After a long 10 game western swing, the Braves come back on a serious high note, taking 5 out of the last 6 on the trip by doing what they always do, which is winning a series at Petco Park against the Padres. The Braves took 2 out of 3 in San Diego, and did so in dominating fashion, riding timely hitting, excellent defense, and stellar pitching over the last 2 days. Only some questionable managing decisions from Fredi Gonzalez on Monday night prevented it from being an almost perfect series for the Braves (Fredi, you pinch hit for the pitcher in the top of the 13th with a runner on first and nobody out, and with two relievers left in your pen). The Braves now stand at an even 13-13 and appear to be poised to make a move in the East with 15 out of the next 18 at Turner Field. Even with that so-so record, the Braves are plus 22 in run differential already, suggesting they are a much better team than their record indicated (their Pythagorean expected win loss with that run differential is 16-10). Could be a sign of good things to come. Here are the biggest reasons from the last series for why they were able to take 2 out of 3:
Jair Jurrjens- You really can't say enough about what he contributed on Tuesday night. You could make an argument that it was the performance of the entire season to date. The reason for this is the fact that the Braves had played back to back extra inning games, with the bullpen pitching over six innings in Monday's game alone. Innings were a must out of Jurrjens, and he gave them 9 of them. Outstanding stuff, and it allowed the bullpen to be rested and ready for Wednesday, especially with the off day looming Thursday. He attacked the strike zone early and had only 46 pitches through 5 innings, allowing the Braves' offense to build a sizable lead to allow Fredi some leeway in keeping his pitcher in the game longer than he might otherwise when Jurrjens began to struggle a bit in the late innings. Also big was 15 ground ball outs to 8 fly ball outs. Pounding the bottom of the zone is a good way to pitch, and Jair was all over it on Tuesday.
Tommy Hanson- Jurrjens' performance was more important, but Tommy was more dominant on Wednesday. Facing an inferior offense, Hanson toyed with Padres hitters, striking out 10 while only walking 1 in seven strong innings. It is important to note that the Padres' offense is awful, but Tommy has to be commended for dominating them just as he should. Season numbers now stand at 2.57 ERA, 34 Ks in 35 innings, and 9 walks, and more ground outs than fly outs. It's still early, but if these numbers continue for Tommy, he's the true ace that this team needs.
David Ross- Ross was the hitting star on Tuesday night, clubbing 2 dingers, including a 3 run job that blew the game open in the 6th inning. He is arguably the best backup catcher in the big leagues, and he showed why on Tuesday. Ross was worth 1.6 wins above replacement last year as a backup catcher, and there are multiple teams in the National League who probably wouldn't mind having him as there starter, so the Braves are really lucky to have him. Lets hope he continues to get big hits when McCann has to take a day off.
Chipper Jones- The old geezer continues to hit, with 4 more knocks in the series, including a triple and a homer, and 5 more RBIs. Big 2 run homer in the first inning on Tuesday to set the tone for a fantastic victory on Tuesday. .289/.356/.489 on the season now, very solid numbers, and numbers that could get better if his walk rate increases to its career norms.
Alex Gonzalez- He has been struggling, so 4 hits and a walk in three games for Alex is a big step in the right direction. He also contributed 3 RBIs. However, he's on this list because his glovework has to commended. He has caught everything in the field this year, and has done it with a flair and ease that is impressive looking to any baseball fan. He has good range, terrific hands, and an accurate throwing arm, and watching him play defense must give his teammates all the confidence in the world.
Goats:
Dan Uggla-We are still waiting on him to hit. He will come around eventually, but his .234 OBP in the 5 hole is killing the Braves offense right now. Others seem to be coming around a bit, so could catch on too. His walk rate is only 6.8% at the moment, down from rates that bottomed out last year at 11.6% over his previous 3 years. Walk rates usually stabilize fairly quickly to established career norms, and I imagine Dan will come around once he begins being a bit more patient at the dish.
Cristhian Martinez- He picked up the loss on Monday, although he was pitching his 3rd inning of work, something he isn't asked to do often. However, he didn't pitch particularly well, with 6 of his 7 outs recorded in the air, which is going to leave you susceptible to the home run ball. Well, that is exactly what happened, with Ryan Ludwick teeing off on him in the bottom of the 13th to end the game. He also didn't strike out anyone and walked one. He will need to pitch better in the future than what he showed Monday.
What to Watch For- King Albert and his minions come to Atlanta for a 3 game set, and the Cardinals are another team that has played better than their record indicates. Keep an eye on the Cardinals starters and whether they are keeping the ball on the ground. All three starters this weekend pound the bottom of the zone with sinkers (although Jake Westbrook has really struggled to start the year). Watch early if the Braves are lifting any balls in the air. It could be a sign that the Cardinals' starters don't have their best stuff. On the pitching side, Braves starters must keep the first 2 men in the order for the Cardinals off base (most likely Ryan Theriot and Colby Rasmus), as Pujols has gotten his feet under him, and Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman have been raking all season. Keeping extra guys off base would be big for the Braves chances this weekend.
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