For more on this series, click here.
Only three days late on this! Friday was preoccupied with school and I went to an actual ballgame this weekend, but that's over and done, so let's move on to week 10 of the season in Out of the Park. Week 10, much like the the previous week, includes the draft. We will draft 35 rounds, which is really too many for OOTP. If I keep doing this for next year, I will need to change it to 20 or 25 rounds. I'll put the draft update at the bottom of this update and it won't be too detailed. After an off day which included the activation of Christian Bethancourt and Kelly Johnson along with the call-up of Joey Terdoslavich, the lineup will look a little different.
Recent Results
Week 8 & 9
Week 7
Week 6
Injury Report
Josh Outman (on rehab assignment, can return anytime)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Jason Grilli - Elbow Inflammation (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
June 5 vs. Pittsburgh
Actual Result - ATL loses 10-8
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-2
Pittsburgh never trailed and we turned 10 hits and 7 walks into just two runs. It didn't help that every hit we had were singles and Cameron Maybin grounded into two double plays. Trevor Cahill was solid, but is now 1-7.
June 6 vs. Pittsburgh
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-4
OOTP Result - ATL wins 1-0
Mike Minor pitches into the seventh and the Braves win despite being one-hit. In the seventh, Andrelton Simmons singled and would come around on a bases loaded walk to Maybin.
June 7 vs. Pittsburgh
Actual Result - ATL loses 3-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-2
Four hits. That's all we managed in the final two games of this series. Julio Teheran handed the bullpen a 2-1 lead, but Corey Hart homered off Luis Avilan to put the Buccos ahead. Freddie Freeman doubled twice.
June 8 vs. San Diego
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-3 (11 innings)
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-4
Down a run and Craig Kimbrel on the mound, things looked dire. He struck out two of the first three he faced with KJ singling as the outlier. Alberto Callaspo followed with a base hit of his own - his third hit of the day. Bethancourt fell behind 0-2, but would rocket a single to left that scored KJ. Chris Johnson pinch hit and swinging on the first pitch, CJ singled the other way to score Callaspo and give the Braves a surprising walk-off win.
June 9 vs. San Diego
Actual Result - ATL wins 6-5
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-4
Braves get back to .500 despite Jim Johnson blowing a save in the ninth. In the bottom half, Jace Peterson singled and made it to third after a bunt-hit and a fielder's choice. Joaquin Benoit must have had dinner plans because he threw an 1-0 pitch away, scoring Peterson for the walk-off Wild Pitch.
June 10 vs. San Diego
Actual Result - ATL wins 4-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 2-0
Trevor Cahill was again pretty good (7 ING, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 6 K), but took a loss and falls to 1-8 on the year with a 4.00 ERA. Braves had three singles with CJ picking up a double.
June 11 vs. San Diego
Actual Result - ATL loses 6-4 (11 innings)
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-3
Disappointing to come away from this series with a split after winning the first two. Freeman homered twice off Ian Kennedy, but got no help from his team, nor his bullpen that blew the lead that Minor had given them.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 3-4
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 3-4 (!!!!)
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 29-31 (2.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 29-31 (1.5 GB)
*Back-to-back weeks with OOTP finishing with the same record as the real club.
A Look Ahead - Up next is three in New York before two in Boston with the Red Sox. We then come home for two more with the Red Sox before welcoming the Mets to town next weekend. The OOTP Mets are just 25-36 on the year, which is a half-game worse than the Red Sox.
2015 Draft Information - If you're curious, in my draft, Koly Allard goes to the Twins at #6. Since my goal is to act in accordance to the Braves vision, I had to consider pitchers heavily. I considered college lefty Tyler Jay...who, oddly enough, was drafted by the Twins, but ultimately went with high school righty, Carson Fulmer (picked by the White Sox at #8 in real life). With my #28 pick, Jay was still available. The Braves didn't go college until #75, but the value of Jay was too good. With pick #41, I landed on 3B Tyler Nevin out of California and not Austin Riley. I wonder had Nevin not been picked by the Rockies at #38, would the Braves have selected him? At #54, I fell asleep at the wheel and OOTP selected Cole Sands. With my next pick, #75, I went north of the border for Mike Nikorak. My next series of picks went C Dominic DeRenzo, LHP Hogan Harris, LHP Nick Sprengel, 3B George Hewitt, OF Dwanya Williams-Sutton, RHP Jordan Hicks, RHP Austin Rubick, and OF Kevin Strohschein to finish out the tenth round.
Showing posts with label OOTP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OOTP. Show all posts
Monday, June 15, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
OOTP Week 8 & 9
For more on this series, click here.
We're going to keep this update short and simple. As an aside, I am finishing week 3 of a 4 week course in Analyzing Data in Organizations, which is as thrilling as it sounds. It's hurt my ability to write, though, as my time has been thoroughly decreased. After this week, I will still be in a different course, but that one is more stretched out. Anywho, I'm going to catch up in the OOTP replay with a two week post. I did want to mention this, though. Unlike real life, when I DFA'd Carlos Quentin, a team claimed him on waivers - the D'Backs. In his first game, he suffered a knee sprain and was removed before he even batted. After missing nearly a month, he came back for two games and went 4-for-7, but tore some ligaments in his ankle. He might make it back in July.
Recent Results
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
Injury Report
Josh Outman (Rehab stint begins this week in Rome)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Should be ready for a rehab assignment this week)
Kelly Johnson - Shoulder tendinitis (Two weeks out)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Jason Grilli - Elbow Inflammation (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 22 vs Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL loses 11-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-0
Mike Minor couldn't get out of the fifth and despite three good innings from Michael Kohn, Braves had to no answers.
May 23 vs. Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL wins 3-2 (11 innings)
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-3
Braves came from behind twice to take the lead with Pedro Ciriaco's two-run homer in the seventh putting Atlanta ahead for good. Nick Markakis added a two-run homer of his own. No decision for Julio Teheran, but Jim Johnson pitched a quiet ninth for his fifth save.
May 24 vs. Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL wins 2-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 10-3
Alex Wood handed over a 3-2 game to the bullpen after five innings and seven K's. Eric Stults, Luis Avilan, and Michael Kohn all got roughed up in this one.
May 25 at Los Angeles Dodgers
Actual Result - ATL loses 6-3
OOTP Result - ATL loses 1-0
Clayton Kershaw K'd 13 Braves and despite a rather solid game from Trevor Cahill, the Braves couldn't mount many scoring chances. In the first, the Braves put runners on the corners, but they didn't get a runner in scoring position again until the 8th. In each situation, they obviously failed to plate a run.
May 26 at Los Angeles Dodgers
Actual Result - ATL loses 8-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-4 (15 innings)
The Dodgers tied it up in the third and it remained that way until the 15th. Cody Martin didn't have it, but the pen did its best job to keep it where it was until the Dodgers got a pair of hits off Brandon Cunniff to walk-off. Andrelton Simmons had his first homer - a 3-run bomb - in the second. On the plus side, Christian Bethancourt begins his rehab assignment in Rome. Josh Outman's rehab stint continues as he heads to Mississippi.
May 27 at Los Angeles Dodgers
Actual Result - ATL wins 3-2
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-1
The sweep is finished. Ugly. Braves managed just three hits against Zack Greinke. Hopefully a trip up north to San Fran will help.
May 28 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL loses 7-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-3
Five straight loses and this road trip is off to a winles start. Julio Teheran went six, but had to be perfect to beat the Giants and he wasn't.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 3-4
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 1-6
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 23-24 (5.0 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 24-23 (1.5 GB)
Injury Report
Josh Outman - On Rehab Assignment
Christian Bethancourt - On Rehab Assignment
Kelly Johnson - Shoulder tendinitis (Should be back in a week)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Jason Grilli - Elbow Inflammation (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 29 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL loses 4-2
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-2 (11 innings)
Winning is a distant memory. Alex Wood did everything he could to give the Braves a winning effort. He pitched six quality frames, gave up just earned run, and tripled in a run and scored a second one. But the Braves couldn't save the lead he gave them and Jim Johnson gave up a run to end it in the 11th.
May 30 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 8-2
Oh, under .500 now. Ugh. Trevor Cahill picked a fine time to remember who he is. Cameron Maybin homered and the Braves led 2-0 early. Then stuff happened.
May 31 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL wins 7-5
OOTP Result - ATL wins 6-2
Braves end a seven game slide and get their first win of the road trip. Andrelton Simmons picked up a pair of RBIs to help Cody Martin improve to 4-1. Braves banged out nine hits, but only one went for extra bases. Christian Bethancourt heads to Mississippi to continue his rehab. He might be ready after this upcoming series. I imagine there might be a series of changes.
June 1 at Arizona
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-1
OOTP Result - ATL wins 13-5
Where did that offense come from? Johnny Gomes, Nick Markakis, and Phil Gosselin all homered with Goose's coming as a pinch hitter. Freddie Freeman homered twice and added four hits. So did Gomes and Jace Peterson. Mike Minor wasn't that good, but he didn't need to be.
June 2 at Arizona
Actual Result - ATL loses 7-6
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-2
Julio Teheran struggled over just three innings and Andrelton Simmons was hurt after being hit by a pitch. Not a happy game, but Simmons looks day-to-day. Meanwhile, Kelly Johnson joined Gwinnett for a rehab stint.
June 3 at Arizona
Actual Result - ATL loses 9-8
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-3
Braves homered twice, but a costly run surrendered by Luis Avilan in the 8th meant that a ninth inning run only got the Braves closer rather than tying it up.
June 4 - IDLESeveral changes. Yenier Bello was demoted while Pedro Ciriaco was designated. Both will be replaced by Kelly Johnson and Christian Bethancourt. Will allow Josh Outman to continue his rehab. Eric Young Jr. was also designated for assignment. Joey Terdoslavich will replace him.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 3-3
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 2-4
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 26-27 (3.0 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 26-27 (1.5 GB)
***Holy crap, same record through 53 games. Not so shabby, OOTP.
A Look Ahead - After a day off, the Braves open a seven-game homestand against the Pirates before the Padres come to down on Monday. The Pirates have been massively disappointing and are 19-34, the second worst record in baseball. The Padres by contrast are 33-22 - third best in baseball and best in the NL.
We're going to keep this update short and simple. As an aside, I am finishing week 3 of a 4 week course in Analyzing Data in Organizations, which is as thrilling as it sounds. It's hurt my ability to write, though, as my time has been thoroughly decreased. After this week, I will still be in a different course, but that one is more stretched out. Anywho, I'm going to catch up in the OOTP replay with a two week post. I did want to mention this, though. Unlike real life, when I DFA'd Carlos Quentin, a team claimed him on waivers - the D'Backs. In his first game, he suffered a knee sprain and was removed before he even batted. After missing nearly a month, he came back for two games and went 4-for-7, but tore some ligaments in his ankle. He might make it back in July.
Recent Results
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
Injury Report
Josh Outman (Rehab stint begins this week in Rome)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Should be ready for a rehab assignment this week)
Kelly Johnson - Shoulder tendinitis (Two weeks out)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Jason Grilli - Elbow Inflammation (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 22 vs Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL loses 11-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-0
Mike Minor couldn't get out of the fifth and despite three good innings from Michael Kohn, Braves had to no answers.
May 23 vs. Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL wins 3-2 (11 innings)
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-3
Braves came from behind twice to take the lead with Pedro Ciriaco's two-run homer in the seventh putting Atlanta ahead for good. Nick Markakis added a two-run homer of his own. No decision for Julio Teheran, but Jim Johnson pitched a quiet ninth for his fifth save.
May 24 vs. Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL wins 2-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 10-3
Alex Wood handed over a 3-2 game to the bullpen after five innings and seven K's. Eric Stults, Luis Avilan, and Michael Kohn all got roughed up in this one.
May 25 at Los Angeles Dodgers
Actual Result - ATL loses 6-3
OOTP Result - ATL loses 1-0
Clayton Kershaw K'd 13 Braves and despite a rather solid game from Trevor Cahill, the Braves couldn't mount many scoring chances. In the first, the Braves put runners on the corners, but they didn't get a runner in scoring position again until the 8th. In each situation, they obviously failed to plate a run.
May 26 at Los Angeles Dodgers
Actual Result - ATL loses 8-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-4 (15 innings)
The Dodgers tied it up in the third and it remained that way until the 15th. Cody Martin didn't have it, but the pen did its best job to keep it where it was until the Dodgers got a pair of hits off Brandon Cunniff to walk-off. Andrelton Simmons had his first homer - a 3-run bomb - in the second. On the plus side, Christian Bethancourt begins his rehab assignment in Rome. Josh Outman's rehab stint continues as he heads to Mississippi.
May 27 at Los Angeles Dodgers
Actual Result - ATL wins 3-2
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-1
The sweep is finished. Ugly. Braves managed just three hits against Zack Greinke. Hopefully a trip up north to San Fran will help.
May 28 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL loses 7-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-3
Five straight loses and this road trip is off to a winles start. Julio Teheran went six, but had to be perfect to beat the Giants and he wasn't.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 3-4
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 1-6
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 23-24 (5.0 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 24-23 (1.5 GB)
Injury Report
Josh Outman - On Rehab Assignment
Christian Bethancourt - On Rehab Assignment
Kelly Johnson - Shoulder tendinitis (Should be back in a week)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Jason Grilli - Elbow Inflammation (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 29 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL loses 4-2
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-2 (11 innings)
Winning is a distant memory. Alex Wood did everything he could to give the Braves a winning effort. He pitched six quality frames, gave up just earned run, and tripled in a run and scored a second one. But the Braves couldn't save the lead he gave them and Jim Johnson gave up a run to end it in the 11th.
May 30 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 8-2
Oh, under .500 now. Ugh. Trevor Cahill picked a fine time to remember who he is. Cameron Maybin homered and the Braves led 2-0 early. Then stuff happened.
May 31 at San Francisco
Actual Result - ATL wins 7-5
OOTP Result - ATL wins 6-2
Braves end a seven game slide and get their first win of the road trip. Andrelton Simmons picked up a pair of RBIs to help Cody Martin improve to 4-1. Braves banged out nine hits, but only one went for extra bases. Christian Bethancourt heads to Mississippi to continue his rehab. He might be ready after this upcoming series. I imagine there might be a series of changes.
June 1 at Arizona
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-1
OOTP Result - ATL wins 13-5
Where did that offense come from? Johnny Gomes, Nick Markakis, and Phil Gosselin all homered with Goose's coming as a pinch hitter. Freddie Freeman homered twice and added four hits. So did Gomes and Jace Peterson. Mike Minor wasn't that good, but he didn't need to be.
June 2 at Arizona
Actual Result - ATL loses 7-6
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-2
Julio Teheran struggled over just three innings and Andrelton Simmons was hurt after being hit by a pitch. Not a happy game, but Simmons looks day-to-day. Meanwhile, Kelly Johnson joined Gwinnett for a rehab stint.
June 3 at Arizona
Actual Result - ATL loses 9-8
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-3
Braves homered twice, but a costly run surrendered by Luis Avilan in the 8th meant that a ninth inning run only got the Braves closer rather than tying it up.
June 4 - IDLESeveral changes. Yenier Bello was demoted while Pedro Ciriaco was designated. Both will be replaced by Kelly Johnson and Christian Bethancourt. Will allow Josh Outman to continue his rehab. Eric Young Jr. was also designated for assignment. Joey Terdoslavich will replace him.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 3-3
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 2-4
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 26-27 (3.0 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 26-27 (1.5 GB)
***Holy crap, same record through 53 games. Not so shabby, OOTP.
A Look Ahead - After a day off, the Braves open a seven-game homestand against the Pirates before the Padres come to down on Monday. The Pirates have been massively disappointing and are 19-34, the second worst record in baseball. The Padres by contrast are 33-22 - third best in baseball and best in the NL.
Friday, May 22, 2015
OOTP: Week 7
Read this link for more information on this series.
Last week was a tough one for the OOTP Braves. They opened the week with 19 wins against nine losses. Seven days later, they added just one notch to their victories while dropping five games, including a series in Washington that was too close to reality for my poor Braves heart. Hopefully this week will look better. In the mean time, let's start a weekly look at the minors with the Gwinnett Braves. Just 13-21 on the year - good for a half-game up on the last-place Charlotte Knights - Gwinnett has been unable to score many runs even as they have swiped 35 bases on the year, led by Jose Peraza's nine steals. He's hitting .321 and Joey Terdoslavich was hitting .343 before an oblique strain sidelined him. He should be ready this week and might force his way to the majors at this rate. The starting staff has been worrisome in Gwinnett. Both top prospects Matt Wisler and Mike Foltynewicz have ERAs over 5.00. Hoping those two turn it around. Atlanta's bullpen has been bad, but Gwinnett's hasn't been much better. Ian Thomas has nailed down five saves and might be in line for a callup next.
With that covered, let's get to OOTP Braves Week in Review.
Recent Results
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Injury Report
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Should be ready for a rehab stint in a week)
Kelly Johnson - Shoulder tendinitis (Early June Return?)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Early June Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Jason Grilli - Elbow Inflammation (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 15 at Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 11-1
What a nice start to the week! Nick Markakis finished with four hits and Chris Johnson drove in four as the Braves smack the Marlins around. Cody Martin didn't need a lot of support to throw eight solid innings with seven K's, but he'll certainly take it. The Braves were an equal opportunity deliver of pain to Marlins pitchers and scored runs on five of the six Marlins they faced.
May 16 at Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-4
Wonder if we can get Mike Redmond fired, too. Actually, the Marlins came into this series a half-game out of first place, held by the Braves. Now they will try to salvage a game. Markakis singled once and doubled twice, driving in four runs. Jace Peterson reached base three times, scoring twice and driving in a run. The effort allowed Mike Minor to improve to 2-1 as he pitched into the eighth before faltering. Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered off Jim Johnson to get the game a run closer, but Johnson still saved his fourth.
May 17 at Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 6-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-3 (11 ING)
Aww, was hoping for a sweep. Braves led for most of the early part of the game, but the Marlins took a 3-2 lead in the 7th, with the help of Justin Bour who seems to be a thorn in the Braves sides on May 17's. Chris Johnson doubled and scored on an Andrelton Simmons triple in the ninth to tie it up, but in the 11th, the Marlins loaded the bases against Luis Avilan and Jim Johnson before Bour hit a sacrifice fly to plate Martin Prado. Eric Young Jr. and Simmons each had three hits in the loss.
May 18 - IDLE
With my day off, I wanted to look at a trade offer I recently received. The Yankees want to send Brett Gardner my way in exchange for EYJ and Rio Ruiz - the latter certainly the bigger player here. Gardner's off to a .264 start and is a wonderful left fielder along with being a pretty good center fielder. I imagine the Braves front office would consider this trade. Gardner, though, is signed through 2018 with a team option for 2019. I am not anxious to give up Ruiz, but I may continue to negotiate with the Yankees on this one. Ultimately, I'm not too keen with taking on that salary, though, and I am willing to bet the Johns (Hart and Coppella) would agree.
May 19 vs. Tampa Bay
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 2-1 (11 ING)
Two days after dropping an eleven inning affair in walkoff fashion, the Braves win one. Alex Wood was outstanding for the Braves Tuesday night. He worked eight scoreless innings before handing the game off to the pen. MISTAKE! John Jaso doubled and after Jim Johnson retired the next two, he uncorked a wild pitch that tied the game. But in the 11th, as the Marlins had did to the Braves on Sunday, the Braves loaded them with one out and Eric Young Jr. became the walkoff hero with a sacrifice fly, scoring Andrelton Simmons.
May 20 vs. Tampa Bay
Actual Result - ATL wins 2-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-3
Fredi Gonzalez probably stuck with Trevor Cahill too long, but considering the way the pen has performed lately, I can't blame him. Up 3-2 in the 8th, Cahill retired the first two, but a walk and back-to-back singles loaded them for Kevin Kiermaier, who doubled in a pair. A Freddie Freeman error led to an unearned run off Juan Jaime in the ninth. Simmons had three singles to raise his average to .300 while EYJ singled twice.
May 21 vs. Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL wins 10-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-3
Simmons again had three hits and Jonny Gomes hit a homer in the ninth, but despite the Brewers best effort to blow this, the Braves fall in the opening of a four-game set that will take them through the weekend. This game could have been a lot uglier as Milwaukee banged out 16 hits, including the first ten off Cody Martin, but struggled to post a big run-scoring inning. The Braves stuck around, but ultimately couldn't muster a comeback.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 5-1
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 3-3
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 20-20 (3.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 23-17 (1 game up)
A Look Ahead - Atlanta continues with their homestand and will play three more with the Brewers this weekend before heading west for a ten game road trip that will start Monday in Los Angeles and continue Thursday in San Francisco for a four-game set.
Last week was a tough one for the OOTP Braves. They opened the week with 19 wins against nine losses. Seven days later, they added just one notch to their victories while dropping five games, including a series in Washington that was too close to reality for my poor Braves heart. Hopefully this week will look better. In the mean time, let's start a weekly look at the minors with the Gwinnett Braves. Just 13-21 on the year - good for a half-game up on the last-place Charlotte Knights - Gwinnett has been unable to score many runs even as they have swiped 35 bases on the year, led by Jose Peraza's nine steals. He's hitting .321 and Joey Terdoslavich was hitting .343 before an oblique strain sidelined him. He should be ready this week and might force his way to the majors at this rate. The starting staff has been worrisome in Gwinnett. Both top prospects Matt Wisler and Mike Foltynewicz have ERAs over 5.00. Hoping those two turn it around. Atlanta's bullpen has been bad, but Gwinnett's hasn't been much better. Ian Thomas has nailed down five saves and might be in line for a callup next.
With that covered, let's get to OOTP Braves Week in Review.
Recent Results
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Injury Report
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Should be ready for a rehab stint in a week)
Kelly Johnson - Shoulder tendinitis (Early June Return?)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Early June Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Jason Grilli - Elbow Inflammation (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 15 at Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 11-1
What a nice start to the week! Nick Markakis finished with four hits and Chris Johnson drove in four as the Braves smack the Marlins around. Cody Martin didn't need a lot of support to throw eight solid innings with seven K's, but he'll certainly take it. The Braves were an equal opportunity deliver of pain to Marlins pitchers and scored runs on five of the six Marlins they faced.
May 16 at Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-4
Wonder if we can get Mike Redmond fired, too. Actually, the Marlins came into this series a half-game out of first place, held by the Braves. Now they will try to salvage a game. Markakis singled once and doubled twice, driving in four runs. Jace Peterson reached base three times, scoring twice and driving in a run. The effort allowed Mike Minor to improve to 2-1 as he pitched into the eighth before faltering. Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered off Jim Johnson to get the game a run closer, but Johnson still saved his fourth.
May 17 at Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 6-0
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-3 (11 ING)
Aww, was hoping for a sweep. Braves led for most of the early part of the game, but the Marlins took a 3-2 lead in the 7th, with the help of Justin Bour who seems to be a thorn in the Braves sides on May 17's. Chris Johnson doubled and scored on an Andrelton Simmons triple in the ninth to tie it up, but in the 11th, the Marlins loaded the bases against Luis Avilan and Jim Johnson before Bour hit a sacrifice fly to plate Martin Prado. Eric Young Jr. and Simmons each had three hits in the loss.
May 18 - IDLE
With my day off, I wanted to look at a trade offer I recently received. The Yankees want to send Brett Gardner my way in exchange for EYJ and Rio Ruiz - the latter certainly the bigger player here. Gardner's off to a .264 start and is a wonderful left fielder along with being a pretty good center fielder. I imagine the Braves front office would consider this trade. Gardner, though, is signed through 2018 with a team option for 2019. I am not anxious to give up Ruiz, but I may continue to negotiate with the Yankees on this one. Ultimately, I'm not too keen with taking on that salary, though, and I am willing to bet the Johns (Hart and Coppella) would agree.
May 19 vs. Tampa Bay
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 2-1 (11 ING)
Two days after dropping an eleven inning affair in walkoff fashion, the Braves win one. Alex Wood was outstanding for the Braves Tuesday night. He worked eight scoreless innings before handing the game off to the pen. MISTAKE! John Jaso doubled and after Jim Johnson retired the next two, he uncorked a wild pitch that tied the game. But in the 11th, as the Marlins had did to the Braves on Sunday, the Braves loaded them with one out and Eric Young Jr. became the walkoff hero with a sacrifice fly, scoring Andrelton Simmons.
May 20 vs. Tampa Bay
Actual Result - ATL wins 2-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-3
Fredi Gonzalez probably stuck with Trevor Cahill too long, but considering the way the pen has performed lately, I can't blame him. Up 3-2 in the 8th, Cahill retired the first two, but a walk and back-to-back singles loaded them for Kevin Kiermaier, who doubled in a pair. A Freddie Freeman error led to an unearned run off Juan Jaime in the ninth. Simmons had three singles to raise his average to .300 while EYJ singled twice.
May 21 vs. Milwaukee
Actual Result - ATL wins 10-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-3
Simmons again had three hits and Jonny Gomes hit a homer in the ninth, but despite the Brewers best effort to blow this, the Braves fall in the opening of a four-game set that will take them through the weekend. This game could have been a lot uglier as Milwaukee banged out 16 hits, including the first ten off Cody Martin, but struggled to post a big run-scoring inning. The Braves stuck around, but ultimately couldn't muster a comeback.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 5-1
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 3-3
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 20-20 (3.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 23-17 (1 game up)
A Look Ahead - Atlanta continues with their homestand and will play three more with the Brewers this weekend before heading west for a ten game road trip that will start Monday in Los Angeles and continue Thursday in San Francisco for a four-game set.
Friday, May 15, 2015
OOTP: Week 6
Read this link for more information on this series.
The Braves opened May with four wins in six games, pushing their record to 19-9. Clearly, this version is having a better year, but why? The Braves have found a way to plate the second most runs in the NL heading into this week's slate of games. They are doing that basically because of getting a wealth of baserunners pushing runs across rather than getting extra base hits, which they are currently 13th in. They have also utilized their speed with 26 steals in 28 games. Plus, the pitching has been tremendous. The struggles of Trevor Cahill in real life aren't showing up in OOTP. The Braves will open a ten-day, nine-game road trip this week and look to continue their success on the road that has seen them start 9-3 away from Atlanta.
Recent Results
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Injury Report Josh Outman - General Suckage (Late-May Return?)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Early June Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 8 at Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 9-2
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-0
A bit hard to win when you don't score. Braves managed just four singles in this one in support of Alex Wood, who pitched into the seventh with 9 K's. Brandon Cunniff got Wood out of a bases loaded jam, but gave up a third run to the Nats in the 8th.
May 9 at Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 8-6
OOTP Result - ATL loses 1-0 (10 ING)
So far, this series in Washington isn't going so hot. Braves finish with five hits, including a Jonny Gomes double, but have no answer for either Gio Gonzalez, nor Aaron Barrett. Cody Martin was excellent and Luis Avilan was solid, too. Jim Johnson worked a quiet ninth, but in the tenth, three consecutive singles ended the game.
May 10 at Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-4
OOTP Result - ATL loses 8-5
Like the real Braves, the OOTP Braves gets swept right out of Washington. Atlanta never led during the series and Mike Minor's follow-up to his season debut went poorly. Jace Peterson was a bright spot as he doubled twice to drive in two and up his average to .271. Andrelton Simmons also had a pair of singles.
May 11 at Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL wins 2-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 1-0 (11 ING)
The losing streak reaches five and the Braves also lose Kelly Johnson to shoulder tendinitis. Six hits were all the Braves could muster and only a double by Simmons went for extra bases. Jason Grilli also left with an undisclosed injury so hopefully, he won't be lost for significant time. In the meanwhile, KJ was DL'd and because I want to do the Bravesiest thing, Pedro Ciriaco was called up. To his credit, Ciriaco was hitting at Gwinnett to the tune of .306/.327/.531.
May 12 at Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL loses 4-3
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-1
Yikes, will we win again? Despite multi-hit performances from Nick Markakis and Yenier Bello, the Braves only plate one run. Trevor Cahill was solid, but with the way the offense is going, you have to be perfect just to force extra innings. In addition, Jason Grilli's diagnosis came back with miserable results. Elbow inflammation. He'll be back sometime this summer. Things are getting ugly on this road trip. Donnie Veal was called up to replace him. Jim Johnson would likely assume closing duties.
May 13 at Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-1
OOTP Result - ATL wins 8-5
The six game slide comes to a close as Jace Peterson drives in five runs from the 8 spot with a three hit game. Both Cameron Maybin and Simba scored a trio of runs and Alex Wood got into the act with a two-run double as well. He also pitched into the eighth before faltering. Jim Johnson gave up a hit and struck out one for his third save.
May 14 - IDLE
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 1-5
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 1-5 (2nd straight perfect match-up)
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 15-19 (4.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 20-14 (0.5 game up)
A Look Ahead - The Braves finish up their road trip with three in Miami. This series has added meaning as the Marlins a half-game out and actually moved past the Braves for a day this week. After the weekend series, the Braves travel back to Atlanta on Monday and open a two-game set against the Rays at the Ted on Tuesday. Finally, on Thursday, the Braves begin a four game home series with the Brewers.
The Braves opened May with four wins in six games, pushing their record to 19-9. Clearly, this version is having a better year, but why? The Braves have found a way to plate the second most runs in the NL heading into this week's slate of games. They are doing that basically because of getting a wealth of baserunners pushing runs across rather than getting extra base hits, which they are currently 13th in. They have also utilized their speed with 26 steals in 28 games. Plus, the pitching has been tremendous. The struggles of Trevor Cahill in real life aren't showing up in OOTP. The Braves will open a ten-day, nine-game road trip this week and look to continue their success on the road that has seen them start 9-3 away from Atlanta.
Recent Results
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Injury Report Josh Outman - General Suckage (Late-May Return?)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Early June Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
May 8 at Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 9-2
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-0
A bit hard to win when you don't score. Braves managed just four singles in this one in support of Alex Wood, who pitched into the seventh with 9 K's. Brandon Cunniff got Wood out of a bases loaded jam, but gave up a third run to the Nats in the 8th.
May 9 at Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 8-6
OOTP Result - ATL loses 1-0 (10 ING)
So far, this series in Washington isn't going so hot. Braves finish with five hits, including a Jonny Gomes double, but have no answer for either Gio Gonzalez, nor Aaron Barrett. Cody Martin was excellent and Luis Avilan was solid, too. Jim Johnson worked a quiet ninth, but in the tenth, three consecutive singles ended the game.
May 10 at Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-4
OOTP Result - ATL loses 8-5
Like the real Braves, the OOTP Braves gets swept right out of Washington. Atlanta never led during the series and Mike Minor's follow-up to his season debut went poorly. Jace Peterson was a bright spot as he doubled twice to drive in two and up his average to .271. Andrelton Simmons also had a pair of singles.
May 11 at Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL wins 2-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 1-0 (11 ING)
The losing streak reaches five and the Braves also lose Kelly Johnson to shoulder tendinitis. Six hits were all the Braves could muster and only a double by Simmons went for extra bases. Jason Grilli also left with an undisclosed injury so hopefully, he won't be lost for significant time. In the meanwhile, KJ was DL'd and because I want to do the Bravesiest thing, Pedro Ciriaco was called up. To his credit, Ciriaco was hitting at Gwinnett to the tune of .306/.327/.531.
May 12 at Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL loses 4-3
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-1
Yikes, will we win again? Despite multi-hit performances from Nick Markakis and Yenier Bello, the Braves only plate one run. Trevor Cahill was solid, but with the way the offense is going, you have to be perfect just to force extra innings. In addition, Jason Grilli's diagnosis came back with miserable results. Elbow inflammation. He'll be back sometime this summer. Things are getting ugly on this road trip. Donnie Veal was called up to replace him. Jim Johnson would likely assume closing duties.
May 13 at Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-1
OOTP Result - ATL wins 8-5
The six game slide comes to a close as Jace Peterson drives in five runs from the 8 spot with a three hit game. Both Cameron Maybin and Simba scored a trio of runs and Alex Wood got into the act with a two-run double as well. He also pitched into the eighth before faltering. Jim Johnson gave up a hit and struck out one for his third save.
May 14 - IDLE
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 1-5
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 1-5 (2nd straight perfect match-up)
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 15-19 (4.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 20-14 (0.5 game up)
A Look Ahead - The Braves finish up their road trip with three in Miami. This series has added meaning as the Marlins a half-game out and actually moved past the Braves for a day this week. After the weekend series, the Braves travel back to Atlanta on Monday and open a two-game set against the Rays at the Ted on Tuesday. Finally, on Thursday, the Braves begin a four game home series with the Brewers.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
OOTP: Week 5
For more on this series, read this.
As we flip the calendar into May, it's time for the OOTP 2015 Braves to take stock in the season's first month. It's been a productive run of it with a share of baseball's best record coming as the second month of the season opens. Rookie Cody Martin's 2.74 ERA paces the starting staff while the offense has plated the second most runs in the NL with 105 despite just a half-dozen homeruns. On the farm, Jose Peraza has hit .309 with five steals in as many attempts so far while Rio Ruiz has an even 1.000 OPS to start off things. Many of the young arms have struggled so far, but it is early.
Back to the major league club. It enters May a game into their four game set with the Reds, who beat them 7-2 in the opener. After the Reds leave, the Phillies come to town for three before a travel day as the Braves go on a nine game road trip that will take them to Washington that will open next week's slate of games.
Recent Results
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Injury Report
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
Rehab Update
Mike Minor got through a second start with Gwinnett last week and is on pace to start either the finale of the Reds series or pitch in the Phillies series. Fortunately, no setbacks like the real version.
May 1 vs. Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL wins 4-3
OOTP Result - NO GAME
Game was suspended on account of rain. The game will be made up tomorrow
May 2 vs. Cincinnati
Game One
Actual Result - ATL wins 4-3 (5/1 score)
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-2 (10 innings)
Tony Cingrani and Trevor Cahill were both solid, but Jim Johnson was roughed up in 0.2 of an inning. He got the first two, but gave up a walk, an RBI triple, and an RBI single to put the Reds up in the tenth. Nick Markakis and Jace Peterson both had two hits while Andrelton Simmons had three. However, all ten hits the Braves had were singles which doesn't often score a lot of runs. Cahill's line - 8 ING, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 6 K, HR)
Game Two
Actual Result - ATL loses 8-4
OOTP Result - ATL wins 8-2
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when the Braves scored a pair. A two-run shot by Jay Bruce off Cody Martin evened things up, but the Braves would plate a half-dozen runs over the next three innings. Kelly Johnson hit his second homer of the year and also doubled in the game. Freddie Freeman added two singles and a double. Eric Young Jr. scored a trio of runs in the win while Martin pitched seven great innings with 9 K's for his second win.
With no real weakness in the rotation right now, the Braves demoted Andrew McKirahan. I realize that's a little cheap, but hey, OOTP doesn't know he's a Rule 5 pick. :) Mike Minor was activated off his rehab assignment. The move will push Eric Stults to the bullpen, where he started the year. He's actually been great so far. 1.93 ERA in 18.2 ING plus a 0.86 WHIP. Somehow, I don't imagine his 2.9 K/9 will allow him to continue to be successful, though.
Also...I signed Andy Ibanez to a minor league deal. The middle infielder with Cuba profiles as a second division starter or solid utility player. I had money to burn so I gave him $1.5M to sign.
May 3 vs. Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-0
OOTP Result - ATL wins 2-1 (15)
The bullpen has not been great this year by any means, but it shot the door after eight wonderful innings by Alex Wood. In the 15th, Simmons got the ball rolling by working a walk. After Phil Gosselin singled and Brandon Cunniff put down a surprisingly good bunt, Eric Young Jr. was walked to load them for Chris Johnson. He lifted a ball to right field and Simmons beat Bruce's throw home for the win. The two singles of the inning gave the Braves eight hits. The Reds only had six. Atlanta did maximize whatever baserunners they did have with five steals in the game, including two by Cameron Maybin. Alex Wood went 8 and gave up five hits, a run, walked two, and struck out five.
After the game, the Reds offered us Todd Frazier for EYJ and Rio Ruiz. Frazer doesn't really fit into what the Braves are trying to build and is off to a woeful start in the game. I'm not all that intrigued by the offer.
May 4 vs. Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 1-0
Welcome back, Mike Minor! The southpaw goes eight innings, continuing an impressive string of starts by the Braves. He surrendered five hits and walked a pair while striking out five. The Braves offense didn't give a great starting effort much help for the second day in a row. In the first, Nick Markakis doubled and scored on a Freddie Freeman single. The Braves managed three hits and a walk after that. But a win's a win and this one gets the Braves to ten games over .500.
May 5 vs. Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL wins 9-0
OOTP Result - ATL wins 7-3
The wins keep coming and Julio Teheran is the beneficiary of some offense. Teheran went eight innings - third consecutive start that a Brave starter has done that. He wasn't great, but avoided the big inning. Eric Stults finished up with a hitless ninth. Meanwhile, Markakis and Maybin each had two-hit games while Freeman homered and KJ stole two bases.
May 6 vs. Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL wins 7-5
OOTP Result - ATL loses 6-4
The bullpen has shown improvement of late, but it really stunk in this one. Cahill went five in the game - same as his opponent Cole Hamels - and left with a 2-2 tie, but the Phillies got to the Braves pen in the sixth, scoring two off Brandon Cunniff, and added one each off Juan Jaime and Jason Grilli. The latter of which walked the bases loaded. Simba had a double and a triple to up his average to .297, but the Braves couldn't keep up with the Phillies (or the ineffective pitching by the Braves' pen).
May 7 - Idle
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 4-2
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 4-2 (!)
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 14-14 (4 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 19-9 (2.5 games up)
A Look Ahead - After a 7-3 homestand, the Braves hit the road next week with three in Washington before three at The Great American Ballpark, which is seriously one pretentious name. Hoping for continued success after a wonderful start to the year.
As we flip the calendar into May, it's time for the OOTP 2015 Braves to take stock in the season's first month. It's been a productive run of it with a share of baseball's best record coming as the second month of the season opens. Rookie Cody Martin's 2.74 ERA paces the starting staff while the offense has plated the second most runs in the NL with 105 despite just a half-dozen homeruns. On the farm, Jose Peraza has hit .309 with five steals in as many attempts so far while Rio Ruiz has an even 1.000 OPS to start off things. Many of the young arms have struggled so far, but it is early.
Back to the major league club. It enters May a game into their four game set with the Reds, who beat them 7-2 in the opener. After the Reds leave, the Phillies come to town for three before a travel day as the Braves go on a nine game road trip that will take them to Washington that will open next week's slate of games.
Recent Results
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Injury Report
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
Rehab Update
Mike Minor got through a second start with Gwinnett last week and is on pace to start either the finale of the Reds series or pitch in the Phillies series. Fortunately, no setbacks like the real version.
May 1 vs. Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL wins 4-3
OOTP Result - NO GAME
Game was suspended on account of rain. The game will be made up tomorrow
May 2 vs. Cincinnati
Game One
Actual Result - ATL wins 4-3 (5/1 score)
OOTP Result - ATL loses 4-2 (10 innings)
Tony Cingrani and Trevor Cahill were both solid, but Jim Johnson was roughed up in 0.2 of an inning. He got the first two, but gave up a walk, an RBI triple, and an RBI single to put the Reds up in the tenth. Nick Markakis and Jace Peterson both had two hits while Andrelton Simmons had three. However, all ten hits the Braves had were singles which doesn't often score a lot of runs. Cahill's line - 8 ING, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 6 K, HR)
Game Two
Actual Result - ATL loses 8-4
OOTP Result - ATL wins 8-2
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when the Braves scored a pair. A two-run shot by Jay Bruce off Cody Martin evened things up, but the Braves would plate a half-dozen runs over the next three innings. Kelly Johnson hit his second homer of the year and also doubled in the game. Freddie Freeman added two singles and a double. Eric Young Jr. scored a trio of runs in the win while Martin pitched seven great innings with 9 K's for his second win.
With no real weakness in the rotation right now, the Braves demoted Andrew McKirahan. I realize that's a little cheap, but hey, OOTP doesn't know he's a Rule 5 pick. :) Mike Minor was activated off his rehab assignment. The move will push Eric Stults to the bullpen, where he started the year. He's actually been great so far. 1.93 ERA in 18.2 ING plus a 0.86 WHIP. Somehow, I don't imagine his 2.9 K/9 will allow him to continue to be successful, though.
Also...I signed Andy Ibanez to a minor league deal. The middle infielder with Cuba profiles as a second division starter or solid utility player. I had money to burn so I gave him $1.5M to sign.
May 3 vs. Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-0
OOTP Result - ATL wins 2-1 (15)
The bullpen has not been great this year by any means, but it shot the door after eight wonderful innings by Alex Wood. In the 15th, Simmons got the ball rolling by working a walk. After Phil Gosselin singled and Brandon Cunniff put down a surprisingly good bunt, Eric Young Jr. was walked to load them for Chris Johnson. He lifted a ball to right field and Simmons beat Bruce's throw home for the win. The two singles of the inning gave the Braves eight hits. The Reds only had six. Atlanta did maximize whatever baserunners they did have with five steals in the game, including two by Cameron Maybin. Alex Wood went 8 and gave up five hits, a run, walked two, and struck out five.
After the game, the Reds offered us Todd Frazier for EYJ and Rio Ruiz. Frazer doesn't really fit into what the Braves are trying to build and is off to a woeful start in the game. I'm not all that intrigued by the offer.
May 4 vs. Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 1-0
Welcome back, Mike Minor! The southpaw goes eight innings, continuing an impressive string of starts by the Braves. He surrendered five hits and walked a pair while striking out five. The Braves offense didn't give a great starting effort much help for the second day in a row. In the first, Nick Markakis doubled and scored on a Freddie Freeman single. The Braves managed three hits and a walk after that. But a win's a win and this one gets the Braves to ten games over .500.
May 5 vs. Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL wins 9-0
OOTP Result - ATL wins 7-3
The wins keep coming and Julio Teheran is the beneficiary of some offense. Teheran went eight innings - third consecutive start that a Brave starter has done that. He wasn't great, but avoided the big inning. Eric Stults finished up with a hitless ninth. Meanwhile, Markakis and Maybin each had two-hit games while Freeman homered and KJ stole two bases.
May 6 vs. Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL wins 7-5
OOTP Result - ATL loses 6-4
The bullpen has shown improvement of late, but it really stunk in this one. Cahill went five in the game - same as his opponent Cole Hamels - and left with a 2-2 tie, but the Phillies got to the Braves pen in the sixth, scoring two off Brandon Cunniff, and added one each off Juan Jaime and Jason Grilli. The latter of which walked the bases loaded. Simba had a double and a triple to up his average to .297, but the Braves couldn't keep up with the Phillies (or the ineffective pitching by the Braves' pen).
May 7 - Idle
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 4-2
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 4-2 (!)
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 14-14 (4 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 19-9 (2.5 games up)
A Look Ahead - After a 7-3 homestand, the Braves hit the road next week with three in Washington before three at The Great American Ballpark, which is seriously one pretentious name. Hoping for continued success after a wonderful start to the year.
Friday, May 1, 2015
OOTP: Week 4
Not italics again! Once again, apologies for not posting. I'm in the middle of finals and writing papers so the blog has taken a bit of a back seat, but after the paper today, I just have three final exams to take next week so I see the end of this. On the plus side, unlike last week, this OOTP update posted on the right day.
Welcome to Week 4 of the OOTP sim of the 2015 season. For more information about what Out of the Park is and what I am trying to do, please click here. Braves enter this week at 10-5 with a 1.5 game lead in the NL East due in large part to a surprisingly effective offense and a superb pitching staff. The Braves have scored 76 runs in their first 15 games, good for second in the NL. It's also a 16-run improvement on the real Braves through a similar time period. On tap this week is a three game set in Philly to close out what has been a 4-1 road trip before returning home for three against the Nats. The Braves finish the week by playing the first-of-four with the Reds, also at The Ted.
Recent Results
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
Injury Report
Nick Markakis (No DL) - Petellar tendinitis (could return this weekend)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
Rehab Update
Mike Minor (Shoulder Discomfort) - Threw 105 pitches in his return on April 22. Plan is for a second rehab start before making his return to the Braves next weekend.
April 24 at Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL loses 1-0
OOTP Result - ATL wins 4-3
The bullpen has been a problem this year for the Braves, but it held up in this one. After Alex Wood was lifted following a 98-pitch four inning outing, Brandon Cunniff pitched the fifth to get the win, his first, while combining with five other relievers for five innings, three hits, and 7 K's. Jonny Gomes and Freddie Freeman each had two hits while Andrelton Simmons raised his average to .317 with a three-hit day. Wood helped his cause with an RBI single, but he gave up nine hits. In his defense, all were singles.
Meanwhile, the Rockies kicked the tires on a trade that would send Drew Stubbs and $3M to us for Kelly Johnson and Mallex Smith. This was my first real challenge to stick to the script because I'd be intrigued about seeing if there was a deal here, but the real front office just traded a series of guys like Stubbs. I can't imagine that they would be interested in the soon-to-be free agent. Just to be clear, Mallex Smith wouldn't have been part of any final deal had I been interested in a trade.
April 25 at Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 11-6
The win streak stretched to seven with big days from Freeman, a returning Markakis, KJ, and A.J. Pierzynski. For the second consecutive game, Cunniff got the win for an underperforming starter who didn't make it to the fifth, but the offense allowed the bullpen to not worry about being flawless. Of course, FIVE Philly errors helped, though only one run was unearned. Markakis made his first appearance in over a week and singled three times while walking once. He drove in two and scored twice. Freeman added three ribbies while KJ homered as part of his three-hit game, including two RBI.
April 26 at Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-4
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-2
The Phillies scored a go-ahead run off Trevor Cahill to pull ahead and Jonathan Papelbon went six outs for the save as the Braves win streak ends at seven. Cahill gets the loss despite putting up the best outing of any Braves starter in the series. He went seven innings and gave up eight hits, but only three runs. Andrelton had two of Atlanta's eight hits off Phillies starter Cole Hamels.
April 27 vs. Washington
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-4
OOTP Result - ATL wins 4-2
Chris Johnson had a big two-run double in a four-run third inning as the Braves move past the Nationals 4-2. Freeman had just tied up the game with an RBI single before Johnson doubled with the bases loaded to put the Braves ahead. An RBI groundout by Yenier Bello, which gave Bello his first major league RBI, finished the scoring for the Braves and Cody Martin continued to impress. He took home his first major league win while going six strong innings. He surrendered a pair of runs, but walked none and struck out five. One of the runs scored after he was lifted in the seventh. Luis Avilan got the game to the ninth where Jason Grilli closed the door for his fifth save.
April 28 vs. Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 13-12
OOTP Result - ATL wins 3-1
Alex Wood was not his sharpest and only went five innings before ceding the rest of the game to the pen, but he gets his second win with big help from Cameron Maybin, who drove in two. Just like yesterday, the Braves only scored in one inning. Markakis led off the fourth with a single and Freeman doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Maybin followed with a single to plate both runs. He later scored on a Jace Peterson base hit. Grilli worked around two singles in the ninth to secure his sixth save.
April 29 vs. Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 13-4
OOTP Result - ATL wins 3-1
Add another sweep of a division foe to the books as the Braves send the Nats packing. Eric Stults started the year in the pen, but Shelby Miller's injury promoted him to the rotation and for the second consecutive start, he goes eight innings and gives up just one run. He only struck out one batter and gave up four doubles, but avoided the big inning. Jace Peterson had two hits, including a triple, and added a sacrifice fly. Maybin went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a steal.
April 30 vs. Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 7-2
Julio Teheran was roughed up for five runs - four earned - in 5.1 ING as the Braves open up a four-game set with a loss. Freeman had a pair of hits, including his seventh double, but the Braves could not keep pace with the Reds. Marlon Byrd had the biggest knock. In the sixth, with one out and the bases loaded, Byrd unloaded for a Grand Slam. It turned a 2-1 lead for the Braves into a 5-2 deficit. The Reds would add two more to put distance between the two teams.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 2-5
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 5-2
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 10-12 (4.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 15-7 (3 Games Up)
A Look Ahead - Atlanta, who shares baseball's best record, continue a ten-game home stand with three games to finish off the series with the Reds before welcoming the Phillies into town. A travel day precedes a nine-game road trip. Mike Minor is expected to make his season debut against the Reds.
Welcome to Week 4 of the OOTP sim of the 2015 season. For more information about what Out of the Park is and what I am trying to do, please click here. Braves enter this week at 10-5 with a 1.5 game lead in the NL East due in large part to a surprisingly effective offense and a superb pitching staff. The Braves have scored 76 runs in their first 15 games, good for second in the NL. It's also a 16-run improvement on the real Braves through a similar time period. On tap this week is a three game set in Philly to close out what has been a 4-1 road trip before returning home for three against the Nats. The Braves finish the week by playing the first-of-four with the Reds, also at The Ted.
Recent Results
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
Injury Report
Nick Markakis (No DL) - Petellar tendinitis (could return this weekend)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
Rehab Update
Mike Minor (Shoulder Discomfort) - Threw 105 pitches in his return on April 22. Plan is for a second rehab start before making his return to the Braves next weekend.
April 24 at Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL loses 1-0
OOTP Result - ATL wins 4-3
The bullpen has been a problem this year for the Braves, but it held up in this one. After Alex Wood was lifted following a 98-pitch four inning outing, Brandon Cunniff pitched the fifth to get the win, his first, while combining with five other relievers for five innings, three hits, and 7 K's. Jonny Gomes and Freddie Freeman each had two hits while Andrelton Simmons raised his average to .317 with a three-hit day. Wood helped his cause with an RBI single, but he gave up nine hits. In his defense, all were singles.
Meanwhile, the Rockies kicked the tires on a trade that would send Drew Stubbs and $3M to us for Kelly Johnson and Mallex Smith. This was my first real challenge to stick to the script because I'd be intrigued about seeing if there was a deal here, but the real front office just traded a series of guys like Stubbs. I can't imagine that they would be interested in the soon-to-be free agent. Just to be clear, Mallex Smith wouldn't have been part of any final deal had I been interested in a trade.
April 25 at Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 11-6
The win streak stretched to seven with big days from Freeman, a returning Markakis, KJ, and A.J. Pierzynski. For the second consecutive game, Cunniff got the win for an underperforming starter who didn't make it to the fifth, but the offense allowed the bullpen to not worry about being flawless. Of course, FIVE Philly errors helped, though only one run was unearned. Markakis made his first appearance in over a week and singled three times while walking once. He drove in two and scored twice. Freeman added three ribbies while KJ homered as part of his three-hit game, including two RBI.
April 26 at Philadelphia
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-4
OOTP Result - ATL loses 3-2
The Phillies scored a go-ahead run off Trevor Cahill to pull ahead and Jonathan Papelbon went six outs for the save as the Braves win streak ends at seven. Cahill gets the loss despite putting up the best outing of any Braves starter in the series. He went seven innings and gave up eight hits, but only three runs. Andrelton had two of Atlanta's eight hits off Phillies starter Cole Hamels.
April 27 vs. Washington
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-4
OOTP Result - ATL wins 4-2
Chris Johnson had a big two-run double in a four-run third inning as the Braves move past the Nationals 4-2. Freeman had just tied up the game with an RBI single before Johnson doubled with the bases loaded to put the Braves ahead. An RBI groundout by Yenier Bello, which gave Bello his first major league RBI, finished the scoring for the Braves and Cody Martin continued to impress. He took home his first major league win while going six strong innings. He surrendered a pair of runs, but walked none and struck out five. One of the runs scored after he was lifted in the seventh. Luis Avilan got the game to the ninth where Jason Grilli closed the door for his fifth save.
April 28 vs. Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 13-12
OOTP Result - ATL wins 3-1
Alex Wood was not his sharpest and only went five innings before ceding the rest of the game to the pen, but he gets his second win with big help from Cameron Maybin, who drove in two. Just like yesterday, the Braves only scored in one inning. Markakis led off the fourth with a single and Freeman doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Maybin followed with a single to plate both runs. He later scored on a Jace Peterson base hit. Grilli worked around two singles in the ninth to secure his sixth save.
April 29 vs. Washington
Actual Result - ATL loses 13-4
OOTP Result - ATL wins 3-1
Add another sweep of a division foe to the books as the Braves send the Nats packing. Eric Stults started the year in the pen, but Shelby Miller's injury promoted him to the rotation and for the second consecutive start, he goes eight innings and gives up just one run. He only struck out one batter and gave up four doubles, but avoided the big inning. Jace Peterson had two hits, including a triple, and added a sacrifice fly. Maybin went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a steal.
April 30 vs. Cincinnati
Actual Result - ATL loses 5-1
OOTP Result - ATL loses 7-2
Julio Teheran was roughed up for five runs - four earned - in 5.1 ING as the Braves open up a four-game set with a loss. Freeman had a pair of hits, including his seventh double, but the Braves could not keep pace with the Reds. Marlon Byrd had the biggest knock. In the sixth, with one out and the bases loaded, Byrd unloaded for a Grand Slam. It turned a 2-1 lead for the Braves into a 5-2 deficit. The Reds would add two more to put distance between the two teams.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 2-5
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 5-2
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 10-12 (4.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 15-7 (3 Games Up)
A Look Ahead - Atlanta, who shares baseball's best record, continue a ten-game home stand with three games to finish off the series with the Reds before welcoming the Phillies into town. A travel day precedes a nine-game road trip. Mike Minor is expected to make his season debut against the Reds.
Monday, April 27, 2015
OOTP: Week 3
Many apologies for the lack of posting over the last week or so. No, it wasn't the Braves poor play that had me avoiding writing about them, but life's incessant need to throw curveballs, plus the hectic last minute planning that goes into a girl's fourth birthday party. Hoping next week works out far better. This column was meant to be posted on Friday, but better late than never.
As the title suggests, this is the third week of simming the 2015 season. For more information about this series, click here for what this series is looking at. There is also links to the first two weeks below this paragraph. Atlanta enters week 3 at 5-4, good for a four-way tie for first place with Miami taking up residence in last place, a game back. We head to Toronto for three before opening a three-game set in New York against the Mets.
Recent Results
Week 2
Week 1
Injury Report
Juan Jaime (no DL) - Elbow soreness (return sometime during Mets series)
Nick Markakis (no DL) - Petellar tendinitis (might miss this week)
Mike Minor - Shoulder Discomfort (Might be ready for rehab assignment this week)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
April 17 at Toronto
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-7
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-4 (11 innings)
One of the stark differences so far between the real club and the OOTP one is that the simming Braves really, really miss Craig Kimbrel at the end of the game. Cody Martin, who OOTP Fredi Gonzalez utilizes as a starter, threw seven pretty awesome innings. Jim Johnson got the game to Jason Grilli, but with two outs and a runner on first, Grilli gave up three consecutive hits, including a two-run double that tied up the game. Andrew McKirahan saved him from more trouble, but in the 11th, he gave up a one-out triple and after an intentional walk, Brandon Cunniff came in. He got a flyout, but couldn't find the strikezone against either of the last two hitters, leading to a walk-off walk. It's better when we get those.
April 18 at Toronto
Actual Result - ATL loses 6-5 (10 innings)
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-4
It was scary again in the ninth. Grill entered with a 5-2 lead, but gave up a single and a homer to tighten up things considerably with the heart of the Jays' order due up. OOTP Fredi went to Michael Kohn and like a stopper, Kohn came in, got a groundout, and struck out the final two he faced. Braves had fell behind 2-0, but that deficit was wiped out in the sixth when Kelly Johnson singled in two with the bases loaded. In the 8th inning, Jonny Gomes tripled in Cameron Maybin and scored on a double by Andrelton Simmons. Chris Johnson added what turned out to be the difference maker with a homer in the ninth - just the second homerun the Braves have hit so far.
April 19 at Toronto
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 7-2
Braves take the series despite getting an 0-for-6 day out of the leadoff spot. Cameron Maybin had four hits, including a double and his first homer, and drove in three runs to increase his RBI output to four. Julio Teheran picked up his second complete game in as many starts, yielding a pair of solo homers, but walking just one and striking out seven. Simba had three hits, including two doubles, and Gomes had a pair of singles plus a pair of RBI.
April 20 - Idle. Juan Jaime should be ready for the Mets series, though Markakis will miss the series. On the plus side, Minor starts his rehab assignment this week. Unlike real Mike Minor, this one suffered no setbacks. He'll get a couple of starts at Gwinnett and looking toward an early-May return.
April 21 at New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL loses 7-1
OOTP Result - ATL wins 6-2
Braves get their third win in a row and Trevor Cahill throws six quality innings for his first Braves win. Braves banged out 13 hits, led by Simba's three hits and two doubles. He's now hitting .314 and with three more ribbies today, he is up to nine. Braves never trailed in this game and took the early 2-0 lead after a half-inning against Jacob deGrom, who the real Braves have "fortunately" missed.
April 22 at New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL loses 3-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 6-5
Cody Martin struggled, giving up four runs in five innings, but was still on pace for the win before a Jace Peterson error in the eighth led to an unearned run that tied up the game. But the Braves got to Alex Torres in the ninth. With one out, three consecutive singles by Eric Young Jr., Gomes, and Freddie Freeman led to a sixth run. Grilli had a quiet ninth for his third save. Before the eighth inning, the Braves had led the game since the second batter. That's when Gomes hit a two-run homer. EYJ had singled in front of him and had a three-hit game to hopefully break out of his slump.
April 23 at New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL loses 6-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 9-1
Much nicer to be doing the sweeping, Atlanta. Braves used a six-run ninth to turn the finale of the three-game set into a laugher. Before that, it was a great pitcher's dual between Eric Stults and Matt Harvey. Yeah, that's what I said. Braves scored three runs off Harvey over seven innings, but the Mets only got the one run off Stults over eight innings. In the ninth with Carlos Torres on the bump for the Mets, Jace got the ball rolling with a walk. After a single and a passed ball, CJ added on with an RBI single. EYJ added another RBI single to bring in Vic Black to stop the bleeding. He K'd Gomes, but gave up a base hit to Freeman to load them before Maybin took the first pitch he saw beyond the left-center wall for a Grand Slam that put things out of reach.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 2-4
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 5-1
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 8-7 (4.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 10-5 (1.5 Games Up)
A Look Ahead - Braves finish what has so-far been a great road trip in Philly with three games. They will then head home for a lengthy home stand beginning with our first look at the Nats this year. We'll also see the Reds in next week's update as a four game set starts next Thursday.
As the title suggests, this is the third week of simming the 2015 season. For more information about this series, click here for what this series is looking at. There is also links to the first two weeks below this paragraph. Atlanta enters week 3 at 5-4, good for a four-way tie for first place with Miami taking up residence in last place, a game back. We head to Toronto for three before opening a three-game set in New York against the Mets.
Recent Results
Week 2
Week 1
Injury Report
Juan Jaime (no DL) - Elbow soreness (return sometime during Mets series)
Nick Markakis (no DL) - Petellar tendinitis (might miss this week)
Mike Minor - Shoulder Discomfort (Might be ready for rehab assignment this week)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Shelby Miller - Torn back muscle (August Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
April 17 at Toronto
Actual Result - ATL wins 8-7
OOTP Result - ATL loses 5-4 (11 innings)
One of the stark differences so far between the real club and the OOTP one is that the simming Braves really, really miss Craig Kimbrel at the end of the game. Cody Martin, who OOTP Fredi Gonzalez utilizes as a starter, threw seven pretty awesome innings. Jim Johnson got the game to Jason Grilli, but with two outs and a runner on first, Grilli gave up three consecutive hits, including a two-run double that tied up the game. Andrew McKirahan saved him from more trouble, but in the 11th, he gave up a one-out triple and after an intentional walk, Brandon Cunniff came in. He got a flyout, but couldn't find the strikezone against either of the last two hitters, leading to a walk-off walk. It's better when we get those.
April 18 at Toronto
Actual Result - ATL loses 6-5 (10 innings)
OOTP Result - ATL wins 5-4
It was scary again in the ninth. Grill entered with a 5-2 lead, but gave up a single and a homer to tighten up things considerably with the heart of the Jays' order due up. OOTP Fredi went to Michael Kohn and like a stopper, Kohn came in, got a groundout, and struck out the final two he faced. Braves had fell behind 2-0, but that deficit was wiped out in the sixth when Kelly Johnson singled in two with the bases loaded. In the 8th inning, Jonny Gomes tripled in Cameron Maybin and scored on a double by Andrelton Simmons. Chris Johnson added what turned out to be the difference maker with a homer in the ninth - just the second homerun the Braves have hit so far.
April 19 at Toronto
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 7-2
Braves take the series despite getting an 0-for-6 day out of the leadoff spot. Cameron Maybin had four hits, including a double and his first homer, and drove in three runs to increase his RBI output to four. Julio Teheran picked up his second complete game in as many starts, yielding a pair of solo homers, but walking just one and striking out seven. Simba had three hits, including two doubles, and Gomes had a pair of singles plus a pair of RBI.
April 20 - Idle. Juan Jaime should be ready for the Mets series, though Markakis will miss the series. On the plus side, Minor starts his rehab assignment this week. Unlike real Mike Minor, this one suffered no setbacks. He'll get a couple of starts at Gwinnett and looking toward an early-May return.
April 21 at New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL loses 7-1
OOTP Result - ATL wins 6-2
Braves get their third win in a row and Trevor Cahill throws six quality innings for his first Braves win. Braves banged out 13 hits, led by Simba's three hits and two doubles. He's now hitting .314 and with three more ribbies today, he is up to nine. Braves never trailed in this game and took the early 2-0 lead after a half-inning against Jacob deGrom, who the real Braves have "fortunately" missed.
April 22 at New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL loses 3-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 6-5
Cody Martin struggled, giving up four runs in five innings, but was still on pace for the win before a Jace Peterson error in the eighth led to an unearned run that tied up the game. But the Braves got to Alex Torres in the ninth. With one out, three consecutive singles by Eric Young Jr., Gomes, and Freddie Freeman led to a sixth run. Grilli had a quiet ninth for his third save. Before the eighth inning, the Braves had led the game since the second batter. That's when Gomes hit a two-run homer. EYJ had singled in front of him and had a three-hit game to hopefully break out of his slump.
April 23 at New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL loses 6-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 9-1
Much nicer to be doing the sweeping, Atlanta. Braves used a six-run ninth to turn the finale of the three-game set into a laugher. Before that, it was a great pitcher's dual between Eric Stults and Matt Harvey. Yeah, that's what I said. Braves scored three runs off Harvey over seven innings, but the Mets only got the one run off Stults over eight innings. In the ninth with Carlos Torres on the bump for the Mets, Jace got the ball rolling with a walk. After a single and a passed ball, CJ added on with an RBI single. EYJ added another RBI single to bring in Vic Black to stop the bleeding. He K'd Gomes, but gave up a base hit to Freeman to load them before Maybin took the first pitch he saw beyond the left-center wall for a Grand Slam that put things out of reach.
Weekly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 2-4
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 5-1
Yearly Results
Actual Win-Loss Record - 8-7 (4.5 GB)
OOTP Win-Loss Record - 10-5 (1.5 Games Up)
A Look Ahead - Braves finish what has so-far been a great road trip in Philly with three games. They will then head home for a lengthy home stand beginning with our first look at the Nats this year. We'll also see the Reds in next week's update as a four game set starts next Thursday.
Friday, April 17, 2015
OOTP Week 2
Six games are on tap for this week's OOTP Update. Last week, I began an on-going simulation of the 2015 season with the assistance of Out of the Park 16, the most recent update to the OOTP series. While the real-life club opened the year with a sweep of the Marlins, my club won two-of-three. This week, the Braves open their home slate with a half-dozen games against the Mets and Marlins. Chris Johnson, who suffered a thigh muscle strain in his first at-bat of the year, will miss the Mets series, but should return when Miami comes into town. Unlike the real-life Braves, OOTP Fredi has Trevor Cahill as his number 4 starter with Cody Martin in the five spot. Eric Stults has been relegated to long relief.
Injury Report...
Chris Johnson - Thigh Muscle Strain (Will miss weekend series)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Mike Minor - Shoulder Discomfort (Maybe less than two weeks if no set-back)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
April 10 vs. New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 8-7
What a wild one this turned out to be. After seven innings, the Mets held a 4-3 lead and Cahill had been chased after 4.2 ING. But in the bottom of the 8th, the Braves got to Mets starter Rafael Montero. With two one, A.J. Pierzynski tied it with a double and after an intentional walk, Eric Young Jr. brought home the go-ahead run with an infield hit. The Braves would use a single, walk, and HBP to increase their lead to 8-4, but would need every bit of that to hold on after Jim Johnson and Jason Grilli struggled in the ninth. With the tying run on first, Grilli struck out John Mayberry Jr. to end the game.
April 11 vs. New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - NYM wins 3-2
The real Braves haven't missed Craig Kimbrel so far, but the OOTP team has. Cody Martin threw five innings of one-run ball, though the Mets squandered a lot of baserunners. In the 8th with the game tied at one, EYJ led things off with a single and scored on a Nick Markakis double. The Braves wasted a chance to add on and that would prove huge as Wilmer Flores hit a two-run homer off Grilli in the 9th. The Braves closer had walked Lucas Duda to open the inning.
April 12 vs. New York Mets
Actual Result - NYM wins 4-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 4-3
Braves open the year with back-to-back series wins. They were down 3-0 early, but scored two in the third and in the seventh, Jonny Gomes drove in Jace Peterson with a pinch hit single after Jace had singled, advanced on an error, and stole third. After a sacrifice bunt, Alberto Callaspo broke the tie with a pinch hit single of his own, plating Pierzynski who had reached on the previous error. Jim Johnson secured his first save of the year. Juan Jaime was actually closing in on the save before leaving with one out in the ninth. His diagnosis is pending.
April 13 vs. Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 3-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 7-1
Julio Teheran was staked to a six-run lead in the first and went the distance from there. He yielded just two hits in the game, walked two, and struck out four. Of the last 17 batters he faced, only Mike Morse, who drew a walk, reached base. He didn't need much help, but got plenty from both the offense and Miami's defense. Jace drove in two and leads the Braves with seven RBI.
April 14 vs. Miami
Actual Result - MIA wins 8-2
OOTP Result - MIA wins 10-2
The score was ugly enough, but more pressing was the injuries. Markakis left with a knee issue in the first inning. The Braves will finish off tomorrow's game and decide then if a roster move will be needed. The far more pressing injury, though, was Shelby Miller. Don't let the score fool you. It was 1-0 Braves when Miller finished the third, but he left with an injury. The Braves bullpen was roughed up with Johnson and Grilli especially looking bad. Fingers crossed that Miller won't miss much - if any - time.
April 15 vs. Miami
Actual Result - MIA wins 6-2
OOTP Result - MIA wins 4-1
Before we talk about the game, the diagnosis is in on both Miller and Jaime. The former provided a piece of miserable news as Miller tore a back muscle. A move will be made before the Toronto series to replace him. Jaime will miss the weekend and maybe a little into next week, but his elbow should be fine. Kinda want him and Miller to trade. For today, at least, Michael Kohn will replace Miller on the staff with the bullpen tired. As for the game, Atlanta managed just four hits and trailed from the second inning on. Cahill was much better this time out and worked six pretty good innings. Some bad defense led to a pair of unearned runs that made the game a bit more difficult for the Braves to come back, but considering they had just one baserunner after the sixth, a comeback wasn't in the cards anyway.
Not the best week for the real-life Braves or my OOTP version as both finish the week 3-3. Still better than more loses than wins, though. Looks like I might miss a week of Markakis, but unless forced to do so, I'll keep him active. A series in an AL park will limit the need for a full bench for three of those days. Plus, it looks like Stults will, for the time being, be my fifth starter.
Injury Report...
Chris Johnson - Thigh Muscle Strain (Will miss weekend series)
Christian Bethancourt - Post-concussion syndrome (Mid-May Return?)
Shae Simmons - Elbow Surgery (Lost for Year)
Daniel Winkler - Elbow Surgery (June/July Return?)
Mike Minor - Shoulder Discomfort (Maybe less than two weeks if no set-back)
Josh Outman - General Suckage (Mid-May Return?)
April 10 vs. New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 8-7
What a wild one this turned out to be. After seven innings, the Mets held a 4-3 lead and Cahill had been chased after 4.2 ING. But in the bottom of the 8th, the Braves got to Mets starter Rafael Montero. With two one, A.J. Pierzynski tied it with a double and after an intentional walk, Eric Young Jr. brought home the go-ahead run with an infield hit. The Braves would use a single, walk, and HBP to increase their lead to 8-4, but would need every bit of that to hold on after Jim Johnson and Jason Grilli struggled in the ninth. With the tying run on first, Grilli struck out John Mayberry Jr. to end the game.
April 11 vs. New York Mets
Actual Result - ATL wins 5-3
OOTP Result - NYM wins 3-2
The real Braves haven't missed Craig Kimbrel so far, but the OOTP team has. Cody Martin threw five innings of one-run ball, though the Mets squandered a lot of baserunners. In the 8th with the game tied at one, EYJ led things off with a single and scored on a Nick Markakis double. The Braves wasted a chance to add on and that would prove huge as Wilmer Flores hit a two-run homer off Grilli in the 9th. The Braves closer had walked Lucas Duda to open the inning.
April 12 vs. New York Mets
Actual Result - NYM wins 4-3
OOTP Result - ATL wins 4-3
Braves open the year with back-to-back series wins. They were down 3-0 early, but scored two in the third and in the seventh, Jonny Gomes drove in Jace Peterson with a pinch hit single after Jace had singled, advanced on an error, and stole third. After a sacrifice bunt, Alberto Callaspo broke the tie with a pinch hit single of his own, plating Pierzynski who had reached on the previous error. Jim Johnson secured his first save of the year. Juan Jaime was actually closing in on the save before leaving with one out in the ninth. His diagnosis is pending.
April 13 vs. Miami
Actual Result - ATL wins 3-2
OOTP Result - ATL wins 7-1
Julio Teheran was staked to a six-run lead in the first and went the distance from there. He yielded just two hits in the game, walked two, and struck out four. Of the last 17 batters he faced, only Mike Morse, who drew a walk, reached base. He didn't need much help, but got plenty from both the offense and Miami's defense. Jace drove in two and leads the Braves with seven RBI.
April 14 vs. Miami
Actual Result - MIA wins 8-2
OOTP Result - MIA wins 10-2
The score was ugly enough, but more pressing was the injuries. Markakis left with a knee issue in the first inning. The Braves will finish off tomorrow's game and decide then if a roster move will be needed. The far more pressing injury, though, was Shelby Miller. Don't let the score fool you. It was 1-0 Braves when Miller finished the third, but he left with an injury. The Braves bullpen was roughed up with Johnson and Grilli especially looking bad. Fingers crossed that Miller won't miss much - if any - time.
April 15 vs. Miami
Actual Result - MIA wins 6-2
OOTP Result - MIA wins 4-1
Before we talk about the game, the diagnosis is in on both Miller and Jaime. The former provided a piece of miserable news as Miller tore a back muscle. A move will be made before the Toronto series to replace him. Jaime will miss the weekend and maybe a little into next week, but his elbow should be fine. Kinda want him and Miller to trade. For today, at least, Michael Kohn will replace Miller on the staff with the bullpen tired. As for the game, Atlanta managed just four hits and trailed from the second inning on. Cahill was much better this time out and worked six pretty good innings. Some bad defense led to a pair of unearned runs that made the game a bit more difficult for the Braves to come back, but considering they had just one baserunner after the sixth, a comeback wasn't in the cards anyway.
Not the best week for the real-life Braves or my OOTP version as both finish the week 3-3. Still better than more loses than wins, though. Looks like I might miss a week of Markakis, but unless forced to do so, I'll keep him active. A series in an AL park will limit the need for a full bench for three of those days. Plus, it looks like Stults will, for the time being, be my fifth starter.
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