WEBVTT - Braves Bounce Back with Big Win over White Sox 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:21.919 Welcome on it all to the Hammer Territory Podcast. My 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:24.520 name is Sean Coleman. Hope. Wherever you are and wherever 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:27.120 you are listening, Hey, you know what, you're having a 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:30.479 better day today than you did earlier this week if 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:33.040 like all of us here at Hammer Territory, the outcome 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:36.440 of Braves ball games has a big impact on your day. 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:39.360 But you know what, it's a positive, positive cast edition 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:41.760 of the Hammer Territory after a big win over the 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:45.239 Chicago White Sox and is always with me best podcast 0:00:45.240 --> 0:00:47.120 partner in the world, my friend in yours one of 0:00:47.120 --> 0:00:48.640 the best when it comes to breaking down the Braves. 0:00:48.960 --> 0:00:50.720 Stephen Tolbert, Stephen, how are you, sir? 0:00:51.840 --> 0:00:56.240 What's up, buddy? Yeah, it's it's been a rough stretch 0:00:56.400 --> 0:01:00.279 and we needed a win. And was it the prettiest win. 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:00.520 No. 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:04.040 The offense still, you know, left a lot to be desired, 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:05.960 but the pitching staff really stepped up. We're going to 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:08.560 talk about the game that was played today in Chicago. 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:12.199 Of course, we're gonna talk about some of the main 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:14.280 players of the game, some of the reasons they won, 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:17.040 and then we're gonna break down the Milwaukee series that's 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:18.440 coming up. But yeah, it was just good to get 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:20.319 a win. And I don't really I didn't really care 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.920 how it came. I don't care how it looked, how 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:25.120 real or fake. It was just get a w. And 0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:27.280 they got a w today. So there's this is gonna 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:28.759 be a more positive show? 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:33.080 Sure? And what this And I think that with all 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:35.600 the negativity that's been around the Braves, you know, over 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:37.240 the past couple of weeks, you know, I go back 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:40.559 to August seventh, when they started this, you know, pretty 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:43.680 tough stretch of the schedule, playing against clear playoff teams 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:45.880 or playoff contenders, and the Mets, who they struggled with. 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:49.160 You know, the offense has has been you know, pretty bad. 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:51.640 The bullpen has been among you know, I won't say 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:53.480 the worst in baseball, but it's been you know, below 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:57.800 average as well. But the negativity probably has taken away 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:00.520 a bit from you know, the consistent see of the 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:02.960 starting staff. Now, I think that there's some luck involved 0:02:03.000 --> 0:02:05.040 in that, you know, as I'll let you get into 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:06.880 with Grant Holmes. But at the end of the day, 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:10.520 the results have been consistent. The starting staff has consistently 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:14.040 given this chance, at least a team a chance to 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:17.880 win nine times out of ten over the past few weeks. 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:20.560 They're doing their job, and Grant Holmes do one of 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:23.799 the better jobs he's done all year. Six innings, allowed 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:27.079 only one hit. This team overall gave it allowed a 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:29.000 one hitter, which is something that the Braves you know, 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:32.600 don't do every day. So that was certainly a positive note. 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.399 And there's two truths to Grant Holmes performance. He did 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:37.680 very well. He did his job. It was one of 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:41.200 his better starts of the year. But still there was 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:45.200 probably more fortune involved on his end than dominance, and 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:47.560 I think that's worth noting as well, not to take 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:50.520 away from how big and clutch his performance was, but 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:52.400 I think that it also needs to be pointed out. 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:56.640 As good as he's been, there's still still clear signs that, 0:02:57.160 --> 0:02:59.680 you know, hey, in time, a bullpen move may make 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:00.400 the most since for. 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:05.840 Yeah, I mean, it really is kind of one of 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:08.600 those things where two truths can exist at the same time. 0:03:10.400 --> 0:03:14.919 Grant had really good results today. Six innings, no runs, 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:19.120 one hit, he got into he pitched into the seventh. 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:20.720 He didn't get an out in the seventh, but he 0:03:20.760 --> 0:03:24.680 pitched into the seventh, and that is objectively a good outcome. 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:30.320 For any pitcher. Now, if you look, if you actually 0:03:30.320 --> 0:03:34.440 like pour down into the performance, there were certainly aspects 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:36.960 where there was nobody who was watching who was like, wow, 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:41.000 this is a dominating outing from Grant Holmes. He had 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:45.160 I think two strikeouts on the day and versus three walks, 0:03:45.200 --> 0:03:47.360 which is certainly not the ratio you want. It's giving 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:49.240 up a lot of hard contact that you know, it 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:52.200 was just one of those days where the babep gods 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:54.840 were just smiling down on you. And that happens, right, 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:58.040 That happens throughout the year some guys, that'll happen for 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:00.960 you know, a large chunk of the year where just 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:03.880 for whatever reason, even if there's line drives, even if 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.520 there's one hundred mine hour batted balls or ninety mini 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:09.400 hour batted balls, like the bab of gods just smile 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:12.560 upon you. And I think that's how it describe Grant's 0:04:12.560 --> 0:04:17.839 performance today. On a different day, that exact same performance 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:20.839 very easily could have yielded five or six runs. So 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:24.520 you know, I don't I'm not gonna freak out over it. 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:26.480 It's not like going to drastically change my opinion of 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:29.160 Grant Holmes, who I still think is better used as 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:34.280 a reliever. But the Braves needed it today. But I mean, 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:37.640 even if it was a little bit fluky, they don't 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:39.920 take the win away from you. It doesn't count any 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:43.200 less because it maybe not the most real thing we've 0:04:43.279 --> 0:04:46.880 ever seen. The wind still counts and the way the 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:50.320 offense has still been struggling. Those zeros that he was 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:52.440 putting up, and we're gonna talk about the bullpen a 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:54.640 little later in the show. The bullpen I thought was 0:04:54.680 --> 0:04:57.320 the real story of the of the day, but we'll 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.279 talk about them in the second segment. The zeros that 0:04:59.320 --> 0:05:01.480 he kept putting up up they needed every one of 0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:04.159 them because the offense certainly had no point, you know, 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:07.120 took the game over. So man, did they need it. 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:11.840 They needed a performance. It was such a weird schedule. 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:12.920 Thing with the day game. 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:15.720 You know, a city you have to fly into, play 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.919 one day game and then you're you're out again. Very unusual, 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:21.440 and it was a it was a massive time to 0:05:22.240 --> 0:05:24.680 pitch a shutout. So credit to Grant Holmes, I think 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:26.320 is the most real thing in the world now. But 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:29.119 still all the credits are the same because they needed 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:30.080 that win today. 0:05:30.880 --> 0:05:32.880 And we're at the point of the season, Stephen, where 0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:36.760 when you see these performances you talk about like what 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:38.680 do they mean for right now? And for me, what 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:40.960 it means is is that listen, if you want to 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:43.360 give Grant Holmes another start and you want to go 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:45.919 with the six man rotation, okay, the only thing that 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:47.920 I asked is that you managed the pitching staff to 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:49.960 where Chris Sale pitches on Friday Night the first game 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:52.560 of the Brewers series, and he pitches the last game 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:54.520 of the Dodgers series. If you want to, you know, 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:59.920 fiddle with the starting rotation beyond that, that's fine. The 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:02.200 bigger thing to me though, for Grant Holmes, whether he's 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:05.280 a starter or whether he's a reliever, is that he 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:08.040 continues to answer a bigger question and a more important 0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:12.640 question for me, how many braves arms can you realistically 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:16.680 rely upon to get through an opposing playoff level lineup 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:19.880 at least one time through in a playoff game. And 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.839 I think that Grant Holmes has answered that. I think 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:26.800 that he can do that. I think that him, aj Smith, Schhauber, 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:31.040 Tyler Malley and Chris Selle are definitely the four that 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:33.200 you can trust in. And when you get to that 0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:36.440 four plus area, that amount of arms that you can 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:39.480 trust to go through a full playoff lineup at least 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:42.479 once you're in a pretty decent position. That is a 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:45.479 nice trade off for not having a clear number two starter. 0:06:45.560 --> 0:06:47.240 So I think you could take that away from Grant 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:48.520 Holmes's recent performances. 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:52.880 Yeah, I mean, if the playoffs started today, and we 0:06:52.960 --> 0:06:54.760 really try not to do this every show, because I 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:57.520 know this is something people are doing every single day. 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:00.479 They litigate this thing every day depending on how the 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:05.479 game goes. So like, if I was running things and 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:07.679 the playoffs started today, I would definitely have Christal pitching 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:09.840 game one. Obviously, Game two, I would have Tyler Mallley 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:13.160 because ever since he's come over, he's done nothing but impressed. 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:15.840 You know, the Braves have made a few tweaks and 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.160 he's just been fantastic. I think he's the clearest second 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:21.360 best starter on the team. And then for the third game, 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:26.440 I would do a piggyback slash bullpen where in some 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:28.800 order Grant Holmes is going through the order one time, 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:32.360 a J. Smith Schaber's going through the order a second time, 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.600 and then Didier flintees Dylan Lee and Rosciollglesias are going 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:39.239 through the order the last time, and you know Dylan, 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:41.840 you know, Sprinkling Dylan Dodd and you know whoever else 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:44.120 you want you to actually get all the outs. But 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:47.480 based on the personnel they have right now, that's what 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:51.360 I would do. Now that could change. I still want 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:53.920 to see more from a J. Smith Schover. What we've 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:56.559 seen from AJ is that he's he's kind of running 0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:58.880 into a wall around the fifth inning and most of 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.720 his starts, which is fun. You don't need AJ to 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.200 go five in a playoff game. You really just need 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:06.360 one time through the order, which is what you would 0:08:06.360 --> 0:08:10.440 need from a Grand Holmes. So you know, that's what 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.560 I would do right now. I know, you know the 0:08:13.600 --> 0:08:15.560 Martin Perez people are gonna come out and say, hey, 0:08:15.560 --> 0:08:18.480 what about Martin Perez. I don't I said, don't trust it. 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:22.600 I wouldn't trust in a playoff game. Grant Holmes, at 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:27.160 least the first time through the order has like really 0:08:27.240 --> 0:08:30.360 solid peripherals to go along with the era, right whereas 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:34.480 Perez is mostly just era stuff that's just kind of 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:38.440 hiding all the negative stuff. So that's what I would 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:40.160 do right now. Obviously we got a long way to go, 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:42.800 but it was a big start from from Grant Homes 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:46.199 today and you know they God, did they need to win. 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:48.680 It was getting you know, the Phillies don't don't lose anymore, 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:50.160 so it was getting. It was getting tight. 0:08:52.280 --> 0:08:54.640 The other thing that stood out from an offense perspective, 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:57.880 and listen, the offense as a whole has certainly struggled, 0:08:57.880 --> 0:09:00.840 but one shining light that we've all been kind of 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:04.600 waiting on that is starting to burn bright sound a 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:07.120 better than I thought it would. The point I'm getting 0:09:07.120 --> 0:09:09.840 at is is that we're not to the point to 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:13.000 where I think you can confidently say, oh, Austin Riley 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:15.640 is back. I'm not going to say that, but I 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:17.960 do think that we are to the point now to where, okay, 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:22.760 Austin Riley, there's there's adjustments that have been made. We've 0:09:23.160 --> 0:09:24.800 we're coming up on about a month. I know it's 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:27.080 the first part of this month stretch. He was striking 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:30.360 out quite a bit, but man, his contact levels have 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:34.800 been extremely, extremely positive basically the whole second half, and 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:38.000 now you're starting to see him really deliver in big moments. 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:40.320 I mean today he had both RBIs, you know, in 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:42.280 a game that was just you know, a two nothing game. 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:45.000 And it especially stands out when we'll talk about this 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:47.679 a bit in the second segment. Riley is starting to 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:52.520 come on as some of the other first tier second 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:56.440 tier Braves offensive weapons are struggling a bit, So the 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:59.960 timing of him becoming more reliable is great. And again 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:03.840 from a playoff perspective, the deeper this Braves lineup is 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:05.880 the better off it's going to be. And you know, 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.640 Austin Riley can deliver in the clutch on any stage. 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:11.520 It's just really good to see him putting together at 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:14.520 bats no matter the situation, to where you can rely 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.320 on him to get the job done. 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:21.640 Yeah, it's a really weird profile right now because there's 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:26.280 so many strikeouts. Like I think he's running like a 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:31.120 thirty six percent strikeout rate in August, which is crazy high. 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:34.800 But he is hitting the ball so unbelievably hard when 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:38.360 he makes contact. His average exit velocity in August is 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:42.600 ninety six miles an hour, which is just insane. That 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:45.520 is that's an insane number. 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:47.280 Incredible. 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:50.960 Yeah, and today, I mean he won them the game today. 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:54.160 He had you know, Maricio Debon started off the third 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:57.040 inning and I'll be honest, I was running around today. 0:10:57.160 --> 0:10:59.080 I wasn't able to like put my eyes on the 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.800 game today. I was falling along via game day in stadcast. 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:05.160 But Riches de Bond let off the third with a 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:08.080 single up the middle, and then Austin wrote that double 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:10.720 down the line and ratio scored and that was the 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:12.240 only run in the game for a long time. And 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:15.200 then he came up again. I think he singled up 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:18.040 the middle the second time or the third his third 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:20.720 at bat. He had two strikeouts in between, which is, 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:22.520 you know, again, that's kind of what he's been doing. 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:25.559 Like he's either swinging and missing or he's hitting the 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:29.000 absolute piss out of the ball. So I don't know, 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:31.800 you know, it's it's a really weird profile right now. 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:35.680 But the bottom line is since July thirty first, Austin's 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:38.480 got a one twenty five WRC plus. I think it 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:40.760 might be a one twenty eight if you factor in 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:45.880 today's stuff. So that's like very good. I mean, it's 0:11:45.920 --> 0:11:48.319 like kind of what I expect out of Austin rally, 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:52.280 Like I think of Austin in terms of true talent 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:54.560 level when he's going well, is like a one twenty 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:57.640 five WRC plus. Guy I put Acunya in Olsen in 0:11:57.640 --> 0:11:59.599 like the one forty range, I put Baldwin in like 0:11:59.600 --> 0:12:02.840 the onenge, I put Austin like the one twenty five rates. 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:05.439 And by the last month, you know, not quite a month, 0:12:05.480 --> 0:12:08.360 probably like three weeks, that's what he's been so and 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:10.160 I don't really care about the strikeouts as long as 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:12.760 you're producing. I think strikeouts are one of those things 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:16.240 that are a little over talked about. It usually means 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:19.000 you're swinging pretty hard, and it usually means you're working 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:20.800 pretty deep in the accounts. And both those things are 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:26.320 actually positive. So you know, we'll see, we'll see how 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:29.120 it goes. I'm not there, I agree with you. I'm 0:12:29.120 --> 0:12:31.840 not like ulcernized back. We're not there yet. There's still 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:34.560 a couple of red flags in the profile. But he 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:36.840 was fantastic, was huge today, and he's been really big 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:38.400 in August. I think he's been their second best there 0:12:38.440 --> 0:12:41.360 in August, behind Olsen. So tried it to him. I 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:43.840 mean the Braves, my god, did they need it. And 0:12:44.000 --> 0:12:45.839 with the way the rest of the lineup is going, 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:49.520 it was matt massive, massive production today. 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:53.400 Yeah, it got the job done. The Braves bounce back 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:56.240 in a big way. Thanks to Austin Riley. But the 0:12:56.280 --> 0:13:00.280 rest of the offense, especially the stars that they're now 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:02.600 is the time for them to do the same because 0:13:02.600 --> 0:13:05.160 they have no choice with what's on the horizon in 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:07.920 terms of their next two opponents. More on those stars 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:10.120 needing to step up in just a moment after a 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:17.480 word from our partners. 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:18.040 We have pop in colors for mack Weldon. 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:18.280 Here. 0:13:18.320 --> 0:13:20.600 I've got a little green shade. You've got a nice 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:22.600 blue shade. And what else do you love about mack 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:24.360 Weldon crats, I. 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:26.800 Can be head to toe with Mack Weldon. I have 0:13:27.360 --> 0:13:29.959 the underwear, I have the shorts, I have the pants, 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:32.200 I have the socks. 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With Mackwell, go to 0:14:00.520 --> 0:14:02.800 Mack Weldon dot com and get twenty percent off your 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:05.080 first order of one hundred twenty five bucks or more 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:07.920 with promo code foul. That's m A c K W 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:10.280 E L d o N dot com code f O 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:10.720 U L. 0:14:14.040 --> 0:14:16.600 I want to remind you Hammer Territory is engineered about 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:20.040 the wonderful folks at fast and all. Email Foul Territory 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:23.800 at fastenal dot com for more information. So, Stephen, some 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:27.080 good to talk about today, but still a bit of bad. 0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:30.560 And it's necessary to talk about this because this aspect 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:32.840 of the team has absolutely got to do a one 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:35.080 to eighty overnight for them to really be set up 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.520 to have success, you know, over the next week. And 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:40.360 that is the top of the order. The Brave Star 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:42.760 is getting back to being stars, and in particular we're 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.240 talking about ronald' coooney Junior and Drake Baldwin. The simple 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:47.520 truth is this you and when I talk about tiers 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.920 of the Braves offense, the first tier is clearly ronald'coone Junior, 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:53.680 Drake Baldwin and Metals. And there's a reason why those 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:56.120 three guys in whatever order are batting in the top 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:59.800 three of the Braves lineup. But right now Ronald cooony 0:14:59.920 --> 0:15:03.600 U and Drake Baldwin are not living up to you 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:08.120 know that, you know, expected level of production. And I'm 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:11.400 not necessarily concerned, Like I still am very confident that 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:14.320 literally overnight they can change back to be in them 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:17.200 normal sales. But the thing that is concerning to me 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:20.280 is that, you know, over the years with Acunya and 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.080 in the short time that we know Baldwin, even if 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:26.560 they're batted ball, production has been a bit of a struggle. 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:29.160 Their ability to get on base has still remained, you know, 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:32.960 above average to elite, and Acunya's case definitely elite. But 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:36.480 even that right now is something that is kind of 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:39.560 an all encompassing struggle. What I'm getting at is is 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:43.360 that for the month of August, currently both Ronald Acunya 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:46.880 Junior as well as Drake Baldwin have less than a 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:50.720 six percent walk rate. They right now are just not 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:53.160 able to get the job done when it comes to 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:56.160 getting on base. Acunya is at a four point one 0:15:56.240 --> 0:15:59.040 percent walk rate. Drake Baldwin is at a five point 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:02.480 four percent walk rate, but It's not only the inability 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:04.640 to draw walks. It's the fact that there's just bad 0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:07.200 decisions when it comes to plate discipline. And in the 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:11.480 game and the finale against the Twins on Wednesday, you know, 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:13.520 there was early in the game there was an opportunity 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:15.000 for them to be able to drive, you know, or 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:17.160 run in. I think it was runners on first and second, 0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:20.120 less than one out, both Baldwin and Acunya worth a 0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:22.360 two to two count, but then they chase bald three, 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:25.360 Acunya rolled over and grounded out, Baldwin struck out. I 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:28.040 think today we saw multiple scenarios where they had a 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:30.760 chance to drive in runs with less than two outs, 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:34.320 and both times both of them came up empty. Baldwin 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.040 and Nkunya. What makes them so good offensively is that 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:38.800 even if they were to struggle again with that bad 0:16:38.840 --> 0:16:41.880 and ball production on base ability still is something that 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:44.440 can be reliable. But that's not there right now, and 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:46.960 that's something that's got to get back in place. Once 0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:49.680 you get that back in place, I think there everything 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:52.920 else will fall into place. But the plate discipline that 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:55.080 kind of defines, you know, is a is a you 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.640 know trade, an elite trade to both Baldwin and Ncunya. 0:16:58.720 --> 0:16:59.960 That's got to get back on track, now. 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:04.359 Yeah, that's really where it's been most noticeable to me 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:07.280 is the lack of walks, the lack of on base 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:11.880 those I mean, I mean, obviously along with Matt easily 0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:15.920 the two best on base guys on the team. I mean, 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:18.000 they just that's why they always bat one and two 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.800 is because they're always on base. And you've seen a 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.600 lot of chase, a lot of swing and miss in 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:27.919 the dirt like pitches they normally take. And you know, 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:31.160 in the month of August, I think, uh, Drake Baldwin 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:35.240 has like a ninety WRC plus I think Acunya has 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:38.280 like a one hundred or like a ninety nine WRC like, 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:44.400 So they haven't been like awful, but there's certainly multiple 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:48.560 levels below what you expect them to be. And they've 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.200 had big moments where they could have really impacted games 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.439 where we've seen some really rough at bats and like today, 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:58.040 you know, Acunya just had some unbelievably bad at bats 0:17:58.040 --> 0:18:03.440 today and multiple big spots. Drake's had some big strikeouts 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:06.399 and with the runners in scoring position, like I know, 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:08.399 Acuna drove in a bunch of runs or not a bunch, 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:11.760 but a large percentage of their runs in the Milwaukee series, 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.159 but he had opportunities to drive in even more. And 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:19.919 you know, just it's very inconsistent right now. And again, 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:22.080 if you look at their production in August, it's not 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:26.439 necessarily bad, it's just not where the Braves need it 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:28.800 to be in terms of who we're talking about, what 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:33.520 they're expected, Like, you know, Acunya and Baldwin. Ike's again 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:35.280 I said this earlier. I expect those guys to be 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:37.800 in the one thirty one forty WRC plus range. That's 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:40.639 their talent level. And so when you see those guys 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:45.399 at one hundred or below that, it's just it's you know, 0:18:45.480 --> 0:18:50.280 they the Braves need more. And you know, being hot 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:53.159 in August is not everything. Of course, being hot in 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:57.520 October is really what's gonna matter. But you know, it 0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:00.200 would just be lovely to see these two guys get 0:19:00.200 --> 0:19:03.399 on track. We still have not seen. I don't know that, Sean, 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:05.080 correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know if at 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:08.320 any point this year we have seen Ronald Cunyeter Junior, Drake, 0:19:08.359 --> 0:19:12.200 Baldwin and Mattlson all like hitting very well at the 0:19:12.240 --> 0:19:14.840 same time, like either they're not in the lineup at 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:17.639 all because they're not healthy, or they're in there but 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:21.359 they're not like on It just feels like we haven't 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:23.439 had that at all this year, and that is one 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:25.960 of the reasons why the Braves are middle of the 0:19:26.000 --> 0:19:30.320 pack in just about every offensive category except Homer's basically, 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:34.200 but like all of the rate stuff, they're like fourteenth, fifteenth, 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:38.560 sixteenth in baseball because like, those three guys, those are 0:19:38.560 --> 0:19:40.600 the three guys you expect to carry the lineup, and 0:19:40.640 --> 0:19:42.520 I don't think it's happened one time this year where 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:46.600 all three are going at the same time. So Drake Baldwin, 0:19:46.800 --> 0:19:50.720 Ronald Cuney Junior, the Braves need more out of those 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:51.480 two guys. 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:54.560 Yeah, no, if you recap it. So of course, there 0:19:54.600 --> 0:19:56.359 was also the stretch there where I think for like 0:19:56.440 --> 0:20:00.920 ten weeks from like uh May second through past the 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:03.240 All Star break, you didn't have Baldwin and Acuny in 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:04.360 the lineup together because. 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:05.119 Yeah, they weren't at all. 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:07.919 Yeah, Yeah, the Baldwin's injury and the Nacunia's injury. So 0:20:08.119 --> 0:20:11.320 you know in April when everything was going great, that's 0:20:11.320 --> 0:20:12.679