Show #476: The Rotation's Struggles Lead To a Losi

You're listening to Atlanta baseball talk, your weekly podcast for all things at Atlanta Braves. Welcome to Atlanta baseball talk show number 476. Today is Sunday, August 16, 2020. My name is Steve. I'm joined by both Hammy and Curtis and folks. Please help out the show by telling your friends, sharing links and writing reviews. If you don't, we move, enter to the lead off spot to get

them going. Brian Jordan actually suggested that in the post game a couple of nights ago. In case you're wondering how the television crew is doing. Oh, dear. Oh, take. Yes. All right, folks. And tonight show will to Newcomme to go net, Acunia to the I L that continued starting pitching woes and the black hole that is Riley and Camargo. But first, a quick break. All right,

so guys, some news of the week, you know, not to be outdone by last week. This week saw Acunia as a late scratch right before the first Yankees game on Tuesday, only to be placed on the injured list this weekend with a wrist problem, which is too swollen to really identify what the issue is. Nukem took such a large step back on Monday as a starting

picture that he was optionally. And he was sent to the satellite team and Bryce Wilson got called up and did not really rise to the occasion. So ham. Let's talk about. I mean, look, there's not that much say about Acunia terrible, terrible. Hope he gets back. Bryce Wilson will probably get another shot to appear. But what do you think about Nukem? Well, he can't start anymore.

Obviously. And it's a shame because it's sort of, you know, it certainly puts us in a really, really, really bad spot. So it sucks that way. I think though that he can still be valuable to the team as a reliever, right? There's no, you know, as you, as we're going to talk about starting pitching at the trade deadline and stuff like that. And the trade deadline,

there's just not a lot of out there outside of what you already have, right? Unless you're looking at a few teams and you're going to have to pay a lot. And why would you do that? So I feel like we're going to have a lot of openers. And our future and need to pull on the pen. And I think hopefully Nukem can, can be a, you

know, a contributing member of the pen because he certainly can't do it as a starter anymore. But we need it. There's no other options. Sorry. No, go ahead. Go ahead. Are you of the mind that like it's just the experiment? It's time for it to be over. Yeah. There's no sort of growing into the starters role for him. No. Yeah. Yeah. There is no, there is

not. I don't think so. I don't think he will ever be a starter. Yeah. And look, I'm going to, you know, we'll talk about it. I think in a couple of different way, the show that I think there is some patience still to be had for a bunch of guys, but not for Nukem. I really think it's the time has come and gone. Curtis said, were

you shocked? Any thoughts on Nukem? No. But it's just watching this week, which was obviously really disappointing week on the field and off the field. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. It's no wonder that the brain has struggled this week. There's only so much they can withstand offensively and obviously picture wise and the rotation. It's just decimated. And if it's not decimated

by injuries to guys like Sorokit or or Hamels. It's guys that just are proving themselves to not be capable of holding that position. I will touch on it later. Mark Bradley's had a couple of really good articles and they AJC about the state of the starting rotation and sort of who is cycled through as options for this group and where we stand now. But yeah, I'm

with you guys. And he is a valuable piece as a as a bullpen guy. He was so good as a bullpen guy. It's just unfortunate that he can't just put it together as a starter, but. So badly. Yeah, they'll just have to find. I guess it's going to be a bunch of games where we're going to have a starter that's going to go two or three

innings and then hope. They can provide you with two innings out of the bullpen or something. Yeah, I mean, hopefully being sent down to Gwynedd is a reset and he comes back. Right. This is not. This is not a faulty situation who just can't even throw the ball as fast as he needs to. Right. Newcombe just needs to sort of get right and get in the

role that he's comfortable and hopefully going back to Gwynedd for a little bit. Does that I would expect to see him sooner than later. Yeah. The mindset of a relief guy is so much different than a starter. His mate. His he's got the stuff. His mind is just not there. Right. He puts too much on his shoulder, too much pressure. And he just like every mistake.

He confounds it with another mistake. And I think as a closer. It's the burden's not so much. Right. I don't know if you want to put him in with a game on the line, but coming in on the seventh, you know, I think he's perfectly suited for that. He's got great stuff. Well, we've seen him do it. Yeah, he does. Absolutely. Right. So Kurt, you you

you referenced it some the stark realities of no Siroka anchoring the rotation. No, Akunya and all be used to top the lineup. We're on full display every night. Right. The starting rotation was really grim between freed starts. The offense was non-existent at times. So Kurt a lot of this sort of bounce and around with our thought we talk about it, totally my idea. Do you think

there's blame to be placed for the state of the team right now? Yeah. You know, obviously there's a lot. And people are going to come back and say what's not the GM who's going out there and playing and they're going to say the same about Snickers and all that kind of stuff. But there are decisions that are made about who is going to be part of

this taking a risk on Cole Hamill's who obviously has never done anything for us yet. And sort of relying on hoping that some of these guys are going to get back to form. Guy like Nukka, my guy like Fulti who not only have a not resorted to form, they're not even with the team anymore. And the guys that we've kept around and we keep hoping to

break through like Bryce Wilson, I call right out of it is really gotten the exposure yet. But Bryce Wilson seems like he's not going to be a guy that is going to be a starter for us either. Tukki is still a big question mark. And he's not even fresh in the system. I mean, he's been around for a while. So it feels like they have not

done enough to address this situation with the starting rotation. And I understand that they have zero control over Soroka getting hurt and Soroka and freed anchoring the rotation at the top is going to be amazing to be part of. But I referenced that Bradley article and I just real quickly want to touch on it. He basically covered the starting pictures that came about during the couple

a little harder, which is basically where we are now. And obviously that's you can blame those guys for whatever fallout some of this has, but it's also the way these guys have been handled. Shelly Miller, Tyrell Jenkins, and he remember him max freed obviously. Fulti, Whistler, Colby Howard, Mike Soroka, Tukki Tussant, Sean Newcombe, Aaron Blair, Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz, Kyle Mueller, Bryce Wilson, Luis Gohara, Kyle

Wright. So those are basically the guys that we had pinned our hopes on to make up some form of this rotation. You look at Newcombe and Fulti, they had their best seasons under Chuck Hernandez who was fired by Alex Anthopolis. Yet Soroka and freed have developed into who they are under credits. So, you know, it's top Colby Howard, I was using it, I didn't fell out

of favor with the Braves. They didn't think that they were going to have him be a part of their rotation. He is now part of the rotation. Rangers, you know, Lucas M's criticizes the Braves for their picture development. Well, you look at some of this and you're like, well, maybe they've given up on guy. It's like Alex Wood who isn't even part of this list that

they certainly could still have around now, but then they use these guys to trade, which is what they talked about all the time. It's sort of a craft shoot when you're trading guys. I don't know where I'm going with all this and I don't know who you can actually blame. Nobody. But it's they are they are in a, I mean, 60 games we can almost just

sort of write it off this year if all this sort of happens. But if this was 162 games. And the Braves would be in so much, so much trouble. Well, so I'm going to talk about the starting rotation for a second, like as we're heading into spring training, whatever, four months ago, right? You've got Soroka, freed, Hamils, Fulti, King Felix, Nukum lined up, right? Six guys

and five of them are out of the picture now. And you gave up nothing and you gave up nothing to have those guys, right? And you have Ian Anderson and Pache and Waters and the whole thing. You're still lined up to the master plan. Yeah, I just don't think the whole like, like Jeff Schultz has written a couple articles about it for the athletic about this

is a travesty that the Braves are not in a position to cover for the starting rotation. And I just like. It's five of the six guys, the Fulti thing, Fulti who pitched a masterpiece, right in game two of the playoffs last year. And it's right the second half of last year. Yeah, when he came back from Guneh, exactly. You know, Hamils look, I mean, I think

the biggest. Sort of anthropologist criticism, why I have two really is maybe Hamils wasn't a good decision, right? Because he's old and an injury risk. I liked it. I thought it was a good signing. I was a good runner or my god Patrick Wigel. They're just not ready. Yeah. I mean, you're like, you can't blame. All those guys. First of all, every team in the majors

could list 30 guys who should have been great who weren't as pictures. Right. I mean, that's that's the name of the game, right? But I mean, you saw those guys. We had the same hopes and their potential. Those guys sucked. They never delivered. That's not anthropologist's fault. He was playing the game. I mean, I think that's the way I was. I mean, I just you can't

hinge that on him. And we had like one of the best, you know, one of the most promising young rotations. We had Hamils holding it down until Anderson is here and gave up nothing. Give up nothing for that. We were so in. And then the season came along and the bottom fell out. I mean, and you know, when you lose a cook. So you lose your,

you lose your ace and you lose your starting right fielder who are not just right. Well, Sarokha, Kunya and Albeys, not just they're not just three of your four best players, which they are. But you've lost a legitimate Sai Young candidate and a legitimate MVP candidate in Sarokha and Akunya. You know, I mean, like it's just. Oh, sure. They're all like, they're all like top 50

players. I mean, don't. Yeah, let's not just count all these either. I mean, he's a star. I'll start second baseman, so I know that this went to me and I know that I'm going to get all the feedback that I'm the one throwing all the blame out there. A lot of this, there is you cannot assign blame. This is their people that want to assign blame

to a lot of this. And as I mentioned, these names, Ham, I will, I should preface the way that that Bradley picked these is that these guys were first or second round picks. And they were rated as top 100 process. Yes, steps seemed like social aspects. It just happens in organizations. Yes, of course. Absolutely. And you know, you look at some of these and you will

can say, oh, Aaron Blair. You can't say that. It's because of the Braze pitching staff that Aaron Blair didn't develop into. A frontline prospect here. He's nowhere he's got a baseball he's pitching a Mexico or something, you know, I mean, it's not like Charlie Morton who left the Bra whether a pitcher somewhere else. I mean, they never really got the opportunity to develop that guy or

Adam Wainwright or somebody like that. We never got the chance to see what those guys were going to do in our system. We've given opportunities to Nukem and Fulti and those guys and they have just not lived up to it, you know. And now we have to see where we can bid same with Whistler. You know, Mike Minor was a guy who was here and was

totally average. I mean, Julio Teirn commented people over the years have wanted Teirn gone every single season. So. And now he's in the end of my being horrible. We write history now. Oh man, I can't believe we didn't resign Julio Teirn looking at the situation. We're in right now. I mean, I mean, I just encourage I know that you're, you know, you're sort of just putting

up an interesting argument, right? For the end part of it. And I agree with you that maybe we could have done things differently. But like if you had one redo move for Anthopolis, like, what is it? Like what is the one big like major, major gaff that he's done? And like, and I'm with Steve, like this season was just came out of nowhere. And with COVID

in the 60 game season and then the Nukem and Hamels and Sorroca and Hernandez. Fulti, like eight miles off his back. How can you even sort of contingency plan for that? Yeah. So, so Ham, I will answer my biggest complaint with Anthopolis is actually over the last two weeks. Like they've stuck with Ender too long already. It's Peshay time. You know, it has been for a

while. And, you know, I get that they're valuing major league experience for, you know, for pitching over potential. Hence, you know, you know, and, and Irlen, although Irlen was quite good on Sunday. My God, let's start bringing up some of the guys on the 40 man and just see what we have. This is kind of a unique opportunity. You're going to get into the playoffs. And

we're going to talk about the trade deadline in a minute. You're going to get into the playoffs. But next year will likely be a much more normal year. Let's see what Tucker Davidson and Jessel Dela Cruz and Patrick Wygole can do. You know, what I mean? Like I don't understand why he's being so conservative about the starting pitching given the situation that he's in. And my

God, Peshay, I mean, Ender, it's just, it's a joke. Well, until they move and believe off, then he's going to. Right. Exactly. No, our listeners will take care of that. Don't worry. Curtis. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, maybe I don't know. I can't get into Anthopolis's head. But I think, I mean, even in a 60 game season, there's still a lot of games to be

played. And maybe he's just waiting, right? He does it. I mean, too much too soon. So we're seeing Bryce Wilson. And he's probably got it played out in his head. If this doesn't work out, I mean, he certainly show that he's willing to make moves. Right. And he's not going to stay with people beyond their expiration date. I mean, Ender, notwithstanding. But I don't know. I

don't know. I agree. He seems so hesitant to make a move. I don't know if you guys saw a couple hours ago that they announced that Josh Tomlin is going to start Tuesday night against the nationals. You know, I mean, like, I don't like. Why? I mean, I know why? I know I'm going to say this on every show. So best chance of winning. Patrick. Why?

Why is Patrick? Why will not getting any opportunity? Yeah. I'm not bringing you guys. You guys like certainly. Certainly they know his stuff better than we do. Right. I mean, certainly they know that. Certainly the reason that they're starting Tomlin is because Anthopolis and Snicker believe that that gives them a much better chance of them winning than starting Tucker Davidson or Patrick Weigel. That means you

have to believe that. Don't you? I read articles and I'm on Twitter a lot. Yes. You can cast dispersions. All you want. Look, I hear you. I just think it is it is too conservative approach. Yes. They know Patrick Weigel's stuff better than me, of course. But it just seems like. In the midst of this very strange year where it's kind of all of freebie, particularly

given the injuries, particularly given the out of nowhere faulty development and soroka out for the year and new com crashing and burning play both sides of this a little bit. You'll get into the playoffs, but see what you have. But don't you also feel like if you just like, sorry, Steve, I totally agree with it. Also, don't you feel like if you just played as conservatively

as possible and just let all the other teams shoot themselves in the foot. You're just like, I'm not sure. I think it's getting the playoffs to without having to do that. I think either way we get in the playoffs, 16 teams are getting in the playoffs. And the NL East is crap. Yeah. I also I also read something speaking of how much I know that. They

are actually with position players that the GMs are going to be a little more reluctant to pull them. Hence guys like Riley continuing to get playing time because. They're they feel like it's more important to Steve's point about getting playing time against because when you go to. Go and that it's just scrimmages basically, you know, you're not really getting real life action. You're not getting to

see. All the varieties of pictures that you would see coming from other teams. You get the Wiley veterans that are trying to drag out the end of their careers triple A and everything in between. So, you know, it's more valuable for Riley to be up here striking out. And every single time to them, then it is for him to be down hitting doubles off of Wigel

in a Tuesday afternoon scrimmage, you know. So. Yeah. So, so apply it evenly. Let's put some pictures up here too. I totally agree. All right guys time for inside the numbers and let's start with the starting pitching this week from guys not named Mac. It's freed. So no. Yeah. Yeah. Everyone sit down. You're standing up. Um, or pull over. Yeah. That's right. Um, Nukem 1 and

a third eight earned two walks. Two key. Hey, only two walks and 1 and a third. Two key fornings pitched five earned. You know, uh, one inning two earned three walks. Kyle Wright three innings three earned six walks. He looks horrible. The two key and Wright took big steps back and looked just in the and the I and fail the I test. It wasn't like they

were fooling anyone. They struggled from the jump. Two key not as much as right. Yeah. Well, but two key did not have command of his of his breaking stuff. Right. Was clearly just all over the place. Two key was so sharp in that start before and then. Yeah. And look, it's going to be one step forward two steps back with these guys, but it's you know,

it was tough to watch. And then. You know, Irland on Sunday, big was a big surprise for innings zero run zero walks. So, Ham, Nukem's out of the starting rotation. As we talk, two key and Wright continue to be work some progress, not projects to be given up on, by the way. Um, you know, he know what is not a long term option in my mind.

Uh, and maybe some guys are coming up in the days ahead back to what we're just talking about, but I don't know. We'll probably get a little APIs on. More awesome. Thank you. Um, APs were struggling. A few more times. time when like we said, the, we may, you know, they may try to insult him in the, in the starting rotation. So. Given that the team

will likely make the playoffs, how hard do you go that the August 31st trade deadline? What about Mike Minor or Lance Lynn? Robbie Ray, who's just horrible this year. Uh, Kevin Gossman. He's on the Giants. You figure they trade him. Yeah. Gossman. Like minor. I just cried a little bit. Goss here is Brandon Beachy around. Um, uh, so I just, I think it's bleak. I mean,

I think it feels to me, you know, and you read, like or Sean Feld or D.O.B. or any of those guys is it's like, there's too many teams are still in it. Who knows what three weeks will look like. Um, too many teams are not going to want to completely disrupt their team based on this wonky season. So I just don't think there's going to be

any value out there. I really don't. I think we're going to have to ride this out and hope that our offense gets a lot healthier. Um, and maybe some young guys step up and take advantage of these opportunities. And so maybe we will see a Y goal or any Ney Anderson or Tucker Davidson. But I don't think, I don't think there's a, a real viable way

to get better through trades in this season coming up. You know, the, the path that is like, we should totally go out and get ourselves just a middle of the road, starting pitcher who will actually pitch more than three. And you can kind of depend on like a Lancelain, right? Is that the front office is truly confident that Hamils returns early and actually remains like a

solid back end of the rotation guy. One of two key or right or Tucker Davidson round into form in the next six weeks. And that of course, all bees and akunia's wrists heal. And like you said, ham, the, that's more of the offense comes back to form. Well, yeah. I mean, we just have to just get some openers and get to the pen. And I know,

oh my God, all the innings and how long can they hold up? But that is our strength right now. Like get the offense needs to heal. That's our weakness right now. Yeah. The offense is, is it awfully crammed as well? Not to change. Well, without the one and two. I mean, it's grim. You know, but you know, the flip side of it. It's just as easy.

The Hamils never returns or gets injured right when he does none of the guys round in form. Like to me, you would have to be the cheapest, lowest risk. Kind of deal. Um, I just don't see, I just don't see that there's much of a reason to do it this year because the risk is so great to actually give up anything of value. Right. And, and

you figure the bidding might go crazy with so many teams. Still going to be in it with the expanded playoffs this year and a team that maybe in a normal year isn't going to be in it. But. And I think that's a great reason to see this season opportunity in this crazy little year to maybe regenerate some interests in their teams. Say, like this Cincinnati Reds

or somebody like that who's been irrelevant for a long time. And all of a sudden they're willing to make a big splashing move to sort of propel themselves through the playoffs and the price of even a mid level starting picture increases to where it's not worth it. Um, and you know, I continue to say this and I continue to believe it. But I just don't think

the breaks their farm death. And I think that's not really there anymore. So they can't run the risk of giving up some of their top five or six prospects. They, you know, I mean, so they're going to have to be selling from lower prospects. And. I don't know what they're going to get in return. I'm not willing in this season. I know that I want to

championship more than anybody. But. I'm not willing to to give up a lot to bring in some in this case. What 22 game rental or something. Right. Especially with the odds are so stacked so against us. Right. We're still. Maybe not thin as the right word, but like it's just even if we get one picture like. Yeah, I think decimated is the word decimated is the

word. Well, you guys said we were thin and you all scoffed at me. Just. No, I just said it's been just a week ago. I agree with it with the thinness. But even if even if Felix Hernandez decides he was going to opt back in Markekes and he comes back and he's super productive. We're still thin. That even if Hamill's. I know you're sort of joking,

but that date has come and gone. You can't opt back. Ah, well, good. I should. I should keep up with some of this stuff. Yeah, you should follow sports. Really. So. Are two third baseman. So at the end of play on Sunday. Here's where they are. Riley was four for the week and zero for Florida this week. He's slashing one 50 200 317. His weight runs

created plus is 45. 100 is average people. Um, come on. Yes. Yes. Um, Argo slashing 190 250 317 and his slugging of 317 is with two homers this week. I might add. Um, his weighted runs create is just a little less abysmal than Riley's. He's have 69. So Curtis, what looked like a good problem to have during spring where both those guys were really two of

the best offensive pieces on the team. During the spring is now a liability. So do you think the frontoff has needs to be doing some thinking about third base next year? Yeah, I think that they've got a. I've got to start working their way into the equation. I mean, looking at the. A prospect. It's it's just as good that they didn't sign Josh Donaldson who's spading

182 right now. Well, and on the. I don't know. I don't know. I don't follow sports. Um, but they're. Like even looking at their farm system. It's thick with pictures and outfield. Others. Petters. Um, they have brain. She makes it. Who she make is a pretty high prospect. But he's a natural shortstop. Um, the first guy that's listed as a third basement is C. J Alexander.

He's their 20th rated prospect. Um, yeah. I mean, and that's not the answer. Right. I mean, the braves third baseman according to fan graphs. They're the 28th best third base group in baseball right now. How many are there's? In those teams in baseball? No, there's 7547. Yes. Top third. Um, so that's not good. Um, and that includes even time spent by Charlie Culverson and, you know,

anybody else that is filled in a third in an incapacity this year. So I think that it's. Charlie, you know, we keep wanting. He's another guy. I mean, he's younger, but he's starting to fall in one of these lines that. Um, you know, when is he going to figure it out? And you watch it. And it's the. It's like a press replay from the last two

seasons. It's like up here comes a big breaking ball on the outside. And he's swinging right over it. Well, God in the palm of the ride. He's gotten demonstrably worse. Like we talked about the first week or two. Not a lot to show for, but good at bats. You could see he wasn't. And he's fooled by things and his approach look good. And now he just

looks completely lost. Yeah. Like, why would you even ever throw him a fastball ever? Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, look, I like that they keep throwing them out there because they need to know this stuff, right? They need to know. And again, this is the play both sides of it. Conno season. I want them to know. But yeah, I mean, they need to. They need to

be thinking about that one year. Third base rental or, or, you know, a real solution at third base. I'm not ready to give up on Riley. I'm kind of ready to give up on Camargo. No, we can get Anthony Rendon. Rendon. I think Camargo is better than Riley. Okay. I think Riley has a higher ceiling than Camargo. I think, I think, uh, Camargo has more versatility

and ultimately provides more value to the braves. I mean, maybe the ceiling is there. I just think Riley never gets it together. I mean, he's, I think we're going to see him never be able to figure it out offensively. It's just like he's just floundered. He, I feel like, I'm going to be able to do it. Like he got to the, he peaked or he plateaued

where he was sort of, you know, and there were some stretches. And then he just looks bad. And Camargo, Camargo looks bad too. I mean, that's our biggest, that, that should be our biggest priority. We talked about starting pitching. And obviously there's a, we need another starter, but assuming Seroga gets healthy and, and all of that. There's line of sight to a healthy rotation. And then

you've got waters and Pache and obviously Acuna. Third bases are biggest weakness, right? And then you see Jackson. You see Contreras. Who seemed amazing. Darno. I mean, obviously he's not the long term solution. But yeah, third bases are biggest problem right now. Yeah, I mean, the bottom of our line up today was. Deval, who's been great, but didn't have a good day to day. Margo flowers

and Riley. And obviously you're having to play Camargo a lot now because of the all these injury, but that right there is 12 strength. Yeah. You know, and maybe it's just they want to give Camargo. And then you can just slash Riley as many A.B.s as possible to, you know, regain their form. But it seems weird that that that Col. Colbert. Like Colbert. Since got no

starts during all these injury. And it's just like. Seriously, like, let's get a little Colbert. Or. That's a Varia. Maybe for. Well, you guys said Colbert. And was done forever after he got hit in the face. Both of you. Right. Just. I feel like that was one person. I said Colbert. And it's not an everyday guy. But give him a spot start. Yeah. Damn. All right.

A bit of fuel. Good numbers. I love. I wanted him on the. You guys said. Cut. Everyone knows you said don't even have him on the roster. Right. But since they made that middling decision. Then at least use him. I feel like there's a stuff. I feel like there's tape on that that we should go back in that. Okay. A hundred percent accurate. Oh, I look

forward to it. I. You have homework this week. Congratulations. Somebody out there. Help me out. All right. AJ. Mint. So last year was a disaster. 23 earned and 23 walks in 29 and the third innings from AJ. This year. Eight appearances. Six hits. One earned zero walks. Like. Mint. Her has just been this God send in the middle of a strong bullpen. Like we weren't even

counting on it. You know. And. And he's just made it so much stronger. It's just. Great. And I just feel good for him. The dude was, you know, the closer for a little while and look like he was, you know, about to ascend. And then it all fell apart. And it's just great. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I mean, you're right. We we had the. All stars,

sort of high profile names with Smith and green and Melanson and just like all those names. Martin. And then old mentor, right. And like Luke Jackson and the old crew. And like you said, you know, our bullpen is our strength. They we will live and die as much as far as they can carry us and to have mentor is amazing. It's amazing. It just makes us

that much stronger. It's a reason that we even have a shot at the East. I I agree. Which that will to add one little point with new come you wonder where his places. I mean, there's so many lefties on the bullpen right now. Do they really need another one? Yeah. I mean, it was one of the reasons that we could go. We were saying, yeah, he'll

keep getting shots in the star rotation. You know, unless he performs like he did on Monday. Sad. All right, guys, next up shot in the dark. But first a quick break. All right, shot in the dark are crazy predictions for the games coming up this week. But first we got to see how we did last week. And we will start with our five listener picks. So

first up, Yogi Patel predicted that Sean Newcomb would throw six shut out innings with no wall. Hey, it's a little off. As we said, one and a third eight earned two walk. A mooney season predicted that in his two starts this week, Sean Newcomb killed a lot of shots in the dark this week. Then Newcomb would get two wins 10 plus strikeouts and three walks or

less. So see above folks. We're trying to give away the Cousins. Yes, exactly. Meet us halfway. Stop taking Sean Newcomb. I know exactly. Just make things about Max Fried or Freddie Freeman. Next up Dylan Short, who was one of the hosts of the Platinum Sombrairo podcast. You all check it out. He predicted that the braids would chase Aeronola before five innings earlier this week. No, LeWent

eight and gave up one run and struck out 10. How many runs of the Phillies get more than us? More. More. It was closer to the number of strikeouts. No, okay, great. Next up, Andy Harris predicted that Melanson, Tomlin, Matt, and Shane Green would all keep their 0.0 ERAs through the week. So Melanson and Green did just that. They put up zeros all week. But it

was that second game in New York that did both Tomlin and Matt, and they were both tagged for two earned runs a piece. And lastly, Patrick McCarthy, he predicted that both Camargo and Ryde would each hit two homers this week. And despite their, you know, wretched numbers, Camargo actually did hit two homeruns and Ryde hit one so close, Patrick. Thank you all for playing. So let's

see how we did. So I predicted that the two key and right would give up five earned or less and that the braids would sweep the two game series in New York. Got so close. You were so close except for all the things you just said. It's never ever been wrong. The exact opposite. Except for all those things. So Aderne, across the two of them, and

of course, zero wins in New York. Ham, you predicted that Camargo and Ryde would both homer and both double and hit collectively over 275. So they both homerd, yep. Only Camargo doubled. And they collectively went nine for 45 and a robust 200 batting. Somebody strikeouts. So did you get your count that number? I did not. I didn't. He ran out of paper. Yeah, exactly. And Curtis,

you predicted that Will Smith would give up no hits and not two saves. One hit, which was a homer and no saves for the ball. You know, it's my Lansing. It's my Lansing. He's our closer. He really, Lansing. He really is. Snit was not lying. Yep. This week, I will start. I predict that in their six games this week, the braids go five and one. Hamming,

what do you got? So I'm going to call something on a pitching appearance, right? So how many pictures are used each game? So across the six games this week, I say there were 30 pitching appearances. So we will use an average five pictures a game across the six games. I feel like that's in direct conflict with my five and one. I feel like it's low. I,

yes. Yeah, probably. Probably. All right, Curtis, what do you got? Nick Markeka, where would we be without Nick Markeka? Security blanket for opting back in our security blanket. Yeah, I think quite, quite a quote from Snickers. Yeah. Yes. Security blanket. All right. Curtis, what do you got? Somebody needs to do like a Photoshop with Nick Markeka's like Linus on top of Snickers. Nick Markeka's two homers,

three doubles for RBI this week carrying the team. And that's just continuing, continuing to carry the team. And the actor is Mark Strong. Look it up. Some Markeka's looks like. Oh, I couldn't take him the name. That was an Easter egg. Yeah, I know you. Yes. Look for it in the upcoming Avengers movie. All right, folks. Remember you get to play each week to get your

shot in the dark. And before first pitch on Monday, send it in through Twitter. If we pick yours, we will discuss it on next week's show. And you could win an ABT. Koozy if you hit it exactly. So let's look at this coming week. Six games all back home in Atlanta, three with the nationals and three with the Phillies. And let's look at the pitching matchups.

So as you've likely heard already, the braids will miss Corbin and Shurser who just started this past weekend and straws. And then the bossburg is out with a wrist injury. So it is back into the bullpen time with the nationals. So let's see. Yeah. What's that? Yeah. And that's game one. Tookie faces old friend on a ball. Sanchez who has not been good this season. No.

He has a 9.70 R.A. in a 2 1 whip. I think when I looked like he's pitched in three games for earned for earned and five earned. Do we want to do we want to put a wager on the outcome of this breaks game? One earned he gives up over seven. Right. Yeah. Let's turn around the eight strikeouts. Game two, as we mentioned, it was just

announced tonight that Josh Tomlin gets that start for start of the year for him. He will face Austin Voth in his 321 E.R.A. and 107 whip. Game three Kyle Wright tries to get back on track. He faces Eric Fettie and his 255 E.R.A. and 1.5 whip. So next up is Philly. Con of the sexiest matchup of the week. Max Fried faces new Philly Zach Wheeler and

his 281 E.R.A. and 1.2 whip. So Wheeler's been pretty good for the Philly. So yeah. Yeah. Game two, no starter announced, but short of, you know, Tucker Davidson citing I'm guessing Robbie Irlin gets that start. And the Philly's have not announced the start. And then game three, Tookie, part two for the week, Tookie faces Zach Eflin and his 3 6 E.R.A. and 1.3 whip. The Nationals

and the Philly's are not good, guys. You know, we have that going for us this week. Although we're, I mean, we're not great right now. Well, we're not great. But I'm saying it is these are not mighty foes. That's true. We're not playing the Yankees and that's the different the Dots. The Barlins. The Barlins. Yeah. I mean, and you know, we took our business with the

Marlins. We did. Yeah. They were, they were all jacked up after Friday night, thinking that they were kings of the hills. Yes. Yeah. No. Look, it was, it was, you know, after, after the misery of that Philly's game, those two Yankees games, it was good to take two or three. I mean, we're a top the NLEs, baby. Aren't the Marlins like up by a few percentage

points? I think we're top. I don't think. Yeah. I'm not sure, but I think we're tied. All right. All right, guys, that is the show. We are back to our normal. No, no, no, no. Oh, yeah. No, no, no, no. Predictions. Not the show. Predictions already already said my prediction. Isn't that really all? Oh, yeah. We know you stop this late. Yeah. All right. Hammy. I'm

very sorry. What is your prediction for the week? I say it was better be good. Three and three. Two and one. One and two. Not good. Wow. We lose two to the Philly's. Ham. We do. Damn. Curtis, what do you got? Well, it's just tough to get excited. But when you're mentioning the brave starting pitching, it's just grim. If we had to, our freed starts. What's

that? If we had more freed starts. Sorry. He really should start every game. He's been very selfish. I know. And I keep, you know, I mean, at some point he's going to lose, but it seems impossible when you watch him pitch how good he is. He really is great. He's taken the jump. Like it's happened. We're seeing it so great. I'm going to go four and

two, but I'm not loving that ticket. Two and one, two and one. Yeah. So my five and one is a sweep of the nationals and two and one against the Philly's. Yeah. All right. Can that be the show, Ham? Wait, hold on. Let me see. Yeah. Get your notes. Yep. Yep. I've said everything I want to say. All the fake stats have been revealed. I'm doing

a TikTok video as we speak. Exactly. All right, folks. Remember, you can find us at Speaker iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify. As always, you can find us at AtlantaBaseballtalk.com. Follow us on Twitter at ATL baseball talk and like us on Facebook. Thanks again for listening. And go brave. Thanks for listening to Atlanta baseball talk. Your weekly podcast for all things at Atlanta Braves. To find

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