Game 79 Recap: Braves 9, Nationals 8

by gondeee on Jul 3, 2009 10:41 PM EDT in Game Recaps Comment 19 comments

That ended up being a close game, as the Braves closer Rafael Soriano battled some wildness in the ninth inning to get the save after allowing 2 runs to score. But thanks to the newest Braves player, Brooks Conrad, Atlanta had a 3-run lead going into the ninth.

Starting pitcher Kenshin Kawakami struggled through his four-plus innings while throwing a lot of pitches, and was ultimately unable to get out of the fifth inning. Every time Kawa would give up a run or runs, the Braves would come back the next inning and tie it up. The Nats scored 1 in the first, we came back and tied it in the second. They score 2 in the second, we score two in the third. They score 1 in the third, and we finally take the lead in the fourth.

The Nationals tied it in the fifth as Kawakami exited the game. The bullpen kept it close and that allowed pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad to slug a three-run homerun to right field in his first at-bat as a member of the Braves. It was Conrad's first major league homerun. Washington added another run in the bottom of the seventh, but Atlanta got it right back in the eighth.

Nate McLouth was back in the lineup, and looked a little slow in the batters box and in the field, but did end up with a hit late in the game. Martin Prado stays hot with 3 hits on the night, and Chipper, McCann, Escobar, and Diaz all had 2 hits a piece.

Should I even harp on the Lilburn Flash-in-the-Pan? He was 0-for-4 with a strikeout and 6 men left on base, and was again pinch-hit for in a critical situation late in the game.

Mike Gonzalez struck out the side in the eighth and was hopping off the mound after each K, hopping almost half way to the third base line -- he is a funny guy. That reminds me somewhat of Mitch Williams, the closer for the Phillies several years ago, who is now an analyst for the MLB network.

Hey! This is now a 5-game winning streak. Let's keep it going tomorrow afternoon.

Final - 7.3.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Atlanta Braves	0	1	2	2	0	0	3	1	0	9	14	1
Washington Nationals	1	2	1	0	1	0	1	0	2	8	8	1
WP: Boone Logan (1 - 0) SV: Rafael Soriano (8) LP: Jesus Colome (1 - 1)

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This comment doesn’t really have a place, but Charlie Morton was dealing through the rain tonight. 6 IP, 1 H, 4BB, 0 ER. Control was still an issue, but the man sure does have some good stuff.

Funny thing is that he was shutting the Marlins down through 6, and they kind of exploded once he was out of the game, getting 4 runs in the final three innings.

by Bronn on Jul 3, 2009 11:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Tack on 4 Ks

to Morton’s line.

by Bronn on Jul 3, 2009 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Morton was good and all tonight

But its not like he has a rotation spot this year or next year for a matter of fact.

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 4, 2009 2:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who is playing right field?

That is two nights in a row that Cox has ph for Frenchy – does this mean anything? I guess GA would start in left and Diaz in right? Is the lighter Diaz ready for an everyday job or will GA, Diaz, and Blanco platoon left and right?

I am developing a serious man-crush on Prado. I know he will level out (i.e. go 1 for 4) but I think he can keep this spark.

Five in a row, longest streak of the year!!!

by SupermanWearsBobSander'sPJs on Jul 3, 2009 11:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

first full game of the year

And it was an exciting one. Though it was long. The MASN announcers for the Nationals (who are actually not too bad) weren’t kind to Franceour at all, which goes to show how bad he’s really been. And I remember standing up when he hit that bomb to deep center that was caught.

Exciting. Hitters hit, and the pitchers didn’t lose. We’ll take it.

by RichmondBraves on Jul 3, 2009 11:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Brooks Conrad!

Wait…What?

by dlkinser86 on Jul 3, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

WOW Eric Young picked the Braves to win the East...

the clouds have parted, the sun is shining through…some national credit given Atlanta?!

Tigers love pepper; they hate cinnamon.

by Jareth Cutestory on Jul 4, 2009 12:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I just saw the same thing

And it was kind of sad. Eric Young managed to say the Braves had good pitching without doing a good job of talking about the Braves’ pitchers, and couldn’t clearly state how bad the pitching was in the rest of the division. He really tried. He was stumbling all over his words, he invented a word or two, his sentences were completely incoherent.

Not very reassuring when the guy picking your team to win the division sounds like a dumbass. He was seriously talking out both sides of his mouth-he was trying, at the same time, to say that the Braves need more offense (duh) but predicted that pitching would win the division for them. But they need another bat. But good pitching beats good hitting.

by Bronn on Jul 4, 2009 12:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Funny, too, when he was talking about the Braves' pitchers

He said “Vazquez, Lowe, and those other two guys-I’ll take those four any day over the rest of the guys.”

It’s near nonsense because he never qualifies who the “rest of the guys” are, and that he couldn’t come up with either Jurrjens’ or Hanson’s names.

But at least he’s better than Emmit Smith.

by Bronn on Jul 4, 2009 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Give them time...

The folks @ ESPN were just reminded that Atlanta, Georgia has a professional, Major League Baseball team. If the Braves keep up the nice play into the All-Star break, they may know the rest of the rotation by then, and maybe a couple position players not named Chipper or McCann.

Tigers love pepper; they hate cinnamon.

by Jareth Cutestory on Jul 4, 2009 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ESPN is a joke

Tommy Hanson is gonna have to throw 50 scoreless innings or throw back-to-back no hitters in order for them to recognize the guy.

Can you imagine if Tommy was on the Yankees or Red Sox? My god, they would have a continuous countdown to his next start on the bottomline.

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 4, 2009 2:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

THIS. I never ever watch ESPN. Hell, I get more detailed information about what the Braves are doing HERE on TC than anywhere in the mainstream media.

ESPN these days only entertain little boys with attention spans for little things.

"Well behaved women rarely make history" ~ Laurel Ulrich

by NCChopper on Jul 4, 2009 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

to be fair...

Fernando Vina picked the Phillies and wasn’t really coherent in his reasoning either.

by beeswax on Jul 4, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yea...

His WHOLE reason for picking the Phillies was “they are so bad right now, they have to start playing better eventually”

The base paths belonged to me, the runner. The rules gave me the right. I always went into a bag full speed, feet first. I had sharp spikes on my shoes. If the baseman stood where he had no business to be and got hurt, that was his fault. -Ty Cobb

by Jurrjens' Surgeons on Jul 4, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So how do we get Conrad into the lineup full time? Can he play 1B? Perhaps put him at 3rd and move Chipper to RF?

by redwards95 on Jul 4, 2009 7:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I assume you're kidding

but moving Chipper to the outfield was the worst thing the Braves have ever done to him. It’s at least part of why he has battled so many nagging injuries over the past 5 years or so.

by Shark Judge on Jul 4, 2009 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Can he play RF?
I’d like to keep Diaz in LF and keep GA to a pinch hitting role for now.

"Well behaved women rarely make history" ~ Laurel Ulrich

by NCChopper on Jul 4, 2009 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It certainly was an…“eventful” game last night. It was exciting to see us score, but at times frustrating watching us let them continue to do the same. I’m glad our guys held on to win it and didn’t roll over and play dead once we got behind.

I had to laugh at the Braves Live coverage afterward. Besides a great interview with Brooks Conrad (like this guy)….Fred Hickman said Soriano got 2 Ks, I looked at hubby and said he should have been following the Game Thread and he would have known that was not the case. Sportscaster extraordinaire.

I’m hoping Hanson can give us the series win and our 6th in a row today!

I don’t know if I’ll be able to watch it live, hubby is staining the fence to our property and wants me to DVR it and we watch it together. So, I’ll have to catch up on the thread later tonight as we watch. Enjoy all – GO BRAVES!!!

"Well behaved women rarely make history" ~ Laurel Ulrich

by NCChopper on Jul 4, 2009 9:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

NOT TO WORRY

With Jeff Bennett surely coming back soon & FYF manning RF everyday + leaving runners resting in scoring position this streak could go on a while.

Need to get Blanco/Diaz rotation in RF. Don’t know what I would do with FYF but he’s killing us with those half-ass At Bats.

Bobby Cox is wearing our bullpen down. It is nice to throw Moylan-Gonzo-Soriano 7-8-9 but someone else has to step up especially when winning more than 3 games in a row. Maybe the starters can start stretching it out a little more. Acosta has the arm just not the attitude or control.

KEEP IT UP BRAVES, 6 IN A ROW! Tough pitcher in for Washington today.

JMR

by chicken little on Jul 4, 2009 9:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs