Sep 20 2008
Shaky defense dooms Braves as Mets prevail
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Mets 9, Braves 5
Top of the Order: After battling back from a 5-3 deficit to tie the game, shoddy defense sent the Braves to their fourth loss in a row, dropping Atlanta 20 games under .500.
The Good: Omar Infante went 2-for-3, raising his average to .299, with a run scored and two RBIs. Kelly Johnson extended his hitting streak to 17 games, going 1-for-4. Josh Anderson contributed a hit and a run scored. Brandon Jones reached on an error as a pinch hitter and later scored. Buddy Carlyle pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Jorge Juilo looked sharp, striking out three in two innings of relief work. Manny Acosta, making his first appearance in four weeks, looked great: two strikeouts in a perfect inning of work. Vladimir Nunez struck out the only hitter he faced.
The Bad: Jo-Jo Reyes authored another stinker of a start, lasting just 3 1/3 innings and giving up seven hits and five runs. Two of those seven hits were homers, as location yet again was an issue for young Jo-Jo. After the Braves battled back to tie the game, their defense fell apart in the eighth. Johnson dropped a throw to first on a bunt attempt, then didn’t cover second base on a rundown. Absolutely brutal. It contributed to a rotten inning for Julian Tavarez: five hits and four runs (only one earned) in 2/3 innings of work. Chipper Jones went 0-for-3, his major-league leading batting average dropping to .362 (Albert Pujols is at .353 following his 1-for-4 day Friday). Jones left the game with a sore shoulder; Hoss is day-to-day. Yunel Escobar didn’t play again with that hamstring injury and may be done for the season.
View from the Sports Garage: Paging the Jo-Jo Reyes we saw from mid-May to mid-June. Jo-Jo, circa May 15 to June 15, you’re needed to potentially save any shot you have of being considered for next season’s roster. So, I had two tickets to the game and ended up giving them away because I decided 1.) I didn’t want to see Jo-Jo go out there and look lost (check), and 2.) I didn’t want to be there half the night as Jerry Manuel changed pitchers 15 times if the game was close (check). I gotta tell you right now: If my team has a chance to play the Mets in the playoffs, I’m licking my chops. That bullpen is toast without Billy Wagner. Flat out no confidence in that group whatsoever, and I think even the other Mets know it. Anyway, back to Friday’s doings. You can’t give good teams extra outs, and that’s exactly what the Braves did in the eighth. Man, I really like Johnson, but he’s gotta get better defensively. I think we all forget he has been at second base for just two seasons, but good grief, Kelly. Catch the freaking ball at first base, and cover the bag on a rundown. Really, really bad lapses that hurt the Braves bigtime. An ugly meltdown at the end, and Jo-Jo was ugly in the beginning. Ah, just eight more games of this until we can move into the offseason and begin building for what we all hope will be better times in 2009.
On deck
Braves vs. Mets
7 p.m. today, Turner Field
The Skinny: Hey, remember when Jorge Campillo (7-7, 3.79 ERA) made his first start, way back on May 20? Campillo shut out the Mets over six dazzling innings, as the Braves swept New York in a four-game series at Turner Field. Well, that was ancient history for the Braves and, for Campillo, the going lately has been rough sledding. Winless since Aug. 8, Campillo has allowed three or more earned runs in past eight outings. Against the Mets Sunday, Campillo was drilled for eight hits and four runs (three earned) in just 3 2/3 innings. For the Mets, Pedro Martinez (5-5, 5.47 ERA) comes in having dropped three of his past five decisions. Monday against Washington, Pedro gave up four runs in six innings.
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There is always one great thing to look forward to. It is called “Next Season”.