View Full Version : Gamethread: 08/08/10 Giants @ Braves
Gametime 12:35pm CDST (TV TBS)
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Jonathan Sanchez
8-6, 3.38 ERA
VS.
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Derek Lowe
10-9, 4.44 ERA
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That catch by Infante saves a run and starts the easy DP. Lowe better buy Omar a good steak after the game.
Torres really covers CF well for the Giants.
Sanchez gets a hit but that was an error on the sec0nd baseman, Sanchez.
Don't get me wrong, I like Diaz but he is NOT a cleanup hitter.
Nice AB for Diaz. He works Sanchez for a walk.
2 on for Glaus.
Nice AB for Diaz. He works Sanchez for a walk.
2 on for Glaus.
An he pops out weakly to RF on the first pitch.
End of 1
San Francisco 0, Atlanta 0
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:02 PM
Um, Alex, the sunglasses work better when you wear them.
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:03 PM
Don't get me wrong, I like Diaz but he is NOT a cleanup hitter.
He's more of a cleanup hitter than Alex Gonzalez is a number three hitter.
Um, Alex, the sunglasses work better when you wear them.
Yeah... The look really stupid on the back of his hat when he is losing the ball in the sun. :headscratch:
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:04 PM
WOW~! Way to make up for that miscue, Alex! What an absolutely amazing double play to end the top of the second.
That sure was a nifty 643!!!
Sandoval is SLOW. Nice shot by Conrad.
Ankiel gets Conrad to third with a meek 43.
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:13 PM
ROSSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2-1!
ROSSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2-1!
DING DONG!!!
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:16 PM
Sanchez walks Lowe and Omar swings at ball one...
Ugh.
Sanchez is getting little wild.
ROSSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2-1!
And just when I was getting ready to launch a good rant about resting Chipper and McCann on the same day, conrad doubles and Ross homers. Shows how much I know. :rolleyes:
You're a genius BC!
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:21 PM
Bases loaded, one out, and the greatest three hole hitter of all time, Alex Gonzalez stepping in.
DLowe getting a workout on the basepaths.
Bases are juiced for Gonzo.
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:22 PM
Sacrifice fly adds the third run of the inning. Runners on the corners for MattE.
Bases loaded, one out, and the greatest three hole hitter of all time, Alex Gonzalez stepping in.
Who would you have in the 3 hole?
If Infante then who would be your leadoff hitter?
I think Gonzo is a no brainer at 3 with today's personnel.
Dreamscape
08-08-2010, 02:25 PM
Personally, I would prefer Diaz in the third spot...or even Brooks Conrad...but really, you could have just taken the names out of a hat for this lineup.
but really, you could have just taken the names out of a hat for this lineup.
So true.
Lauren T.
08-08-2010, 02:36 PM
DING DONG!!!
I was changing out laundry - we saw Rossy's ding dong? :rolleyes:
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 02:50 PM
INFANTE HOMERS!!
I was changing out laundry - we saw Rossy's ding dong? :rolleyes:
Naughty girl...http://www.illinoishighschoolsports.com/ubb/graemlins/zzwhip.gif Get your mind out of the gutter dear. :D
INFANTE HOMERS!!
Kaboom!!! For Lauren. ;)
Halladay and the Phillies rolling over the Mets. :thumbsdown:
So bittersweet.
(I've just been called up to single A.)
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 03:07 PM
Bases juiced for Conrad with nobody out.
Nice job of hitting by Glaus.
Sacks are packed for Conrad!
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 03:10 PM
And he brings in a run with a single.
And he brings in a run with a single.
Hit it where it was pitched. Hard. :thumbsup:
Come on Ankiel... Break this sucker open!
Dissapointed the Burgers (http://www.chopnation.com/boards/showthread.php?t=789) thread went to hell in a handbasket. Oh well... :)
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 03:19 PM
Lowe with a rip to right that almost dropped. He actually hit is a bit too hard.
A run scores, but three men are stranded.
MAN!! Huff cheating in makes a nice play on a hard liner by Lowe to end the threat.
With 5 complete, Lowe is putting in another solid effort.
Atlanta 5, San Francisco 1
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 03:25 PM
Infante makes a poor choice to try and throw out Sandoval after Glaus misses the grounder, and a run scores.
That was a weird play. 2 e's
Did yoou see that bat chunk impaled in the ground between the mound and first???
Nice play by Gonzo. 63. 1 down Sandoval on 2b.
Cox brings the hook and here come Moylan. Not really Lowe's fault.
Lowe has thrown a helluva game.
Mets slapping around Halladay like a used rag doll! Lead now down to 6-5 with runner on 2nd in the top of the 7th with 1 out.
Mets slapping around Halladay like a used rag doll! Lead now down to 6-5 with runner on 2nd in the top of the 7th with 1 out.
EYE-CANDY!
Halladay on the ropes and Charlie Manuel waited forever to get a pen guy up. Halladay walks Reyes now 1st and 2nd, 1 out. Halladay 105 pitches used and pretty wild. Looks like the Mets will get a good shot at the Philly pen for a couple three innings!
Gonzo has a good day in the 3 hole today.
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 03:42 PM
HR by Ishikawa, and the lead is down to two.
Dang it! The bullpen gonna let Lowe down again???
Come on Pete!
Venters in with an out in the 7th
2 on...
Ross got lucky on that pitch in the dirt.
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 03:50 PM
DP to get out of it!
Another beauty of a 643 induced by Venters to end the threat.
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 03:57 PM
Diaz steals second and hustles to third on the errant throw!
Glaus looked terrible there. That one hung... he musta been guessing fastball.
IkeWagner
08-08-2010, 04:00 PM
Glaus sucks again; c'mon Brooksie
Conrad turns on a 95 mph fb and nearly decapitates a beer vendor in foul territory down right.
BC swings and misses at ball 3
Diaz gets to 3rd with no one out and we can't get him in. :mad:
K looking, K swinging and PO6
7 complete
Atlanta 5, San Francisco 3
Gracious. Venters' stuff is FILTHY.
Nice backdoor slider for the punchout on Huff by Venters. Cox brings the hook to the mound again and here comes Farnsworth.
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 04:20 PM
Phillies held on to beat the Mets today.
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 04:26 PM
Melky brings in a hustling Ross from second!
Saito is dealing iin the 9th....
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 04:37 PM
Saito closes it out.
Barves win!!
Hobbes
08-08-2010, 04:38 PM
Taking 3 of 4 against the hot Giants team is a nice series, particularly with Philly coming on so fast.
IkeWagner
08-08-2010, 04:46 PM
Even if he hasn't regained our respect, he needed to prove his worth to the team and he helped that cause today.
What did he do that would cause us to lose respect for him?
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Atlanta 6, San Francisco 3
FINAL
Win: Derek Lowe (11-9)
Loss: Jonathan Sanches (8-7)
Save: Takashi Saito (1)
HR - San Francisco - Travis Ishikawa (3)
Atlanta - David Ross (1), Omar Infante (3)
bravos4evr
08-08-2010, 05:15 PM
I am comforted that tho we took 3-4 we shoulda swept em. We are still the best home team in baseball!!!
Next the Stros, in that band box and with our home run luck of late, I'm liking our chances, maybe Agon will launch a few and Glasu can get a few cheapies and boost his confidence (tho he seems to slowly be creeping out of it and has been at least getting timely hits of late)
wordslayerŠ
08-08-2010, 05:52 PM
I can understand why people hate Melky, but I've never really ripped into him, mainly because I thought we could get some upside from him. I like players that are more likely to over produce than under produce, and to me, he was one of the over produce players.
But in all honesty, he really isn't a bad player. His numbers, other than the first month or so, aren't really that bad. If we can get McLouth back, and have Melky continuing to perform as he has of late, we can stay strong.
Andy G.
08-08-2010, 06:13 PM
Melky's actually doing really well at the plate since the All Star break. He's got an .888 OPS since then. He was pretty good in July, bad in June, average in May, and horrid in April. August has been very good to him so far.
IkeWagner
08-08-2010, 08:53 PM
My sarcasm radar is going off, but with a lack of smiley...I figure this is honest.
First of all, Melky was part of a trade that many Braves fans did not like, sending Javier Vazquez to New York. That was strike one.
Then he struggled out of the gates and did not appear to be the guy the Yankees were very fond of in the past. He appeared thicker, slower, clumsier and just was not producing. Strike two.
Then he threw a ball clear from centerfield into right-center (http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=10464377) trying to make a play on a Ryan Hanigan double which turned into two-base error which allowed Hanigan to score on the play. Then he laughed about it. Strike three.
Personally, I've always viewed his as a 4th outfielder...so I didn't make a big deal about it, but to many, Melky's dead.
Ok; I was worried that he had done something bad, like diss a teammate or the organization or something.
Braves N Canes
08-09-2010, 01:04 AM
Great win for the Braves with a lot of starters getting the day off! I love getting to see my team play instead of looking at GameDay lol. I think Glaus is getting ready for a hot streak again. His base hit was stung to right. When he starts to think about staying inside the ball(or is healthy enough to do so)...he's gonna start mashing again. We're gonna have to get the defensive mislaps fixed(mainly talking about Gonzo here). I didn't mind the two E's that got the Giants their 2nd run. We were trying to make a play and just couldn't execute a tough play.
I love that Melky had a great day today and I didn't ever have anything against him. Until the Cincy incident. I'm not even mad about the play. Crap happens sometimes. In fact, I'm more mad that Bobby had him in CF than the play itself. But the way he reacted to it...when we're playing a division leader, and we have a chance to win the game and series, and his pitcher is pitching his guts out and kicking himself after he came out. And he's laughing about it. IMO that's not a winning baseball player. We can find someone that is a winning baseball player that can hit .260 or whatever he's hitting.
bravos4evr
08-09-2010, 03:57 AM
I wonder if one of the other outfielders was ribbing him? Or maybe someone from the oen or something. I know if I did in high school that I'd never hear the end of it!
Andy G.
08-09-2010, 04:21 AM
I wonder if one of the other outfielders was ribbing him? Or maybe someone from the oen or something. I know if I did in high school that I'd never hear the end of it!
Hinske had walked over to him during the pitching change. They had their heads down and were saying something to one another.
I understand why the laughing upset people, but I didn't get bothered by it. That was a funny play. I know it hurt the team, and Jurrjens was giving it his all and upset that the runs scored, but the way that ball flew out of his hands was funny. It just was. It is a game after all. I laughed when it happened, and I laughed again when I saw Melky laughing.
Melky has a unique personality for the Braves. We haven't seen many guys like this in Atlanta. Did anybody see him peek into the bullpen after he went back on that line drive in right field yesterday? He made the catch awkwardly and ended up right in front of the bullpen. Then he lowered his head in front of the chain-link fence and said something to whoever was sitting on the bench there in the bullpen. I think was Christian Martinez. He's just a silly guy. I don't necessarily like his brand of silliness. It comes off as a little cocky to me (you can tell he came from the Yankees), but it doesn't really bother me either.
Hinske had walked over to him during the pitching change. They had their heads down and were saying something to one another.
I understand why the laughing upset people, but I didn't get bothered by it. That was a funny play. I know it hurt the team, and Jurrjens was giving it his all and upset that the runs scored, but the way that ball flew out of his hands was funny. It just was. It is a game after all. I laughed when it happened, and I laughed again when I saw Melky laughing.
Melky has a unique personality for the Braves. We haven't seen many guys like this in Atlanta. Did anybody see him peek into the bullpen after he went back on that line drive in right field yesterday? He made the catch awkwardly and ended up right in front of the bullpen. Then he lowered his head in front of the chain-link fence and said something to whoever was sitting on the bench there in the bullpen. I think was Christian Martinez. He's just a silly guy. I don't necessarily like his brand of silliness. It comes off as a little cocky to me (you can tell he came from the Yankees), but it doesn't really bother me either.
Frankly... having a "silly" personality is not an excuse for a play like that in my estimation. The guy lacks FOCUS defensively and at the dish. Major league ballplayers don't make plays like that...they just don't.
Airmail the cut-off man? Sure. That happens. But attempting to hit a cut-off man around second and throwing it to another part of the outfield... No focus. The fact that he laughed about it is the part that aggravates me. He let his teammates down... he let every Braves fan sitting in the Ted down and all of around the country rooting for him down. Not a laughing matter IMO. If this was a little league game then sure...funny. Not funny in a big league game. I just see someone who doesn't care enough to do it right. Just my humble opinion. :)
IkeWagner
08-09-2010, 12:39 PM
Frankly... having a "silly" personality is not an excuse for a play like that in my estimation. The guy lacks FOCUS defensively and at the dish. Major league ballplayers don't make plays like that...they just don't.
Airmail the cut-off man? Sure. That happens. But attempting to hit a cut-off man around second and throwing it to another part of the outfield... No focus. The fact that he laughed about it is the part that aggravates me. He let his teammates down... he let every Braves fan sitting in the Ted down and all of around the country rooting for him down. Not a laughing matter IMO. If this was a little league game then sure...funny. Not funny in a big league game. I just see someone who doesn't care enough to do it right. Just my humble opinion. :)
Watch a bloopers show sometime; these things happen, even to focused players. And the laughing doesn't bother me at all. If he was laughing after doing something blameworthy, then everyone should be up-in-arms about it. But what he did was clearly an accident, and so he can't be blamed for it. There are times where smiling/joking are no-no's, and times when they aren't; this falls into the latter category.
Hobbes
08-09-2010, 01:13 PM
Watch a bloopers show sometime; these things happen, even to focused players. And the laughing doesn't bother me at all. If he was laughing after doing something blameworthy, then everyone should be up-in-arms about it. But what he did was clearly an accident, and so he can't be blamed for it. There are times where smiling/joking are no-no's, and times when they aren't; this falls into the latter category.
While I understand your point, you might feel differently if you had watched that game. It was a tight game and a tense game situation. Clearly JJ and the other players were in a focused mode trying to get out of the inning, and Melky's mistake was a huge blunder that allowed two runs to score. It certainly wasn't one of those lighthearted game moments where a hearty laugh seems appropriate.
I was pissed about the errant "throw", but I got over that as a fluke of the game. I'm less forgiving of his laughing about it immediately afterwards while the inning was still going on.
Lauren T.
08-09-2010, 01:29 PM
Melky amuses me. I'm sorry he screwed up for JJ, but that was a funny play. He amused me when he was a Yankee and he amuses me now.
Is he one of my favorite Braves? No, he's probably down in the bottom 1/3... but he's still funny.
I was pissed about the errant "throw", but I got over that as a fluke of the game. I'm less forgiving of his laughing about it immediately afterwards while the inning was still going on.
Agree. And I'm sorry but I've watched hundreds of blooper reels. That is not the kind of error a focused player makes. Maybe ss or 2b trying to make a quick exchange on a dp but not an outfielder. No way. Sorry. I'm 39 and played competitive ball through college and I've only seen something like that once that I can remember from an outfielder and that was in a rec softball game.
The laughing after the fact confirms his lack of focus. If a guy is totally focused on completing a task and then fails that miserably laughing is the last thing that should be expected. That turned me off bigtime.
Braves N Canes
08-09-2010, 03:50 PM
A couple of added on points...
Ok I got ya Hawaii. My question is as a pitcher and you see your CF laughing after that, what are you thinking? Add in the fact that your facing one of the top teams in the league and they just went ahead off that play? I have no problem with laughing/joking about it after the game(unless it's a loss). Then it might take a couple of more days. It's not about whether the play was funny or not. The fact he's laughing makes you question his focus and passion for the game when everybody else is giving their 110%.
Melky's antics remind me of Manny Ramirez. The only reason why Cleveland, Boston, LA...whoever else puts up with it is because he's one of the greatest RH hitters we've ever seen. The actions are still immature/funny/whatever they are to you....we just put up with them because he can rake. And there are certainly times when you can question whether Manny has any passion to play the game anymore. Hell, he's not even playing now(and screwing the Dodgers in the process). It's one thing to be a fun guy/good clubhouse guy but it's another to do it while it affects anything involving your game. Look at Nick Swisher now...nobody can say that dude doesn't have fun but you now without a doubt that he's gonna give 150% to help his team win.
bravos4evr
08-09-2010, 06:52 PM
When I was in HS playing 1b (I only pitched in relief) I had a screamer hit to me that I knocked down and promptly threw to 3b... prob was, there wasn't anyone running to 3rd base!!!! I guess i thought it was the prior inning (when they had runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out)... still. that doesn't really even make sense... I laughed about it and got so ragged about it, even by the pitcher that inning!
It's a game after all, sure they make tons of bread, but they are men playing the childs game.
Agent-X-
08-09-2010, 07:00 PM
Like I said, in that very moment it wasn't funny. I wasn't very irate either, because I knew my centerfielder was giving his 110% to get to the ball where he thought the ball was headed. I also knew one of my other outfielders was just baffled to death what was going on...and the other also had no idea where the ball was. I couldn't even blame my 2B because he was on a dead sprint into deep center trying to foot race the runner to get the ball in to prevent an inside the park homerun. It was frustrating to watch it unfold in real time...but when it comes down to it, a pitcher needs to get over something like that whether his teammates are joking around about it or not and get the next out. Or in Jurrjens's case, since he was removed from the game after that, get back out there 5 days later and make sure a backup catcher doesn't get a hold of a ball like that during that start.
I'm not doubting Melky's effort on the play. I'm positive he was trying his hardest to get that ball in to prevent Hanigan from stretching it into a triple or for the second run not to score. He picked up the ball and in his haste he had a fingertip grip on the ball and after trying to get it in quickly flung the ball into right-center. Unfortunate result...but it's not that he was dogging it or not giving his full effort.
Laughing about it is another thing, though. I agree that he probably shouldn't have been laughing about it on the field as he did...but also keep in mind, if Melky is at fault for laughing about the play after the fact, then Eric Hinske is also at fault for jesting about it prompting him to laugh. So if you're going to question Melky here, also rag on Hinske. Just another viewpoint on the topic of the play.
Laughing is a way to diffuse tension. Having made such a gaff, it's natural to laugh about it. Hinske was there to merely help diffuse what just happened.
Sucks, but y'all need to get over it. Andruw Jones would always smile after striking it out. Do you think he thought that was funny? No. No one likes to swing and miss.
IkeWagner
08-09-2010, 07:58 PM
While I understand your point, you might feel differently if you had watched that game.
You might be right about that.
Lauren T.
08-09-2010, 10:58 PM
So Melky biffed it and looked like a tool. So we lost the game. Sucks for JJ -- Melky probably took him out for a nice steak and they're probably cool now.
Some of y'all just take the game more seriously than others of us do. Some of us don't live and die with every pitch. There are 162 games, 8748 outs in a regular season. I can't get emotionally caught up in every out. There are too many.
I'm not telling anyone how to watch the game. Y'all can all get as pretzeled up over every pitch as you want - I just can't do it.
The bottom line is, we're still in first place. :thumbsup: That play didn't keep us out of the playoffs.
So Melky biffed it and looked like a tool. So we lost the game. Sucks for JJ -- Melky probably took him out for a nice steak and they're probably cool now.
Some of y'all just take the game more seriously than others of us do. Some of us don't live and die with every pitch. There are 162 games, 8748 outs in a regular season. I can't get emotionally caught up in every out. There are too many.
I'm not telling anyone how to watch the game. Y'all can all get as pretzeled up over every pitch as you want - I just can't do it.
The bottom line is, we're still in first place. :thumbsup: That play didn't keep us out of the playoffs.
Wow. Thanks for throwing water on the fire. :D
The really important outs are more important to me than the outs when we are up big or down big...
Yes I live and die with every pitch. I invest different amount of emotion on each one based on what is at stake. This just got to me.
My apologies if I have offended anyone. I just wish all of the ballplayers in Atlanta conducted themselves on the field in the same manner as a consumate professional like Chipper Jones does.... a pipedream, I know. :)
Chris_Moderato
08-10-2010, 08:19 AM
Wow. Thanks for throwing water on the fire. :D
The really important outs are more important to me than the outs when we are up big or down big...
Yes I live and die with every pitch. I invest different amount of emotion on each one based on what is at stake. This just got to me.
My apologies if I have offended anyone. I just wish all of the ballplayers in Atlanta conducted themselves on the field in the same manner as a consumate professional like Chipper Jones does.... a pipedream, I know. :)
Yeah, Lauren! Why can't they all be more like Chipper? ;)
(It's a long story, 007...)
Lauren T.
08-10-2010, 09:42 AM
Yeah, Lauren! Why can't they all be more like Chipper? ;)
(It's a long story, 007...)
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