The 10 worst games in A-Braves history: Aug. 22, 2008

No one could have seen 2008 coming. Jorge Campillo was arguably the second most dependable hurler on a team that built its reputation on pitching. Jo-Jo Reyes (1.646 WHIP) started 22 games;  Charlie Morton (1.621 WHIP) started 15. Chuck James, who looked so promising in 2006, finished with a 9.10 ERA in 7 starts. Then there was the courageous Mike Hampton, who overcame a bruised titty and other assorted boo-boos to appear in 13 games.

Morton got the call in  the 18-3 loss to the Cards and didn’t make it out of the second, walking 5 of the 14 hitters he faced, good for 4 ER. Five Braves relievers — none of whom pitched in the majors in 2012 — would allow the game’s remaining 14 runs. The names say it all: Vladimir Nunez, Matt DeSalvo (11 H, 7 ER in 2 IP as a Brave), Blaine Boyer, Jeff Bennett and Julian Tavarez.

Might as well have been 1988.

St. Louis scored its 18 runs without a homer; 21 of the Cards’ 26 hits were singles. Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright had 3 hits while reliever Joel Pineiro stroked a double in his only AB. Cesar Izturis, who hit like a pitcher, singled four times.

The Aug. 22 defeat was the Braves 6th loss in a row. They were outscored 54-14 during that stretch and finished the year 72-90, 20 games out of first. Strangely, the ’08 Bravos drew 100,000 more fans than the ’12 version.

Golden age.

Find the rest of the list here.

                1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9    R  H  E
                -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -    -  -  -
Braves          0  0  0   0  1  0   0  0  2    3 10  0
Cardinals       0  4  0   2  6  3   0  3  X   18 26  0

The 10 worst games in A-Braves history: June 28, 1988

This 13-7 defeat wasn’t the worst loss of the ’88 season, just one of many really bad games played by the most godawful team in Atlanta Braves history. They had SEVEN losing streaks of at least 5 games, including the season’s first 10 games in which they were outscored 60-27. The June 28 loss, which dropped the Bravos to 26-47, came amid a 6-game skid and featured some of the more notable scrubs ever to don an Atlanta uniform, including:

*Starting pitcher German Jimenez, who was making his much-unanticipated debut. He was a pudgy Mexican southpaw, leading the optimists among us to dream he would evolve into the next Fernando Valenzuela, or at least Teddy Higuera. He allowed 8 hits and 5 earned in 4-1/3 and won only once in 15 appearances that year.

*Kevin Coffman — a Frank LaCorte away from being the worst pitcher in team history — relieved Jimenez and pitched accordingly, allowing 3 hits and walking 2 in an 1-1/3. Coffman walked 76 in 92 innings as a Brave, good for a 1.830 WHIP and 5.46 ERA.

*Reserve infielder Jim Morrison, who recorded the Braves’ only strikeout in 2-1/3 scoreless frames. He didn’t allow a run in 2 other appearances that year. Good thing he could pitch — Morrison batted .152, but still finished with a better OBP than …

*Andres Thomas, who committed an error. Nothing unusual about that — only 2 National Leaguers topped Andres’ 29 miscues. Hard to get away with that when you have a .544 OPs (just a shade below his career mark).

*Surprisingly, 2B Ron Gant did not make an error. He finished the year with 26 in 122 games and would find himself in Single-A ball the following year. Gant the outfielder was by no means a scrub. Gant the infielder was.

*So was Dion James, who batted third, and starting 3B Ken Oberkfell. Same for catcher Ozzie Virgil, who would’ve made this game the perfect symbol of that lost season had he hit a meaningless solo homer in the 8th with the Braves trailing by 7.

We’re halfway there. Check out the previous selections here.

     1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9    R  H  E
                -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -    -  -  -
Giants          0  1  4   1  1  3   3  0  0   13 19  0
Braves          0  2  0   1  2  1   0  1  0    7 12  2