Two In A Row, Let’s Celebrate

The Braves have provided me a few opportunities to stand up and cheer, but not nearly as many in years past.  Between the seemingly endless strings of injuries and the inability to win a one-run game, or even a game in general at times, it’s been a downer kind of year.  But nevertheless, I will always consider myself a true fan that will support the team even in a 1-161 season (0-162 might just be too much for me to handle).  So today, I find reason to celebrate in the fact that the Braves have played well offensively in 4 straight games.

The only loss in the last four games was against Tim Lincecum and the Giants and even then, the Braves looked decent at fighting through at-bats against a great pitcher.  Outside of that, the team has done well producing runs at giving our pitchers a chance to get on the board with a win.  If nothing else, it’s reassuring to see that after we have struggled so much with it all season.

In team news, Tim Hudson had his Tommy John surgery yesterday and now sets off of the road to recovery that will keep him grounded for at least the next 12 months.  I just hope that they let him take his time and if the team’s not in contention late next season, to just let Tim sit out until 2o1o to make sure that recovery is full.  Rafael Soriano went to see Dr. Andrews with Hudson to have his own elbow checked out.  For the third time in 8 months, examinations of Soriano’s elbow came back inconclusive in what has been a frustrating season for Rafael.

Let’s just try to keep up the offense and getting some confidence back in the team.  If nothing else, it’s always nice to play the role of spoiler late in the season.  Two more against the Diamondbacks this weekend and then back to town to face the Cubs.

Braves Updates

Well we’ve seen a bunch of Braves news lately, so we’ll hit it real fast for ya:

• Morton pitched well yesterday - one hit through seven innings, but he gave up a home run to Prince Fielder, and the Braves fell 4-2.
• C.C. Sabathia showed us yesterday why we need to sign him in the offseason.  8 1/3 innings of four-hit ball.  He’s insane.
• Tim Hudson is going ahead with Tommy John surgery - Dr. James Andrews (the recognized expert in this area) will perform the surgery.  Hudson will have a 12 month rehab time before he is expected back with the team.
• Chipper is expecting to be back in the lineup Friday, the first day he’s eligible off the DL.  He says that “everything feels great” and he’s no longer having trouble with either his hamstring or his quad.
• Brian McCann should be expected back in the starting lineup Monday - he’s nearly done recovering from his concussion.  He may pinch hit today.
• Casey Kotchman is off to a slow start in the NL - only 2 for 16 - with 1 RBI.  Yes, it’s only been four games, but he’s not on fire.
• Royce Ring has been designated for assignment after a really ugly stretch where his ERA jumped 5 runs.  That’s not big league ball stuff.  Vladimir Nunez is expected to replace him.  Ring, according to the AJC, has the “distinction of the worst statistical season of any reliever in the history of the franchise since the 1870s, among those who appeared in as many games as he did.”  That didn’t work out well - he’s a specialist and shouldn’t be pitching as much as he did.

Well there ya have it - maybe we’ll see you at the Stadium today.  Ben Sheets is going against Jorge Campillo.  Go Braves!

Hudson Likely Needs Tommy John

After his visit to two doctors this week, it looks like Tim Hudson will be in need of Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his pitching elbow.  Hudson will likely make a decision in the next week or two as to whether or not to have the surgery procedure that would put him out for the rest of this season and likely half of next season.

Hudson has indicated that he wants to avoid having the surgery and will attempt to “tough it out”, but this is the same attitude taken by Peter Moylan earlier in the season and he ended up having the surgery a few weeks later.  As far as I’m concerned, if both doctors are of the opinion that the surgery needs to happen, he should go ahead and get it done so that we can at least try to get him back for the last few months of the 2009 season.  We’ll see what Dr. Andrews has to say in Hudson’s visit tomorrow.

What do you think?  Should Hudson go ahead and have the surgery?

Braves Trade Rumor Updates

All indications are pointing towards the Braves taking a passive approach to the non-waiver trade deadline. Here are the Braves related notes I have been hearing as of this morning:

• Mike Gonzalez - The Braves closer has received interest from the Texas Rangers organization. The Rangers, in desperate need of bullpen help would be willing to trade an outfielder for Gonzalez. Outfielders could include David Murphy, Frank Catalanotto, Brandon Boggs or Marlon Byrd. While the Braves need an outfielder, it would be unwise to sell Gonzalez at this low of a price. He has a top-5 closer ceiling, it would be painful to see that production in another organization. Murphy and a top prospect might get the trade done however. For those who do not know David Murphy yet — he is a hard-nosed player that pounds the gaps hard. He will not be an all-star but has some above-average years in him. The rest of that crew would not be an attractive solution to our problems with outfield power.
• Mark Teixeira - The Braves have apparently started to seriously consider moving Teixeira. CBS Sportsline has a report up stating that the Braves have made a list that includes Boston, Los Angeles (AL), Tampa Bay, and Arizona of potential trading partners. These are four organizations with deep minor league systems that could really turn into a bidding war if two or more organizations get involved in this deal. I don’t see how Tampa Bay is interested in this because they have a long term commitment to Carlos Pena who has power and plays great defense, much like Teixeira. Putting one of the two at DH would be a detriment to those two players. A new rumor that was floating around is Robb Quinlan and Brandon Wood of the Angels to the Braves for Teixeira. That is a terrible offer if that is indeed the truth. Quinlan is a career bench player and Wood’s star has burned a lot dimmer in recent years since hitting 43 home runs in 2005 at High-A Ranco Cucamonga. Also, where does Wood fit on this team? He is a third-baseman/shortstop. There isn’t a place for him this season. Los Angeles would be a lot closer offering Casey Kotchmann and Juan Rivera.
• Tim Hudson - His name has been mentioned once, but it is highly doubtful that the Braves would be interested in moving their ace.
• Mark Kotsay - He has just this year left on his contract but has played well despite some injuries.  I have doubts that they could get much for him - but you never know.
• Will Ohman - This is a name that may be mentioned more frequently over the next few days. While I have not heard of any specific deals in which Ohman might be involved in, he has put together a great season and is a lefty. I can’t imagine anything that might make him more attractive.
• Jeff Francoeur was mentioned by Braves.com today in trade rumors - though this may be shocking to some people, he’s not doing well at all.  The Royals may be interested - their GM was formerly in the Braves organization.

It may be 4:01 on July 31st when the baseball world finally knows what the Braves intentions were for this trade season.  Rumors will continue to flutter around and we may not know what’s going on until it happens.

- Dan & Colin

Discussing The All-Star Break

Back to the regular sized blog post.

So, we haven’t posted in a while, but this would be a good time to discuss the break and such. Chipper, McCann and trainer Jeff Porter are in New York as I write this enjoying the sites, including Yankee stadium, as well as enjoying their four days off. Chipper and McCann have been THE most consistent presences in this line-up, everyone knows that. While they do deserve these four days off, I doubt either would trade in a trip to Yankee stadium to play the final All-Star game their for those days off.

The Braves played San Diego and the Dodgers last week, coming away with their first .500 road trip of any length since WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY back last season when they went 1-2 against the Mets and 2-1 against the Nats from September 10-16, seriously. But going into the break with a road trip like that, even if it is against the worst team in the league in San Diego, is still something to build on.

Looking more into those six games, the Braves pitched out of their mind amazing, they gave up eight runs to LA in three games and eight runs to the Padres in three games. Against San Diego, only seven of those runs were earned and against LA only seven of those runs were earned as well, bringing the team ERA for those six games down to a ridiculous 2.33, yet we only went 3-3, sad.

The two teams we played, from before the season even started, were supposed to be slightly offensively challenged, yet the Braves looked like the team that needed a bat or three or four. In the first five games in the series, the Braves went 1-54 (0.019) in the first four innings, THEY HAD ONE HIT IN FIVE GAMES IN THE FIRST FOUR INNINGS! Throwing in the final game doesn’t make it that much better either, the Braves had three hits in the first four innings Sunday, bringing the grand total up to 4-67 (0.059). That’s just pathetic offensively.

With the Mets heating up and Florida not going away any time soon (they just got Josh Johnson back for the homestretch), this won’t be easy. Philly’s ball park isn’t miraculously going to get bigger and allow them to hit less home runs, and the Mets and Marlins aren’t going to stop hitting either. This team needs some sort of a wake up call and they need it fast, whether it is waving the white flag to trade guys away and tell them, “we’re not invincible,” or get a new guy in the clubhouse and infuse new energy. Heck Mike Hampton pitching might put enough energy into this team to give them some new life. Who knows?

Looking ahead to past the break, the Braves have a sweepable series against the Nats. The pitching matchups have already been set. Aces duel in the first game when Tim Hudson (9-7) takes on Tim Redding (7-3), Jair Jurrjens (9-4) gets the ball in game two against John Lannan (5-9) and Jojo Reyes (3-8) will face off against Odalis Perez (2-7) in the final game of the series.

Btw, was it just me or was taking Reyes out of his Friday start against the Padres after four innings because we had guys in scoring position a serious desparation move by the Braves? Buddy Carlyle came in and did a good job finishing it up, but seriously. For whatever reason, Reyes always seems to have a shorter leash than any of the other guys out there.

- Akshay

Bad News For Braves’ Elder Statesmen

John Smoltz has a torn labrum - significantly more damage than they hoped to find during surgery yesterday.  His future with the club is “uncertain” at this point.  He’s a fierce competitor, but can he come back from this surgery?  It took the spry Blaine Boyer nearly two years to recover from similar surgery.

Meanwhile, Tom Glavine strained his elbow and was placed on the DL.  Apparently from the first pitch last night his elbow hurt, but he pitched through the pain only to be pulled with the elbow strain.

So there’s the Braves’ two elder statesmen having health issues.  Glavine is on the DL for the second time this season - and the second time in his long career.  Smoltzie is gone for at least this season, maybe for good.  And the Braves are back below .500, trying to figure out how to win on the road and where they can find some pitching.

This time, more than ever, we’ve got to figure out where we’re going to get some starting pitching, and fast.  I maintain that Charlie Morton is ready - the traditional measure for minor league pitchers is innings pitched, and he’s thrown just under 600 innings.  He’s also 5-2 with a 2.05 ERA and 72 K’s to 27 walks.  Bring him up and give him a shot - he impressed in spring training.

We also likely should trade for another solid arm.  Even if we bring Morton up, we’re pitching Hudson, Jurrjens, Campillo, Morton, and Reyes.  If we want to win and go into the post season, we need another solid arm.  Jonathan’s a big proponent of trading Mark Teixeira for a young arm with some life left on the contract.  I’m not sure what he said Tex is supposed to ask for at the end of the season, but supposedly we may not be able to afford it even without Hampton, Smoltz, and Glavine’s contracts.  I’ll let him explain that more here.

What do you think we should do?  Should we let Jo-Jo Reyes fight it out for that fifth spot?  Can he make it at the big league level?  Is Morton ready, or am I just talking out of the seat of my pants?

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!

Everyone Loves A Clean Sweep

It was so sweet to be able to go to Turner Field after a long day this week and watch the Braves beat the crud out of the Mets.  We got solid starts from Glavine, Hudson, Jurrjens, and some guy named Campillo making his first start since 2005.  Our starters’ combined lines?

4 Wins, 27 Innings Pitched, 18 Hits, 4 Earned Runs, 3 Walks, 16 Strikeouts, 3 Home Runs Allowed 

Compare that to the Mets and their starters’ combined lines:

4 Losses, 20 Innings Pitched, 33 Hits, 17 Earned Runs, 8 Walks, 6 Strikeouts, 1 Home Runs Allowed

For the record, our best start came from Jorge Campillo.  And wasn’t it great to watch Santana implode tonight?  We can deduce a few things here from these lines - firstly, the Braves played a lot of fundamental ball - only one homer off of Mets starters.  And we didn’t rely on our ‘pen much - an average of just over 2 innings per game.  This is the kind of baseball we need to be playing.  Strong starters are the best foundation for a solid game.

Next up are the Diamondbacks - we can beat them since we’re at home, I’m sure.  We need to learn how to translate this play on the road.  And the Marlins need to start losing.  They’re NOT that good.

The Mets, on the other hand, aren’t that good.  And everybody knows it.  Especially them.  By the way, Jair Jurrjens has the same record as Johan Santana.  Ouch.

Go Braves!  Let’s sweep the Diamondbacks too.

This “Rotation” Scares Me

This rotation can’t win the division.

There, I said it.  With John Smoltz and his bum shoulder pushing him to the bullpen (hopefully if he can heal), our starting rotation looks a wee bit tattered.  Think I’m kidding?  Take a look at the starting rotation.  Hudson has been the Ace so far, with six wins.  Jurrjens has been great with four wins and 41 strikeouts in eight starts.  And then we have Glavine, who is better than his record shows, deserving better than a 1-1 record, but concerning with a 4.41 ERA and a 1-1 strikeout to walk ratio.

Past that, it’s not a rotation.  It’s a random weekly game of bingo that decides between Chuck James, Jo-Jo Reyes, and Jeff Bennett and they rotate out as soon as one of them sucks it up.  And it’s not something that will let us compete into September.  At least Chuck’s out of the consideration for now, but that just leaves room for another Joe Somebody to try.

We had depth, supposedly.  But Smoltz has had shoulder issues - and he’s had those sporadically at the end of the season in seasons past.  And I can’t even discuss what happened to Hampton without feeling like I’d be suggesting he could heal.  And until he proves me wrong, I won’t believe it’s a possibility.  But can we make it to September?  I’m doubtful.  Something has to be done.

Sure, we’re first in the league in ERA and BAA, and second in OPS allowed and third in WHIP, but does that mean jack diddly when we have three starters?  It won’t last long, I tell you.  We’ll miss Smoltz as long as his shoulder keeps him pitching two innings late in the game.  We need a strong starter.  And unless Jo-Jo Reyes can keep it up and start pitching like he pitches in AAA ball, where there’s less pressure, or Jeff Bennett turns a page for the rest of the season, we’ll be a team with three consistent starters and two fillers.  It concerns me.

Do we make a move?  We have tons of young outfielders in the minor league system.   Do we bring up Charlie Morton from AAA and see if he is ready for the big time?  I’m just an armchair GM, sure, but I’m not the only one in Atlanta who is a little concerned about our rotation.

A True Doubleheader…

So we have a real doubleheader against the Pirates today.  Not a day/night one, but a true one game after another doubleheader.  You don’t see that too often any more, but I’m glad.  The real question is . . . will we get the games in today.  I’m pretty busy today but the last time I looked in on the weather for Pittsburgh, it wasn’t looking too favorable.  We’ll see if it holds out so we can get some of these games in.  I’ll do my best to keep up with the games today but no guarantees.

Jurrjens will be pitching the first game for the Braves while Tim Hudson will make his regularly scheduled start in the second game.  We have another doubleheader in a couple weeks against the Mets; let’s try and start a good streak on those today.

Hudson Looks To Keep Win Streak Alive

Coming off his complete game in his last outing, Tim Hudson looks to keep the strong defense going tonight against the Padres in the second game of the three-game series which ends tomorrow with an afternoon game.  With Smoltz out of the rotation, Hudson has assumed the definite role of ace of the staff and needs to put together a series of strong starts to back up that title.  The Braves’ 4-game winning streak is on the line tonight.

Tim has struggled at times this season, only getting into the 4th inning in some of his outings and showing a visible lack of speed and control that he normally possesses.  If he can pitch anything like he did in his last start however, the Braves should be good to go tonight.  Chipper Jones continues to have the hottest bat in the league and I’d love to see more HRs and RBI out of him throughout the rest of this series.  The Braves find themselves back above .500 now at 16-15 and are only 1.5 games out of the lead in the division.

Home Dominance: Reds Swept

The Braves are 11-4 at home so far this season (now if only we weren’t 4-11 on the road) and it was a much needed 3-game sweep of the Reds after we had dropped 4 straight on the road.  We’ve been pretty lax about getting game recaps up lately, so I’m going to do my best to give a quick recap of the Reds series:

Game 1 - Friday - Braves 2, Reds 0
Friday night’s game was an absolute gem for Tim Hudson.  We’ve been a bit worried about Hud lately with his visible lack of speed and inability to get deep into a game.  But Friday night, he looked like the Tim Hudson we expect to see on the mound.  He threw a complete game, 3-hit shutout of the Reds, while striking out 10 and not issuing a walk.  The offense didn’t really provide much support outside of a two-run home run for Brian McCann in the bottom of the 4th, but who needs it when you have a pitching outing like that.  Hudson only seems to be doing well in every other start however, so we’ll see how he looks next time out.

Game 2 - Saturday - Braves 9, Reds 1
I’m not going to lie.  I was worried going into the game on Saturday with Jo-Jo Reyes making his first big league start for the Braves this season.  Jo-Jo has tended to pitch amazingly well in the minors and then not been up to snuff when he made his appearances in the bigs.  For 5 innings on Saturday, however, he looked decent.  His control fell apart in the top of the 6th and Bobby Cox wisely got him out of the game.  This was definitely the right decision for the team as a whole and for Jo-Jo’s confidence in his ability to pitch.  Through 5 1/3 innings, Reyes issued 4 hits and only gave up 1 run while striking out 5.  He gave up three walks as well, all in the top of the 6th.  The offense helped seal up the win for Jo-Jo with a 6-run bottom of the 7th.  The Braves had 7 doubles on the day.

Game 3 - Sunday - Braves 14, Reds 7
Yesterday’s game can best be described as a slug-fest with the teams putting up a combined 30 hits and 21 runs.  Tom Glavine didn’t have his best stuff for the game, going only 4 2/3 innings and giving up 6 runs.  Royce Ring came in to finish off the 5th inning, and, by throwing one pitch, gained the win on the day.  The offense looked stellar yesterday however, bolstered by 3 doubles from Kelly Johnson (which gave him 5 doubles in two games) and home runs from Chipper Jones and Mark Kotsay.  Chipper had a total of 5 RBIs on the day.

Overall, I know the Reds aren’t really a great team in the league this season, but the sweep was just what the Braves needed at this point.  They’re back to .500 baseball again with a record of 15-15 and have an off-day today before a three-game set at home against the Padres.