Jul 08 2008
Frenchy’s back (too soon); Braves dodge perfection bid in loss
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Dodgers 3, Braves 0
Top of the Order: On the day when Jeff Francoeur was recalled from the minors, the Braves’ offense was shut down in near-historic fashion, as Los Angeles’ Hiroki Kuroda took a perfect game into the eighth and finished with a one-hitter.
The Good: Mark Teixeira kept the Braves from going into the history books, lining a leadoff double down the line in right in the eighth. Otherwise, that was it: No baserunners against Kuroda, who was simply awesome in going the distance (one hit, no walks, six strikeouts). Jorge Campillo pitched pretty well, too, giving up just five hits and three runs in seven innings. A couple of hanging curve balls hurt him, but otherwise, Campillo threw it well. Vladimir Nunez, one of three Braves called up from the minors Monday, looked really good in his one inning of relief work, striking out one. Along with Nunez and Francoeur, Brent Lillibridge was brought up from the minors. Chipper Jones’ major-league average now sits at .384 after going 0-for-3.
The Bad: As expected, the Braves put Manny Acosta, Jeff Bennett and Omar Infante on the disabled list on Monday. Even for a team that’s struggled with injuries all season long, putting three guys on the DL at once is extreme. What wasn’t expected was the promotion of Francoeur, banished to the minors Friday to get his swing straightened out, after just three games with Double-A Mississippi. Very strange, indeed, to bring Frenchy right back to the majors. Granted, he went 7-for-13 (.538 average) in the minors, but is three games enough time to get all the kinks of his season-long slump ironed out? I highly doubt it. Braves’ GM Frank Wren really is rolling the dice here. Francoeur didn’t make it to L.A. in time to play Monday, but he’ll be in the lineup tonight. And if he struggles in these five games before the All-Star break, then all that will have been accomplished by sending him down to the minors is create controversy and, in Frenchy’s words, “damage” the relationship between the franchise and their young star. A rash decision by a franchise that normally operates with a very level head. This is not a level-headed move. Nor is it the right time for this move.
View from the Sports Garage: Now that we’ve ripped the Braves management for flip-flopping on the Francoeur Firestorm, let’s rip the Braves’ offense … actually, that would be an injustice. Maybe if I’d gone to bed and not watched most of the game, I’d do that. But since I stayed up and saw every pitch of it, I can tell you this: Kuroda had one of those nights pitchers dream of having. Everything worked well. He hit his spots all night. I think he missed location to Jason Perry once, got a fastball up that Chipper fouled back, and then got a breaking ball out over the plate to Tex, who ripped it down the line for the only hit of the night. Otherwise, dude was great, and on a night like that, you’re just thankful you didn’t get no-no’ed or perfected and you move on to tonight. Speaking of which …
On deck
Braves at Dodgers
10 p.m. today, Dodger Stadium
The Skinny: Two of the better young hurlers in the National League climb the bump at Chavez Ravine. For the Braves, Jair Jurrjens (8-4, 3.09 ERA) continues his impressive rookie season and looks to keep the ball in the park after giving up three homers in his last outing against Philadelphia. Before that start, Jurrjens had not allowed an earned run in 21 2/3 innings. Right-hander Chad Billingsley (8-7, 3.12 ERA) is 6-2 with a sparkling 2.07 ERA in his past 10 starts, including no earned runs allowed in his last two starts, victories against the Angels and Astros. Billingsley has won in his last four outings, striking out 25 and allowing just four earned runs in 26 1/3 innings.
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