Braves New World?

Dave Paisley

Now that I'm feeling totally prescient, what with our man Kevin's stellar performance in game 2 against the Braves, I'm going out on a limb to predict that Sterling Hitchcock will outduel Greg Maddux in game 3, against a totally demoralized Braves lineup. Hitchcock has begun to emerge this season as the kind of pitcher everyone thought he would be a couple of years ago. He lost out on a starting rotation position early in the season, but regained it when all of his competitors came up lame. He ended the season with a very fine WHIP (*) of 1.23, fifteenth-best in the league. A lot higher than Maddux's league leading .980, but given that Maddux was headed in reverse at the end of the season and Hitchcock ended strong, it's more even than it appears on the surface.

Hitchcock posted a 5-3 record in the last two months with a 1.18 WHIP, whereas Maddux was 4-4 with a WHIP of 1.25. The only note of caution for Hitchcock is the very high home run total. Over the season he was averaging 1.5 home runs per nine innings. Did I say only? He still isn't much more than a six inning pitcher, so even if he pitches well,  there's a pretty good chance the Padres will need help to get the game to Trevor Hoffman.

So I'll be dreaming about the Padres taking a 3-0 lead in the series. if that happens, don't be surprised if Joey Hamilton starts game 4, with Ashby and Brown to follow, if necessary.

But back to Kevin Brown and game 2. What more can be said about a guy who simply cranks it up when the game and series is on the line? Getting little offensive help, he not only turned in a 3 hit shutout, but featured heavily in both scoring rallies. And not only that, he threw himself around on the basepaths like Rickey Henderson. Not quite as fast, but pretty savvy, for a pitcher. I did
wonder what he was thinking when he tried to go to third in the sixth inning with two out. He had seen Chris Gomez score ahead of him and I guessed that he just wanted to get on with pitching. After a all, a 1-0 lead was all he would need.

Maybe it's that Chemical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech. Whether it was chemistry or alchemy, the Braves were in his spell all night. In the eighth, with the Padres at bat, the game turned into the Lead Glove Awards show, with terrible plays by Javy Lopez (throw the ball to the shortstop, not past him), relief pitcher Odalis Perez (hey, learn to cover first, ya bozo!)  and Andres Galarraga (it helps if you pick up the ball first). It was like the three stooges there in the infield. It was really a lot of fun to see the arrogant Braves bumbling around out there like an expansion team. Of course, the Braves pen pretty much does belong on an expansion team.

Credit Tom Glavine with the ability to hang in against a pretty weak Padres lineup, but six hits and six walks in six innings with six strikeouts is piling up just a few too many sixes for my liking. This ain't Vegas, after all. Like John Smoltz before him, as well as he pitched, he was outdone by his opponent.

But let's not forget those blasé tomahawk chopping fans. If ever a team deserved not to be in the playoffs due to fan disinterest, it would have to be the Braves. 8,000 empty seats for a key playoff game with two of the best pitchers in the game today is absolutely criminal. Not only that, a mere two games into the series, they spent the late innings booing their own team.

Well, it'll be nothing but poetic justice if they don't get the opportunity to blow off another home game till opening day next  season.

So the legend of Kevin Brown continues, and all I have to say is this:

When all this is over, please, Mariners, throw as much money at this guy as he can stand!

* WHIP = Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched

 

about the author

Dave Paisley is covering the National League playoffs for Strikethree.com. Talk trash to him about your favorite team at drdjp@strikethree.com.