Fredi gonna fredi (braves)

[msstate7]

Last night was a terrible loss and fredi played a huge part in it. After wood walked the leadoff in the 8th, he should've been pulled. Instead he gave up a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd and walden wild pitched in the tying run. In the bottom of the 9th after bj didnt take charge for fly in left center and jup dropped the ball to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, fredi didnt intentionally walk the guy to created force at every base and set up dp. The guy who should've been at 1b hit a sac fly to win it.

[KB21]

Also, he put David Carpenter into the game in a high leverage situation. He still thinks David is the guy that was pitching so well last year.

Fredi definitely makes some of the worst in game managerial decisions a coach can make, but I watch a lot of baseball. The majority of baseball managers make these mistakes because they coach on their gut feeling and pay little attention to the numbers.

[MetEdDawg]

Last night was a terrible loss and fredi played a huge part in it. After wood walked the leadoff in the 8th, he should've been pulled. Instead he gave up a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd and walden wild pitched in the tying run. In the bottom of the 9th after bj didnt take charge for fly in left center and jup dropped the ball to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, fredi didnt intentionally walk the guy to created force at every base and set up dp. The guy who should've been at 1b hit a sac fly to win it.

The bolded is the part I don't get. You do this in about 99% of these situations you see and last night was one of those. You don't do it if you walk the guy to get to Trout or someone that is one of those Top 5 or 10 elite players that have high BA and high RBI. But even though Sanchez has a low BA you still walk him there in my opinion. By pitching there you almost guarantee that you will have to face three batters to get out of the inning. By walking you may get the same result and lose, but you at least have one or two opportunities to roll a DP there depending on what happens on the first out. Very dumb in my opinion.

Fredi doesn't trust the bullpen right now, but I'm ok with how he handled Wood. Wood's pitch count was fine (he didn't even get to 100 pitches), but you have to have someone ready to come in if he walks the first guy or gives up a hit. Another blunder there.

[KB21]

Last night was a terrible loss and fredi played a huge part in it. After wood walked the leadoff in the 8th, he should've been pulled. Instead he gave up a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd and walden wild pitched in the tying run. In the bottom of the 9th after bj didnt take charge for fly in left center and jup dropped the ball to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, fredi didnt intentionally walk the guy to created force at every base and set up dp. The guy who should've been at 1b hit a sac fly to win it.

The bolded is the part I don't get. You do this in about 99% of these situations you see and last night was one of those. You don't do it if you walk the guy to get to Trout or someone that is one of those Top 5 or 10 elite players that have high BA and high RBI. But even though Sanchez has a low BA you still walk him there in my opinion. By pitching there you almost guarantee that you will have to face three batters to get out of the inning. By walking you may get the same result and lose, but you at least have one or two opportunities to roll a DP there depending on what happens on the first out. Very dumb in my opinion.

Fredi doesn't trust the bullpen right now, but I'm ok with how he handled Wood. Wood's pitch count was fine (he didn't even get to 100 pitches), but you have to have someone ready to come in if he walks the first guy or gives up a hit. Another blunder there.

Fredi's trust is misplaced in certain players, like David Carpenter.

[msstate7]

[QUOTE=MetEdDawg;230155]

Fredi's trust is misplaced in certain players, like David Carpenter.

I don't have the numbers, but just watching every night it seems our whole pen is terrible when inheriting base runners.

[msstate7]

I'm ready to move jhey to center, gosselin to lf or rf, and keep lastella in the lineup every night

[starkvegasdawg]

They were just reminding us of what kind of team they are since we had started to gain some enthusiasm after their winning streak.

[dawgs]

#natitude

[msstate7]

They were just reminding us of what kind of team they are since we had started to gain some enthusiasm after their winning streak.

5 outta 6 against a's and pirates still pretty solid. If we can take 3 out of 4 against reds this weekend, I like our chances of getting wildcard

[msstate7]

#natitude

Barring a collapse, we're not catching y'all. Bc of this I want y'all to get best record. Our best chance of advancing in playoffs is you guys having nl best record and hope we can win wildcard game.

[dawgs]

Barring a collapse, we're not catching y'all. Bc of this I want y'all to get best record. Our best chance of advancing in playoffs is you guys having nl best record and hope we can win wildcard game.

Ha, sadly that's the truth. Not sure what gets in the nats' heads when they see the braves. Of course, all streaks must end, might as well kill the braves curse in the playoffs.

[Beaver]

Anybody who has watched the Braves all year long knows exactly what will happen. This Braves team is consistently inconsistent. And when it matters the most, we won't be able to hit with runners in scoring position. If we don't hit homeruns, we lose. It's not a formula for a championship baseball team. That's why BJ sucking is such a big deal. If he could at least hit .275 with an OBP of .400 or so, he'd steal more bases and have a much better chance to score. It would help our lineup 1-8 immensely. Pitching is decent, but bullpen is not settled. I have absolutely no confidence this team could even make it past the Wild-Card game. It'll just be another frustrating end to a season. We have a solid core of young guys in place, but we're just not there yet.

And yes, Fredi needed to intentionally walk that guy. Felt like Alex Wood could've gone 8 if he hadn't hung that 0-2 curveball. IMO should've thrown a fastball up and away on that pitch.

[KB21]

Anybody who has watched the Braves all year long knows exactly what will happen. This Braves team is consistently inconsistent. And when it matters the most, we won't be able to hit with runners in scoring position. If we don't hit homeruns, we lose. It's not a formula for a championship baseball team. That's why BJ sucking is such a big deal. If he could at least hit .275 with an OBP of .400 or so, he'd steal more bases and have a much better chance to score. It would help our lineup 1-8 immensely. Pitching is decent, but bullpen is not settled. I have absolutely no confidence this team could even make it past the Wild-Card game. It'll just be another frustrating end to a season. We have a solid core of young guys in place, but we're just not there yet.

And yes, Fredi needed to intentionally walk that guy. Felt like Alex Wood could've gone 8 if he hadn't hung that 0-2 curveball. IMO should've thrown a fastball up and away on that pitch.

Heck, I'd settle for BJ giving us what he did in Tampa. Hitting .240 with a .330 OBP, he was a 3+ WAR player because of his power, defense, and base running ability. He's lost his ability to hit a fastball.

Frank Wren has to figure out how to augment the Freeman, Upton, Heyward trio with players who can make things more consistent for the team. I imagine Jose Peraza will come up and be the second baseman in 2015. He will give the team speed and better overall contact ability at the top of the line up, plus he profiles as a plus plus defender at the keystone.

We don't really have an answer in center field coming up though. Todd Cunningham would probably be better than BJ Upton at this point, but he's more of a 4th outfielder than a starter. We will have to see how Kyle Wren develops. His speed is his biggest tool, but his ability to get on base is largely based on his contact ability. He does have a decent walk rate though, so there are some good signs.

[msstate7]

I doubt seriously we're gonna be able to resign jup, so should we consider trading him in the offseason?

[Beaver]

I doubt seriously we're gonna be able to resign jup, so should we consider trading him in the offseason?

I say yes. Because I also doubt that Justin will be able to keep this up. We've seen flashes of him having slumps, and I think it'll be difficult for him to duplicate what he's done this year. I think we try to trade him now when his stock is the highest, and try to get a good young arm, and either some great prospects or a .300 hitter. We need to start weeding out the strikeout machines in our lineup. We miss a guy like Prado...not gonna hit 25 homeruns or drive in 100, but he could hit and was clutch for us.

[dawgs]

I say yes. Because I also doubt that Justin will be able to keep this up. We've seen flashes of him having slumps, and I think it'll be difficult for him to duplicate what he's done this year. I think we try to trade him now when his stock is the highest, and try to get a good young arm, and either some great prospects or a .300 hitter. We need to start weeding out the strikeout machines in our lineup. We miss a guy like Prado...not gonna hit 25 homeruns or drive in 100, but he could hit and was clutch for us.

It's not like j upton is having an outlier season. He's played like this before. He's just mixed in a few mediocre seasons between his really good seasons.

[Todd4State]

Just wait until the Cardinals get Wacha and Molina back in September. Our rotation is probably going to be Wainwright, Wacha, Lynn, and Lackey for the postseason. That means we get to add Shelby Miller to the bullpen along with Carlos Martinez, Neshek, and Rosenthal. You can add Motte in there if his back is better from where he hurt it goofing off on the tarp during a rain delay.

Molina and Pierszynski at catcher- AJ is going to be a valuable bat off the bench and should the Cardinals make it to the World Series again it will allow them to DH one or the other.

Adams, Wong, Carpenter, and Peralta on the infield is pretty solid. Taveras is a question mark because he is learning, but I'm glad they traded Craig- it forces them to play Taveras and it gets a lot of money off the payroll. If some of you remember, I didn't think they would be able to move Craig because of his contract and would be forced to move Matt Adams or Taveras. Jay is having a career year and then Holliday is pretty good- although he seems to do something stupid in the playoffs like drop a pop up or get picked off of third.

Some of the Memphis Redbirds are going to get a long look for making the postseason roster off the bench in September- especially Grichuck and Piscotty. I could see Xavier Scruggs being a wild card as well as a bench guy.

[msstate7]

Nice bounce back last night. I was more than a little worried the tough loss would lead to an extended losing streak.

Minor up tonight. If he can put up his 3rd straight solid start, I'll really feel better about our wildcard chances.

Oh and bj has opened up his stance more. Supposedly he can see the ball better. He has made nice contact the last few days since the change. He's starting driving the ball to right. He also had 3 walks (1 intentional last night). I would really love for bj to give us some offense in the 8-hole down the stretch

[trob115]

I am still cautiously optimistic. Not holding my breathe, but I think we do have a chance of beating the Nats in a playoff series if we get that draw.

[msstate7]

I am still cautiously optimistic. Not holding my breathe, but I think we do have a chance of beating the Nats in a playoff series if we get that draw.

If nothing else, braves playing winning baseball makes the wait till thurs night much easier

[Political Hack]

I'm ready to move jhey to center, gosselin to lf or rf, and keep lastella in the lineup every night

gosselin finishes the game at left last night. Trying to see how he handles it...

It could be coming. Please! Please! Please!

[MetEdDawg]

gosselin finishes the game at left last night. Trying to see how he handles it...

It could be coming. Please! Please! Please!

To me this is the only way we get in the playoffs.

2- Gattis
3- Freeman
4- La Stella
5- Johnson
6- Simmons
7- Gosselin
8- Heyward
9- J Upton

We've got to limit BJ's reps. He's now back to hitting below .210 and even a guy making 18 million a year should realize that isn't good enough to get starters reps during a playoff push. We are one game out of the wild card #2 spot as of today and we HAVE to start putting in the guys that give us the best chance to win.

I really hope we can pull this off but I'm just not convinced the set up guys in the bullpen will hold and I'm not convinced Fredi will put together a winning lineup every night.

But I guess if Justin Upton decides to keep getting 2 or 3 RBI every night we might still have a shot. He's been unreal lately and has quietly moved to 2nd in the NL in RBI. Also, Heyward has quietly moved his WAR to 6.0 which is tied for 3rd in all of baseball. He's been great all year in the field but he's been fantastic since moving up to leadoff. Shades of last year when this happened. Let's just hope he doesn't take a 91 MPH FB to the chin again.

[trob115]

But I guess if Justin Upton decides to keep getting 2 or 3 RBI every night we might still have a shot. He's been unreal lately and has quietly moved to 2nd in the NL in RBI. .

That is a major accomplishment in itself due to who has been hitting leadoff all year. Braves leadoff hitters are almost last in every category ( I know that's mostly BJ's stats). I also agree with all of your other points.

[msstate7]

To me this is the only way we get in the playoffs.

2- Gattis
3- Freeman
4- La Stella
5- Johnson
6- Simmons
7- Gosselin
8- Heyward
9- J Upton

We've got to limit BJ's reps. He's now back to hitting below .210 and even a guy making 18 million a year should realize that isn't good enough to get starters reps during a playoff push. We are one game out of the wild card #2 spot as of today and we HAVE to start putting in the guys that give us the best chance to win.

I really hope we can pull this off but I'm just not convinced the set up guys in the bullpen will hold and I'm not convinced Fredi will put together a winning lineup every night.

But I guess if Justin Upton decides to keep getting 2 or 3 RBI every night we might still have a shot. He's been unreal lately and has quietly moved to 2nd in the NL in RBI. Also, Heyward has quietly moved his WAR to 6.0 which is tied for 3rd in all of baseball. He's been great all year in the field but he's been fantastic since moving up to leadoff. Shades of last year when this happened. Let's just hope he doesn't take a 91 MPH FB to the chin again.

Jup has been unreal. Give jhey, gosselin, and ff credit too though. They've been getting on in front of him.

[Political Hack]

I like that lineup. Next year is pretty exciting considering the core group coming back. they need to eat BJ's contract and just use him as a defensive sub/pinch runner late in games.

Can JHey handle CF all year? If so, grab 1 more OF, 1 more starter, and 1 more bullpen guy and they're close to a World Series level team IMO. Simmons needs to be a smarter hitter, but that'll come with more time.

[MetEdDawg]

I like that lineup. Next year is pretty exciting considering the core group coming back. they need to eat BJ's contract and just use him as a defensive sub/pinch runner late in games.

Can JHey handle CF all year? If so, grab 1 more OF, 1 more starter, and 1 more bullpen guy and they're close to a World Series level team IMO. Simmons needs to be a smarter hitter, but that'll come with more time.

I really liked Simmons in the 2 hole for a while, but I really think he's a much better end of the lineup guy. I think he can be a .270 hitter in the 7 or 8 hole and provide some protection for the pitcher and giving us a viable end of the lineup RBI option.

If I had it my way, next year's line up would be:
4- La Stella
8- Heyward
3- Freeman
9- J Upton
2- Gattis
7- Gosselin
5- Johnson
6- Simmons

Chris Johnson strikes out too much for my taste in the 6 hole. Really think we should move him down a spot. I know he's probably over the course of a season a higher RBI guy than Gosselin (Johnson is on pace for around 65 RBI), but I think his RBI total could get in the high 70's or 80's with Gosselin in front of him.

Ideally J Hey handles CF but it sure is tough to take him out of RF after the season he's had. If he doesn't get a gold glove I will be shocked. But he has to be moved because overall he's a better fielder than BJ I think and he's much more of a commanding dude, which you need in CF. But it does seem like that wears on him some. Definitely a balancing act that needs to be sorted out.