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[22 Dec 2009|05:27pm] |
Poll #1502349
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 13If Wren does not flip Cabrera before the season starts, did the Vasquez improve the team?
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| Fire Wren! Bring back JS! Braves trade Vasquez to Yanks for Melky Cabera |
[22 Dec 2009|11:12am] |
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/rosenthal-yanks-vazquez-122209
I swear to God, Wren can't GM his way out of a paper bag! First he over pays for a 35+ year old Lowe, trades one of the best catcher prospects in Flowers for Vazquez and Logan, then has to trade Soriano in a lopsided deal because he decided to take arbitration (and because he has signed two OLD relievers in the place of Soriano and Gonzalez leading to the salary crunch and has to the release of Church, whom he got for Franceur). All in all, Wren has wasted a lot of money and resources, to get a decent outfielder and an overpaid starter who was at best average. Good job Wrenny, maybe you can destroy the Braves like you worked the Orioles.
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| Vazquez for Melky |
[22 Dec 2009|11:11am] |
Melky frikkin Cabrera. Apparently, that was the best Frank Wren could get for Javier Vazquez. Not sure why the Derek Lowe-for-Juan Rivera deal with the Angels couldn't turn into Vazquez. Instead, we get a player no better than what we already have.
Has anyone started a FireFrankWren.com website yet?
ETA: Forgot - Vazquez has a no-trade clause to the West Coast. But still.
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| Braves Birthday!!! |
[02 Dec 2009|02:17pm] |
Happy 31st Birthday...
 
Peter Moylan #58
...my second favorite player
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| Falcons Fans? |
[13 Sep 2009|10:29am] |
If this is unwelcome, the mods are welcome to remove the post. Thanks!
Today is the first Sunday of the NFL season! If there are any Falcons fans here, please check out the Falcons LJ community at http://community.livejournal.com/atlantafalcons/. Everyone is welcome!
GO FALCONS!!!
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| OGP: September 4 |
[04 Sep 2009|04:45pm] |
Cincinatti Reds (60-73) @ Atlanta Braves (70-64)
Bronson Arroyo (11-12, 4.35) vs. Derek Lowe (13-8, 4.38)
7:35 pm EDT
The Braves are coming off of a 3-4 road trip and have lost 2 straight entering tonight's game. The Reds are winners of 9 of 11 and are coming off of a 4-game sweep of the Pirates. Cincinnati is averaging 5.4 runs per game in that stretch. If the Reds win tonight, they will have achieved a season-high 5 straight road wins. Cincinnati and Atlanta have squared off 6 times already this season and split the games evenly, but this will be the first set of games between the teams played at Turner Field.
In his last start, Bronson Arroyo held the Dodgers to 2 runs in 7 and 1/3 innings, but the Reds still lost 3-2 in 12 innings. Arroyo has lost 2 straight starts versus the Braves. He is 4-3 with a 6.40 mark in 10 lifetime starts against Atlanta, but has been touched up to the tune of a 20.57 mark over the last couple of outings. In late April, he allowed 9 runs in 5 and 2/3 innings as the Reds lost a 10-2 game to the Braves.
Derek Lowe allowed just 1 run in 5 and 2/3 innings to beat the Phillies in a 9-1 game in his last start. Lowe is 3-1 with a 3.12 mark lifetime against the Reds as a starter, including a 7-inning, 2-run performance with 8 strikeouts to beat Arroyo in the aforementioned contest earlier this season.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips is 0-for-9 lifetime off of Lowe. He is, however, hitting .404 with 2 homers and 9 RBI in his last 11 games. Outfielder Drew Stubbs has 3 homers in his last 4 games.
Center fielder Nate McLouth, batting .258 on the year, might be activated in time for tonight's game. McLouth has hit .324 with 2 homers and 8 RBI against the Reds this season. Catcher Brian McCann is 4-for-9 with 2 homers lifetime off of Arroyo. Third baseman Chipper Jones is batting .375 against the Reds on the year and is 11-for-23 with 3 homers lifetime off of Arroyo.
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| OGP: September 3 |
[03 Sep 2009|06:34pm] |
Atlanta Braves (70-63) @ Florida Marlins (69-64)
Tommy Hanson (11-9, 3.02) vs. Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 5.12)
7:10 pm EDT
The Marlins look to earn a split in a 4-game seres with the Braves. They have won just 2 of 7, and are 5 back of the Rockies in the Wild Card race. The Braves, with a 1-game lead over Florida, are 4 back. The teams are 7-7 against each other on the year. Atlanta is 3-3 as it comes into the finale of a 7-game road trip.
Tommy Hanson lost for the first time in a month last time out, tossing 2 innings and allowing 1 run while striking out 4 in a rain-shortened outing. The Braves lost the game 4-2, but Hanson is still 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA since losing to the Dodgers in late July. Hanson was victorious in his only other career start against the Fish, tossing 7 innings and allowing 3 runs while striking out 7 in a 4-3 game in late August.
In his last start, he allowed 3 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings while striking out 7 but not receiving a decision in a 7-4 Florida loss to the Padres. Nolasco is 1-4 with a 5.29 ERA lifetime in 9 starts versus the Braves, and a 0-0 with a 4.76 ERA in 2 starts against them this season.
First baseman Adam LaRoche is batting .365 with 20 RBI in 29 games as a Brave this season. Against the Marlins, he has hit .354 with 10 RBI in 2009. Third baseman Chipper Jones is batting just .212 versus the Fish this season, but is 10-for-20 with 3 doubles and 4 homers lifetime off of Nolasco.
Shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who leads the NL with a .355 average, might miss a 2nd straight game tonight. Ramirez is hitless in his last 14 at-bats. Second baseman Dan Uggla is hitting just .245 on the season, but is 6-for-13 with 2 homers and 5 RBI in his last 4 games. He is batting .327 with 3 homers and 12 RBI against the Braves this season, but is hitless in 3 at-bats lifetime against Hanson.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: September 2 |
[02 Sep 2009|06:11pm] |
Atlanta Braves (70-62) @ Florida Marlins (68-64)
Javier Vazquez (11-9, 3.02) vs. Rick VandenHurk (2-2, 5.12)
7:10 pm EDT
The Braves go for a 3rd consecutive victory as they take on the Marlins in the 3rd game of this 4-game set. They are now 3 games behind the Rockies in the Wild Card race. Atlanta has won 8 of 11 away from home and 15 of its last 23. The Marlins now trail by 5 games in the Wild Card standings.
Javier Vazquez is going for his 5th straight road win. He is 7-2 with a 2.96 mark in 12 road starts on the year. In his last start, he held the Padres to just 5 hits in 7 scoreless frames as the Braves won 9-1. The good outing was a bounceback after losing 2 consecutive starts. In 3 starts against Florida this season, Vazquez is just 0-2 with a 4.95 mark. He allowed a season-worst 10 hits and 5 runs in 6 and 2/3 innings to the Fish in late August to lose a 5-3 game, falling 6-7 in his career against them. The Marlins are the only team to beat Vazquez twice this season.
Rick VandenHurk will be making his first start since being recalled from the minors yesterday. At AAA-New Orleans, e went 5-2 with a 2.87 mark in 11 starts. He started 6 times for Florida between July and August, allowing 9 homers in 31 and 2/3 innings of work. VandenHurk is 2-0 with a 3.91 mark lifetime against the Braves in 25 and 1/3 innings, including a 6-inning, 2-run, 9-strikeout performance in a game the Fish lost to the Braves 6-3 in 10 innings in late July.
Catcher Brian McCann is 8-for-17 with 2 homers and 9 RBI in his last 4 games against the Marlins after going 0-for-16 against the Fish in the 5 games prior to the good run. Outfielder Matt Diaz led all of baseball with a .404 average and a .467 on-base percentage through the month of August. He was 6th in the month with a .681 slugging percentage. Reliever Mike Gonzalez has allowed just 2 unearned runs in 21 appearances since the All-Star break, making him the only reliever yet to allow an earned run since then (minimum 15 appearances).
Shortstop Hanley Ramirez left last night's game with a hamstring tweak, but will probably crack tonight's starting lineup nonetheless. Outfielder Jeremy Hermida is 4-for-9 with a homer and 5 strikeouts lifetime against Vazquez.
( Lineups )
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| Astros' Hampton out for year, headed for surgery |
[02 Sep 2009|10:18am] |
PHOENIX — Oft-injured lefty Mike Hampton won't pitch again this season and is planning to have surgery on his pitching shoulder and both knees.
Hampton, on the disabled list since Aug. 18 with a partially torn rotator cuff, will have MRI exams results on his shoulder and knees sent to Dr. David Altchek of the New York Mets.
"It's disappointing that he couldn't get to the finish line," Houston general manager Ed Wade said before the Astros played Arizona on Sunday. "We went into this thing knowing that he had a very significant health history, but at the same time he had 10 solid starts for the Braves last year, and we had every reason to hope that he had turned the corners medically."
Hampton is 7-10 with a 5.30 ERA in 21 starts this season, his most since 2004. He missed the 2006 and 2007 seasons after separate elbow surgeries.
A two-time All-Star, Hampton is best known for signing an eight-year, $121 million contract with Colorado after the 2000 season. He is 63-62 since.
"It has been tough for him," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "If anybody can go through this and probably bounce back, it's Hamp."
Hampton, who turns 37 on Sept. 9, will be a free agent after this season. He's said he hopes to pitch again, but Cooper offered another possible option.
"I told him, 'Hey, come back as a pinch-hitter if it doesn't work,' " Cooper said. "He can hit. He can definitely hit, so that might be an alternative."
Hampton is a career .246 hitter with 16 homers.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/astros-hampton-out-for-year-headed-for-surgery-127197.html
I guess it was good that Hampton decided on the Astros over the Braves after all. It's sad that a guy with as much talent as he has been saddled with so many injuries over the last half of the decade. Least LM is not picking up the tab this time.
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| OGP: September 1 |
[01 Sep 2009|06:47pm] |
Atlanta Braves (69-62) @ Florida Marlins (68-63)
Tm Hudson (NR) vs. Anibal Sanchez (2-5, 4.96)
7:10 pm EDT
The Braves come into tonight's game trailing the Rockies and Giants by 3 games in the Wild Card race. Florida has lost 4 of 5 to fall 1 game behind the Braves in the standings. The Braves have been held hitless through the first 5 innings in 2 of their last 4 games versus the Marlins, but have won 6 of the last 9 meetings between the two teams.
Tim Hudson will make a start for the first time in 13 months, in the same place that he exited with the injured elbow that would require Tommy John surgery. Hudson went 11-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts and 1 relief appearance last season, but didn't appear in a game after late July. In his career, the veteran is 146-77 with a 3.48 ERA over 10 seasons. Lifetime against Florida, is he 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 13 starts, and is 5-1 with a 2.59 mark in 8 starts in Miami.
In his last start, Anibal Sanchez allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits in just 3 and 2/3 innings as the Marlins lost 10-3 to the Mets. It was just his second start back from the shelf, and in his return, he actually held the Braves to just a single run on 2 hits while striking out 7 in 6 innings of work to win a 5-3 game. Lifetime, he is 3-3 with a 4.54 mark in 7 starts against the Braves.
Third baseman Chipper Jones is batting just .120 with 1 homer and 5 RBI in his last 15 games. However, he is hitting .379 with 11 homers and 34 RBI in his last 38 games against the Fish. Reliever Luis Valdez, infielder Brooks Conrad, and catcher Clint Sammons have been called up to join the Braves as part of the September roster expansion.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 31 |
[31 Aug 2009|06:36pm] |
Atlanta Braves (68-62) @ Florida Marlins (68-62)
Kenshin Kawakami (6-10, 4.08) vs. Josh Johnson (13-3, 3.04)
7:05 pm EDT
With identical records, the Braves and Marlins begin a crucial 4-game series in Miami. Both teams trail the Phillies by 8 games in the NL East, but the Rockies and Giants by just 3.5 in the Wild Card chase. The Marlins have won just 4 of 11 and had lost 3 straight before winning yesterday. The Braves have lost 4 of 5 after winning 4 of 5, including a series win versus the Fish in Atlanta.
Last time out, Kenshin Kawakami allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in just 5 and 1/3 innings as the Braves lost 12-5 to the Padres. He had been 1-0 with a 1.77 mark in his last 3 starts before the implosion. Kawakami has lost both of his starts against Florida this season, putting up an ugly 8.44 mark in the process.
In his last start, Josh Johnson beat the Mets by allowing 3 runs on 9 hits while striking out 7 in 6 frames of work in a 5-3 game. He is 6-1 with a 3.58 mark in his last 8 tries. Johnson faced the Braves in late July and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings in a 6-3 victory. The ace is 2-0 with a 3.00 mark in 3 starts against Atlanta since the beginning of 2008.
Catcher Brian McCann is batting .462 with 2 homers and 8 RBI in his last 3 games against the Fish after going 0-for-16 against the club in his first 5 games of 2009 against them. McCann is 0-for-12 off of Johnson since 2007.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 28 |
[28 Aug 2009|06:12pm] |
Atlanta Braves (67-60) @ Philadelphia Phillies (73-52)
Tommy Hanson (9-2, 3.12) vs. Pedro Martinez (2-0, 5.14)
7:05 pm EDT
The Braves begin a series with the division-leading Phillies. Atlanta has taken 8 of 12 from Philadelphia on the year, in large part due a starting staff that has posted a 2.81 mark against the potent Philly bats. The Braves trail the Rockies by 4.5 games in the Wild Card race coming into tonight's game, but are coming off of a tough series loss to the lowly Padres. The Phillies lead Atlanta by 7 games in the divisional standings.
Tommy Hanson will be pitching on his 23rd birthday and going for a 5th straight victory, as he has won his last 4 starts. In that span, he has posted a 2.81 ERA and struck out 28 men in 25 and 2/3 innings. In his last start, he allowed just 3 runs while striking out 7 in 7 innings as the Braves beat Florida 4-3. After being taken deep 3 times in his majors debut, he has allowed just 6 longballs in his last 13 starts. Hanson has never faced the Phillies in his career.
The Phillies have won each of Pedro Martinez's 3 starts on the year. In his last start, he allowed 4 runs (including 2 homers) in 6 innings, but still a won 9-7 game against the Mets. 6 frames was the longest he has lasted in a game to date. Martinez is 0-2 with an 8.62 mark in his last 3 starts against the Braves.
Shortstop Yunel Escobar is 3-for-4 lifetime off of Martinez, but no other current Braves has higher than a .238 average lifetime off of him. Infielder Martin Prado is 8-for-13 against Philadelphia this season. Outfielder Matt Diaz is hitting .571 (12-for-21) off of Philadelphia pitching this season. ( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 27 |
[27 Aug 2009|05:27pm] |
San Diego Padres (54-74) @ Atlanta Braves (66-60)
Clayton Richard (7-3, 4.42) vs. Javier Vazquez (10-9, 3.14)
7:10 pm EDT
The Braves come into this game having lost back-to-back contests for the first time in more than 3 sweeps. They attempt to stave off a sweep at the hands of the lowly Padres and gain some ground in the playoff chase. Atlanta won 13 of 18 from August 4 to August 23 to pull within 4 games of the Rockies in the NL Wild Card race, but has slipped by a game and a half in the standings since then. The Padres haven't swept a 3-game road series yet this season, and are 21-40 in road games on the year. Still, they have won 7 of their last 11 contests, averaging 6.4 runs per game while batting .325 as a team in that stretch. The Padres set a season high with 7 hits in an inning last night.
Clayton Richard has won 4 straight decisions, including his last start, when he hurled 6 scoreless innings against the Cardinals in a 4-0 game, allowing just 5 hits and striking out 6. In 5 starts with San Diego since coming over from the White Sox, Richard has gone 3-0 with a 3.67 mark. This will be Richard's first career matchup against Atlanta.
Javier Vazquez went 5-0 with a 2.59 ERA in a span of 7 starts between early July and early August, with the Braves winning each contest. Since then, though, he has allowed 4 runs in an outing to the Phillies, and 5 runs on a season-high 10 hits in 6 and 2/3 innings to the Marlins to lose a 5-3 game in his last start. On August 4, Vazquez held the Padres to 2 runs on 4 hits to win a 9-2 game. He is now 4-4 with a 3.19 mark in 16 lifetime starts against San Diego.
Third baseman Chipper Jones is 1-for-32 with 9 strikeouts in his last 10 games. First baseman Adam LaRoche is the only Atlanta batter that has faced Richard, and has struck out twice in 3 at-bats against him.
Fun fact: The 12 runs the Braves allowed last night marked the first time in 2 months that the team allowed double-digit runs to their opponents.
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| OGP: August 26 |
[26 Aug 2009|06:41pm] |
San Diego Padres (53-74) @ Atlanta Braves (66-59)
Tim Stauffer (1-6, 3.95) vs. Kenshin Kawakami (6-9, 3.97)
7:10 pm EDT
The Braves now trail the Rockies by 5 and 1/2 in the NL Wild Card race, tied for the Marlins for 3rd place in the chase. They are also 7 games out of the NL East lead. The Braves are 7-7 in their last 14 home games, hitting just .223 and averaging only 3.6 runs per game in those contests. This stretch follows a span where Atlanta won 10 of 11 at home while outscoring opponents 70-23 and batting .311 as a team. However, they have still won 9 of 12 against the Padres at Turner Field. San Diego has lost 4 of 6, never scoring more than 4 runs in a game in that stretch. The Padres are now 7-5 in extra-inning contests in 2009.
Tim Stauffer has lost 4 straight starts, not winning since July 30. He is 0-4 with a 5.40 mark in his last 4 starts, receiving just 5 runs total to back him in those outings. He has lasted just 5 innings in each of those starts, including allowing 4 runs while hitting 2 batters and striking out 6 in his last start, a 5-1 loss to the Cardinals. Stauffer allowed 3 runs in 5 innings to the Braves to lose a 9-2 game in early August.
Kenshin Kawakami is 1-0 with a 1.77 mark in his last 3 starts, with the Braves winning each start despite giving him just 5 total runs of support in that span. In his last start, he allowed just 1 run on 7 hits in 7 innings to beat the Mets in a 3-2 game. Kawakami has put up 4 straight quality starts coming into tonight's game. Kawakami has faced the Padres once before, taking a loss in early August after allowing 3 runs in 6 innings in a 4-2 game.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez leads the NL with 23 road homers. Gonzalez is now 10th on the San Diego all-time RBI list.
Third baseman Chipper Jones is batting just .234 with 1 homer and 5 RBI in his last 14 home games. He is also just 1-for-28 in his last 9 home contests. Still, Jones is batting .324 in his last 10 games against San Diego.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 25 |
[25 Aug 2009|06:23pm] |
San Diego Padres (52-74) @ Atlanta Braves (66-58)
Mat Latos (4-3, 4.82) vs. Jair Jurrjens (10-8, 2.99)
7:10 pm EDT
The Braves look to win 9 straight over the Padres as they begin a 3-game set to conclude their homestand. Atlanta has won 13 of 18 and is now alone in 2nd place in the NL East by virtue of taking 2 of 3 from the Marlins. The Braves have also won 5 of their last 6 series to pull into 3rd place in the NL Wild Card race. Atlanta leads the majors with 75 quality starts, a number they needed the entire season to reach in 2008. The Padres have scored just 8 runs in their last 5 games, batting .160 as a team in the process. They have lost 8 of 11 coming into play tonight and are just 19-40 on the road on the year. San Diego hasn't taken a series from the Braves since August of 2005, when they won 2 of 3 at Turner Field. Atlanta has won 19 of 25 head-to-head meetings between the club since the beginning of the 2006 campaign, and they took 2 of 3 in San Diego earlier this season.
Mat Latos has lost 2 straight starts after previously winning 4 outings in a row. Last time he endured his shortest outing of 2009, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks in just 3 and 2/3 innings to the Cubs in a 7-1 defeat. In the start before that, he yielded 7 runs in 4 innings to the Cardinals. The two bad outings raised his ERA from 2.43 to 4.82.
Jair Jurrjens won for the first time in 5 starts last time out, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings to the Mets in a 15-2 drubbing. The Braves are backing him with an average of 5.6 runs a game in his last 18 starts. In his last 2 starts, spanning 13 innings, he has allowed 4 runs on 13 hits with 10 strikeouts and 2 walks. Jurrjens won his only career start against the Padres, holding them to 1 run while striking out 8 in 6 innings of work in a 5-3 game early last May.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is 1 RBI away from tying Benito Santiago for 10th place in the Padres' all-time rolls.
Catcher Brian McCann has 4 homers and 11 RBI in his last 7 games. Outfielder Matt Diaz is batting .481 with 3 homers and 8 RBI over his last 8 contests. Outfielders Garret Anderson and Ryan Church may return to play tonight after they both missed time with back soreness. Anderson hit .335 with 7 homers, a .370 on-base percentage, and a .540 slugging mark in 44 games between June 8 and July 31, but is hitting just .233 with 2 homers and a .342 slugging percentage in 18 games since. He is 31 hits away from the 2,500 plateau.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 23 |
[23 Aug 2009|01:19pm] |
Florida Marlins (65-58) @ Atlanta Braves (65-58)
Ricky Nolasco (9-8, 5.22) vs. Derek Lowe (12-8, 4.45)
1:35 pm EDT
The Braves look to win back-to-back games while escaping this series ahead of the Marlins in the standings. Both teams now trail the Rockies by 4 games in the Wild Card sweepstakes and the Phillies by 6.5 in the NL East. Atlanta has won 12 of 17, but the Marlins have lost 3 of 4 after winning 9 of 11. Atlanta has knocked homers in 14 of its last 15 games.
Ricky Nolasco allowed just 3 hits in a complete-game victory over the Astros in his last start. He struck out 10, didn't issue a walk, and at one point sat down 23 straight, with the only runs he yielded coming on a first-inning homer. It was a dramatic turnaround from an earlier start when he allowed a career-high 10 runs on 8 hits in just 3 and 1/3 innings to those same Astros to lose a 14-6 game. Nolasco has allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 5 of his last 6 starts. Nolasco has struck out 136 men in 136 and 1/3 innings, while issuing just 32 walks on the season. On July 28, Nolasco allowed just 2 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings to the Braves, but didn't get a decision as the Fish won late 4-3.
In his last outing, Lowe allowed 8 runs in the 4th inning to the Mets, lasting just 3 and 2/3 innings as the Braves lost 9-4. It was the first time that Lowe had allowed more than 3 runs in a start since July 5. In 2 starts against Florida on the year, Lowe has a less-than-inspiring 9.00 ERA, but actually won a game where he allowed 6 runs in 5 innings and still hasn't lost to the Fish in more than 2 years. He has allowed 6 runs to the Florida club in 2 of his last 3 starts against them, posting a 7.80 ERA and allowing 22 hits in 15 innings that span.
Since August 13, shortstop Hanley Ramirez has batted .591 with 2 homers, 2 doubles and 6 RBI in 6 Florida wins, but has gone just 3-for-15 with no extra-base hits and no runs driven in Florida's 4 losses in that span. Ramirez is a lifetime .526 (10-for-19) hitter with 5 doubles off of Lowe. Infielder Jorge Cantu drove in 2 with a pinch-hit single last night, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Cantu is 7-for-8 with 4 doubles and 1 homer lifetime off of Lowe. Right fielder Jeremy Hermida is 7-for-17 in Atlanta this season.
First baseman Adam LaRoche has hit .415 with 7 homers, 16 RBI, and a .506 on-base percentage in 19 games since being reacquired by the Braves. Left fielder Garret Anderson and outfielder Ryan Church will both probably miss this game as a result of hip pain.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 21 |
[21 Aug 2009|06:50pm] |
Florida Marlins (64-57) @ Atlanta Braves (64-57)
Anibal Sanchez (1-4, 5.55) vs. Javier Vazquez (10-8, 2.99)
7:35 pm EDT
With identical records, the Braves and Marlins will vie for an advantage in the standings in this 3-game series. Both teams trail the Phillies by 6.5 games in the East and the Rockies by 4 in the Wild Card. Atlanta has won 11 of 15 and has gone 30-17 since being 6 games under .500 on June 27. The Braves have gone 3-5 against Florida this season, including 3 losses at Turner Field. The Marlins have lost 2 straight after winning 9 of 11. Florida bats tallied just 4 hits last night after reaching the double-digit hit plateau in their last 15 contests, the best such streak since 1937, when the St. Louis Browns also pounded out 10 or more hits for 15 straight games.
Anibal Sanchez will be activated from the disabled list to make tonight's start. Sanchez hasn't appeared in a big league game since early June, when he exited a start against the Brewers after 3 innings due to a sprain in his right shoulder. Even that start was his first since early May, as he was shelved then too with a similar shoulder sprain. In his 2 rehab starts at AA-Jacksonville, Sanchez allowed 3 runs in 10 and 1/3 innings. Sanchez has made just 7 starts this season, though he did garner his one win of 2009 against the Braves in mid-April by yielding just 2 runs in 6 innings in a 6-2 game. However, he also lost one of those starts against the Braves in early May by allowing 4 runs in 4 and 2/3 innings in a 4-2 game.
In his last start, Javier Vazquez allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, 2 of which were homers, while striking out 7 in 7 frames as the Braves lost 4-1 to the Phillies. It was his first loss after going 5-0 with a 2.59 mark over his last 7 tries; he had last lost on June 27 in a 1-0 game versus the Red Sox. In that start, he allowed 2 homers to Ryan Howard; he had previously given up 3 homers over his last 9 starts. Vazquez is 2nd in the NL with 178 strikeouts, and has lasted at least 7 frames in each of his last 7 outings. Furthermore, he has allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 7 of his last 10 times on the hill, good enough for a 2.71 ERA in that span. Vazquez is 9th among NL starters in ERA. The righty hasn't beaten the Fish since late May of 2003, when he was an Expo, a 7-start span. This season, he has gone 0-1 with a 4.05 mark in 2 starts against the Florida club.
Shortstop Hanley Ramirez now has a career-high 15-game hitting streak and is batting .444 with 2 homers and 13 RBI in that span. However, Ramirez is 0-for-6 with 4 strikeouts lifetime off of Vazquez. Infielder Jorge Cantu may miss tonight's game due to a stiff neck. Utilityman Ross Gload is 10-for-25 (.400) lifetime off of Vazquez with 2 doubles and a triple.
Catcher Brian McCann has homered in 2 straight games and gone deep 3 times in his last 5 contests. McCann is batting just .143 with 1 homer and 3 RBI in 6 games against Florida this season, and is only 3-for-29 (.103) with 2 homers and 5 RBI in his last 11 home games against the Fish. Third baseman Chipper Jones has batted just .222 (4-for-18) with 1 homer this season against the Fish, but is at .312 with 38 homers and 148 RBI lifetime against them. That RBI total is his highest against any one team. Infielder Martin Prado may continue to be unavailable due to an "exertional headaches" diagnosis.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 20 |
[20 Aug 2009|05:46pm] |
Atlanta Braves (63-57) @ New York Mets (56-64)
Kenshin Kawakami (5-9, 4.13) vs. Johan Santana (13-8, 3.10)
7:10 pm EDT
The Braves and Mets have split the first 2 games of this series, trading 8-plus-run innings for the first time in consecutive games since the Indians and Yankees did so in early July of 2006. The 7 hits the Braves pounded out in the 2nd inning of last night's game were a season high for the team, as were the 18 total hits and 15 runs collected at the contest's conclusion.
Kenshin Kawakami has lost 3 straight decisions, last winning on July 8 against the Cubs. In his last start, he allowed 3 runs on 7 hits in 6 and 1/3 innings to the Phillies, but the Braves rallied late to save him from another defeat with a 4-3 win. In 3 August starts, Kawakami is 0-1, but has a 2.79 ERA. Kawakami has lost both starts he has made against the Mets in his career, but has posted a 3.09 mark in the process. The Braves have yet to score a run for him when he is pitching against the New York club.
In his last start, Johan Santana allowed 4 runs on 9 hits in 6 and 2/3 innings to the Giants. He has yielded 4 or more runs in 3 of his last 5 times on the mound. The Mets are just 13-11 in his 24 starts on the year, and he endured a poor June, putting up a 6.19 ERA in 6 starts. Santana has a 1.96 ERA in 7 lifetime starts against the Braves, but is actually just 1-4 against them as a result of never receiving more than 2 runs to back him in an outing. Still, he hasn't allowed an earned run to the Braves in 13 and 1/3 innings pitched against them this year, despite going 1-1 in those 2 contests.
First baseman Adam LaRoche has homered in 3 straight games and 6 times since being traded back to Atlanta. Left fielder Garret Anderson was batting .191 on May 10, but has hit .298 with 11 homers and 44 RBI since that date. Anderson hit .286 in May, .306 in June, and .326 in July. Third baseman Chipper Jones leads all active players with 129 career RBI against the Mets, totaled in just 200 games against them. Outfielder Matt Diaz is batting .378 off of lefties this season, and is 11-for-20 with a homer and double lifetime off of Santana.
Second baseman Luis Castillo is batting .391 over his last 35 games. Castillo also has a .456 on-base percentage since July 1, the best such mark in the National League in that span. Reliever Elmer Dessens has allowed just 2 earned runs in 7 innings of work since rejoining the New York bullpen in early August.
( Lineups )
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| OGP: August 19 |
[19 Aug 2009|06:12pm] |
Atlanta Braves (62-57) @ New York Mets (56-63)
Jair Jurrjens (9-8, 2.99) vs. Bobby Parnell (3-4, 3.50)
7:10 pm EDT
The Braves fell 6.5 games back in the NL East with yesterday's loss, allowing the Mets to set a franchise record with 10 hits in one inning.
In his last start, Jair Jurrjens allowed 2 runs in 7 innings while striking out 6 Phillies, but got a no-decision as the Braves lost 3-2 late. Righties are batting just .218 this season against him. Jurrjens is 3-1 with a 2.84 mark in 5 lifetime starts against the Mets. In mid-July he pitched 6 scoreless innings against New York, and in his only career start at Citi Field in mid-May, he yielded just 2 runs in7 and 2/3 innings.
Bobby Parnell will be making his 3rd start of the year after appearing in relief 54 times to begin his career. Last time out, Parnell limited the Giants to just 3 singles in 6 innings while striking out 7, winning a 3-0 contest. In his first start, however, he lasted just 2 and 1/3 innings against the Padres, being yanked after throwing 68 pitches. He has allowed just 2 homers in 59 career innings pitched. In 7 lifetime relief appearances against Atlanta, Parnell has hurled a combined 4 and 2/3 scoreless innings and has not received a decision. He has, however, allowed 2 unearned runs and 5 hits in 4 innings to Atlanta this season.
Infielder Martin Prado will miss tonight's game with headaches. Prado is batting .309 with 8 homers, 24 doubles, and 37 RBI on the season. The current Atlanta roster is a combined 5-for-15 off of Parnell. Closer Rafael Soriano should be available for tonight's game after a short bout with a sore throwing shoulder.
In 33 games as a Met, right fielder Jeff Francoeur has hit .294 with 5 homers and 21 RBI.
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