2009 Atlanta Braves Thread

[Olympic Fan]

As many have mentioned, the schedule is very favorable in this final week or so. A 7-1 finish just might do the trick.

-Jason "hopeful!!" Evans

I'm not sure I'd agree that it's "very favorable". Certainly five games against the Nationals (the last four at home) are about as favorable as you could ask for. But the three middle games with the Marlins still worry me, even if they are in Atlanta.

And I still keep questioning how tough the Rockies finish is -- the Cards clinched the division last night. Will they go all-out today or will they play a lot of kids?

I have no idea was the Brewers will be like at midweek.

They finish in LA against a team that has clocked them (I think 2-13 so far). But the Dodgers will have clinched at that point. Will they be playing for homefield advantage in the ALCS?

I agree that 7-1 might do it ... that would mean if the Rockies finish 4-3 (one less game), we get a one-game playoff. But that means sweeping the Nats and talking the Fish two out of three.

Not impossible ... but tough.

[Channing]

braves win another yesterday, but Clint Barmes' play to end the Colorado/St Louis game was yesterdays real story. in the 9th inning, with the tying run on third and the go ahead run on first, a Cardinal hit a flare to right center. Barmes on an all out sprint ran back and made a diving/falling/tumbling catch. The runner from first, convinced it was going to fall, was on the move and trying to get to third. Barmes doubled him off to end the game. What a play! Had the Rockies lost again last night the pressure would have really been on.

Lets hope the Brewers can knock the Rockies off a couple times this week, and the Braves stay red hot.

[Matches]

I still think it's a massive longshot and have tried to avoid getting my hopes up - but even if this comes to naught I'm very pleased to see the Bravos finishing this season so strong. We're relevant in the playoff picture with a week left - a far cry from last season, or really the last three seasons.

[Olympic Fan]

braves win another yesterday, but Clint Barmes' play to end the Colorado/St Louis game was yesterdays real story. in the 9th inning, with the tying run on third and the go ahead run on first, a Cardinal hit a flare to right center. Barmes on an all out sprint ran back and made a diving/falling/tumbling catch. The runner from first, convinced it was going to fall, was on the move and trying to get to third. Barmes doubled him off to end the game. What a play! Had the Rockies lost again last night the pressure would have really been on.

Lets hope the Brewers can knock the Rockies off a couple times this week, and the Braves stay red hot.

Extremely frustrating game. Pujols had a gapper in the third with the bases loaded to give the Cards a 3-2 lead, but when comes up in the fifth with the bases loaded and just one out, he strikes out (after fouling off at least two ball fours). Ludwig -- batting fourth because they held Holiday out -- never takes his bat off his shoulder and strikes out looking at a 3-2 pitch.

Flash forward to the top of the ninth and the Rockies leading 4-3. Lugo gets a leadoff single. Schumacher bounces one in the hole. Tulowiski makes a great throw, but the replay clearly shows that the runner was safe ... but the ump calls him out.

Instead of first and second, nobody out and Pujols at the plate, they now have second base ... so they intentionally walk Pujols. On the second pitch to Ludwig, Lugo steals third -- but Pujols doesn't follow him to second.

So first and third when Ludwig bloops one over second. Awesome play by the second-baseman, but Lugo is able to tag and walk home with the tying run. Unfortunately, Pujols is already past second base, digging for third, when the catch is made ... he's out easily at first and since it's a force play, the tying rule doesn't count.

Arrrgghh ... the margin could easily be down to one game in the loss colum. Instead, it's two with six more chances for the Rockies to lose.

Today is hold your breath time -- no game for the Rockies, while the Braves face Florida in Atlanta. Got to win this.

[devildeac]

2 back after last night's 4-0 W over the Marlins. Braves managed only 3 hits but were the recipients of 11 BB and Jurrens pitched a wonderful 7 innings with 2 fine innings to close it out from the 'pen. Hudson tonight.

[Matches]

Huge performance by Jurrjens. If the Braves had given him adequate run support all year, he'd be in the Cy Young discussion.

[JasonEvans]

Marlins leading by 1, 5-4, going to the bottom of the 9th. This could be one of the biggest innings of the season for the Bravos. While Colorado is locked in a close game with Milwaukee, meaning the Braves might be able to lose and not lose ground, failing to capitalize on a Colorado loss would be HUGE.

And falling 3 back at this point would come darn close to ending this.

--Jason "let the drama extend at least one or two more nights... please" Evans

[JasonEvans]

Runner on first, no outs. Chipper fights off 2 or 3 good fastballs in the mid-upper 90s and looks like he is going to have a legendary at-bat...

...but then he raps into a routines double-play and suddenly the game is over.

And the announcers just said the Rockies are now leading on the Brewers.

--Jason "sigh" Evans

[aimo]

Runner on first, no outs. Chipper fights off 2 or 3 good fastballs in the mid-upper 90s and looks like he is going to have a legendary at-bat...

...but then he raps into a routines double-play and suddenly the game is over.

And the announcers just said the Rockies are now leading on the Brewers.

--Jason "sigh" Evans

For some reason, the local 10pm news said that the Braves had won. Then I hear this morning that they lost. GRRRRR!!!!!

[Olympic Fan]

So first and third when Ludwig bloops one over second. Awesome play by the second-baseman, but Lugo is able to tag and walk home with the tying run. Unfortunately, Pujols is already past second base, digging for third, when the catch is made ... he's out easily at first and since it's a force play, the tying rule doesn't count.

Arrrgghh ... the margin could easily be down to one game in the loss colum. Instead, it's two with six more chances for the Rockies to lose.

If you want to feel worse (I do), last night on the Major League Network, they had a series of still photos which showed the instead of making a game-saving catch against the Cards, the Rockies' second-baseman actually trapped the ball. That means that Colorado benefited from not one, but two blown calls in the ninth inning of that one-run game (because Schumacher was clearly safe on his grounder to short).

Plus, Colorado ended up winning in 11 vs. the Brewers.

That's a three-game lead for the Rockies with five to go. It's not impossible, but it's getting awfully close. Colorado can't quite clinch tonight, but their magic number is just three games.