Gamethread: Nats @ Atlanta, 6/30/10

[Dreamscape]

It's the Return of Jair Jurrjens tonight. Jurrjens retired the first Nat and has Roger Burtandernie 1-2...now 2-2...and he K's him on a high pitch out of the strikezone.

[Dreamscape]

Jurrjens hitting mid-90's early on so the velocity is working well. Location looks pretty decent.

[Dreamscape]

K's Zimmerman on a high fastball and so far, so good for Jair. The punchless lineup is due up. Man, without Heyward, this lineup just looks kinda sad.

[luvdembravos]

Good first inning for JJ...but mostly thanks to the Nats who were swinging at everything...they must have a plane to catch @ 10:00 PM.

[Dreamscape]

Joe Simpson's keys are always pretty, well, dumb. J.D. Martin pitches better with no runners on. Um, Joe, generally, if you aren't putting runners on, you're pitching pretty well. If you are putting runners on, not so hot.

[Dreamscape]

Prado opens things with a double to the right-center gap. Ball was right down the middle. I would say Martin missed his spot, but that's exactly where Pudge was stationed.

[luvdembravos]

Prado doubles...man, he better make the all star team.

[Dreamscape]

Melky...can't bunt. He's basically in a bunt stance and trying to hit the ball.

[Dreamscape]

And a pretty worthless at-bat for Melky.

The hot Chipper Jones steps in. My fantasy team demands your help.

[Dreamscape]

Prado runs on the Johnny Damonish girl-arm of Josh Willingham to get to third on a flyball to left field.

[Dreamscape]

Great piece of hitting by Brian McCann. Doubles to the left field wall to make it 1-0.

[Dreamscape]

Hinske battling here. Martin is already up to about 35 pitches.

[Dreamscape]

Ball four after a nine-pitch at-bat and Yunel Escobar has a shot to revive his Mr. Dynamic persona with the bases loaded.

[Dreamscape]

...sigh, Escobar. You could have, ya know, tried to wait for a pitch you could drive.

Remember when Esco was the clutchiest clutch hitter in the world?

[luvdembravos]

How do you say "trade his ass" in spanish?

[Dreamscape]

Dunn doubles to open the second as Hinske traps the ball. Wonder if Hinske hadn't tried to steal the call if he would have had more of a play at second.

[Dreamscape]

Third K for Jurrjens as Tradebait Willingham takes a seat.

[Dreamscape]

I'm guessing Vlad and Henry Rodriguez are the only Expos/Nats to hit 40 HR.

I'm probably wrong on both.

[Dreamscape]

And there's his first K looking. 1-0 as we go to the bottom of the second.

[Dreamscape]

Jurrjens hangs a slider to the pitcher and Martin doubles with one out in the third. Nats have another shot to tie this game.

[Dreamscape]

Five K's for Jurrjens as Morgan goes down looking. Up to Roger Bernadina and he pops it up to Mr. Not-So-Dynamic to end the third.

[Dreamscape]

Chipper lines a single with one out in the third. And now, Joe Simpson can continue to pound home the point that Martin gets hit harder with runners on than without them.

[Dreamscape]

In the bottom of the fourth, Yunel's struggles continue. After a single by Hinske, Escobar pops up to second.

[Dreamscape]

Despite a hit-and-run single, Hinske can't get to third because of how hard Blanco hit it.

The guy with the vuvuzela needs to be taken to the bathroom and beaten with it.

[Dreamscape]

JURRJENS!!!!

Faked a bunt and lined it to left field. Scores Hinske and Blanco goes to third. 2-0 Barves~!

[Dreamscape]

Man, Prado turned on the ball low and inside...gets a sacfly out of it. 3-0 with Melky at the plate.

[Dreamscape]

Fan interference ends the inning...dumb fan...it would have taken a great catch from Zimmerman there and the fan gives the Braves an out.

[luvdembravos]

Fan interference ends the inning...dumb fan...it would have taken a great catch from Zimmerman there and the fan gives the Braves an out.

Frickin Bartman (or is it Barveman?) ends the inning for Atlanta.

[Dreamscape]

Whoa, that was dangerous. Jurrjens gets a liner right back at him. Fortunately, he hit it with his glove to knock it down.

[Dreamscape]

Jurrjens in a bit of a jam. Back-to-back hits after the liner that he knocked down. Martin bunted them along and he's fallen behind Morgan 2-0.

[alaskabravesfan]

I'm definitely rooting for the Braves, but I did coach J.D. Martin in little league and in youth basketball. (He is my little brothers age and when I was in High School, I coached several of my little brothers teams...)

[Dreamscape]

Walk loads them for Bernadina. Jurrjens sitting at 71 pitches.

[Dreamscape]

Grounder ends the threat. Jurrjens remains up by three as we head to the bottom of the fifth.

[luvdembravos]

I'm definitely rooting for the Braves, but I did coach J.D. Martin in little league ...)

I'm guessing you had a nice LL team.

[luvdembravos]

I'd have the Braves' bullpen warming up as we go to the 6th with the heart of the Nats' order coming up.

[luvdembravos]

Yep, it's time to pull JJ. Men at second and third and no outs.

[Dreamscape]

Well...looks like Jurrjens is really going to have to buckle down. Two singles and a wild pitch McCann really didn't try to stop and, yay, Moylan and Venters is up. One may stop a rally, the other may make it explode. Choose your own adventure.

[Dreamscape]

Bases loaded, nobody out, and it's time for an ulcer.

And here comes Cox...

...and here comes Moylan...

Oh, there's that ulcer.

[Dreamscape]

Hey, look, a double play on the first pitch. Moylan did what he was supposed to. 3-1. And now, Moylan needs to strand that runner on third.

[Dreamscape]

Wild pitch...Dunn thought about going, but J.P. Ricardi was right and he doesn't actually care about the game. Runner on first moves up.

[Dreamscape]

Strike three and the Braves have a 3-1 lead.

[luvdembravos]

Thank you Big Donkey for looking like an ass at third base. The Nats always seem to do stupid stuff ...they're so bad on the fundamentals.

[Dreamscape]

Joel Peralta! He's alive!

Only BFH would get that reference. And maybe not even him.

[Dreamscape]

Escobar takes one off the ribs...and he didn't like it at all.

But hey, you reached base!

[Dreamscape]

And McCann gets nailed on the hand/wrist area...he's shaking it off...but jeez, that could be huge.

[Dreamscape]

He seems fine, but I would like to see a big inning here after Slaten hits two Braves in his third of an inning.

[Dreamscape]

Braves get a run with two hit by pitches and two walks and leave them loaded again on Esco getting caught looking, though the call was awful.

[Hobbes]

Yay Barves!

[Lauren T.]

go braves

;)

[-Dr. Brave-]

Where did they go?

[warefreak]

How do you say "trade his ass" in spanish?

ROFL! :D