5/15/15 Braves @ Marlins

[Garmel]

Braves
1. Jace Peterson (L) 2B
2. Phil Gosselin (R) 3B
3. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
4. Nick Markakis (L) RF
5. Andrelton Simmons (R) SS
6. Todd Cunningham (S) LF
7. Cameron Maybin (R) CF
8. Christian Bethancourt (R) C
9. Julio Teheran (R) P

Marlins
1. Dee Gordon (L) 2B
2. Martin Prado (R) 3B
3. Giancarlo Stanton (R) RF
4. Marcell Ozuna (R) CF
5. Christian Yelich (L) LF
6. Michael Morse (R) 1B
7. J.T. Realmuto (R) C
8. Adeiny Hechavarria (R) SS
9. David Phelps (R) P

[Garmel]

I don't mind the look of this lineup. Gosselin's not a bad choice to play as long as it's not Peterson being taken out. It's not as if Callaspo is setting the world on fire anyways.

[nsacpi]

Expecting a huge game from Bethancourt.

[thethe]

Pretty excited about Jace getting a shot at the leadoff spot.

[Dalyn]

Pretty excited about Jace getting a shot at the leadoff spot.

Me too. Hope he runs away with it.

[Enscheff]

Take that lineup, replace Goss with Peraza, then slide JUp between Freeman and Nick...and suddenly you're looking at a real offense.

[Julio3000]

Our cleanup hitter has fewer 2015 XBH than Eric Young, Jr.

Cool to see Cunningham in there. Hope Jace makes hay at the top of the order.

[jpx7]

Our cleanup hitter has fewer 2015 XBH than Eric Young, Jr.

Cool to see Cunningham in there. Hope Jace makes hay at the top of the order.

Expecting a Harang of a game from Cunningham.

[Julio3000]

Expecting a Harang of a game from Cunningham.

All I heard was something something ham.

/Aaron Harang

[UNCBlue012]

I love this lineup. Really happy with where Peterson and Simba are. Go Cunningham!

[Russ2dollas]

leadoff has been death to pretty much everyone.....although as I type that Markakis wasn't bad.....

Our first two hitters in this line up ever hitting above 7th is why people thought this would be the worst offense in the game.

[Dalyn]

leadoff has been death to pretty much everyone.....although as I type that Markakis wasn't bad.....

Our first two hitters in this line up ever hitting above 7th is why people thought this would be the worst offense in the game.

Markakis had a .360+ OBP out of the first spot, so I think that counts as a success.

[cajunrevenge]

Predicting 4 hits for Cunningham.

[The Chosen One]

Expecting a huge "My Time Is Now" game from Gosselin at 3B.

[The Chosen One]

We started the season in Miami Jace was our leadoff guy. Glad to see he's made it back a month and a half later.

[The Chosen One]

PHILLIP FILLING THE VOID AT 3B. NICK GREEN '15.

[USMA76]

Great start to the first Marlins batter of the game.

[The Chosen One]

Kelly doesn't get that as much as I love him.

[Garmel]

Having Cunningham in left saved a run.

[USMA76]

Is it just me or does it always seem like we're playing catch up? Maybe that's why we're four games under .500 and fading.

[Garmel]

Is it just me or does it always seem like we're playing catch up? Maybe that's why we're four games under .500 and fading.

It's not your imagination. It's happening quite often to us.

[thewupk]

Is it just me or does it always seem like we're playing catch up? Maybe that's why we're four games under .500 and fading.

Losing teams are generally losing

And JT just isn't right.

[USMA76]

So we have a guy batting clean up who hasn't hit a home run since the last Star Wars movie was released.

[dak]

I'd like to think that if Todd were on the team 10 years ago that Bobby would have called him Cunny.

[thewupk]

So we have a guy batting clean up who hasn't hit a home run since the last Star Wars movie was released.

Yeah the guy has the least amount of power on the team. So let's put him cleanup. Doesn't make sense to me.

[USMA76]

I'd like to think that if Todd were on the team 10 years ago that Bobby would have called him Cunny.

Is he a linguist?

[Julio3000]

I'd like to think that if Todd were on the team 10 years ago that Bobby would have called him Cunny.

That would cause some confusion with Cuniff, though. Still, I'm pretty sure you're right.

[thewupk]

lol

[Julio3000]

Oh hell yeah

[The Chosen One]

LOL

[jpx7]

Teheran, man.

[USMA76]

Great AB by JT. I wish he would show the same tenacity when he's pitching that he did in that at bat.

[thewupk]

JT lol

[Runnin]

Awesome AB Julio!!!!!!!!

[The Chosen One]

Looked like Prado missed the tag.

[dak]

That would cause some confusion with Cuniff, though. Still, I'm pretty sure you're right.

Good call. Shame on me for underestimating our current supply of Cunny.

[Russ2dollas]

i want to like CB...but it's tough....

[chop2chip]

Great AB by JT. I wish he would show the same tenacity when he's pitching that he did in that at bat.
I tend to think his pitching at bats mirrored his actual at bats quite closely.

[Julio3000]

Good call. Shame on me for underestimating our current supply of Cunny.

We just replaced Johnson with Cunny, so the balance has shifted.

[Garmel]

Julio just can't have an easy inning.

[USMA76]

As usual, CB Bucknor's strike zone is maddeningly inconsistent.

[The Chosen One]

Gosselin baby. Send him down!

[USMA76]

Gosselin baby. Send him down!

Actually, he's not been bad--at least lately.

[The Chosen One]

Actually, he's not been bad--at least lately.

Gosselin has won us 2 gsmes this year. Does that make him a 2.0 WAR player? Am I doing this right?

[USMA76]

Beautifully executed hit and run. Hopefully, a double play won't follow.

[Braves1976]

Actually, he's not been bad--at least lately.

The only one that has been bad lately is Callaspo, both Gosselin and Ciriaco have hit lately. Ciriaco has a double and triple in only three AB's.

[Garmel]

Jace hasn't looked good with his two at-bats. I know it's way early but I hope it's not a case of feeling too much pressure to hitting at the top of the lineup. He wasn't good in the two slot earlier in the year either.

[jpx7]

Fly was big.

[Garmel]

Is the old Teheran ever going to come back?

[USMA76]

FU CB Bucknor.

[USMA76]

If they overturn that call, I'll be shocked.

[Julio3000]

Mukaki cleanup, huh...

[Five]

Jesus Fredi, you're on fire with the challenges. Seriously, you're an idiot.

[USMA76]

Jesus Fredi, you're on fire with the challenges. Seriously, you're an idiot.

...and in unrelated news, water is wet.

[thewupk]

Is the old Teheran ever going to come back?

Hopeully

[jpx7]

Jesus Fredi, you're on fire with the challenges. Seriously, you're an idiot.

Worse is hearing Joe (and Chip) attempt to talk themselves into obvious calls being questionable.

[USMA76]

Worse is hearing Joe (and Chip) attempt to talk themselves into obvious calls being questionable.

Yep. Talk about "seeing what you want to see."

[dak]

Maybin has been hitting a lot of line drives to RF that have been caught. Nice to see one drop.

[MadduxFanII]

Notice what's happening with Maybin and Cunningham, Fredi?

[USMA76]

Maybin has been hitting a lot of line drives to RF that have been caught. Nice to see one drop.

If he could make consistent contact, with his speed he's the guy that I'd most like to see leading off. That's a long way from happening, however.

[nsacpi]

That's a really nice defensive lineup we have out there tonight.

[USMA76]

Peterson's getting worn out as a leadoff hitter...gotta give him some time in that role, I guess.

[Garmel]

Jace just looks confused at the plate.

[Julio3000]

That's a really nice defensive lineup we have out there tonight.

I about did a double-take when Cunningham ran down that ball in the gap in the 1st.

[USMA76]

Like Kelly Johnson, Martin Prado is a guy I wish we'd have kept as a Braves lifer.

[Garmel]

I think Gosselin is going to play third base again tomorrow.

[Braves1976]

He seems to be pitching our lefty hitters a lot tougher than our righties so far. He's nailing that inside corner on Jace Peterson and Freeman, esp. against Jace.

[Garmel]

We have squandered a lot of scoring chances in this game.

[jpx7]

We have squandered a lot of scoring chances in this game.

Probably'd be 5-2 if this team could play small-ball.

[dak]

That's a really nice defensive lineup we have out there tonight.


Yeah, I'd like to see Cunningham get a look in CF. I suspect he'd perform better than Maybin.

[USMA76]

JT's pitch count is high (again) so no chance of him seeing the 7th inning and he may be lucky to get through the sixth.

[USMA76]

Yeah, I'd like to see Cunningham get a look in CF. I suspect he'd perform better than Maybin.

Agreed. Maybin makes me hold my breath on balls hit to CF much like I held my breath every time a ball was hit to Jeff Blauser.

[nsacpi]

JT's pitch count is high (again) so no chance of him seeing the 7th inning and he may be lucky to get through the sixth.

He isn't laboring. I'd try to get 115 pitches or so out of him.

[USMA76]

He isn't laboring. I'd try to get 115 pitches or so out of him.

Maybe. He's got the bottom of the Marlins order in the bottom of the sixth so if can get through that on a low number of pitches...

[Runnin]

That was classic!

[Russ2dollas]

loved prado, but IMO we maximized him as an asset. Very good player for us and cheap. As soon as he was about to get expensive he was the major piece getting JUp.....that is what we all want from an organization.

EY needs to go. Cunningham may never do anything else for the braves but if he can SSS Young out, then that probably helps the organization.

[USMA76]

Good pitch. Don't know what Maybin was complaining about.

[dak]

Bethancourt's updated slash line: 155 / 183 / 224.

[nsacpi]

Teheran's fastball showed good life tonight. A little surprised Fredi is taking him out now.

[USMA76]

Bethancourt's updated slash line: 155 / 183 / 224.

He's obviously overmatched offensively at this level but, no surprise, that was the biggest question mark he had as he came up through our system.

[nsacpi]

He's obviously overmatched offensively at this level but, no surprise, that was the biggest question mark he had as he came up through our system.

There is some benefit from major league experience, but I think he (and the franchise) would have been better off with more time in AAA.

[jpx7]

Not at all sad to see Ichiro score a hit there. It might be tough, but I'd love to see him compile 3000 US hits.

[USMA76]

There is some benefit from major league experience, but I think he (and the franchise) would have been better off with more time in AAA.

Agreed but not sure what other viable options we had.

[Braves1976]

Joe and Chip comparing Hechavarria to Simmons is a big laugh, Simmons has a 10 DRS this year alone and good range numbers, etc. Hechavarria range at short in recent years has been poor and his career DRS is only 2. Hechavarria is doing better this year but he's still not close to Simmons.

[nsacpi]

High leverage situation for Cunniff.

[nsacpi]

Agreed but not sure what other viable options we had.

We don't. But it something that could have been addressed in the off-season. We did sign Buck, but I think they were going to send him to the minors when he decided to retire.

[USMA76]

Unfortunately, I have absolutely zero confidence in our BP's ability to hold a lead based on everything I've seen so far this year.

[Braves1976]

He looked out on that pickoff but Fredi wasted his challenge so we can't appeal.

[dak]

Chip has now pronounced Cunniff's last name at least 3 different ways this year.

[jpx7]

So much Cunny in Miami.

[nsacpi]

Well done Cunniff.

[USMA76]

He looked out on that pickoff but Fredi wasted his challenge so we can't appeal.

That's what you have to live with when your manager is a dolt.

[Braves1976]

We don't. But it something that could have been addressed in the off-season. We did sign Buck, but I think they were going to send him to the minors when he decided to retire.

Yea, Buck retired after being told he wasn't making the team.

[chop2chip]

Teheran wasn't awful tonight. If he can start string together some outings like tonight perhaps he can start building some confidence. He got BABIP'd tonight badly.

[nsacpi]

Incredible swing in our pinch hitting from last year to this year. Just one of those things.

[thewupk]

lol hell of a slide by EYJ there

[Braves1976]

Damn

[Garmel]

*sigh* Great call, Fredi.

[USMA76]

Jackass Paul Pierce looks like he's sending the game into OT with a three at the buzzer. Ball may not have been out of his hand; play under review.

[thewupk]

epic failure there

[Julio3000]

Smallballin!

[WaitingFor2017]

Suicide squeeze sign to a guy that is 2-3 tonight and has hit the ball well?

Brilliant managing.

[Garmel]

Goose is 3-3 with Freddie and Nick next. Why call that?

[jpx7]

Poor execution of the fundamentals. This team just can't get it done if it doesn't get the big hit.

[stpeteirish]

Goose is 3-3 with Freddie and Nick next. Why call that?

because three hits is already more than anyone could have expected from him in one game?

[chop2chip]

It's pretty ironic that the year we celebrate small ball and shun last year's offense is the year that our pitching has been destroyed by homeruns.

[stpeteirish]

we've seen this movie already. Braves scrap out a small lead, fail in multiple attempt to add on, and then the bullpen blows it.

[MadduxFanII]

Gameday registered that pitch as about as down the middle as down the middle can be. I feel like that's not the best location for a 90 MPH fastball to Giancarlo Stanton.

[CrimsonCowboy]

Stanton is a beast

[USMA76]

Too predicable. Screw up in the top of the inning; give up a massive HR to lead off the bottom of the inning. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2015 Atlanta Braves bullpen.

[jpx7]

Christian Yelich looks like the snottiest kid in middle-school.

[USMA76]

Christian Yelich looks like the snottiest kid in middle-school.

He undoubtedly has a punkish demeanor.

In other news, Pierce's three at the buzzer was waved off so the Hawks advance. Congratulations!

[Julio3000]

Stanton just kept the line moving by himself.

[Russ2dollas]

martin turning back into the c prospect he is

[nsacpi]

Interesting that Redmond is leaving Dunn in.

EDIT: Ok that makes more sense.

[jpx7]

In other news, Pierce's three at the buzzer was waved off so the Hawks advance. Congratulations!

As a bereaved Bulls fan: go Hawks.

[nsacpi]

martin turning back into the c prospect he is

I would keep running him out there as long as the K and BB rates hold up. But he will always be prone to the long ball.

[USMA76]

As a bereaved Bulls fan: go Hawks.

Actually, I'm a Knicks fan going back to when NY won its last championship when I was at the academy. I may not be real bright when it comes to picking sports teams but I am loyal. That said, I'm happy for the Hawks and hope they win it all.

[nsacpi]

The Todd

[Garmel]

Have yourself a night, Cunningham!

[dak]

Cunny is money!

[USMA76]

Cunny is money!

Kinda rolls off your tongue, doesn't it?

[Tapate50]

Ha a double steal!

[USMA76]

Merry Christmas on a wild pitch strike three. That added run is a luxury.

[chop2chip]

Merry Christmas on a wild pitch strike three. That added run is a luxury.
Luxury, nay. A necessity!

[USMA76]

Luxury, nay. A necessity!

Leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth...sigh.

[jpx7]

The Braves' bullpen is ... less than optimal.

[stpeteirish]

Merry Christmas on a wild pitch strike three. That added run is a luxury.

yeah, correction, a luxury is something you don't need.

[USMA76]

The Braves' bullpen is ... less than optimal.

If "less than optimal" equates to "sucks," then I agree.

[Garmel]

Looks like Bour could eat a few boars if given a chance.

[nsacpi]

Well done Jim Johnson

[USMA76]

Don't know what Bour's problem was. The ball came back over the plate and, in an unprecedented scenario, CB Bucknor got the call right.

[chop2chip]

Jimmy John has been a decent reliever lately. About the only one in the bullpen.

[buck75]

Still awondering why the Braves didn't call up Cunningham in September.

[USMA76]

Still awondering why the Braves didn't call up Cunningham in September.

An even better question is why he wasn't with the big club instead of Eric Young, Jr.

[buck75]

An even better question is why he wasn't with the big club instead of Eric Young, Jr.

Was pondering on that one as well.

[Garmel]

Come on, Grill Cheese!

[jpx7]

Didn't realize Grilli's ERA had become so putrid.

[CrimsonCowboy]

C.B. Bucknor is a terrible umpire

[USMA76]

Didn't realize Grilli's ERA had become so putrid.

A few runs surrendered divided by not many out opportunities will, obviously, do that to a reliever's ERA.

[USMA76]

C.B. Bucknor is a terrible umpire

CB is to umpiring what Fredi is to managing.

[Garmel]

Okay, who else **** a brick after Ozuna hit that? I thought that one was gone.

[CrimsonCowboy]

http://i.imgur.com/P6x0U.gif

[USMA76]

Nice to get punk Yelich out to end the game.

[nsacpi]

Pen did a nice job tonight.

[buck75]

May have to rest Cunningham now. Can't have too many hot hitters in the lineup.

[Runnin]

A solid win. Braves fans can sleep well tonight.

[nsacpi]

May have to rest Cunningham now. Can't have too many hot hitters in the lineup.

My guess is AJ will be at catcher tomorrow. And maybe Gomes or EY in left, with Cunningham sliding to center.

[weso1]

Nice win tonight fellas. Teheran is still struggling to find himelf but this was a nice start.

[cajunrevenge]

Predicting 4 hits for Cunningham.

Close enough.

[thethe]

I think I like Markakis lower in the order.

[USMA76]

I think I like Markakis lower in the order.

Only Fredi would put a guy with zero HR power in the fourth spot.

[chop2chip]

Only Fredi would put a guy with zero HR power in the fourth spot.
What power hitter on the team should he hit cleanup?

[chop2chip]

I think I like Markakis lower in the order.He's such a good hitter. Starting to hit a few more doubles which should help quiet the Markhaters

[thethe]

He's such a good hitter. Starting to hit a few more doubles which should help quiet the Markhaters

Yeah, if we can get him up in more situations with runners on he will convert those opportinities more than anyone on the team not named freeman.

[USMA76]

What power hitter on the team should he hit cleanup?

Oh, I get that we're not a power hitting team but it just seems strange to me that a guy who can't hit the ball to the warning track is batting fourth.

[chop2chip]

Oh, I get that we're not a power hitting team but it just seems strange to me that a guy who can't hit the ball to the warning track is batting fourth.
Again I ask, who should hit cleanup? That player doesn't exist on our team.

[Julio3000]

Again I ask, who should hit cleanup? That player doesn't exist on our team.

Jokes aside, I'm ok with Markakis at cleanup for exactly that reason. It is funny to have the guy with the least power in the starting 8 (cuz you know Jace has that raw power)hitting cleanup, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.

[thethe]

Jokes aside, I'm ok with Markakis at cleanup for exactly that reason. It is funny to have the guy with the least power in the starting 8 (cuz you know Jace has that raw power)hitting cleanup, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.

Jace took Markakis leadoff job. Soon Jace will be in the 4th spot at the same time.

[Julio3000]

Jace took Markakis leadoff job. Soon Jace will be in the 4th spot at the same time.

First question in the first presidential debate should be about Jace Peterson reform.

[chop2chip]

Jokes aside, I'm ok with Markakis at cleanup for exactly that reason. It is funny to have the guy with the least power in the starting 8 (cuz you know Jace has that raw power)hitting cleanup, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.Marky Mark has at least proved he can hit the ball to the warning track on the roll. The strength is returning!

[Julio3000]

Marky Mark has at least proved he can hit the ball to the warning track on the roll. The strength is returning!

Hey, that's not fair. He's bounced one to the wall already this season.

[jpx7]

Jokes aside, I'm ok with Markakis at cleanup for exactly that reason. It is funny to have the guy with the least power in the starting 8 (cuz you know Jace has that raw power)hitting cleanup, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.

Plus: jokes!