Washington Nationals Drop 3-1 Decision To Atlanta Braves. Chipper Jones Hits HR No. 450, Craig Kimbrel Sets Rookie Save Record.
by Patrick Reddington on Sep 1, 2011 3:14 AM EDT
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• Cool Hand Top 5:
5. No. 450: John Lannan's (3-0) in four starts against Atlanta this season, holding the Nats' NL East rivals to eight runs on 24 hits in 23.1 IP in which he's walked just nine and K'd 18. The Braves haven't beaten the Washington Nationals' left-hander since September 25, 2009. Lannan retires the first four batters he faces in order on 14 pitches tonight, but the 16th pitch of the evening is a 1-0 change to Larry "Chipper" Jones who connects for his 450th career HR, sending a soaring fly ball to center field in Turner Field for a one-out solo shot in the second that gives Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Jones' 14th HR of 2011. Derek Lowe pitched around a leadoff single and a one-out walk in the first, and retired the Nats in order in the second. The Braves' right-hander walks Jesus Flores in the third, and one out later gives up a single to Ian Desmond, but Jayson Werth K's looking at a 2-2 slider inside and Ryan Zimmerman grounds weakly to third to end another scoreless frame...
4. No. 1: Braves' right-hander Derek Lowe has 521 plate appearances over the course of his 15-year MLB career, and before tonight he'd never managed to hit one out of the park. Lowe battles Lannan in an eight-pitch AB in the third and gets hold of a full-count fastball that he yanks out to left. Lowe hits a low liner that just clears the wall in the left field corner for the first MLB HR of Lowe's career. 2-0 Braves. John Lannan walks Martin Prado with one down in the Braves' half of the third, a passed ball moves the runner to second and a groundout gives the Braves a runner on third with two down. Martin Prado grounds sharply to Desmond, who throws from deep in the hole at short. Desmond's low throw is scooped by Chris Marrero at first, but Uggla beats it to the bag. Prado scores, 3-0 Braves after three.
3. 11 And Counting: After Ian Desmond's one-out single in the third, eight Nats are set down in order by the Braves' starter, who's up to 73 pitches after five scoreless in Turner Field. John Lannan, apparently angered by the HR by the opposing pitcher, gets focused after the third and starts mowing Braves down, collecting four K's from the next six batters as he retires the Braves in order in the fourth and fifth. 6 K's, 76 pitches, 50 strikes thru 5.0 IP by the Nats' lefty. Derek Lowe gets a groundout to short from Desmond and back-to-back backwards K's from Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman and Lowe's sent eleven straight Nats back to the dugout. 3-0 Braves after five and half.
2. MORSE CRUSH: Derek Lowe's got a shutout going through six, but one pitch into the seventh that's over when Michael Morse crushes a first-pitch sinker from the Braves' right-hander and sends it out to right-center and into the stands. Solo HR. No. 24 of 2011 for the Nationals' 1B/LF...Braves' skipper Fredi Gonzalez goes right to the pen for Eric O'Flaherty, who retires the next three Nats in order in spite of a gritty 10-pitch AB by Jonny Gomes. 3-1 Braves after six and a half in Atlanta.
1. Venters And Kimbrel: Braves' left-hander Jonny Venters replaces O'Flaherty in the eighth and retires the Nats in order on nine pitches and three groundouts. 3-1 Braves after seven and a half. Henry Rodriguez dials it up to triple digits twice, ending a scoreless eighth with a 101 mph fastball low and away that gets Chipper Jones swinging. Braves' closer Craig Kimbrel gets Jayson Werth looking with a 1-2 fastball inside. Werth's 3rd K to go with a walk in four at bats. Ryan Zimmerman flies to right. Two down. Michael Morse K's swinging through a diving 100 mph fastball away. 41 saves for Kimbrel. 3-1 Braves win. An MLB rookie record for the Braves' closer. Good for him...
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
• Doghouse's Post Game WPA Graph: "Game 134: Canada told me, "no backsies!":
- Strasburgian? John Lannan (-9.2%) goes a pretty decent 7 IP, fanning 6 and only walking 1, although giving up 2 dingers--including a two-run shot to the opposing pitcher (-9.9%) and the immobile Chipper's 450th (-11.4%).
- Beasts don't FAIL: Michael Morse (+2.2%) has the Nats' only positive hitting WPA of the night with a 7th-inning solo shot (+7.6%).
- At least my DSL is working again: The Nats' offense (other than Morse) combines for -43.3% WPA, trailed by Ryan Zimmerman's (-10.8%) 0-4 with 3 LOB.
Nationals now 63-71.
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W/L's
goes to show you how worthless those stats are. Lannan has had a very good year. The guy hasn’t allowed more than 4 runs (and only 4 runs ONCE) since May 21st.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
24 starts
of 3 or less runs in 2011. They aren’t all QS’s for various reasons. But that is amazing stuff.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
24 of 28 starts to be exact.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
Okay, he's not quite "Strasburgian..."
…but I was thinking of Stras’ (and NN’s) earlier starts, where they’d get a lot of Ks (granted, more than 6 in 7 IP usually) and few walks (1 in 7IP is pretty good), but give up a long ball or two. Looks like last night, huh? Lannan is a different type of pitcher than SS or JZ, of course, but he’s been effective this season—now score some runs for him, jerks!
"I don't believe in luck, but it was just one of those things where it wasn't really skill, either." --Jerry, jr.
GREAT SEASON.............
for Lannen…………Just shows how bad this offense really is……….Can only score with the HR. No one except ZIMM can get some one in with less then two out………ESPI fell off badly…….And the K’s from DEZ are pathetic………
The K's from Desmond, or Werth?
Desmond didn’t have any strikeouts, he had three well hit balls, and he posted two of the three Nats hits..
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Always fun seeing Desmond hate no matter how he is doing
never gets old. 11 multi-hit games in August, DFA HIM!
I believe it might have been Bob & FP who noted
approximately 40% of the Nats’ runs come from HRs, tying them with the Reds for tops in the NL.
Lannan (as others have noted) has generally looked good this year, and should slot in ideally as a #4 pitcher, although he’ll be #3 next year barring a FA signing.
Espinosa (who, by the way, Keith Law still thinks will never hit and should move to SS) is running to the standard “start throwing him breaking stuff exclusively” and hasn’t completely adjusted to the changes.
Desmond has had some awful flailings, but has looked much better the past month (and since moving back into the leadoff spot).
Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, but isn't a cucumber that small called a gherkin?"
Headline for 2011: "Morse homers, Lannan brilliant, and Werth K's three times as Nats lose 3-1"
There’s the season in nutshell.
"On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived.'" - Earl Weaver
Well ... "Lannan effective" perhaps
He did give up two bombs, one to a pitcher, and while one of the three runs wasn’t earned, that was because of an error that he made. Hard to call that “brilliant.”
picky picky picky
…here I am, trying to write a headline, and you give me “Effective.”
Besides, the real story is not the unearned run, a shot by Chipper (what, no. 450-something?), and a flukey – if not downright bizarre – tater by Lowe; the real story is the shots NOT given up to Uggla, McCann, Freeman, Heyward…and the rest of the Braves formidable line-up.
OK, how ‘bout this: “…Lannan Damn Good…” etc. would that suit ye’, and still sell papers?
"On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived.'" - Earl Weaver
What's a paper?
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Sep 1, 2011 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
It's a medium by which information is disseminated
in the form of two pages of comic strips.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
How about "Eye-bleeding lasts only one inning as Lannan Settles Down for Seven"...
It’s profane to mention him in Strasburgian terms.
Heh.
"player development" should not be gladiator games. by cat daddy3000 on Aug 6, 2011
by MissB on Sep 1, 2011 2:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Strasbugian..........
Using that term is whats profane………..
Bob, FP and Ray slammed Werth pretty hard during the post-game show
They were clearly implying that Werth is doing something more than just playing badly. FP and Ray just about said that they thought Werth was intentionally throwing away at-bats. Both of them harped on how an experienced MLB hitter should be looking to swing at any fastball with 2 strikes.
Maybe they are starting to think that Werth is simply not trying at the plate? Why does he look at so many called 3rd strikes?
-------------------------------------------------
"Save it. I'm goin' for a smoothie."
The Washington Nationals, the team of the 2010s!
Wish I'd seen it (couldn't bear another post-mortem - too many of those recently)
I’m pretty surprised they finally started criticizing Werth – he’s been getting a pass from them all year. ‘Bout time. Heck, I’d take HALF of Werth’s money for standing at the plate and not swinging. :-)
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
Half?
“I kill a communist for fun, but for a green card, I gonna carve him up real nice.”
- Tony Montana
"On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived.'" - Earl Weaver
Just trying to save the Lerners some money
OK, I’m willing to negotiate – maybe even LESS than half.
I’m all about “team.”
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
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