Game 85 Recap: Braves 6, Colorado 7

by gondeee on Jul 10, 2009 8:37 AM EDT in Braves Game Recaps

On a day when Jeff Francoeur has three extra base hits, we still lose! You have to go back to September 21st of last year for the last time Frenchy had extra base hits in a ballgame. Other than that here's what went wrong today:

The Braves blew three leads.
Tommy Hanson couldn't locate his pitches, and his mistakes got hit in the gaps at Coors.
Bobby Cox has to stop using Mike Gonzalez every single game. I don't really blame him for this disaster, he's been abused this year.
Ditto for Peter Moylan
Yunel Escobar had to leave the game with a strained back.
We were just 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position... 3-for-16!

Frustrating losses in games that we likely should have won have been the norm for Atlanta this year. Maybe the second half of the season will change that.

Final - 7.9.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Atlanta Braves	0	2	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	6	11	0
Colorado Rockies	0	2	0	2	0	0	1	2	X	7	10	1
WP: Juan Rincon (1 - 0) SV: Huston Street (22) LP: Mike Gonzalez (3 - 2)

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Glad I missed this game.

When I read that FYF had 3 extra base hits I thought maybe the other teams set up a tee-ball stand for him.

Leaving runners on base is what the Braves do best. Someone even has something about the Braves love to leave RISP as their signature.

How do the managers justify using Moylan and Gonzalez almost every night? It’s perplexing!

by Sparhawk on Jul 10, 2009 8:41 AM EDT reply actions

Bullpen

Granted, Hanson did not have his best stuff tonight but Bobby really needs to be flexible when using his bullpen. He had Acosta up in the 6th and decided to bring in Moylan again. Then, when Gonzo struggles, Bobby left him in to try to clean up his mess. Medlen should have been in earlier or Acosta should have been working the 7th and possibly eigth. HIndsight is….but still. Flexibility in the pen is needed in order to keep the pen strong for the duration.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
~Earl Wilson

by BeantownVol on Jul 10, 2009 8:44 AM EDT reply actions

Bobby Cox has to stop using Mike Gonzalez every single game. I don’t really blame him for this disaster, he’s been abused this year.

This 1000 times over. Use some of our other pen arms. That’s why they’re there, for christ’s sake!

by soup du jour on Jul 10, 2009 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

Gonzalez

I don’t know if it has already been mentioned but Gonzalez is already nearing a career high for innings pitched this season. He has already thrown 42 and his career high for one season was 54 which was set in 2006.

by atl14yearsschaffer on Jul 10, 2009 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Actually after last night he has made 45 apperances. Way to fucking much!!!!

Baseball is my life

by That a boy on Jul 10, 2009 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions

A few points

1. Our right fielder contributes to the offense and, lo and behold, we score 6 runs. Funny how that works. That last double Frenchy had would have easily cleared the wall in most yards.

2. Can’t can’t can’t can’t walk batters in Coors Field and expect to be successful. Walks lead to most of the Rockies runs.

3. If we can pull two out of this series I’ll consider it a success. The Rockies are hotter than fire right now and play their ball park well.

4. Should have won the game. Not bad when considering we were playing without the left side of our infield.

5. Desperately need a good game from Lowe tonight.

by kalesi on Jul 10, 2009 9:02 AM EDT reply actions

When I saw Logan enter the game un the 6th, I thought “finally Bobby is going to use the rest of the pen”.

Sure, is a big risk. Logan, Acosta or O’Flaherty are the “surest things”. But hey, we lost the game anyway right? Wouldn’t it be better to give them the chance, even if we lose, and have give our top guns a rest for the games to come? Now we stand with a game lost, with both Moylan and Gonzo unavailable to pitch tomorrow cause they just pitched in like their thrid consecutive game and in their like 8th game of the past 10 (Not actual fact, but I know I’m close to it)…

I mean, come on? The minute I saw Moylan get in I thought “there goes the lead” and it wasn’t because he sucks or anything, because for the past month Moylan has been GOOD. It’s because this was his third game and HISTORY has showed me that the odds of a reliever having a bad game at that stage increase by a large level. And to top it off, with a TIED game, he brings Gonzo… AGAIN. I’m not a Bobby basher, but come on… you MUST protect your pitchers a little bit better.

I just recall those years where Chris Reitsma was like the perfect set up man for 4/6 of the season… then all of the sudden come Septemeber he just didn’t have it in him. Too tired to pitch. In consequence it cost him his career since his arm was never good again.

Bobby needs to stop. There are 7 relievers. if you use your top relievers two days in a row and is not September or playoff you NEED to back off and use the other arms. He used Acosta as a closer last year, you’re telling me he can’t use him for ONE game now and then now?

And yes, our offense sucked with RISP last night, and they are to blame too… can’t provide a lead big enough for Moylan, Gonzo and Soriano to rest anyways.

And yes, I’m frustrated that we finally HIT and we LOSE.

by jgalmonte on Jul 10, 2009 9:09 AM EDT reply actions

Reitsma

is just one in a looooong line of relievers Cox has rode into the ground. Every season we have someone at the top of the “appearances” category. This year I believe we have THREE.

by blairblink on Jul 10, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

That’s why we should have two relief squads to alternate nights.

A: Moylan, Logan, Soriano

B: Medlen, Acosta, Gonzalez

If Dunn walks 30 fewer times, he'll drive in 15 more runs. This is thanks to the scientifically proven formula: RBI = (this is nonsense) (I made it all up).

Here's a stat: Wins as manager: Dusty Baker, 1,162; Bill James, 0.

by TradeAndruw on Jul 10, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions

makes sense

people think its ok if they have two days off then pitch for 3 then have one of then pitch for 2 repeat cycle.

its crazy when you have all three guys coming off surgery.

by drumzalicious on Jul 10, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

This is a great idea...

I have never heard of this idea before. Maybe I am just clueless, but this is a great idea.

This leaves EOF to fill in the holes.

by SupermanWearsBobSander'sPJs on Jul 10, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Relievers

I thought we were playing matchups with Gonzo and Soriano? We should’ve kept it that way, instead of silently making Gonzo the set-up man and Soriano the closer. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, but Atkins absolutely kills lefties, and Soriano could’ve made the difference there.

To pile on the overuse point, Gonzo made his 45th appearance last night, and he’s only 2nd on the team behind Moylan. Those numbers are outrageous, and at this point it’s only a matter of time before one or both of their arms fall off. At the very least we’re going to see their effectiveness drop off a cliff. Let’s not forget that each of our big 3 are coming off serious injuries in the past couple years.

One final non-pitcher point, if we’re going to insist on playing small ball (and I would argue that with the go ahead run on 2nd in the 8th and no outs, you should swing away), can we STOP POPPING BUNTS UP. Cardinal sin. Ok, I’m done venting.

Go Bravos.

by Shark Judge on Jul 10, 2009 12:05 PM EDT reply actions

Painful.

Simply painful to watch our offense fail to execute when they had so many opportunities (3-16) to put runs on the board that would have been enough for even our worn out and tired BP to handle.

Bobby needs to give the ball to some of the other guys more. If he doesn’t he’s going to risk injury to Gonzo/Moylan/Soriano from overuse and if that happens he’ll be forced to won’t he? I’d rather know that they have some innings under their belt ahead of time in case that were to happen.

I’ll be honest, I’m worried about Lowe and his stuff in Coors Field tonight. At this point I think hoping for a split in this series may be wishful thinking.

"Well behaved women rarely make history" ~ Laurel Ulrich

by NCChopper on Jul 10, 2009 12:58 PM EDT reply actions