Gamethread: Braves @ Giants, April 11, 2009 (6/162)

[Dreamscape]

Atlanta Braves (3-2) at San Francisco Giants (4-1)
AT&T Park
4:05 start, FSS with the hometown call

Well, it's raining in the Bay Area so I'm not sure when this game will start or if. But we have the lineups and a chance to meet up with Tim Lincecum, who I have going in two leagues, but am willing to see him give up 20 unearned runs for my Braves.

Strange lineup for Bobby in this one. I'm not sure if Nate McLouth has been scratched or has a simple day off.

Atlanta
Melky Cabrera, CF
Martin Prado, 3B
Eric Hinske, 1B
Brian McCann, C
Yunel Escobar, SS
Jason Heyward, RF
Matt Diaz, LF
Omar Infante, 2B
Kenshin Kawakami, P

San Francisco
Aaron Rowand, CF
Eugenio Velez, 2B
Pablo Sandoval, 3B
Aubrey Huff, 1B
Mark DeRosa, LF
Bengie Molina, C
John Bowker, RF
Juan Uribe, SS
Tim Lincecum, P

[Chris_Moderato]

I guess there is a rain delay?

Good news, because I gots ta go to tha gym.

[Lauren T.]

Still raining, they just interrupted rain delay programming to say they'd make a decision within an hour to let us know if the game's going on.

[Dreamscape]

DOB says there might be a "window" for some ball and that it's not raining right now in San Fran. In fact, looking at weather.com's hour-by-hour, things are looking up.

[Lauren T.]

I have a blog reader who's still waiting out the game (yay for hardcore fans!) and SportSouth just interrupted BMac's "Spotlight" to have Joe say the SanFran grounds crew is incompetent. :D The rain has stopped but apparently there's a lot of standing water and Bobby's on the field. Maybe another half hour?

[Lauren T.]

DOB (http://twitter.com/ajcbraves/status/12014870464) and Bowman (http://twitter.com/mlbbowman/status/12015111144) are both reporting a 5:10 PT start time.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

I hope Kawakami picks up where he left off last year, matching the other team's best! He was really nails late last year. Looks like a 7:10CST first pitch! (Chip Caray still sucks and I had to bail on the Braves 25 best moments or whatever it was called. Who can take Hickman, Jordan and Gant for so long? There's something about the way Hickman talks about the Braves as if he's been there for all of it with them that just chafes me...)

[Lauren T.]

And we're going - 2 outs in the first, Hinske's up now!

[Lauren T.]

Walk by Hinske, followed by a home run into the wind by BMac into the RF seats (didn't quite make it into the Cove). 2-0 Braves going into the bottom of the 1st!

[chicagobrave]

Good start for the Braves offense today. Kawakami with a quick 1st inning. Hope the offense can get up there and score some more runs.

[Dreamscape]

Just finished my accouting test...now I get to watch the game. Yay!

[chicagobrave]

I was hoping the offense would get that run back. Hopefully Kawakami can hold on to the lead.

[Dreamscape]

Not a good pitch, but not the worrisome strike of the bat Chip made it sound.

[chicagobrave]

It looks like Kawakami may be getting tired.

[Dreamscape]

The Giants..."Hitting Coach says if we see three pitches in an at-bat, our nads get electrocuted."

[Dreamscape]

I am not upset with that walk. Better matchup, though the tying run is on second.

[Dreamscape]

Well, that sucked.

[Dreamscape]

To clarify for those not watching...first pitching swinging (of course), DeRo singles to right. Heyward gets there and throws home, but his throw was up the line. McCann didn't keep the ball in front of him and it went by him, hitting the sliding Panda, and getting away from everyone, allowing Huff to score.

And jeez, Melky nearly dropped that flyball to center.

[chicagobrave]

I am glad that only one run was scored there. That was some sloppy defense but the ball being soaked and the messed up outfield conditions probably did not help.

[Dreamscape]

Well, maybe the Giants will go to the bullpen soon.

[chicagobrave]

Medlin now pitching. Afeldt up in the Giants pen.

[Dreamscape]

Medlen can be pretty nasty.

[Chris_Moderato]

Ugh...Troy Glaus is unimpressive thus far. I'll give him time, but man...he's like Frenchy, swinging at everything.

[Dreamscape]

Things not going so well. It will be McCann, Escobar, and Heyward against Wilson in the ninth. Hopefully, Medlen kjeeps it right where it is.

[chicagobrave]

Maybe Mac can have a multi-HR game today. Come on Medlin please give the offense a chance to win this by getting out of the inning with that runner stranded.

[Dreamscape]

I always shake uncontrollably when Chip says "fisted."

[Dreamscape]

My brain hurts after the "giant fan" joke.

[Dreamscape]

Game over.

[chicagobrave]

Darn it Medlin. That was not helpful.

[ATL2123]

Wow, what did McDowell say that prompted that pitch??:confused:

[Chris_Moderato]

Two hands, Diaz...you doofus.

[Dreamscape]

Are you kidding me, Magellan?

[Dreamscape]

O'Flaherty really has nothing to throw righties...so this just gets all the more dicey.

[chicagobrave]

Matty you know better. We should have been out of this inning already.

[Andy G.]

Kawakami looked great. I was really glad to see him pitch so well. The terrible approach that the Giants take to the plate helped, but he still did a great job.

That was a wacky series for the Braves. First they had a play a day game in California after a night game in Georgia. Then they had to sit through a rain delay before starting the final game of the series. That's just not easy to deal with. You're as tired as all get out during the first game, then you're amped up and ready to play for the third one, but you have to wait a few hours for the rain to stop. Plus you have to play on a wet field with the ball getting soaked every time it touches the grass. Both teams seemed to be a little off in the past three games.

Hopefully this series against the Padres will go smoothly.

[quick]

Kawakami looked great. I was really glad to see him pitch so well. The terrible approach that the Giants take to the plate helped, but he still did a great job.



You can say that again. When K pitches against a number 1 type starter, he really rises to the occasion. It is a shame we cannot give him a little more run support....