8/29: Braves @ Phillies Game Preview

August 29, 2009 - 7:05 (SportSouth)
Braves (67-61) vs. Phillies (74-52)
@


Derek Lowe
(12-8, 4.48 ERA, 50 BB, 82 K, 1.46 WHIP)
Career vs. Phillies: 5-1, 2.64 ERA in 9 starts, 13 total games
vs.

Cliff Lee
(12-9, 2.63 ERA, 39 BB, 146 K, 1.19 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 1-0, 2.57 ERA in 1 start

Braves vs. Lee:
Omar Infante: 21 PA, 8-20, RBI
Garret Anderson: 17 PA, 7-17, 5 RBI
Greg Norton: 6 PA, 1-5, HR, 2 RBI
Matt Diaz: 3 PA, 1-3, RBI
Chipper Jones: 3 PA, 1-3, 2B

Phillies vs. Lowe:
Pedro Feliz: 30 PA, 7-28, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Jimmy Rollins: 26 PA, 7-26
Ryan Howard: 24 PA, 3-22, 4 RBI
Raul Ibanez: 24 PA, 2-22, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Chase Utley: 21 PA, 7-20, HR, 2 RBI
Matt Stairs: 19 PA, 2-15, HR, 3 RBI

Season Series:
8-5 (Last Game: 8/29, L 4-2)

What to Look For:
Back on my grind after taking a break yesterday. The Braves are in the hole once again after losing last night, 4-2. It doesn't get any easier tonight. The struggling Derek Lowe faces the almost perfect Cliff Lee. Lowe has given up 11 runs in his last two starts, while Lee hasn't allowed more than a single run in any of his five starts as a Phillie. He is a perfect 5-0, including two complete games and two shutouts. Ryan Church is out tonight, apparently re-injuring himself or something.

8/28-8/30: Braves @ Phillies Series Preview

Atlanta Braves (67-60, T-2nd NL East)
vs.
Philadelphia Phillies (73-52, 1st NL East)
@

Once again, the Braves face an important series that is crucial to their Wild Card chances. They hit the road for a three-game series with the Phillies.

The Phillies Lately:
The Pirates bugged the Phillies enough to take two of three in their most recent series. The Phillies' previous series was four games with the Mets in which they won three. They continue to cruise at seven games ahead in the division.

The Braves Lately:
After winning two straight series against the Mets and Marlins, the Braves most recently dropped two of three to the Padres to wrap up the homestand. They had gotten within three games of first in the Wild Card but now sit 4.5 out. The Braves now enter a stretch of three games against the Phillies and three games against the Marlins, both on the road.

(2009 stats followed by career stats vs. opposing team)
8/28 - 7:05
Tommy Hanson (9-2, 3.12 ERA)
vs.
Pedro Martinez (2-0, 5.14 ERA...11-10, 3.70 ERA in 23 starts, 30 total games)

A big matchup on Friday kicks off a weekend full of headlining matchups between the two teams. Tommy Hanson won his ninth game in his most recent start, allowing three runs in seven innings against the Marlins. He has yet to face the Phillies. Pedro Martinez continues his comeback tour with three decent starts under his belt. He allowed three runs, one run, and four runs in the three starts, but has received tremendous run support. Six innings against the Mets in his most recent start has been his longest outing thus far.

8/29 - 7:05
Derek Lowe (12-8, 4.48 ERA...5-1, 2.64 ERA in 9 starts, 13 total games)
vs.
Cliff Lee (12-9, 2.63 ERA...1-0, 2.57 ERA in 1 start)

Derek Lowe continues to be poop in his starts, allowing three runs in five innings against the Marlins the last time he went out. His ERA sets a season high every time he takes the mound. Lowe needs to be the Lowe of...old, maybe...against Cliff Lee. Lee has yet to allow more than a single run in five starts with the Phillies, including two complete games and two shutouts. Not to mention the Phillies have won every time he has taken the mound. Oh well, I'll take two wins in the series.

8/30 - 8:05
Jair Jurrjens (10-8, 2.91 ERA...3-2, 2.31 ERA in 7 starts)
vs.
Joe Blanton (8-6, 3.88 ERA...0-1, 6.58 ERA in 5 starts)

Another ESPN game to kill the Braves' energy as they travel to Florida for a game the next day. And another Jurrjens/Blanton matchup. Despite the numbers being in the Braves' favor, Blanton outpitched Jurrjens in their last matchup, with Blanton allowed one earned run over seven innings and Jurrjens allowing two earned runs over seven innings. Jurrjens is coming off one run in 7.2 innings against the Padres. Blanton is coming off three runs in six innings against the Pirates.

Key Phillies Relievers:
CL - Brad Lidge (46.2 IP, 7.33 ERA, 25 SV...32.2 IP, 5.79 ERA, 14 SV)
SU - Ryan Madson (63 IP, 3.00 ERA, 21 HLD...45.2 IP, 3.35 ERA, 11 HLD)
MR - Chan Ho Park (78.1 IP, 4.48 ERA, 8 HLD...83 IP, 5.64 ERA)

Key Phillies Hitters:
1B - Ryan Howard (.267, 35 HR, 108 RBI....332, 27 HR, 79 RBI in 78 games)
2B - Chase Utley (.301, 27 HR, 82 RBI....285, 15 HR, 57 RBI in 101 games)
LF - Raul Ibanez (.281, 27 HR, 79 RBI....255, 2 HR, 5 RBI in 12 games)

8/27: Padres @ Braves Game Preview

August 27, 2009 - 7:10 (SportSouth)
Padres (54-74) vs. Braves (66-60)
@


Clayton Richard
(7-3, 4.42 ERA, 55 BB, 86 K, 1.49 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: First start
vs.

Javier Vazquez
(10-9, 3.14 ERA, 35 BB, 186 K, 1.07 WHIP)
Career vs. Padres: 4-4, 3.19 ERA in 16 starts

Braves vs. Richard:
Adam LaRoche: 3 PA, 0-3

Padres vs. Vazquez:
David Eckstein: 19 PA, 1-17, RBI
Luis Rodriguez: 7 PA, 2-6
Chase Headley: 3 PA, 2-3, 2 2B, RBI
Will Venable: 3 PA, 1-3, HR

Season Series:
2-3 (Last Game: 8/27, L 12-5)

What to Look For:
Whether they can salvage the final game of a disappointing series. Javier Vazquez has allowed nine runs in his last two starts, and is looking to rebound in a spot where the Braves could use it. The Braves have never faced Clayton Richard and the only player to face him in their career is Adam LaRoche.

Noteworthy: Tim Hudson will start Monday against the Marlins, replacing Kenshin Kawakami.

Padres 12, Braves 5

This simply isn't even worth talking about. When you've already given up on the season, all you do when this happens is shake your head and smile. There is no turning anything around after getting blown out by the Padres for a second straight loss.

8/26: Padres @ Braves Game Preview

August 26, 2009 - 7:10 (Peachtree TV)
Padres (53-74) vs. Braves (66-59)
@


Tim Stauffer
(1-6, 3.95 ERA, 14 BB, 37 K, 1.34 WHIP)
Career vs. Braves: 0-1, 4.50 ERA in 2 starts
vs.

Kenshin Kawakami
(6-9, 3.97 ERA, 51 BB, 90 K, 1.35 WHIP)
Career vs. Padres: 0-1, 4.50 ERA in 1 start

Braves vs. Stauffer:
Chipper Jones: 6 PA, 0-4 (Just what he needs)
Adam LaRoche: 5 PA, 5-5, 2 2B, RBI
Garret Anderson: 3 PA, 2-3
Brian McCann: 3 PA, 1-3
Martin Prado: 3 PA, 1-3, HR

Padres vs. Kawakami:
Kyle Blanks: 3 PA, 1-3, HR
David Eckstein: 3 PA, 1-3, 3B
Kevin Kouzmanoff: 3 PA, 1-3, 2B, RBI
Will Venable: 3 PA, 3-3, RBI

Season Series:
2-2 (Last Game: 8/25, L 2-1)

What to Look For:
If the Braves can rebound and win the next two like they have the past two series. The Braves must win this series to be taken seriously in the Wild Card race. Kenshin Kawakami allowed three runs in six innings in his only start against the Padres. Tim Stauffer allowed three runs in five innings in his only start against the Braves this season. The Braves expect to have Ryan Church back in the lineup.

Padres 2, Braves 1 (12 Innings)

The Braves deserved to lose this game. They can't seem to focus on the game at hand and it bites them in the rear.

Chipper Jones (AP - John Bazemore)

The Padres scored a run in the third on a solo homer by Adrian Gonzalez. The score remained 1-0 Padres until the ninth, when the Braves finally woke up and realized they were about to get shut out by a bad team. Adam LaRoche singled in the tying run. The winning run was left on third thanks to the awesome plan of bunting with two outs by Matt Diaz.

After a perfect top of the 10th by Mike Gonzalez, the Braves loaded the bases on walks. But Garret Anderson struck out to end the inning. Rafael Soriano struck out the side in the top of the 11th and the Braves were set down in order in the home half. The Padres scored the winning run in the 12th on an RBI double by David Eckstein.

Jair Jurrjens: 7.2 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 BB, 7 K
Peter Moylan, Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano: Scoreless inning each
Kris Medlen: L (3-4), 1 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Jair Jurrjens walked four but his only mistake was the solo homer to Gonzalez. Moylan, Gonzalez, and Soriano each pitched a scoreless inning to keep them tied. Kris Medlen gave up the winning run in the 12th.

Adam LaRoche: RBI

The Braves had just two hits against Mat Latos over seven innings. You could just see the apathy out there. They didn't wake up until the last minute, resulting in the tying run in the ninth. However, failing to bring in the winning run in the ninth and 10th cost them. Omar Infante and Martin Prado were a combined 0-12 in the top two spots. Chipper Jones went hitless again. Diaz had two hits and LaRoche had the lone RBI.

Notable Padres:
Mat Latos: 7 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Notable Stat:
Chipper Jones: 1-28, RBI

Next Game:
8/25: Padres, 7:10 (Tim Stauffer vs. Kenshin Kawakami)

8/25: Padres @ Braves Game Preview

August 25, 2009 - 7:10 (SportSouth)
Padres (52-74) vs. Braves (66-58)
@

Mat Latos
(4-3, 4.82 ERA, 16 BB, 29 K)
Career vs. Braves: 1-0, 2.57 ERA in 1 start
vs.

Jair Jurrjens
(10-8, 2.99 ERA, 55 BB, 113 K)
Career vs. Padres: 1-0, 1.50 ERA in 1 start

Braves vs. Latos:
Adam LaRoche: 3 PA, 1-2, HR
Matt Diaz, Yunel Escobar, Chipper Jones: 1-3 each

Padres vs. Jurrjens:
Adrian Gonzalez: 3 PA, 1-3, RBI

Season Series:
2-1 (Last Game: 8/5, W 6-2)

What to Look For:
Mat Latos vs. Jair Jurrjens. The two young hurlers square off in the first game of the series. The Braves must not look over the Padres since a series with the Phillies is on the horizon.

NL East Roundup (8/24)

The Phillies added a half game to their lead and the Nationals lost in the only action from Monday.

Phillies vs. Mets:
The Phillies cruised past the Mets, 6-2. Ryan Howard hit two homers and drove in five of Philly's six runs. Raul Ibanez added two hits and an RBI. Cliff Lee went to 5-0 in a Phillies uniform by allowing two unearned runs on six hits in seven innings, not walking any and striking out five. The Phillies moved to seven games ahead of the Braves in the East.

Brewers vs. Nationals:
The Brewers scored six in the sixth in route to a 7-1 win. Jody Gerut had a homer and three RBIs for the Brewers, and Ryan Braun added a homer and two RBIs. Willie Harris picked up two of Washington's six hits, and Wil Nieves recorded the lone RBI. Collin Balester allowed four runs in five innings for the Nationals, and Yovani Gallardo allowed one run in five innings for the Brewers.

The Rockies beat the Giants in a thriller, winning on a walkoff grand slam in the 14th inning by Ryan Spilborghs. The win put the Rockies ahead in the Wild Card by four games over the Giants and 4.5 over the Braves.

Upcoming Series:
Phillies vs. Pirates
Padres vs. Braves
Mets vs. Marlins
Nationals vs. Cubs
Dodgers vs. Rockies
Diamondbacks vs. Giants

Braves MiL Lines:
A+ - Jesus Sucre: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
A+ - Gerardo Rodriguez: 2-4, HR
A- - Adam Milligan: 3-4, 2B, RBI
A- - Mike Minor: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Rk - Chris Masters: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K

8/25-8/27: Padres @ Braves Series Preview

San Diego Padres (52-74, 5th NL West)
vs.
Atlanta Braves (66-58, 2nd NL East)
@

The Braves wrap up a short homestand with a three-game warmup before heading to Philadelphia.

The Padres Lately:
After taking two of three from the Cubs, the Padres gave it back by losing three of four to the Cardinals in their most recent series. Their season continues to dive farther and farther down the drain.

The Braves Lately:
The Braves have won their past two series despite losing the first game of both, taking two of three from the Mets and Marlins. They sit four games out in the Wild Card, 6.5 out in the East.

8/25 - 7:10
Mat Latos (4-3, 4.82 ERA...1-0, 2.57 ERA in 1 start)
vs.
Jair Jurrjens (10-8, 2.99 ERA...1-0, 1.50 ERA in 1 start)

After a great start to his career, Mat Latos has been bombed in his last two starts, giving up seven runs to the Cardinals and five runs to the Cubs. He allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings in his last start against the Braves. Jair Jurrjens has been solid since getting away from the Dodgers, allowing two runs to the Phillies and Mets in his last two starts. He has yet to face the Padres this season.

8/26 - 7:10
Tim Stauffer (1-6, 3.95 ERA...0-1, 4.50 ERA in 2 starts)
vs.
Kenshin Kawakami (6-9, 3.97 ERA...0-1, 4.50 ERA in 1 start)

Tim Stauffer allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings in his last start against the Braves, beginning a stretch of four straight losses that he is still on. He is coming off four runs allowed in five innings against the Cardinals. Kenshin Kawakami is coming off a monster start against Johan Santana and the Mets, allowing one run in seven innings in a 3-2 win. He allowed three runs in six innings against the Padres last time they faced each other.

8/27 - 7:10
Clayton Richard (7-3, 4.42 ERA)
vs.
Javier Vazquez (10-9, 3.14 ERA...4-4, 3.19 ERA in 16 starts)

The Padres are 4-1 in Clayton Richard's five starts since being traded from the White Sox. Richard pitched six shutout innings against the Cardinals in his last start. He has yet to face the Braves in his career. Javier Vazquez didn't rebound from the Phillies start as expected, giving up five runs on 10 hits in 6.2 innings against the Marlins. He allowed two runs in seven innings against the Padres earlier in the month.

Key Padres Relievers:
CL - Heath Bell (50.2 IP, 2.13 ERA, 30 SV...20 IP, 5.40 ERA, SV)
SU - Mike Adams (29.1 IP, 0.92 ERA, 11 HLD...2.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, HLD)
MR - Luke Gregerson (55.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 16 HLD)

Key Padres Hitters:
1B - Adrian Gonzalez (.272, 33 HR, 74 RBI....277, 5 HR, 13 RBI in 23 games)
3B - Kevin Kouzmanoff (.258, 15 HR, 71 RBI....269, HR, 11 RBI in 14 games)
RF - Will Venable (.272, 7 HR, 24 RBI....600, 2 HR, 4 RBI in 3 games)

NL East Roundup (8/23)

When the Phillies win, it's a good idea to keep winning. The Braves remained 6.5 back in the East as both teams won Sunday.

Phillies vs. Mets:
Pedro Martinez earned his second win in as many starts, leading the Phillies to a 9-7 win. Martinez allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings. Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz each hit three-run homers, and Eric Bruntlett added three hits and an unassisted triple play to end the game. Oliver Perez continued to pitch terrible against every team but the Braves and Padres, giving up six runs and only going two-thirds of an inning. Angel Pagan had two hits, a homer, and two RBIs. The Phillies remain 6.5 games ahead of the Braves.

Brewers vs. Nationals:
After five straight losses, the Nationals beat the Brewers, 8-3. Ryan Zimmerman hit a homer and drove in three, and Ronnie Belliard added two RBIs. Adam Dunn and Cristian Guzman also added a solo homer each. Craig Stammen allowed three runs in 6.1 innings. Errors led to three unearned runs for Manny Parra, though he allowed five earned.

The Rockies took a second straight from the Giants to gain a three game lead in the Wild Card. The Braves are a game behind the Giants at four games back.

Braves MiL Lines:
AAA - Tim Hudson: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 5 K
AAA - Brandon Jones: 3-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBI
AA - Jason Heyward: 0-1, 3 BB
AA - Deunte Heath: 3 IP, 3 H, K
AA - Craig Kimbrel: 0.2 IP, H, ER, BB
A+ - Donell Linares: 2-5, HR, 2 RBI
A- - Julio Teheran: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Rk - Brett Oberholtzer: 5 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Braves 7, Marlins 5

Just like the last series against the Mets, the Braves won the final two games of the series against the Marlins, winning this one 7-5.

Brian McCann (AP - John Bazemore)

The Braves started the scoring in the first on a three-run home run by Brian McCann. The Marlins made their comeback in the second and fourth innings, scoring on a Cody Ross RBI double, a double play that scored a run, and a three-run double by Ronny Paulino that put them on top 5-3.

Omar Infante singled in a run in the fourth to cut the lead to one. The Braves tied it in the seventh on a sac fly RBI by Reid Gorecki. A two-run single by McCann in the eighth broke the tie and gave the Braves the win.

Derek Lowe: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, BB, 3 K
Kris Medlen: 2 IP, BB, 2 K
Peter Moylan: W (6-2), 1 IP, H, K
Rafael Soriano: S (20), 1 IP, H, K

Derek Lowe gave up a ton of hits again and it resulted in five runs, though only three were earned due to errors by McCann and Kelly Johnson. So when exactly was Lowe a good pitcher? I haven't seen it yet. Kris Medlen pitched two scoreless innings and hasn't given up a run since August 2nd. Peter Moylan picked up the win with a scoreless eighth and Rafael Soriano pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

Brian McCann: 3-4, HR, 5 RBI
Matt Diaz: 4-4, 2 R
Omar Infante, Reid Gorecki: RBI each

McCann was the man of the hour, hitting a three-run homer and driving in the go-ahead runs in the eighth inning. Matt Diaz finished a homer shy of the cycle and scored twice. Gorecki's RBI was the tying run in the seventh inning. Chipper Jones went hitless again but walked three times. Johnson went 0-3 but walked twice and scored twice. If he's gonna suck, I guess walking a lot is better than nothing at all.

Notable Marlins:
Ronny Paulino: 3 RBI

Notable Stat:
Brian McCann's five RBIs tied his career high for a game.

Next Game:
8/25: Padres, 7:10 (Mat Latos vs. Jair Jurrjens)