Here are a few detailed takes from the Braves' 5-4 loss to the Phillies on Sunday -- a back-and-forth defeat that didn't spoil the Philly Phanatic's 37th birthday bash:
That was certainly an interesting gamble on the Phillies' part:
Holding onto a 5-4 lead in the 9th, with two outs and Andrelton Simmons on first base, conventional wisdom dictated that Philly closer Jonathan Papelbon earnestly pitch to Freeman -- since you don't want the game-tying run on second base (Simmons).
But Papelbon nonetheless dodged Freeman (batting in the 4-slot) with a five-pitch walk, essentially pressuring Kelly Johnson (5-slot) to be the Braves' Sunday hero.
Johnson's lineout to left field was a game-ender; it might have also been a moment of clarity for opposing managers ... who might rather walk Freeman in many high-stress situations (minus the bases loaded) -- and let his followers carry the burden of producing runs.
To be fair, every Braves regular batting behind Freeman tallied at least one hit against Philly pitching, and Kelly Johnson and Jace Peterson (two RBI) were responsible for three of Atlanta's runs.
It's merely the perception of things involving Freeman's lineup protection. Whether we're talking about Johnson, Peterson, Jonny Gomes or rookie catcher Christian Bethancourt ... only Gomes has a batting average above .230.
Things get even dicier when you realize A.J. Pierzynski (.382 batting average, 1.138 OPS) wasn't brought in to usurp Bethancourt at catcher.
The aging Howard is a boom-or-bust option at the plate, with a lot more busts than booms these days. Heading into the weekend, the former National League MVP had just one homer on his 2015 resume -- along with a sub-.200 batting average.
Fast forward to the present: Howard still has a batting average below the Mendoza line ... but two more homers on the stats page.
On Saturday, Howard's homer staked the Phillies (7-12) to an early lead -- before the Braves rallied for the victory.
On Sunday, with Atlata pitcher Trevor Cahill working with a 2-0 lead, Howard launched a three-run blast into the right-field seats, taking away Atlanta's final lead of the weekend.
There's a certain deja-vu component to Howard's weekend exploits: The last time the slugger belted homers consecutive days, interestingly, came against the Braves --June 16 and 17 from last year.
Those 2014 dingers occurred at Turner Field; and Howard's Phillies will be there again next week.
It's been a rough early road for Cahill (late-spring trade acquisition), who surrendered four runs and five hits against the Phillies' less-than-potent lineup.
In three starts with the Braves, the right-hander has an 8.03 ERA and equally alarming WHIP of 1.78.
Which brings us to this: While Cahill should be lauded for lasting six innings on Sunday, is it strategically wise to pair Cahill and Stults on back-to-back days?
Over time, that rationale may unduly tax the Braves' bullpen -- a group that has struggled in recent days.
Yes, Atlanta limps back home on the heels of a 3-6 road trip.
Yes, the Braves' sweet start of 6-1 seems like a month ago.
And yes, the New York Mets are on pace for something like 115 wins.
But there's zero relevance in making definitive team decisions before the calendar reads May.
(Individual assessments, however, are fair game.)
The proper perspective calls for a minimum of 40 games, before making long-term judgments -- good or bad.
As for the standings, I fully support the rationale of 680 The Fan radio host John Kincade:
Don't glance at baseball's divisional standings until Memorial Day!
