GDT 3/30/19 Atlanta Braves (Wilson, B) @ Philadelphia Phillies (Pivetta)

[EastFallowfield]

Phils have had 3 seasons since 2011 when they peaked at 1 game over .500, so they've already done better than those teams.

[allentown]

Great to win a second game from the Braves; nice to see another day of great offense; nice to see Harper get a HR; can't say much good about the pitching. We seem to lose a lot of hits to the shift -- are the pitchers not throwing the ball to a location where it is likely to be hit to the shifted side of the field?

[LoneStarPhan]

Freeman hit it through the empty area created by the shift.

I think we tend to forget the outs made because of the shift but it does seem like we see numerous hits that find the open spaces. Regardless, it looks like the shifts will continue again this season.

[LoneStarPhan]

Two games, two wins. Hard to find fault although I will say that the bullpen has to get better.

The offense has put up 18 runs in two games on 16 hits, including 6 home runs, a triple, and 2 doubles. Hard to expect more.

The pitching has given up 10 runs in two games. That has to get better. Nola gave us a solid start and Pivetta will, I believe, be better in future starts. Neris struggled in his only outing and Robertson has given up 3 runs in his two innings of work. Again, I think he will be fine over the course of the season, but disappointing so far.

I'm looking for Arrieta to have a solid start tomorrow and sure hope the offense continues to produce.

[bkeich]

Franco

Ball (87.9 mph four-seam fastball)
Pickoff Attempt 1B
Called strike (85.7 mph cutter)
Called strike (76.6 mph curveball)
Foul (77.5 mph curveball)
In play, run(s) (88.9 mph four-seam fastball)

Maikel Franco singles on a pop up to first baseman Freddie Freeman. Cesar Hernandez scores.

Philadelphia Phillies 8 - Atlanta Braves 4

I hate this for Franco. Everything is going right, he is off to a great first two games, and then he doesnt hustle on a popup. I guess it isnt bad to just say it was a dumb play, but you could see the first base coach basically scolding him for not getting to 2nd. They were talking alot after this popup.

Not a big deal, a dumb play or he just really didnt think he could make it, but Hernandez went from 1st to home easily (and on a replay he was not exactly digging, he was jogging for a good part of it), and Franco only makes it to first. Bad play, but honestly I hope it doesnt become a big deal, Franco has his flaws, but hustle really has never been an issue before.

I dont want to sound negative....

162-0, here we come

[bkeich]

I think we tend to forget the outs made because of the shift but it does seem like we see numerous hits that find the open spaces. Regardless, it looks like the shifts will continue again this season.

Yea, the first batter for the Braves hit a ball into RCF. Problem for us is Herrera was shaded way over into LF, so this was an easy triple, which resulted in the first run.

Over-shifting is so common now that I wonder if there arent players with good bat control that are taking advantage of it.

[bkeich]

Didnt see it mentioned in the thread. (Edit: My mistake, Lonestar did mention it)

Bryce Harper's HR was listed at 465 feet. That will likely stand as the longest one for awhile I would think, that is a big, big blast.

And for the mathematically challenged, if it doesnt seem like Harper has really done that much yet.... He has a 1.042 OPS. That is an MVP number. (but compares poorly to Franco's 2.125, which would be legendary)

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Over-shifting is so common now that I wonder if there arent players with good bat control that are taking advantage of it.

Like Freddie Freeman?

[zambonir]

I would think they're going to have to reconsider how they play Freeman if he keeps doing that. But on the other hand, I think they were probably still happy to give him two RBI singles instead of doubles or home runs. Not 100% sure a normally-positioned Franco actually gets the 9th-inning double (but also curious to see what that actually did to the Phillies win probability with two outs, probably not that much).

[tom81]

Franco is carrying this team so far and the phans are complaining about his lack of hustle. He is hitting.500, 2HR, 6 rbi, 2.125 OPS. I hope he doesn’t hustle and hits this way the rest of his career!

[zambonir]

Well, it'd be lower if they'd given Freeman the error.

Those things happen. I was watching on TV and assumed it was going to be an out. They'll remind him he should have come out of the box harder. Not sure he would have actually been able to take second, though I suppose if you think it's a sure out there's no reason not to round first hard (but the coach has to give that signal too).

[allentown]

He may have simply been cautious, rather than not hustling. He is a very slow runner, so perhaps he didn't view reaching 2B as a sure thing.

[tom81]

And they were already up by 3 runs before Hernandez scored. Sure he “should” have busted it and made it to second but I have a hard time under these circumstances finding an issue with it.

[julio]

Well, if we know anything about many Philly fans and media, it's that they like issues; they look for issues. If they can't find real ones, they imagine them.

[zambonir]

And the better the player the harder you have to look!

[andyb]

TV never showed Franco on the replay, but I could imagine the play was in front of him and the throw to 2nd would have been easier to make. Not a big enough deal to criticize him. As I said, his low K rate might make him a decent number 8 hitter.

[phillychuck]

One other factor on the Franco single...he was hurt, he drilled himself in the foot the previous AB. And it clearly wasn't an error--an error has to be a misplay on an attempt that otherwise would have been routine...that was anything but a routine catch.

I suspect we'll see Kingery at 3B Sunday while Maikel's foot gets a day to heal.

[zambonir]

Well, I guess if he had made the catch it would have been an impressive play - but he came really close to making the catch. Essentially, he dropped it. And between the three fielders they all made an error in judgment in terms of letting Freeman be the one to get it.

Braves vs. Phillies | 03/30/19

I hope Franco's okay. I didn't figure we'd see Kingery today given it's a night game with an off-day tomorrow. If the game was right now, certainly.

[EastFallowfield]

I don't remember an infielder given an error for trying to make a sliding over the shoulder type catch in the outfield. Segura got a hit ruling on an easier play in the infield this week, that was more egregious.

[zambonir]

Certainly it was not a play the average 2B could be expected to make.

Same line-up tonight btw.