ve seemed to have for multiple seasons now and I’m pretty sure everyone knows it: HITTING. PERIOD. We have way too many bad trips to the plate. Can we PLEASE at least consider firing Terry Pendleton’s worthless ass? I know it’s Bobby’s last year and I’m sure he would be too pleased…oh wait, I couldn’t care less because I’m sick of watching my team act like stepping on home plate is a bad thing. Unless you’re Yunel and then you are so damn anxious to get home you just go for it no matter how many outs there are.
MTSU11 - April 24, 2010
Hell, they’ll probably offer Pendleton Bobby’s job after this year. As sad as that is, it’s probably what’s going to happen.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
Nah they will give the job to another angry old white guy.
Is Bobby Valentine still in Japan?
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
Oh cheese puffs.
If they do I’m seriously going to write up a petition. I kno that sounds dorky, but we need to do SOMETHING! If they offer Pendlton Bobby’s job they obviously don’t care about the team, the fans, the players…anything. Frank Wren needs to be fired too.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010
FIRE EVERYONE BLOW UP THE TED
OH HELL DONT JUST BLOW UP THE TED BLOW UP THE ENTIRE CITY OF ATLANTA! ESPECIALLY THE 75/85 SPLIT. BLOW THAT STRAIGHT TO HELL.
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
Yeah…But if you blow up Atlanta you blow up the coke factory! Can’t do that! ;)
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010
SUCH IS THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
But there will be no more coke!
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
pretty cool aquarium too
David G. Little - April 24, 2010
“Pretty cool”? Don’t go there on a Saturday in summer. Could hardly breathe. Day after a Mets-Braves game(we won) and there were Mets fans everywhere, including a family of Mets fans who were extremely loud.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
New Yorkers? Loud?
I have a hard time believing that
Skyagusta - April 24, 2010
Bobby wouldn’t be pleased. Gotta get my game together on posts. I’m better than that. Some how I know that that is very possible but I just don’t wanna believe it. It’s like that’s way too horrible of a thing to actually come true. It seems like I’ve heard people describe that situation…Pendleton as head coach….Revelations maybe? That sounds right.
MTSU11 - April 24, 2010
Anyone else watching Ole Miss/LSU game
Those camo hats are sweet!
TheBravestWay To Block A Decent Prospect - April 24, 2010
Baseball?
If so, no, I’m not watching it…but I may turn to college baseball if the Braves keep stinking.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010
Yunel got his ass chewed but good from Bobby Cox after the game today. I really hope this lights a fire under some asses, but I doubt it. Weak lineup.
tennesseejed1 - April 24, 2010
Weak EFFORT.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Weak Effort for sure. But this lineup isn’t going to scare many other teams, even on a good night.
tennesseejed1 - April 24, 2010
a 3-4-5-6-7
Of Chipper won Kenobi, the Glaus Cannon, McCain/Palin, Dumbass, and the Rook is nothing to go “Eh, no sweat gonna rock these fools”.
But keep hating. It’s actually good for you.
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
I'd start that at 2...
Opposing pitchers already seem to be pitching around Prado. That man is on fire.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
problems with the Brave
Simply put
Glaus .175, Diaz .175, Cabrera .143 are the 4-5-6 hitters, and did anyone expect good Ave from Glaus and Cabrera?
Neither of those will end the year with a .250 average in the best case scenario
Heywood has got more holes in his swing than Chris and Chili Davis, but he at least HR occassionally.
As long as we have noone capable of hitting even .250 in 4-7, the Braves will not score runs
a hay - April 24, 2010
15 games into the season
and you are saying Diaz and Cabrera won’t even hit .250.
I mean, come on.
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
i don't think cabrera will
he did not 2 years ago, he was .265 in a stadium which lifted offense (NY), and plays in Fenway park too
he won’t playing in such favourable environment this year
a hay - April 24, 2010
NEW YORK'S BALLPARK IS STILL A PITCHER'S PARK
I don’t know how many times that has to be said….but jesus.
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
Wtf are you talking about?
Neither Diaz, nor Cabrera have hit 4th, 5th or 6th in the lineup this season, that I can recall.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
And did you seriously just say "Heywood"?
And holes in his swing? You’re serious?
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
he is on the way to
250ks
a hay - April 24, 2010
He's also on his way to 40 HRs and 160 RBIs...
Are you fucking kidding me?
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
if you think they will keep pitching to him
when he swing at 25% of pitches out of the strike zone
I bet he won’t get to 25
a hay - April 24, 2010
I'm still trying to figure out if you're being sarcastic or dense...
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
Holy crap, talk about missing the point.
But then again, there is a decent change you are just trolling, so whatever.
DogDaysofSummer - April 24, 2010
ROFL
Heywood? lol oh man i’m cracking up
traphicg - April 24, 2010
seriously?
did you REALLY say Heywood?
traphicg - April 24, 2010
So who’s going to be in charge of going to KFC to get the bucket of chicken for the voodoo ceremony?
musicman - April 24, 2010
Dang now ya got me craving fried chicken and mashed taters.
Also: voodoo? What?
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
We're supposed to be working on our voodoo for tomorrow's game....
I’m going to make a voodoo doll of Jose Reyes. I’ll be stabbing pins in its eyes throughout the entire game – maybe for the rest of the season.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
That works.
Heck, i say this a lot. But if he wasn’t injured and he was a few years younger, Chipper could whoop Jose’s and Wright’s butts any given day.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Jobu
musicman - April 24, 2010
I obviously don’t understand what we’re talking about half the time here…what’s Jobu?
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Go watch the movie Major League II....
You’ll catch onto a LOT of what’s said around here after that.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
Lol.
I love watching dumb idiot storm-chasers on the weather channel…
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Wow…I just realized how random I was.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Jobu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3g2N4oX3VA
musicman - April 24, 2010
Allow me to pick you up here musicman. Ahem.
“Cerrano’s looking to sacrifice a live chicken.” “Just keep him busy I’ll think of something.” HereComesBream, how have you not seen Major League?!
kreese555 - April 24, 2010
I think
What we have here is a gap in ages larger than some of you are assuming.
royhobbs - April 24, 2010
By that you mean....?
I haven’t seen a movie…I’m not a movie person, really.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
I think a lot of folks who have been on and around this site for a while feel we have an influx of either 14 yr olds, or people who post like 14 yr olds or react like 14 yr olds to short term team difficulty. The maturity level of the comments has taken a beating in the last few days. Talking Chop is a pretty serious baseball blog, too many immature posts are not a good thing for the site. Everybody’s welcome, but people are being asked to act according to site standards, and those people don’t seem to be able to, or are not willing to try.
bighop - April 24, 2010
I'm not singling you out
But as bighop states, there’s obviously been an influx of some less than desirable conduct in general (coming from someone who was called out for immaturity and bringing down the level of discourse) site-wide, and it’s just a snide remark, mostly.
royhobbs - April 24, 2010
few years ago
Anyone remember those dialogue “scripts” of the clubhouse from TC a few years ago? I cant remember who wrote them but she was hilarious. Salty was around and alot of baby braves getting sent up and down.
We need to bring back those vignettes.
traphicg - April 24, 2010
I’m watching the weather (might just be better than watching the Braves) hoping a tornado might sweep away the NY Mets.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Ok...
As long as the Braves get out of town first.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
And they leave Pendleton, Melky and Glaus behind. And Escobar too, maybe.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
This thread is pathetic.
Just hush.
Scott Coleman - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Shhhhh!!
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
lol
The Nats having a better record than the Braves is pathetic.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 24, 2010
Sorry
I get frustrated really really easily. Rain puts me in a bad mood. It’s pouring here.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Rain makes me happy!
Unfortunately, it rained here yesterday…
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
Can we go back to this?
sdp - April 24, 2010
yes please.
Scott Coleman - April 24, 2010
Thanks for the video clip…
I remember when I watched that, I was eating popcorn. I started yelling. And the popcorn fell out of my mouth. Yuck. But popcorn was worth sacrificing for being able to yell during that monster homer.
HereComesBream - April 24, 2010 via mobile
I was trying to scroll down to find someone who has a reputation of making reputable comments… I couldn’t find any.
Gage23 - April 24, 2010
Agreed
I was going to say that this is probably the most pathetic post-loss thread I’ve ever seen (well, I just did), but you and Scott apparently beat me to it.
royhobbs - April 24, 2010
Heywood
that got me to laugh pretty good though
traphicg - April 24, 2010
It is pretty pathetic
But in all honesty, so is the play right now. I’m not freaking out or anything but this is starting to become embarrassing. We make mediocre pitchers look like CY candidates
kreese555 - April 24, 2010
Mediocre at the ML level is still better than thousands
Anyone who is one of the 30 Major League rosters is on the prestigious 25-/40-man rosters for a reason. (debatable) To that capacity, anyone who is playing baseball and getting paid for it, is playing baseball for a living for a reason. Just because guys like Jon Niese, Kyle Kendrick, and John Maine are giving the Braves trouble doesn’t mean that the Braves suck. At one point in their lives, every professional baseball player is the greatest athlete in their school/town/region and was given the privilege to play baseball as an occupation.
When they have a good performance, it’s not necessarily the result of the Braves playing poorly, but sometimes it’s just that particular pitcher is playing to their best talents. If these guys weren’t capable of performing at a good level, they wouldn’t be playing professional baseball in the first place.
royhobbs - April 24, 2010
Enjoy your posts Roy Hobbs
You’re a bigger man than I for defending the Braves inability to beat “mediocre” pitching at a difficult time for the team and fans! The world isn’t ending by any means but can this get any worse??? The bad new is – we going to be facing the Cardinals for 4 games next. I’m looking forward to May and getting out of the NL East basement.
Nova Scotia Steve - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Thanks
Honestly, I’ve gotten to the point with this team that it really doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we face the same chances we have to win a game as we do to lose a game. Just remember last year, the Braves marched into St. Louis in September and swept them; granted, we don’t have Javy Vazquez any more, but Huddy and Jurrjens should get another crack at them again. If this team gets out of April with a .500, I’ll be content, because that’s sadly better than many of the previous years’ Aprils.
royhobbs - April 24, 2010
this isn't a troll post at all
believe me i feel your pain. we have been dominated by the likes of Livan Hernandez and Tyler Clippard. That being said, Maine is awful but Niese is pretty darn good. He got squeezed pretty bad and the defense made him throw a lot more pitches than necessary. IMO he will be a solid SP for a long time if Dan Warthen/The Mets FO doesn’t destroy him like they did Church.
MetsKnicksRutgers - April 24, 2010
It's not just your guys
The Braves got shut down by Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer too. That’s why it seems like 80% of the readers on Talking Chop are about to jump off a bridge.
Scott Coleman - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Ask Phillies fans about Tim Redding. Every team seems to have a really unlikely pitcher that just dominates them. I have hoped more than halfway seriously that the Phillies would sign Redding to a contract and simply stash him in AAA. It’s ridiculous how well he pitches against them.
RememberthePhitans - April 24, 2010
I agree
The umping was inconsistent and awful (story of the year) and Jurrjens was pretty badly victimized by the inequities too. I’m not trying to knock Niese by any means, I know that he’s likely going to be one of the better contributors to the rotation this year, but you have to admit that he wasn’t having his best stuff, either. I counted at least five first pitches that were curveballs nowhere close to being something that most of us would lay off of, aside from the bad umping leading to an egregious amount of balls being called.
royhobbs - April 24, 2010
The umpiring was ridiculous. My brother described the shape of the strike zone as an amoeba. I think that is a fairly accurate statement. But I don’t think one pitcher was victimized over the other. The past two nights, the umps have had either inconsistent or completely wild strike zones. I wasn’t able to predict what was going to be called a ball or strike for either pitcher.
Gage23 - April 24, 2010
Amoeba shaped strike zone….God I hope I can remember that one, it’s perfect
bighop - April 24, 2010
Such a shame
That Bud Selig made such a knee-jerk reaction to the bad post-season umping, and firing all those umpires. All the wrong ones got fired for mostly calls related to balls in play, and a bunch of inexperienced green umps are all umping at the major league level right now. None of these greenhorns are competently calling balls and strikes with any consistency this season. The National League is on pace to have 200+ more walks league-wide than it did last year.
royhobbs - April 25, 2010
If he ever
learns to command the curveball like an early Zito he will be dangerous. But, yes the strike zone yesterday was out of this world. As Gage mentioned, amoeba shaped is the perfect description. There were pitches that caught entirely too much plate to be balls. The outside corner was essentially non-existent, JJ and Niese had to put the entire ball within the plate for it to be called a strike. I haven’t seen it that bad yet this year. Hobbs mentioned we are on pace to have a ton of walks this year in the NL. I would bet that we are also going to have more called strike threes than most years. The strike zone is just all outta whack.
MetsKnicksRutgers - April 25, 2010
Braves are
0-4 since the walk-off walk-off. Just saying
sexbobomb - April 24, 2010
Horrible
This is looking like a replay of last year, when will it stop……
USAFCCF - April 24, 2010
Game Summary
Today’s game deserves my comment from last night.
“Shit, absolute shit. I felt like I was watching nine-year-old Little Leaguers kick the ball around the infield. It is one thing to be beaten, either the other team hit better or their pitching was better; it is another thing to beat yourself with errors. Chipper and the rest of the infield needs to get their heads out of their collective asses and play some defense!”
I will add that Yunel is a piece of shit. I have never seen worse baserunning.
Mr. Glavine #47 - April 24, 2010
Oh boy.
Scott Coleman - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Thanks for playing.
Skyagusta - April 25, 2010
I don't know what to say...
I mean, i realize in spring training the pitching is weak, but this offensive drop off from spring is ridiculous… What can be done? They won’t fire TP, Infante will bat leadoff until someone else starts hitting and Bobby will keep trotting these guys out hoping for the three run HR that never comes… What can we do but sit back and hope? Things won’t be shaken up anytime soon
HansonManCrush - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Wait...what?
The pitching is weak? Are you talking about the Braves’ pitching!?
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
No i was referring to opposing pitchers faced in spring that allowed glaus and mccann to hit damn near .500… If there’s one thing this team does NOT have it’s weak pitching
HansonManCrush - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Ok...
I had to make sure you weren’t insane. There’s a lot of insanity going on around here. It might be contagious.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 24, 2010
Some would argue i’m insane haha
HansonManCrush - April 24, 2010 via mobile
I shake my head at those who are panicking three weeks into a six-month season. Like many others, I’m disappointed at losing four in a row, but this stuff happens to every team during the whole season. The lineup looks different from last year, so naturally, pieces are going to be moved around to determine what works and what doesn’t.
If one were to look at the NL East standings today, first place and last place are separated by THREE GAMES. This early in the season, everyone is still bunched together. No one has run away with anything, so fretting about how much the team is struggling is pointless.
Seriously, take a chill pill.
TonyAlmeyda - April 25, 2010
well its only April
just have to get things worked out specifically in the offense. Id much rather have these troublesome times now then later in the season when it really matters. Lets just hope we dont fall behind everyone to soon. April has been frustrating
Erihury - April 25, 2010
Well now. I just wasted 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back.
I suppose venting serves a purpose, but it sure is tiring to read over and over and over again.
NCChopper - April 25, 2010
Yeah.
Let’s take that Heywood guy out back and beat the shit out of him.
UMDBHIK - April 25, 2010
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