Ahhh, that's better. Coming off two dispiriting losses, the Braves jumped out to a big early lead, and this time they held on to it with an iron fist. The fist belonged to Tim Hudson, who had some spectacular movement on his pitches tonight. That movement led to 13 strikeouts--an absurd 12 of them swinging. The 13 K's are a new career high for Huddy*, and the most by a Brave since John Smoltz struck out 15 in 2005. Hudson struck out the side in both his first and last innings, struck out at least one in each inning, and recorded his 1,500th career K along the way. His only walk was intentional, and he gave up only 6 hits and 1 run in 7 innings.
* Coincidentally (not ironically) his previous high of 12 also came against the Marlins, in 2007.
After coming up short in the first despite a leadoff double by Omar Infante, the Braves went to town on Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco in the second. Matt Diaz, Destroyer of Marlins, led off the inning with a homer. Alex Gonzalez and Melky Cabrera followed with singles. That brought up Hudson, who sacrificed them over nicely. The next batter, Infante, reached on an infield single, scoring Gonzalez. Jason Heyward and Martin Prado then walked, the latter driving in a run to put the Braves up 3-0. Then came the big blow, a bases-clearing double by Brian McCann that made it 6-0.
Nolasco was pulled after the second inning after being charged with 7 hits, 3 walks, and the 6 runs. He struck out no one, a sure sign that something was probably wrong, presumably the torn meniscus in his knee. I suppose we'll know for sure if the Marlins place him on the DL soon.
The Braves added 4 more runs in the 3rd and 4th off of lefty reliever Andrew Miller, including a homer by Eric Hinske. Hinske was only in the game because Derrek Lee left with a mild side strain; Lee was presumably taken out only as a precaution. Prado also had a 2-run single off of Miller, and another run scored on a botched fly ball when first baseman-turned-left fielder Logan Morrison collided with Hanley Ramirez.
Prado added a two-run homer in the seventh off of Burke Badenhop to make it 12-1. Eric O'Flaherty and Kyle Farnsworth worked the 8th and 9th, respectively, for the Braves, giving up a run each.
Brian McCann is now 5/10 with the bases loaded this year, with 2 grand slams, 2 doubles, a walk, and 3 sac flies. He has 21 RBI in 14 plate appearances in that situation. His slash line is .500 / .429 / 1.300. And none of this is including his bases-clearing double in the All-Star game.
MVP
Tim Hudson-- 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB (1 IBB), 13 K, 7/14 GB (50%), 0.113 WPA
Honorable Mention
Matt Diaz-- 2/5, HR, 2 R, RBI, 0.112 WPA
Omar Infante-- 2/4, BB, 2B, 2 R, RBI, GIDP, 0.109 WPA
Martin Prado-- 2/4, BB, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, K, 0.025 WPA
Jason Heyward-- 1/3, 2 BB, 2 R, K, 0.071 WPA
Brian McCann-- 2/3, 2B, 3 RBI, 0.033 WPA
LVP
Ricky Nolasco-- 2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 HR, 3 BB, 0 K, -0.358 WPA
Clutch Play
Diaz's homer to start the scoring (0.116 WPA)
0 recs | 69 comments
Is that you Chip? Good win tonight.
BullManUGA - August 28, 2010
I've been trying to work a legitimate "fist" into my recaps all year long.
Thanks for noticing.
Jacob Peterson - August 28, 2010
I noticed and appreciated the connection between the iron fist reference and its link to Huddy, but I didn’t link it to any Chip Caray statements, if that was your goal. Nonetheless, a good line with the double/ possible triple entendre. This is a good job on NON-LAZY journalism. A tip of the hat to you and your pissed-off goldfish.
!Vive la Francoeur! - August 29, 2010
I just wanted to say one more thing:
I wish Chip Caray would shut up with his obsession with the sacrifice bunt. He acted like the Braves scored 12 tonight because Huddy got that bunt down. That’s insane. The Braves scored 12 because they got 3 homers, 20 baserunners, and some clutch hits. The WPA on the sac bunt was 0.000, meaning it had exactly zero impact on the Braves’ chances of winning. Granted, pitchers normally do worse than that, but Caray really should stick to praising the plays that actually result in baserunners and/or runs.
Whew. Sorry about that. Go Braves!
Jacob Peterson - August 28, 2010
He's a big devotee
Of all of that hitting behind the runner, bunting guys over even with an out on the board old school stuff.
Sam Jethroe - August 28, 2010
Bunting is basic baseball. The team needs to bunt more and learn how to bunt better.
BravesFTW - August 29, 2010
From time to time
Too often, it’s just wasting outs and trying not to lose.
Sam Jethroe - August 29, 2010
Right.
It was a good play in that scenario, but I just don’t like it when he gets carried away, like bunting is a good strategy for scoring runs. Bunting means outs.
Jacob Peterson - August 29, 2010
Can we get an update on how Omar is stacking up for the batting title?
It feels like with him hitting leadoff and getting a lot of at bats he should be on track to have enough to qualify.. am I correct?
liv4sport100 - August 28, 2010
he doesn't even need to qualify* to win it
plus, i hope he doesn’t. less money to pay him later.
kbertling353 - August 28, 2010
he needs
39 more hits.
hawves - August 28, 2010
This is about right.
If he plays every day and hits about .300 the rest of the way there’s a good chance it’s his. If Bobby starts resting him when Glaus comes back then he’s gonna have to go on a tear.
StapleGun - August 29, 2010
Mac morphs into Lou Gehrig with the bases juiced.
get swoll yunel - August 28, 2010
+1
too lazy to look it up, but isn’t Gehrig still the career GrandSlam leader?
fandave - August 29, 2010
he has 23
Manny has 21
hawves - August 29, 2010
Wins
I missed them. Congrats to Tim Hudon on his milestones reached in this game. Well done. Studly pitching wins games. It’s so much better when its puit together with awesome offense. Great game all around. Hudson rocks!
hawves - August 28, 2010
Yay! A win!
Can I reallocate some of those excess runs to tomorrow’s game against Josh Johnson, though?
EricGreggWasPaidOff - August 28, 2010
Prado's 0.025 WPS
is oddly low for a 5 RBI night. Oh how tricky all those numbers be.
Dandretti - August 28, 2010
Well,
he didn’t do too much (except the bases-loaded walk) until the game was out of hand. The homer and 2-run single added basically nothing to the Braves’ win chances even though they were 4 RBI. Still, it was a fine night for Martin, which is why I put him in the HM section.
Jacob Peterson - August 28, 2010
^WPA
I understand why. It’s always weird when a guy has a ton of RBI’s for a night and only one of them really helped his team win. Just sayin’.
Dandretti - August 29, 2010
ayyyy
braves win!!!
KINGSLYTUT - August 28, 2010
Great win
Hudson has been flat out dominant the whole year and truly is our ace. A series win tomorrow would be big, especially since Josh Johnson is pitching
Braves24 - August 28, 2010
right here right now
JHEY is gonna tee-off on JJ
KINGSLYTUT - August 28, 2010
if he hits another HR tomorrow that would tie him with 2nd on the team with 16.
drumzalicious - August 29, 2010
Ah
That’s more like it! I have a good feeling about tomorrow. Go Braves!
Jman781 - August 28, 2010 via mobile
Check 1. Check 2 tomorrow.
NCChopper - August 28, 2010
Phew...
When I said I had a good feeling, I wasn’t expecting that…I’ll take it.
Jman781 - August 30, 2010
It's ALL in the soul patch
Hudson's Soul Patch - August 28, 2010
In honor of Huddy and his 13 Career High Ks tonight:
(only 1 looking)
NCChopper - August 28, 2010
Wow, that's pretty.
Sarahbeth - August 28, 2010
Sure is :)
HEYJUDE - August 29, 2010
Would look even prettier in green
fandave - August 29, 2010
Yes indeed...
the man is definitely an “ace”, no matter what FIP or xFIP or advanced stats say.
Mr. Sanchez - August 30, 2010
Good Game
If Lee’s soreness lingers you figure it almost guarantees a call up for Freeman
drumzalicious - August 29, 2010
freeman is coming up either way
KINGSLYTUT - August 29, 2010
It was basically already guaranteed that Freeman would get called up anyways, because the rosters are fixing to expand. (:
bravesbby12 - August 29, 2010 via mobile
i dont think
it was ever a guarantee. last year Heyward played great and they didnt bring him up when we were an outside shot for the WC. This year being in the lead of our division would probably put even more pressure on the youngin
drumzalicious - August 29, 2010
I would think it is more of a guarantee of Glaus getting activated.
justincredubil02 - August 29, 2010
THANK YOU!!
finally, someone in Baseball Tonight says the Braves are going to win the NL East, Eduardo Perez told that the Braves are going to win it with our 1-2-3-4 punch + alex gonzalez and our amazing defense in the infield that we have, plus the expierence of Bobby Cox… Doug Glanville said the Phillies will win because the offense was coming around and they know how to finish the season in the last 10 games.
Kobe:The Legend - August 29, 2010
that wasn´t the first time that i heard that from espn
i heard on the videoblog called “Dos en Bases” from “espndeportes.com” or Spanish ESPN. One of the guy said that the Braves will win the NL East, he said that before the MLB start and again in one of the lastest programs
joshant - August 29, 2010
The Phillies offense is coming around?
In there last 10 games they’ve only scored more than 3 runs once, and they only got 6 then.
StapleGun - August 29, 2010
OT
Chapman got claocked at 105mph…DAMN!!!!
KINGSLYTUT - August 29, 2010
Ya, a guy on the local (Huntsville) sports talk radio was ranting about it today. He was going off about the Red’s (Reds’?) decision to put him in the BP. I gotta say, I’m a bit dubious about the 105. I will remain skeptical until I validate that, but still, it is impressive.
!Vive la Francoeur! - August 29, 2010
i prefer a guy who has a 93 to 95 MPH and can win 10 -15 games for the next 20 seasons
pitch is an art not a contest of who throws faster.
joshant - August 29, 2010
I'd prefer the 105mph
If they aren’t playing for us. More entertainment.
StapleGun - August 29, 2010
i just hope
he doesn’t end up needing TJ surgery at the end of the season like Strasburg.
It seems to me like the Braves organization might be one of the few that actually tell their pitchers not to pitch at max velocity all the time. JJ can dial it up to 96 but he stays in the 92-93 range. Hanson was reported to get up to 97-98 but keeps it in the same range as JJ.
I think these teams need to cal these little flamethrowers down to protect their arms for the long term
drumzalicious - August 29, 2010
Give Dusty two weeks
Chapman’s arm will be shot, no doubt about it.
UMDBHIK - August 30, 2010
A much needed win tonight. Time to get back on a roll, playing at home.
LEastCoastBears - August 29, 2010
wtf billy?
Kobe:The Legend - August 29, 2010
prado w/ 5 RBIs and a .025 WPA...
thats gotta be some kind of record for least important 5 RBI game ever
SouthernPanther - August 29, 2010
Seems like it, but it isn't even close.
Over 1,700 guys have had a 5() RBI game and a WPA of 0.000 or less. The worst WPA with 5 RBI was Tino Martinez in 1996: 5 RBI, -0.210 WPA.
Hideki Matsui and Del Ennis have both had negative WPAs despite knocking in 7. Nothing like some garbage-time RBIs.
Jacob Peterson - August 29, 2010
time for hanson to shave off his beard
then he can be like timmy
ChitownBravos - August 29, 2010
Hey TC family!
Sorry I wasn’t able to be there for the OT, I got caught up in family obligations, but all I wanna say is HOW ’BOUT THEM BRAVOS!!!!!!!!!!
KJDH2154 - August 29, 2010
about time...
first time posting but long time reader – greetings from Colorado – was good to see us holding on to a 10-1 lead, went to all 3 games vs rockies this week and Wednesday just about killed me..
sticklorat - August 29, 2010
Man, that must have been horrible.
Welcome to posting, though!
Jacob Peterson - August 29, 2010
Nice win. Hopefully this will start an 8 of 9 or some sort of run like that.
justincredubil02 - August 29, 2010
Absolutely. This thing is way too tight for me.
One of the 1st things I do every day is check the NL standings.
This morning, the Braves have 33 more games on their schedule, their record is 74-55 and they have only a 2 game lead over the Phillies in the East. The Braves are 2.5 games behind the Padres for best record. (A tie would give us the home field advantage.) In the (hopefully) worst case scenario, the Braves are 3.5 games ahead of Giants for the Wild Card.
I would be much more at ease if an 8 or 9 game run of wins happened.
fandave - August 29, 2010
yea i agree
of course in an ideal world we would be 8-9 games up by the time we play the phillies at the end of the season in those two series.
drumzalicious - August 29, 2010
Trouble is, we are only responsible for half of that possible outcome. The Phillies have to lose too.
justincredubil02 - August 29, 2010
We are very fortuneate that the Phillies have lost every night that we have lost for the past week or so.
We should have lost this lead by now.
Maybe it IS destiny…
justincredubil02 - August 29, 2010
that is my position and I’m sticking to it.
fandave - August 29, 2010
Maybeit IS destinyhawves - August 29, 2010
Aren't the 13 strikeoutsn the most by a brave since Mike Minor struck out 12 last sunday?
Duff_Man - August 29, 2010 via mobile
Um.
No.
You see, 13 is greater than 12.
Jacob Peterson - August 29, 2010
+1
MikeTrain - August 29, 2010
It would be nice
to see a Braves pitcher, even if it’s just for mop-up duty, to come in the game, focus and not allow any runs. Just saying.
DavetheDawg - August 29, 2010
Will be feeling pretty good if the Braves can follow that up with a win over Johnson. Let’s go Bravos!
CharlotteChop - August 29, 2010 via mobile
Glad to see the boys kick some ass today!
What is the most funny thing is I was telling my wife last night before the game, that Huddy has to get rid of the beard! And what do you know… In any case lets keep this thing rolling Bravo’s!
UpstateNyBravesFan - August 29, 2010
Diaz and Hnske
Hit homers off of a RH and LH respectively. Awesome.
Dandretti - August 29, 2010
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