Aug 16 2008
Braves’ bad news continues: Glavine to DL, losing streak hits five
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Giants 5, Braves 1
Top of the Order: Just when you think the Braves can’t possibly get any more bad news, along comes a day like Friday: Tom Glavine returns to the disabled list, then the Braves get blown away late to fall a season-worst 12 games under .500 in losing their fifth straight.
The Good: Either Mark Kotsay’s back is feeling great, or he’s hoping somebody will make the Braves an offer and get him the heck outta here. Kotsay followed up his 5-for-5 cycle Thursday with a 2-for-4 showing Friday, scoring the Braves’ lone run. Jair Jurrjens deserved a far better fate, the rookie giving up just two runs on eight hits in seven innings, walking no one and striking out nine. I know Cubs’ catcher Geovany Soto is going to win NL rookie of the year, and he deserves it. But I really, really hope the voters put Jurrjens second on their ballot because he’s had a heck of a season. Gregor Blanco threw out Dave Roberts at home plate, but.
The Bad: Before the game, the Braves placed Glavine – who struggled in his first start in more than two months Thursday against the Cubs – on the DL with soreness in his elbow. Matt DeSalvo was promoted from Triple-A Richmond. Once the game started, things weren’t much better. Atlanta pitching gave up 15 hits to a pitiful Giants’ offense. Will Ohman had one of his worst outings of the year, allowing two hits (including a homer) and two runs without retiring a batter. Julian Tavarez allowed a run in the ninth on three hits and a walk. Offensively, the Braves didn’t do squat save for Kotsay’s two hits, finishing with just six hits off three San Francisco pitchers.
View from the Sports Garage: I know there was a game Friday night at Turner Field, but I can’t help but wonder if in all we talked about from Thursday’s wild series finale against the Cubs – Kotsay’s cycle, Jeff Francoeur’s three-hit night, Ted Lilly doing his usual headhunting – if history will show we missed the big story: the final game of Glavine’s long and storied career. With just six weeks left in the season, Tommy’s back on the shelf for at least 15 days with more soreness in his left elbow. You can’t help but wonder if Glavine’s reached the end of his 21-year, 305-win career, a career that will carry him into the Hall of Fame. Yet one more dose of bad news for the 2008 Braves, who lead the world in doses of bad news. Speaking of bad, Friday wasn’t much fun, either. Jurrjens worked his way out of trouble a couple of times and left trailing by one. But the Braves just couldn’t get enough offense going to get the rookie off the hook. Sigh. Another loss as this franchise sinks toward the bottom of the barrel in 2008 … thank goodness for the Nationals.
On deck
Braves vs. Giants
7:10 p.m. today, Turner Field
The Skinny: Mike Hampton (1-1, 8.10 ERA) faces the only team he’s beaten since mid-August 2005 … yeah, OK, little overdramatic there, I know. But it’s true: Hampton beat the Giants Aug. 5, pitching seven stellar innings to win his first game in nearly three years. His last time out, the left-hander got hit hard, allowing six runs in five innings in losing to the Diamondbacks. For the Giants, Jonathan Sanchez (8-9, 4.53 ERA) took the loss against Hampton last week on the West Coast. He didn’t give up a hit until the sixth inning in his last start, Monday against Houston, but allowed two runs in the sixth to take the loss.
—30—
The Braves have been strong for a decade. They’ll be back soon.
Xzchief: I agree with you. Yes, this season has been horribly awry, flown off the rails in a way nobody could have imagined. Even if you thought all the older pitchers would break down, still, the manner in which it’s happened, coupled with the loss of Hudson, and all the one-run losses … geez, a season for the ages, for all the wrong reasons.
But most of the pieces needed to contend are here. The Braves need a front-line starter and a power-hitting outfielder, without a doubt. But with a ton of money coming off payroll after this season, I think you’ll see Atlanta be very active in the offseason. This will be three years running without making the playoffs, and I think management realizes they have to do something drastic — at least drastic in the sense the Braves don’t usually make a huge splash in the offseason — to reverse course and get back into contention.