As Braves get prepared to beat the ever lovin’ piss out of the Phillies again, and we prepare to gloat in this Braves game thread, let’s check out some good news and not so good news our our 2 young stars.
Braves Game Thread: Injury Updates
Assuming it’ll take Ronald Acuna Jr.4-5 days to get game ready, Friday of this week seems like a good estimate to see him back in action. Needless to say, Ozzie Albies will not be on that same timeline, and we’ll keep our fingers and toes crossed that he’ll be back at some point in 2020.
Paula Caray Passes Away
Lots of great memories with Skip. Rest in peace, Paula. Here’s a neat excerpt from an AJC article on Paula’s passing:
“Paula Caray continued to live in Atlanta and kept up the home’s basement turned museum, with whole walls devoted to the Braves’ 1995 World Series championship. Paula Caray recently reminisced on her husband’s career in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May.”
Chris Vivlamore
Need a Hat?
I’ve been shaving my head for 20+ years so naturally I wear a hat everywhere I go (also, I’ve had way too many pieces cut off of me in the past decade to not wear one), so naturally when this beauty popped up, I had to grab it. It’s the first hat I’ve ever purchased that ran north of $30. Track record broken.
Wither Matt Adams, add another Former Brave?
Tommy is a brilliant writer but hasn’t been writing much lately (which saddens me), but he might be on to something here. Tommy La Stella can play 3 IF positions and is a good LH stick that’s likely better than Matt Adams.
Braves Game Thread: Tonight’s Lineup
Get that W, gents.
If you haven’t been around these past few days, you missed a great piece by Jonathan so check it out here.
Nice take
Upsetting news from tonight’s lineup. Having most successfully proved that it worked resoundingly yesterday why on earth are they now pushing Osuna back in the field and playing Adams at DH. Makes no sense whatsoever. Anyone?
And watch out for La Stella. When you send him back down he won’t go!
Agreed @2. Come on Snit.
@2&3
Braves need to see what they have in Adams and I think that’s why he’s in the lineup. I feel like if he doesn’t perform tonight, he’s the roster casualty when Markakis comes back.
Hey Ryan @4 – that’s fair. But Ozuna in RF is pretty painful to watch.
Go Braves! Throw strikes and get ahead Erlin.
I hate to see the Mime in the field, but I think the idea was not to have both Pache and Inciarte in the lineup. I like the idea of giving Adams some more AB’s. The real decision was between Pache and Ender to play center. For whatever reason, they’re not ready to say Pache is the regular centerfielder.
Well, if you’re gonna give one up… . Good heavens!
Welp
Marcelle is more serviceable in LF than RF. So there’s that.
@6 (I was about to post this when Harper hit one 470 feet)
I can definitely see not just handing over the full-time center field job to a guy who’s played all of one major league game. What will be interesting to see is if they give Pache starts against left-handers as we go forward here.
If Erlin can go 4 and hold them to just the 2 ER that’s a good outing.
Riley is Scott Thorman/ Wes Helms
We already spent the whole game yesterday talking about Francoeur’s damned blueberry beer. Do we really need to do it again tonight?
Yesterdays lineup featured Travis, I imagine Snit is trying to mitigate the absence of his bat by giving Adamsa start.
Can anyone figure out why “the Brady Bunch theme” is playing during Kingery’s walk up?
@14 – I was wondering the same thing.
@14
He did it last year and somebody asked him why on Twitter (yes, the Braves organist has a Twitter account…@bravesorganist, natch). It seems it’s because Kingery looks like Peter Brady.
Y’all ain’t need to watch with the volume on.
@17
Could be worse. Tomorrow night, for instance, we’ll have to deal with A-Rod on ESPN. (And yes, your solution works for him, as well.)
Chip doesn’t comprehend why Francoeur, a man born during the 80’s, doesn’t know anything about the Brady Bunch.
@12, that’s a very Chieflike opinion, but after watching him butcher that grounder, kinda hard to defend Riley right now.
Kingery looks like Peter Brady. That’s the joke. 🙂
Riley’s defensive numbers aren’t very pretty either.
When Ozzie comes back, Camargo should be getting most of the time at third. He is at least a good defensive third baseman, and if neither of Riley and Camargo are going to hit, he is the better choice.
Well, it was bound to happen eventually, but Bad A.J. made a bit of a reappearance there.
@22
Riley’s had a much better approach at the plate this week BTW. You may not believe it’s much of anything, but it seems as though Albies might not be back in the next week or so, so we’ll probably have a chance to find out one way or the other without having to make a decision.
AUSTIN!!!
Riley taketh away, but he occasionally giveth!
I, for one, have seen enough of Matt Adams. Those swings that missed the ball by 18″ don’t do much.
Riley!!
Don’t bench Riley or call him Scott Thorman just yet!
On the other hand, I had hoped Matt Adams could provide a decent left-handed power bat when he came off the IL, but he’s looked really bad.
Riley made up for his gaffe and more. The L if they dont come back is on the offense as a whole.
Agree with Nick @24 regarding plate approach.
Marcell!
Please dear god pull Adams.
YES YES YES GLAD TO BE WRONG
WOOOOOOO!!!!!
Y’all owe Matt Adams a pology.
Are we still ready to write off Adams?
Fatt Adams!!
I was 75% sure that Adams was going to hit into a double play. First guessing is hard.
The Phillies bullpen gets the gong once again! Gongs for everybody, even the new guy!
And yes, HT to Adams for doing that after I finally gave up on him.
How’s about putting Pache in for Ozuna here?
UPDATE: Snitker and I thinking alike, apparently.
LOUD CURSING
I don’t think this is gonna go well. Melancon doesn’t appear to have much tonight.
Melancon…come on man. His stuff is ordinary and he seems to get it done with mirrors. Sometimes mirrors break…like tonight
Great job Pache to make it close.
Wasted challenge.
But again beaten by the shift
@45
Well, kinda I guess, but Melancon stopping for a cup of tea on his way to the ball on Quinn’s bunt was a greater culprit IMO.
I’ve been hearing about Pache‘s arm for years, but that’s the first time I’ve really seen it. Wow.
Kinda wish we hadn’t wasted Culberson’s pinch-running appearance after we’d already taken the lead.
Ugh…Ender trying to bunt. Why the hell can Ender not bunt? It’s freaking absurd!
Given his skill set Ender needs to be a good bunter. And he’s terrible at it!
That should be his last at bat with the Braves. Ender is the epitome of useless
@46 very true
Lieutenant!!!
Dear Atlanta Braves,
Please stop penciling Ender Inciarte into the starting lineup.
Love,
Alex
One of the better calls by Chip I’ve heard: “Bryce Harper in right field, hands on his knees, looking at the grass. He’s seen this movie before.”
Well, it’s a good thing replay exists to save this umpire from being Jerry Meals.
BRAVES WIN!!!
Adam Duvall has been on a mission this year and I am so here for it.
Yet another “win” coming from a blown save. Of our 16 wins, I think that’s now 4.
‘ And e’en the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear a cheer.’
In essence, in this context, this means that even the Phillies felt they should applaud us. Yeah.
Least likely, least loved hero of the night – MATT ADAMS.
Field the bunt man, field the bunt!.
@53 I think you speak for all of us
Well, that was a helluva satisfying win.
We might be a team with obvious issues & key injuries, but never underestimate the ability of the Phils’ bullpen to cough up a game. They’re uncanny.
And that’s 12-6 vs. NL East.
@58 I hear you, but I don’t want any scare quotes around ‘win’ today. We were the better team today, though it took all nine innings to see it.
Great game. Made it to the TV in the 7th so perfect timing. This is the big story for me:
What a win.
My bad @27 – – Matt Adams made me look a fool.
Was surprised to see Hech PR for d’Arnaud with Jackson possibly hurt since a PR on first in that situation gives only a tiny advantage. I guess Snit needed a LF for extra innings and Hech would’ve gone to 2B, Camargo to 3B, and Riley to LF, but I would’ve waited to do that until the inning was over and I was sure Jackson was ok. If Snit had not PR Hech, and Jackson was hurt, he could’ve moved d’Arnaud to C and still put Hech in at 2B to move Camargo to 3B and Riley to left.I don’t think there were any position players left, so if Jackson wasn’t ok, would (or could) Culberson have moved from DH to emergency C and made the pitchers hit, or would they have had to move someone else to emergency C and a pitcher to that player’s position?
Also, based on a sample size of one throw, how does Pache’s arm compare to those of, say, Acuna, Heyward, and Andruw? I assume someone will tweet soon that 96.6 mph is in the top 6% or whatever of all outfield throws this year.
@65 Agreed. That move made no sense.
Another great recap.
https://bravesjournal.mystagingwebsite.com/2020/08/23/game-27-recap-duvall-completes-comeback-with-walk-off-single/