Game 121 Recap: Braves 3, Mets 2
by gondeee on Aug 20, 2009 10:10 PM EDT
in Braves Game Recaps
Email
PrintWe pulled off a pretty big win. In the process, we made Johan Santana look like a mere average pitcher, getting 3 runs on 9 hits off of him while only striking out twice. The Braves broadcasters nicknamed Kenshin Kawakami "The Dragon Slayer," for his ability to go up against the best pitchers in baseball and beat them. He had a terrific game after a rough first inning, and gave the Braves exactly what they needed to get the win, in the process he dropped his ERA below 4.00 to 3.97.
The offense started off with 2 runs in the third inning on back to back doubles by Adam LaRoche and Ryan Church, and a sac fly from Omar Infante. Brian McCann crushed another homerun into the right field stands an inning later for his 15th homerun on the season.
The offense could have scored more but for 3 double plays, including a big DP from Chipper Jones that came with the bases loaded. Chipper is in major struggle mode. He didn't get a single hit this series, and hasn't had a hit in his last 5 games -- 0-for-his-last-17! That's very un-Chipper. He's had a couple of bad streaks like this lately.
59 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I really wish we could get some consistent production from our #3 hitter
Hmm…i guess we’ll just have to wait for Sir Heyward to get the call up to the bigs.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
Yeah, seriously
Who’s this “Jones” guy anyway, and what did he do with Chipper?
by FineHamAbounds on Aug 20, 2009 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions
we’re gonna need Chip to turn it around if we’re gonna win the wildcard or division.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
by Scott Coleman on Aug 20, 2009 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Or heap to continue to warm back up…it is almost perfect timing…there were only a couple of games where both Chipper and McCann both sucked…it seems that for most of the season, its either one or the other.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 20, 2009 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
If Chipper and BMac get it going
Oh man, look out. McLouth should be back in a few weeks too.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
by Scott Coleman on Aug 20, 2009 11:43 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
totally thought you were kidding until i read the article
by McGriff the Crime Dog on Aug 21, 2009 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Might stress me out a little bit.
"...Braves tie! ...Braves tie! ...Braves tie!"
by The Keith Lockhart Era on Aug 21, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
KK with a solid performance again. Joe/Boog said afterward that he only had 2 counts that went to 3 balls, those were both walks, but more importantly – they were both in the 1st inning. After that inning, he settled down and pitched fantastic.
It would have been nice to get more runs out of 9 hits – but the WIN and the SERIES are great things to leave New York with.
How about we have a Friday night Fish-Fry at the Ted. :-)
Lol
Josh Fogg a couple years back, anyone? Wasnt he aka’d the Dragon Slayer too
Awesome
The Dragon Slayer, I like that.
This man wants his rotation spot, bad. This is making a hard decision even harder, right?
Not at all…it should be a no-brainer. The one who should be up for bullpen consideration is Lowe, not KK.
But, I think from FW’s comments earlier this week that it is safe to say that Huddy will be going to the BP.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 20, 2009 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
since we should freak out over one start, completely ignoring Lowe’s string of very good starts before that as well as the blister on his pitching hand? I’ll give Derek a pass here because his sinker stayed relatively flat and that had a lot to do with the blister as well as humidity imo.
by McCann's the Man on Aug 20, 2009 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Seriously
DLowe was 5-0 with an era below 3 in his last 6 starts before the meltdown on Tuesday. He’s not going anywhere. If Tommy Hanson had 1 really bad inning, we wouldn’t send him to the pen.
I know it was bad, but shit, it was only 1 bad inning. Pitchers all have their ups and downs and Derek had a big down. He’s our 4th starter now. How many teams would LOVE their 4th starter to have his numbers? A ton would.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
by Scott Coleman on Aug 20, 2009 11:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
so true. Our staff, 1-5 is better than any other staff out there. I’d even be tempted to put money on our 1-3 over any other 1-3 with the only exceptions being the Giants and Cardinals.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
I was thinking more about the season as a whole, as I didn’t even see Lowe’s last game. On the whole, KK has been a better pitcher than Derek Lowe.
There. I said it. That just happened.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
go on…
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Lowe’s FIP 3.75, Kawakami’s 4.59
Lowe HR/9 .47, Kawakami 1.09
Lowe BB/9 2.87, Kawakami 3.55
Lowe 2.8 WAR, Kawakami 1.1
by McCann's the Man on Aug 21, 2009 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions
check out the comparison that I made with Lowe and KK in the KK post.
Also, look at what each is worth in regards to what they are actually getting paid.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions
both have been pretty equal this season, IMO
And i’ll be happy to have both guys as my #4 and #5 starters.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
by Scott Coleman on Aug 21, 2009 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Lowe is at 12.6Million, Kawakami at 4.8Million. It’s about a 2.5 million dollar difference between value and actual salary for both at this point. Still all you said is that Kawakami is the better pitcher and it’s pretty clear he’s not. It’s also ridiculous that our 4th best pitcher so far has an FIP under 4, I don’t know if any other team can claim that
by McCann's the Man on Aug 21, 2009 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
This Kenshin Kawakami guy is pretty good. I wonder why nobody notices or cares?
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 20, 2009 11:21 PM EDT reply actions
ha
i was wonder if anyone else noticed that
by McGriff the Crime Dog on Aug 21, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Chipper
The team will go nowhere without Chipper’s bat.
He whose words outnumber his deeds, know that his death is better than his life.
sure we will…as long as LaRoche continues to tear it up and Heap continues to warm up. But, if either of those two stop hitting, with Chipper slumping, we are in trouble.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions
we beat the Dodgers 3 games in a row without Chipper. If we can beat them, i think we can beat anyone.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
by Scott Coleman on Aug 21, 2009 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Yep we did. I admit to feeling much more optimistic when he’s doing better at the plate.
Pretty unlike him to go an entire series (against the Mets no less) without a hit.
His error last night was I believe, only his 2nd since the ASB which is good.
Hopefully he’ll show up with a vengeance in Sept. and play like we all know he can.
Wouldn’t hurt if Prado came back healthy so he or Infante can give Chipper some days off to figure things out!
by Southern IN Chopper on Aug 21, 2009 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Or if Bobby would just start KJ at 2nd and let Infante play 3rd some. We don’t need Prado back for Infante to move.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Very true…get the right matchups for KJ and let Chipper sit for 1 or 2 games this weekend.
by Southern IN Chopper on Aug 21, 2009 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions
This weekend is HUGE for us.
Okay, here are the matchups this weekend:
Marlins @ the best team in the whole wide world.
Giants @ Rockies
Cubs @ Dodgers
Phillies @ Mets
If we win tomorrow, we gain a game on the Marlins, a game on the loser of the Giants/Rockies game (which should be a great series), and hopefully a game on the Cubs (who are now SIX games back in the WC) and Phillies. I dont have too much faith in the Mets to beat the Phillies, but we can definately pick up some games on teams in the wild card and NL east this weekend. A sweep would be wonderful, a series win would be what’s expected and a series loss or sweep would be devistating.
GO BRAVES!
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
Good news. The Giants or Rockies will lose.
Bad news. The Giants or Rockies will win.
Best case scenario I think is the Giants taking 2/3
by eaheckman10 on Aug 21, 2009 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions
i agree. go giants! and its actually a 4 game series so that helps us out even more. Hopefully the Giants can win 3/4. That would work to our advantage, but i really like the Rockies to win the series (or at the least split the series). The Giants are only good at home and cant hit sh*t.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
by Scott Coleman on Aug 21, 2009 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Unless LA gets it together,
they’ll be in the wild card picture, too.
Mat Gamel is way too cool for double consonants.
by VivaLosBravos on Aug 21, 2009 3:14 AM EDT up reply actions
oh, wow
i hadn’t even noticed that. didn’t even think to look.
by McGriff the Crime Dog on Aug 21, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
So the Phillies get to play 2 series back to back against teams who are 14.5 and 19 games back respectively in the Mets (4 games) and Pirates(3 games). They could come to the Ted to play our series with them with 7 more wins under their belt.
I swear they are the Borg.
to be fair, we play those same teams as many times as Philly does over the course of a season.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh I know, but I wish we could face teams like the Pirates with the lineup we have now in Sept.
A quick look at our upcoming schedule – it’s a tough one.
I totally agree. But, on the bright side of things, we play more games against our division down the stretch. They may be tougher games, but they give us control of our own destiny more-so than a team like the Marlins.
If we just handle business, the playoffs will work itself out.
"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT
by justincredubil02 on Aug 21, 2009 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Big win. I was lucky enough to be there to witness it. Also lucky enough to catch a David Ross home run ball during BP. Kenshin looked good as well as Gonzo and Sori. Chipper seems a little off, at the plate and in the field. Seems like something is bothering him. Hopefully he can get well and hit like he should, we need him. Go Braves!
Maybe it was his oblique that was hurting
by eaheckman10 on Aug 21, 2009 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions
i think its his hands again. he always cringes whenever he pulls his batting gloves off after getting jammed or reaching to foul off a ball.
7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney
REMEMBER THAT BOYS.
by Scott Coleman on Aug 21, 2009 1:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
It’s his hands, mos def. I say bench him for a game or two during this series. Prado can cover third for that stretch, giving second base to KJ. We’d be alright with that setup.
"Brian McCann will be guest starring as Bizarro in Smallville this fall. See, he has to put his glasses on to become Superman." -by Rhyno18 on Aug 4, 2009 5:52 PM EDT
Prado needs to get his equilibrium back first
I thought hurricane season was over........
by bravesguy311 on Aug 21, 2009 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Great game, I had a blast there. Usually get more shit than I did for wearing a Braves jersey, but I think the Mets fans have come to terms with the season. As I said to one fan, “at least Im not a Phillies fan” We both seemed in agreement. Couple of notes from Shitty field-
-2 guys who were hanging out together most from what i saw were Church and GA, surprised me a little.
-Chip did not look good out there, forget the 0 for 4 night, in the field, he looked almost annoyed to be there. He has got to be in a great deal of pain as MattyO pointed out. Its hilarious to me how badly everyone there hates Chip. Direct quote from the 15 year old girl behind me “He looks like such a douche”
-Out of any player on the field yest, LaRoche put the best swings on the ball, and it was clear even from the stands. He hit every ball HARD, and he was obviously not fooled by Santana at all. His double was absolutely RIPPED, and so was Macs HR
-Escobar is an absolute pleasure to watch live. Living in NY, I dont get to see the Braves to often, but it is refreshing to see him out there just having fun. Example: Esco and Omar were having a catch before the game, and Esco would keep throwing more and more to Omars left (where Jeff Porter and GA were standing) trying to freak them out. After one throw, Omar put the tag on GA, who was standing there unamused.
-Mets fans seem to effin love Frenchy. He got the most rousing applause out of any other player, but looking at the lineup, shouldnt be too shocking i guess.
-The one guy who was at the top rail of the dugout all night, David Ross. Man he is prob itching to get out there. Another click that was up there most of the night, Hudson, Hanson, Jurrjens and occasionally Vasquez. Terry was up there alot too.
All in all, a great win, good to see FLA lose, lets make that a habit this weekend. Any idea as to why GA was pulled in the 1st?
I thought hurricane season was over........
I think they said lower back spasms on GA
Great observations bravesguy
Your Esco/Infante story made me smile.
Official MCM Hater!
FREE BRYCE BROWN!
I thought Sheff was hurt again
But apparently, he was benched because he was asking for more money.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
wow, gotta love that. He sure didnt look good coming in to pinch hit. Must have had his mind on his money and his money on his mind
I thought hurricane season was over........
by bravesguy311 on Aug 21, 2009 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Talking Chop
Related FanShots on Talking Chop
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Get a grip: Reds’ Todd Frazier loses bat, still connects for home run (Video)
- Eric Hosmer redefines the Baltimore chop with infield double (Video)
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
