Game 118: Braves 6, Padres 0
August 16, 2012 at 10:03 pm by David Lee under Atlanta Braves
Source: FanGraphs
Game MVP: Kris Medlen, 83 game score
Least Valuable Brave: Martin Prado, -.060
Most Valuable Padre: Yonder Alonso, .021
Least Valuable Padre: Jason Marquis, 24 game score
Big plays:
1st – (ATL) Chipper Jones two-run homer for a 2-0 Braves lead, .200
5th – (ATL) Jason Heyward solo homer for a 3-0 Braves lead, .078
5th – (ATL) Chipper Jones solo homer for a 4-0 Braves lead, .047
Kris Medlen is simply the best thing going right now. Medlen pitched his first career complete-game shutout, allowing four singles and one double, not walking any and striking out six. He recorded 13 whiffs, including seven on the changeup, and his curveball came out looking pretty good, as well. He induced 17 ground balls, six fly balls and just three line drives, recording a .192 BABIP against. The strike zone plot below shows how he kept the ball down in the zone all night, avoiding hard contact.
It certainly wasn’t all Medlen, though. Chipper Jones hit two home runs on his bobblehead night, recording a .224 WPA. Jason Heyward had a double and hit his 20th home run, ending up a triple shy of the cycle. Michael Bourn and Dan Uggla added a double each, and Paul Janish singled twice.
Tremendous win for the Braves to take three of four from the Padres and continue their streak of series wins. Atlanta hasn’t lost a series in its past 11 sets, including two splits. They are four games behind the Nationals after Washington’s off day.
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Another stellar outing from Kris Medlen who has been nothing but fantastic since returning to the rotation. Solid offense, respectable pitching bring it on Washington.
I believe that Medlen’s shutout will move the Braves into sole possession of fourth place in NL team ERA, passing the Giants. At one point early in the year, they were twelfth, I think.
This new wildcard rule is bullshit. Braves could conceivably have the second best record in all of baseball and have to play a one-game sudden-death match. And the NL East is easily stronger than the other two divisions.
The new format was a bad idea from the get go. Once the Yankees or Sawks have a 100 win season then get bounced in a one game playoff, changes will be made.
After the Red Sox miss the playoffs, they’re going to change the rules so that every team makes it.
Or you could have the second best record in all of baseball, like the 1993 Giants, and not make the playoffs.
I think there should some sort of distance factor to determine in the one game playoff is necessary. I mean – if we finish 8 games ahead of the 2nd wildcard, I have a hard time justifying 1 game being the logical equivalent of 8.
Maybe, they just give the top wildcard an extra advantage over the 2nd wildcard – like a double elimination where the top team has to be beaten twice but the 2nd wildcard only has to be beaten once.
There’s nothing wrong with the new wildcard rule except for the scheduling implications, and that’s only a problem for this year. The only reason it currently sucks for the Braves is that we are the wild-card. If we were the division leader, we wouldn’t care about the wild-card. Look at it this way, how many teams with just as good a record as the Braves didn’t even have a chance at the playoffs because they played in a strong division? 1993 Giants anyone?
I just don’t understand why they made it one game. I understand wanting to give division champs a big advantage. But at least make it a 3 game series. David Ortiz was talking about it early on this season (obviously he’d have no place talking about it now) and that it takes so much work to move an entire team to another city. And for one game? It’s just pointless. For a team like the Braves, it’s almost a coin flip to decide which version of our pitcher we’re going to see, excluding Medlen. At the end of the day, the Nats have been better than us, and deserve an advantage should the standings hold. But one game is a joke.
True and I totally agree, but would you rather have a 1-game chance at continuing on or no chance whatsoever? I guarantee you that for all the bitching and whining about the new wild card spot, there’s not a player in the league that would turn down the opportunity to play in that game instead of going home…
In the old format, the Braves wouldn’t be going home. They’d have a favorable matchup with someone other than the Nats. I like the addition of the WC spot, especially for teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore. But one game just doesn’t seem thorough enough. What if the Braves pass the Nats for the division lead, and Washington is matched up with Pittsburgh in the WC game. If the Nats have just one bad game, the Pirates go on and the better team is left out of the playoffs. I think they were concentrating too much on giving advantages rather than finding a format that will let the best teams prove themselves.
Well yeah, but I think you’re focusing too much on records. Just because someone has the best record doesn’t mean they are the best team. That’s determined by the World Series. What if the Braves don’t play well for the next two weeks and the Pirates pass us. In that case, in the previous format, the Braves WOULD be going home and we’d all be begging for the extra wild card spot.
The simple point is, the extra spot just adds a chance for one more team from each league to make it to the championship. I have no problems with that.
Do you really think the Pirates are better than the Nationals?
That’s not the point. Does the “better” team always win? That’s the whole idea of competition.
They made it one game so the World Series wouldn’t end at Thanksgiving. They want to avoid going into November and since they won’t shorten the season, this is about all they can do. If they start the season any earlier, they would be playing in snow.
@Mark
That’s exactly right. Because it was such a sudden switch, the scheduling this year was horrible. But, from what I’ve heard, it won’t be like that going forward. Still, I don’t think that’s going to change the way it’s currently set up (game format I mean).
I’m not sure that’s true. The Phillies, Mets and Marlins are pretty bad this year. I’m not sure the East is demonstrably stronger than the other divisions.
Anyone else notice how, on Chipper’s awesome dive/stop/backhand pitch to 2nd, Uggla actually dropped the ball? Well, as long as the umps didn’t… heh.
I saw that and it ctually made me mad that the ump called him out.
I have Medlen starting the 1 game playoff. Kid’s a stud, and according to @frediot “he knows how to win”
Wild card changes are simply to please the money men and ttry to ensure the fashionable teams have a better chance of making the post season, it does seem unfair but then if your team scrapes in with the extra slot then you are happy, it all depends which side of the fence you are sitting on come the end of the season. Lat night was great to watch, very effecient all round, Medlen really is remarkable, he was stellar last time he was brought in the rotation, then gets injured but comes back again equally as good in the bullpen then back in the rotation. Every credit to the likeable guy. Jason racks another bomb up and chipper and his pensioner like body continues to defy logic. Bring of the Nats!! This series could set up a thrilling run in, just hope we show our true colors.
Well, the Braves are one of the fashionable teams. The new format is a reaction to the last day of last season, which everyone raved about. The Yankees don’t need it to make the playoffs. Of course, it’s about money; it’s a business. Do you really think anything done in professional sports is not about money? Do you think Apple introduces new products because they want to advance the technology?
Are you telling me the Braves are fashionable? Try watching ESPN for a day! If you are not from LA or NY you are consigned to little league status
Great read on Chipper:
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/28118/be-selfish-about-chipper-jones
Damnit I hate/love reading stuff like that. Nearly puts a tear in my eye having to think about not seeing Chipper out there, but then knowing how much of a toll it takes on his body to do so. The guy deserves to go out without all of his clamoring for his return. But, at the same time, how could he truly blame us for wanting him back again and again.
Thanks for the read Bozz.
When Kris Medlen was moved back into the rotation, I was talking with a friend and told him that Medlen had the best changeup in the majors. I think I heard some announcer say it a couple years ago when he was in the rotation so I figured I would take a shot. He’s making me look really good right now. His changeup seems untouchable when he keeps it low, and he seems to be able to do that with great consistency. Good to see him finish off the shutout as well.
On the other end, Jason Marquis’ windup makes me angry.
Medlen’s value coming out of the pen vs being in the rotation at the beginning of the season aside, has his profile really changed since becoming a member of the rotation again? His numbers aren’t sustainable, but he has been the picture of efficiency. We’re not talking about Jorge Sosa having 5 or so good starts while pitching around constant trouble.. He has benefitted from some excellent defense and timely double plays, but that’s what you expect out of your defense. He hasn’t exactly faced the most potent offenses, but throwing a complete game shutout against any team is quite a feat. Even double-A guys could hit Halladay on any given day. So has anything really changed with Kris’ approach? He has always thrown a ton of strikes and has had pretty good command throughout his career, but what is different now to say he currently “profiles” as a starter?
I think it’s gotta be the changeup. When you’re coming out of the pen and already have runners on, you almost have to just feed fastballs and get strikes. His velocity isn’t anything overwhelming as a change of pace out of the pen, and it looks like he labors very little in his delivery. The changeup, when he can throw it for strikes, can be an early count GB pitch or a K pitch. With a pitch that good, you don’t have to mix in weaker breaking pitches as often. When I see Medlen on the mound, I see someone who isn’t dominating, but limits damage extremely well. I think the conception now is that a reliever should come in and blow people away, or be some kind of specialist. Medlen was neither of those, and I think a starters role best suits his repertoire.
I think actually that he always profiled as a starter and that is where he has always been headed. The fact that he pitches strikes down in the zone, works quickly, and defends well make him a solid person to have on the mound for extended periods of time. While I agree that his numbers aren’t sustainable and we will see some equalization, the aforementioned qualities are what help defenses play well behind him. Getting a ball in play every 90 seconds as opposed to every 3 minutes really helps keep position players alert. And he does something which none of our starters really accomplish, outside of possibly Maholm, He throws strikes and doesn’t give up garbage walks. In fact, in 80 innings this season, he’s walked just 17 batters. A career WHIP of 1.19 – in his short time in the majors the kid just doesn’t walk a lot of batters which is great for defenses keeping runs off the board. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the Nats, but I feel like we will get another solid outing from him- which is exactly why he should stay in the rotation. Consistency, efficiency, and now stamina- who else on our staff has all of those qualities?