Guess What? Braves Win a Close One to Open the Season

by gondeee on Apr 2, 2007 4:40 PM EDT in Braves Game Recaps

Who means more to this team than Brian McCann? For almost half the game he was 100% of the offense for the Bravos. But that was before Edgar Renteria found his opposite field power stroke. Could we see another en fuego April from Edgar like we did last year? The other star(s) of the game, and perhaps the real star(s) of the game were the Braves bullpen. Gonzo looked like he was going to sully the reputation of the pen early on, but he proved to everyone that he can reach back and get out of serious trouble when he needs to. Sori and Wick were dominant and so was Chad Paronto - way to go, Par on toe. Folks, this is the difference between this year and last - Braves bullpen, four innings = no runs (in a close game).

The real shitter of the day was Jeff Francoeur's complete inability to even advance a runner - something that may have provided Smoltz with a couple more runs to work with. Maybe I'm finally starting to see it, but Francoeur's inability to make "productive" outs really does cost us run scoring opportunities. To further the woes of the "everyone after McCann" in the order, how feeble were Thorman and Langerhans? The 6th, 7th, and 8th spots in the order accounted for almost half of the Braves strikeouts, and got only one hit!

I also question some of the moves by Bobby Cox - something I normally don't do. He used his best power pinch hitter in the eighth leading of the inning instead of using one of his speed guys like Orr or Woodward, and then when it came to a bases loaded situation in the ninth he only had Brayan Pena to call on...and he struck out and looked completely overmatched on three straight pitches.

Also, mark John Smoltz down for one less earned run after a pop-up went off of Kelly Johnson's glove and was called a single - WHAT! Home field scoring run amuck. And I should have mentioned this earlier, but Smoltz was ON this afternoon. Save for a couple of mistake pitches, he had his changeup working like I can't remember - he deserved better.

But the great story of the day was that our "pen" was able to keep it close and then hold the lead - just AMAZING, especially after watching the team last year.

Box Score >>

Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 3 at Citizens Bank Park
Atlanta Record: (1-0)
Philadelphia Record: (0-1)

Winning pitcher - Bob Wickman (1-0)
Losing pitcher - Ryan Madson (0-1)
SV - Chad Paronto (1)

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Comments

1 in the "W" column

I think everything went as expected just like you said.

-KJ looking like a guy who has never hit lead-off and never played 2B in a MLB game.
-Renteria showing his experience and coming through defensively and offensively
-Chipper being Chipper: two BB's (scored on Mccann HR) and an opposite field single
-McCann playing like an All-Star
-Wilson, Langerhans, Thorman, Diaz, Peña looking like people fighting for roster spots
-Francouer swinging at EVERYTHING
-Bullpen completely dominating opposing batters

by RehabReject on Apr 2, 2007 4:59 PM EDT reply actions

Both 'Pens

This was a taste of what it is like not only for us with a great pen, but the beginning of the pain for the Phillies, who have an awful one.

I think their 2007 will look quite a bit like our 2006- great hitters, decent starters, but a pen that ruins it for everybody.

by subwindow on Apr 2, 2007 5:11 PM EDT reply actions

Well...

...we can talk like we know what we're talking about now, but we must remember that we have something very special in the league right now - a shutdown bullpen. Man, when Gonzo got into trouble - man on second and third with no outs - and he struck out two guys and got another to line out...that's just awesome. We have STRIKEOUT pitchers this year, that is the difference.

Also, to echo what others have said, last year we were congratualting Ken Ray and a couple of others for making the team, but we should have been saying "why the hell is Ken Ray in our bullpen." This year, we were filling out our bullpen with power guys like Yates and sending other power guys like Boyer and Moylan and Devine to triple-A - all of whom could hold down a major league bullpen job.

We may get a little spoiled this year...but then again, Braves fans are used to being spoiled...so, we're back to where we should be - HA!

by gondeee on Apr 2, 2007 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

smoltz should have had the win

kj botched a short fly ball behind 2nd to let a run score and cause smoltz to get the no decision. i agree that frenchy looked completely awful at the plate and was swinging at everything.

by ryan c on Apr 2, 2007 5:33 PM EDT reply actions

Dude...

... Tony Pena, Jr. with the two triples against the BoSox - very nice. I must say I'm rooting for him, simply because the odds are stacked against him big time. He's a really nice guy in the clubhouse, and he chats with himself when he's in the field and at-bat sometimes, which I think is kind of colorful. At the same time...should we be rooting for KC????!!????

Lot's of X-Braves on the team, not to mention the X-Assistant GM. I'm going to root for them, sort of a vintage Braves worst to first kind of deal.

by gondeee on Apr 2, 2007 7:00 PM EDT reply actions

Royals

I was actually going a little crazy over that game, rooting for the Royals, probably because I was still keyed up over our win. And also because I'm tired of hearing about the Red Sox and Yankees and just tend to get excited when they lose. Go Royals.

by Velcro Vernacular on Apr 2, 2007 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree

I have to agree with you on this one! its awesome what Pena did!

by RandyRocks on Apr 3, 2007 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Will you people lay off Kelly?

It wasn't a simple popup. Both he and Renteria were looking directly into the sun and there was a little miscommunication between both of them. That will lessen as they play together.

Johnson looked good at second.

by dave @ Talking Chop on Apr 3, 2007 12:34 AM EDT reply actions

:-) hmmm

and his leadoff hitting was awesome 2!

by chance13ga on Apr 3, 2007 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree Dave

With KJ being a former outfielder, I don't have too much concern about his ability to field flys. Now if he boots a half dozen grounders before the week is out, yeah, there could be a problem.

by rabies on Apr 3, 2007 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

ya'll see laroche's stats?

he was 0-5 with 4 strikeouts. ouch. but i'm sure he'll come into his own and have a great season.

by wuky on Apr 3, 2007 9:56 AM EDT reply actions

on the contrary

dave,
saying johnson looked shaky at 2nd base doesn't make me less of a braves fan than you. i do have an opinion and i can voice it. i think johnson will do an adequate job at leadoff and second, but i do not think (unless i am surprised), that i will ever call his performance at either "good". acceptable, maybe. transitioning back to the infield where his defense was poor, taking the leadoff spot for a high profile team, and learning a new postion, that's a lot to expect out of a 2nd year player who hit .260 his first year and is just coming off of tommy john. i do think he will improve in the field and at the plate, but the play behind 2nd would have been caught by almost every other 2nd baseman in the majors, sun or not.

by ryan c on Apr 3, 2007 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

Nice.

Well, this was a nice way to start the season. Even though things were largely predictable (both good and bad) it was a good W that gives us all a great feeling going forward. That said, I do take issue with this quote from your post: "For almost half the game he was 100% of the offense for the Bravos". I'd say he was roughly over 50% considering the fact that Chipper didn't make an out and accounted for half of the Braves runs scored in the early going. You might dig the long ball more than money ball, but don't let the spectacular blind you to the equally important contributions of others.

As for everything else: give it time. We've seen about 0.6% of the season so far, so let's not throw Kelly under the bus, hand Rentaria any hardware or enshire our bullpen just yet. Things look good, but I want to see the rest of the rotaion out on the mound a few times before I start dreaming of the World Series.

by ejruiz on Apr 3, 2007 9:09 PM EDT reply actions