GDT #11, 4/12/'14: Braves (Wood) vs Nats (Jordan) Simmons back

[thethe]

Same here. Kimbrel is great. Getting to him may be a challenge. Don't know whether or not Avilan and Carpenter can repeat their stellar performances of last year. Walden is spooky. Rest of the guys are middling at best.

Ian Thomas looks good at least.

[50PoundHead]

He seems to be cocking/loading up really late and his back foot is almost out of the box away from the plate. Looks like he would have a lot of trouble with anything either hard or away. I don't really know anything about swings, though, and I'm not sure if any of that is something he's always done.

I'm no swing doctor either. He stands well off the plate (which a lot of tall guys do) so he doesn't get jammed, but then he tries to pull the stuff that's outer half and hits bunny-hoppers to the second baseman. Hopefully he's just getting rounded into shape. Sometimes takes big guys awhile to get it all working together.

[TURBO]

Vavaro doing his best to let the Nats back in it.

[50PoundHead]

Ian Thomas looks good at least.

He's been in the big league less than two weeks. I guess I'll withhold judgment for now. At the very least, he's unproven.

[VirginiaBrave]

Some of us have been concerned all winter, but to be fair ump has been terrible

[gilesfan]

Ugh Gattis needs to cut out the passed balls/wild pitches.

[thethe]

Vavaro is awful.

[thethe]

Ugh Gattis needs to cut out the passed balls/wild pitches.

That was on Vavaro. It would have taken a miraculous play to stop that one.

[jsebe10]

There's no room on this bullpen or the majors period if you keep walking people.

[drewdat]

Mary Tyler Moore strikes out.

[50PoundHead]

As it stands right now, Varvaro is the statistical oddity who has an ERA (3.00) without a BAA (.000). The joy of small sample size.

[Heyward]

Well, could of been worse.

[Heyward]

Freeman is so good.

And yeah, it would of been close to impossible to stop that pitch, not even Yadi would get that. Bad pitch from Varvaro.

[Dunit24]

Oddly, our pitching just hasnt learned how to pitch with a lead. Sure, we have gotten out of jams in every inning it seems, but when its tied or behind, our pitchers appear to attack the hitters. When we get the lead, they start to nibble.

They will get it together. Im not saying they are doing terrible, just struggling as of late.

[AUTiger7222]

Freddie Freeman is one of the 10 best hitters in baseball period. There's no debate.

[Murphfan]

Am I the only one that the bullpen makes nervous so far?

[AUTiger7222]

Johnson with 4 strikeouts the other night and 3 more tonight.

[AUTiger7222]

Am I the only one that the bullpen makes nervous so far?

Nope. Bullpen was my biggest concern coming into the season. When everyone else was worried about the starting pitching I kept saying bullpen.

[Murphfan]

Does my heart good to see the Nats have a bad game. Kinda like the Dodgers used to make me feel...

[thethe]

You just can't get Justin out right now.