Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Marlins 10, Braves 4

Top of the Order: Peter Moylan’s bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh broke a 4-4 tie and the Marlins blew it wide open in a disgraceful ninth, the Braves losing consecutive games for the first time this season and dropping this one without Chipper Jones.

The Good: Other than this garbage is over? Not flipping much. Omar Infante, who got the start for Chipper, drove in two runs. Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-4. Rafael Soriano continues to look great, the hard-throwing right-hander throwing nine of his 12 pitches for strikes in a perfect eighth inning. Eric O’Flaherty struck out the only batter he faced, leaving the bases loaded to end the seventh. Buddy Carlyle fired a perfect sixth inning, striking out one (maybe Buddy C. should be pitching in the seventh or eighth or ninth).

The Bad: First of all, no Chipper. That hand bruise really was hindering Hoss in Tuesday’s game, particularly in the final at-bat. Best to try and rest that thing now instead of it getting worse. Derek Lowe was not at his best in his third start in an Atlanta uniform, the right-hander giving up four runs on seven hits with five walks in five unimpressive innings. Moylan made an absolute mess of the seventh. He hit a batter, allowed a hit and walked two hitters, the last coming with the bases loaded to force in a run and break a 4-4 tie. Un-freaking believable. Blaine Boyer continues to pitch himself out of a job, the Marietta native allowing two hits and four runs with a walk and a hit batsman in 1/3 inning. But Mr. Boyer is far from alone: the entire top of the ninth was a disgrace and every player on that field for the Braves in the top of the ninth should be ashamed. The Braves looked like they were ready to get inside the warm clubhouse for the post-game spread, and that is inexcusable from a major-league sports team. Five runs, two errors, and a disinterested group of players standing around as the Marlins ran over and around them. What a load of crap that was.

View from the Sports Garage: Bases loaded walks. I’m sick and darn tired of seeing them. It’s just one run, while a grand slam is four runs. But I’d rather see an opposing batter take a Braves’ reliever deep with the bags packed than to watch another run score because somebody standing on the hill with an A on their cap can’t throw the darn ball over the plate. Come on! FIVE times this has happened in eight games?? I’m sick of this stuff already. Moylan had great movement on his pitches in the seventh … too much movement. He got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but couldn’t get the Marlins to put the ball in play and wasn’t close on ball four. Boyer is out of options, but he’s running out of time. It sucks, because dude has the arm to be a very good pitcher up here. His confidence is just shot right now, and I don’t know why, because Blaine had a great spring. Somebody’s got to come off the roster before Jo-Jo Reyes makes the start Saturday; while I don’t think he’d pass through waivers and the Braves would lose him, I don’t think that will stop the team from making that move. Ugh … two tough losses in a row. Need to get this one today on getaway day, avoid the sweep, and make the flight to Pittsburgh tonight a little more pleasant. But the Braves better show a little more of the passion and swagger we saw in the first two series of the season, or else they’re going to get their butts handed to them on a silver platter again today. Man up, guys, and act like you give a you-know-what, and then go out there and play like it. That top of the ninth was an insult to every man, woman and child who considers themselves a Braves fan.

On deck
Braves vs. Marlins
Noon today, Turner Field

The Skinny: With his first major-league start and first major-league victory under his belt, right-hander Kenshin Kawakami toes the slab looking to end the homestand on a winning note. The right-hander (1-0, 4.50 ERA) beat the Nationals on Saturday, allowing four hits and three runs in six innings, walking four and striking out eight. The Braves would like to see a little better control from Kawakami, but believe that will come in time. For the Marlins, right-hander Anibal Sanchez makes his second start of the season. The 25-year-old Sanchez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) allowed four hits in five scoreless innings against the Mets, walking three and striking out five. The Braves hit him hard last season in two games, scoring 10 runs on 13 hits in eight innings. With the Braves having to burn through most of the bullpen last night, it’s critical Kawakami pitch well and pitch deep into the game today.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Marlins 5, Braves 1

Top of the Order: Javier Vazquez struck out 12 in six innings, but the Braves couldn’t back it up offensively or defensively in losing for just the second time this season.

The Good: Vazquez surrendered three runs in the top of the third, but otherwise was solid. His 12 strikeouts are the most since John Smoltz fanned 12 in August 2007. Vazquez allowed five hits in six innings with one walk. Peter Moylan posted his second consecutive solid outing, striking out one in a perfect seventh. Eric O’Flaherty stranded two inherited runners, getting an inning-ending double play in the eighth. Blaine Boyer pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing one hit but striking out one. Kelly Johnson hit his third homer of the year, a solo shot in the fourth. Jeff Francoeur threw out a runner at home plate.

The Bad: Hadn’t had a lot to say here the first six games, but there’s plenty to mention on this night. The Braves’ defense was shoddy, and that’s putting it mildly. Garret Anderson dropped not one, but two foul balls down the left-field line. Vazquez uncorked a wild pitch, allowing a run to score. Yunel Escobar couldn’t hold onto a throw from Brian McCann on a stolen base attempt. Offensively, give Florida starter Chris Volstad credit for stuffing the Braves on three hits over seven innings. The Braves had two runners on with one out in the sixth but couldn’t get the big hit from Chipper Jones or McCann. Jones, by the way, looked to really be bothered by that bruised right hand in his final at-bat in the ninth. Jeff Bennett looked brutal in his 1/3 inning: four hits, two runs (only one was earned). Off the field, Tom Glavine will rest for two weeks with inflammation of the rotator cuff. It’s looking more and more to me like the only active 300-game winner in the game may not be active much longer. It’ll be Jo-Jo Reyes on Saturday in Pittsburgh (not saying that’s bad, unless we get the Reyes we saw after mid-June last year).

View from the Sports Garage: So we all knew the Braves weren’t going to go 161-1. We all knew at some point, they would lose a game at home. Still, you’d like to do it while playing your level best. The offensive shutdown? I can live with that. It happens. Volstad really impressed me with the way he worked both sides of the plate, the way he had good command, his mound presence. They’ve got some darn fine young pitching in Florida. But the Atlanta defense? Nope, not too thrilled about what I saw Tuesday night. Dan Uggla’s base hit that scored two runs for the Fish in the top of the third just barely got under Escobar’s glove at short. I thought he could’ve made the play, but it was hit hard. The wild pitch hurt Vazquez, who otherwise looked good – lotta movement on his pitches. Anderson? What the heck? Not an impressive return to the lineup at all. Guess we should’ve known how this night was going when McCann dropped down a bunt in the second, beat the throw to first … and was called out.

On deck
Braves vs. Marlins
7 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Derek Lowe makes his second start before the home folks, and this time he’ll hope to pitch beyond the fourth inning. His first Turner Field outing cut short by a two-hour rain delay Friday, Lowe (1-0, 0.82 ERA) climbs the bump having been everything the Braves could’ve hoped from a No. 1 starter so far in 2009. The right-hander has allowed just six hits and one run in 11 innings, walking two and striking out 10. For the Marlins, lefty Andrew Miller (0-0, 3.86 ERA) makes his first start after logging 2 1/3 innings of relief work in two games so far. In his last outing, Miller gave up four hits and one run in two innings Saturday against the Mets. If you’re going to the game, be mindful there is a tax protest at the state capitol … stop by and protest for me, will ya? I’ve got to go write some checks to the government now.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

UPDATED 5:48 p.m.

ATLANTA — Tom Glavine will spend the next two weeks resting his shoulder, then the only active 300-game winner hopes to resume his pursuit of a spot in the Atlanta Braves’ rotation.

Glavine was diagnosed with inflammation of his left rotator cuff by Dr. James Andrews today in Birmingham, according to published reports this afternoon.

The Braves don’t believe the injury is serious, but one has to wonder if this is yet another strike against the 43-year-old lefty’s hopes to rejoin the Braves. Glavine will be re-evaluated in two weeks, and if all is well with his shoulder, the future Hall of Famer will resume preparation to take the fifth spot in Atlanta’s rotation.

For now, it’s going to be Jo-Jo Reyes manning the last slot. Reyes really impressed with his mental approach and his aggressiveness on the mound during spring training, after a 2008 season marked by a decent early stretch, followed by a horrid June and July that landed him back in the minors.

But he went 2-0 this spring, and with Charlie Morton still building his arm strength after missing most of spring with an oblique injury, Reyes is the logical choice. Yes, I hear the Tommy Hanson folks screaming to get the super-prospect to the majors, but I think there is value in not rushing the 22-year-old wunderkid to the bigs just yet.

Folks, Hanson WILL be here, and soon. Believe me, the Braves prefer for Reyes to show the toughness and the command he displayed in spring training, giving them a lefty in a rotation that is all right-handed. Also, the Braves prefer for Hanson to get a few more Triple-A starts under his belt before promoting him to The Show.

But if Reyes struggles and Glavine isn’t able to resume getting ready in two weeks … well, then all bets are off and it’s likely going to be Hanson Time, perhaps by early May. We shall see.

And now on to this morning’s original post:

ATLANTA — Tom Glavine’s list of accomplishments speaks for itself: two-time Cy Young award winner, World Series MVP, multiple All-Star selection, 300-game winner, future Hall of Famer …

But one thing the legendary lefty hasn’t done is come back from surgery. He’s never had to until now, and there is strong reason to wonder if the Braves’ projected fifth starter’s next move will be into retirement, and not the starting rotation.

Glavine heads to see Dr. James Andrews today in Birmingham, after feeling shoulder discomfort during an at-bat Sunday for Double-A Mississippi. This comes after the 43-year-old complained of soreness during spring training, yet was on target to make his season debut Saturday at Pittsburgh.

That duty now falls on Jo-Jo Reyes, whose five career victories are exactly 300 fewer than Glavine. But it may be Reyes – or Charlie Morton, or even super phenom Tommy Hanson – who becomes the fifth starter for the surging Braves because it’s quite possible Glavine’s comeback from August elbow and shoulder surgery ends here.

That’s not to say Andrews will find major damage inside Glavine’s shoulder. Perhaps it’s just scar tissue causing the discomfort. But maybe it’s something else, and if it is, it’s likely we’ve seen Glavine for the final time. Just from reading some of his quotes the past few months, it’s unlikely Glavine would go through another lengthy rehab in order to try and pitch again later in 2009 or beyond.

So here we stand, wondering if indeed the next time we see No. 47 on the field, it will be when the Braves retire his number. That’s certainly not what the lefty or the team had in mind when he came back to the Braves after his five years with the Mets.

Glavine only pitched in 13 games in 2008, going 2-4 with a 5.54 ERA. His last year with the Mets, Glavine won 13 games with a 4.45 ERA, numbers which certainly would’ve helped the Braves last season.

And this season, too. While Atlanta reconstructed its rotation, Glavine figured to be the lefty at the back, that veteran presence to go along with newly acquired vets Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, and Kenshin Kawakami (the later a vet of the Japanese Central League, of course).

Maybe I’m just being cynical, but I’m not expecting good news today. I’d love to be wrong. I’d love to see Glavine make it back, be healthy enough to make 20 starts, and help pitch the Braves into contention.

But the odds are it will be Reyes or Morton – and eventually by mid-summer, Hanson – manning the fifth spot.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 8, Nationals 5

Top of the Order: Jeff Francoeur’s two triples and a stolen base from – of all people – Brian McCann jump-started the Braves to a series sweep of the Nationals, capping a 5-1 week that has the Braves tied at the top of the NL East.

The Good: Omar Infante continued the Braves’ good work in the leadoff spot, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Chipper Jones went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and a run scored. McCann’s stolen base – the first by a Brave all season – set up a three-run fourth highlighted by the first of two triples by Francoeur. Frenchy scored twice and drove in a run. Rafael Soriano, pitching for the third consecutive day, struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save. The Braves finished 8-for-8 with runners in scoring positions.

The Bad: Except for Soriano, the pitching wasn’t sharp. Jair Jurrjens got the win, but he was far from sharp – five hits, five walks, four runs and just one strikeout in 5 1/3 innings. Twice handed big leads, Jurrjens twice allowed the Nats back into the game. Jeff Bennett and Buddy Carlyle allowed inherited runners to score. Eric O’Flaherty gave up a hit, a walk, and a run in 1/3 inning. Jordan Schafer had one of those days we all know the rookie is going to have: 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Martin Prado booted a ball at first base, allowing an unearned run to score against Jurrjens. Fortunately, the Braves had enough offense on this day.

View from the Sports Garage: Check out the ol’ major league standings with the first week in the books, and the Bravos are right there, tied with the Marlins for the best record in the NL East, the best record in the NL, the best record in the majors. Sure, nobody earns an October berth in early April, but it’s better to be 5-1 than, say, 1-5. The Braves did exactly as they needed to do this weekend. Coming off a really bad loss that could have festered itself through this weekend, the Braves instead grinded out three victories against a bad team (and man, the Nats are bad, aren’t they?). Sunday’s game wasn’t pretty, but it showed that this team can and will score runs. Eleven hits, coming from eight different players, no home runs but five extra-base hits, and five RBIs coming with two outs. Again, the Braves aren’t going to hit a ton of home runs, but they’re going to generate more than enough runs for their pitching. Even on this day, when the pitching was far from pinpoint, there were enough runs scored to cover it up. Six games … five wins … good first week. Now an off day, and a showdown series – can we use that term this early? – with the Marlins starting at Turner Field on Tuesday.

On deck
Braves vs. Marlins
7 p.m. Tuesday, Turner Field

The Skinny: Javier Vazquez should be 1-0, and the Braves should be 6-0. We won’t go there now, will we? Vazquez (0-0, 4.50 ERA) makes his Turner Field debut in a series opener between the only two teams in baseball with one loss. In his first start of the season, Vazquez gave up three runs in six innings. For the Flyin’ Fishes, Chris Volstad (1-0, 1.80 ERA) toes the slab. The right-hander struck out seven and didn’t allow a hit in four of his five innings against Washington in his season debut.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 5, Nationals 3

Top of the Order: Kenshin Kawakami’s six strong innings in his major-league debut fronted a strong pitching performance, and Jordan Schafer’s three hits and Kelly Johnson’s three RBIs paced the offense as the Braves improved to 4-1.

The Good: One week after he walked seven in 2 2/3 innings in his final exhibition start, Kawakami overcame some early control problems to settle in nicely in his first regular-season effort. The 33-year-old Japanese right-hander gave up three runs but just four hits, walking four and striking out eight, in six innings. He threw 89 pitches, 54 for strikes, and really locked after allowing a run in the first and two in the third, retiring the final eight hitters he faced. Johnson went 3-for-4 with a double and a solo homer, scoring twice and driving in three to improve his average to .364. Schafer continues to look nothing like a rookie: two doubles, three hits, two runs scored, a .421 batting average. Yunel Escobar walked twice, singled twice and drove in a run. The bullpen, the one weak link in this first week, bounced back with its strongest showing to date. Peter Moylan struck out the side in a 13-pitch 1-2-3 seventh. Rafael Soriano gave up a hit and a walk, but induced an inning-ending double play in the eighth. Mike Gonzalez struck out two in a flawless ninth. Jeff Francouer threw out a runner at second base.

The Bad: The Braves left 10 runners on base and Francoeur’s average slipped to .190 after an 0-for-3, but really, no complaints from this one.

View from the Sports Garage: Gotta admit, I was worried coming into this one. The Braves used seven relievers during Friday night’s/Saturday morning’s epic storm-delayed extra-inning home opener, and I wasn’t sure Kawakami could grind out the innings the Braves needed. But the Japanese right-hander dug deep after a little bit of a shaky start in the early innings, and he totally took control of things in the middle innings. The bullpen responded, too, as Moylan-Soriano-Gonzalez locked down the final three innings. Great to see Moylan come out and throw strikes. The double-play ball Soriano got was huge, and Gonzalez looked very comfortable on the hill in the ninth. Johnson, Escobar and Schafer combined to go 8-for-11 with four runs scored and four RBIs. For all the speculation on how the lineup would look, Johnson at the top, Esco in the 2-hole and Schafer hitting eighth has worked out quite well. Five games, four wins. I’ll take that over the next six months.

On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
1:30 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Jair Jurrjens makes his first home start of the season, coming off a debut performance in which the 23-year-old right-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball in Philadelphia Tuesday. Jurrjens (1-0, 0.00 ERA) went 1-1 in four starts against Washington last season. For the Nats, lefty Scott Olsen (0-1, 24.00 ERA) allowed eight runs in three innings in his debut against Florida.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 6, Nationals 5 (10 innings)

Top of the Order: The Braves survived a long rain delay and two bullpen meltdowns, Kelly Johnson driving home Jordan Schafer with the game winner in the bottom of the 10th, nearly six hours after the first pitch.

The Good: Johnson doubled once and singled twice, finishing 3-for-5 with a walk, a run scored, and the game-winning RBI. Schafer went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Jeff Francoeur made up for a couple of rocky at-bats early with a tie-breaking, seeing-eye single in the seventh, scoring Brian McCann to snap a 4-4 tie. McCann finished 3-for-4 with three doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Yunel Escobar belted a three-run homer to left-center in the third, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored and the three RBIs. Matt Diaz walked twice. Derek Lowe’s outing was cut short by the rain, but the new ace of the Braves’ staff dazzled with six punchouts in three innings. Lowe gave up four hits and a run, walking two. Jeff Bennett induced a double-play ball in the sixth to end the inning and keep the game tied. Rafael Soriano was solid, rolling through the heart of the Nats’ order in the eighth with a 1-2-3 frame. Jorge Campillo got the win, pitching a scoreless 10th.

The Bad: The weather was rough, scary, tough to deal with. Severe thunderstorms, including a pounding of hail that – let me tell you from first-hand experience – hurt like heck as it smacked us in the head and face in our upper-level seats. The bullpen struggles from the middle guys continued. Buddy Carlyle’s season debut didn’t go well: two runs, four hits, two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Peter Moylan gave up a hit to the only batter he faced. The sidearming Aussie was charged with allowing a run. Johnson was thrown out at home plate to end the eighth. Frenchy struck out twice. Mike Gonzalez couldn’t shut the door in the ninth, allowing three hits and a walk, and the tying run to score on an infield single that had Gonzo not deflected the ball, probably goes into center field and scores two runs. Diaz didn’t help matters any, losing a ball in the lights to start the carnage of the ninth. Braves pitchers walked seven. Braves hitters left 12 on base.

View from the Sports Garage: First and foremost, a big attaboy to the grounds crew. When I left Turner Field an hour into the rain delay, there was a ton of standing water behind third base, shortstop, and all along the warning track. I really didn’t think they’d be able to get the players back on the field. When play resumed shortly before 11 p.m., the field looked great. Lotta energy in the park. It was fun to be back at Turner Field for the first time in seven months, and the Braves looked like they were energized in the early going, too. Major concerns about the middle of the bullpen, though. One game after the epic meltdown in Philly, the middle relievers let a three-run lead slide away. Moylan didn’t have it. Carlyle left too many pitches over the plate. Thankfully, Bennett got that double-play ball. McCann had a heck of a night. He started the seventh-inning rally with a two-out double on a great swing on a ball inside. He saved a run with a great block of a Gonzalez pitch in the ninth. Soriano looked great, folks, he really did. Gonzalez never looked comfortable out there. But Schafer, the kid, continues to begin his candidacy for rookie of the year. He got the 10th started with a leadoff single. It would’ve been nice to have stayed for the duration, but it was nice to celebrate a victory in the Sports Garage after Wednesday’s horrid showing by the bullpen. Four games, three wins … yeah, I’ll take that all season long.

On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
7 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Kenshin Kawakami’s big day arrives. The 33-year-old Japanese right-hander makes his major-league debut for the Bravos, and he’s hoping this trip to the Turner Field bump goes better than his exhibition appearance one week ago. During that matchup with Detroit, Kawakami walked seven. For the Nationals, lefty John Lannan hopes to rebound from a rough debut, in which he allowed six hits and six runs in three innings.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — They pressed their faces to the gate, staring through the bars toward the field of dreams where, for the past two summers, they have spent quality time with dear ol’ Dad (and, yes, at times with Mom, too).

“Can we go in,” asks Rhett, my 5-year-old who doesn’t accept “no” lying down.

The old journalist in me laughs at his persistence as I patiently try to explain to Rhett and his 6-year-old brother, Chas, that no, it’s not time yet to enter Turner Field. We will be here Friday night, tickets in hand, for the Braves’ home opener, the third home opener in a row my sons have attended.

But on this day, we’re playing tourists.

Or, to be more specific, we’re playing a dad on much-needed vacation from work, with two sons on spring break. An afternoon lunch at The Varsity, followed by a surprise stop-over at the home of the Braves, before we point the car south toward the southern rim of the capital city.

It’s a sun-splashed Wednesday afternoon. The Braves are an hour away from playing their third game of the season, one in which the bullpen totally implodes in losing to Philadelphia. We’re more than 48 hours away from Friday’s home opener against Washington.

But for my boys — and for myself — being here on this day is meaningful. It’s our re-introduction to a place where we’ll spend plenty of time during the next six months.

In Monument Plaza, we stop to take pictures by all the plaques and statues that remind us of the great history of this franchise. There are guys who I saw with my own two eyes, folks like Phil Niekro and Dale Murphy. There are ones who I heard about from my grandfather, like Warren Spahn and Hank Aaron and Eddie Matthews.

To this day, it boggles my mind that we’re strolling through a place that once upon a time served as a parking lot for old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. I wrote a column the day of the All-Star game back in 2000 waxing poetic on strolling through that parking lot — which today is Turner Field — holding my grandfather’s hand as we left old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

And now here I am, holding the hands of my own little double-play combination, walking alongside the new Home of the Braves, amid reminders everywhere of the rich history of my team.

“Who’s that?,” asks Chas, intrigued by the weird way the statue before us is holding the baseball.

“That’s Phil Niekro,” I say, explaining how Knucksie held the knuckleball that led him into the hearts of Braves fans everywhere, that paced a career that led Niekro to 318 career victories and a spot in the Hall of Fame. I go on to tell the story of a 43-year-old Niekro winning 17 games — and homering in his final regular-season start — in 1982, leading the Braves to the NL West title and causing me, as a 9-year-old, to feel like Christmas had come early. I also speak of how gracious and funny Niekro was to talk to, having interviewed him several times during my newspaper career.

This is the essence of baseball, of passing down the names, the memories, the history of the grand old game, from one generation to the next. One minute, I’m explaining that Eddie Matthews hit 521 career homers and is the only player who played for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. The next, I’m showing my guys the Magnolia tree planted in honor of the Atlanta Crackers. A minute later, I’m giving a lesson on Jackie Robinson and all he endured to pave the way for so many of the heroes of today …

One of the coolest things, though, is the fixation my boys have with the parking lot on the north side of Turner Field. From 1966-1996, that lot was a yard in and of itself, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where I spent countless days and nights with my grandfather as a kid, and with buddies and girlfriends in my high school and college days.

It’s where I saw Francisco Cabrera swing and Sid Bream slide to win the pennant in 1992. It’s where I saw David Justice go yard and Tom Glavine bedazzle and Marquis Grissom glove the final out of Game 6 of the 1995 World Series, thrusting the Braves into the hall of champions.

The old diamond is laid out in the parking lot, and we re-enacted both of those grand moments on a sunny April afternoon. Amazed at the distance in comparison to how far they must run in their Little League games, nonetheless, Chas lumbered around third and raced home just like Bream.

(I don’t think Barry Bonds would’ve thrown Chas out, either.)

“Wow dad,” Chas exclaims, “look at that.”

We stop by the spot marking Aaron’s record-breaking 715th career homer. I’m disappointed that I didn’t realize, until listening to the Braves’ pregame show on the way home, that we performed this exercise on the 35th anniversary of the Hammer’s passing of the Babe on the all-time home-run list.

“It landed here?,” Chas asks.

“Yes son,” I said, unable to hide the smile at my son asking about one of my hometown’s grandest moments. “At this very spot, Hank Aaron became baseball’s home-run king.”

As we pile into our Toyota Camry and prepare to leave, I pull to a spot down the right-field line.

“Imagine there is a stadium here,” I said. “Picture yourself in the upper level, directly above where we are sitting … this is the spot where I was when the Braves won the 1995 World Series.”

The mere thought of it makes my kids giddy, and it makes the hairs stand up on my arms. Both boys start firing questions at me, asking what was it like to see this moment or that moment.

I pause, then collect myself.

“Above all else, above the playoff games and the great players, this place takes me back to being your age, to watching baseball with my grandfather,” I said.

The car falls silent. We drive around the bases, and we turn toward the Downtown Connector. It’s quiet in the car, but I feel something over me.

It’s the greatness of this great sport taking hold of me. A generation ago, I was asking the questions. Today, I’m answering them.

Baseball, and the process of teaching the next generation, marches on.

–30–

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Phillies 12, Braves 11

Top of the Order: The Braves were nine outs away from completing a resounding sweep of the World Series champs, only to see their bullpen melt down in epic, unfathomable fashion during an eight-run seventh that sent Atlanta to its first loss of the season.

Top of the Order: The Braves completed their resounding opening-series statement in command fashion, downing the defending World Series champions with a five-run third despite not having Chipper Jones or Garret Anderson, moving to 3-0 on the season.

The Good: Don’t blame the offense. Wow … where to begin with the sticks? How about Brian McCann, who staked the Braves to a 2-0 first-inning lead for the third consecutive game with a two-run homer to right in the first. Mac finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. How about Jordan Schafer, who belted a two-run homer in the fifth. How about Jeff Francoeur, who lined a two-run bases-loaded (yes, I said bases loaded, a situation in which Frenchy sucked royally last season) single in the third. How about Matt Diaz, who played for Anderson and doubled down the left-field line after Frenchy’s big hit, Diaz finishing 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. How about Omar Infante, who played for Jones and responded with two hits and a walk. Javier Vazquez, making his Braves’ debut, consistently worked in and out of trouble but didn’t fold in a couple of places where the Phillies could have swung the momentum, including leaving two runners stranded to end the second with the game tied at 2-2. He should’ve gotten the victory, but …

The Bad: Holy cow. Eric O’Flaherty, Peter Moylan, Blaine Boyer and Jorge Campillo, please present checks for 1/162nd of your yearly salary to the charity of your choice, because you gave away this game that would’ve brought the Braves home undefeated. Let’s review the horror – O’Flaherty: one hit, two runs one hit batsman (but hey! Eric-O got an out, at least); Moylan, making his return from Tommy John surgery 11 months ago, had nothing: two hits, two walks, four runs, nine of his 16 pitches missing the strike zone; Boyer was horrible: two batters faced, two walks, two inherited runners allowed to score, two runs charged, nine pitches, ONE strike (he got the loss); Campillo, who at least got two outs (or else the Phillies still might be drawing walks): two hits, three inherited runners allowed to score, one run charged, two walks (he got the blown save), 21 pitches, nine strikes. Jones sat out with a sore thumb that isn’t thought to be serious. Anderson re-tweaked the calf he sprained in spring training, so that situation bears watching. Vazquez struggled with his control, walking four as the Braves issued 10 (yes, 10!) walks.

View from the Sports Garage: So much for a relaxing first day of vacation. So much for having the entire blog written by the sixth inning. So much for coming home 3-0. There is a sprinkling of games every season that every team lets slide away, games that a team has no business losing. Over the course of 162 games, these pop up from time to time. But the timing could not have been worse for an Atlanta team that needed just nine more outs to complete a sweep of the defending world champs, a team that the Braves beat only four times in 18 tries a year ago. A brutal, horrific, putrid, totally disgusting display of relief pitching – or lack thereof – in the seventh inning. Eight runs allowed on a grand total of five hits, six walks, no strikeouts … inexcusable. There is nothing else left to say, really. O’Flaherty, Moylan and Boyer faced nine hitters, retiring one. Again, what else to say except this definitely goes into the column of games that should not have ended with a L. This one stings, folks. The Braves were THIS FREAKING CLOSE to coming home undefeated. Instead, it’s a series win. Yes, winning the series was great, but losing a chance to sweep in this manner makes it very, very difficult to even try to give this a holistic positive spin. Instead, it was horrific in every sense of the word. Time to take today off and get ready for Friday’s home opener. I’m sure folks still will be excited, but I wish the Braves played today. This one was pretty bitter to swallow, and some aftertaste will remain until the first pitch is thrown Friday night.

View from the Sports Garage: So somebody came to you Sunday morning and said the Braves would allow the Phillies just four runs in 27 innings, hit seven home runs, get a masterpiece from their new ace in the season opener, score twice in the first inning all three games … you’d say, “what the heck ever.” But that’s exactly what the Braves did in a three-game stretch that sends as definitive of a message as you can send in the opening hours of a season. This Braves team is nothing like the team that Philly flattened 14 out of 18 times last season. This Braves team looks like the type of team we thought it could be. Now granted, three games do not make a season, and I’m anxious to see the type of response we see from Atlanta when it takes the field Friday night for the home opener against Washington, another team that gave the Braves fits last season. To me, the biggest thing that happened for this team during the entire series wasn’t the homers or the great starting pitching. It was the top of the third Wednesday. Atlanta had just watched Raul Ibanez go yard to tie the game. And how did this team respond? It strung hits together, quality at-bats and great swings. Nobody tried to hit the ball out of that little bandbox. Instead, the Braves got runners on base and followed up with hit. Bam! Five-run inning. Ballgame. Sweep. It was a thing of beauty. Atop the NL East with a 3-0 record and an off day to enjoy the view before we all gather at Turner Field Friday night for the first home game of a season that already is making us dream (just a little bit) of what might be to come for a franchise that suffered so dearly last season.

On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
7:30 p.m. Friday, Turner Field

The Skinny: Derek Lowe set the bar pretty high with his masterful opening-night performance Sunday. Now, the Braves’ new ace looks to make a great first impression on the home folks as the right-hander climbs the bump for Atlanta in its home opener. Lowe dazzled the Phillies with eight innings of two-hit, shutout ball Sunday, inducing 13 ground ball outs while walking none and striking out four. Lowe went 1-1 with a 1.12 ERA against Washington last season, allowing seven hits and two runs in 16 innings. For the Nationals, who were swept in Florida to start the season 0-3, it’ll be right-hander Shairon Martis toeing the slab. Martis will make just his fifth career start. The 22-year-old Curacao native went 1-3 in five games last season as a rookie. He made his major-league debut Sept. 4 at Turner Field, giving up two runs on four hits with five walks in five innings, taking the loss as the Braves won 2-0.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Updated 3:41 p.m. 

AND THIS JUST IN: The Braves once again have jumped to a 2-0 first-inning lead, doing so on a day where both Chipper Jones (thumb) and Garret Anderson (calf) are out of the lineup.

Brian McCann followed Yunel Escobar’s two-out double with a two-run homer to right, staking the rolling Braves to a 2-0 lead in the first frame for the third time in three games this season.

Jones’ injury doesn’t appear to be serious, and with tomorrow’s off day, he figures to be OK for Friday night’s home opener. Anderson, who was in the original lineup, may be another story. This is the same calf — the right one — that he strained in his first game in spring training, forcing him to miss three weeks.

Javier Vazquez cruised through a 1-2-3 first inning, and the Braves go down in order in the second. 2-0 Bravos through 1 1/2.

Now to last night’s gamer:

Braves 4, Phillies 0

Top of the Order: The Braves improved to 2-0 on the young season, downing the defending World Series champs again as Jair Jurrjens grinded out 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball, and Kelly Johnson and Chipper Jones went deep.

The Good: Johnson started things off by belting the first pitch of the game from Jamie Moyer into the right-field bleachers. Atlanta would put two runs on the board in the top of the first for the second consecutive game, the second run coming on a Chase Utley error that scored Jones. Chipper added Atlanta’s last run with a solo homer in the fifth, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Johnson drove in the Braves’ third run on an infield single in the fourth, finishing 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored in the leadoff spot. The top three spots in the order finished 5-for-13 with three runs scored and three RBIs. That was more than enough support for Jurrjens, who wasn’t sharp but made key pitches when they counted. Eric O’Flaherty retired all four hitters he faced, wiggling out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth. Rafael Soriano’s debut went well: one walk but no runs in one inning with one strikeout. Mike Gonzalez’s ninth inning went much smoother than Sunday’s outing, the Braves closer needing just nine pitches to retire the Phillies in order. Atlanta pitchers stranded 11 Phillies’ baserunners. Away from the big-league club, Tom Glavine pitched six solid innings in an intrasquad game for Triple-A Gwinnett, remaining on target to make his season debut April 18.

The Bad: Jeff Bennett failed to retire the only batter he faced in the sixth. Johnson let a ground ball get under his glove for an error. Casey Kotchman was thrown out at the plate, but in fairness, Philly left fielder Raul Ibanez made a perfect, no-hop throw to home to cut down Casey.

View from the Sports Garage: Oftentimes last season, we talked about the need for the Braves to win series. If you win series, you’re going to avoid the long losing streaks that take so much out of a team, those five- and six-game skids that can send you plunging in the standings. The Braves have won this series and now have the luxury of, at worst, coming home with a plus-.500 record, and at best of coming home a perfect 3-0. On a cold, raw night, Jurrjens struggled at times with his location, but he buckled down and made the critical pitches when he needed them. Again, the memo that circulated all winter about the Braves lacking power … guess the Braves weren’t included. Two more homers tonight; that’s five in two games. Jurrjens’ effort, coupled with Derek Lowe’s masterpiece on opening night, gives the Braves 13 2/3 scoreless innings from their starters through two games, with just six hits allowed. The bullpen was fantastic, save for the one hit Bennett allowed. Jordan Schafer ran down a couple of balls in center, battling the swirling wind that made everything in the air an adventure on this night. Another great win. You folks do realize the Braves only beat Philly four times in 18 tries last season, including winning just twice in the first 16 tries? That was then, and this is now … time to break out the brooms, and then point the charter jet south for Friday’s home opener.

On deck
Braves at Phillies
3 p.m. today, Citizens Bank Park

The Skinny: Lowe shined in his Braves’ debut Sunday night. Now let’s see if Javier Vazquez can follow suit. The veteran right-hander, picked up in an offseason deal with the White Sox, climbs the bump tonight in his return to the National League after three seasons on Chicago’s southside. Like Lowe, Vazquez brings the promise of steady production (double-digit victories each of the past nine seasons, 198-plus innings pitched and 32-plus starts in each of those campaigns). He’s 10-9 lifetime with a 4.55 ERA lifetime against Philly. For the Phillies, right-hander Joe Blanton looks to continue his great run in a Philly uniform. He went 4-0 in 13 starts after being traded from Oakland last summer, then won a start in the NLDS and one in the World Series. Blanton allowed two runs in two innings in his only appearance against Atlanta last season.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — My oh my, how much better this feels, doesn’t it Braves Nation?

OK, so one game doesn’t make a season, particularly a season where 161/162nds of the schedule remains to be played. But still, after all that the Atlanta Braves endured the past year or so, wasn’t it nice to spend Monday basking in the glow of Sunday night’s season-opening 4-1 victory at Philadelphia?

Sure it was. This is what football feels like, when you open the season with a victory, then get a whole week to savor the flavor of being 1-0 without having to turn around 24 hours later and put that unblemished ledger on the line. No next-day turnaround for the Bravos after winning the lid-lifter. Monday was spent watching the rest of Major League Baseball kick away the covers from its long winter’s nap.

It was a day for watching ball, for talking about Derek Lowe’s precision on the mound, for raving about Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur and Jordan Schafer, of dissecting Mike Gonzalez’s ninth inning …

Or for this correspondent, it was a day that he gladly spent at the house and not at Turner Field. Remember last season? The Braves opened what would become their worst season since 1990 with a heartbreaking loss on Sunday Night Baseball, then flew home and dropped the home opener the very next night in extra innings to Pittsburgh in frosty weather.

That was a cold, miserable night inside Turner Field. But Monday was spent snuggled under a blanket on the couch, watching ball. As the winds whipped outside and some reporting stations up in the North Georgia mountains recorded snow – yes, snow! In April! In Georgia!! Paging global warming – it gave us time to reflect on what we saw Sunday in Philly, and what we hope to see as this campaign takes its second step tonight.

We saw a team – one that was its own worst enemy a season ago — do the things it needed to do to grind out a tough win on the road. It got great starting pitching. It got early offense, placing a muzzle on a hostile crowd. It displayed good defense. It secured the key outs in the ninth inning to snuff out a rally.

These are the things good teams do, what the Braves of 2008 were incapable of doing most nights. But that was then. This is now, and the first steps on the current journey provided plenty of warmth and hope that this summer will be one navigated in more familiar waters.

October tickets aren’t punched the first week in April. This I know. I also know the team I watched Sunday night is one capable of being there when the dance card is filled.

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