Atlanta Braves 2012

[AirForceHog]

Do you guys think the Braves will get another sweep against the pirates? The Braves are playing lights out right now.

[bsking]

Do you guys think the Braves will get another sweep against the pirates? The Braves are playing lights out right now.

Certainly possible.  Kind of worried about Livan's start.  Really wish they'd let Medlen start there.

[gutshot]

Certainly possible.  Kind of worried about Livan's start.  Really wish they'd let Medlen start there.

Livan?  I've got Hanson, Delgado, Hudson, and Minor going for the series. 

EDIT:  I've double-checked the AJC and Braves Official Site and I can't anything about Livan starting.  Hudson is scheduled to return Sunday. 

[bsking]

Livan?  I've got Hanson, Delgado, Hudson, and Minor going for the series. 

Hmmm.  I guess the pushed Hudson up.  As of a few days ago they had Livan making the start where Hudson is now and putting him to open the next series.  Well that's good anyway.  Hope to see a good outing by him.

[gutshot]

I did see where they were toying with the idea of swapping him with Minor (Sunday) and pitching Hudson in the final game of the wrap around series on Monday.  But that was before Hudson's last rehab start. 

Anyway, I'm glad the rotation is somewhat set now.  A four-game series is always hard to sweep and the Pirates are pitching well, but their offense is disastrous.  The Braves should be able to at least take the series if the bats don't fall asleep. 

[bsking]

Yeah, right now I think the Braves can match up with anyone's rotation top to bottom.  Beachy looks like he's really turning a corner and I feel like Minor is always going to be a solid 3.50 ERA guy.

[bsking]

Not a whole lot of things better when your team is rolling like this.  I'm growing fond of this team.

[Hogz87]

Not a whole lot of things better when your team is rolling like this.  I'm growing fond of this team.

Is there anyway we can go back and replay the first four games?  Night and day difference between that team and this team.  This current Braves team is a legit World Series threat.  I know we'll eventually slump at some point and lose some games and series, but the competitiveness top to bottom I'm seeing in them gives me hope for the long haul.

[ucahogfan]

Would anyone have expected a night Roy Halladay was starting for the Phillies and Tommy Hanson for the Braves would have ended up a final score of 15-13?  Guess that's just baseball.

[bsking]

Would anyone have expected a night Roy Halladay was starting for the Phillies and Tommy Hanson for the Braves would have ended up a final score of 15-13?  Guess that's just baseball.

Yeah, that was a new way to win a game.  Man that last AB by Chipper was awesome.  Missed a homer by feet foul then drills one to center.  Going to be sad after this year...

[AirForceHog]

Last nights game was one of the best finishes in a regular season game that I have ever seen. Wow! I knew after Chippers miss of the first home run by mere feet that when the catcher showed the fast ball sign that Chipper was going to turn on it. Boy did he. Great game.

Chipper will be sorely missed. But man what a season he is having right now.

[Hogz87]

How do we follow up rocking Roy Halladay and scoring 15 runs?  By getting just three hits off Joe Blanton and letting him record a CG SHO.

[ucahogfan]

Congrats to Livan as he records his 1st career save as the Braves offense keeps on rolling.

[Hogz87]

Congrats to Livan as he records his 1st career save as the Braves offense keeps on rolling.

155 runs through 28 games leads all of baseball.  We've given up 133 which is tied for 5th worst, but still, the offense has been extremely good so far, which is very encouraging because you expect the pitching to come around.

[ucahogfan]

155 runs through 28 games leads all of baseball.  We've given up 133 which is tied for 5th worst, but still, the offense has been extremely good so far, which is very encouraging because you expect the pitching to come around.

Yeah, pitching hasn't be as good as expected, but they haven't needed to be with our offense.  I also think the staff comes around as well.  Just too talented not to.

[bsking]

Anybody read about the altercation between Chipper and Jamie Moyer?  Apparently Moyer accused Chipper of relaying signs when he was on 2nd and Chipper got pissed.  Some funny quotes:

"I was literally having a conversation with the shortstop when he stepped off and said that. I don't know why he's so paranoid. But to be honest with you, every pitch he throws is 78 [mph]. So it's not like we really have to relay signs."

"I've never accused him of doctoring a baseball. I've never accused him of over-milligraming, nothing. That's [garbage] and he woke us up. I didn't see any signs on the 900-foot homers that were hit."

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Dave O'Brien from the AJC tweeted earlier that Chipper told Helton and Tulo that if Moyer wanted to talk to him about it he would but it never happened. He also said that Tulo said that no one besides NASA could decipher his signs because of how complicated they are.


Chipper also took a shot at the phillies by saying that Moyer is so paranoid about people stealing his signs because he came from the phillies who do it all the time.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Braves win 7-2 to complete the sweep of the Rockies

[Hogz87]

Our offense is scary good right now.  I've said before, I thought we had the potential to have the deepest lineup in the NL this year if Heyward bounced back and Freeman didn't have a sophomore slump.  Of course we need Chipper to stay healthy, too, but right now our lineup is American League scary good.  Just think if we had the DH and could put Hinske or Ross in there everyday. 

[bulldog04]

Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman nuff said.  I hope they can stay in Atlanta for their whole career.

[ucahogfan]

Big win over the Cards in extras tonight.  J-Hey coming up very big in extras with the oppo taco.  What do y'all think about Hinske's ejection from the game?  At the very least, the ump should have let the 3B ump make the call and I love the passion the former Hog showed in a cruical situation.

[bsking]

Big win over the Cards in extras tonight.  J-Hey coming up very big in extras with the oppo taco.  What do y'all think about Hinske's ejection from the game?  At the very least, the ump should have let the 3B ump make the call and I love the passion the former Hog showed in a cruical situation.

Didn't get to see the game today.  I was on the road and MLB.tv still blacks me out of cards games.  So I had to follow on gameday.  What happened with Hinske?

[ucahogfan]

Didn't get to see the game today.  I was on the road and MLB.tv still blacks me out of cards games.  So I had to follow on gameday.  What happened with Hinske?

Didn't get to watch the game either, but saw Baseball Tonight show it.  In the 8th inning and the Braves down one with a runner on 2nd with 1 out, Hinske checked his swing on a pitch 3-4 inches in the other batter's box.  The ump ruled the check swing went which was a load of BS IMO and should have been checked to the 3B ump.  After he was called out, Hinske went crazy in the ump's face until he was tossed at which time he threw his bat and helmet.  I know it sounds like Hinske made to big of a scene, but it appeared he didn't cross the plane so he had a valid arguement and I think his passion got the better of him.

[bsking]

Yeah, I saw a DOB tweet and he thought it was ridiculous.  At least we got the win.  Love Hinske off the bench though, maybe the best PH in baseball.

[ucahogfan]

Yeah, I saw a DOB tweet and he thought it was ridiculous.  At least we got the win.  Love Hinske off the bench though, maybe the best PH in baseball.

Yep, always nice to have someone like him on the team because he is a great PH and can play several different positions.

[bsking]

Gotta love Brandon Beachy.

Time to sweep the redbirds out of their nest tomorrow.

[ucahogfan]

How sweep it is.  Revenge is sweet!

[bsking]

Great sweep.  Love how this team is hitting.

[AirForceHog]

sweep and then fall to a very mediocre Reds team. That stinks. Althought the Reds bullpen is pretty amazing.

Sorry I have a buddy thats a huge reds fan as much as I am a braves fan and watching them lose last night just pissed me off. I know that reds team isn't that good.

[bsking]

We got to learn how to win at home.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Huddy vs Cueto tonight. Should be a good game.

[bsking]

Huddy vs Cueto tonight. Should be a good game.

And it was.  Glad to see Huddy pitching well lately.

[cashmoneyman_04]

i'm a yankees fan but always have respected the Braves organization and the fans.  Can't wait to go to the Braves v. Yankees series in June in a great ballpark I have never seen before. 

[bsking]

Time to see what Teheran can do.

[AirForceHog]

up down up down....which team shows up tonight?

[bsking]

up down up down....which team shows up tonight?

Honestly, I feel like except for a couple games, Minor has been waaay down this year.  He's our only starter I don't have confidence in.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

7-0 braves after 6 1/2

[ucahogfan]

Hogs dominate the Fish 7-0 to split the 2 game series.  Beachy throws a CG shutout (is it his 1st?) as he continues to pitch very well.  Now it's time to destroy the Rays as Interleague play begins.

[bsking]

Wow, Beachy has been our rock this year.  1.33 ERA is good enough for best in the bigs by a hefty margin.

[gutshot]

Beachy throws a CG shutout (is it his 1st?) as he continues to pitch very well. 

Yep.  First complete game in major or minor league play. 

[ucahogfan]

Good start to interleague play as the Braves beat the Rays 5-3.  We have 3 everyday starters hitting over .300 and only Heyward is hitting below .260.  Can any other MLB team counter that type of offense?  Heck, every regular has an OB% of .306 and only Pastornicky slugs below .416.

I also saw a stat where we are like 12 games over .500 with Chipper in the starting lineup while we are 4 games below .500 when he sits.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

"@ajcbraves: #Braves are 19-5 with Chipper in the lineup, 6-11 when he's not."

[ucahogfan]

"@ajcbraves: #Braves are 19-5 with Chipper in the lineup, 6-11 when he's not."

That is simply incredible.  I don't know I have ever seen a baseball team be that different when just one player sits.  Now, it happens in the NFL a lot like with the Colts this season.

[bsking]

That is simply incredible.  I don't know I have ever seen a baseball team be that different when just one player sits.  Now, it happens in the NFL a lot like with the Colts this season.

Got to be more about coincidence and mentality.  I mean, Chipper has been good this year but it's not like he's carrying us.

[ucahogfan]

Got to be more about coincidence and mentality.  I mean, Chipper has been good this year but it's not like he's carrying us.

I know.  I just find it shocking that there is that much of a difference for a player who has been our 3rd or 4th best hitter this year.

[AirForceHog]

Nice series in Cincy starting tonight. Anyone who wants to catch the game it will be aired on ESPN tonight. I have a couple friends who traveled up there from Virginia to catch this series live. Ones a huge Braves fan the other a huge Reds fan. Of Course I'm a Braves fan hoping for the sweep. it will be tough. Reds pitching is pretty decent. The series between these two teams is locked up since 2001. Each team has won 38 games. I hope the bats come alive early and often...oh I sure hope Chipper plays. Only helps the odds according to some of the statistics.

Go Braves!

[AirForceHog]

I know.  I just find it shocking that there is that much of a difference for a player who has been our 3rd or 4th best hitter this year.

Chipper is the heart and soul of this team. Ever notice the camaraderie among the players when he is in the line up? Unbelievable how much of a difference he makes.

[bsking]

Chipper is the heart and soul of this team. Ever notice the camaraderie among the players when he is in the line up? Unbelievable how much of a difference he makes.

I hope he walks from the lineup to the coaching box at the end of the year.

[AirForceHog]

I hope he walks from the lineup to the coaching box at the end of the year.

I agree. I think he would be an outstanding hitting coach.

[ucahogfan]

Well, last week couldn't have gone any worse.  The NL East is a monster (maybe the best division this year) and weeks like this need to be avoided at all costs.