Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Nationals 7, Braves 4 (14 innings)

Top of the Order: The Braves let another one get away, Blaine Boyer giving up two runs in the eighth inning and Atlanta wasting opportunity after opportunity until the Nats finally seized control in the 14th against Jeff Bennett.

The Good: We’ll start with Jo-Jo Reyes, who went six strong innings, allowing four hits and one run. The three walks were a sign his control wasn’t great, but for a change Jo-Jo didn’t let things spiral out of control. Will Ohman, Mike Gonzalez, Vladimir Nunez, Jeff Ridgway, Buddy Carlyle and Jorge Julio did not allow a run in their relief appearances. Chipper Jones went 3-for-6 with two RBIs, his average at .358. Yunel Escobar finished with three hits. Gregor Blanco went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and Martin Prado went 2-for-6. Both Blanco and Prado drove in a run. The Braves finished with 16 hits.

The Bad: Boyer and Bennett have been overworked to the point of exhaustion this season, but with that said, both were horrid out of the bullpen and the reason this one went the way it did. Boyer couldn’t hold it in the eighth, allowing two hits and two runs with a walk (a walk to a guy who’d never gotten a hit before in the majors) in 2/3 inning. Then, after the Braves’ bully kept the Nats off the scoreboard for five consecutive innings, Bennett gave up three runs on two hits with two walks in 1/3 inning. The Braves left 14 runners on base, including runners in the last four innings. Jeff Francoeur did what he does best – ground into double plays – twice, and left four men in scoring position. That’s tough to do. Corky Miller, who has about as much business being in the majors as Elmer F. Dessens, got the start and made the Corky fans proud, going 0-for-4 to drop his average to .086.

View from the Sports Garage: Three more weeks. Just keep telling yourself that. Three more weeks and this rotten, stinking, brutal season is over. Nothing makes one wish for the end to get here more than a game like Sunday’s: the bullpen blowing a lead, setting the tone for five extra innings and more than an hour and a half of extra play time. Yeah, just what the folks at Turner Field wanted yesterday, to sit through a 4 hour, 34 minute game, a game the Braves would lose. Of course, they’re going to lose when we go into extras. Atlanta now is 2-10 on the season, the worst record in baseball in that department. At least Reyes pitched better. At least Chipper got three hits; he’s one point behind Albert Pujols in the race for the NL batting title. At this point, that may be the only reason to watch this team during the season’s final 21 days.

On deck
Braves vs. Rockies
7:10 p.m. Tuesday, Turner Field

The Skinny: For Jorge Campillo (7-7, 3.67 ERA), his second-half struggles have hurt his winning percentage and ERA. But let there be no doubt: the right-hander has sewn up a spot in the Braves’ rotation for next season. Campillo gave up three runs on four hits in five innings Friday against the Nationals, striking out seven. For the Rockies, right-hander Aaron Cook (16-9, 4.10) has been Colorado’s best hurler this season, but he’s coming off a stinker of a performance his last time out: 10 hits and six runs in three innings against the Giants.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Nationals 8, Braves 5 (10 innings)

Top of the Order: A fitting scenario for the Braves of 2008: Kelly Johnson’s potential game-winner bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs instead of three, and into extra innings, Mike Gonzalez allowed three runs as the Nats snapped the Braves’ two-game winning streak.

The Good: The month is six days old, but KJ continues to build his case for player of the month. Johnson went 2-for-5, including the ground-rule double in the bottom of the ninth to score two runs and tie the game at 5-5. Casey Kotchman had two hits and scored twice. Jeff Francoeur, who didn’t start, went 2-for 2 in two great at-bats. Greg Norton drew a walk in the ninth to load the bases. Jeff Bennett pitched two innings of perfect relief, striking out one.

The Bad: If this team didn’t have bad luck, it’d have nothing at all. Case in point: Johnson’s blast in the ninth, which bounced over the wall. If it doesn’t, pinch-runner Brent Lillibridge races home with the game-winning run. Instead, Lillibridge had to stop at third, and that’s where he was left. Mike Hampton hung pitches all night long, allowing four home runs in an otherwise-solid outing (seven innings, eight hits, five runs, four earned, one walk, five strikeouts). Gonzalez was hit hard in the 10th, giving up a homer to former Brave Ryan Langerhans, and finishing with three hits and three runs allowed in 1/3 inning. Chipper Jones went 1-for-4 with a walk, his average dropping to .356. Hoss also committed an error. Brian McCann struck out three times, and couldn’t leg out a chopper up the middle with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth.

View from the Sports Garage: Seeing KJ tattoo that ball in the ninth, I really thought it was gonna be a walk-off grand slam. But there are the Braves and this is 2008, so the ball fell short of the wall, and then bounced over. Ground-rule double. Two runs score to tie the game. But there is no way Lillibridge is thrown out at home if that ball hits the wall and stays in play. At that point, you knew the Braves would lose in extras, even with Gonzo on the hill. That’s just the way it’s went throughout the season. So you may say why bother with caring about this team, since it is so far out of the hunt in the NL East? Well, as I’ve opined on numerous occasions, it’s important for the Braves to finish as strong as they can to build momentum for 2009. Instead, the Braves get an unlucky break on KJ’s drive in the ninth, and Gonzo just didn’t have it in the 10th. Sigh. Time to try and start a new streak in the series finale Sunday. Speaking of which …

On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
1:35 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: The Braves pushed Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10, 5.49 ERA) back to today from his scheduled Thursday start, following the birth of his first child Wednesday. Good move, as you know Jo-Jo ain’t sleeping much. Given how impressive James Parr was starting for Reyes Thursday, it’s important Jo-Jo come out and pitch well. Bobby Cox yanked him from his last start in the fifth inning. With several spots currently open in next year’s rotation, the time is now for Jo-Jo to show his stretch of dominance from mid-May to mid-June wasn’t a fluke. For the Nats, right-hander Collin Balester (3-6, 4.75 ERA) toes the slab for the first time since he went season-high seven innings Sunday against the Braves in D.C.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 10, Nationals 5

Top of the Order: Be still my beating heart, but we have a winning streak: a seven-run third inning gave Jair Jurrjens all the support he needed as the Braves won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 8-9.

The Good: For the second time in four days, the Braves cracked double-digits offensively. Yet again, it was the Kelly Johnson Show (staring Kelly Johnson! Yeah, real original, I know). KJ went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Think Kelly be lovin’ him some September? Dude is 12-for-21 with six runs scored, eight RBIs and 21 total bases in five games. And to think, some folks in Braves Nation want to deal KJ? No, I don’t think you do that. Brandon Jones drove in three runs. Casey Kotchman and Josh Anderson each had two hits, Anderson scoring twice. Jurrjens didn’t have his best stuff, but the rookie grinded through five innings, allowing one run on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts to pick up his 12th victory, his first at home since June 5. Jeff Ridgway (who still sucks) and Jorge Julio each fired a scoreless inning of relief.

The Bad: It wouldn’t be the Braves of ’08 without another injury, and this time it’s Charlie Morton. Young Charlie is having back issues, and it’s possible the promising yet-inconsistent rookie is finished for the season. On the field, why in the hell is Elmer Dessens still here? I don’t care if the Braves are 70 games out of first place, Elmer F. Dessens (the F. stands for Fudd, but you can substitute another F-word if you’d like) shouldn’t be here. Case in point, his Friday line: one inning, three hits, three runs, one walk. Yes, folks, Elmer F. Dessens has an ERA of 30.00 since joining your Atlanta Braves. Now, if your football team allows 30.00 rushing yards per game, that’s good. When your baseball team has a pitcher who sports a 30.00 ERA, that’s bad. Cut the cord already! Jeff Francoeur left the game after being hit in the leg with a pitch in the fifth. Buddy Carlyle gave up a run in one inning. Chipper Jones went 0-for-3 with a walk, his average dropping to .357.

View from the Sports Garage: Well what do ya know … a winning streak! An honest-to-goodness winning streak. Two whole games, wow! OK, it’s been a while, so pardon the (sarcastic) enthusiasm. This team hadn’t won consecutive games since winning three in a row at Arizona on Aug. 7-9. Ah, you remember that, don’t you? Those three victories in a row pulled the Braves to 55-62 on the season and 8 ½ games out in the NL East. Since then, Atlanta is 7-17 and has dropped nine games in the standings. Oh well, it is what it is, denizens of Braves Nation. Great to see the bats break out again. I’m telling you guys, it’s so important for the Braves to finish this season with something, anything positive. It’s been such a long grind, such a bad stretch, so many injuries and one-run losses and disappointment and outrage – not to mention Elmer F. Dessens – anything that closely resembles sunshine is sorely needed as this sorry season draws to a close. The Braves are out of it; this we know. This season is over. Time to build momentum for 2009, and there is no better way to do that than by playing good baseball during the final 20 games. The past two nights are a good start toward that.

On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
7:05 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: If you need evidence that Mike Hampton (2-2, 5.67 ERA) can pitch in the majors, allow me to present his past two starts. Against the Marlins on Aug. 27, Hampton pitched eight solid innings. Monday at Florida, Hampton went six innings, allowing three runs and threw a season-high 106 pitches. Face it, Braves Nation, Hammy could be here next year. I still think somebody’s going to throw some mad jack at him, since he’s a veteran lefty and – knock on wood – has been healthy for nearly two months. But I’m finding myself hoping Hampton will say, “This organization stuck by me through two arm surgeries and all the frustration during my comeback attempt. My Roth is pretty sweet-looking right now. I’ll take a low-ball deal and go to Lake Buena Vista in February.” We’ll see. For the mighty Nats, Tim Redding (10-8, 4.55 ERA) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning Monday against Philly, before leaving after allowing two hits and three runs in the sixth.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 2, Nationals 0

Top of the Order: Making his major-league debut, James Parr fired six sparkling innings of two-hit shutout ball, and the beleaguered Atlanta bullpen did its job (for a change) as the Braves opened a seven-game homestand with their first shutout victory since Aug. 3.

The Good: Parr got the start after the Braves decided to push Jo-Jo Reyes – whose wife gave birth to the couple’s first child Wednesday – to Sunday. Good move. Parr was awesome, the right-hander overcoming three early walks to allow just a pair of hits in six innings while striking out three. Parr threw 60 of his 101 pitches for strikes, pounding the lower half of the strike zone with precision. He also picked off a runner and drew a walk at the plate. Yeah, dude looked good all the way around. Once again, Kelly Johnson led the way offensively, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. That’s nine hits in his past 16 at-bats for KJ. Chipper Jones returned to the lineup and went 1-for-1 with three walks, raising his average to .359, one point behind Albert Pujols in the race for the NL batting crown. Brian McCann and Gregor Blanco each drove in a run. Casey Kotchman returned to the starting lineup, scoring a run and drawing a walk. More importantly, his mom went home from the hospital Thursday. Great news indeed! Jones and Blanco made great plays in the field. And how about that bullpen? Spot-on: Jeff Bennett, Julian Tavarez and Mike Gonzalez all allowing a hit but no runs in one inning each of work, Gonzo striking out the side for his ninth save … oh, what could’ve been had the lefty been healthy and closing from day one.

The Bad: OK, where’s my checklist? Bullpen … not on this night. Offense … just enough support. Defense … stellar. Starting pitching … super. In a season full of whining, we won’t complain about a 2-0 shutout victory. Oh yeah, almost forgot. Injuries … ah-ha! Yunel Escobar did not play after hurting his shoulder Wednesday. So there, that’s bad. But Escobar is expected back in the lineup tonight. So, that’s good.

View from the Sports Garage: I’ve been meaning to mention this all week. Balloting for the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence started Monday. The top three vote-getters automatically qualify for the 10-person ballot and, from that group, one will be selected to receive induction into the Hall of Fame next summer. What a great way to honor the late, great Skip Caray, who is a Hall of Famer in my mind. So, go here and vote. Now, the game … as far as debuts go, Parr was right down the middle of the fairway (OK, OK, so I’m not a sports writer and sports editor anymore. Were I, though, I’d probably rework the cheesy “golf – Parr” lede that one of my scribes would’ve crafted. But I couldn’t resist a golf reference there. Where were we? Oh yeah, Parr!). He’s 22 years old and really hit his stride in the second half at Triple-A Richmond, going 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in that span. After looking just a bit tentative in the early going – totally understandable for a guy toeing the slab in the majors for the first time – Parr settled down and from there, he was crisp. Really, really impressive. Don’t think dude doesn’t know the depth chart for Atlanta’s starting rotation in 2009, or rather, the lack of a depth chart. The Braves have to give this kid another start or two here at the finish, especially after this performance. It reminded me of the job Bennett did in his starts during the final two weeks of last season. Bennett pitched well, came to spring training believing he could make the team, and he did. If Parr pitches anywhere near like he pitched on this night, he’ll be a major candidate to earn a spot in the rotation next year.

On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
7:35 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Remember earlier this year when Jair Jurrjens (11-9, 3.59 ERA) was unbeaten at home in his young career, having never lost a start at home for the Tigers last season or the Braves in the early part of 2008? Yeah, ancient history. JJJ is 1-4 in his past eight appearances at Turner Field. He faces a Washington team who he held in check over six innings Sunday, only to see the bullpen do what it does best – blow games. For the Nats, right-hander Jason Bergmann (2-10, 4.83 ERA) takes the hill. His last time out, the Braves bashed him for eight hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings. Of course, Bergmann got a no-decision as the Braves came from ahead to lose 9-8 in 10 innings. Oh, and no $1 hot dogs on this night – that’s only on Thursday home dates for the remainder of the season.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Marlins 5, Braves 3

Top of the Order: The bullpen blues struck the sinking Braves yet again, Atlanta giving up two runs in the seventh to fall at Florida and drop 20 games under .500 with 22 games left in this wretched season.

The Good: The Braves may have lost the series, but Kelly Johnson enjoyed his three days on South Beach, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs to wrap up a 7-for-12, six-RBI series. Jeff Francoeur doubled home Atlanta’s other run. Brent Lillibridge walked, stole a base and scored a run. Gregor Blanco drew two walks. Jorge Campillo wasn’t bad in his five innings, allowing four hits and three runs with three walks and seven strikeouts. Jeff Ridgway actually didn’t allow a run in his one inning of work, amazing considering he’d given up runs in three of his four prior outings this season (and plunked a hitter with the bases loaded in extra innings in another appearance … he still sucks, despite today’s shutout frame).

The Bad: Yunel Escobar left the game after aggravating his left shoulder in the fourth. Chipper Jones didn’t play for the second consecutive game with a tweaked knee. His replacement, Omar Infante, lost a pop up in foul territory in the fourth, an inning where the Marlins scored three runs. Campillo got squeezed big-time by home-plate umpire Mark Wegner in that inning on a couple of pitches that looked like strikes. Bobby Cox didn’t like it, and Wegner ran Bobby in the top of the fifth for arguing, Cox extending his record of early exits to 143. Will Ohman continues to struggle, giving up the go-ahead run in the sixth. Vladimir Nunez gave up two hits and an insurance run in the seventh. Josh Anderson struck out three times. The Braves left nine runners on base.

View from the Sports Garage: Ah, nothing like baseball in Florida. Beautiful weather. Pretty women hanging out in the stands. Young players, seeking to make an impression on management, hustling all over the field. A nice, small gathering of fans checking out the action. Just one problem … I’m not describing a spring-training matchup in Lake Buena Vista or Jupiter. This was the scene Wednesday afternoon at Dolphin Stadium. Sure, the “official” attendance was 11,121, but there were fewer than 1,000 fans in the stadium at first pitch, and not too many more made their way into the yard after that. Talk about rotten. Guess the 16-run, 21-hit performance by the Braves didn’t exactly entice the locals to turn out for Wednesday’s day game between a Marlins’ team that’s overachieved all season – but appears to be running out of time to catch the Mets and Phils in the NL East – and the Braves, who are a broken shadow of the franchise that was a powerhouse for more than a decade and a half. OK, so it was a major-league game, but in name only. This was a matchup of two teams going nowhere, in particular the Braves, who didn’t have Jones and who lost Escobar midway through the game. He’s day-to-day, and so are we, counting down the days until the burden of watching this season is removed. The Braves have to win all of their final 22 games to finish above .500. Yeah, just had to add that nugget of info, yet one more tangible piece of evidence supporting the notion that this season is the worst the Braves have experienced in a generation. It’s a season that is nearing its conclusion … thankfully. At least the Braves didn’t lose by one … nine away games to go to try and break the one-run road losing streak.

On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
7:10 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: If Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10, 5.49 ERA) has a look of sleep-deprived elation in his eyes when he toes the slab tonight, forgive him. Jo-Jo’s wife gave birth to the couple’s first child Wednesday morning. Now, if the lefty could just find his stride as the season winds to a close. Reyes’ struggles have totally drained the confidence of management; Cox yanked him with a four-run lead against Washington on Saturday. Control is the key for Reyes, and when he can throw his fastball for strikes on the inner half, he pitches with much more confidence and the results usually are good. They haven’t been lately, though. For the Nationals, right-hander Shairon Martis (first appearance) makes his major-league debut. He pitched in the Futures Games during All-Star week in July and is one of the Nats’ top pitching prospects. Oh, and it’s $1 hot dog night at Turner Field. That’s reason in and of itself to go tonight, because otherwise, I can’t give you a single reason why you should spend your hard-earned jack on this team.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 16, Marlins 14

Top of the Order: The Braves snapped their four-game losing streak, but it was about as ugly as one could imagine, blowing a 10-3 lead before rallying with two runs in the top of the ninth to snap a 14-14 tie.

The Good: Lots and lots and lots of offense in this one, and it’s a good thing, because the Braves needed all of their season-best 21 hits. Kelly Johnson drove in four and finished 4-for-5. Omar Infante finished 4-for-6 with three runs scored. Martin Prado added three hits and scored twice. Josh Anderson, Yunel Escobar and Brian McCann finished with two hits each. Anderson hit his first major-league homer to lead off the game and stole a base, one of three steals on the night (Prado and McCann also swiped bases). Jeff Francoeur drove in three and scored twice, belting his 11th homer, a three-run shot in the third. The bench came up huge: Greg Norton gave the Braves the lead in the sixth with a two-run double, and Ruben Gotay – playing for the first time since early August – delivered a double in the ninth to drive in the go-ahead run. Mike Gonzalez pitched a perfect ninth – the only Braves’ hurler with a smooth outing on this night – to get the save.

The Bad: Somebody forgot to tell the Braves’ pitching staff to show up. Holding a 10-3 lead – wait, are we talking football here? – the Braves gave up 10 unanswered runs (a touchdown and a field goal). Ugh. Charlie Morton took a step backward, allowing seven runs (four earned, as two Infante errors led to three unearned runs in the first) and five hits in 3 1/3 innings. More problematic: three walks. Buddy Carlyle endured a miserable 2/3 inning, giving up three runs on three hits. Jeff Ridgway showed he’s just as good as he was when he was in the majors earlier this summer, allowing a hit and a run while not retiring a batter. Blaine Boyer gave up two hits and two runs while striking out the side in his inning of work. Will Ohman walked a hitter and allowed two hits in 1/3 inning. Jorge Julio got the win, but he gave up two hits and the game-tying run, walking two. Chipper Jones was scratched from the starting lineup with a knee injury suffered in batting practice.

View from the Sports Garage: Many of you have commented in the past two or three weeks that this team simply defies description. Indeed, Tuesday’s contest is a shining example of that. Can you believe what this team has put us through? If you weren’t already exhausted from watching this franchise spiral into the depths of baseball gone wrong in 2008, Tuesday night had to push you over the edge. My goodness. This was like watching two bad high school teams that have no pitching and simply pound each other until the game ends. A good start with Anderson’s homer, then poof! Gone in a heartbeat with three unearned runs. A rally, a seven-run lead, and poof! Gone in a flurry of 10 runs allowed in two innings. Grab the lead back, then pool! Game tied. Two runs in the ninth, then finally Gonzo slammed the door to end this madness. If only we could slam the door on this crappy season and this team that’s going to drive the five or six people who still are watching straight into the nuthouse. I wonder if Bobby Cox is rethinking that extension …

On deck
Braves at Marlins
1:10 p.m. today, Dolphin Stadium

The Skinny: As it stands right now, Jorge Campillo (7-7, 3.61 ERA) stands to be an anchor of the Braves’ rotation next season. The right-hander has earned that right with a solid season, but certainly Atlanta’s brass would love for Campillo to finish the season strong. In four of his past five starts, Campillo has allowed five earned runs, going 1-3 in that stretch. For the Marlins, right-hander Chris Volstad (4-3, 3.20 ERA) has been impressive since making his major-league debut in early July. He’s allowed three earned runs or less in one of his three losses and in three no-decisions.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Marlins 4, Braves 3

Top of the Order: The beat goes on in historically mind-numbing fashion for the Braves, who opened the final month of this season from hell by losing their 29th consecutive one-run road game, extending their major-league record in that category and falling 20 games under .500.

The Good: What, other than we’ve finally reached the last month of this journey straight down? Oh yeah, the game. Some highlights, indeed. Mike Hampton provided another solid start, Hammy giving up just three runs on six hits in six solid innings, throwing a season-high 106 pitches (62 for strikes). Offensively, Josh Anderson went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and an RBI. Jeff Francoeur and Brandon Jones each had two-hit days. Jeff Bennett fired two scoreless innings of relief. Off the field, Casey Kotchman was removed from the restricted list. His mother has improved enough for Kotchman to return to the team, and we’re very thankful and happy to hear that news.

The Bad: Finally, Mike Gonzalez got bit by the bug of garbage that’s circulated around the Atlanta bullpen all season. Gonzo allowed the game-winning run to score without allowing a hit, walking three in the bottom of the ninth and then a sacrifice fly. The Braves left eight runners on base. Francoeur and Anderson each struck out twice, as did Martin Prado, who left five guys on base. A rare off day at the plate for Martin. Chipper Jones lost more ground to Albert Pujols in the NL batting race. Hoss went 1-for-4, his average now at .358, five points behind Phat Albert.

The Callups: In case you don’t realize it, September is here, and major-league rosters have expanded. The Braves are calling up several players as soon as today, including shortstop Brent Lillibridge, former major-league closer Jorge Julio (where the heck has he been?) and right-handed pitcher James Parr (please, cut Elmer Dessens, even though there is plenty of room on the roster). Also coming up are two scourges of this season, Jeff Ridgway (remember him plunking a batter with the bases loaded in extra innings in Chicago? Yeah, that loser) and Corky Miller, who just may be the worst player in the major leagues this season NOT named Jeff Francoeur or Andruw Jones.

View from the Sports Garage: Hey, you longtime Braves fans will remember this. In 1982, the Braves opened the season with 11 straight victories to tie the then-record for most wins at the start of a season. Atlanta came home to face the Reds in a mid-week set at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Going into the 12th game, fans were given signs that said “I was there,” with a big bold “12” printed on it. Atlanta won to go 12-0. The next night, the signs had a “13” on them. Braves won again, so the next night, fans were given signs that said “14.” Alas, the Reds won to snap the streak. I have an idea: maybe the teams who play host to the Braves the rest of the season should print out some signs that read, “I was there when the worst one-run road team in baseball history finally lucked up and stumbled across a victory.” OK, maybe not. After all, there only are 11 more chances for the Braves to actually WIN one of these one-run road decisions before the putrid 2008 season ends. It’d be nice for it to happen so we don’t have to hear about it throughout the offseason. Speaking of offseason, what do you do with Mike Hampton if his final four starts are like his last four? You gotta figure right now it’s Jair Jurrjens, Jorge Campillo and a bunch of hope surrounding Charlie Morton and Jo-Jo Reyes for next April. Like I’ve said countless times, it’s going to be a very interesting offseason for this franchise. And, like I’ve said countless times, it can’t get here soon enough. Soon enough, it will be official: the tragic number – the number of Mets’ wins and Braves’ losses needed to officially eliminate Atlanta from the NL East title – is seven.

On deck
Braves at Marlins
7:10 p.m. today, Dolphin Stadium

The Skinny: Charlie Morton (4-8, 6.10 ERA) certainly would take a carbon copy of his last outing against the Marlins. His last time out on the hill, the lanky right-hander gave up just two runs and four hits over six innings, earning just his second victory since July 12. With Young Charlie, it’s all about confidence, and he had it Thursday. In that game, the Braves beat Annibal Sanchez (2-3, 4.46 ERA), who toes the slab for the Fish in a rematch with Morton. Sanchez allowed five hits and four runs with five walks in five innings.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Nationals 8, Braves 4

Top of the Order: The level of embarrassment that is the 2008 Braves season reached yet another high-water mark Sunday – Atlanta blowing a one-run lead in the eighth as the Nationals completed a three-game sweep, dropping the Braves 19 games below .500 and 17 games out in the NL East.

The Good: After sitting out Saturday night, Yunel Escobar returned with a three-run homer, going 2-for-4 with the three RBIs. Martin Prado raised his average to .349 with a 2-for-3 day, doubling twice and scoring twice. Omar Infante also went 2-for-3. Jair Jurrjens pitched six good innings, striking out seven while allowing five hits and three runs. Blaine Boyer struck out one in a perfect inning.

The Bad: Elmer Dessens needs to be deported back to the Mexican League. The veteran couldn’t hold a 4-3 lead in the eighth, giving up four hits and five runs with a walk in 1/3 inning. Yeah, he was that bad. Will Ohman allowed two hits and a walk in 2/3 innings, allowing an inherited runner to score. Chipper Jones and Brian McCann did not start; Jones did not play, while McCann had a pinch-hit double.

View from the Sports Garage: Elmer Dessens? Might as well have put Elmer Fudd on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. A dreadful, yet fitting, ending to a weekend during which the Braves were swept by the team with the worst record in baseball. This is what it’s spiraled into for the Braves: Elmer freaking Dessens, plucked from the Mexican League, allowing five runs to the worst darn team in the majors on the final day of August. Seriously, who in the heck thought this team would be here as September dawned, handing the ball to Elmer Dessens with a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth? And there’s another four weeks of this left? What else is this team going to put Braves Nation through? Wait! For the love of all that’s good, don’t answer that. I just don’t think I can take much more of this stuff. I mean, the Braves should’ve won two out of three in this series, at least. I don’t care if they are 19 games under .500 and 17 games out of first place and probably will be mathematically eliminated from the NL East race by the end of the week. I don’t care. I want them to play well, and I want them to win. I don’t want them to lose on a bases-loaded walk in extra innings, and I sure as hell don’t want Elmer Dessens standing on the mound, ball in his hand, game on the line. UNLESS he’s wearing a different uniform and the Braves are batting. Elmer Dessens. Yep, that’s a winner … for the Nationals. Somebody please hit me with a cinder block alongside the head, or steal my TV, or send me to a deserted island for the next four weeks.

On deck
Braves at Marlins
1:10 p.m. today, Dolphin Stadium

The Skinny: Certainly, some contenders gave Mike Hampton (2-2, 5.85 ERA) a look as the veteran left-hander continues his comeback following three years away from the majors due to injuries. But Hampton remains with the Braves, and he’ll look to build upon a pretty good run, having pitched at least six innings in his past three starts. He pitched eight strong innings Wednesday, but lost to the guy who toes the slab for the Fish today, Josh Johnson (4-0, 3.12 ERA). The right-hander pitched his first career complete game against the Braves, scattering four hits.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Nationals 9, Braves 8, 10 innings

Top of the Order: The nature in which the Braves lose continues to spur frustration and agony, and this one was no different: Atlanta blowing leads of 4-0 and 6-2, losing in extra innings on a bases-loaded walk by Vladimir Nunez for the team’s 15th defeat in its past 19 games.

The Good: The Braves swung the sticks early and often, finishing with 14 hits. Martin Prado continues to make his case for a roster spot in 2009, going 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs. Chipper Jones raised his average to .359 with two hits, including his 20th homer, the 14th consecutive season Hoss has went yard 20-plus times. Chipper scored twice and drove in two. Brian McCann went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Kelly Johnson went 2-for-5. Josh Anderson continues to show he belongs in the majors, going 2-for-4 with two walks. Greg Norton had a pinch-hit single and scored the game-tying run in the eighth. Julian Tavarez pitched around a hit and a walk in 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. Ah … if Tavaraz could’ve only pitched the only eight innings.

The Bad: Atlanta’s pitching was abysmal; flat out sorry. Jo-Jo Reyes couldn’t hold two separate four-run leads, giving up eight hits and four runs in four innings. Buddy Carlyle had a miserable inning: three hits, three runs, one walk and two inherited runners scoring as the Nats scored five times in the fifth. Jeff Bennett gave up a run and two hits in two innings. Nunez walked three and allowed a hit in 2/3 inning, a wretched showing that put a bow on another wretched defeat. Yunel Escobar did not play; Bobby Cox gave him the day off despite the fact Esco’s hit .307 in his past 20 games. Maybe those three double plays Escobar hit into played a role in it, but still … come on, Bobby. Play the dude.

View from the Sports Garage: I know the Braves are totally focused on 2009 and the pursuit of a playoff spot is over, but still … losses like this will make you throw your bottle of Coke Zero across the room and scream at the top of your lungs. Frustrating beyond description, good people. It is so vital for this team to win games like this, games where you have not one, but TWO four-run leads, games where you battle back from a two-run deficit to tie the contest, games against the team with the worst record in the majors. The Nats are 9-4 against Atlanta this season, so maybe that whole worst-record-in-baseball-thing doesn’t matter. Frankly, nothing matters when you’re dealing with the Braves. Even on a night where the offense pounded out plenty of runs and battled back from an 8-6 deficit to force extra innings, it didn’t matter. Oh well, at least the Dogs won today, D.J. Shockley made the Falcons’ roster, and a simple glance at The Weather Channel reminds us that the pursuits of a baseball team pale in comparison to a major U.S. city facing mandatory evacuation orders this morning. Thoughts and prayers to all of you down on the central Gulf Coast and to those of you in New Orleans, one of the most eclectic sites on the planet and one of my favorite cities. We’re with you in prayer and hoping for the best as Hurricane Gustav approaches.

On deck
Braves at Nationals
1:35 p.m. today, Nationals Park

The Skinny: Jair Jurrjens (11-9, 3.56 ERA) hits the end of August looking to get over the recent struggles that’s caused his loss total and ERA to rise. Jurrjens has won just once since the All-Star break, and the rookie only went three innings – his shortest start of the season – on Tuesday against Florida, allowing six earned runs. For the Nats, right-hander Collin Balester (3-6, 4.70 ERA) topped the Dodgers Tuesday, just his second victory since July 1. Balester held Los Angeles to five hits and one earned run.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Nationals 7, Braves 3

Top of the Order: Another rotten lowlight in a season full of ‘em – Yunel Escobar tying a franchise record by grounding into three double plays in the same game – as the Braves opened a series matching up the two worst teams in the NL East with their 14th loss in their past 18 games.

The Good: Chipper Jones still leads the majors in hitting, going 1-for-3 with a walk as his average dropped one point to .358. Brian McCann led the offense with two hits. Greg Norton hit a pinch-hit two run homer, his sixth of the season and just the ninth by a Brave this month. Buddy Carlyle retired the only hitter he faced. Blaine Boyer gave up a hit but struck out one in 1/3 of an inning. Vladimir Nunez fired two scoreless innings, his second consecutive solid appearance. Josh Anderson was back in center field and hitting leadoff for the second day in a row. That’s good; dude needs to play, and he had a hit and scored a run. Martin Prado doubled and drove in the other Braves’ run. Omar Infante scored a run.

The Bad: Escobar won’t remember this one fondly. He became the first Braves player in 53 years to ground into three double plays in the same game, and just the third in franchise history. In addition, Esco made an error. Ugh. Jorge Campillo just didn’t have it, giving up eight hits and five runs with three walks on 3 2/3 innings. Before the game, the Braves activated veteran Elmer Dessens – sending Charlie Morton to Richmond; don’t worry, rosters expand Monday and Morton will make his scheduled start for the big-league club Tuesday. Dessens gave up one hit and two runs, walking two, in 1 2/3 innings. Folks, he’s simply here to get this team to Sept. 28. That’s all, so don’t sweat it. Prado left three runners on in scoring position, as the Braves finished with eight left on base.

View from the Sports Garage: Back to the very place where this horrid march straight toward baseball oblivion started, the Braves whipped out a stinker of a performance. Hitting fifth for the second night in a row, Escobar came up with runners on all night long, but couldn’t come through. If it seems like that’s all Esco’s done lately, you’re right. He’s grounded into five double plays in the past three games, and his 23 GIDPs this season is one off the team record shared by Dale Murphy and Andruw Jones. Otherwise, this one is a different story, even with Campillo struggling in what was his worst start of the season. Hey, just think: One month from now, all of this will be over and done. In a way, I think we’re all looking forward to the season being finished, even the players and the coaching staff. At the same time, I think all of us will be more anxious than ever to get the new season started. It’s gonna be tough to deal with the bitter aftertaste of this bitter, spoiled season.

On deck
Braves at Nationals
7:10 p.m. today, Nationals Park

The Skinny: Even though the Braves are out of the race and there is plenty of room for young players to work on proving they can play in the majors, Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10, 5.34 ERA) may be on a short leash tonight. The left-hander followed up his strong showing against the Mets Aug. 19 with another rough start Sunday against St. Louis: nine hits, six runs (five earned) and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Control continues to be Jo-Jo’s big problem. For the Nationals, right-hander Jason Bergmann (2-10, 4.56 ERA) has won just once in his past 10 starts. He allowed four hits and four runs Sunday in a loss to the Cubs.

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