Game Thread: 'Stros vs. Braves 9/9/09 (Cause it's not over over yet)

[Dreamscape]

If we win every game starting now...we might sneak into the playoffs.

Tommy Hanson vs. Wandy Rodriguez, who doesn't lose at home. Nevertheless, he's losing in the second. Esco walked, advanced on a grounder, and scored on a MattE single.

[Dreamscape]

Hanson getting the Jurrjens treatment tonight. After that one early run, the Braves offense has enacted Operation: Shutdown.

Luckily, Hanson has been awesome through four.

[BigWorm]

Wow. Tommy. Wow.

[luvdembravos]

It's tough hitting against someone named Wandy.

[Middle Man]

just tuning in. another high scorin affair i see. I don't have time to read through all the posts so i hope i'm not repeating anything already said. interesting that Hanson will stay in the 8th. hopefully they'll yank quick if he deteriorates. Infante really stepped on mclouth's toes on that last out. that's what happens when you put utility infielders in the outfield i guess. Wandy has had a heck of a year. i'm glad i picked him up on a couple of my fantasy teams.

[luvdembravos]

Have we had five straight starting pitching performances this year better than the past five games?

[Middle Man]

Wow. Tommy. Wow.

you can say that again

[Middle Man]

have we had a complete game shutout this year? i can't remember any

[Chris_Moderato]

Have we had a complete game shutout since 2002?

[luvdembravos]

I hope Hanson can get a shut out in 9. Hanson's bid for ROY is about all we have to root for these days.

[Middle Man]

i predict chipper will come back strong......next year

[Middle Man]

to the bottom of the 9th we go. Hanson is out. RS is in. Uh-oh.

[Middle Man]

Bourn is forlorn. one out

[Chris_Moderato]

And it begins.

[Middle Man]

crap. if this was little league, we could bring hanson back in

[Dreamscape]

Of course, Raffy will blow this.

Oh, boy.

[Chris_Moderato]

Boy, I hope we do something about our lineup this off-season. We're a f***ing joke.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

Well......that SUCKED!

[Dreamscape]

The Atlanta Braves.

Killing you softly.

[luvdembravos]

Sorry-ano. Let him walk ....and let's get a closer who can do the job for a full season. :mad:

[Middle Man]

Of course, Raffy will blow this.

Oh, boy.

at least we hit 2 pages with the game thread. moral victory

[CanadaBravesFan]

Time for Bobby, Pendleton and Soriano (take Gonzo with you) to ride off into the sunset. I am so sick of the same crap every year. We cant hit, Soriano is not a "pressure" closer, and Bobby insists on only using the same pen guys and wears them down. We dont use any speed in our game, and Norton has an F'N job. Dont get me started about the lineup. Imagine if we would have ponied up for Dunn. With my lineup we would have had the L-R-L thing going perfectly. Oh well...what will Bobby's excuses be tonight?

McLouth
Prado
McCann
Jones
Dunn
Esco
Laroche
Diaz

Nice to get that off my chest!

[KB 34]

Hanson has to wonder what it's going to take to win games at the major league level. Folks, this team is folding like a chair from the dollar store. I'm impressed though, I thought this was going to happen in July and it's September now. You're not going to hear me criticizing the bullpen for losses this late in the season as BC has basically played the entire season with a 4 man bullpen, and they've been spectacular. Dr. Andrews has to love BC a lot.

This team needed the lineup and bullpen to step up this season if it was to compete. The bullpen did, the lineup didn't. All levels of management stepping up would have been nice as well. Wren came through in some ways by getting rid of the poster child loser, saying screw Glavine, I need the money, and acquiring McLouth. He couldn't get the last bat as LaRoche was great but simply not enough to carry the lineup. BC and TP on the other hand failed to impress me once again and I want both gone, as I have for several seasons. Changes in scenery can be good even if things were once wonderful, that's what the Braves need to remember. This team has now been for all practical purposes a losing team for 4 seasons. That's unacceptable for the Braves as far as I'm concerned and there need to be more changes that make me think they can compete next season.

[luvdembravos]

Time for Bobby, Pendleton and Soriano (take Gonzo with you) to ride off into the sunset. I am so sick of the same crap every year. We cant hit, Soriano is not a "pressure" closer, and Bobby insists on only using the same pen guys and wears them down. We dont use any speed in our game, and Norton has an F'N job. Dont get me started about the lineup. Imagine if we would have ponied up for Dunn. With my lineup we would have had the L-R-L thing going perfectly. Oh well...what will Bobby's excuses be tonight?

McLouth
Prado
McCann
Jones
Dunn
Esco
Laroche
Diaz

Nice to get that off my chest!

What he said!

[BigWorm]

Goodbye Bobby. You've had a great run. I hear Ned Yost is looking for a job. It's been nice knowing you 2009 Braves. Awesome pitching. But you know, it's football season now, and as much I love you, I must bid you adieu. I will not watch you whither and die. I hope you can understand. Can't wait to see your offspring the 2010 Braves. With that I leave you, fantasy football is just well more exciting than you.

Signed

[Johndeerebrave]

Time for Bobby, Pendleton and Soriano (take Gonzo with you) to ride off into the sunset. I am so sick of the same crap every year. We cant hit, Soriano is not a "pressure" closer, and Bobby insists on only using the same pen guys and wears them down. We dont use any speed in our game, and Norton has an F'N job. Dont get me started about the lineup. Imagine if we would have ponied up for Dunn. With my lineup we would have had the L-R-L thing going perfectly. Oh well...what will Bobby's excuses be tonight?

McLouth
Prado
McCann
Jones
Dunn
Esco
Laroche
Diaz

Nice to get that off my chest!

Good job copying and pasting my Facebook status comment. :)

[CanadaBravesFan]

HAHA. I loved it so much I thought I would just add it here.

[KB 34]

No to Ned Yost....he might be the only manager worse at managing a bullpen than BC. Moylan would pitch 163 games a year if Yost could figure out how.

[Murphys#1Fan]

Sorry-ano. Let him walk ....and let's get a closer who can do the job for a full season. :mad:

Should have traded him at the deadline. I've been saying it since June. He's just waiting for that big contract someone's going to give him and his injuries will return...wait and see.

[Murphys#1Fan]

Time for Bobby, Pendleton and Soriano (take Gonzo with you) to ride off into the sunset. I am so sick of the same crap every year. We cant hit, Soriano is not a "pressure" closer, and Bobby insists on only using the same pen guys and wears them down. We dont use any speed in our game, and Norton has an F'N job. Dont get me started about the lineup. Imagine if we would have ponied up for Dunn. With my lineup we would have had the L-R-L thing going perfectly. Oh well...what will Bobby's excuses be tonight?

McLouth
Prado
McCann
Jones
Dunn
Esco
Laroche
Diaz

Nice to get that off my chest!

Agreed! 100%! :thumbsup:

[Freddy_Ballgame]

You guys are overlooking the obvious. McCann isn't a #3 guy, Chipper wouldn't want to hit cleanup (and can't), Escobar may be their best hitter and Cox would've been platooning Dunn and Diaz after about two weeks when he decided that Dunn can't handle lefties. Since Chipper has a few years left on his deal, he needs to get a firstbaseman's mitt. He's really a hack at third. Regarding the pen, I think they'll go conservative and let Sorry-Ano and Gone-zo "save" games somewhere else.
There's a lot of work to do to make this team a legit competitor. If the Mets had avoided all the injuries, the Braves would be really out of it. Not in Pirates-land, but closer to that than the top of the division.

[KB 34]

Going into tonights game the Braves HR leaders had 16, 17, and 18 HR. (Chipper 16, McLouth 17, McCann 18) If Escobar had been hitting this well earlier in the year he might be leading all them instead of being fourth with 14. There are no cleanup hitters in this group and looking at Chipper's numbers they're a bit disappointing. Let's look at where players should ideally be hitting again.

Diaz: PH (not buying his hot streak, see last season)
Prado: PH (utility player)
Chipper: #5/#2 showing decreased power, still gets a lot of walks so still valuable
McCann: #5/#6 he's incredible for a catcher but a .335 OBP and 18 HR doesn't cut it for #4 if you ask me
Escobar ss: #2/#5 see Chipper except the trend is reversed
LaRoche: #6/#5 depends what you make of his hot streak in Atlanta, probably the best cleanup option for the Braves right now
Anderson: retirement league
McLouth: #2/#1 solid top of the lineup player, not a top power hitter

I don't see #3 and #4 hitters I like now. The Braves could really use one for next season and hope Heyward becomes the others.