For some reason I just figured this kind of offensive ineptness would happen after we scored 16 runs on opening day. Last night was kind of the same game as tonight, we just had Chipper Jones come through in a big way in the right situation. On Thursday night the Braves couldn't come through with runners in scoring position. Much of that rally killing was helped by three double plays. Despite 6 of the Braves 8 hits on the night between them, Troy Glaus, Martin Prado, and Yunel Escobar each hit into a double play. Those killed many a rally, and despite outhitting the Cubs, we came up short in the run department.
Tommy Hanson had great stuff on the night. He struck out seven, including striking out the side in the first inning (with a walk sandwiched in there). His Achilles heel was the solo homerun, of which he surrendered two.
The Braves bullpen was once again superb, and gave the Braves a chance to come back. Eric O'Flaherty and Jesse Chavez pitched 3.2 perfect innings of relief.
Atlanta threatened in the ninth. Yunel Escobar singled and Nate McLouth walked. Eric Hinske took a Carlos Marmol pitch to the edge of the warning track in center field, just missing getting enough of that pitch to take it out. It wasn't enough and Melky Cabrera struck out to end the game.
Of more concern than the loss was the departure of Chipper Jones in the fourth inning because of a strained right side. I'm guessing he'll be day to day and will be reevaluated. Hopefully the news will be good on Chipper.
By the way, I want to hurt whoever came up with the ads for the Home Depot and the Sunshine House. Those damn commercials come on every commercial break and I hate them!
0 recs | 100 comments
Braves had like twice as many baserunners
But the Cubs had more guys crossing the plate, which is what matters.
And those ads for the Home Depot are nothing compared to those Meth ads-the anti-meth commercials drive me to drink more.
Bronn - April 8, 2010
Sad now...
The Braves lost. The season is over! No post season for us…
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 8, 2010
You’re right about Eric Gregg though.
Bronn - April 8, 2010
I didn’t realize that Eric Gregg died, though.
BigG1392 - April 8, 2010
Yeah
Health problems. He was a big fellow. It’s kind of sad that I’ll always only remember one game he called.
Bronn - April 8, 2010
Well that was pretty shitty.
Sucks we got a game in 18 hours. Rest up guys.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010 via mobile
we still....
won the series!!!
Shoert - April 8, 2010
Oh, and MattyD needs to be hitting leadoff tomorrow.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010 via mobile
Amen
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 8, 2010
is there a lefty pitching bc he hit looked pretty bad last night too (i know sample size blah blah blah)
bpk228480 - April 9, 2010
I would feel worse about this game if our bats were completely helpless but we were hitting the ball well for the most part.. just couldn’t plate anybody. Outside of the two solo shots our pitching was absolutely fantastic.
The Cubs certainly deserved to win this game but I say if we played these exact same lineups and pitchers again, 8/10 we win the game.
bbxxj - April 8, 2010
NAHWAL results up (as will the next couple threads about to go up)
GoBravesNY - April 8, 2010
diaz
prado who is hitting like 650
Escobar
Glaus
heyward
infante
ross
mclouth
Hudson
I bet the lineup looks something like this… be nice to be Hinske get some more at bats too
RWH2 - April 8, 2010
Wouldn’t you want to at least swap Escobar and Infante?
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 8, 2010
I mean I guess you could just threw it out there, maybe Chipper will play he was bitchen about how he wont sleep on planes and would like the day off so maybe that is why he came out of tonight’s game.
RWH2 - April 8, 2010
Giving McCann the rest?
David G. Little - April 8, 2010
Day game after a night game + travel day + left handed starting pitcher.
Lennox - April 8, 2010
this
Smoltz's Beard - April 9, 2010
It's hard to lose in baseball...
That hinske shot and all those GIDP. by the time escobar did that, I was like really, another DP? w/e, just a bad, unlucky game for us. And the chipper injury too.
Braves Biceps - April 8, 2010
We looked more helpless yesterday against Dempster than today, but we won yesterday and lost today… just how it goes sometimes I guess.
bbxxj - April 8, 2010
Does anyone on TC do a minor league recap at the end of the day?
BRaves1 - April 8, 2010
Yep! Either CB or yondaime4 will have it later tonight or tomorrow morning.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010 via mobile
Poor Mike Gonzalez just loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th. He’s having a terrible time.
Gage23 - April 8, 2010
I haven’t seen him rock before he pitches, either. That must be the problem.
Gage23 - April 8, 2010
he escaped, and I got a fantasy win from that game
GoBravesNY - April 8, 2010
I own Gonzo in one league
Actually, I own Chipper, McCann, Escobar, Heyward, Soriano, and Hanson, too. It’s like the 2009 Braves + Heyward.
Bronn - April 8, 2010
LOLz… I drafted Gonzo, then promptly dropped him after opening day. Now I’m relying on Soria and K-Rod (gulp) for my saves
GoBravesNY - April 8, 2010
I drafted Gonzo real late in one league because he was way overlooked, so I spent my time racking up more offense and came back to him at the end.
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
I was at the game and Heyward FINALLY looked like a rookie tonight
- we looked like the 2009 braves the way we left runners in scoring position
- i’m honestly starting to believe i’m bad luck since they only won 2 out of 12 games i went to last year and then lost the first one i went to this year
- we should leave this game knowing we SHOULD have won, but just let it slip away
- BUT if we win every 2 out 3 this year we will have 108 games
BravesFanScout - April 8, 2010
It’s all about staying above 500. Besides it’s only April and not Sept/Oct. Heyward needs these types of reps to be ready for another high pressure AB.
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
Then effin’ stop goin, ya bastard! :)
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
FINALLY = 3rd game?
He is indeed a rookie. And human. Who knew?
Yes, we probably “should” have won tonight. But we “should” have lost last night, too. So oh well, 2/3. I’ll take it
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
At least the Phillies lost, too...
There’s some consolation in that.
EricGreggWasPaidOff - April 8, 2010
Vice President Hank Aaron's words of wisdom.....
Maybe the braves should listen to him and then they wouldn’t loose games they shouldn’t…
“I don’t think they understand the role of what they need to be doing,” Aaron said Thursday during a visit to The Associated Press. “I’m not saying all of them, but I think some players need to understand that they’re never going to hit 50 home runs or 45 home runs [a year]. They’ve got to learn how to hit the ball to the opposite field and do the little things to help their ballclub win championships.”
RWH2 - April 8, 2010
Amen
David G. Little - April 8, 2010
How does one loose a game?
justincredubil02 - April 8, 2010
by scoring less (runs) than the other team
GoBravesNY - April 8, 2010
That would be losing the game, not loosening it.
justincredubil02 - April 8, 2010
+1
Lizziebeth - April 12, 2010
By letting it out of its cage
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
+1
justincredubil02 - April 8, 2010
haha
Smoltz's Beard - April 9, 2010
Link please...
I don’t think he said that.
sddbaker - April 8, 2010
At least...
not in the context you’re presenting it here….
sddbaker - April 8, 2010
he said it earlier today and not about this game i was just saying in general...
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5068451
RWH2 - April 8, 2010
Our offence was not that Monster strong
So I’m not so surprised that it happens like today.
Hope Glaus can pick up the bat more quickly, and CJ back to lineup ASAP.
Our pitching, SP or RP, are the most powerful weapon we have!
Go for it Braves!
Hanzo - April 8, 2010
I thought Hinske had won it for a second
ugh. Sweeping the Cubs would have been pimp.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 8, 2010
We’re going to have a lot of games like this.
No consistent power hitters, no speed to make things happen on the bases. Just like last year, we’ve basically got to string together 3-4 walks/hits in an inning to get one across. If those hits/walks are scattered over the course of a game, rather than bunched up, we’re going to have a lot of men left on base.
We also really need our lead off hitter to get on base with Prado clearly being the hottest hitter on the team so far.
Lennox - April 8, 2010
So why not make Prado the leadoff guy, then? He’s certainly a better option than Melky.
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
Better Idea.
Give up the whole farm system for Prince Fielder. (Joking)
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
Ugh.
Imagine all the people complaining about his strikeouts?
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
I've been advocating Prado to lead off for a while
He’s the best rally-starter on the team, IMO. Also relatively fast, and consistent. Decent OBP. What’s not to like?
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
I’d be fine with that. I’d probably move Heyward up to the 2 spot if I had Prado leading off in this lineup.
Lennox - April 8, 2010
Not against a LHP I wouldn't...
Not until we know he can hit them
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
I was talking more in general, I’d go with Diaz against LHP.
Alternatively, you could go with the Diaz/McLouth platoon leading off, like people were talking about all spring and keep Prado in the 2 spot.
Lennox - April 8, 2010
I’d agree with that. I’d like to see him anchored in that 7 hole till May- let’s see what he does with a month, and then look at moving him up in the order if he’s earned it.
Against that lefty tomorrow, I’d like to see
Prado
Matty
Yunel
Glaus
Ross
Infante
Heyward
McLouth
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
You know, Chipper pretty much hit in the 3 spot right from opening day in his rookie year. Obviously as a Switch Hitter you don’t have to worry about match ups as much with him, but it’s not like Chipper had to prove himself by batting at the bottom of the order.
Lennox - April 8, 2010
True,
Chipper was 3 years older though. Not sure how much difference that makes with a kid like Heyward, but it’s something to consider.
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
Chipper was also a few years older. The dudes only 20- 20 y/os have massively produced before, but I’m just saying rather than heap that pressure on him, why not leave in a lower-key spot to see how he responds, and if he responds like we’re all hoping he will then move him up into a high-grade RBI position.
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
The way I see it, we made the choice to start him on the big league roster rather than AAA, clearly the people making the choices see him as a guy who can be an impact bat from game 1, or they’d have let him spend a couple of weeks in AAA to delay his FA down the line.
With that in mind, I think you have to treat him like an impact bat until he shows that he isn’t one.
Lennox - April 8, 2010
Listen, it's the first loss of the year, so everyone might be down but,
….the strike zone was a bit weird tonight. Look at Matty’s AB. Really cheap strike 2…fouls of the next pitch (in roughly the same location), then whiffs belt-high and away.
Heyward’s last AB highlighted the first set of adjustment(s) pitchers will make on him. He demonstrated in the first two games he can get around on the inside fastball, so Marmol adjusted and threw him three inside (nasty) sinkers.
Glaus, after his first AB, had a good night, so maybe y’all ain’t gonna need to call up Freddie Freeman next week, who knows…
Finally, they had opportunities….Esco hit into the DP….Hinske just missed the GWPHHR….hopefully they can take the Giants down a peg this weekend…‘night y’all….
El Soro - April 8, 2010
Dude...FlashForward tonight was legit!
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
Really like our Bullpen.
Hey that Chavez guy looked really good along with EOF coming out of the pen. Crazy how one year we have an offense with no Bullpen and then have a solid pen with no offense. Yeah I know it’s only game 3 but man I still feel the pain of 2009. I’m looking at you F@#$ing Scott Norton!
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
yeah Chavez set down everybody. and EOF is always nuts.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - April 8, 2010
Scott Norton?
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
My Fault
I meant Greg Norton. Don’t know where I got Scott from. Brain fart on my part.
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
Scott Thorman + Greg Norton,
perhaps?
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
OH GAWD, KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
?
Lennox - April 8, 2010
LOL
rec’d
Smoltz's Beard - April 9, 2010
hahahahahahahaha
royhobbs - April 9, 2010
Fun attendance fact.
Our attendance (27,443) seems disappointing, right? Well, it was the biggest crowd in MLB tonight, edging the FLA @ NYM tilt (25,982). Of course, the other games were in Pittsburgh, Oakland, DC, KC, Tampa, Cincy, and Texas, so it’s not that impressive. But still, gotta count for something, right?
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
OK that's incomplete.
the CLE @ CHW and MIN @ LAA games don’t have attendance # in yet. Fail by me.
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
Still, 3rd best would be nothing to sneeze at either.
J-Freak - April 8, 2010
This is true...
but a ton of those fans were Cubs fans. Not to be a negative nancy, but lets see how our attendance is when we have a team besides the Cubs in town.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
Hush!
Trying to be positive here.
Attendance will go up once school gets out, and should be fine on weekends until then.
Jacob Peterson - April 8, 2010
haha
I know I know. I think we’ll average at least 1,000 more fans a night during the season based on it being Heyward’s rookie season and Bobby’s final season.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
Never understood why nobody wants to go to the Ted to watch the Braves. Never forget the time we had a doubleheader and only 500 ppl showed up for the day game. That was super embarrassing.
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
I've never been
but i’ve heard that The Ted is a huge pain in the ass to get in and out of. And IIRC, it’s also far away from where many of the houses are in the Atlanta-metro area. It’s also Atlanta, so some families with young kids might worry about being out late on weekdays as well.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
I hear your point.
But it was football or something, people would be out til like 1 in the morning to watch it. Not knocking football cause i love it (Go Colts, Falcons, Bama, Stanford) it’s just maybe ATL metro is not big into baseball. Just throwing a wild guess out there.
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
Colts?
I think we just became best friends!
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
Yeah dude love Peyton Manning’s game. He’s a thinking man’s QB. They always have a great team with little name players.
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
yep
and our drafts are usually gold too even though we always have a low pick.
You gotta lose Stanford though…It’s all about the Arizona Wildcats.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
I’m an alum so that’s not going to happen.
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
I was at the Stanford/AZ football game last year…that was a blast. the final score was like 56-49 or something crazy like that
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
That game blew. We had the ball last and couldn’t convert that 4th down. I think if we would have won that game, we would have been smelling roses. I’m just glad that we had a great turn around. Gawd 2007, we only had one win. (My Fault for ppl on this site talking about football. I think that’s not allowed)
romone_braves91 - April 9, 2010
That game and the Oregon/AZ game were 2 of the best sporting events I’ve ever been to. I was really pulling for you guys to beat Oklahoma too. I hate them.
Scott Coleman - April 9, 2010
I hate everything Big 12 football. Overrated Conference. SEC is the best football. Pac 10 is kinda wacky with the pass happy teams (U$C, that other school in the Bay, and Zona.) We were a run first team so that caught ppl off guard.
romone_braves91 - April 9, 2010
Big 12 football is basically high school football only with players of higher talents. The Pac-10 kinda reminds me of the wacky Arena Football league and the SEC is a lesser version of the NFL.
And yeah Toby Gerhart was an absolute beast. I really hope the Colts pick him up just so we stop throwing the damn ball on every 3rd down posession besides a 3rd and inches.
Scott Coleman - April 9, 2010
Yeah. Your college football analysis is clearly accurate.
UMDBHIK - April 9, 2010
Atlanta traffic sucks, there’s really nothing to do in the area around the park before/after the game either.
Lennox - April 8, 2010
If you are of age, drink yourself silly with some other Braves fan and talk trash until the game start. The Ted should have $1 Beer nights. Maybe ppl would show up then. (Esp college students)
romone_braves91 - April 8, 2010
Not easy to get trashed on $7 Budweiser.
Lennox - April 9, 2010
yeah that’s a problem. 3 ball park beers @ $7 each equals 24 case @ $21 at a local gas station.
romone_braves91 - April 9, 2010
$21 bucks for a 24 pack? damn. it’s like $16-$18 here.
Scott Coleman - April 9, 2010
The traffic though, is the main thing that people tend to overlook.
I mean, if you get off work at 5 PM, it’s probably impossible for a lot of people to make the drive home, pick up the kids, and then make the drive to the Ted in time for a 7 PM start. At that point, you’re looking at missing the first couple of innings, or having to get out of work early just to make the game on time.
Lennox - April 9, 2010
Y’all’s traffic is INSANE. I mean, I knew it was bad, but when I was there Monday it was beyond bad. Somehow we got stuck on the East side of the park and were trying to get to the West side to park, and it took us an hour. What is this nonsense with shutting down all thru East-West traffic for miles on the North side? We kept getting redirected past the permit-only lots and after much cussing by they guy I traveled with (who was attempting to drive through that shat, but not succeeding) we finally escaped out the South end and had to go about 6 blocks farther to turn around and re-emerge on the west side. You guys ought to seriously have some city engineer’s head for that crap.
J-Freak - April 9, 2010
Cody Johnson update:
Cody hit a 3-run HR in the top of the 5th inning during his Mississippi debut.
But in true Cody Johnson fashion, he also has 2 strikeouts in 4 AB’s.
I see nothing has changed.
Scott Coleman - April 8, 2010
Disappointed in the outcome, but not disappointed with the team. They had a ton of chances last night but couldn’t get it done. Sometimes you’re the dog, sometimes you’re the hydrant. I think we know which one the Bravos were last night.
UMDBHIK - April 9, 2010
We won the series.
Like Bobby has said, you’ll never get to the World Series unless you win more series than you lose during the season.
That makes us 1 for 1 in that. Pretty good ratio.
(repeat of my post in another thread, meant to post this here – lost track of window I had open)
NCChopper - April 9, 2010
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