Kathy Rogers, Chris' Mom, sent this fine photo of Braves alums Jason & Chris. Kathy says they continue to follow and cheer for the Braves, as we salute them, playing traveling baseball at a high level.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Braves alums Jason & Chris
Kathy Rogers, Chris' Mom, sent this fine photo of Braves alums Jason & Chris. Kathy says they continue to follow and cheer for the Braves, as we salute them, playing traveling baseball at a high level.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Game 7: Braves 8, Rays 6
In the best game I have watched this season at Water Tower, the Braves came from behind to defeat the disciplined Rays, 8-6, on a warm Monday evening.
With smart, aggressive baserunning, the Rays parlayed a couple of first-inning Braves errors into a 3-0 lead. The Braves pulled one back in their half: Alec tripled to center field, then scored with 2 outs on Connor's single to right field. 3-1 Rays after one inning.
The Rays added to their lead with a single, a walk and an RBI single to left field. In the bottom of the second inning, both Will and Tyler hit the ball hard into the outfield, but the sure-handed Rays outfielders made the catches. After two innings, Rays 4, Braves 1.
The Rays tacked on another run in the third, scoring a run before a Rays player was tagged in a rundown. At the end of three innings, Rays 5, Braves 1.
Alec relieved Connor on the mound with one out in the top of the 4th inning. He struck out one bat, but the next one singled. The ensuing batter lifted a fly to center field, but centerfielder Tyler made a tumbling catch for the third out.
In the bottom of the 4th, Evan singled to right field, and Jack followed with a double to center field. Will singled to center, driving in Evan. Tyler singled to load the bases. Then Anthony singled to right, driving in Will and Ryan to make it 5-4 Rays. Tyler dashed home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 5-5.
In the top of the 5th, pitcher Alec worked around a double and an infield single. He grabbed the third out, a short fly ball, himself.
With a capacity crowd watching, including former Braves coach Dave Pritchard and a number of boys from other teams, the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the 5th. Alec beat out an infield single, then Connor doubled to center field, with coach Ross Harmsen holding Alec at third. Evan walked to load the bases. With two outs, Will ripped a double into the outfield, scoring all three baserunners. Will was tagged out at home, but the Braves had gained an 8-5 lead.
The Rays, though, would not go meekly. Their first batter in the 6th, Brandon Turer, homered to cut the lead to 8-6. The next batter singled. Then Rays player Cole Miller hit a foul fly very close to the third-base dugout fence. Third baseman Evan charged over and caught the fly while banging into the fence. One out, runner on first. The next batter bounced to Ryan at second base, who alertly got the lead runner on the fielder's choice. Two outs, runner at first.
Rays player Will Alt singled to put runners at first and second, setting the stage for defensive drama. The next Rays batter grounded to Evan at third, who stepped on the bag to force the lead runner and end the game. Braves 8, Rays 6.
Note: By the way, the photographer you saw at the game is my friend Nathan Wallin, an Air Force Reserve communications specialist (and soon to be UWM graduate) who enjoys photographing sports. He took a variety of photos at the game. I will send links to the photos out after Nathan has a chance to edit and post the pictures.
Next game: The next Braves game is a rematch against the Rays at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday June 1. We'll await word from Coach Ross on procedures and arrival time for that game. Ross also said the Braves would hold a practice between now and then.
With smart, aggressive baserunning, the Rays parlayed a couple of first-inning Braves errors into a 3-0 lead. The Braves pulled one back in their half: Alec tripled to center field, then scored with 2 outs on Connor's single to right field. 3-1 Rays after one inning.
The Rays added to their lead with a single, a walk and an RBI single to left field. In the bottom of the second inning, both Will and Tyler hit the ball hard into the outfield, but the sure-handed Rays outfielders made the catches. After two innings, Rays 4, Braves 1.
The Rays tacked on another run in the third, scoring a run before a Rays player was tagged in a rundown. At the end of three innings, Rays 5, Braves 1.
Alec relieved Connor on the mound with one out in the top of the 4th inning. He struck out one bat, but the next one singled. The ensuing batter lifted a fly to center field, but centerfielder Tyler made a tumbling catch for the third out.
In the bottom of the 4th, Evan singled to right field, and Jack followed with a double to center field. Will singled to center, driving in Evan. Tyler singled to load the bases. Then Anthony singled to right, driving in Will and Ryan to make it 5-4 Rays. Tyler dashed home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 5-5.
In the top of the 5th, pitcher Alec worked around a double and an infield single. He grabbed the third out, a short fly ball, himself.
With a capacity crowd watching, including former Braves coach Dave Pritchard and a number of boys from other teams, the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the 5th. Alec beat out an infield single, then Connor doubled to center field, with coach Ross Harmsen holding Alec at third. Evan walked to load the bases. With two outs, Will ripped a double into the outfield, scoring all three baserunners. Will was tagged out at home, but the Braves had gained an 8-5 lead.
The Rays, though, would not go meekly. Their first batter in the 6th, Brandon Turer, homered to cut the lead to 8-6. The next batter singled. Then Rays player Cole Miller hit a foul fly very close to the third-base dugout fence. Third baseman Evan charged over and caught the fly while banging into the fence. One out, runner on first. The next batter bounced to Ryan at second base, who alertly got the lead runner on the fielder's choice. Two outs, runner at first.
Rays player Will Alt singled to put runners at first and second, setting the stage for defensive drama. The next Rays batter grounded to Evan at third, who stepped on the bag to force the lead runner and end the game. Braves 8, Rays 6.
Note: By the way, the photographer you saw at the game is my friend Nathan Wallin, an Air Force Reserve communications specialist (and soon to be UWM graduate) who enjoys photographing sports. He took a variety of photos at the game. I will send links to the photos out after Nathan has a chance to edit and post the pictures.
Next game: The next Braves game is a rematch against the Rays at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday June 1. We'll await word from Coach Ross on procedures and arrival time for that game. Ross also said the Braves would hold a practice between now and then.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Game 6: Braves 24, As 5
The Braves rapped out 23 hits and ran the bases aggressively on the way to a 24-5 victory Saturday afternoon at the occasionally fog-shrouded Water Tower Park.
Each Brave got at least one hit and scored at least one run. Will drove in 5 runs, and Jack was 4 for 4.
In the bottom of the 1st inning, Evan singled, and moved around the bases on wild pitches. Anthony drove him in with a groundout. With two outs, Alec singled, and Scott drove him in. After Nick and Connor walked to load the bases, Will cleared them by crushing a double into the outfield and kept running until he scored himself. 6-0 Braves, after 1.
After pitcher Connor shut down the As in the second, the Braves turned the hit machine back on. Jack, Evan, Anthony and Alec all singled; Nick tripled, and came home on a wild pitch. 11-0 Braves.
In the top of the third Evan, who was pitching, working around a single and a walk to shut the As down.
In the Braves half of the inning, Ryan and Jack doubled, then Liam singled, coming around to score himself on Anthony's single. 14-0, Braves.
The As put up 4 runs in the fourth inning. It could have been more, but Will alertly tagged a runner who approached 3rd base when he had the ball.
In the bottom of the fourth, Connor tripled with one out and stole home on a wild pitch. Will singled. Ryan was hit by a pitch. Jack drove in Will with a single; Liam drove in Jack; Evan plated Liam. 18-4, Braves.
Anthony made his season debut on the mound in the 5th inning, posting two strikeouts and limiting the As to a single run.
The Braves batted around in the bottom of the 5th, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring 6 times, with Will's double to center field the big hit.
On the mound, Connor closed out the 6th and final inning impressively, striking out the 3 batters he faced. Braves 24, As 5.
Next game: 6 p.m. Monday May 24 against the Rays. Please have your Brave to Water Tower at 5 p.m.
Each Brave got at least one hit and scored at least one run. Will drove in 5 runs, and Jack was 4 for 4.
In the bottom of the 1st inning, Evan singled, and moved around the bases on wild pitches. Anthony drove him in with a groundout. With two outs, Alec singled, and Scott drove him in. After Nick and Connor walked to load the bases, Will cleared them by crushing a double into the outfield and kept running until he scored himself. 6-0 Braves, after 1.
After pitcher Connor shut down the As in the second, the Braves turned the hit machine back on. Jack, Evan, Anthony and Alec all singled; Nick tripled, and came home on a wild pitch. 11-0 Braves.
In the top of the third Evan, who was pitching, working around a single and a walk to shut the As down.
In the Braves half of the inning, Ryan and Jack doubled, then Liam singled, coming around to score himself on Anthony's single. 14-0, Braves.
The As put up 4 runs in the fourth inning. It could have been more, but Will alertly tagged a runner who approached 3rd base when he had the ball.
In the bottom of the fourth, Connor tripled with one out and stole home on a wild pitch. Will singled. Ryan was hit by a pitch. Jack drove in Will with a single; Liam drove in Jack; Evan plated Liam. 18-4, Braves.
Anthony made his season debut on the mound in the 5th inning, posting two strikeouts and limiting the As to a single run.
The Braves batted around in the bottom of the 5th, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring 6 times, with Will's double to center field the big hit.
On the mound, Connor closed out the 6th and final inning impressively, striking out the 3 batters he faced. Braves 24, As 5.
Next game: 6 p.m. Monday May 24 against the Rays. Please have your Brave to Water Tower at 5 p.m.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Braves Alumni: Chris & Jason
Hello Braves!
Chris and I saw this year’s Braves practicing at the high-school softball field a couple of days ago, and we got nostalgic about how much fun we had with last year’s Braves. It seems as if this year’s group is off to a great start.
Jim Higgins asked me to write a bit about what the two Braves’ alumni are doing this summer. Here goes:
Jason Blacher and Chris Pritchard now play on the Wisconsin Wildcats travel team for 13-year-olds. Jason and Chris are regularly in the starting lineup for the Wildcats, who play games on fields that are much bigger than the Majors field at Water Tower. Some of their games are played on diamonds with 80 feet between the bases and the pitcher’s rubber 54 feet from home plate. Other games are played on fields with major-league dimensions (90 feet between bases, the rubber 60 feet, 6 inches from home).
Jason plays mostly at shortstop and Chris mostly at first base, though both of them have also played other positions and pitched. Like most of the guys on the Wildcats, they had some initial trouble adjusting to the unfamiliar distance of the pitcher but lately they have been striking the ball with authority.
For example, Wednesday evening at Harden field on Milwaukee’s south side – a field with major-league dimensions including a center-field wall 380 feet from the plate – Chris clouted a long double to right field and smoked a triple down the right field line. He also pitched two hitless innings.
Chris’ second hitless inning ended when Jason making an amazing full-extension Sports Center top-play-worthy dive to snare a line drive that seemed headed for center field. You won’t find many 13-year-old shortstops better than Jason in the field. Jason was also productive at the plate, smashing a line-drive hit over the shortstop’s head into left field.
Wednesday’s victory left the Wildcats with a 9-4 record. Overall, the team will play 50-55 games, with the season ending the last weekend in July. There are 12 guys on the Wildcats, and playing time is distributed very equally. The team is a travel team, but other than one soggy April weekend in Iowa the travel is limited to southeast Wisconsin.
Chris and Jason really enjoy the guys on the Wildcats; the players’ parents get along well, too. Five of the Wildcats are from Whitefish Bay, three from Fox Point, and one each from Cedarburg, New Berlin, Greenfield, and Pewaukee. The head coach is a soft-spoken former college player in his mid-20s who the players and parents like a lot.
If any of the Braves are considereing a more intense baseball experience next year than the Juniors will offer, I’d encourage them to consider the Wildcats. Tryouts for the 2011 Wildcats will be in late summer. You can learn a little bit more about the Wildcats by going into the Roster and Calendar portions of http://wsbcc.com/.
Meanwhile, keep up the fantastic play at Water Tower! I follow your games via Jim’s blog, and when you get to the championship game I’ll make sure that Chris and I are in the stands to cheer you on.
Dave Pritchard
Chris and I saw this year’s Braves practicing at the high-school softball field a couple of days ago, and we got nostalgic about how much fun we had with last year’s Braves. It seems as if this year’s group is off to a great start.
Jim Higgins asked me to write a bit about what the two Braves’ alumni are doing this summer. Here goes:
Jason Blacher and Chris Pritchard now play on the Wisconsin Wildcats travel team for 13-year-olds. Jason and Chris are regularly in the starting lineup for the Wildcats, who play games on fields that are much bigger than the Majors field at Water Tower. Some of their games are played on diamonds with 80 feet between the bases and the pitcher’s rubber 54 feet from home plate. Other games are played on fields with major-league dimensions (90 feet between bases, the rubber 60 feet, 6 inches from home).
Jason plays mostly at shortstop and Chris mostly at first base, though both of them have also played other positions and pitched. Like most of the guys on the Wildcats, they had some initial trouble adjusting to the unfamiliar distance of the pitcher but lately they have been striking the ball with authority.
For example, Wednesday evening at Harden field on Milwaukee’s south side – a field with major-league dimensions including a center-field wall 380 feet from the plate – Chris clouted a long double to right field and smoked a triple down the right field line. He also pitched two hitless innings.
Chris’ second hitless inning ended when Jason making an amazing full-extension Sports Center top-play-worthy dive to snare a line drive that seemed headed for center field. You won’t find many 13-year-old shortstops better than Jason in the field. Jason was also productive at the plate, smashing a line-drive hit over the shortstop’s head into left field.
Wednesday’s victory left the Wildcats with a 9-4 record. Overall, the team will play 50-55 games, with the season ending the last weekend in July. There are 12 guys on the Wildcats, and playing time is distributed very equally. The team is a travel team, but other than one soggy April weekend in Iowa the travel is limited to southeast Wisconsin.
Chris and Jason really enjoy the guys on the Wildcats; the players’ parents get along well, too. Five of the Wildcats are from Whitefish Bay, three from Fox Point, and one each from Cedarburg, New Berlin, Greenfield, and Pewaukee. The head coach is a soft-spoken former college player in his mid-20s who the players and parents like a lot.
If any of the Braves are considereing a more intense baseball experience next year than the Juniors will offer, I’d encourage them to consider the Wildcats. Tryouts for the 2011 Wildcats will be in late summer. You can learn a little bit more about the Wildcats by going into the Roster and Calendar portions of http://wsbcc.com/.
Meanwhile, keep up the fantastic play at Water Tower! I follow your games via Jim’s blog, and when you get to the championship game I’ll make sure that Chris and I are in the stands to cheer you on.
Dave Pritchard
Monday, May 17, 2010
Game 5: Braves 8, Cubs 1
Led by strong pitching and fueled by a big inning, the Braves defeated the Cubs on a chilly night at Water Tower.
The Braves made excellent contact, striking out only once in the game. Liam thumped a single and a double. With one out in the bottom of the first, Alec doubled to left field, Nick walked, and Connor's RBI single drove in Alec. 1-0, Braves.
Connor pitched around some errors to shut the Cubs through 3 innings. Meanwhile, Cubs shortstop Carter Heston kept his team in the game with several dazzling defensive plays. The Cubs tied the game in the fourth.
But in the bottom of the inning, the Braves put 7 runs on the board while batting around. Scott singled, Tyler walked, Anthony moved the runners over. Liam singled, Matt walked,
Alec doubled, Nick singled up the middle, Connor singled, Evan doubled to drive in Nick and Connor. Braves 8, Cubs 1.
Alec closed on the mound, knocking down a hard shot and throwing the runner out, then striking out the final batter.
Notes: While pitching, Connor had an epic battle with Cubs slugger Evan Miller. Evan fouled off several good pitches before Connor got him to miss a change of speed -- not the goofy changeup some kids are throwing, but a modest variation in speed that nonetheless disrupted the batter's timing.
Both teams grasped the importance of pitchers covering home on wild
pitches and passed balls, as both teams tagged runners out at the plate.
Karen Kimple, Connor's mom, celebrated her birthday at the park with a
surprise cake.
Next game: Saturday May 22, 3 p.m. at Water Tower, vs. the As. Have your Brave there by 2 p.m., please.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Game 4: Braves 16, Athletics 7
Shaking off rust that built up after two rainouts, the Braves defeated the determined As 16-7 Saturday morning at Water Tower.
Connor led the parade of lumber-thumpers with 4 hits, including two homers, and six RBIs. Nick scored three times, and Evan was 4 for 4 with two doubles. Many players contributed today on offense with their legs as well as their bats.
The Braves took a 4-0 lead in the first inning through a combination of singles and aggressive baserunning. But the As took a 5-4 lead in the second inning, hustling to take advantage of a few Braves miscues. The Braves tied in the third by manufacturing a run with 2 outs: Nick singled, stole second and scored on Connor's single.
In the top of the 4th, Evan tomahawked a double into the outfield, and scored on Ryan's hit. Then Tyler ripped a fly ball into the right field that the As outfielder couldn't handle. Tyler zoomed around the bases to score. While an official scorer in major-league baseball might rule that as a single and a three-base error, I am not going to be the one to tell Tyler it wasn't an inside-the-park home run.
The As scored two in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-7, but that's as close as it would get. In the fifth inning, Alec reached safely, then Connor brought him by crushing a homer to center field. With two outs in the same inning, Evan doubled again, stole third on a passed ball and scored on another Ryan single. 11-7, Braves.
Alec took the mound in the 5th, bringing the Big Red Express with him. Stridingly confidently toward the plate, he pounded the strike with fastballs. Will speared a liner at second base to contribute to Alec's one-two-three inning.
The Braves broke the game open in the 6th. Will, Matt and Alec all reached safely. Then Nick ripped a triple into the right-center gap. Connor followed with his second homer of the game, a booming shot over the right-center fence.
Alec closed out the game in the 6th, with Nick knocking down a line smash and stepping on first base for the final putout. (Alec needed only 16 pitches over the final two innings.)
In pitching notes, Matt and Tyler picked up the Braves in the middle innings. Through no fault of his own, Tyler found himself pitching with the bases loaded and no outs, but kept his composure. He induced two grounders to third that the sure-handed Anthony grabbed and threw home to induce forceouts.
Former Braves skipper Dave Pritchard watched our game this morning. He promises an update on Braves alums Chris and Jason in the near future.
Probable talking points from the game:
Good: Only two called third strikes on the Braves today. The boys took Coach Ross' exhortation to swing the bats to heart, and it showed.
Less good: This is my opinion, not the coaches. Boys needs to remember to run everything out, whether it is a fly ball to the outfield, a pop-up near the plate or a grounder to an infielder. This is Little League. You can never assume the other kid will make the play and give up. The very act of running as hard as you can might make an opponent drop a ball or throw it wildly.
NEXT GAME
It's 6 p.m. Monday May 17 vs. the Cubs. Coaches ask that your Brave be at Water Tower by 5 p.m.
Connor led the parade of lumber-thumpers with 4 hits, including two homers, and six RBIs. Nick scored three times, and Evan was 4 for 4 with two doubles. Many players contributed today on offense with their legs as well as their bats.
The Braves took a 4-0 lead in the first inning through a combination of singles and aggressive baserunning. But the As took a 5-4 lead in the second inning, hustling to take advantage of a few Braves miscues. The Braves tied in the third by manufacturing a run with 2 outs: Nick singled, stole second and scored on Connor's single.
In the top of the 4th, Evan tomahawked a double into the outfield, and scored on Ryan's hit. Then Tyler ripped a fly ball into the right field that the As outfielder couldn't handle. Tyler zoomed around the bases to score. While an official scorer in major-league baseball might rule that as a single and a three-base error, I am not going to be the one to tell Tyler it wasn't an inside-the-park home run.
The As scored two in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-7, but that's as close as it would get. In the fifth inning, Alec reached safely, then Connor brought him by crushing a homer to center field. With two outs in the same inning, Evan doubled again, stole third on a passed ball and scored on another Ryan single. 11-7, Braves.
Alec took the mound in the 5th, bringing the Big Red Express with him. Stridingly confidently toward the plate, he pounded the strike with fastballs. Will speared a liner at second base to contribute to Alec's one-two-three inning.
The Braves broke the game open in the 6th. Will, Matt and Alec all reached safely. Then Nick ripped a triple into the right-center gap. Connor followed with his second homer of the game, a booming shot over the right-center fence.
Alec closed out the game in the 6th, with Nick knocking down a line smash and stepping on first base for the final putout. (Alec needed only 16 pitches over the final two innings.)
In pitching notes, Matt and Tyler picked up the Braves in the middle innings. Through no fault of his own, Tyler found himself pitching with the bases loaded and no outs, but kept his composure. He induced two grounders to third that the sure-handed Anthony grabbed and threw home to induce forceouts.
Former Braves skipper Dave Pritchard watched our game this morning. He promises an update on Braves alums Chris and Jason in the near future.
Probable talking points from the game:
Good: Only two called third strikes on the Braves today. The boys took Coach Ross' exhortation to swing the bats to heart, and it showed.
Less good: This is my opinion, not the coaches. Boys needs to remember to run everything out, whether it is a fly ball to the outfield, a pop-up near the plate or a grounder to an infielder. This is Little League. You can never assume the other kid will make the play and give up. The very act of running as hard as you can might make an opponent drop a ball or throw it wildly.
NEXT GAME
It's 6 p.m. Monday May 17 vs. the Cubs. Coaches ask that your Brave be at Water Tower by 5 p.m.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Braves Rainout Theater, Round 2
With Tuesday's game a washout, our next scheduled game is 9 a.m. Saturday May 15 at Water Tower, vs. the As. Expect Coach Ross Harmsen to request that players be at Water Tower at 8 a.m. Saturday.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, another round of Braves Rainout Theater:
And now, for your viewing pleasure, another round of Braves Rainout Theater:
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Braves Rainout Theater
When I was a boy growing up in Pittsburgh, televised baseball was much rarer than it is today. We could see only one national game of the week on Saturday afternoon, plus the road games of our hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sometimes those road games were rained out. So the local TV would substitute something called Pirate Rainout Theater, and throw any old movie they had laying around on the air.
Here at Braves Blog Central, we aren't going to throw any old video up on the blog. Only baseball video. I hope you enjoy these clips.
And who could forget this moment?
Sometimes those road games were rained out. So the local TV would substitute something called Pirate Rainout Theater, and throw any old movie they had laying around on the air.
Here at Braves Blog Central, we aren't going to throw any old video up on the blog. Only baseball video. I hope you enjoy these clips.
And who could forget this moment?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Game 3: Braves 25, Brewers 10
In a game that could have given a scorekeeper a severe case of writer's cramp, the Braves defeated the young Brewers 25 to 10 in a battle of Milwaukee namesakes past and present.
Five Braves pitched, including season debuts for Tyler and Scott.
With the Braves batting first, Alec and Scott got the offense started by -- getting hit by pitches. Connor then crushed a no-doubter homer over the left-field fence for a 3-0 lead.
Evan started on the mound, pounding the strike zone. After a Brewer reached on an infield single, Connor (at shortstop) started a double play that Tyler finished at first to end the inning.
In the second inning, Matt, Evan, Alec (double), Anthony and Scott (double) hit safely consecutively to stretch the Braves' lead to 6-0.
The Brewers grabbed three runs back in the second inning, but Liam put an end to their rally by grabbing a flyout at second base. (The Braves' improvement in catching fly balls and line drives, especially in the outfield, is a positive trend this season.)
Taking advantage of a tiring pitcher, the Braves broke the game open with a 9-run third inning. The Braves batted around (Connor, Ryan and Tyler all batted twice in the inning). Big hits included a 2-rbi single by Liam and a double to right field by Scott. After reaching first on a single, Nick showed his wheels by scoring easily from first on a double by Connor.
Speaking of wheels, Jack raced home on a wild pitch in the 4th inning to make the score 16-4. In the same frame, Evan ripped a liner to left field, but a fine catch by the outfielder took a possible double away.
The Brewers battled back with a 6-run 4th inning to make the score 16-10. Matt put a stop to the bleeding with an excellent catch in right field.
With one out in the 5th and Scott on first base after a single, Nick pounded a homer over the center field fence. Connor doubled and Tyler drove him home with a single. Braves, 19-10.
Alec continued his stellar season of pitching in the fifth. Anthony grabbed the first out on a fly to right, then Alec struck out the next two batters.
The fifth inning ended just short of the time cutoff, so the teams decided to play one more inning. In the Braves' half of the 6th, Alec singled in Liam, who had walked. Then, with two outs and two on, Nick hit his third homer of the season, over the right-centerfield fence. Connor followed with a single and Ryan doubled him home, bringing the score to 25-10.
Connor threw a scoreless frame, including two strikeouts, to close out the final half-inning.
You might be tempted to say that the Braves, as an older team, should beat the Brewers, a younger game. What impresses me are the many signs of improvement in the Braves: making plays on defense, catching flies, running the bases smartly, taking care of the baseball and not making wild throws.
Saturday's game: Remember that Saturday's game against the Rays begins at 9 a.m. Please make sure your Brave gets to the Water Tower batting practice area by 8 a.m. Saturday.
Five Braves pitched, including season debuts for Tyler and Scott.
With the Braves batting first, Alec and Scott got the offense started by -- getting hit by pitches. Connor then crushed a no-doubter homer over the left-field fence for a 3-0 lead.
Evan started on the mound, pounding the strike zone. After a Brewer reached on an infield single, Connor (at shortstop) started a double play that Tyler finished at first to end the inning.
In the second inning, Matt, Evan, Alec (double), Anthony and Scott (double) hit safely consecutively to stretch the Braves' lead to 6-0.
The Brewers grabbed three runs back in the second inning, but Liam put an end to their rally by grabbing a flyout at second base. (The Braves' improvement in catching fly balls and line drives, especially in the outfield, is a positive trend this season.)
Taking advantage of a tiring pitcher, the Braves broke the game open with a 9-run third inning. The Braves batted around (Connor, Ryan and Tyler all batted twice in the inning). Big hits included a 2-rbi single by Liam and a double to right field by Scott. After reaching first on a single, Nick showed his wheels by scoring easily from first on a double by Connor.
Speaking of wheels, Jack raced home on a wild pitch in the 4th inning to make the score 16-4. In the same frame, Evan ripped a liner to left field, but a fine catch by the outfielder took a possible double away.
The Brewers battled back with a 6-run 4th inning to make the score 16-10. Matt put a stop to the bleeding with an excellent catch in right field.
With one out in the 5th and Scott on first base after a single, Nick pounded a homer over the center field fence. Connor doubled and Tyler drove him home with a single. Braves, 19-10.
Alec continued his stellar season of pitching in the fifth. Anthony grabbed the first out on a fly to right, then Alec struck out the next two batters.
The fifth inning ended just short of the time cutoff, so the teams decided to play one more inning. In the Braves' half of the 6th, Alec singled in Liam, who had walked. Then, with two outs and two on, Nick hit his third homer of the season, over the right-centerfield fence. Connor followed with a single and Ryan doubled him home, bringing the score to 25-10.
Connor threw a scoreless frame, including two strikeouts, to close out the final half-inning.
You might be tempted to say that the Braves, as an older team, should beat the Brewers, a younger game. What impresses me are the many signs of improvement in the Braves: making plays on defense, catching flies, running the bases smartly, taking care of the baseball and not making wild throws.
Saturday's game: Remember that Saturday's game against the Rays begins at 9 a.m. Please make sure your Brave gets to the Water Tower batting practice area by 8 a.m. Saturday.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Game 2: Braves 10, Yankees 4
Buoyed by strong defense and propelled by a big inning, the Braves defeated the Yankees 10-4 Saturday afternoon at Water Tower Park.
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, Nick beat out an infield single and went to second on the overthrow. Will moved him over to third, and Anthony drove him home with a two-out single, to put the Braves up 1-0.
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 4th, Scott walked with 1 out and stole second. Then Nick homered over the center field fence to give the Braves a 3-1 lead.
With a double, a bunt single and aggressive baserunning, the Yankees tied the game at 3 in the top of the 5th inning. But the Braves batted around in their half of the inning, scoring 7 runs to take a 10-3 lead. Anthony singled to right, Jack walked and Tyler rapped a single to the left side to load them up. Then Matt crushed a triple to centerfield, clearing the bases. Alec drove in Matt with a single. Connor walked, and both he and Alec moved up on a wild pitch. Nick singled sharply up the middle to bring Alec home. Connor raced home a passed ball. Will doubled to center, scoring Nick.
Notable moments from the game
Fielding: In the top of the 3rd, with the game tied at 1-1, Jack made two catches in the outfield, including a fine running grab of a line drive. If he misses either of those, the game might have turned in a different direction. He also made a couple of nice plays in the infield. Nick ranged far at second base to grab two flyouts, and stretched his long frame at first base to record the putout on a throw across the diamond from Will. Coach Ross also noted after the game that the Braves made smart decisions with the ball: no wild throws or airmailed balls.
Hitting: Kudos to Tyler, who drew a walk and consequently forced the pitcher next time to throw him a strike, which he ripped hard down the left side for a single. Liam crushed a line drive that a good second baseman speared (and Jack alertly got back on second base without getting doubled up). Ryan practically knocked down a Yankees pitcher with a hard smash up the middle (the pitcher was OK).
Pitching: Alec, Will and closer Connor threw strikes and trusted their fielders to get the ball. Unless I failed in my notes, the Braves pitchers did not walk any batters in the game. In three innings Alec struck out 4 batters and did not walk anyone.
The Braves next play Wednesday May 5 vs. the Brewers at 6 p.m. If past practice is any indication, the coaches will ask the players to be at Water Tower at 5 p.m.
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