RIP Braves

after playing the mets, the braves get 10 in a row against washington and florida..

 

Isn't Klapisch the same guy who two weeks ago, after the Braves took two of three from the Mets in New York, explained it away by saying the Mets were short-handed because they didn't have Floyd and Beltran the majority of the series? Nevermind, at the time, the Braves were without Chipper, Giles and Renteria. And nevermind Atlanta won the final game of that series with Francoeur and Andruw being the only two regulars in the lineup.

Just think it's interesting. Since the AP story centers on how the Braves aren't panicking.

 

I thought that part was interesting too.
there's reason to panic, because the braves need to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to bolster their bullpen. the rotation is not bad. smoltz, hudson, thomson, ramirez and davies is not a bad group. but the bullpen is absolutely horrible. It wouldn't be good even if they had wagner back there, but at least they'd have one guy they know could get people out at the end of the game.

 

Just for the record, Klapisch didn't try to explain it away when the Mets lost the first series to the Braves. He actually wrote that the Braves apparently were still in the Mets' heads. The guy is far from a homer, if that's what you're implying.

And as far as the Braves not panicking? Andruw Jones said he would have sat out with a bad back Saturday but felt the team needed him to play. Smoltz is starting on Sunday with three days rest. Chipper is talking about how this is the result of Time Warner refusing to spend money for players. "Panicking" may be too strong a word, and yeah, it's too early to count anybody out, much less Atlanta, but the Braves aren't acting as nonchalant as that AP story makes them sound. This year feels different than all those other years they fell behind early, and they know it.

 

Wagner as the closer means they have Reitsma as setup -- a role in which he has been much more effective. But everybody in the ballpark knows Reitsma can't cut it as a closer. Chipper's right, but it's nothing new. Underspending in the bullpen has been an issue for almost the entire run. And it's frustrating for Braves fans. Sucks to think, "You know, if we'd only spent a little more, we wouldn't be in this situation." I'll say this, though: If Ramirez is effective when he comes off the DL, Jorge Sosa goes back to the pen, which might be good for him. If the Braves are going to recover from this, though, they're going to have to hope like hell Dontrelle Willis ends up anywhere but New York.

 

They're the Braves, for God's sake. Don't they have 25 amazing young arms in the system?

I'm only half-kidding. Surely they've got a few arms in Richmond and Mississippi that can do better than this (or at least build for the future).

 

The Braves bullpen isn't the problem. It's the starters:

Hudson, 7 starts, 5.09 ERA
Smoltz, 6 starts, 4.05 ERA
Davies, 6 starts, 4.91 ERA
Sosa, 5 starts, 6.17 ERA
Thomson, 5 starts, 2.16 ERA
Horacio Ramirez, 1 start, 15.00 ERA

 

Let's say the Mets do run away. Let's also say the Braves win the wildcard. Are you picking the Mets in a playoff series?
I'm not.

 

Yeah, Hudson and Smoltz are bums. Dump them. : Stop extrapolating from early season stats. Far too early to establish trends.

And no way Willis gets traded.

 

The solution isn't necessarily that they get rid of Smoltz and Hudson, it's that they improve. Blaming the problems on the bullpen does not address the issue. Smoltz has at least been average.

Looking at overall stats, starters and relievers are equally to blame. Atlanta's relievers are 11th in ERA in the NL and their starters are 8th, though the relievers have a better overall ERA.

 

Saw that Zambrano is out for the year with a torn elbow tendon.
Is it fair to say that Scott Kazmir-for-Zambrano could become one of the worst trades in recent memory?

 

Why, why, why, why, why would anyone throw Francouer a strike at this point? He still hasn't drawn a walk this year.

To review:
Curveball starting in the zone and dropping out = strikeout.
Any pitch over the plate belt-high = 400-plus ft. bomb.

(Andruw-less) Braves 8, Mets 1 in the sixth after the latter.