Braves Giants Live Thread: Stop The Bleeding!
May 2, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder
Jason Heyward(22) leans on the dugout bench during the game against the San Francisco Giants at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Stop The Bleeding!
The Atlanta Braves seem like they have some sort of rare virus. They’re bleeding out of every orifice (bad visual), and the bleeding needs to stop, sooner rather than later! They’ve lost four in a row, including a sweep by the Miami Marlins, and a close 2-1 loss last night in game 1 of the current series with the San Francisco Giants. The bleeding has been flowing from starting pitching lately (a first), but more importantly the offense is literally hemorrhaging!
In another tight 2-1 loss last night, Mike Minor made his 2014 debut, and took the mound with high hopes accompanying him from his teammates and fans.
Some of you may have been disappointed with his performance, but Mike actually did very well for his first major league start after such a long hiatus from seeing professional hitters. Sure, Minor only went six innings, giving up 7 hits and 2 runs, but he struck out 4 batters and walked ZERO batters! That last stat is a good sign for Minor, and a good sign for fans anxious about recent hiccups from the starting rotation. I expect Mike Minor to get back into the groove soon, and improve with each outing.
What I’m not certain about is this downward trend in the Atlanta bats! On any given day, no major league team has all cylinders firing in a lineup, but the inconsistencies we’re seeing in the Braves’ lineup is disconcerting. It’s never quite as bad as it seems of course, because you fans know that there ALWAYS seems to be inconsistencies, (even last season where the Braves ended up with 96 wins and an NL East Title), but the Braves always manage to find a way to win eventually. I don’t think the amazing pitching and timely hitting we’ve seen this year have been a fluke, but the actual talent this team has! They just need to get motivated to show that kind of prowess more consistently.
Let’s all hope that the Braves’ bats will come alive again, throughout the lineup, as they face Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants again tonight for game 2. Vogelsong has struggled mightily this year, but was very good in his last outing, so the Braves would be foolish to ease back on a feeling of urgency in this game.
Game 2 Details
Where: Fox SportSouth
When: 7:10 PM EST, Saturday, May 3rd
Probables: Ryan Vogelsong (0-1, 5.40 ERA) vs Julio Teheran (2-1, 1.47 ERA)
Live Open Thread
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