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Talking Chop

Braves Win 9th Straight, Beat Dodgers 4-3

Kris Medlen is the man.

Stephen Dunn - Getty Images

Kris Medlen is the man.

What a team. Tonight's game was proof that every player on the 25-man roster has to contribute in order to win against quality opponents. 

Recap:

The Braves got on the board in the 1st inning when Mr. May MVP Troy Glaus ripped a 2-out single up the middle to score Martin Prado from 3rd. Glaus showed his POWAH again in the 4th when he hit a deep solo-HR to left field, his 4th HR in the past 5 games. Nate McLouth then doubled...no seriously, he really did...and drove in Yunel Escobar from 2nd. Kris Medlen then did his best Tim Hudson impression in the 6th when he hit a double to Manny Ramirez in LF. Manny did his typical "iron glove" performance in left and failed to make the catch. To be honest, the Braves probably lucked out a bit. If it was hit to any other LF in the league, the ball would've been caught. It's whatever though and we'll take it.The Braves led 4-0 after 6 innings.

Kris Medlen was fantastic on Thursday night and went 7 and 1/3 innings for the longest start in his short Major League career. Medlen was a victim of a few lucky hits and bad defense by Omar Infante in the top of the 8th, or else he probably could've gone for the complete game. Peter Moylan came in to a 1-out, bases loaded mess in relief of Meds and wasn't able to strand the runners. Pinch hitter Ronnie Belliard hit a 2-run single to RF on a crazy play. At first, it appeared that only James Loney would score. Heyward oddly made an awful throw that was 15 feet away from home plate and it went to the fence behind home plate. Blake DeWitt headed home and figured to reach without a throw, but the ball bounced right to Moylan and he made the throw to a scrambling Brian McCann at home. DeWitt made an incredible 1-handed slide to touch the plate and avoid the tag.

Yeah, check the highlights for that whole thing. It's kinda hard to explain.

After that whole cluster-you-know-what of a play, former-Brave Rafael Furcal drove in Jamey Carroll with a RBI-groundout to Prado. Moylan then walked Matt Kemp which brought up Andre Ethier, the NL's leading hitter. Eric O'Flaherty came in and recorded the biggest out of the night. On a 2-2 pitch, he got Ethier to swing and miss at a filthy slider on the inside corner. The Braves led 4-3 heading into the 9th.

After failing to score in the top of the 9th, the Braves sent Takashi Saito to close out the game against his former team. Nothing was wrong with Wagner. He just needed the night off. Saito got both Ramirez and Loney to pop out and had an 0-2 count on Russell Martin when he injured his left knee. It looked like his knee buckled in a way after making a pitch and the team was on it immediately. He left the game and Jonny Venters entered the game. One pitch later, he had the first save of his career. He threw a filthy slider in the dirt to Martin and he swung and missed badly.

Braves win 4-3.

Game MVP(s)

Kris Medlen - 7.1IP, 6H, 3R (2ER), 0BB/4K

Troy Glaus - 2-for-4, HR (10), 2 RBI (42)

Eric O'Flaherty - He only retired one batter, but that batter was Mr. Walkoff himself Andre Ethier. He's been struggling a bit lately, but he was huge for the Braves tonight.

Game LVP(s)

Omar Infante - 0-for-5, 2 bad defensive plays in the 8th; He bobbled a catchable grounder to start the inning and then horribly mis-read a ball off of Blake DeWitt's bat. We need Omar to play solid defense while Chipper is out. And I'm starting to think I'd feel a little more comfortable with Prado at 3rd and Infante at 2nd. 

To be honest, the Dodgers received pretty solid play from everybody despite the loss. No LVP for them.

Open Thread Comments Count: 3,057 -- Lots of new "faces" in the GT tonight. Nice to see.

Upcoming Game: Kenshin Kawakami vs. Clayton Kershaw, 10:10EST; The Dragon Slayer will try to go for his 1st win of the season, but faces a tough task going against Kershaw. CK is a lefty, so I'm guessing we'll see the MVP, Melky Cabrera, in LF tomorrow night.

*UPDATE ON SAITO: As expected, Saito has a left hamstring pull, but they're still not sure how serious it is. They'll see how it does in the upcoming days and then decide if he'll need to go to the DL or not.

0 recs  |  150 comments

Comments

I'm trying something new tonight

Do you like having the recap up early to chat about the game? Let me know.

Absolutely

I need validation ASAP after the game.

this is void of llamasaurus though

i like it

however on the west coast games i dont like it as much because im usually asleep when it would go up. but i love it for the non west coast games

2 earned runs

heyward had an error

7+, not 8+

and one of the runs was unearned./ beat to it

fixed it. I wrote it fast.

I did it more for the unearned run part, in truth.

I wouldn’t have posted the innings correction otherwise because I figured you’d find it the next time you ran thru it.

Picked up Medlen

for a spot start on my fantasy team, that worked out wonderfully, doubly sweet when it’s a Brave. Is Saito serious? Anyone else a little unhappy that Medlen went more than seven though? I know he was dealing but he came up in an opportune situation in the bottom of the 7th and Bobby let him bat. It’s the longest outing of his career and there was a natural reason to take him out. I wasn’t fully on board with that move but whatever, I guess the kid deserved to go out and pitch ‘til he couldn’t.

i agree. Time to PH. And Saito doesn’t look too bad,walked off under his own power and looked fine. but who knows

He had thrown only 83 pitches through 7.

It’s a long road trip with no break. You have to save your bullpen as much as possible.

Beat me to it, with the right pitch count too ha ha. But I agree w/ this.

It was a 4 run lead and Meds was dealing. He only had 89 pitches and why not see what he can do? Besides, he was unlucky with some weak hits.

Looks like a Cox move

I think Bobby is trying to stretch Medlen out and as others have pointed out, Medlen gave Cox a good chance to do it. Low pitch count, not a save situation.

I just curious to see how the starting pitching shakes out once JJ gets back…

idea

tag-team KK and Medlen every 5th day. both are more effective the 1st and 2nd time through the order. so maybe one goes 5 and the other 4. the whole bullpen gets a day of rest

but i don’t think it would ever happen.

idea

i like your suggestion…my confidence goes down when i see kk take the mound. Medlen was awesom!

Me too. However it happens, if Meds moves back into the pen to alleviate his innings, his time in the rotation will only further help him dominate the batters from the pen.

mlb.com standings fail.

L10: 8-2
STRK: W9

STANDINGS HOW DO THEY WORK?

FUCKING MAGIC

+Infinity

You won the game recap thread.

Ok ok. I know earlier in the gt I said I was going to bed…..who the hell can sleep with the braves playing! Sittin n da bathroom the last hour cnstantly refreshing my phone to keep up with the game. The girl is sleepin n the next room….hmmmm naughty time or braves time. Awwwwe sorry hun my Tummy hurts! Hahahahaha! Go Braves! Yes it was worth it. Be up at 5 am! See y’all later!

your priorities

they are not normal.

yes, they are!

Lol. The older I get the more normal they seem! Haha

I would have sent him back out there, too.

With Moylan looking like Greg McMichael lately, not sure I wouldn’t have left him in for one more guy, too.

I couldn’t believe that Joe and Chip missed Kashi back there touching his toes. They were too busy cracking on Martin (deservedly…I expect better from him.)

Where, oh, where are all of the Escobar bashers now?

glaus-ome glaus

tied for the league lead in RBI

El Burro Grande!
Glaus, Medlan had Good Game

Infante had an absolutely terrible one.

Moylan did his job but got unlucky really.

Only if

His job is throwing a lot of bad pitches and giving me an ulcer.

He was supposed to get a grounder.

He got his damn grounders.

Except for the guy he walked

The potential winning run.

No biggie…

It never should have reached that point

So yeah, it was no biggie.

Also, you make it sound like he was missing by like a foot.

Every single pitch except for the pitch was, at the very least, a decent pitch. Unless you want Moylan to just fire his sinker down the the middle to freaking Kemp, which hey, that’s your call.

for the first pitch*
Calm the hell down.
My wordage make it seem like I am way more into this then I actually am.

also, you calm down about moylan first, mr. OH GOD HES GIVEN ME ULCERS

Why don't we ask

…how many people who were watching the game were really comfortable watching him pitch that inning, especially in the wake of that 2B trifecta the other day?

He’ll get it together sooner or later but he was most definitely NOT in control and command in this game. Yes, the error hurt him but he was shaky. I seriously doubt I’m the only one here who thinks so.

Why don't we ask people...

what the ideal result is for a bases loaded, 1 out situation?

I'm guessing

“Basehit” would finish kind of down the list.

Whatever I'm done

I’m aruging ON THE INTERNET about a baseball game semi-drunk at 2 in the morning.

Even I have a little voice in my head that goes “This is pretty pathetic, don’t you think.” Yes little man, this is.

Lol

“TC posts from last night” status right there

moylan was due for some bad outings

before his bad outing at home vs. the phils, he had a 2.01 era. moylan’s good, but not that good, and he was due for a regression. better for this to happen during a W than a L

Oh I agree.

He has gotten more than his fair share of luck in the first two months of play. It’s just sad that when he does his job and gets unlucky everyone turns on him.

Meanwhile, Omar botches another defensive play.
I'm not "turning on" him.

He’s been shaky the last two outings. End of story.

I really doubt if you asked him he’d say he “did his job”, nor should he. This buck passing junk is one of the things I most hate about current day analysis.

It’s almost as annoying as short-sighted criticism. But not quite.

-C

Moylan should have done a better job of using his telekinesis to guide the ball directly into Prado’s glove on that first batter. He really fucked that up.

btw that change up is absolutely filthy.

Love it
So we're one game away from .600

When was the last time we were .600 this late?

SOMEONE GO FIND OUT!

Imagine if...

We didn’t “Kick the shit” out of a 9-game stretch earlier this year.

Nice win

Medlen is really making a case for himself to stay in the rotation.

Yep.

Trade D. Lowe! Just a few more QSes out of him, and teams desperate for pitching at the trade deadline will be ready to bite. Oh, sweet, sweet salary relief….

Too bad nobody in their right mind would want to do that.

"Nobody in their right mind"

Is a category that often includes about half a dozen MLB general managers.

I still doubt it’ll happen but stupider moves have been made.

"nobody in their right mind"

Omar Minaya is always on that list!

well

The hard part is all of our starters have been pitching great lately D. Lowe and KK included

You're drunk? You don't know what drunk is.

Don’t you understand Fauntleroy? The Braves have headed too the World series,(hic) The kid beat the Brooklyn bastards! Hey! What time is it and why am I still awake? I’m from LA but I don’t like the Dodgers anymore as their fans don’t have anymore class than the Phillies. They irk me with their Manny mania, cheating low life bastard and fall down fielder, Ha Ha! I guess I don’t like people who refer to other people , as a group, as Devils. As if we all have snakes growing out of our heads. Beggar bastards. But hey! I’m just having fun.

Welcome xD

Sorry about not having a "jump"

The little bar decided to hide tonight. That’s always a good time.

Most importantly, the new “faces” eh? Guess the 9 game winning streak isn’t bad either. I think Moylan will start to pick it up, he always does work on MLB 10 the show…“The Submariner from Down Under”, as they say. Great win tonight. Excited to see KK get his first win tomorrow (hopefully) and see the Braves take over sole possession of the best record in the NL. Can’t wait to see how June plays out.

if we win tomorrow night

we’ll either have the best freakin record in the NL or be 4 games ahead of the Phillies. That’s pretty neat.

win-win

I love it when our competitors play each other!

As much as I would like the braves to have the best record in the NL. I hope the Padres sweep. I’m more concerned with burying the rest of the NL East.

Infante at 2B?

I kinda would rather see Conrad at 2B and Prado at 3B

yeah, I wasn’t too sure. I’m thinking it’s all about the same. I just wish Brandon Hicks could hit something. He’d be a perfect backup for Chipper and Esco.

Same. I’d like to see Conrad in instead of Infante one of these games while Chipper is out.

Also filed under “Things i never thought I’d say”

Pretty much. Conrad knows how to take a walk and has power, plus his defense has been better (SSS).

or Conrad at 3B

and Prado at 2B, where he normally plays.

I too would like to see Brooksy in there one of these days.

The mental side of the game.

here is a quote from Heap on Meds dominating the Dodgers:

"He had all his pitches working tonight. Location was great. He’s a competitor. He takes the mound and he expects to do that. That’s half the battle up here at the big-league level."
He's right

Knowing is half the battle.

9

Who was the last team to lose and win nine straight in a season or before the All Star Break?

Why is McLouth batting 8th when he’s being out hit by the pitcher in his last 10 starts (it might be more than that)?

When McLouth actually hits a double, the pitcher has to equal him! Glad to see him looking (slightly) better at the plate.

In ‘08 the Reds I think had streaks of 10. I don’t know if it was before the all-star break or not.

anyone think heyward needs a little Tom Emanski Instructional video?

I’ll take back to back to back championships if thats what it takes

the mother eff'ing Crime Dog!

Another great win. Medlen is really dealing now. Hope Saito is ok and Troy has too much POWAH

LVP

I would suggest Russel Martin (0-4, 3k, 2LOB), but catching is tough job and he’s good at it. I’d go with Manny Ramirez (0-4, 2LOB) with that terrible attempt in left and his trademark falling-down-and-rolling bit.

Either one would be a good choice, but I'd go with Manny.

In addition to his terrible defense, he had the worst WPA of the Dodgers’ hitters (-0.168).

Agree totally

That’s why I said, “I would suggest Russel Russell Martin…,” but would go with Manny. I know he has serious ability to hit, but he has terrible defensive skills and I just overall don’t like him.

Scratch the “Russel.” That was supposed to have been a strikethrough to correct my previous mispelling. Doh!

Let Manny slide

How many OF’s you know who catch balls and give high fives at the same time?

Being a fan is staying up till 1:00 a.m. To watch your team play a game on the west coast.

Or

Being so confident in your team that with a 4-0 lead in the 6th you go to sleep.

No

You have to watch the whole game -even if it goes into extras. Coca cola helps you stay awake

The whisky and/or rum does not…

-C

Lol

Whiskey tastes

so good I’ll stay awake just to drink more.

ok, i’m gonna need your age, because your formula does not sound like someone who is out of college and had a regular job.

Who me?
If so, i have no life, so i dont have an age.

i'm enjoying the ride..Love this team..Go Bravos!!
Troy Glaus facts:

If Ibanez doesn’t get a glove on that ball that went for a double on Wednesday, Glaus would now have hit homers in 5 straight games.

During the Braves’ 9-game win streak, Glaus has hit .379 / .500 /.862 with 10 runs and 15 RBIs. The runs are I think even more impressive than the RBIs, given his “speed.”

Oh,

and Glaus’ WPA during the streak is 1.077, which is downright Heywardesque

Poor Heyward. Glaus is stealing all his thunder.

Heyward

Needs to work on his throwing!

If it hadn’t been for that weirdly awesome slide, the Dodgers guy would’ve been out at home.

Umm yea bc moylan made an equally awesome play off the wall….that throw was one of the worst I’ve seen in awhile

True

I actually saw him get tagged before that, but we still won, so…its all good!

Glaus's home run streak

is a result of a new ministry aimed @ all his critics. He’s trying to homer at least once a game. It’s called “Homers for Haters.”

Ibanez was just helping him get more doubles so ...

I couldn’t pick on him anymore. Nice guy that Raul.

plus

he was setting up omar for the game-winning hit.

like you said, what a nice guy.

Dont u jus luuuv 9 game winz streeeekz?
So much bettah than losin streakz

I’m hoping against hope that it will be double digits tonight.
Despite Kawakami’s un-stellar start, the fact Heyward isn’t his normal super-awesome self, and the fact that most stats don’t support #10, the Braves have a chance.

If I take it one game at a time, I won’t go loco. I think.

Oh don't worry

You’re already loco

KK has been really darn good lately.

We’ve got a very good chance of winning tonight. Maybe the Dodgers are favored, but this is baseball, not college football. The underdog wins a lot of the time.

Feelin' the love for KK

I just hope he doesn’t leave that one pitch up in the zone, or the defense make taht critical error or bone-headed play. Then again, the ’pen could blow it too. Do I worry too much?

Hey?

Does anyone here know Glaus’ contract details? Do the braves have an option year? Or is it one and done?I Really don’t want to lose Troy. Especially with Chipper probably retiring.

From Cot’s Baseball Contracts:

Troy Glaus 1b
1 year/$1.75M (2010)

    * 1 year/$1.75M (2010)
          o signed by Atlanta as a free agent 1/5/10
          o $0.25M roster bonus for 100 days on active 25-man roster
          o performance bonuses: $0.35M each for 400, 450, 500 PAs; $0.4M for 550 PAs; $0.55M for 600 PAs

Hey there!

Are you going to any of the games this weekend?

Hola! It's been a while :)

Sadly, I will not be at any of the games this weekend. I live about 5 hours from L.A. and I hate it there, I try to avoid it like the plague!

And truthfully, I didn’t realize the Braves were going to be in SoCal until I looked at the schedule about a week ago. I wish I could make it down to see them play when they are on a roll, instead I got to see them when they were struggling against the stupid Giants.

I hope you are doing well!

Yep, too long...

And all is well here, especially with the current atmosphere of positivity!

Stay warm!

Now that’s money well spent. Troy will be rewarded next year. I’d like to see the braves sign him. Just don’t want them to overpay, or sign him for too many years.

I don’t think Wren would make that mistake. It’ll all depend on how Freeman does this year. If we could snag Glaus for a 2-year deal that’d be great, but he may be looking for more years.

I wouldn’t blame him. Considering his age and the numbers he’s putting up, this offseason will probably be his last chance for a big pay day. Unless he turns into some Moyer/Franco type.

Glaus

This year’s team friendly contract was entirely to show the league that he is over the shoulder surgery issue and still worth a decent contract. Bobby Cox last year might have played a small part, knowing Cox is a player friendly manager. I’d really like to have Glaus back next year, we need the RH power bat and Freeman is still very young at 20 in AAA. But we won’t sign him for anything like this year’s deal.

All I know is, I’m getting tired of seeing this team win ballgames. Where’s a 9 game losing streak when you need one?

Reverse psychology? ;-)

You forgot to mention that guy who left the game without throwing a pitch – the dodgers guy. That was sooo weird

That WAS odd.

“Oh noes, I believe my finger has done exploded.”

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