1. Jim Jarvis and Dom Smith never need to be in the lineup again. Play Dubon at SS. Platoon Yaz and Thomas in LF. Keep Ronny in RF. DH Drake more often with Murphy catching.
2. AJSS flashes but clearly isn’t a playoff caliber starter yet. He may get there, but I doubt it will be this year. It’s truly GM malpractice that they are in a position where he has to be a playoff starter.
3. The lead in the division is down to 4.5 games with Atlanta playing the White Sox, Brewers, and Dodgers coming up.
1. Completely agree with you re Jarvis - he's shown some talent but he's certainly not ready to be given the job. I'd be happy to see him sent down, let HSK have a go at it - can't do any worse and he might just figure it out and supply some veteran moxie down the stretch.
2. I'm seriously wondering if Riley is getting close to setting a Braves' season record for strikeouts. He clearly has lost all confidence and looks like a deer in the headlights.
3. How can Weiss let the hitters continue to embarrass themselves and hurt the team with their atrocious ABS fear of challenging. Riley, again, is the worst.
Stating the obvious, this lineup has to be better if Braves are going to be successful down the stretch and into the playoffs. It’s fun to discuss AA’s moves or lack therof, Walt’s bullpen and lineup management, and SP rotation. But if the players we expect to mash aren’t mashing, there’s unfortunately not a lot that can be done. It’s ride or die with Riley, Acuna and a couple others stepping up and the rest of the lineup continuing to deliver.
Still 6+ weeks to go, but playoffs in NL seem wide-open. Neither the Brewers (fewest HRs in MLB) or Dodgers (still lots of injuries) are juggernauts.
A few points.
1. Jim Jarvis and Dom Smith never need to be in the lineup again. Play Dubon at SS. Platoon Yaz and Thomas in LF. Keep Ronny in RF. DH Drake more often with Murphy catching.
2. AJSS flashes but clearly isn’t a playoff caliber starter yet. He may get there, but I doubt it will be this year. It’s truly GM malpractice that they are in a position where he has to be a playoff starter.
3. The lead in the division is down to 4.5 games with Atlanta playing the White Sox, Brewers, and Dodgers coming up.
What a depressing game.
1. Completely agree with you re Jarvis - he's shown some talent but he's certainly not ready to be given the job. I'd be happy to see him sent down, let HSK have a go at it - can't do any worse and he might just figure it out and supply some veteran moxie down the stretch.
2. I'm seriously wondering if Riley is getting close to setting a Braves' season record for strikeouts. He clearly has lost all confidence and looks like a deer in the headlights.
3. How can Weiss let the hitters continue to embarrass themselves and hurt the team with their atrocious ABS fear of challenging. Riley, again, is the worst.
We've picked a really bad time to be playing some really bad baseball.
Whoever has Big Mo in September will excel in October. The Braves peaked in March.
Stating the obvious, this lineup has to be better if Braves are going to be successful down the stretch and into the playoffs. It’s fun to discuss AA’s moves or lack therof, Walt’s bullpen and lineup management, and SP rotation. But if the players we expect to mash aren’t mashing, there’s unfortunately not a lot that can be done. It’s ride or die with Riley, Acuna and a couple others stepping up and the rest of the lineup continuing to deliver.
Still 6+ weeks to go, but playoffs in NL seem wide-open. Neither the Brewers (fewest HRs in MLB) or Dodgers (still lots of injuries) are juggernauts.
A.J. got 13 swinging strikes in 4.1 innings.
When wasthe last time a Brave recorded 13 swinging strikes period ?
Probably Prime Spencer Strider.
In some of his best 6 inning performances Blazin Bryce will only get 4 or 5.
Excluding Chris Sale, obviously, and just in starts:
18 - Grant Holmes, 5/23
17 - Bryce Elder, 5/5
16 - Spencer Strider, 5/15
15 - Tyler Mahle, 8/12; Spencer Strider, 5/21 & 5/9; Bryce Elder, 5/10; Didier Fuentes. 4/22
14 - Spencer Strider, 5/3; Grant Holmes, 4/3
13- 9 times, including twice by Holmes, Elder, & Reynaldo López, as well as once by Strider and once by Mahle
Wild/frustrating that it's that rare