Aug 25 2008
Reyes wobbles as Braves fall, end 1-5 road trip
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Cardinals 6, Braves 3
Top of the Order: Jo-Jo Reyes gave up a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, setting the tone for another frustrating day as the Braves concluded a 1-5 road trip by losing for the 13th time in the past 15 games.
The Good: When your team is out of the race, players who don’t have a guaranteed roster spot for next season need to step up and make a statement for themselves. Safe to say Martin Prado understand this. Making his fourth consecutive start at first base, Prado went 2-for-4 with a run scored, raising his average to .339. Prado is hitting .449 in August, extending his hitting streak to six games (11-for-25 in that stretch). Blaine Boyer retired the only hitter he faced. Manny Acosta made his first appearance since coming off the disabled list – two hits, two walks, one strikeout and no runs in two innings. Reyes did drive in the first two runs of the game with a single in the second. Greg Norton contributed a pinch-hit single. Brandon Jones finally got a start – why has he been sitting on the bench for four days? – and had one hit in four at-bats.
The Bad: Take away his two-run single, and it wasn’t a stellar day at all for young Jo-Jo. The control issues remain: four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Allowing two runs in both the first and second innings put the Braves in a hole, as Reyes finished with nine hits and six runs allowed (five earned). Jeff Francoeur went hitless, grounding into a double play, his average back down to .227. He also committed an error with an awful throw. Chipper Jones went 1-for-3, and now is tied with Albert Pujols for the NL batting lead at .359.
View from the Sports Garage: I wasn’t at Hartsfield-Jackson when the Braves charter landed Sunday night, but I’m pretty confident it resembled what it’s like to get out of your car after a really long day at the office. You just trudge through the rain to your door, come inside and take a deep breath, trying to get over the garbage from the past few hours. For the Braves, this road trip was like one really long, bad day sitting at your cube. One win in six tries. Several close games in which the Braves had a chance, only to fall apart at key times. Bad starting pitching. Some bad bullpen work. And, oh yeah, that epically embarrassing blowout loss Friday night. Reyes continues to baffle me; one start he seems like he’s working his way back toward some of the dominance we saw from him earlier this season, then he wobbles through a lackluster effort Sunday. I can kinda understand seeing it from Charlie Morton, who’s been in the majors for two months. But Jo-Jo made his major-league debut last summer. By now, he should know what it’s like up here, and he’s experienced some success up here. There are plenty of openings in the rotation for 2009, but if Reyes wants to be here next April, it’d serve him well to pitch better these final five weeks. Prado is making a case to be on somebody’s major-league roster next spring, be it here or someplace else. He’s actually looked pretty good in the field overall, and he’s raking at the dish right now. Gotta play him; he’s generated more offense in a week than Casey Kotchman has in a month.
On deck
Braves vs. Marlins
7:10 p.m. Tuesday, Turner Field
The Skinny: The Braves open a three-game set at home with Jair Jurrjens (11-9, 3.28 ERA) looking to return to the win column. The rookie right-hander hasn’t pitched poorly of late, but he does have a 4.35 ERA in his past five starts, losing four of those five. A 44-pitch first inning Wednesday against the Mets helped send JJJ to the showers after five innings, his shortest outing since May 31. Jurrjens is 1-1 against Florida in 2008. For the floundering Marlins, lefty Scott Olsen (6-8, 4.11 ERA) makes his third appearance against the Braves this season. He’s 1-0 with a no-decision. He gave up nine hits and four runs in a loss to San Francisco in his last start.
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Bud, I have to say that I have never been a big fan of Jo-Jo’s.