Final: Braves 2, Pirates 1

Wasn't Morton the one who did the same thing a couple of years ago?

C.Stone....yes, Morton has been pretty good at backing up Cutch.

By my count, there's 13 games left vs Cardinals. The Pirates can still decide their own destiny by winning a majority of those games. It would also help not to continue to lose 2 of 3 to CIN.

According to a cards site they have never won 50 games before July 1 in their history

Issue really is the 18 series with Reds, Cards and Cubs. In first 8, Pirates are 1-6-1 and 8-17. That's the biggest difference between the 2 teams.

Which one are you looking at? Because Fangraphs uses FIP when calculating their WAR for pitchers. Some don't like it because it considers what *could* have happened as opposed to what did.

I'm not a fan of pitcher WAR myself. Lot of variables there.

In NL the lineup reflects pitchers batting, Wood hits right but he throws left

1. Josh Harrison (R) 2B
2. Jung Ho Kang (R) 3B
3. Andrew McCutchen (R) CF
4. Starling Marte (R) LF
5. Francisco Cervelli (R) C
6. Jordy Mercer (R) SS
7. Sean Rodriguez (R) 1B
8. Gorkys Hernandez (R) RF
9. Jeff Locke (L) P

This app really needs to refresh comments better did not see your comment before posting. Why would they send Volstad and Tabata out? By my count that leaves them one short.

Someone will replace Volstad if that word is correct

Why Gorkys over Decker? Outside of the recency effect Hernandez has shown little throughout his career and word in the Spring was Hurdle loved Decker who has been hitting much better in AAA. Seems like another inexplicable roster move to me.

I thought Tabata had done ok as a PH. Does this mean they expect to need a CF for an extended stretch? Otherwise, this doesn't make much sense to me. Heck, it's Gorkys, and he's terrible, so it doesn't make much sense regardless.

But Frank, I thought you said the defense was just fine because they are winning?

Lombardozzi is other. Adding bench player to replace extra pitcher needed to rest bullpen.

see my post just below this one

It means nothing bro. He'll be back in Indy in ten days.

I agree with bpn....I can't see any team claiming him with that contract. Necklips did a solid job while here, however, and he can still help later in the season.

I think that's what he meant. I don't know.

There's a reason people are in AAA. This could be just a shuffling of the deckchairs. Would have liked to have seen Decker. Maybe it just means they are gonna give Polanco more time.

Don't know that this entered into it but Polanco is struggling. It does the young man no good to be moved around the outfield. He's best served settling into one spot.

Maybe. Not a fan of Gorkyz. Surprised the organization even brought him back this year. I get the speed and defense but he's useless offensively.

Lombo makes sense since Hart's bench spot needed to be filled, and give's Hurdle more flexibility there and the more I think about it, Gorkys may just be a 24 HR insurance policy.

You see the absolute havoc a LHP causes with this lineup though?

Absolutely bpn....Polanco can't get better vs lefties if he isn't getting AB's against them, and can only cause problems vs a Madbum, Kershaw, etc...

Lombardozzi ain't got no power, but has 19 walks vs. 20 strikeouts indicates he makes pitchers work. Just can't sure he can transfer that from AAA to NL.

Odd. Infield is already crowded.

Maybe Walker is banged up, but not enough to warrant a DL trip.

True. But also odd we're less than an hour and a half from game time and still no lineup. Maybe they're still trying to figure out who can go.

Maybe JHK is possibly hitting a bit of a wall, and it allows CH more flexibility if he needs to stagger his AB's a little more.

Don't disagree a Kang wall is a concern. But Mercer has been really solid lately and he should be the every day SS. That limits Kang to 2nd and 3rd which would keep # of appearances down.

I'm confused. A late lineup, maybe to make sure GH gets there. But the RF and 1B left bats sit against a righty so GH and SR can start?

Wood is LH...That is a big issue that I have with Alvarez/Polanco, highly touted guys that are pretty poor against LHP. Can't even play them. Could be a fatal flaw when you consider the LHPs on contenders.

Hernandez add an OF who can play CF in case McCutchen and Marte have to sit.

SRod is only true current RH 1B option on roster. Other IFs only in an emergency.

My mistake. Yes, Wood is LH. Points out a couple things - we've got pure platoons at two 'power' positions (not good) and they really, really don't like Tabata.

OK Fliz, he's real name is "Clark Kent" and he's.......Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's...........

After x-raying, McCutchen would have had ice on the spot where he was hit. Today, he will likely have a guard on arm to protect it. Yesterday was the precaution day. Today, should be good to go.

I think Cutch wants to show you can't take him down!

Braves are in rebuild mode. Why else dump J. Hayward to Cards? Setting themselves up for move to new ballpark.

Atlanta was slow to rebuild before but john hart has hastened the process. And money is definitely a factor for them.

You're a good man Tom!

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Oh, and welcome home!