I Love It, Now Make Me Hate It

And so it goes, with the bullpen blowing yet another lead, as the Nats came back to beat the Braves 5-4. Hampton was pulled, apparently as a precaution, after four shutout innings, Cox thus forcing himself to use the scraggly, frayed end of the bullpen to protect a 3-0 lead.

Bernero pitched two innings and gave up 2 runs in the sixth -- he's been struggling lately, but obviously Cox needed two innings from somebody. Then came the incongruous sight of Roman Colon attempting to protect a lead in the seventh, and the carousel of futility began. He gave up two singles (one was a bloop) while getting one out, and Groundball Gryboski was summoned with runners on first and third. As has been his wont of late, he gave up a hit to Guillen, which drove in the tying run. Foster then came in and gave up a two-run double to Nick "The Unquick" Johnson. Then, finally, entered Jorge Sosa to clean up the mess, which he did with alacrity.

Why did it take so long to get Sosa in the game? He's been much more effective than Colon, and would have seemed the obvious choice to start the inning. I suppose Cox was playing a hunch, because it's not like he usually trusts Colon with a late lead -- Colon's only "hold" occurred on April 8, and this was the first time since then that he's pitched with a lead of 3 runs or less (he did enter a tie game vs. Boston, but that was in the fifth inning and he gave up the winning runs). Every team has a garbage-time pitcher, but that guy is not helping the team if he can't hold the occasional lead. The departure of Mondesi might presage a gradual purge of all non-contributors -- if so, Colon is next on the chopping block.

Nats 3 Braves 2

What this game needed was an NFL referee or, better yet, a French Open linesman. With the score 2-1 Nats in the seventh, Jordan hit a ball down the left field line that appeared to hit the black part of the foul pole at RFK. Initially ruled a home run, the umps were evidently persuaded by ornery old Frank Robinson to change the call to a foul ball, resulting in a predictable tirade by ornery old Bobby Cox in which, miraculously, Cox did not get tossed.

Here's the thing, though -- the original call was correct. The ball unquestionably hit off the dark pole. I'm glad the umps are doing a better job of convening on tough calls, but some version of the NFL replay rule should apply here -- if you're not absolutely sure the original call was wrong, the call should stand. I believe they went with a "preponderance of evidence" test, which evidently took into consideration the REACTIONS OF THE FANS. I can't prove that, of course, but I can't imagine what other conflicting evidence they could have had.

Why the French Open linesman? It's simple, really -- if you're not sure of a call, just go look at the spot. Just as a tennis ball leaves a mark on clay, there was a mark on the pole where the ball hit. How difficult would that have been? Why, those umps would have been praised from coast to coast for their diligence in getting the call right.

Ah well. Davies gave up his first run in 14 innings, just missing the team record to start a career, held by Larry McWilliams. Can anyone tell Brave-O-Matic the other claim to fame of the redoubtable McWilliams (answer below)?







A: It was McWilliams and Gene Garber who stopped Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak.

Braves 7 Phillies 2

After two dispiriting losses, the Braves avoided a sweep at the hands of the Phillies by winning handily today. The offense exhibited disdain for Brett Myers's newfound stature as one of the best NL starters as they unveiled their new number 3 hitter (for today, anyway), Kelly Johnson. Johnson went hitless, but reached base twice via a walk and fielder's choice, notched his first major-league run and RBI, along with a beauty of an outfield assist, nailing Thome at the plate.

Of course, Johnson's on-field contributions are secondary to the impact of his mere presence on the roster, as he replaced Mondesi, who's been offered a AAA slot that he's almost certain to pass on. Recent mention of nagging injuries has been offered as an excuse for Mondesi's poor play, but I think that's just Cox and Schuerholz being polite, stand-up guys. From where Brave-O-Matic sits, Mondesi just looked through. No complaints about his comportment while a Brave, but he'll be soon forgotten, except by those troubled souls whose dreams are populated by the ghosts of Rico Brogna, Ken Caminiti, T.P. v.2, Robert Fick, Jose Hernandez, and Dave Gallagher (betcha forgot about him).

Mon-de-see-ya

And, with that, our long local nightmare is over. Okay, half over.

Goodbye, Raul.

Phillies 12 Braves 5

The Braves kept this one close for a while, until one of their patented late-inning bullpen meltdowns. Credit should go to the top of the lineup for keeping them in the game while Horacio struggled from the get-go. The Phils had no trouble figuring him out, to the tune of 11 baserunners in 3 2/3 innings. Horacio has had some success over the last couple of seasons, but his lack of a strikeout pitch may be catching up with him.

Good to see Giles get his doubles stroke down -- he's now the major league leader, with 19. FWIW, Estrada is tied for 7th with 15 and Chipper is tied for 12th with 14. The Braves trail only the Reds in team doubles. There, a silver lining.

Hudson versus Brett Myers today -- should be a pitchers' duel.

Phillies 5 Braves 1

This game was unwatched by Brave-O-Matic, which is just as well. Looks like Smoltz had some first inning trouble, and the Phillies made it hold up. Furcal continues his good work on the homestand, and Andruw appears to have gone back into a funk that's brought his numbers right back in line with what we're used to getting from him.

Here's the game recap -- Horacio vs. Lieber this afternoon.

Braves 3 Mets 0 (8 Innings)

OK, frequent readers of Brave-O-Matic know that, for us, the game ends upon Dan Kolb's entry, so in our best-of-all-possible universe, the Braves notched a 3-0 win over the Mets tonight. Anything that happened after the eighth inning is your fault for watching. (LATE NOTE: Psych on Brave-O-Matic!! Ominous rumblings of Kolb were premature -- Reitsma was allowed to go 2 innings for the save! Gloryosky...)

I'm no proponent of "small ball", but if ever a team should play that way, it's against the Mets' battery of Zambrano-Piazza. The term "fundamentally sound" usually applies to position players, but it must be said that Victor Zambrano is one of the most fundamentally unsound players I've seen this year. First, he botched a sacrifice bunt by popping up a pitch up around his shoulders. Then, in the fifth inning, Estrada at second and Langerhans at first with no outs, Pete Orr attempted a sacrifice bunt. Zambrano fielded it and, apparently mistaking Johnny Estrada for an African spotted leopard, threw the ball wildly to third, allowing two runs to score.

Furcal proceeded to single in Orr, and then stole second and third against Piazza, who just can't throw at all. I was asking out loud for a patented Bobby Cox squeeze after the steal of third, but Giles isn't a bunter. Pity that -- I have no doubt it would have worked.

Zambrano was doing Piazza no favors on the steals, though. By my count, he faked more throws to second base (3) than he attempted throws to first (0). Given his lack of any other ancillary skills, it wouldn't surprise me if he's prohibited from throwing anywhere but plateward.

Back to Piazza. Not only did he give up 5 SBs in the game, but Davies made him look horrible on two strikeouts, one on a check swing on a high fastball, and the other on a nasty curve he could only flail at. He's 36 and has caught 1470 games -- we may be witnessing the end of a Hall of Fame career. At the least, he's looking more and more like a DH wearing the tools of ignorance.

Ahh, Davies. The kid had it going once again. This was my first look at him, and it's obvious that his fastball, changeup, and curve are all major-league quality. He took a ball off the ribs in the sixth and had to leave the game, and hopefully he's not hurt too badly. As mentioned previously, we need him, and he's coming through like a champ so far.

The offense didn't do much -- all three runs were a direct result of Zambrano's foolish play. Marcus did have three hits.

Incidentally, Pete Orr is quite the adventure in left field. I commend Cox for trying something different and getting Mondesi off the field, but.... On one play, a bloop hit fell in front of him, as he was probably distracted by Furcal running at him. Then he was flummoxed by the smoggy Atlanta twilight and lost a fly ball that fortunately dropped foul. Finally, on another tweener that Furcal couldn't catch, he had Marlon Anderson dead to rights rounding third base. A throw behind the runner would have nailed him, but Orr's throw came home instead. Again, it worked out okay, as no runs scored, but a more experienced outfielder would have probably gotten the out.

And finally, props to Furcal for some fine defensive plays and aggression on the basepaths. He'll always be a high-risk, high-reward player, and tonight he was a pivotal cog in the victory.

Braves 4 Mets 0

For the first few innings tonight, the Braves held to their recent pattern -- Hudson was giving up baserunners galore and barely escaping, while Glavine was shutting us down without breaking a sweat. Neither team was scoring, but the fact that Hudson was starting on short rest and not fooling anyone lent an ominous air to the proceedings.

Gradually, though, the Braves seemed to realize who their opponent was and, most particularly, who the opposing pitcher was. Singles by Mondesi, Estrada (who's been putting it together lately -- 3/4, up to .271), and Langerhans pushed across a run in the fifth, and they scored three more in the seventh, highlighted by Furcal's second triple in two days to chase Glavine.

And Hudson, after his rocky start, began to deal. For the first time in weeks, he was pitching like we know he can -- everything breaking at the knees, and working inside and out masterfully. Eight shutout innings on short rest was a godsend for a weary pitching staff, and Reitsma may gain confidence from his dominant ninth inning performance.

I didn't hear whether Glavine was greeted with the customary boos from the Turner Field crowd. Now, I'm in the minority in these parts, but I hold no bitterness towards Tommy G for leaving. He got an extra year from the Mets, and that's no small consideration. It would be silly of me to expect loyalty from any free agent, especially when it's standard operating procedure for management to trade on expected loyalty when making their offer. The expectation of loyalty would have demanded that the Braves not let Maddux walk, yet that's what happened. Glavine's decision probably cost him a shot at 300 wins, but he's still going to the Hall of Fame with a Braves cap on. That said, I hope we get to face him again this season -- we've got his number.

Braves 8 Mets 6

The Mets lineup tonight was missing Beltran, Piazza, and Matsui (although Cairo may actually be an improvement on Kazuo), and on the mound was Kazuhiza Ishii, who has little to recommend him other than his status as starting pitcher on the All-"ii" team (the only other members to my knowledge are Torii Hunter and Larry Biittner). Easy win for the Bravos, yes?

Win? Yes. Easy? You haven't been watching lately.

After a David Wright HR gave the Metropolitans a 1-0 lead, the Braves mounted a rally in the bottom of the second. After two outs, the unlikely triumverate of Mondesi, Brayan Pena, and Wilson Betemit managed to load the bases, then Ishii walked Horacio for the tying run. How bad is that? Then Furcal (who, I'm guessing, is happy to be home) tripled on an Ishii-patented "nothing pitch" to clear the bases.

Marcus Giles checked in with a 3-run HR in the fourth, and the Braves were cruising 7-3. Horacio left after seven innings, having given up 4 runs, but looking pretty good overall. Then the fun began.

Adam Bernero was uncharacteristically shaky, allowing a hit and two walks, the second walk with the bases loaded. Reitsma came in to face Mientxzrw#%sstz, who grounded sharply to first. Julio threw to second for the force on Wright, but Furcal's return throw was wild, and two runs scored to tie the game, just as you knew would happen.

But wait! In comes the second base umpire and, in the equivalent of calling travelling in the NBA, calls M----- out due to interference by Wright at second. Wright got tossed for arguing, but the replay showed that it was an obvious call. So obvious, in fact, that not to call it would completely obviate the need for the rule.

The Braves scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, which in retrospect might have been the worst thing they could have done, as Reitsma's spot came up in the order, and Cox pinch hit for him. With nothing but right-handers due up in the ninth, the game was left to Dan Kolb (or Dank Lob, as he's known over at Braves Journal). And by the strictest definition of the word (get three outs before the other team can score three runs), he did the job. That's the best I can say.

Couple of other notes:

--Andruw came thisclose to catching Wright's HR, the ball popping out of his glove as his wrist hit the top of the wall. Then he coulda/shoulda caught Reyes' 9th inning triple, but Brian Jordan was too busy playing safety and nearly collided with him. Good news is Andruw wasn't hurt. Bad news is Jordan wasn't either.

--Wilson Betemit managed a double and two walks, and is now batting a cool .308/.444/.556. I wouldn't have guessed it before the season, but the fallen prospect has been a real asset for us in Chipper's absence.

--Rush Limbaugh visited the booth in the second inning, and Skip gushed "I listen to you all the time". No comment, I'll leave that one to A Brett.

Red Sox 5 Braves 2

Aside from Smoltz's early resilience, this was a fairly desultory performance to mark the end of a 4-8 road trip. Of the 12 games, the Braves led in about 14 of them by my count, only to be stymied by their own bullpen almost every day, followed by a lack of offensive punch to get back the lost leads. With the news that Hudson and Davies will be starting on short rest this week, coming home doesn't seem like much of a respite for a tired team. We can only hope that Hampton's "forearm strain" isn't worse than they're letting on -- we need him back ASAP.

Recap unnecessary, nothing positive to report.

Brave-O-Matic Off The Schneid !!

Finally, a Braves win to recap here on Brave-O-Matic! Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it...

Certainly we couldn't have asked for a more timely pitching performance than the one Kyle Davies authored tonight. Fantastic job by the kid, because this had potential disaster written all over it -- major league debut, in a bandbox, against a great hitting team, trying to stop the Braves longest losing streak in 3 seasons, and in the driving rain to boot. As I said before, I don't know if he's ready, but with 40% of our starting rotation on the shelf, we sure do need him. No pressure, though!

I see that Andruw donned the golden sombrero, and barely avoided a fifth strikeout -- what manner of gilded headgear would that have connoted, one wonders??

Pinch Running for Estrada?

Some people may question Cox's decision not to pinch run for Estrada with one out in the ninth inning of a 4-3 game, but I think Cox was consistent with his usual strategy in that situation, and I agree with him. He will often keep the slow runner on first with fewer than two outs, only to pinch run if he advances into scoring position. You give up the possibility of scoring from first on a gapper, but the far more likely scenario would be an advancement to second or third base on a walk or single. At that point you pinch run in case of another hit or sacrifice fly. If Cox pinch-runs immediately, and the runner is then forced out, you've lost your catcher.

Red Sox 4 Braves 3

The mound giveth, the mound...well, you know the rest. The good guys were in the midst of a rousing 9th inning comeback -- with the score 4-1, Chipper doubled off the Monster (then gave the dugout a smirk that said "wow, that sure seems easy to do"), then LaRoche cued one to Renteria for an out. Andruw, quien esta en fuego, tripled to center. Estrada came up with one out and hit a grounder that hit off the right side of the mound, turning an easy play into a hit, as Bellhorn, not a great fielder, couldn't come up with it. Andruw scored to make it 4-3. Then Julio hit a patented scorched-earth grounder, which looked like it would get through. Unfortunately, the mound intervened once again, this time slowing up the ball in time for Renteria to grab it and start a game ending double play.

So, the mound played a neutral role in the outcome. I can't say the same first base umpire Andy Fletcher, who called Giles out swinging in the eighth on a play in which the bat never got THREE INCHES OFF HIS SHOULDER. Giles barked something at him as they went to commercial, and I bet my dad that he would be gone by the time the game came back on. Sure enough, he made a "baseball charge" at the ump and got tossed.

(For those unfamiliar, a baseball charge is when you sprint menacingly toward your target, seemingly with murderous intent, only just slowly enough to allow someone to grab onto you before you get there)

The rookie versus old nemesis Wakefield tomorrow. If Timlin gets into the game, it will seem just like the 1992 postseason....

(Braves now 0-4 since the inception of Brave-O-Matic. Is it something we said?)

Pop Quiz

Q: Two NL shortstops have an OPS over 800. Who are they?








A: Clint Barmes (1019) and Cesar Izturis (817).

Would you have guessed before the season that Barmes and Izturis would be the most deserving NL SS All-Stars? In fact, all things considered I believe Izturis is the best SS in the league, hot start or not. The difference in road OPS (to correct for their home park effects) between Barmes (849) and Izturis (832) is not significant, and Izturis is plainly a better defensive SS. He's young (25), he's shown steady improvement at the plate (last 3 years OPS 597, 711, 816), and he's got a great defensive rep. I'll predict that Nomar Garciaparra will never again be as good as Cesar Izturis, and I don't really think that's going out on a limb.

Kyle Davies

With the Braves likely to bring up Kyle Davies soon, most likely for a May 24 start against the Mets, lets take a look at the man who would replace John Thomson:

First things first: he's a Decatur GA boy, which also happens to be the home of your intrepid correspondent. The Braves picked him in the 4th round of the 2001 draft straight out of Stockbridge HS.

Career minor league stats are here:

His 2005 numbers are here:

He has consistently posted ERAs in the mid-2's in A and AA, striking out more than one batter per inning at each stop, with impressively low hit ratios. His prospect status got its biggest boost at AA Greenville last year -- 40 hits vs. 73 Ks in 62 innings as a 20-year-old is outstanding. The 9 HRs were a bit high, though, and may have portended a struggle against tougher competition.

He's had 9 starts with Richmond so far, and has posted a ~5 ERA, giving up a hit per inning and walking a batter every other inning. He's still getting his strikeouts, so it's evident that he has the stuff to succeed.

Bottom line: Davies appears to have what it takes to earn his keep with the big club, but he's not quite ready. I'm looking forward to seeing him -- but only briefly this season.

UPDATE: Looks like Hampton will
miss his next start, meaning Davies major league debut will probably come against the World Champion Red Sox at Fenway Park this Saturday. Good luck, kid!

UPDATE #2: To get back at M Norman for messing up my earlier post, I offer this juicy tidbit in reference to one of his earlier missives.

Brave-O-Matic 8-Inning Game RecapTM

Man, what a terrific game! Smoltz shut down a fearsome Padre lineup, allowing only one run on an 8th inning sac fly. Small-ball impresarios Mondesi, Betemit, and Furcal manufactured a run in the 5th, Mondesi scoring on a medium-deep fly ball by Raffy (who looked like he could hit medium-deep fly balls all day long -- such a useful talent for a leadoff hitter!), and Andruw hit a solo HR in the 8th. That was it for the scoring, and the Braves have to feel good that they bounced back after Monday's loss.

Oh, they did play an extra "ninth" inning after I went to bed, but I heard Cox was bringing in a "closer", so I wasn't worried. Anyone who's worked in sales knows what a "closer" is -- he's the guy that seals the deal after the necessary groundwork has been laid. Usually acknowledged as the best the team has to offer. Good system, works well.

Matt Childers

Thomson went on the DL today, and the Braves promoted Childers, who's performed fairly well so far this season at Richmond. Of course, last year he was a 25-year-old swingman with a ~5 ERA for the Brewers' AAA affiliate, so he ain't got much in the way of bonafides...

An extended absence by Thomson would be very bad news indeed. He's slotted as our fourth starter, and one advantage the Braves have had the last couple of seasons is depth in the rotation -- John Thomson is the best 4th starter in the NL, unless you count the recently activated Brad Penny (I know, Greg Maddux is the Cubs 4th...I'll still take Thomson). Kyle Davies is the likely call-up to replace Thomson in the rotation for the time being. We've been awfully fortunate with the performance of our Richmond call-ups lately (Thomas, Green, Orr, Colon last year, etc), but Thomson-to-Davies is a falloff we'll be lucky to absorb.

Padres 5 Braves 3

Looks like Reitsma authored his second 2004-style performance in 4 days, thus undoing a fairly large portion of the good work he'd done so far this season. I find this particularly disappointing, as I maintained that his late season meltdown last year was a result of overwork. The fact that his last two meltdowns happened after midnight may be the only thing that will save him from the boo birds when the team gets back home.

Young Mr. Langerhans is also, shall we say, making less than the most of his opportunity. He's someone else I've agitated for -- I remain impressed with his defense, but I think he'd be more of an asset in right field than left. Jordan may be washed up, but Air-Mail Mondesi is just a very silly person.

Former Brave farmhand Darrell May, who fits the "lefthander with a pulse" profile, goes up against Smoltzie tonight. Jeff Porter will be in a four-point stance throughout....

Braves vs. Padres (in progress)

Looks like I won't make it to the end of the game tonight, so I'll just jot down a few impressions so far:

1) Tonight's opposing pitcher, Tim Stauffer, could not be more unlike yesterday's (Scott Erickson). Stauffer, who appears to have a bright future, has had his ML service clock start early due to injury, while Erickson has been pitching with a loud TICK-TOCK in his head for years now. Makes you wonder how bad the Dodger farm system must be, to have to start a guy who hasn't given league-average performance in six years. Anyway, Stauffer gradually settled down after some early command issues to pitch quite well.

2) Furcal is completely lost at the plate right now. If he's sitting next to Mondesi in the dugout, Pendleton would be earning his paycheck to just go sit between them.

3) No word at this point about Thomson's injury, but kudos to Adam Bernero for exhibiting grace under pressure once again. He may become Exhibit 2005-A for putting Mazzone in the Hall of Fame...

4) Is it just me, or is Ryan Klesko looking rather svelte these days??

Going to San Diego

Unfortunately, most of those bombs we hit in LA will be easy fly-outs at Petco. And, really, to let that fossil Erickson shut us down for five innings was really worrisome. I mean, c'mon. We lit Gagne up the night before but looked like a cast of fools against an octogenerian with an ERA in the troposphere.

But it was good to take the series against the Dodgers - we usually suck quite deeply on the Pacific Coast. The Padres have won something like 12 of their last 15 games, have overtaken the Dogers for second place and are only 1/2 game behind the Diamondbacks, who I predict will lose like 30 games in a row pretty soon.

Fortunately, we do not have to face Peavy in the series. It will be interesting to see this kid Stauffer, though. He was 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in the pitching-friendly Pacific Coast league - good for sixth place - with 31 Ks and only 8 BBs in 38.2 IP. He can bring it. His first start was pretty good considering he pitched at Cinci - giving up only two runs and four hits to those juiced-up behemoths. Typically the Braves are pretty futile against recent call-ups - so this will be interesting to see.

Braves 5 Dodgers 2

This was a game straight out of 2003. Three HRs (Jones, Jones, LaRoche) accounted for 4 of the 5 runs, and Hudson did his best Russ Ortiz impression -- baserunners everywhere, 109 grueling pitches through six innings, but he kept wriggling out of trouble. Don Sutton had it right, I think -- a true ace can find a way to win without his best stuff. Of course, this scenario accounted for about 75% of Ortiz's starts....

It must be said that I didn't see the end of the game, as I can't bear to watch Dan Kolb at this point. He's the Bizarro Pavlov -- he answers the bell, my mouth goes completely dry. Perhaps future game entries on this blog will consist of 8 innings of game recap followed by a review of whatever program I switch to in the 9th. Professional bowling..."Iron Chef"..."She's The Sheriff"...it's all good. Anyway, looks like he did the job yesterday, but he's still on double secret probation with me.

Strange game scenario: Top of the 7th, two outs, Mondesi at the plate. Hudson is due up next, and Julio comes to the on-deck circle. Mondesi drew a walk (causing donkeys to fly), and Cox then pulls back Julio and sends up Betemit instead. I know Betemit is a switch-hitter, but a lefty was on the mound, so he was batting righty anyway. Can anyone help me out with this?