Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Phinally Philly, Orioles, Schedule
Sep 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A Philadelphia Phillies fan dressed up as the Phanatic sings as her friend takes an iPhone photo during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. The Braves won 8-1. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
“On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” Whether W.C. Fields actually ever uttered that particular line may be up for debate, but certainly the Atlanta Braves would have to be thinking something like this after managing to win multiple games and a road series there this week.
8 runs and 18 hits – the most hits since the 2013 Braves did so… in Philadelphia. You can’t say it was a terribly “efficient” offensive outburst, as the club as 5 for 15 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners stranded (6 walks were accepted on top of the 14 hits), but we’ll certainly take it.
There were a couple of curious oddities amongst the crooked numbers in the box score (below):
- Christian Bethancourt and Michael Bourn combined to go 7 for 10 last night. Yet neither player was able to raise his Braves-only batting average above .200 (.193 and .186, respectively).
- One of the other new arrivals, Hector Olivera, also collected 3 hits. Combined with Nick Swisher, the 4 newest players on the offensive side combined for 11 of those 18 hits… and a cycle between them.
Meanwhile, Julio Teheran was on his game: 1 earned run, 4 hits and 4 K’s while walking just 2 over 7 strong innings. Edwin Jackson and Ryan Kelly finished up.
A word about Jackson. He’s now thrown 14 innings (12 appearances) for Atlanta since being picked up from the Cubs’ scrap heap. On 2 occasions, he yielded 2 runs, but his ERA hovers in the low-3’s, he’s walked just 3 batters and given up 11 hits (WHIP of 0.97). In his last 6 appearances, just 2 earned runs. It’s difficult to declare that he’s “good” in the bullpen as he’s not dominant by any stretch, but last night continued a decent stretch thus far in September.
So Now The Mets
If the Braves (56-84) win all remaining games and the Mets (78-61) lose them all… while the Nats flounder a lot… then the Braves would tie for the division title. All of that fantasy simply means this: the Braves are on the cusp of being formally eliminated from the playoffs.
It will likely happen within the next couple of days, but maybe, possibly, perhaps… could we catch their team napping after their post-Washington euphoria, somehow solve Bartolo Colon, and FINALLY get Shelby Miller a W tonight?? Please?
Here’s the box score:
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