I have a bad feeling about this game.

Also, I want to point out how happy I am with McCann's play recently, and Salty should be starting at first for the rest of the year.

We haven't swept a series since the first one of the year. So meh.
Anyone knows why orr/Woodward are still on the roster? If you gonna play Salty at 1B, you have to, have to call Pena up.

And June is still the cruelest month

Y. Escobar 2b
E. Renteria ss
C. Jones 3b
A. Jones cf
J. Francoeur rf
B. McCann c
M. Diaz lf
J. Saltalamacchia 1b
J. Smoltz p

More Salty! KJ getting a break isn't the end of the world given how hard he worked in the offseason to learn 2B. Additionally, it doesn't hurt to showcase Escobar across the infield.

KJ getting a break isn't the end of the world given how hard he worked in the offseason to learn 2B. Additionally, it doesn't hurt to showcase Escobar across the infield.

If this is the reason Bobby is giving him, then fine. Though Bobby might be opening a platoons-r-us outlet at 2B too
I dunno why you would mess with KJ the way he has been playing. And oh, how about giving Hacky twin Jr a break?

He doesn't want to interrupt the Hacker's consecutive games streak?

Its probably a combination of the three. Escobar is being showcased, KJ needed some rest, and if Escobar stays with the club he'll probably get time at 2nd against tough lefties (not that Bascik and Bowie are tough) just to get at bats.

Speaking of the Hacker, not a day after my comment about Shanks and Hacky's power in yesterday's game thread, this wonderful nugget came up on the Scout.com site:

"He's struggling right now with his all-around offensive game. That's all. He's going to be a player that can hit 25-35 homers per season. He's made progress, but it seems at the expense of his power in some respect."

I dunno why you would torture yourself with Shanks. That man is irritating

Agreed. A Grade-A asshat. If you ignore the chaff though the site isn't a bad clearinghouse for a lot of Braves info...

19!

Salty bailed out Bowie there.

Smoltz bailed Bowie out there.

Smoltz is looking really ginger on the mound. he hasn't thrown a fastball this inning I think. maxing out at 90.
This might be big trouble.

Yunel!

Escobar is playing his way into getting dealt for a half-way decent pitcher. I'd rather they move Lillibridge though.

I hope this is just one of those nights where Smoltz doesn't have his best and just guts through six innings. Wasn't his stuff really sharp early in the Detroit game though?

I missed that game, so have no idea.
But seeing him today, he definitely has a tender shoulder

What are the odds that AJ or Hacky hit into a DP? Can't be more than three to one...

Bunt!?!?!

Smoltz cut loose on one FB, and was working his shoulder after that. 6Ks on sliders, changeups and threat of a fastball

Smoltz looked like he was fighting it a bit in the first couple innings but he's looked nasty as ever since. Perhaps the shoulder was slow on the uptake.

Be nice to blow it open so Smoltz can go five and get out of there. Funny that he's obviously having some trouble, but has a shutout through four with a 6/0 K/BB ratio. I know its the Nats, but still...

Through two ABs Bowie wants no part of Salty...

You'd think it would be the slider that causes the discomfort, as has always been the case with him. The fastballs I've seen him throw have been his usual velocity.

Larry Wayne Jones, singles hitter.

Is it me or have all the Braves become singles hitters?

Yea, since the opening month, power has been down.
Not a surprise.
McCann and Andruw struggling, Chipper hurt and Frenchy in a trough too

Isn't slider a pitch which relies more on teh elbow? Just watching him..His fastball doesn't seem to have the usual pop, and he is relying on 2 kinds of sliders, the sharp one at 88 and a curvey one at 78

Smoltz's slider is really one of the best pitches in baseball. The velocity and break on it are excellent, but really what sets it apart is way he commands the pitch. Seemingly at will he can plant it on the outside corner or bury it in the dirt.

Simpson just pointed out that Smoltz has lost a bit on his FB. The one he just threw to Zimmerman was 92.

Stormcrow is right. It looks like he's throwing a couple variations of the slider. Pretty nasty.

What the hell is BC doing? Let the Vulture, Aussie, Fat Boy, and Ledezma mop it up...

Only time I was ever glad to see Orr.

I love healthy McCann.

useless runs :)

Though I must say, this is helping my EqA bet!

Orr plays the game properly. Advancing the runner up 12-0. Good fundamental baseball. A real asset to the team.

Woodward, Orr, and Thorman all playing at once. A sign of the apocolypse?

So Chuck James pinch hits for the Vulture. Umm, wheres KJ?

Hacky on base four times. A minor miracle.

Actually where has french's power gone? no dbls, no HRs, and no smoking line drives. its weird. His IsoPower was right up with last year for the first month and half

And the march towards 124-38 continues...