Two In A Row On The Road?

The Braves are in Cincinnati for the start of a three-game series against the Reds to end the road trip.  After the offense came alive last night to prevent the sweep in Milwaukee, the Braves are looking to try to improve the dastardly road record.  Here’s hoping that Glavine can get out of the 5th inning tonight.  Edinson Volquez, or should I say Krusty, is taking the mound for the Reds tonight to try to continue his impressive 7-2 season with a win.

Now’s the time where the Braves need to turn the corner and start stringing together some wins on the road if we want to compete this season.  We swept the Reds at home earlier in the month, including a defeat of Volquez, so I know the team can do it.  Let’s get it going early and often.  Go Braves!

The Roof Is Open; We Can Win

The Brewers have opened the roof of their stadium for the first time this season.  Maybe that’s the change that the Braves need to get some runs on the board and to chalk up the first win of this road series.  The Braves are now .250 on the road with a 6-18 record.  If we keep that up, we can kiss any chance of the playoffs goodbye.  Jorge Campillo taking the mound for the Braves; I hope his blisters are better.  Let’s Go Braves!

Getting Past The Heartbreaker

I’m still not 100% cured from the loss last night.  And I don’t know if Jo-Jo Reyes is the solution to this problem, but either way, he’s taking the mound for us tonight against the Brewers.  The Braves need to do whatever it takes to get a win right now on the road.  The bats need to come alive and the pitching needs to hold.  I’m hoping for the best, but I don’t know if I can handle another game like last night.  Go Braves!

Here Goes Another Road Trip

Well, the time has come for us to buckle down on the road.  By the end of June, the Braves have 19 road games.  In my opinion, these games will define the rest of the season for the Braves.  Without going .500 to .600 in those road games, I don’t see us standing much of a chance to compete, especially if we can’t topple teams such as the Brewers and Reds.  Tonight, we kick off a set against Milwaukee with Tim Hudson taking the mound with his 7-3 record.

The Braves will be without the help of Mark Kotsay tonight and possibly for longer as they ponder placing him on the disabled list with his back problems.  Hopefully the rest of the offense can stay healthy and we see some quality performances out of the pitching staff to try to right the ship against our worst-in-MLB 6-16 road record.  It’s time to get it going on the road, guys.  Go Braves!

We Had A Game Yesterday?!

Despite what everyone has been telling me, I’m pretty sure yesterday was an off day for the Braves.  Don’t try to tell me there was a game…..you’re wrong.

The Braves face off against Arizona and Randy Johnson this afternoon.  What’s there to worry about?  Sure, the last time Johnson threw at Turner Field, he threw a perfect game.  And the Diamondbacks are tied for the second best record in baseball……who cares?!  Jorge Campillo’s taking the mound for the Braves today after an impressive outing in the second game of the doubleheader against the Mets last week to secure his first win.

The real question in this afternoon is: which Braves team will show up for the game today?  The one that dominated the Mets or the batting practice squad that was destroyed in last night’s “non-game” against the Diamondbacks.  As far as I’m concerned, it can only get better…….I hope I didn’t just jinx us.

The Marlins Swept Them, So Can We

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in town after being swept this week by the Florida Marlins while the Braves are coming off of a huge 4-game sweep of the Mets.  Even with the sweep, the Diamondbacks still have a rock-solid 28-19 record and are dominating the NL West.  Let me just say that we’d like to help give the other teams in the division a chance over the next 4 days.

Jo-Jo Reyes is making the start for the Braves while Doug Davis is starting for the Diamondbacks, making his first start since having surgery for cancer in April.  Let’s see if the Braves can keep that stellar 20-5 home record.  Go Braves!

Braves Look To Sweep Mets

The Braves come into tonight’s game looking to sweep the Mets out of town in this 4-game series.  The Braves have outscored the Mets 23-7 in the first 3 games of the series that have seen the Mets’ offense looking rather flat.  Tim Hudson takes the mound for the Braves tonight against Mets’ ace Johan Santana.  The Keys for the Braves tonight are for Hudson to pitch a consistent game (he’s been streaky this season) and to jump on Santana when possible (he likes to give up the home run ball).  I expect a good pitching matchup tonight and a great game to be at.  Let’s go Braves!

Day/Night Doubleheaders Cheat Fans

It’s a fact.  There will rarely be a doubleheader any more that isn’t a day/night one.  In a day of “money talks” and expensive ticket prices, baseball organizations will stick to forcing fans to buy tickets to both games of a doubleheader.  I’m glad as a little kid I got to go to a few true doubleheaders with my dad.  You know, the kind where you get to the park at 11 and don’t go home until it’s well after dark.  THAT is a real doubleheader.

Anyways, enough of that rant.  The division-rival Mets are in town today to start a 4-game series, including the makeup game for the April 4th rainout.  About a quarter of the way through the season, the Braves and Mets both find themselves within striking distance of the top of the NL East (the Mets are 1 game behind the Marlins while the Braves are 2).

Game 1 - 1pm
In the first game today, Tom Glavine (1-1, 4.41) will face his former team for the first time.  It’s been an up-and-down season for Glavine so far so we need him to come up big this afternoon against John Maine.

Game 2 - 7pm
Tonight’s game has Jorge Campillo making his first start for the Braves.  He has been solid in a bullpen role thus far this season and has gotten the call to take the hill to start.  Campillo has said he’ll probably only make it 75-80 pitches in tonight’s game, so I expect to see Jeff Bennett picking up after him.  Hopefully the bullpen still has some left after the day game.

It’s a long day of division-rivalry baseball.  The Braves and Mets always seem to bring their best stuff when they face off with each other.  Both teams should be looking to split the 4-game series and try to irk out a third win in there somewhere.  The Braves lead the series on the season 3-2.

Braves Take First Interleague Set

This is how we like to send off the opposing team; with two out of three games ending in a Braves victory. Taking two out of three interleague games against the Oakland A’s, the Braves demonstrated resolved and consistency.

During a beautiful Sunday, seemingly made for baseball, with the Braves wearing their crisp red alternate home jerseys, the team continued to show the kind of balance they need to win.

Sure, Jo-Jo Reyes seemed a touch inconsistent at the beginning of the game. But give him credit. Allowing two runs and 8 hits in 5 innings, he also had six strike-outs, and retired the order scoreless in the 2nd-5th innings.

Mi Hermano Cubano, Escobar, came through in a big way, going 3 for 4, with two RBI. But he got a bit greedy on one at-bat and tried to stretch a simple single into an impossible double, getting tagged at second.

Again, McCann with the doubles! He got another one today giving him three in as many days. But the man of the hour was Omar Infante, pinch-hitting in Kelley Johnson’s place. Bobby Cox obviously wanted an opposite-hitting batter against the pitcher, and, boy, did it pay off! On the first pitch, Infante smacks a two-RBI stand-up triple giving us a couple insurance runs in the eighth.

The bullpen, starting in the 6th inning was superb, no flawless, giving up no runs at all. Manny Acosta, again, slams the door. They have held the opposition scoreless in their last 16 innings of work.

Kelley Johnson contributed a bunt single and a triple, and Tex gave us a double, but his .247 average is really starting to bug me. Also on a negative note, Francoeur was hitless, leaving four on base.

In all, it was a superb day for ball, and a superb (yes, “balanced”) performance by your Atlanta Braves.

Braves Look For Interleague Series Win

The Braves are 1-1 in their series against the Athletics thus far this weekend.  The offense, outside of the ninth inning, last night was putrid, not posting much to talk about for the rest of the evening.  Today, Jo-Jo Reyes takes the mound looking to continue to prove that he belongs back in Atlanta for a full-time job.

It’s a great afternoon for some Sunday baseball, let’s go Braves!

Oakland A’s Come To Town

Mark Kotsay gets an opportunity to face his old team tonight as Interleague play starts and the Oakland A’s come to town.  Jair Jurrjens (4-3, 3.10) takes the mound tonight for the Braves and faces Dana Eveland (3-3, 3.23).  Jurrjens looks to add to his team-high 41 strikeouts and Kotsay gets to prove to his old team that he’s worth more than Joey Devine as he looks to continue his solid start.

The Braves have been rocking it at home recently and need to continue that streak until their road woes subside.  We need to take this series to start the 11 game home stand.  Join us as we watch the game for thoughts and commentary on the first Interleague game of the season.

Let’s go Braves!

Chipper Out Tonight

We’re in Philadelphia again tonight for the final game of the series.  Tonight I’d like to see something different - something like finishing as strong as we start.  The biggest obstacle we’ll have is not having Chipper Jones on the field. He’s out for the night with a sore groin which started bothering him during his last at-bat last night.  At this point in the season, only two other batters in history have had an average of over .400. Chipper will be sorely missed in this clutch series finale.

Games one and two of the series have proven to be somewhat of a disappointment. After another one-run loss on Monday after a strong 3-0 start, the Braves barely held on last night after a huge lead as the Phillies rallied at the end of the game.   This is not something that needs to continue.  If we can play .500 ball on the road and play at home like we have been, the Braves will start to look a lot like a 1995 team. Certainly after a strong start like last night, morale couldn’t have been low. Maybe we settled in and got a bit too comfortable.

Tonight, Chuck James (2-2, 7.58) faces Cole Hamels (4-3, 3.36). James pitched six innings on Saturday in Pittsburgh, but allowed five earned runs on five hits to gain his second loss. His second win was against the Marlins in late April where he allowed two runs in five innings until a two run home run.  Whereas this is not a very impressive statistic, James has a lot to prove as he was called up originally to replace Glavine while he was on the disabled list.

Watch for strikeouts from Hamel tonight.  He struck out 11 batters in Milwaukee in late April, and it was his 8th double-digit strikeout night. He also has walked three or fewer batters in his last eight starts. The Braves will need to be sure to keep their bats alive.

The Braves will be back in Atlanta tomorrow night facing the A’s.