ESPN - Braves vs. Reds - Box Score - May 31, 2008

The Braves lost on the road. The Braves lost a one run game. The Braves lost in extra innings. What’s next? Will I learn the sun rises in the east? The sky is blue? A frog’s behind is, in fact, water tight? This whole thing is getting pretty old.

Did you realize that? I guess it’s a subset of the one-run games. They’re the only team that’s played more than two extra-inning games without a win this year.

The Braves lost on the road. The Braves lost a one run game. The Braves lost in extra innings. What’s next? Will I learn the sun rises in the east? The sky is blue? A frog’s behind is, in fact, water tight? This whole thing is getting pretty old.

ESPN - Braves vs. Reds - Box Score - May 30, 2008

Mark Kotsay to the DL, Josh Anderson called up. Because our outfield wasn’t underpowered enough already.

Jayson Stark, who last year said Andruw is overrated (no complaints here), is saying that the Braves are this year's Rockies due largely in part to the horrible 2-76 record in 1-run games. I guess the torture of putting up with this team will pay off if they go 37-1 to finish the season.

I’m actually writing this post the previous night before the first game of the series with the Reds since it’s my day to sleep in, but I did want to get a post in at least since I wasn’t able to post today. Maybe I shouldn’t make a post, though, because they actually figured out how to win again. Good thing that I’m not superstitious.

The Braves breezed to and easy victory today, which was nice. If Tex starts hitting, like he did today, the Braves will abruptly find themselves the best team in baseball. Tex will see better pitches to hit, Chipper will start seeing better pitches to hit. (Not that he is doing badly now). Anyway, I’m about ready for this lineup to start producing like we all know it can, not this amazing one day, poor the next crap.

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ESPN - Braves vs. Brewers - Box Score - May 29, 2008

It’s really all Andruw’s fault.

Well this was a disappointing, yet interesting game. The ump gave both pitchers a VERY generous strike zone. It made the pitchers very happy, both who pitched very effectively. But, it made the hitters very unhappy. The two teams combined for only seven hits. The climax of the hitters frustration came when a pitch well outside was called a strike on McCann. McCann expressed his displeasure. The umpire didn’t like it, McCann stepped out to “tend to his batting gloves”. The ump told the pitcher to throw the ball, McCann didn’t step in and a strike was called. It wasn’t really professional of the ump to do that, but he was within his rights.

ESPN - Braves vs. Brewers - Box Score - May 28, 2008

With the draft just days away, Braves-Report continues to look at some of the potential draftees the Braves may look to select. Since there has not been profiles added the past two days, today and tomorrow’s profile will each feature 2 players.

As was mentioned in comments last night, Matt Diaz has been put on the DL with what is at minimum a knee sprain and may be a torn posterior cruciate ligament. Mark Kotsay may also go on the DL with his back problems. As of this writing (9 AM) it’s not clear who would come up. If Kotsay doesn’t go on the DL yet, they might just bring up Josh Anderson. If both go on the DL, it seems likely that it will be either Anderson or Brandon Jones, plus Rafael Soriano. Because while the Braves have seven relievers already, Bobby will only use three of them.

What a horrible ending to what was looking like a fantastic game.  I know a lot of people blame Bobby for not pulling Huddy (which is partially true), but there is plenty of blame to go around.  Huddy told Bobby he was good to go for another inning, when he wasn’t.  Huddy has earned the right to stay in if he feels he can.  One the other hand he is starting to show he cannot make that judgment and needs to realize that.  Also, the bats really needed to score more than two runs.

We really need to figure out what we’re doing on the road, because whatever it is, we need to remedy it now. You can’t stay in the race with the road woes we currently and continue to have. It’s obvious Bobby didn’t want to send anyone but Huddy out last night in the late innings, but of course, the Brewers found some way to overcome our lowly two runs. It’s going to catch up with us sooner or later in the season. I hope we find out a way to overcome these road woes or we might as well kiss October goodbye for the third straight year. You can’t win the division playing this badly on every single road trip. It just won’t happen. Let’s hope with Oh-no, Jo-Jo pitching tonight that we can pull out a win.

Update: Apparently, Diaz went on the DL, so everything below about him is contingent on him coming back healthy.

ESPN - Braves vs. Brewers - Box Score - May 27, 2008

Maybe Resop was the problem.

The title is kind of dumb, but whatever works. I’m making this post short because I have a test in my next class. I need to study and work on the chapter work as well.

Well, even though the starting pitching situation has waded in and out between panic and pleasure, the bullpen has been solid over the past month. I guess I really can’t complain when we have one of the top two or three team ERA’s in the NL, but it’s a bit more sketchy than it started out. Anyway, the bullpen has been great, and it is going to get better. In the next few days to weeks we should be getting Rafael Soriano, John Smoltz, and Mike Gonzalez back (probably in that order). So with Resop already designated for assignment, the Braves still have plenty of decisions to make. Here’s the bullpen as of now:

I said yesterday that Jurrjens would have to bring his “A” game to win this one, I was wrong. This game was carried by the bats. We drove Webb’s pitch count up, we hit the ball where it was pitched, we did the little things and it all paid off. While its fun to watch the ball leave the yard, its also fun to watch small ball be played the right way! This game had both.

ESPN - Diamondbacks vs. Braves - Box Score - May 26, 2008

Is Resop a Poser? Si!

With the MLB Draft 11 days away, Braves-report.com will start to profile some of the  prospects that fit the Braves profile. There will be a new prospect profile added daily. First up is Xavier Avery.

Well, that game was just ugly. Glavine wasn’t so good, the pen had (what has become) a rare poor outing. The bats were quiet. All of that seems to point to a drubbing of the Braves, and that is just what happened. Jurrjens is going to have his “A” game tomorrow to salvage the split.

ESPN - Diamondbacks vs. Braves - Box Score - May 25, 2008