Post by Reddington on Mar 26, 2023 8:01:01 GMT -5
Well Braves fans, this recap is is a little late, but you know what they say, better late than never. Though I’m sure some would say never is better.
At the Break Atlanta is having somewhat of a disappointing season with a 54-27 record, they aren’t playing bad, just not one of the elite teams as they have been for the past several seasons. Management thought bringing in the big names of McClellan and Easley was going to propel the team back to the WS, but this is starting to look unlikely. Both the new guys are ballin and have really been contributing, but the pitching staff is starting to see some cracks in its foundation. For the first time in forever, the staff is not the number one staff in ERA and opponents hitting avg.
Injuries have reared their ugly head, Maddux went down for a few weeks and our beloved SS Cianfrocco has been since mid June and will be out a total of at least 7 weeks. Alex Sanchez has been playing amazingly as the SS in the meantime, however he doesn’t have anything near the pop in his bat that Archi brings.
Damon came in with his huge contract and settled in at being one of the most dominant DHs in the league. He already has more homers this season than he had in all of last year.
The old dawg coming from Cali, Paul McClellan is having a great year, and is tied with Smoltz at the all star break with 13 wins to lead the NL. How he was passed over and didn’t make the all star team for the NL is beyond this sports writer, being 13-4 and a 2.60 ERA, seems like he should have made the team.
Speaking of the Allstar game, two Braves did make the squad. The afore mentioned John Smoltz and our beloved Catcher Miguel Ojeda.
Ojeda currently has 22 dingers and has turned into the stud Skipper was hoping for when he pulled the trigger to trade for him from San Diego. He will be the Catcher for the Braves for several seasons to come.
Smoltz is being Smoltz and has notched up a 13-1 record in the first half of the season with a 1/32 ERA.
