Thoughts on Atlanta Braves Comeback Win
By Fred Owens
Thoughts on Atlanta Braves Comeback Win, The Cubs, The Brawl and The Rules
On a rainy Thursday night the Atlanta Braves beat the team formerly baseball’s best because – among other odd events – Freddie Freeman out ran a Jason Heyward throw to home. That unlikely happening capped an evening of just plain unpredictable goings on.
It’s not unusual for bad teams to beat good ones, it happened regularly. The Twins beat the Rangers yesterday, the Braves stole the Mets lunch money and the Reds left Chicago after winning two of three games against the Cubs. Last night however had a lot of the things that make baseball so much fun to watch.
Lucas Harrell Dominates
The White Sox selected the then 19-year-old Lucas Harrell in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. Six years later he made his major league debut and the following season he was claimed off waivers by the Astros.
After one and a bit pretty good seasons in Houston he was suddenly awful. How awful? In 2013 he pitched to a 5.86 ERA, 1.705 WHIP, struck out 89 but led the league in walks with 88, gave up 20 home rums in 22 games and finished with an ERA+ of 69.
The following year he made three starts totaled 17 1/3 innings with a 9.49 ERA, 2.270 WHIP and pn April 28 the Astros traded him to Arizona for a PTBNL that ended up being $25000 because they Astros never chose a player. Four months later the Diamondbacks released him.
Without a major league offer Harrell journeyed to Korea in 2015 but he fared no better there, posting a 5.40 ERA, 1.649 WHIP and walking 108 in 171 2/3 innings while striking out 151.
This season saw him signed by the Tigers in March but after six minor league starts he failed to impress and on May 16 they released him. The Braves signed him on May 20.
At Gwinnett he pitched looked a lot better in his four relief and five starting appearances posting a 2.81 ERA but he still had issues with walks issuing 19 in 32 IP. That wouldn’t have warranted a call up had injury and poor performances not been so pervasive in Atlanta.
Yet call him they did and after a nice start against the Marlins, there he was starting against the one of the most stacked lineups in baseball at a soggy Wrigley field. Somehow Harrell managed to go 7 2/3 innings, striking out five, walking two and scattering just four hits. He did hit Kris Bryant twice – more on that later – but left the game up by two.
Baseball is the only game I know where that kind of thing happens. On paper the Cubs should have beaten him badly but they didn’t because. . .baseball.
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