Gamethread: Braves @ Marlins 7/25/10

[Dreamscape]

Braves down 4-3, but good news...the Marlins bullpen is in here in the seventh and Jose Veras gives up a single to Heyward, walks Hinske (McLouth runs for him), and walks McCann and Glaus steps in.

[Dreamscape]

And punchless Glaus grounds into a twin killing against Clay Hensley. People talk about how we need a CF or a LF...but somehow, nobody talks about Glaus's sub-800 OPS.

[Hobbes]

Chipper!!

[Hobbes]

Nice job by Mole-man in the 8th with three straight K's after giving up the lead-off single.

[Andy G.]

And punchless Glaus grounds into a twin killing against Clay Hensley. People talk about how we need a CF or a LF...but somehow, nobody talks about Glaus's sub-800 OPS.
He's only had a sub-800 OPS for like three days. He's had a really bad month, but I think most people are pretty confident that he will start hitting again at some point.

[Hobbes]

Easy inning for Jorge Sosa.

[Hobbes]

Bases juiced for the Barves.

[Hobbes]

And McLousy grounds into an inning-ending DP.

[Bad Blood]

At some point, McLouth has to run out of chances...

[Hobbes]

Unfortunately, due to his being subbed in as a pinch-runner earlier, he is planted in the 3rd spot in the order.

[Gman]

McLouth...geez...how could you do that with the bases juiced? On a 2-0 pitch from a wretch like Jorge Sosa no less.:thumbsdown:

[Hobbes]

Two straight singles off of Chavez gives them first and third with nobody out.

[luvdembravos]

Looks like Bobby has put out the white flag after McLouth's DP ...Chavez is coming in to pitch.

[Hobbes]

Helms with a single and the Barves lose.

[bravos4evr]

chavez sux

[Garydee]

chavez sux

Yes, he does.

[Andy G.]

McLouth hit that ball really hard. He can't help that it went right at Hanley.

[sdp]

McLouth hit that ball really hard. He can't help that it went right at Hanley.
He swung on a 2-0 pitch to a poor reliever. That cannot happen with the bases loaded in extras.

[Andy G.]

Are you serious? Yeah, that's not overly critical.

[bravos4evr]

No he's right Andy.

In a critical moment like that with a count of 2-0 you pick one tiny location and if you get something to hit right there you swing, anywhere else, you let it go. cuz 2-1 is still the batters edge, no harm done, and 3-0 is a magical count to be in..... Considering how much he has struggled recently, it was a bad move.

[bravos4evr]

It appeared to me to be moving down and in on him, he hit it hard but it was a ground ball right to an infielder. Not the type of pitch one needs to be cutting loose on in a 2-0 count in a tie game with the bases loaded and one out.

[bravos4evr]

hey I blame Bobby too, he should have redlit Nate on a 2-0 pitch due to his not so recent struggles.

BTW, that isn't my "opinion" it was a pitchers pitch and he had no business swinging at it!!! When you have the edge, you wait for a chance to pounce, you use patience, you don't flail away at the next thing that comes near the hitting zone.

[Andy G.]

hey I blame Bobby too, he should have redlit Nate on a 2-0 pitch due to his not so recent struggles.

BTW, that isn't my "opinion" it was a pitchers pitch and he had no business swinging at it!!! When you have the edge, you wait for a chance to pounce, you use patience, you don't flail away at the next thing that comes near the hitting zone.
He didn't "flail" at anything. This is ridiculous. Are you telling me that every time any player as EVER swung at a 2-0 pitch and not gotten a hit, then they deserved to be criticized for making a boneheaded mistake? I can't believe how silly that is.

He hit the ball hard. It went right at the shortstop. It wasn't even a groundball, really. It bounced once before it got to Hanley, about eight inches in front of his glove. Big deal.

[Hobbes]

Yes, in the pantheon of boneheaded plays it wasn't egregious. However, with a struggling pitcher and the game situation (2-0 count with the bases loaded late in a tied game), you need to make the pitcher throw you a strike before you swing. If you are Chipper Jones or Brian McCann, maybe you can swing earlier. But when you are struggling mightily like McLouth, you should keep the bat on the shoulder on that 2-0 pitch.

[Andy G.]

Yeah, because absolutes work in baseball. Because we can positively say that McLouth would have been walked or would gotten another pitch as good as that one to hit.

There are no "rules" that players steadfastly follow like fans always want to pretend they do. It's just silly. If the pitcher throws a pitch you think you can hit hard, and then you hit it hard, you shouldn't be criticized by frustrated fans because it happens to result in an out instead of a hit.

[sdp]

The guy is making $6MM this year and is weighing this team down like a fat guy on a small-town Christmas parade float. He's in the firing line for over-criticism.

[Dreamscape]

I won't hate too much on McLouth for grounding into a twin killing, but he really shouldn't have been swinging. I just don't find it a smart move when you are as terrible as McLouth has been lately to not try and take a strike there before swinging. See if the pitcher gives you a run. And Cox should have red-lighted him there. He should have had an approach to the situation had he sent a pitcher up in the 15th inning.

Obviously, it's not an absolute. But in the top of the 11th, with one out, battling for that one run, and with a hitter who has been just plain awful...swinging at a 2-0 pitch is just not smart in my opinion.

Oh, well, on the positive side, the Braves should have swept this series and they need to take that from it like they should have swept the Brewers. They outplayed both squads, just didn't take advantage of a few opportunities.

[wordslayer©]

if he would have hit a homerun, no one complains.

It's just the nature of the game, when your guy doesn't come through, you complain. It's been going on for a hundred plus years....."da bum." If it were chipper who hit the ball hard at the shortstop, you complain less, but when it's a player who is struggling, you feel more like you have a target to direct your anger.

Now go home and kick the dog......as healthy, evolved men that don't know how to deal with our emotions, this is how we do things.

[bravos4evr]

I don't have a dog, so instead I kick Mclouth

[luvdembravos]

Everyone's making a big deal about McLouth but I was more irked at Cox's decision to bring Chavez in to pitch. McLouth definitely sucks but even after he hit into the DP, we were still tied. Why did Bobby bring in Chavez, especially when we have an off day tomorrow? It's like Bobby decided to give the game away to the Marlins.

When this dude pitches in a tight game, I get a "game over" feeling which is not to be mistaken with the positive "game over" feeling I get when Wagner enters the 9th to close one out.

Chavez (single + single + int. walk + single = game over) :rolleyes:

[-Dr. Brave-]

if he would have hit a homerun


Doesn't compute.

Runtime error.

Division by zero.

Subscript out of range.

Illegal operation.

Can't continue.

:headscratch:

[Dreamscape]

Well, taking Wags out of the equation...using his top three guys in Saito, Moylan, and Venters left Cox with Chavez, Dunn, and Kawakami. And people don't think we could use a reliever. Anyway, Dunn sports a 3.43 WHIP (albeit, extra special small sample size), Kawakami hasn't pitched in nine days (he's well rested), and Chavez...well...he didn't look awful yesterday.

I mean, as far as this group goes...I dunno. I guess option B would have been to throw Venters out another inning. His spot would have been due up after McLouth's at-bat. But Venters tossed two innings yesterday and 51 pitches over two days is a lot.

[KB 34]

I just looked at Kawakami's stats and he's pitched one inning in the entire month of July. Considering how much money he makes and his talent something needs to happen. He's fallen below Chavez on the depth chart, which is simply incredible considering Chavez is almost a guaranteed shelling every time out.

[quick]

I just looked at Kawakami's stats and he's pitched one inning in the entire month of July. Considering how much money he makes and his talent something needs to happen. He's fallen below Chavez on the depth chart, which is simply incredible considering Chavez is almost a guaranteed shelling every time out.

Agreed. Chavez' fastball is so straight--very hittable.

[Dreamscape]

Manny Acosta = Jesse Chavez.

[quick]

Manny Acosta = Jesse Chavez.

You'd think someone with that kind of gas, with a little adjustment to his grip, could get the late movement needed to have a great fastball.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

Jesse Chavez = Manny Acosta = Jeff Bennett. 3 strikes, they're out! All have the big, straight cheese and all are unbelievably hittable.
The past coupla outings Wags has given me about the same feeling I have when one of those guys is trotted into a game. I think KK would've been a better option yesterday, simply because you at least figure it's 50-50 he'll get you three outs without torching the place. Chavez? A gas can sitting next to a bonfire....

[FrankEC]

Poor Chris Coughlin.

http://sports.yahoo.com (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Pie-gone-awry-Marlins-Coghlin-tears-up-knee-cr?urn=mlb-258344)

The baseball gods are not fooling around when it comes to celebrations this year. Kendry Morales broke his leg, the Braves go on a 9 game losing streak after the walk-off "non-celebration", and now this.