One bleepin’ run
There’s a great scene in Major League – well there are a lot of them actually – in which Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker) is going through the box score and utters, “The Indians got one hit. (brief pause) That’s all we got was one (bleep bleep) hit.”
His sidekick covers Harry’s mic and whispers, “You can’t say (bleep bleep) on the air.”
Doyle responds, “Don’t worry, nobody is listening anyway.”
Yeah, that should be the concern of the Braves brass right about now as the boys from the A-T-L limp into the All-Star break.
For the second day in a row, all the Braves could manage against a team with the third-worst ERA in the National League was one run – cue Harry, “That’s all we got was one (bleep bleep) run.”
So now, after two straight losses to a Pirates team that was 23 games under .500 before the Braves came to town, the Braves are teetering.
And know this friends: After today’s series finale with the Pirates and three with the Marlins before the All-Star break next week, the Braves close the month with the Rays, Padres, Phillies, Mets and Brewers. Those five teams are a combined 49 games over .500.
And if they don’t find a way to right the ship, they’re not going to have to worry about too many of us listening come August.
Rising Suns
OK, so my view that Giannis’ season was done was wrong. Wicked wrong.
But my view that the Suns would roll in Game 1 was still solid despite the impressive return of Milwaukee’s two-time MVP.
Despite 20 points and 17 rebounds in 35 minutes from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Phoenix cruised to a 118-105 Game 1 win.
It’s a double conundrum for the Bucks – losing by double digits and with Giannis playing and playing well – and their title chances.
So, as Fat Vader hinted Tuesday, is this a “Suns in Four” kinda of vibe?
I don’t think so, but this stat I saw is staggering in terms of match-ups and mismatches.
Milwaukee defensively is designed to allow the mid-range shot. The Bucks challenge all 3s and Giannis is a great weak-side defensive presence on drives to the rim.
That leaves the mid-range area wide open. In theory, this is the defensive equivalent of the modern “3 or lay-up” philosophy of the modern, analytics-inspired offensive game.
And it makes sense.
It also makes the Suns smile, because no team in the league shot better from the mid-range than Phoenix. Uh-oh.