In five games played with the Pirates we’ve scraped out one win.
One.
Today, in just a few hours, we hold on to hopes of going 2-4 with the Pirates and have a little making up to do if we’re going to finish the road trip on a good note. A sweep of the Phillies would be nice.
So what’s gone wrong against the Pirates? No disrespect to you Pittsburgh fans but, a team that’s been a NL Central bottom feeder (and still is) for so many years should be easy work for us Braves. But alas, it is not so.
What Went Wrong Last night
Chuck James was pitching so that in itself doesn’t really give you much of a chance to win a ballgame. Saturday, in 6 IP’s he gave up 5 ER’s, 4 BB’s, and of course his mandatory homerun to Jason Bay. Braves fans, Chuck James started 2008 in Richmond and I wish he would just stay there. If it weren’t for the fact we have such a beat up starting five we’d see someone else in that spot but the question is “who?”. Bobby, I think I saw a hard throwing ball boy working the foul line at Turner Field who might fare a little better.
He’s 2-2 w/ 7.38 ERA and has 11 BB’s to 17 K’s (not an impressive ratio). Also, he’s averaging one homerun per game started. So if you factor that one homer per game to those 11 walks (2.75 per game), there are ducks on the pond when James is giving up dingers.
2 runs for the lineup won’t get it done either. In the last two contests we haven’t mustered more than a pair of runs in PNC Park. Last night we weren’t really even getting chances. We only left 3 LOB’s yesterday. And although Infante made an impressive start going 3-4, other than he and Tex you had two other Braves starters even getting hits (Esco and Kotsay with one each). You also had Chipper going a rare 0-4 and dropping to .400 for the season if you can believe it.
Now I’m trying to beat this team up too much. It’s always a little tougher to get road wins and even tougher when you have to call upon Chuck James to keep your winning ways going. Glavine has just been the victim of bad luck and even though he pitched well enough to keep us in the game the 9 LOB’s on Friday indicate how poor the run support was.
A lot of little things just didn’t fall the way of the Braves this weekend (including a horrible call on a pick off attempt just prior to the Bay homer) but these losses are just a little infuriating… I’ll say it again…especially to the Pirates.
Getting Back On Track
So Jurrjens will make a bid for to get new winning streak to get under way. He’ll face the talented Zach Duke who isn’t having that impressive of a 2008 so far. Jair on the other hand has been one of the starters I’ve been thrilled to have come to the mound. He’ll give us innings and get strikeouts. If the bats can wake up we can avoid the sweep and have some positive momentum going into our Phirst Phillies Phaceoff.
Chop Away,
JB in ATL
4 Comments
May 11, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I’m frustrated right now to say the least. Our offense is amazingly strong at home and just non-existent on the road. We’re 4-13 on the road!! How are you supposed to have a good season when you’re on track to maybe win 20 games on the road all season? I don’t know what needs to be done at this point but we have to get the team playing like they did on the homestand all of the time.
-Jonathan
May 11, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Great looking site you have here…interesting and informative…we too have created a new blog called theoldbarbershop…just like the old barbershops, it’s a place where friends can gather to visit and share stories about almost any topic, including the Braves…if you like, please stop by for a visit when you can, and let us know what is happening with the Braves…we would be honored…sja…
May 11, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Jonathan, you’re right, 4-13 is not a good start. Playing on the road is a different ballgame but good teams find a way to go over .500 in visiting parks.
I can’t use the “it’s still early” excuse too much longer but dropping a series to the Pirates, Nationals, and Marlins week after week gets old fast.
I would love to see us get back on track against the Phils for many reasons.
If today’s game gets underway we could right the ship before it gets too far off course.
May 11, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Nevermind. Tomorrow is a 12:35pm start in Pitt and then Tuesday in Citizens Bank Park.