Gamethread: Giants @ Braves, July 21, 2009 (94/162) WIN

[sdp]

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/4576/pngf.png
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San Francisco Giants (50-42) vs. Atlanta Braves (47-46)
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Series Matchups (Braves lead, 1-0)
> Monday: Braves 11, Giants 3 (W: Hanson; L: Sanchez) - Recap (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5654433&c_id=atl) | Box Score (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2009_07_20_sfnmlb_atlmlb_1) | Gamethread (http://www.chopnation.com/boards/showthread.php?t=210)
> TONIGHT: Ryan Sadowski vs. Derek Lowe, 7:05 PM EDT on PTV
> Wednesday: Tim Lincecum vs. Jair Jurrjens, 7:05 PM EDT on PTV
> Thursday: Barry Zito vs. Kenshin Kawakami, 1:05 PM EDT on SPSO

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Projected Lineup
Nate McLouth, CF
Martin Prado, 2B
Chipper Jones, 3B
Brian McCann, C
Garret Anderson, LF
Yunel Escobar, SS
Matt Diaz, RF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Derek Lowe, RHP

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Link Roundup
Huston: Giants-Braves Preview (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/preview?gid=290721115)
Rosenberg: Anderson's average quietly creeps up (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090720&content_id=5960882&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl)
Wild: Johnson homers twice, plates seven (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090720&content_id=5966934&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl)
Schultz: Trade deadline special: Salty an afterthought in Teixeira deal (http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2009/07/21/trade-deadline-special-salty-an-afterthought-in-teixeira-deal/?cxntfid=blogs_jeff_schultz_blog)
Schultz: Deadline approaches but Braves not in all-or-nothing mindset (http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2009/07/20/deadline-approaches-but-braves-not-in-all-or-nothing-mindset/?cxntfid=blogs_jeff_schultz_blog)

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Upcoming @ Milwaukee
Friday, July 24th: Javier Vazquez vs. Manny Parra, 8:05 PM EDT on SPSO
Saturday, July 25th: Tommy Hanson vs. Yovani Gallardo, 8:05 PM EDT on SPSO
Sunday, July 26th: Derek Lowe vs. Braden Looper, 2:05 PM EDT on FSS

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July 28th-29th: Braves @ Marlins; July 31st-August 2nd: Dodgers @ Braves
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Go Braves!

[Dreamscape]

Hopefully, Lowe brings it today. I am going to catch the local minor league team take on the Potomac Nationals. All-you-can-eat Tuesday...and I could eat.

[BigWorm]

Rollin.
Rollin.
Rollin after the all-star break.

Left a ****ty outfielder in New York.
Now we lead the league in runs in July.
But I never lost one minute of sleep
when we traded the big douche to the NYC.

F Parkview and your bad vibes.
Diaz hits better than you in his sleep.
Proud Braves keep on rolling.
Wild Card team is rolling.

Rolling.
Rolling.
Rolling after the all-star break.

[BigWorm]

Damn Dream, shouldn't they be called the Potomac Native Americans or something.

Something is really wrong with the Potomac Nationals.

Damn Gringos.

[Lauren T.]

I heard today that Kelly Johnson and his wife are expecting a baby boy. The media doesn't seem to have picked up on it yet, but I think that's fun news!

[Middle Man]

I heard today that Kelly Johnson and his wife are expecting a baby boy. The media doesn't seem to have picked up on it yet, but I think that's fun news!

If KJ resurrects his career in Gwinnett, maybe they'll name the boy Dismuke. Or maybe just Muke. Muke Johnson.

KJ likes Dismuke (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090720&content_id=5966934&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl)

"..."It's been nice coming in and getting a chance to work with [Gwinnett Braves hitting coach] Jamie [Dismuke]," said Johnson. "He's helped a lot and it's kind of slowed things down."
...
Johnson, Atlanta's first-round pick in 2000, has hit safely in nine of his 11 Triple-A games, with seven hits in his last three starts. He has three homers, two triples and two doubles.

The Major League veteran credits Gwinnett's hitting coach with his recent progress.

"I had heard a lot of good things from Phil Wellman down in Mississippi, who's coached with him a lot," Johnson said of Dismuke. "He's been real good for me. If I've got some things to work on, if I say something's not going right, he's got some sort of drill and something to say that helps.

"It clicks and it's been real helpful." ..."

[BigWorm]

If KJ resurrects his career in Gwinnett, maybe they'll name the boy Dismuke. Or maybe just Muke. Muke Johnson.

KJ likes Dismuke (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090720&content_id=5966934&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl)

"..."It's been nice coming in and getting a chance to work with [Gwinnett Braves hitting coach] Jamie [Dismuke]," said Johnson. "He's helped a lot and it's kind of slowed things down."
...
Johnson, Atlanta's first-round pick in 2000, has hit safely in nine of his 11 Triple-A games, with seven hits in his last three starts. He has three homers, two triples and two doubles.

The Major League veteran credits Gwinnett's hitting coach with his recent progress.

"I had heard a lot of good things from Phil Wellman down in Mississippi, who's coached with him a lot," Johnson said of Dismuke. "He's been real good for me. If I've got some things to work on, if I say something's not going right, he's got some sort of drill and something to say that helps.

"It clicks and it's been real helpful." ..."

This really highlights Pendleton's ineptitude. I read in the Gwinnett Daily Post that Johnson had two three run homers yesterday. On a side note dreamscape had two boners yesterday. Coincidence?

[jamminHANES]

If KJ comes back with a hot bat from the DL stint it's going to make things very interesting in the next couple weeks. We have a few potentially valuable trade pieces between him, Prado, and Kotchman.

[Chris_Moderato]

This really highlights Pendleton's ineptitude. I read in the Gwinnett Daily Post that Johnson had two three run homers yesterday. On a side note dreamscape had two boners yesterday. Coincidence?

Snap!

[Andy G.]

That was the best play I've seen the Braves make in a loooooong time. Amazing!

[ATL2123]

What a double play combo we have with Prado and Escobar, seems to be miles better defensively than with KJ

[Andy G.]

Escobar is such an idiot. I know he's good, but the dudes an idiot. What major leaguer does what he just did? He easily could have fielded that last out with his glove, but decided to let it bounce and grab it with his bare hand. One day he's going to do that and miss the ball, and if that runner comes around to score, he's going to get more negative press because of it. Idiot.

[Andy G.]

Forget everything I said. It wasn't that bad. I watched the play again and I think that he fielded the ball the right way. It was actually a very impressive play.

He's still an idiot though.

[Andy G.]

Lowe singled, Prado singled, Chipper doubled to score Lowe, McCann walked, Anderson hit a sac fly to score Prado, and Escobar got a single to score Chipper. The Braves' lineup has come alive in July, and we're winning this one 4-0.

[Hobbes]

Nice to see our guys hitting.

[Hobbes]

Who would have guessed, but the Braves offense is downright fun to watch right now.

[Lauren T.]

Prado's definitely proving he should be our second baseman. He's 3-for-3 tonight and has been flashing the glove, too. :)

[Lauren T.]

Baby!! 3-run homer!!!

8-0 Braves. This is fun. :D

[wordslayer©]

Prado's definitely proving he should be our second baseman. He's 3-for-3 tonight and has been flashing the glove, too. :)

Yeah, we should just leave Prado at 2nd and then put KJ in left. I know I have beat that drum to death, but this move is the one the team should have made, and I have no doubt that KJ will hit better once he is in left field.

[Middle Man]

Booooorrring!!

Where's the drama? Where's the suspense? ;)

[wordslayer©]

I know it's San Francisco, but it's nice to see Lowe pitching well. Maybe the fossil can finish the year out with an ERA below 4.00.

[Wahoo]

Wow....we're poised to continue our winning ways. Careful guys, you keep playing good baseball like this, you'll actually get my hopes up. Seriously though, the good thing about this is we are beating one of our primary rivals in the wildcard race. Keep it up bravos!

[Wahoo]

This just in: the Mets lose again. This time to the Gnats. It looks like the Braves have uncovered the curse to their losing ways and dumped his arse onto a division rival. That's uber-sweet!

[hoosjon]

Screw the Wild Card, I want the DIVISION!

[hoosjon]

and Moylan's in. Sorry I'm slow about that. I'd fainted dead away with shock.

[CharlotteBrave]

Why is Norton and his .114 BA (Not sure about OBP) still on the roster? Why not get a guy like Canizares be our utility man? He at least can hit.

What's the benefit of having a guy like Norton on our roster when we've got others in AAA that will give us equal defense and a better bat?

[hoosjon]

Good point, Charlotte! I know how they used to say what a great pinch-hitter he was last year ... is Bobby still holding on to THAT? Barbaro might not be the BEST example when you start talking about defense in the next sentence, but he WOULD be a perfect pinch hitter.

[hoosjon]

They just said that Nate has a "Mild lower-back sprain" ... he probably exacerbated when he burned down to first base. They had been saying he was wincing right after swings.

[Andy G.]

Good point, Charlotte! I know how they used to say what a great pinch-hitter he was last year ... is Bobby still holding on to THAT? Barbaro might not be the BEST example when you start talking about defense in the next sentence, but he WOULD be a perfect pinch hitter.
He's been a good pinch hitter for a long time, not just since last year. I don't mind him being on the team. He's got a .291 OBP. If our main pinch hit option was a singles hitter who never took a walk and was hitting .291, nobody would have a problem with him being on the bench. Norton's had a bad year, but he hasn't even gotten 50 at bats on the season. I like his approach, and I think he's a good hitter. He could end up coming through for us big time in August and September.

[Hobbes]

Norton's track record as a pinch hitter is simply too good to believe that his current production is indicative of his ability. I think the fact that he gets almost no at-bats has hampered him from getting on track so far.

[-Dr. Brave-]

Norton's track record as a pinch hitter is simply too good to believe that his current production is indicative of his ability. I think the fact that he gets almost no at-bats has hampered him from getting on track so far.

Maybe he can get a chance to play with another team. Maybe an independent league team.

[JanShan12]

Another great game! If the team keeps it up, the months of August and September are going to be a lot of fun!

[hoosjon]

I'm enjoying our hitting ... and the announcers keep talking about our amazing fielding ... and our pitching's been good all year ... nothing more to say, just :D

[wordslayer©]

Another great game! If the team keeps it up, the months of August and September are going to be a lot of fun!

If we can somehow make it into the playoff's, even in a wildcard capacity, we could be a very interesting team to watch. If I were an opposing team, I wouldn't be looking forward to facing Vasquez, Jurrjens and Hanson to open a series. Even the best hitting of teams would have a hard time with those three.

Surely cox wouldn't open a playoff series with Lowe? Yeah, he would....with the way he loves a veteran in a pressure situation....he would.

[Wahoo]

If we can somehow make it into the playoff's, even in a wildcard capacity, we could be a very interesting team to watch. If I were an opposing team, I wouldn't be looking forward to facing Vasquez, Jurrjens and Hanson to open a series. Even the best hitting of teams would have a hard time with those three.

Surely cox wouldn't open a playoff series with Lowe? Yeah, he would....with the way he loves a veteran in a pressure situation....he would.

Yep, therein lies the problem. Lowe would surely get the Game 1 nod in any series. It isn't the worst, but...I'm with you, I'd go with the other 3. Having said that, without either a) an additional arm in our bullpen or b) another bat in the lineup, at least, I'm not ready to call this a dangerous team if they get in.

[Dreamscape]

Good to see the Braves take this one. Much like the last series with the Mets, it sets them up nicely to take this series because even if you lose one, you were thinking "hey, we have Lincecum in this series so what can you do?"

That said...would be nice to see Jair beat him.

[hoosjon]

I feel like we amp up for the big games ... like with the Phillies and the Mets. Someone already wrote this somewhere, but I'm more worried about Barry Zito. That's the kind of game (Nationals, Pirates, etc.) that we choke on and no one seems to hit at all.

Lincecum's tough but not untouchable, the way we've been hitting. I truly believe we can get JJ a win. Keep rollin' rollin' rollin'!

[barvos4evr]

I won't ever get to watch a Braves game at this pace! Still haven't seen a win in two weeks! Go Bravos!

[Lauren T.]

If we can somehow make it into the playoff's, even in a wildcard capacity, we could be a very interesting team to watch. If I were an opposing team, I wouldn't be looking forward to facing Vasquez, Jurrjens and Hanson to open a series. Even the best hitting of teams would have a hard time with those three.

Surely cox wouldn't open a playoff series with Lowe? Yeah, he would....with the way he loves a veteran in a pressure situation....he would.
And don't forget, Hudson will be back by then. What are we going to do, use a six-man rotation? I don't see the logic in sending New Javy, JJ, or Hanson to the pen, and Bobby has too much "respect for his veterans" to send Lowe or KK to Siberia.

It's a great problem to have. :rolleyes:

[MSbravefan]

I'm too lazy to look it up, but hasn't Lowe been pretty outstanding in postseason play? And Javy not so much?