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Braves Baseball Is Back!
Written by Colin on April 6, 2009 – 8:44 pmIt’s far too late for me to write a game recap (forgive me, I was in Phoenix last night watching the game from a crappy hotel room) – but I do want to throw together some thoughts I had last night during the game. Please feel free to add your own, argue with mine, or just sit there and read this complacently before moving on to another website.
Derek Lowe Is Solid
He’s not going to wow us every night with heaters – he’s not the typical power pitcher ace most people think of – but he’s a very solid, methodical pitcher who is going to give us quality start after quality start. And when he’s on – like he was last night – he can be very, very good.
Francoeur Will Be Back
You saw Francoeur’s line drive home run last night – he’s going to hit the ball hard night after night this year. Once he gets more used to his stance, we’ll see more power forthcoming – but I’ll take the Francoeur we saw last night. That said, he needs to work on his throw from the right field corner to third. He’s got a reputation to keep.
Jordan Schafer Is Fast
Did you see how fast he cleared the bases after his homerun? What about when he almost ran over Kelly Johnson who was taking a couple steps back to field a fly ball in short right center? The guy has legs. What a night for his first game – a single, an intentional walk and finally a strikeout that made him look silly. I think we’ll see some good stuff from Jordan this year – I’m certainly looking forward to it.
The Braves Looked Good
Lowe pitched well. Schafer showed us a little bit of what he can do. Francoeur looks good. But let’s not forget Chipper – who did what Chipper does – stroking balls comfortably the other way. Yunel almost knocked a homer of his own. Kotchman showed us some defense. McCann crushed a ball that almost landed in another state. Gonzo came out of the bullpen with (a little too much) energy – but once he gets that under control he’ll be the dominant closer he is. When all was said and done, Lowe had an 8 inning, two-hit performance and the Braves beat the Phillies 4-1.
For the first time this season, New York Mets fans cheered for the Braves. And when the Mets played today, Braves fans cheered for the Reds. It’s baseball season, folks. It’s back, and so are the Braves. Now we just have to prove that to the rest of the baseball.
Tags: Atlanta Braves, Derek Lowe, Jeff Francoeur, Jordan Schafer, Philadelphia Phillies
Posted in Game Analysis, General | 10 Comments »
By Dan from MD on Apr 7, 2009 | Reply
What do people think about Cox's decision to pull Lowe after just 97 pitches? I can see it both ways. On one hand, Lowe was dominant, with a low pitch count, and a complete game shutout against the defending World Champions would have been sweet. On the other, it was obvious that Gonzales was not ready to save a one-run game, so the opportunity to shake off the rust in game 1 may pay dividends next time.
Thoughts?
By Colin Ake on Apr 7, 2009 | Reply
I see both sides but I think Bobby did the right thing – Gonzo needed some work and getting those jitters out is a good thing. Lowe was lights out but he was at 97 pitches and could have gone either way… but we've got to let the bullpen know we have faith in them.
By Jonathan on Apr 7, 2009 | Reply
Good first inning for the Braves so far tonight:
- First pitch homer for KJ
- Double for Chipper
- McCann reaches on a fielding error and Chipper scores
- Anderson singles.
2-0 lead for the Braves after the top of the 1st. Early runs are such a big help but we need to be able to keep the pedal down throughout the game.
By Jonathan on Apr 7, 2009 | Reply
One nice bit of news is that Glavine threw six simulated innings of two-hit ball today. Still hoping for the best for him so we can have a stable rotation.
By Travis on Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
Hey how is everyone doing
By Jonathan on Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
Hey Travis, things are good here. How's everything for you?
By Travis on Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
Oh just staying busy as usual
By Jonathan on Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
That's pretty much how it works. Looking forward to another season?
By Travis on Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
yeah i think we have decent team this year
By josh on Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
It's one series at a time and we have already won this series. A win today will be a nice touch! I'm really enjoying the play of Schafer so far. I like that Chipper has taken his role as team leader by having a players only meeting right out of the gate. This team looks solid.