Jul 21 2008
Pathetic showing (again) as Braves embarrassed by Nats
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Nationals 15, Braves 6
Top of the Order: Facing what most described as a must win contest before embarking on their most important road trip of the season, the Braves instead were pounded into submission for the second straight day by the worst team in the majors, remaining 6 ½ games out in the NL East and falling six games under .500.
The Good: Mark Teixeira – who likely will be packing his bags for someplace else in the next 10 days – homered twice, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Martin Prado hit his first homer of the season, a pinch-hit shot in the fourth. Mark Kotsay had two hits. Julian Tavarez looked good for the second straight appearance, pitching a perfect inning. Corky Miller went 1-for-4, raising his average all the way up to .106 (can the Braves trade him, too?). Yunel Escobar got doctor’s clearance to play, and will likely be in the lineup tonight at Florida. Chipper Jones got a hit, his major-league leading average falling to .373.
The Bad: Where to begin … oh yeah, on the mound. Jo-Jo Reyes has officially regressed into the Jo-Jo we saw last year. Another bad outing, this one coming at a time where his team really needed him to deliver. And here’s what the lefty delivered: 2 1/3 innings, seven hits, six runs, four walks. Buddy Carlyle, you’re next. His line: 1 2/3 innings, five hits, six runs. Yes, folks, in four innings, the Braves allowed 12 HITS and 12 RUNS to the FREAKING NATIONALS. Just for good measure, Vladimir Nunez gave up two more runs in three innings, and Royce Ring allowed a run in the ninth.
View from the Sports Garage: Wow. I mean, wow. The Nationals came to Turner Field and most everybody thought the Braves would win two out of three, right? Especially after the Braves took the series opener … just win one out of two, earn the series win and build some momentum heading into the week that’s either going to keep you in the race or bury you for the rest of the season. And how do your Atlanta Braves respond? They get outscored 23-8 in those two games. The bullpen allows 12 of those runs. The offense does nothing of note. And no, it didn’t come against the Cubs or the Angels or the Phillies or the Brewers or the Diamondbacks or the Dodgers or the Red Sox … it was the Washington Nationals – the MIGHTY Nats from D.C. – that pushed your Atlanta Braves over the edge of the cliff, ladies and gentlemen. And now, with this team hanging by the weakest of threads, it’s time to pack up and head to Florida for three and to Philly for three. Speaking of Philly, the Phils lost the past two days. The Braves could be 4 ½ games out of first place had they mustered a way to defeat the worst team in the majors this weekend. Remember all that talk during the offseason about how the big three in the NL East would duke it out all summer long? Well, check out the standings this morning. The Phillies and Mets are tied for first, with the Marlins ½ game out. There’s your big three. The Braves? Pathetic, sitting at 46-52 on the season, 6 ½ games out of first, having just dropped two in a row – two games they really needed to win – to a team that is a robust 23 games under .500. Seriously, it’s an absolute joke. If they play like this on the road this week, they will do all of us a favor because they will go 1-5 or 0-6, they will be 10 or 11 games out of first place, and we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt what we strongly suspect this morning – it’s over.
On deck
Braves at Marlins
7:10 p.m. today, Dolphin Stadium
The Skinny: If there is a ray of sunshine slicing its way through the armada of dark clouds surrounding this team today, it’s the fact Jorge Campillo (4-4, 3.06 ERA) climbs the bump tonight as the Braves open the critical six-game swing through Florida and Philly. In his last start before the All-Star break, the Braves gave Campillo plenty of run support, and the right-handed responded by scattered five hits and two runs over six innings in a victory over San Diego. For the surging Fish, right-hander Chris Volstad (2-0, 0.84 ERA) has made quite a debut. First, he pitched two scoreless innings of relief on July 6, the day he was promoted from Double-A, to get the win. Five days later, he got a chance to start and allowed just one run in 8 2/3 innings while beating the Dodgers.
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