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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 16, 2023 7:53:35 GMT -5
Davies RHP 1 - 5|6.37 ERA
vs
Elder RHP 7 - 2|2.97 ERA
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 17, 2023 10:09:30 GMT -5
Shohei Ohtani hit his league-leading 34th home run last night, which puts him on pace to hit 58 homers this season. All for a guy who also leads the majors in opposing batting average as a starting pitcher.
And yet (lol) the Angels lost, 9-8.
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 17, 2023 18:55:38 GMT -5
FOX Sports: MLB
@mlbonfox · 1h The Yankees are near the bottom of the standings in a loaded AL East, but if they trade for Shohei Ohtani, John Smoltz believes New York would become an instant World Series favorite, writes @benverlander .
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 9:04:48 GMT -5
Why Cody Bellinger Would Work in AtlantaFresh off of my last article, which I started: “The Braves are the last team in baseball one would consider “needy”, but that doesn’t mean they can’t improve.”; and then continued on to explain why a specific reliever should be Atlanta’s #1 target at the Trade Deadline…I have another player in mind that could also take Atlanta to an even higher level.If you haven’t guessed who that player is (it’s in the title), it’s Cody Bellinger.Before you shrug this off as name-hunting or just throwing random names out that SHOULD be available, give it some thought, real actual thought.Coming into this past offseason, Left Field was pegged as a question mark. The additions & re-signings did little to remove that question mark, if I’m being honest. I said as much in my article at the time. At the time I said something to the effect of: “Anthopoulos is approaching the Left Field question not with an answer, but with a gaggle of gambles & hoping one pays off”.Well, the Left Field platoon is starting to show it’s warts…Get 80% off foreverSam Hilliard - who I had high hopes for - is seeing little to no playing time since school let out for the summer.Eli White is firmly in Gwinnett’s 2023 plans (currently in the 7-Day IL).Kevin Pillar’s playing time is comparable to Hilliard’s, having only 103 at-bats this season, 23 ending in strikeouts.Then we have Eddie Rosario, the far-&-away leader of the LF Corps. He recently was out on the shelf for hamstring tightness. Now I’m not saying the injury isn’t real, I’m just saying it just so happened to come the same night he put in two ABYSMAL defensive efforts in the outfield that allowed Chicago runs to score; indirectly costing Atlanta the game when all was said and done. Rosario on a good day is an enigma. Rosario on a less-than-stellar day that also has poor effort sprinkled in is unplayable.Rosario’s 2023 salary is $9,000,000 & he becomes a free agent this offseason unless Atlanta exercises the team option to bring him back next year for the same $9,000,000.Cody Bellinger is owed $12,000,000 for the entirety of 2023 & has a mutual option in his contract for 2024 with a $5,500,000 buyout.We’re going to break this down step-by-step, starting with the contract.Surface-level stuff, for an extra $3.5 million (which will be pro-rated) the Braves switch Cody Bellinger for Eddie Rosario to be the everyday left fielder.Defensively, this comparison isn’t even close. Cody Bellinger DOG WALKS Eddie Rosario in the field, I don’t care how many closed-eyes catches at the wall Rosario has made in the World Series.In fact, Cody Bellinger would be the 2nd-highest Atlanta Brave in Outs Above Average, ranking behind only Orlando Arcia.As a team, the Braves are ranked 20th in baseball in Outs Above Average, actually scoring a -5 in runs prevented. If there’s one area to cast a wide net of improvement for the Braves, it’s on defense; outfield defense specifically. Outfield mistakes tend to result in more immediate consequences on the scoreboard, meaning an improvement as vast as Rosario-Bellinger would easily put Atlanta back in the OAA Green.Offensively, Bellinger:-ground into less double plays.-advances more runners when runners are in scoring position.-has 11 stolen bases to Eddie’s 1, with the same amount of caught stealing.-has a 55% extra bases taken percentage compared to Eddie’s 38%.-has a better strikeout:walk ratio as well as strikeout:at-bat ratio.-has a 1.4 situational wins score compared to Eddie’s 0.2.BUT, where Eddie smokes Bellinger is in every category that includes “clutch” in the equation.**Stats were for the 2023 Regular Season ONLY**There’s no doubt Bellinger would be open to and/or ecstatic about joining the Braves. He took this Cubs contract as a prove-if deal, him & his agent said so publicly. They said they took this short-term contract to hit the market in 2024 or 2025 with more value added in order to land the last large contract of Bellinger’s career. Playing in the postseason for THE World Series favorites is the best possible situation for a former MVP, Gold Glover, & Silver Slugger to prove to potential suitors that he’s worth making the cornerstone in their short-term outfield.Plus, Belli has a knack for being a Braves-Killer in the postseason. So if nothing else, signing him keeps him from beating us.thedailybraves.substack.com/p/why-cody-bellinger-would-work-in?r=wwgxt&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post&fbclid=IwAR2wXUhMMuZfqXXj3jR3MeLa7pi0L0JjsMJqQ58o3eDHgVXLO4KnEKlzCL8
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 9:36:39 GMT -5
Braves’ Michael Soroka inspired by Jake Burger’s torn-Achilles comeback
David O'Brien ATLANTA — While Braves pitcher Michael Soroka hated seeing him do it against Atlanta, he was nonetheless encouraged by White Sox third baseman Jake Burger performing at such a high level during the weekend series and throughout this season.
You see, Soroka and Burger are the only two major leaguers ever to have come back from two complete tears of an Achilles tendon. Burger had the winning homers in each of the last two games of the series, including a solo shot off Spencer Strider in the sixth inning Saturday and a mammoth 461-foot two-run line-drive homer to center off Kolby Allard that keyed a four-run second inning in Chicago’s 8-1 win Sunday at sold-out Truist Park.
“He can play, man,” said Soroka, who faced Burger for the first time when he retired him on a seventh-inning groundout in the pitcher’s first major-league relief appearance. “He can move for a big guy, too. That’s the best part. He’s doing good.”
Allard was rocked for seven hits and four runs in 1 2/3 innings and left with tightness in his pitching shoulder. Manager Brian Snitker said the lefty felt tingling in his fingers after delivering a pitch. Allard, who has a 6.57 ERA in four games (three starts), was unavailable to the media afterward since he was away getting an MRI.
The Braves absorbed consecutive losses for the first time since June 11-12, when they dropped a series finale against Washington and a series opener at Detroit. They won each of those series and all others since June 1, a span of 11 consecutive series wins that was their longest since a stretch of 13 series in May-June 2010.
Before Sunday, the Braves’ last series loss was at Oakland from May 29-31. Meaning, their last two series defeats have come against an A’s team with the majors’ worst record and the White Sox, who are in fourth place in the AL Central, 15 games under .500, and had dropped eight of 10 before the weekend.
The Braves also ended a streak of 28 games with at least one homer — the second-longest such streak in the majors since 1900 — as they mustered just five hits, all singles.
“One game where you don’t hit a homer is fine,” said first baseman Matt Olson, who leads the NL with 30 home runs. “Didn’t win the series, but (we’ll) come back Tuesday and try to win the next one.”
The last of the Braves’ singles was a ninth-inning infield hit by Charlie Culberson in his first plate appearance of the season. It was the veteran utility player’s first MLB game entry all season despite being with Atlanta for more than six weeks over two stints. He got a standing ovation from an aware crowd when introduced.
“That was awesome,” Snitker said. “He hadn’t had an at-bat in two months probably. Good for Charlie. I mean, gosh. I figured the place would go crazy any time he went out there. That was nice. He just stays so ready and works his tail off. We all know how everybody feels about him, so that was good. For him to get in there and get an at-bat — and to get a hit, too. Holy cow. After not seeing live pitching other than simulated games.”
The two losses to the White Sox, coupled with one at Tampa Bay in the last game before the All-Star break, give the Braves three losses in four games since a blistering 27-4 stretch that made them the majors’ first 60-game winners this season. They still have a majors-best 61-31 record and a 9 1/2-game lead in the NL East that’s more than three times greater than the next-biggest division lead.
Since eight Braves were All-Stars who traveled to Seattle for that event last week — Atlanta’s entire infield plus catcher Sean Murphy and right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. played in the game — some agreed with Snitker that Monday would be a welcome day to rest, unlike the four-day break that was filled with cross-country travel and All-Star commitments.
“That was a game that got away from us,” Snitker said of Sunday’s loss. “That guy (White Sox starter Dylan Cease) is pretty tough that we were facing. They’re pitching pretty good — that bullpen has got some nice arms. It was just a little too much to try to overcome today.”
When a TV reporter asked Olson about the Braves being able to bounce back in a series against Arizona that starts Tuesday, he smiled and said, “I wouldn’t call it needing to bounce back. We’re in a good spot here. We’ve got a really good team. Lost a couple of games. We were close (Saturday night), and Cease threw a good game today. We’ll be fine Tuesday.”
Burger, 27, has racked up 21 homers, 44 RBIs and an .809 OPS in 76 games during his third major-league season and first full season. The former first-round draft pick didn’t play any baseball for three years after a torn Achilles sustained at 2018 spring training, then a subsequent re-tear just 2 1/2 months after the initial surgery. He dealt with anxiety and depression and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“It’s been great to watch him,” Soroka said before Sunday’s game. “It’s a lot more fun to watch him do it against other teams. What he’s been able to do — especially since he was out longer than I was. He had his fair share of difficulties that I didn’t, because he went through it all in the minor leagues, too. He had to battle for a lot of years and basically was out of baseball for a good chunk. So it’s been encouraging to watch him do what he’s done.
“Good to talk to him, too, about what he’s dealt with the last couple of years since he’s come back, things to keep an eye on for me moving forward.”
Unlike Soroka, who had already been an All-Star as a 21-year-old rookie in 2019 before his first Achilles tear in 2020, Burger had not played above Class A when he began his grueling ordeal of Achilles tears, surgeries and countless hours of rehab. To say nothing of what Burger describes as the dark period he went through mentally, when he wasn’t sure he could continue playing baseball.
Burger made it back in 2021, spending most of that season in Triple A but also getting his first 15 games of big-league experience. He hit .250 with eight homers and a .761 OPS in 51 games last season for the White Sox, and this season he’s made 44 starts at third base, 22 at DH and one at first base.
His 118.2 mph homer on April 18 was the hardest hit by the White Sox in the Statcast era since 2015, and Burger’s homer off Allard left the bat at 113.5 mph. Soroka didn’t make a start in the series but entered Sunday in the fifth inning, his first relief appearance since the 2017 Futures Game and the 2019 All-Star Game.
Soroka gave up a leadoff ground-ball single to Yasmani Grandal in the fifth before Elvis Andruw flied out and Seby Zavala grounded into a double play. Soroka gave up another leadoff ground-ball single in the sixth to Andrew Benintendi and, after striking out the next batter, Tim Anderson, Soroka threw a first-pitch sinker over the middle that Luis Robert hit 402 feet to center for a two-run homer and 8-1 lead.
In his final inning Sunday, Soroka retired the side in order beginning with Burger on a groundout to the shortstop.
“Good thing he swung at a slider,” Soroka said. “I saw what he did to Spencer’s fastball. I kind of just said, ‘You know what, here’s a slider.’ He got it off the end. I heard him too, right when he hit it he kind of gave the ‘Argh!’”
Soroka threw 25 strikes in 30 pitches during his three-inning stint, allowing three hits — all on first pitches — and two runs with no walks and three strikeouts.
“I thought it was really good,” Snitker said. “Efficient, obviously. And I think it was good for him to feel the bullpen, really. He did a great job, threw the ball extremely well.”
It was the first time he’d ever faced Burger, and Soroka had told the White Sox player that it might happen.
“I saw him before the game (Saturday),” Soroka said, “and told him, I said, ‘I might actually see you later, we’ll see how this game pans out. Good luck, unless I’m out there.’”
Soroka, 25, went nearly 33 months between major-league starts before returning this season in a May 29 game at Oakland, where he allowed five hits and four runs in six innings of a loss. He made another start at Arizona on the same road trip, giving up seven hits, five runs and four walks in 3 2/3 innings, before being optioned back to Triple A.
It was hardly the perfect storybook step in his recovery that he’d hoped for, but since Soroka was recalled by the Braves at the end of June, he’s pitched quite a bit better. He’s allowed 14 hits and five runs with 14 strikeouts and three walks in 13 2/3 innings over three games since being recalled, including starts against Miami on June 30 and at Cleveland on July 5.
The relief appearance could be a preview of Soroka’s potential role when the Braves get Max Fried back at the end of July or early August. That might change if the shoulder tightness Allard reported Sunday becomes an issue, or the Braves decide they’d just rather keep Soroka in the rotation over Allard, or piece together the back of the rotation from candidates including Soroka, Allard, Jared Shuster and AJ Smith-Shawver.
The Braves also hope to have Kyle Wright back in the rotation by September, at which point there won’t be another opening provided the current trio of Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder and Charlie Morton remains healthy.
Soroka has tried to use his recent time between appearances as a positive, to recharge and evaluate.
“I think this last little bit, taking some breaks and just kind of thinking about what I’ve done well in the first half and what I want to keep working on — it’s going to be exciting,” he said Sunday morning. “It’s going to be interesting. I’m not exactly sure what the time is moving forward, but I’ll take the ball when I’m told and give it all I’ve got.”
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 13:14:29 GMT -5
David O'Brien @dobrienatl · 2h Gonna be interesting to see Wall, who had a really impressive spring training before being optioned. He's hit .258 with a .360 OBP with six triples, six homers and a whopping 45 stolen bases in 49 attempts. LOT of speed. I expect to see him in left field. Quote Tweet Square profile picture Atlanta Braves @braves · 2h The #Braves today selected the contract of OF Forrest Wall and placed LHP Kolby Allard on the 60-day injured list, backdated to July 17, with left shoulder nerve inflammatio
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 13:31:30 GMT -5
Mark Bowman @mlbbowman · 2m As Rosario deals with his hamstring ailment, Hilliard will be in left field today. He’ll bat ninth and Harris moves to the seventh spot.
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 13:32:08 GMT -5
Atlanta Braves @braves · 2h The #Braves today selected the contract of OF Forrest Wall and placed LHP Kolby Allard on the 60-day injured list, backdated to July 17, with left shoulder nerve inflammation.
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Post by Fumbduckery on Jul 18, 2023 13:42:10 GMT -5
Why Cody Bellinger Would Work in AtlantaFresh off of my last article, which I started: “The Braves are the last team in baseball one would consider “needy”, but that doesn’t mean they can’t improve.”; and then continued on to explain why a specific reliever should be Atlanta’s #1 target at the Trade Deadline…I have another player in mind that could also take Atlanta to an even higher level.If you haven’t guessed who that player is (it’s in the title), it’s Cody Bellinger.Before you shrug this off as name-hunting or just throwing random names out that SHOULD be available, give it some thought, real actual thought.Coming into this past offseason, Left Field was pegged as a question mark. The additions & re-signings did little to remove that question mark, if I’m being honest. I said as much in my article at the time. At the time I said something to the effect of: “Anthopoulos is approaching the Left Field question not with an answer, but with a gaggle of gambles & hoping one pays off”.Well, the Left Field platoon is starting to show it’s warts…Get 80% off foreverSam Hilliard - who I had high hopes for - is seeing little to no playing time since school let out for the summer.Eli White is firmly in Gwinnett’s 2023 plans (currently in the 7-Day IL).Kevin Pillar’s playing time is comparable to Hilliard’s, having only 103 at-bats this season, 23 ending in strikeouts.Then we have Eddie Rosario, the far-&-away leader of the LF Corps. He recently was out on the shelf for hamstring tightness. Now I’m not saying the injury isn’t real, I’m just saying it just so happened to come the same night he put in two ABYSMAL defensive efforts in the outfield that allowed Chicago runs to score; indirectly costing Atlanta the game when all was said and done. Rosario on a good day is an enigma. Rosario on a less-than-stellar day that also has poor effort sprinkled in is unplayable.Rosario’s 2023 salary is $9,000,000 & he becomes a free agent this offseason unless Atlanta exercises the team option to bring him back next year for the same $9,000,000.Cody Bellinger is owed $12,000,000 for the entirety of 2023 & has a mutual option in his contract for 2024 with a $5,500,000 buyout.We’re going to break this down step-by-step, starting with the contract.Surface-level stuff, for an extra $3.5 million (which will be pro-rated) the Braves switch Cody Bellinger for Eddie Rosario to be the everyday left fielder.Defensively, this comparison isn’t even close. Cody Bellinger DOG WALKS Eddie Rosario in the field, I don’t care how many closed-eyes catches at the wall Rosario has made in the World Series.In fact, Cody Bellinger would be the 2nd-highest Atlanta Brave in Outs Above Average, ranking behind only Orlando Arcia.As a team, the Braves are ranked 20th in baseball in Outs Above Average, actually scoring a -5 in runs prevented. If there’s one area to cast a wide net of improvement for the Braves, it’s on defense; outfield defense specifically. Outfield mistakes tend to result in more immediate consequences on the scoreboard, meaning an improvement as vast as Rosario-Bellinger would easily put Atlanta back in the OAA Green.Offensively, Bellinger:-ground into less double plays.-advances more runners when runners are in scoring position.-has 11 stolen bases to Eddie’s 1, with the same amount of caught stealing.-has a 55% extra bases taken percentage compared to Eddie’s 38%.-has a better strikeout:walk ratio as well as strikeout:at-bat ratio.-has a 1.4 situational wins score compared to Eddie’s 0.2.BUT, where Eddie smokes Bellinger is in every category that includes “clutch” in the equation.**Stats were for the 2023 Regular Season ONLY**There’s no doubt Bellinger would be open to and/or ecstatic about joining the Braves. He took this Cubs contract as a prove-if deal, him & his agent said so publicly. They said they took this short-term contract to hit the market in 2024 or 2025 with more value added in order to land the last large contract of Bellinger’s career. Playing in the postseason for THE World Series favorites is the best possible situation for a former MVP, Gold Glover, & Silver Slugger to prove to potential suitors that he’s worth making the cornerstone in their short-term outfield.Plus, Belli has a knack for being a Braves-Killer in the postseason. So if nothing else, signing him keeps him from beating us.thedailybraves.substack.com/p/why-cody-bellinger-would-work-in?r=wwgxt&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post&fbclid=IwAR2wXUhMMuZfqXXj3jR3MeLa7pi0L0JjsMJqQ58o3eDHgVXLO4KnEKlzCL8 I hate half assed articles like that. Bellinger is a great defender and has had a bounce back year, but the last two years prior to that he had a .540 OPS and .650, and if I recall he’s been really bad in the playoffs. Rosario has a .792 OPS and aside from his eye injury has been at that level most of the last five years now. He has real solid career high leverage numbers and his playoff numbers are through the roof. But he misplays some balls in the field so he’s treated like Satan. I like how the guy spends the whole article going into great detail about how much higher Bellinger’s offensive ceiling is, then adds one line “oh Rosario blows his doors off in clutch situations.” lol…… . The other thing is does the guy even mention what we give up to get Bellinger?There’s nothing worse than the article that suggests we add a good or great player but doesn’t mention what you give up. So yeah, we’d be better off with Ohtani as our pitcher and our DH. So let’s just do that! And I think the Cubs are clinging to a prayer for the wild card? So why would they give up Bellinger?
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Post by ImTheCrew on Jul 18, 2023 18:15:52 GMT -5
Go Braves, hopefully Elder comes out better than last start!
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 18:20:33 GMT -5
Good luck to Forrest Wall (OF), finally making a big league roster. 45 stolen bases in AAA, WoW.
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 18:23:13 GMT -5
CHS 0 NYM 1 Bottom 1st
MIL 0 PHI 2 Bottom 3rd
MIA STL 7:45pm
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Post by TomlinFoolery on Jul 18, 2023 18:24:12 GMT -5
Soft bloop single to right fiemd gets the game started.
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Post by wncbravesfan on Jul 18, 2023 18:26:44 GMT -5
We trail 1-0, already on a 1-out rbi triple
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Post by TomlinFoolery on Jul 18, 2023 18:28:46 GMT -5
1-0 snakes
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