Braves Fall to Reds 4-3 on Stubbs Walk-off Blast

by moorebraves on Jul 24, 2011 11:51 PM EDT in Braves Game Recaps

The Braves did a great job of coming back to tie this one after falling behind 3-0 after just two innings. It was all for naught though, as one pitch was all that Drew Stubbs needed to claim a Reds win in the bottom of the ninth. Scott Linebrink had been warming up in the bullpen for what seemed like forever, but when called upon threw just the one pitch to Stubbs that wound up in the right field seats.

Beachy took a while to settle in tonight and gave up some early runs. Unfortunately a Martin Prado error rendered both first inning runs unearned. Brandon Phillips wouldn't have had the chance to Belt an opposite field shot in the first if Prado had fielded a Stubbs grounder cleanly. Meanwhile, Dontrelle Willis was able to handle the Braves early on, only walking three over his six and a third, which is far fewer than average for him.

Miguel Cairo went deep in the second to make the game a 3-0 affair, but the Braves battled back. A McCann homer inched the Braves closer, and later in the fourth, Wilkin Ramirez legged out what could have been a double play to end the inning. By getting to first safely, he allowed Freddie Freeman to score. A wild pitch helped the Braves when it allowed Nate McLouth to advance to second after getting a base knock. Julio Lugo (yes, Julio Lugo) drove in McLouth with a ground ball up the middle to tie the game in the seventh.

Uggla drew a walk, but his hitting streak ended at fourteen games. Venters did his usual thing in the eighth after O'Flaherty pitched around trouble in the seventh. Linebrink's one pitch outing resulted in a loss and a 3-4 road trip.

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4 – 3 FTFY

by BeatTehMets on Jul 24, 2011 11:54 PM EDT reply actions

It’s time to get off the pot and bring in a batter and some pen help.

"Bunting's my favorite." Fredi G

by bighop on Jul 24, 2011 11:55 PM EDT reply actions

+1 X 2

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:03 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Good news

I was down by 1 SB and 1 HR in fantasy and Stubbs got me both to tie it up in those catagories

Bad News: Reality>>>Fantasy and we lost :(

Shrimp, Steak, Liquor, and Pasta
.

by KINGSLYTUT on Jul 24, 2011 11:56 PM EDT reply actions

Ask me when the last time i checked my fantasy team was

answer: a really long time ago.

You shouldn’t sip liquor.
-justincredubil02

no, Jack Daniel is whiskey.
-ChopMaster

"Welcome to the show, Brandon Beachy. I think you’re going to stay a while."

by abraves257 on Jul 25, 2011 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions

lol hahaha

I was thinking the exact samething. I always start out every year drafting a team, stick with it for a month or so,and end up stopping alltogether shortly afterwards.

Baseball fantasy takes up too much time, I prefer football in regards to fantasy play, it’s much easier to work with.

by chicagobullies on Jul 25, 2011 1:13 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Bleh

I’d rather Fredi not use Linebrink in high-leverage situations. I screamed “F-CK!!” almost as soon as Stubbs hit it.

Twitter: @TAlmeyda

by TonyAlmeyda on Jul 24, 2011 11:57 PM EDT reply actions

i would have prefered

linebrink in the 8th Venters in the 9th

Chopmaster: my link is my dad who has watched the braves since I don’t know. he’s 56.

by austinhb on Jul 24, 2011 11:58 PM EDT up reply actions

when is Moylan due back? he is clearly missed

"Have you seen this Perez guy pitch? I'm a pacifist, but I've never seen anything so violent look so beautiful."

by DirtyWaters on Jul 24, 2011 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions

mid to late August, I think

Twitter: @TAlmeyda

by TonyAlmeyda on Jul 25, 2011 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions

thanks

"Have you seen this Perez guy pitch? I'm a pacifist, but I've never seen anything so violent look so beautiful."

by DirtyWaters on Jul 25, 2011 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions

He’s a ROOGY. He fixes nothing, really, unless it is the spark that DFA’s Proctor.

xFIP is over 5 against LHB

by pbrfan on Jul 25, 2011 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions

I’d rather trust a 9-year old in a tie game late than Proctor.

Twitter: @TAlmeyda

by TonyAlmeyda on Jul 25, 2011 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions

Or a 9 year old Jugs machine set to 80

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:14 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Or an 80 year old Jugs machine set to 9

You shouldn’t sip liquor.
-justincredubil02

no, Jack Daniel is whiskey.
-ChopMaster

"Welcome to the show, Brandon Beachy. I think you’re going to stay a while."

by abraves257 on Jul 25, 2011 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions

I missed you earlier. Hope all is well.

TheLetter2: East Coast Boogaloo

by TheLetter2 on Jul 25, 2011 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions

That would be one heck of a changeup

if it made it to the plate that is

by Dawgs013 on Jul 25, 2011 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions

There are so many parallels between the Phils and Braves this year, but IMO the deciding difference has been the disparity in number of bullpen innings. The Phils have 60 fewer innings out of the pen due to their rotation consistently deeper into games. Put Moylan in place of Proctor/Gearrin and you probably account for the 6 game lead right there.

"Have you seen this Perez guy pitch? I'm a pacifist, but I've never seen anything so violent look so beautiful."

by DirtyWaters on Jul 25, 2011 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Moylan and Gearrin are basically the same (Gearrin’s 2011 numbers are even better against RHB than Moylan’s career numbers). They are both ROOGYs. The only problem with Gearrin is that he was used incorrectly.

Proctor should have never made the team.

by pbrfan on Jul 25, 2011 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions

I think having a efficient starting pitching makes up that difference. And playing half your games in a softball park helps too…

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:26 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

you're right

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor

"Have you seen this Perez guy pitch? I'm a pacifist, but I've never seen anything so violent look so beautiful."

by DirtyWaters on Jul 25, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions

Funny how those Ryan Howard pop fly oppo’s don’t go out at the Ted…

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:39 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Citizens Bank is 14th in homers?

Compared to 16th, doesn’t seem that much more of a ‘softball park’.

by EastFallowfield on Jul 25, 2011 5:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow, they’re actually only looking at THIS year…not impacted by Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt WHATSOEVER!

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Visiting Teams Are Probably A Factor Too?

2010 Phi 10th

2009 Phi 16th

2008 Phi 11th

2007 Phi 1st

by EastFallowfield on Jul 25, 2011 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Moylan is not a ROOGY

Yes, he’s definately better against righties but he’s not awful against lefties and, more importantly, is someone we can regularly trust with a high-leverage situation (a lot of his lefty damage is done w/o runners on base, via FG). A ROOGY to me, anyway, is a guy who is slammed by lefties and rarely throws a full inning. xFIP be damned; an inning with a bunch of lefties isn’t going to be given to Moylan anyway.

I miss Meds…

by crimsonqueen9 on Jul 25, 2011 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions

He’s 2 runs worse against LHB than RHB for his career. He shouldn’t pitching to LHB in any high leverage situation. That makes him a ROOGY. (He’s also a full run worse in high leverage than medium and low leverage for his career).

by pbrfan on Jul 25, 2011 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions

I prefer losing 11-2 to this...

But we hustled and scraped to get 3 runs off Dontrelle…who’s slider was damn near unhittable tonight.

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:02 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

We were hacking away at a guy that was begging to walk at least double the number he did. It was frankly embarrassing.

by Ultada on Jul 25, 2011 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions

His fastball sucked, but his slider was good enough to get him by. He placed it extremely well, especially to RH hitters. Martin Prado never looks that bad at the plate…never.

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:16 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

The slider wasn’t good it was a ball every time yet they were hacking away. It felt like we utterly failed to game plan against a extremely wild pitcher.

by Ultada on Jul 25, 2011 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions

That’s the point of an effective slider. It starts in the zone then jumps out last second.

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:53 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

That’s the point it was so wild that it wasn’t starting in the zone then jumping out.
A lot of them weren’t even close to the zone. It really wasn’t great tonight. We were just in full hack away mode.

by Ultada on Jul 25, 2011 1:02 AM EDT up reply actions

ugh

I hate Gonzo doesnt even bother to hustle down the line

by Erihury on Jul 25, 2011 12:04 AM EDT reply actions

Brian McCann utters the phrase I'm getting tired of hearing

On the homer by Stubbs:
"You’ve got to tip your hat to Stubbs. He hit a 94 mph fastball down and away and for a pull hitter like he is, to be able to drive it out to right that’s really hard to do. Liney made the pitch. He made a great pitch on him. You tip your hat to that type of hitting."

by leedawg on Jul 25, 2011 12:19 AM EDT reply actions

Not to be an ass after a tough loss…but the other team tries too. There’s times where it’s warranted, like when a guy beats your gameplan. Then there’s times when it’s transparent, like when I’m a manager protecting my guy to the press.

by TBuzz on Jul 25, 2011 12:23 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Because

at 16 games over .500 we’ve had to hear it soooooo many times this season.

by J-Turn14 on Jul 25, 2011 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions

I mean, I don't know if the scouting report was wrong or something...

But Linebrink hit the glove at 92 on that pitch… except it didn’t get there.

Go USA, Braves, BU Terriers, Irish, Caps, Skins, NU Cats, Wizards, DC United, Washington Freedom
BU Hockey: National Champions 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009

by SuperNewb on Jul 25, 2011 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t understand how McCann and Linebrink both think it was low. I mean it was definitely away but didn’t look that low to me.

by Ultada on Jul 25, 2011 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Mac's opinion differs from Stubbs'

“I went up there looking for a fastball out over the plate,” Stubbs said, after the second game-ending homer of his career. “He gave it to me, I put a good swing on it, and the rest is history.”

"You owe it to yourself to be successful. After that you'll owe it to the IRS."

by WienerDog on Jul 25, 2011 8:12 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s not like the Reds are chopped liver. The real problem is not enough offense. Get 4 runs leads late, and you don’t need high-leverage relievers so much.

by Broccoman on Jul 25, 2011 12:43 AM EDT reply actions

I really hate to say this, but I'm going to

Part of the blame has got to go to Big Mac.

Stubbs is a fastball hitter, he struggles with off-speed pitches. As a veteran catcher you have got to know he’s going to be hyped up looking for a fastball to reach out and get his arms extended on.

With that being said, pitch selection is not just the catcher, and I do not remember seeing Linebrink shake him off. Given Mac could have tried to go off-speed and Linebrink shook him, but I do not recall that scenario.

IMM the fault goes to both Linebrink and Mac, for that specific turn of events.

Overall decent game, scrounged up some runs, but ultimately it was not enough, tough loss.

by chicagobullies on Jul 25, 2011 1:21 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Aquiring a bat is a luxery

But it is now even more important to get a high leverage RP. Or call up the VIZ either way it needs to happen by Tuesday

by Jonesy24 on Jul 25, 2011 4:48 AM EDT reply actions

Where's the analysis of Prado's play?

Everyone,

I’ve read frustration with Gonzales, McCann and Linebrink…what about Prado last night?

He booted a routine 1 hop backhand that he misplayed the hop which led to a 2 run HR…UNEARNED! In the 3rd, we have 2nd and 3rd after Beachy lays down a beautiful sac…1 out, and Prado whiffs…errantly at 3 non strikes. If Prado hits a ground ball like je should, it’s 3-1.

I felt his play early put us in a hole! I was impressed with Beachy, coming off his worst start ever, hanging in there and battling through 6. I thought he was in for a short night, but he made adjustments a started throwing a snap dragon deuce.

If Prado plays better early, EO, Everyday Johnny, and Kimbrel close out a Braves victory!

And for the record, all 3 Reds’ HRs tonight were on cockshots!!!

by Braves12 on Jul 25, 2011 7:10 AM EDT via mobile reply actions