GDT 8/3 THE SOROKA GOES FOR BLOOD

[Hulavol]

1. R. Acuna (R) RF
2. Ozzie Albies (S) 2B
3. F. Freeman (L) 1B
4. Marcell Ozuna (R) LF
5. Matt Adams (L) DH
6. T. d'Arnaud (R) C
7. Dansby Swanson (R) SS
8. Johan Camargo (S) 3B
9. Ender Inciarte (L) CF

[Enscheff]

We are probably past the point where Albies should be batting in the top half vs RHP.

With no pitcher batting 9th, Acuna leading off is much more tolerable, so when Markakis is going full steam the lineup should be:

vs RHP (order of 5-9 not really set)
Acuna RF
Freeman 1B
Markakis LF (.371 OBP vs RHP in 2019)
Ozuna DH
TD C
Swanson SS
Albies 2B
Camargo 3B
Inciarte CF

With AA on the look out for a LHH 3B to replace Camargo and bat 5th behind Ozuna.

vs LHP (order of 5-9 not really set):
Acuna CF (assuming the defense remains tolerable)
Freeman 1B
Albies 2B
Ozuna LF/DH
Duvall RF
Swanson SS
TD C
Camargo 3B
Riley LF/DH (if he continues to be awful after ~75 PAs Ender is in CF everyday for the defense)

The point being Albies needs to be in the bottom half vs RHP, Markakis needs to be in the top half vs RHP, Camargo should only face LHP, and the Braves need to add a LHH at 3B. These are facts we've known for a while.

[Enscheff]

Someone like Shaw from the Jays, or Seager from the Ms could be targets after those teams fall out of contention.

Shaw should have been a target this off season.

[clvclv]

Wonder if they'd consider Shewmake as the LH side of the 3B platoon at this juncture if they're not prepared to pull the trigger on a trade? Would be nice if we had access to reports on how the guys at Gwinnett look facing (for the most part) more advanced or better competition than they saw last season - especially college bats like Shewmake and Ball.

Just hard for me to believe AA is going to give up much in trade in a crazy season like this unless it's for a controllable TOR arm to go along with Soroka and Fried - especially given how lucky he's been with the ability to platoon all the other weaker positions. Once you add Markakis, the lineup becomes completely balanced (Ender/Acuna, Markakis/Duvall, Ozuna/Adams at DH if you so choose, and Riley/Schebler on the bench).

I'm sure the Ms and Jays SHOULDN'T expect a major return for either of those guys, but I still wonder if it's not going to be more than AA will be comfortable paying.

[TheBravos]

Someone like Shaw from the Jays, or Seager from the Ms could be targets after those teams fall out of contention.

Shaw should have been a target this off season.

With us actually needing less minor league players this year and with probably too many pitchers at this point (most not winning a spot)...maybe he will trade away a few. Not sure I would trade for a position player unless Ender is in the package though. Would like to see us get a #2 or #3 innings eater, but it will likely comes at too high a price and I have a feeling the Braves won’t be big on adding extra salary either.

Overall, I think they see this as a prove it year for the top guys ready (Wright, Touki, Wilson,Newk). They “should” give them every chance to succeed. Especially since Soroka and Fried have locked down spots and Cole likely will be back sometime.

There will be a whole new crop of guys to challenge for spots next year (Anderson, Ynoa, Muller, Davidson...maybe even this year, Weigel and De la Cruz).

Hopefully Cole can return and at least one (or even better two) or Wright, Touki, Wilson and Newk can step forward. Wilson and Newk seem to be destined for the pen unfortunately.

[Enscheff]

Problem is, nobody needs MiLB players. And who is going to be used as trade bait? Guys who haven't been scouted since last year?

I have a feeling the Braves will be in the enviable position of having a bunch of good-not-great controllable players who are known quantities, and those known quantities are going to be what other teams will value when they let go of impact MLB players.

[USMA76]

Someone like Shaw from the Jays, or Seager from the Ms could be targets after those teams fall out of contention.

Shaw should have been a target this off season.

I haven't followed him recently but the couple of times I saw Seager in person, I liked him.

Curious as to your thoughts to the idea (which I originally heard from Tony LaRussa having no idea whether or not he originated it) of having "a second leadoff hitter" batting ninth? The obvious logic being that after the first time through the order you essentially have two leadoff hitters. Unless I'm missing something, wouldn't that give Acuna more RBI opportunities especially since it doesn't appear that Snitker's going to move RAJ from leading off? The first lineup you posited has Enciarte in the ninth spot which approaches LaRussa's idea. Your second scenario with Camargo not so much. Understandably, you're giving a good hitter fewer at bats by hitting him ninth.

To what extent, if any, is the "second leadoff hitter lineup" changed by the presence of a DH?

Thanks in advance.

[Enscheff]

IIRC, LaRussa batted the pitcher 8th and a position player 9th mainly so he could bat Big Mac #2. "The Book" agrees that your 9 hitter should be better than your 8 hitter if you stack the top of the lineup with hitters like Acuna and Freeman 1-2. Since your 3 hitter comes up so often in the 1st inning with 0 men on and 2 outs, he should be a lesser hitter than you 4 and 5 hitters.

For the most part, bottom half hitters are all so interchangeable that it doesn't really matter who hits 8 or 9 (as long as they aren't the pitcher). Ender 9th vs RHP and Camargo 9th vs LHP is probably just as good as any other order in any practical sense.

If anything, a slower runner in front of Acuna is preferable since he will be scoring frequently on HRs anyways...you ideally want fast guys to steal in front of singles hitters, and not risk getting thrown out in front of power hitters. A SB is much more valuable with Ichiro/Gwynn batting than with Bonds/McGwire batting, for example.

[USMA76]

No McNeil in the lineup--I wonder what's up with that? Not complaining, mind you.

[bravesfanMatt]

No McNeil in the lineup--I wonder what's up with that? Not complaining, mind you.

Radio said lower back tightness during batting practice

[bravesfanMatt]

How does this guy throw so damn hard.

[TURBO]

I wonder if Albies would hit RHP better batting righty. His left side isnt great

[Enscheff]

Soroka's velocity seems down early.

[CyYoung31]

I wonder if Albies would hit RHP better batting righty. His left side isnt great

He was solid last year against LHP. Made real strides. No need to **** with him.

[CyYoung31]

Soroka's velocity seems down early.

Probably just the lighting.

[USMA76]

I wonder if Albies would hit RHP better batting righty. His left side isnt great

I may be wrong but Albies switch hitting is like Acuña batting leadoff--Snit is placating his young stars. Hopefully, they'll come to the realization on their own that those things may not generate the best results for the team. Snitker clearly would prefer not to have to force the issue so we'll have to see how it plays out.

[CyYoung31]

101 ****ing MPH.

[USMA76]

101 ****ing MPH.

Gear up for 100 mph then he throws 85 at the bottom of the zone. Have fun with that. Guy's amazing.

[Enscheff]

TD isn't impressed by 100...when he guesses right

[Enscheff]

I'd sit slider and hope he hangs one

[jpack1]

deGrom is the best I’ve ever seen. His stuff with his command is just unbelievable.

[CrazyTrain]

I really like d’Arnoud.

[jpx7]

101 ****ing MPH.

Throwing harder tonight than on opening day.

Swanson saw one hittsble pitch—93 down the middle for strike-one, looking—and it seemed like it surprised the hell out of him.

[jpx7]

lol Ozuna

I don’t think he’s been that bad defensively, but that was .... real bad.

[tululush]

Wtf just happened to Ozuna??? Sigh. Free run for the Mets.

[CrazyTrain]

Wtf just happened to Ozuna??? Sigh. Free run for the Mets.

It doesn’t appear that he can stop or bend over.

[USMA76]

Ozuna absolutely butchering LF.

[CyYoung31]

I may be wrong but Albies switch hitting is like Acuña batting leadoff--Snit is placating his young stars. Hopefully, they'll come to the realization on their own that those things may not generate the best results for the team. Snitker clearly would prefer not to have to force the issue so we'll have to see how it plays out.

See post above. And there’s no guarantee that hitting right-handed exclusively would net better results all-around.

[Enscheff]

I didn’t realize just how bad Ozuna’s arm is out there. It looks Juan Pierre bad.

[jsebe10]

Man just DH that dude. How the hell did he win a gold glove?

[jpx7]

Soroka's velocity seems down early.

Much more worried about his command abandoning him suddenly.

[jpx7]

Man just DH that dude. How the hell did he win a gold glove?

Same way Markakis won two.

[Enscheff]

Soroka’s velocity is down 2 ticks, and his control is suffering as he tries to compensate.

Hopefully it’s just the dead arm he would normally suffer towards the end of ST.

[msstate7]

Our starters have sheet control. I know this isn't soroka normally, but this being the 4th straight day of this is getting old.

[USMA76]

So how many runs can we give up and still have any reasonable chance to beat DeGrom? Poor run support has been the underlying cause of the vast majority of his losses. That may not be an issue tonight with the way things are shaping up.

[CyYoung31]

It’s over.

[Garmel]

Soroka down. Can this get any worse?

[Enscheff]

Fuuuuuuuck

[jpx7]

Tremendous.

[CyYoung31]

Cancel the season.

[jpx7]

Soroka’s velocity is down 2 ticks, and his control is suffering as he tries to compensate.

Hopefully it’s just the dead arm he would normally suffer towards the end of ST.

Well now it’s a dead leg ...

[CrimsonCowboy]

Not good. Not good at all

[Carp]

2020 can get ****ed.

[Enscheff]

That looks like an Achilles tear. Holy hell.

[Snowman]

This, emm, might actually be a death blow.

[CyYoung31]

His Achilles just popped.

[msstate7]

How long is recovery? Not like this season is gonna go another month anyway

[jsebe10]

I’ll take torn Achilles for 1000

[CrimsonCowboy]

Okay. Someone else really needs to step up in the rotation now

[salmagundy]

Does Soroka going down for an extended time force AA's hand to find another Top 3 rotation guy??

[CrimsonCowboy]

Freeman’s face said it all

[Enscheff]

That's a gut punch. Hard to stay optimistic after seeing that.

[jsebe10]

How long is recovery? Not like this season is gonna go another month anyway

A full year. If he’s lucky...KD tore his last June and he still hasn’t been cleared for basketball activities.

[salmagundy]

That's a gut punch. Hard to stay optimistic after seeing that.

Very hard!!!

[bravesfanMatt]

Cancel the season damnit.

[Enscheff]

I was really hoping to see him roll his ankle and sit out for a couple weeks with a sprain

[USMA76]

Classic case here of expecting the worst but hoping for something better.

[CrimsonCowboy]

The players just look stunned. We can go ahead and put it in the loss column. Going to be hard to bounce back emotionally against deGrom

[Enscheff]

Slot Anderson in whever his next simulation turn is, and push everyone else back for an extra day of rest.

[CyYoung31]

Well, Rusin looks nice.

[jsebe10]

Yea we are going to need a player to get covid. End this season now.

[The Chosen One]

This might be the end of our season.

[sturg33]

If its not a season ender, the Braces should be good enough to make playoffs without him... he can rest up and get ready for postseason.

But pretty sure he is toast

[UNCBlue012]

Ugh. Not great

[msstate7]

Ian Anderson time, right?

[CrazyTrain]

****kkkkkkkkk

[Skeeter31]

Folty time?

[salmagundy]

Rusin is out of options so it's a make or break time for him. Not pretty, 1 hit, 1 BB in .2 IP allowing an inherited runner to score.

[bravesfanMatt]

I blame this on Ozuna. His error lead to the string of pitches and mess that lead to this. We should all go and murder him.

Not really. Newk will take the next step now.

[CrimsonCowboy]

I feel the same way right now as I did when Tua suffered the fractured hip last November

[jpx7]

A full year. If he’s lucky...KD tore his last June and he still hasn’t been cleared for basketball activities.

I think basketball is a little different, in terms of what it requires out of an athletes legs/feet; and the severity of the tear matters, too. But I think, if it’s the Achilles, we can expect six months until he resumes baseball activities.

[CJ9]

A full year. If he’s lucky...KD tore his last June and he still hasn’t been cleared for basketball activities.

You sure? I looked up Zach Britton because he’s the only one I could remember who had it. Looks like he ruptured it while running in December 2017 and returned June 2018.

[The Chosen One]

Which achilles is it?

Is it the foot he uses to push off when pitching?

[sturg33]

Jason Grilli did too, right?

[CrimsonCowboy]

Folty time?

Could be

[CrimsonCowboy]

Jason Grilli did too, right?

Yes

[CJ9]

Which achilles is it?

Is it the foot he uses to push off when pitching?

No, landing foot.

[USMA76]

I have no idea of the EV but the hit by Acuña was past the third baseman before he could even take a step.

[The Chosen One]

At this point just bring Anderson up.

If he does well then it's great experience and maybe we make playoffs. If not then we see what he can do and he can take his bumps.

[jpx7]

Soroka’s Canadian, but is Ukranian for “magpie”; and Achilles is Greek.

Yet somehow the combination is Finnish ...

[CrimsonCowboy]

I’m glad I don’t drink right now

[Snowman]

I blame this on Ozuna. His error lead to the string of pitches and mess that lead to this. We should all go and murder him.

Not really. Newk will take the next step now.
At this point, I'm ready to say the odds are better Newk becomes internationally famed for throwing a ball to the moon (by accident, while aiming for the catcher's glove) than they are of him taking a next step.

[msstate7]

Any updates? Not watching

[bravesfanforlife88]

I put the blame on whoever made the title to this GDT. Out bad juju on him

[TURBO]

Neck gonna re opt out

[The Chosen One]

I have no idea of the EV but the hit by Acuña was past the third baseman before he could even take a step.

Does anyone know the EV of Soroka's achilles popping off the bone?

[jpx7]

Maybe Soroka—not Acuña and Albies—was actually teh secret paramour.

1290436560916185088

[jpx7]

Nice play by Swanson, still playing hard despite the death-blow.

[WaitingFor2017]

So 0.2 of Rusin's work can be thanked to the Braves defense/Mets bad base running.....

[TURBO]

What is Degromes current contract?

[CyYoung31]

Rusin is ****ing garbage.

[jpx7]

Rusin is ****ing garbage.

He’s being sacrificed tonight before riding the Foltynewicz Memorial Flume to DFA Land tomorrow.

[bravesfanforlife88]

He’s being sacrificed before Chacin the Foltynewicz Memorial Flume to DFA Land tomorrow.

FiFY

[Snowman]

I get the feeling D'Arnaud may not like his old team too much.

[Snowman]

FiFY

...did you maybe replace the wrong word?

[jpx7]

Little d vs Little d, seems to be deGrom’s kryptonite.

Next lineup card versus deGrom needs to read aCuña, alBies, &c.

[bravesfanforlife88]

...did you maybe replace the wrong word?

Refresh. Doing this on my phone

[USMA76]

Little d vs Little d, seems to be deGrom’s kryptonite.

Next lineup card versus deGrom needs to read aCuña, alBies, &c.

I thought the size of the d isn't all that important.

[TURBO]

Great AB by Acuna. Wish we didnt bring in the worst pitcher ever earlier

[jpx7]

Acuña heating up just in time for the season to end.

[jpx7]

I thought the size of the d isn't all that important.

Certainly didn’t help Stroman this season.

[USMA76]

When Cy said Rusin is garbage, he pretty much said everything we need to know about him.

[The Chosen One]

Stop giving Comrade Rusin so much hate.

Not his fault Soroka's achilles tore faster than what Rusin can throw.

[Sheffield10]

The broadcast literally talked about Soroka slipping twice in his last start... and a couple of pitches later...

[thewupk]

Time for rona to run rampant

[jpx7]

Time for rona to run rampant

I assume you mean Ronald Aroña Jr?

[thewupk]

I assume you mean Ronald Aroña Jr?

Nah

[Hudson2]

Damn that sucks! Just bring up Anderson and see what you have. We will need to look for an ace no doubt now bc an Achilles tear is a bitch.

[jpx7]

Nah

Looks like someone got CoViD blackpilled tonight.

[Snowman]

The broadcast literally talked about Soroka slipping twice in his last start... and a couple of pitches later...

So we blame them for jinxing him, right?

[Snowman]

(speaking of the broadcast, someone needs to have a long talk with Francoeur about phrasing. He was talking about Albies earlier, and said something like "And if you want to plug him in the 2-hole, you can!)

[msstate7]

Give albies a couple days

[jsebe10]

Here comes this buffoon to get freddie on a sweeping slider swinging.

[sturg33]

Allies has been awful so far

[CJ9]

Ozzie’s wrist is clearly still bothering him, but we are going to do that classic Braves thing where we let him talk himself into staying in the lineup and underproducing, instead of just getting him the rest he needs to get back to normal.

[USMA76]

Dropped pop foul by Freeman pretty much tells you what a bizarro night it's been.

[jpx7]

That was one of those games I wish I hadn’t spent time watching.

[Garmel]

DOB confirms that Soroka's achilles is torn.

[thewupk]

WDOB confirms that Soroka's achilles is torn.

Welp our rotation is ****ed

[salmagundy]

Snits was very tight lipped thru his entire post game presser. Confirmed torn Achilles tendon. Could not say if partly or complete. Soroka's season is over and when his return is not known.

[TheBravos]

Snits was very tight lipped thru his entire post game presser. Confirmed torn Achilles tendon. Could not say if partly or complete.

Snit was holding back the tears.

[msstate7]

Someone above said Britton was back ~ 7 months. Sheldon rankins of the Saints also returned to practice in ~ 7 months. Hopefully soroka can do the same and be ready to go right off the bat next season.

[CrimsonCowboy]

Like I said earlier, someone in that rotation is going to have to step up. Mike is done for the year and we can’t do a dang thing about it. It’s time for those guys to take the bull by the horn and step it up.

[Carp]

Need Newk to find whatever luck he had in the 1st half of 2018.

[msstate7]

Newcomb, Wright, and touki gonna have to just pitch through it now. Can't pull em so quickly with only 1 dependable starter.

[salmagundy]

As far as Newk picking it up, it won't happen IMO. He can't pick a $100 bill up of the floor.

I look for AA pull to something out of the hat before Newk steps up.

[salmagundy]

Newcomb, Wright, and touki gonna have to just pitch through it now. Can't pull em so quickly with only 1 dependable starter.

The pen can't stand much more 5+ IP per game.

[goldfly]

man, **** 2020

[cajunrevenge]

Well atleast we still have Melvin Wright.....

[Super]

what a bummer.
poor Mike.
smh

[clvclv]

Maybe Soroka—not Acuña and Albies—was actually teh secret paramour.

1290436560916185088

I blame this all on the FSSO/FSSE idiots that chose to run Kelsey off - THAT'S when the bad juju started.

[JohnAdcox]

Snit was holding back the tears.

Me, too.

[bravesfanforlife88]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MSPUsN7HFwU

Watching last night reminded me of Grilli blowing out his Achilles in Colorado

[salmagundy]

I blame this all on the FSSO/FSSE idiots that chose to run Kelsey off - THAT'S when the bad juju started.

Numerous reports say it was the Braves who ran Kelsey off, not Fox. Braves are "mum" on topic.

[CyYoung31]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MSPUsN7HFwU

Watching last night reminded me of Grilli blowing out his Achilles in Colorado

Cost us a wild card.

[clvclv]

Numerous reports say it was the Braves who ran Kelsey off, not Fox. Braves are "mum" on topic.

Still when the bad juju started - doesn't matter which rumor you choose.

[salmagundy]

Still when the bad juju started - doesn't matter which rumor you choose.

Agreed