Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals Series Preview
by TonyAlmeyda on Sep 23, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
in Series Previews & Recaps
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The Braves have staggered toward the finish line in the NL Wild Card race, and it's not going to get much easier against the Nationals.
Atlanta will try to improve on its two-game lead in the Wild Card against a Nationals team that has won 11 of its last 14 games, including a four-game sweep of the Phillies. Stephen Strasburg returned to the starting rotation earlier this month from Tommy John surgery and will try to put a kink in the Braves' playoff hopes with six games remaining in the regular season. The Braves received some much-needed assistance from the Mets Thursday, stunning the Cardinals with a six-run ninth to win 8-6, reducing Atlanta's magic number to clinch the Wild Card down to 5.
Pitching matchups after the jump.
Friday, September 23, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Saturday, September 24, 1:05 p.m. EDT
Sunday, September 25, 1:35 p.m. EDT
BULLPEN:
R - Drew Storen (closer)
R - Collin Balester
L - Sean Burnett
R - Tyler Clippard
R - Todd Coffey
L - Tom Gorzelanny
R - Ryan Mattheus
R - Henry Rodriguez
L - Atahualpa Severino
L - Doug Slaten
R - Craig Stammen
Hudson and Strasburg faced off June 28 last year with Hudson earning the win. Alex Gonzalez is expected to return to the lineup following a strained calf earlier in the week. A sweep, while not likely considering the Nats' peskiness, would definitely help the Braves' cause now that neither Livan nor Lannan will be in the way.
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No kidding
I know we generally stink against the Nationals, but this sets up as well as it could. Strasburg is a stud, but you know his innings are going to be limited.
Just pitch around Ankiel, take some pitches, get Strasburg to his pitch limit early, and keep the ball in the yard. Please.
SS is a hard throwing, well-respected RHP
i.e. not someone we normally have problems beating….I’m looking at you, LANNAN.
by crimsonqueen9 on Sep 23, 2011 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
The fact that you just said “Just pitch around Ankiel” makes me sad.
If we can land [Stephen Drew], I will give FW a bj.
~justincredubil02
by king of games on Sep 23, 2011 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
At least we’re not catching them during a losing streak. We all know how that usually works out.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
by -InsertWittyNameHere- on Sep 23, 2011 10:07 AM EDT reply actions
It’s funny how much more positive I feel about this series after yesterday despite the fact that the Braves didn’t even play. Thanks, Mets!
I hope the team feels the same way.
They desperately needed a big confidence boost. Hopefully this Cardinals loss injects them with energy and they can go on a crazy tear into the playoffs!
by WeStillHaveBobby on Sep 23, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m sure the team does feel better having that 2 game lead. It’s like a pitcher having a bigger lead that allows him to attack the strike zone more. Braves will be able to keep it looser as the result.
by LEastCoastBears on Sep 23, 2011 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Tonight: Pitch Counts count
…and that may be tricky: SS’s last outing went for 6 innings, and 61 pitches… with 45 strikes and no walks. Before that, the Astros got him out of the game after just 3 innings and 57 pitches…(39 strikes and no walks).
The Braves will need to be tough with 2-strike counts: foul balls will be just as important as hits. If not, he’ll be in the game for a while — 21 hitters all averaging 3 pitches each could get you 63 pitches… but easily into the 6th inning.
"Forget Roy Halladay or Clayton Kershaw or Cliff Lee, the NL Cy Young Award should go to O’Ventrel." - David Schoenfield, ESPN.com, 8/19/11
surely you jest
talking about working the count.
LP will have none of that. 8 Pitch innings will be the preferred theme of the night thank you very much.
Most definitely, Strasburg’s pitch count may be up by an addition 20-30 pitches this time, however. Any kind of delay due to the rain would probably end his night.
by LEastCoastBears on Sep 23, 2011 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
I guess there's one thing left to do.......
Win the whole fucking thing…
ill get us started
Chopmaster: my link is my dad who has watched the braves since I don’t know. he’s 56.
Every time we win………we peel a section.
"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that." George Carlin
by DolphinNation on Sep 23, 2011 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I thought we were going to do a Bobby Cox one?
Or maybe Jamie Kotsay (the veterans remember her, I guarantee it)
Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit.
Hayes stealing home with Cerrano up seems like a Fredi move
send a guy on third home with your best hitter at the plate.
This seems like a really big game tonight.
If the Braves get the win and at least maintain the 2 G lead so kindly gifted to them, I think it will be a huge boost. Conversely, if we take another lose tonight and the Cards win, we will have immediately given back the game we just picked up, and I think that could be very bad for our team’s chances.
Do you guys think...
That they will pitch Strasburg in really poor, cool, wet field conditions? I’m in DC now and it’s miserable outside…nonstop rain and 72 degrees.
Oh no. Remember what happened when they were going to pitch Strasburg and then scratched him, put Miguel Batista out there, and let us fail our way into the ground?
Please not that again.
by Ivan the Great on Sep 23, 2011 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
that was a pretty miserable game…Braves got absolutely shut down by Miss Iowa…I mean Miguel Batista (good thing that he is now with the Mets)
by LEastCoastBears on Sep 23, 2011 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
He already pitched once after a rain delay for, I think, his second start. No reason they won’t let him do it again.
If we can land [Stephen Drew], I will give FW a bj.
~justincredubil02
by king of games on Sep 23, 2011 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
At least we don't have to see Livan
Livan has completely dominated us the last 4 years.
3.17 in 54 IP from 2008-2010
3.09 in 23 .1IP this year
We’re by far his fav team to pitch to
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/splits/_/id/3573/type/pitching3/livan-hernandez
the odd thing is that after he dominated (with great assist to home plate umpire Eric Gregg) the Braves in the 97 NLCS, Braves owned him for awhile but i guess things evened out lately when he becomes a crafty, junk ball throwing veteran
by LEastCoastBears on Sep 23, 2011 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Weather Update from the Nation's...whatever
It is literally flooding, here, in DC…heavy rains expected through the day/night…small stream flooding and some roads impassable.
Move the game to Atlanta.
Tonight's Game
probably won’t get played. The Weather Channel is stating that there is at minimum a 70% chance of rain until 7 a.m. tomorrow. And from 5-10 it’s about 90%.
Playing two tomorrow or Sunday more likely.
You'd think I was Travis Tritt struttin my FINE ASS on down to Florida
That sucks—much harder to sweep a doubleheader than win two in a row, even if the Braves have had a lot of success sweeping them this year.
by Ivan the Great on Sep 23, 2011 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow and sunday as well.
This Afternoon: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 75. Light south wind. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then showers likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 68. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Saturday: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. High near 77. East wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. North wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Holy crap. What happens if all 3 games aren’t able to be played?
You'd think I was Travis Tritt struttin my FINE ASS on down to Florida
Each team nominates one guy to represent them in a no-holds-barred cagematch somewhere in the Nationals clubhouse. Winner is credited with a solo homer in the boxscore, game is officially said to take a 1-0 score.
by Ivan the Great on Sep 23, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m nominating a tag-team of Heyward and Hinske.
"Forget Roy Halladay or Clayton Kershaw or Cliff Lee, the NL Cy Young Award should go to O’Ventrel." - David Schoenfield, ESPN.com, 8/19/11
Where is Farnsworth when we need him?
Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit.
Might as well lineup up the entire pitching staff and shoot them
"Forget Roy Halladay or Clayton Kershaw or Cliff Lee, the NL Cy Young Award should go to O’Ventrel." - David Schoenfield, ESPN.com, 8/19/11
Use MLB 11: The Show to simulate the results.
Twitter: @TAlmeyda
by TonyAlmeyda on Sep 23, 2011 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Our best video gamer versus yours?
My buddy and I just decided that the braves would be set if we could get Matt Kemp, Jose Reyes, and Albert Pujols.
by willlinn on May 17, 2011 2:13 PM EDT
well I’m going to guess they’d wait as long as absolutely possible each day with the hope of getting in at least one of the three. then you schedule a double-header for thursday.
the only snafu to that is if the Braves and Cardinals tie. guess they’d play Friday before the ALDS games.
Yeah that would be great...
1. Finish up with Philadelphia on Wednesday in Atlanta. Late game.
2. Fly back to D.C. for a double-header Thursday. That would finish late as well.
If all goes according to the tie scenario after that…
3. Fly to St. Louis to play the ‘play-in’ game on Friday. Then hopefully…
4. Fly to Phoenix for the NLDS opener on Saturday.
That should be motivation enough to keep winning in the meantime.
"Forget Roy Halladay or Clayton Kershaw or Cliff Lee, the NL Cy Young Award should go to O’Ventrel." - David Schoenfield, ESPN.com, 8/19/11
yeah it totally sucks but could happen
according to DOB they haven’t said anything about contingencies yet.
The two systems need to think outside the box to get this in. What is the veto policy on rescheduling and what is MLB’s role, I’d be curious to know. Methinks carpengui knows the answer.
Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit.
I imagine that they would probably wait around to try to get the game in today. Probably will be quite a long wait if they do somehow get it in. Too bad they got rid of all the PS3 at Nationals Park this year. Those were fun time waster during rain delays.
by LEastCoastBears on Sep 23, 2011 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Hooray!
No Lannan!
If the Braves drop 2 or 3 games this weekend, it’s over. Win 2 or 3, and it’s over, but a more happy over.
"Jason Heyward was a Greek philosopher reincarnated as a baseball player." - Don Sutton
Hope we play...
I really need some baseball tonight…You gotta think they are going to try hard to get it in. I mean Washington has a good crowd because of Strausburg and the Braves desperately need some on the field momentum.
Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit.
Looks like me might have a nice window from 7-9…
Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit.
Looking very clear 7-10 tonight. Play ball!
Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit.
Hits keep coming
Moylan has torn rotator cuff/labrum
WTF?!
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
by -InsertWittyNameHere- on Sep 23, 2011 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
terrible news
Medlen will be up either Saturday or Sunday to help out, apparently
by LEastCoastBears on Sep 23, 2011 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Well that sucks, he has looked pretty good in his time back. Starting to get into that career ending range of injuries which is really unfortunate for PeMo.
Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit.
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