Melky and Omar Deliver As Braves Top Mets, 4-2
by Jacob Peterson on Jul 9, 2010 11:04 PM EDT
in Braves Game Recaps
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PrintAfter Chipper Jones was announced as a late scratch due to back spasms (he's listed as day-to-day, but isn't he always?), the Braves' lineup seemed somewhat... sparse. The chief source of concern I saw was about the 2nd and 3rd slots in the lineup: Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante, respectively. Melky has obviously struggled in a Braves uniform, and Omar (for all his myriad virtues) is not exactly your prototypical #3 hitter.
Well, let's just say that our fears were unfounded, at least for one night. Melky and Omar combined for 7 of the Braves' 12 hits and scored all 4 of the Braves' runs. Their crowning moments came in the 7th inning, when they hit back-to-back solo homers off of Mets starter R.A. Dickey to turn a 2-2 tie into a 4-2 Braves lead. And all this from two guys with 3 combined homers coming into tonight!
Before giving up the tie-breaking homers, Dickey had used his knuckleball to frustrate the Braves' hitters for much of the night. He gave up a few hits but no one other than Melky and Omar seemed to hit the ball hard against him. The Braves once again scored in the first inning, the 5th straight game in which they have done so. Cabrera came around to score when Jose Reyes booted an easy ground ball up the middle. Troy Glaus singled in Infante in the 5th for the Braves' 2nd run. All in all, it was a decent night for Dickey, at least until the homers in the 7th. His final line was: 6.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 HR, 2 BB (1 IBB), 6 K, and a -0.227 WPA.
Braves starter Tommy Hanson was not spectacular, either, but he got the job done and kept the Braves in the game. If he could have just gotten Dickey out, he might not have given up any runs. Unfortunately, Dickey singled and scored on a David Wright sacrifice fly in the 3rd, then singled and scored on a Jose Reyes double in the fifth. In each case, Dickey scored the tying run.
Tommy only gave up 5 hits to the Mets' position players--really, it should have been 4, but Yunel Escobar called for a popup that he subsequently lost in the lights, resulting in a double. He threw too many pitches, which contributed to him being pulled before the end of the 6th inning, but other than that it was a solid outing. His line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K, and a -0.014 WPA.
The Braves' bullpen was its usual stellar self, giving up only 1 hit in the last 3.1 innings, striking out 3. Eric O'Flaherty got the last out of the 6th, Jonny Venters worked a perfect 7th, Takashi Saito worked around some wildness in a scoreless 8th, and Billy Wagner made quick work of the Mets in the 9th for his 20th save.
All in all, it was an excellent start to the last series of the first half. The Braves now have a 4-game lead in the NL East. And they did it by riding the bats of two unsung heroes*.
* Actually, that's not accurate. Omar has to be a "sung" hero now that he's on the all-star team, and Melky has been... not unsung, since that implies he made under-the-radar contributions. More like anti-sung. OK, so let's just say the Braves won tonight because of their unexpectedly-sung hero and their anti-sung hero.
Bravo, boys. Let's do it again tomorrow.
Awards
Co-MVPs
Melky Cabrera-- 3/5, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB, .240 WPA
Omar Infante-- 4/5, HR, 2 R, RBI, CS, .180 WPA
Honorable Mention
Troy Glaus-- 1/4, BB, RBI, ROE that drove in the first run, .152 WPA
The Bullpen
LVP
Jeff Francoeur-- 0/4, -0.175 WPA
MVP in a Losing Effort
No great candidates (the best hitters by WPA were Dickey, who had a bad WPA pitching, and Reyes, who made an error that caused a run to score)... Let's go with Angel Pagan-- 2/5, SB, 2 K, 0.050 WPA.
Clutch Play
Melky's tie-breaking homer in the 7th (0.226 WPA)
Unclutch Play
No really bad ones, but Frenchy's line-out to end the 8th (-0.090 WPA) was the worst.
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MVP’s taters aren’t cheap.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
No, sir.
About a million bucks per tater, so far.
Seriously, though. He did hit that ball pretty hard. Makes you wonder what he could do if he stopped hitting the ball so hard into the dirt and started lifting it more.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
by Jacob Peterson on Jul 9, 2010 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I can't remember the third one, but...
The two I have in mind were each (wait for it…) really mashed.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
I believe the one you're missing
Was hit during that Pirates game that was blacked out because Fox decided to play in primetime. It was his first of the year and no one believed it happened.
Now that you mention it...
That’s exactly right.
I kept missing it on Quick Pitch later that night until I finally managed to see it. It was pretty well tagged, too, if memory serves.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
Wow
Prado went 0-for-5! What do you guys think is wrong?!?!
The only time the Mets win is in the offseason.
DFA the bum
The birth of Jason Heyward was God’s punishment for the sins of the people in New York and Philly.
Put Utley out there in a lawn chair.
He’d still have more range than Uggla.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
but Uggla has such a great AS track record
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 10, 2010 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions
for those who don't know/remember what VLB is talking about
dan uggla at the 2008 ASG: 0-for-4, 3K, GIDP, 3 errors
Wanted to let Melky and Infante have the spotlight tonight
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
by MBL1 on Jul 9, 2010 11:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Prado will be fine
After the game I saw Omar w/his arm around his shoulder giving him advice. He’ll snap out of it. (end sarcasm.) On another note Saito is beginning to worry me. Don’t have the warm fuzzy feeling of confidence I used to have whenever he took the mound.
A baseball diamond is, most simply, the intersecting of four 90-foot baselines, and, most powerfully, the intersecting of seemingly random lives.
I repeat...
Biggest NL East lead this season.
Most game above .500 this season.
And we now officially will be the team leading the East at the all-star break.
Wa….
HOO!
Go USA, Braves, BU Terriers, Irish, Caps, Colts, Hoyas, NU Cats, Wizards, DC United, Washington Freedom
BU Hockey: National Champions 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009
Wow when I posted this early I forgot the s at the end of "games" too
Go USA, Braves, BU Terriers, Irish, Caps, Colts, Hoyas, NU Cats, Wizards, DC United, Washington Freedom
BU Hockey: National Champions 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009
I was peeking in at the recap thread on Amazain' Avenue
Someone mentioned that Jeff Francoeur’s numbers would look great if he were Ozzie Smith (meaning, I took it, that he has the defensive value of Ozzie Smith, a ridiculously good shortstop).
So I pulled this up for them:
Ozzie Smith career wOBA: .311
Jeff Francoeur career wOBA: .316
Ozzie Smith career wRC+: 96
Jeff Francouer career WRC+: 92
Ozzie Smith was actually a more productive offensive player, relative to his era, than Francoeur. Hah.
and I've never seen Frency backflip
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 10, 2010 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
or French, for that matter
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 10, 2010 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
dammit
F-r-e-n-c-h-y
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 10, 2010 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Was it really worth it to get three posts to spell that right? I don’t anyone anyone cares if you mispell his name or nickname.
LOL
The birth of Jason Heyward was God’s punishment for the sins of the people in New York and Philly.
by TonyAlmeyda on Jul 10, 2010 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions
could’ve stopped after the first one, not the second.
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 11, 2010 4:02 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm surprised they don't show more highlights
Just to let that schmuck Valentine diss Bobby, a man he could never, ever beat when it counted.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
I never really
thought Bobby V was that great of a manager, that guy’s voice drives me nuts at the Leader! He really never could be Bobby when it counted and I’m sure that caused resentment and yes, ESPN is pretty pretty bad…
Follow me on Twitter @bseal
Just an all around great win with a less-than-stellar lineup.
Healthy Heyward is good make this lineup look so much better
A lot of room in right center, if he hits one there we can dance in the streets, the 2-1....
Mets fans at AA are hilarious. I used to think Mets fans were awful, mostly because i’ve been to a lot of Braves/Mets games. But after visiting The Good Phight and AA, I’ve realized it’s really the Phillies fans who are idiots, and AA’s comments are fun to read.
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
by MBL1 on Jul 9, 2010 11:54 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
My favorite part
In the recap: “Against one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, Jeff Francoeur made four outs on just six pitches. Six.”
haha yea, that was good
but i like this one better:
The Mets sure crapitalized on their opportunities tonight
So I see yunel was showing
The poster formerly known as: SidKotchman
by SidGlaus on Jul 10, 2010 12:04 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Fail*
The poster formerly known as: SidKotchman
by SidGlaus on Jul 10, 2010 12:26 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Man what is going through escobars head?
Don’t be surprised if he’s benched tomorrow yunel will more than likely be benches tomorrow nite according to mark bowman..with infante taking his place. His defense is stellar and his bats easy for me to put up with, even when he’s not hitting because his defense is so good.. But this attitude has to go or he’s going to keep on pissing the front office, Bobby, and the rest of his team mates off..until everyones completely against him.
The poster formerly known as: SidKotchman
by SidGlaus on Jul 10, 2010 12:26 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Somebody needed to go up to him
And tell him to get his head out of his @$$
It's hard to say what's been most impressive. The seamless jump from AA? The ability to hit for average? The ability to hit for power? The 18 walks in 111 trips to the plate? The flair for the dramatic? When you're trying to isolate the most impressive aspect of Jason Heyward's game, there's a lot to choose from, and it's only been a month and a half.
by Richie Grogan on Jul 10, 2010 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Mark Bowman
Has an irrational dislike for Escobar and it really colors his reporting. I’ve stopped even reading his blog because he could turn an anecdote about the ’82 West championship team into some sort of harrangue about Yunel.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
First place wrapped up for the ASB. Let’s try to get another series W tomorrow, so that Sunday can be the D lineup day. (DDay at Shea has a nice ring to it, and yes, I know their ballpark isn’t called Shea anymore. I’m not calling it Citi Field. That’s a lame ass name.)
"Jason Heyward was a Greek philosopher reincarnated as a baseball player." - Don Sutton
Bail-out field maybe? :-)
The poster formerly known as: SidKotchman
by SidGlaus on Jul 10, 2010 12:37 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I have a friend named Shea
whom I know call Citi.
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 10, 2010 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
*now
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 10, 2010 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
“If you watch sportscenter you may know that the most important NL East news is that Strasburg started for the fifth place team and they finally won… The third place team also had a great walkoff win after a huge comeback and is now the clear favorite to win the NL pennant… There’s also a small, tiny possibility the… top two teams in the division played each other… It’s only really an unconfirmed rumor though.”
Go USA, Braves, BU Terriers, Irish, Caps, Colts, Hoyas, NU Cats, Wizards, DC United, Washington Freedom
BU Hockey: National Champions 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009
Great win.
I hope there is a special place in hell for knuckleball pitchers.
Braves Win! Braves Win!
Uhhh…Niekro?
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
by MBL1 on Jul 10, 2010 12:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Solid win
Tommygun seems to be back on track, would be nice if Yunel would get his head out of his butt after the AS break, would be great if we could add another bat and can’t wait to get that J.Hey kid back!
Follow me on Twitter @bseal
What the F#% is up with Cincy blowing 6 run leads in the 9th?
When the Braves did it, it was cute and charming. When the phils do it, it’s sad and tragic.
Braves Win! Braves Win!
Barely even blowing it at all.
Eeeeeevil blowing it.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
I'm fucking sick of Yunel Escobar
it’s time for him to go. Put Infante out there at SS or let Hicks play. At least those two don’t have their heads up their asses constantly.
I’m surprised Bobby and Glaus haven’t killed him yet.
"Sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward."
METS: My Entire Team Sucks.
Phillies Baseball: Established - 2008
Doesn't Yunel make you wish
that we still had Elvis Andrus? That Texeira trade will haunt me for years, especially when considering how good Neftail Feliz (tonight notwithstanding) has been and even more so after some of the bull pen struggles we had last year (Mike Gonzalez).
Follow me on Twitter @bseal
We’ll get no where crying and remembering the Tex trade, but yes, I would really love Elvis Andrus instead of Shithead right now.
"Sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward."
METS: My Entire Team Sucks.
Phillies Baseball: Established - 2008
by Scott Coleman on Jul 10, 2010 2:06 AM EDT up reply actions
And by the way, I'd like to ask TC this question:
The Mets announcers were predictably bashing the Braves’ offense all night. “No power, no superstar, etc. etc.”
We NEED a slogan for this team.
Look at the last few games. Tonight, Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante are the superstars and carry the team. On Wednesday, it was Martin Prado and Brian McCann. On Tuesday, it was Matt Diaz and Eric Hinske.
My point is this: Every single night, there’s a new hero. We don’t rely on two or three players to carry us like the Phillies or Mets do.
So, what should be our slogan? “Every Player Counts” or “Everybody Contributes” is kind of lame. I kind of like “New Night, New Hero”, but wasn’t sure if you guys and gals would like it too.
Any suggestions?
"Sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward."
METS: My Entire Team Sucks.
Phillies Baseball: Established - 2008
When someone nitpicks your team when your team is better than their team, there is only one response...
scoreboard…scoreboard…scoreboard
where was their power and superstar tonight lol
Our slogan?
At Least We Ain’t The Fuckin’ METS!
I kind of like that one.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
Ass-Kickers Anonymous.
These guys have no name that you can recognize on a national level yet they will catch you off guard by simply putting in hard work and kicking your ass. A.K.A. the 2010 Braves.
My 4 guys (Hudson, Hanson, Meds, JJ) can take on anybody's 4 guys (the MLB) and Victory will be ours!
by romone_braves91 on Jul 10, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
I like it.
"Sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward."
METS: My Entire Team Sucks.
Phillies Baseball: Established - 2008
by Scott Coleman on Jul 10, 2010 2:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Tommy only gave up 5 hits to the Mets’ position players—really, it should have been 4, but Yunel Escobar called for a popup that he subsequently lost in the lights, resulting in a double.
The horrible play by Hinkse also led to a run.
But Hinske isn't on the hatetrain currently.
First it was Glaus then Melky then Kawakami and now it’s Escobar’s turn.
by DogDaysofSummer on Jul 10, 2010 3:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Although Melky is always on caboose of the TC hatetrain when posters are looking for a scapegoat.
by DogDaysofSummer on Jul 10, 2010 3:40 AM EDT up reply actions
+2
One for each of those trenchant comments.
‘Ske muffed that ball but he didn’t put the pitcher on and he didn’t wild pitch him into scoring position.
"You were not brought upon this world to 'get it', Mr. Burton. " - David Lo Pan
Melky has always been on there. It’s like an honorary doctorate or something for him.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Jul 10, 2010 5:08 AM EDT up reply actions
You have a point,
but at least the ball to Hinske was hit hard. I wouldn’t say that it “should have” been an out because of how hard it was hit. Hinske did play it terribly, though. I should have mentioned it, too.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
by Jacob Peterson on Jul 10, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Over what 120 games and at least 600 plays, Hinske was bound to have one blunder. It’s the nature of the game.
My 4 guys (Hudson, Hanson, Meds, JJ) can take on anybody's 4 guys (the MLB) and Victory will be ours!
by romone_braves91 on Jul 10, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
True.
He does not have a pattern of boneheaded plays like Yunel does. I guess that’s why I mentioned Yunel’s play and not Hinske’s.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
by Jacob Peterson on Jul 10, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Omar and Melky
anyone else think that maybe it’s their AL experience (seeing Tim Wakefield a lot) that gave Omar and Melky the edge against Dicky?
If that were true,
you would have to add Glaus and Hinske (also long-time AL guys) to that list, since they are also long-time AL guys.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
by Jacob Peterson on Jul 10, 2010 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions
We've got our foot on their throat...
…so keep pressing. Wouldn’t it be great to go into the ASB with a 6(!) game lead??
Even if we sweep,
there’s a chance the lead will be less than 6 because the Phillies are only 5.5 back and the Reds bullpen keeps crapping the bed.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
by Jacob Peterson on Jul 10, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
No
let’s just say that YOUR fears were unfounded.
the rest of us were anticipating a W.
"It looks like The Hound of the Baskervilles out there." - Steve Stone
"...I'm reminded of Wuthering Heights." - Harry Caray
~
I see a troll under that bridge!
by Chief Noc-A-Homa on Jul 10, 2010 12:28 PM EDT reply actions
Hey
I was anticipating a win, too. Just didn’t think it’d be because of Melky and Omar.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
by Jacob Peterson on Jul 10, 2010 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Pretty unbelievable, huh?
"It looks like The Hound of the Baskervilles out there." - Steve Stone
"...I'm reminded of Wuthering Heights." - Harry Caray
~
I see a troll under that bridge!
by Chief Noc-A-Homa on Jul 10, 2010 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions
We are looking really good. The bullpen was absolutely outstanding tonight. I’m interested to see if Yunel is benched tonight.
Yunel was the brains behind that huge play at 3rd.
but this offensive funk has him rattled. i don’t think i’ve ever seen him look lost, in regard to a pop-up. ever.
"It looks like The Hound of the Baskervilles out there." - Steve Stone
"...I'm reminded of Wuthering Heights." - Harry Caray
~
I see a troll under that bridge!
by Chief Noc-A-Homa on Jul 10, 2010 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
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