One aspect, more than any other, that has plagued the 2009 Atlanta Braves during the first month of the season has been consistency.
April has really been an anomaly for the Braves (10-11).
After beginning the season with such high hopes following the conclusion of the first week of the month with a 5-1 record, the stagnant bats developed a short fuse. One night they would push 10 runs across the plate, the next day they would struggle to score one.
While the new-look starting rotation has made every attempt to keep the team in games past the sixth inning, the inefficiency in the offense has hampered the club’s opportunity to win ballgames.
The starting pitchers have been so valuable that the Braves have posted quite an unusual stat — the team has scored three runs or less in 11 of their first 21 games of the season, yet, somehow, sit just a game under the .500 mark.
That’s why this month’s “Tomahawk Take Brave of the Month” was such an easy choice.
The arm of Jair Jurrjens has habitually given Atlanta a chance to notch a victory in each one of his outings.
After taking over the top spot of the Braves rotation last season when a core of veteran starters went down with a rash of injuries, Jurrjens was Atlanta’s most reliable arm. He posted a 13-10 record with a 3.68 ERA in 188.1 innings and struck out 139 batters.
Not bad for a seemingly unknown rookie (at least to Braves fans) who was one of the two prospects acquired in the Edgar Renteria trade with Detroit Tigers.
This season, coupled with the additions of Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez, Jurrjens has been allowed to take a step back in his second year without having the burden of carrying the rotation on his shoulders.
If only someone would have told him.
Despite a 2-2 record, the right-hander has been absolutely outstanding, notching a 1.72 ERA while surrendering just seven runs (six earned) in 31.1 innings. He’s averaged just around six innings per start, has yet to allow a home run and in both of his losses he has allowed a combined total of three runs. Right-handed batters have been limited to a miniscule 1.76 average against Jurrjens, while lefties have carried a .254 average.
In Jurrjens last three starts, where he has gone 0-2, he has been at his best. On April 17 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he tossed 6 2/3 innings, surrendering just one run on four hits while striking out seven. The Braves lost 3-0.
Jurrjens followed that performance up with a gem against the Washington Nationals where he tossed 7 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. He gave up just six hits as the Nationals went on to defeat the Braves 1-0 — pinning Jurrjens with the no-decision.
As if that wasn’t enough, the 23-year old’s bad luck continued in his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals. He allowed two earned runs on six hits in six innings while the Braves dropped the game 3-2.
If the Atlanta bats ever decide to score runs (and right now, that’s a giant IF) for Jurrjens and support the righty, we could be a looking at a 15-18 game winner in the National League.
But, as of April 30th, that remains to be seen.
Tomahawk Take’s “Brave of the Month” is a monthly (you think?) column that recognizes and celebrates a single Atlanta Brave as the most important player on the club to the team’s success during that specific month. If you have a different opinion (and you should), feel free to comment and leave a response to your “Brave of the Month.”
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