Wild Card Thursday: Pick Your Next Student Life Event

It's Wild Card Thursday! If you could pick a resident life event, what would it be?

A. Dive-In Movie Night

B. Laser Tag in the Parking Deck

C. Volleyball Tournament

D. Video Game Tournament

E. Atlanta Dream Ticket Giveaway (Courtside Seats)

                                  Hit the comments below, and let us know what you think! 

Braves Weekly Wrap-Up

This week for the Braves started out with another loss to the New York Yankees on Monday.  Mike Minor, coming off one of his best starts of the season, pitched well in the first four innings of the game before struggling in the fifth.  The final score of the game was 6-2, with CC Sabathia getting the win and Minor taking the loss.  On Tuesday, the Braves finally were able to put up a win against the Yankees, the hottest team in the majors right now.  This win was all about Jason Heyward.  Not only did he help the Braves with his efforts at the plate, going 2-3 with an RBI and a walk, he kept the go-ahead run from scoring in the fifth inning by throwing out Mark Teixeira on a Nick Swisher single.  In the top half of the sixth, Heyward roped a line drive that was hit so hard, Teixeira, a perennial gold-glover, didn’t have time to react to it.  The ball hit him in the ankle and bounced into center field, allowing Brian McCann to score the winning run.  The final game of the series with the Yankees was a home run derby.  While the Yankees belted 4 solo home runs, the Braves were able to hit 5 on the game.  Prado, Freeman, Heyward, and Ross all went deep for the Braves, with Heyward homering twice.

Heyward watches a home run in the win over the Yankees on Wednesday

The Braves carried the momentum from the Yankees series into the Red Sox series.  On Friday, Jair Jurrjens returned to the major league club in extraordinary fashion.  After struggling mightily all year in the majors and the minors, Jurrjens pitched a gem on Friday.  Behind the efforts of Jurrjens, the Braves were able to beat the Sox 4-1.  If Jurrjens continues to pitch well, it could pose some interesting scenarios for the Braves around the trade deadline.  The next game with the Red Sox did not go quite as well.  Braves starter Randall Delgado got hit around, and the offense never strung anything major together.  Delgado wasn’t even able to pitch 2 full innings before being pulled from the game.  The game Sunday was started by Mike Minor, who again looked good for a few innings before giving up some runs.  The loss Sunday finished the series with the Red Sox with the Sox taking two out of three.  If Delgado and Minor don’t pitch well in the coming weeks, look for the Braves to be buyers in the pitching market around the trade deadline.

If Jurrens pitches well, the trade deadline could be an interesting time.

    

One major storyline over the past few weeks has been the resurgence of Jason Heyward at the plate.  After struggling ever since his impressive rookie season two years ago, Heyward is finally starting to show flashes of his talent that led him to be one of the most hyped prospects in the past decade.  He now has his batting average over .270, and his power numbers have increased over the past few weeks.  He has also stepped up his running game this season.  While the number of steals is not eye-popping, the timing of his steals has helped the Braves win games more than once this year.  He also has great instincts on the base paths, often taking an extra base when the defense is sleeping. 

Friday Night Live!

  If you are looking for something to do tonight without breaking the bank, head over to Atlantic Station for Friday Night Live. This FREE music event located in Atlantic Stations Central Park, features some of the best local acts from around the Peach State. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to have a night on the town, you can't miss with this event. Tonight Brother Grey, and Summer Dare  will be taking the stage from7:00pm-9:00pm tonight. Check out the links below to hear a sample of each bands music

                                                                                            

Brother Grey Music Sample                   Summer Dare Music Sample

Kicks on Campus

Jordan Brand is set to release it's 3rd rendition of the retroed Air Jordan XII in only a few hours. Aside from the orginal 'playoff ' colorway that was released a few months back, the 'Obsidian' colorway set to drop tomorrow has sneakerheads everywhere on edge. Will you be grabbing a pair this weekend? Hit the comments below, and let us know!

Obsidian Air Jordan XII Retro

Braves Ticket Giveaway

Are you ready for FREE Braves baseball? Answer the trivia questions below correctly, and you could be one of our lucky winners. The first two residents, to turn in their answers to a Westmar team member by 6:00pm tomorrow, will win a pair of tickets to an upcoming game.

1. How long does it take the average person to fall asleep?

a. 10 minuites      b. 1 hour      c. 7 minutes      d. 15 minutes

2. The average human lies about how many times per day?

a. 1 one time per day      b. 2 times per day      c. 3 times per day      d. 10 times per day

3. Rubber Bands last longer when...

a. They are refridgerated      b. They are heated      c. They are stretched out         

4. In what year did the Atlanta Braves played the Minnesota Twins in the World Series?

a. 1991      b. 1992      c. 1993      d. 1996

 Good luck, and GO BRAVES!!!

Braves Weekly Wrap-up

The roller coaster ride that is the Atlanta Braves’ season continued this week.  After winning 5 out of 6 last week, the Braves came into this week with lots of momentum.  The momentum, however, did not carry over to this week.  The week began with a three game sweep to the Yankees.  Although the losses hurt, it’s perhaps the way in which the Braves lost that is most alarming.  In the first game, the Braves were shutout by Yankees starter Ivan Nova.  Randall Delgado threw 5 innings and gave up 3 runs.  The game Tuesday against the Yankees was perhaps the most disturbing.  In Tuesday’s game, Alex Rodriguez tied the game in the eighth inning with a grand slam off of Braves reliever Jonny Venters.  After one of Mike Minor’s best outings of the year, Atlanta’s setup man continued to struggle, blowing the lead and costing Minor a win.  The final game in the home series with the Yankees on Wednesday was another case of Atlanta’s offense struggling to hit together.  Although they mustered 12 hits against the Yankees, they managed to score only two runs in a 3-2 defeat. 

Braves fans will no longer have to watch Livan Hernandez squander their leads.

                                              

The offense was rescued by rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons in the series opener with the Orioles on Thursday.  With the Braves down 2-1 in the sixth, Simmons belted a 3-run homer to give the Braves a lead they would not lose.  Also in this game, Martin Prado proved why he is arguably the best utility player in the majors.  Filling in for an injured Freddie Freeman, Prado played first base like a perennial gold-glover.  The second game of the series with the Orioles did not go as planned for the Braves.  The only hit they managed off of Orioles starter Jason Hammel came in the 7^th inning off the bat of Jason Heyward.  The final game on Sunday was another example of the offense not hitting together.  They managed to get 7 hits off of the Orioles starters, yet they failed to score a run.  Randall Delgado’s best start of the year - an 8 IP, 3 H effort - was squandered.      

Beachy leaves his start on Saturday with arm discomfort

The biggest storyline of this week was the injury to Brandon Beachy.  Coming into the game on Saturday, Beachy was leading the majors in ERA at 1.98.  In Saturday’s game, he hadn’t allowed a baserunner going into the 4^th inning.  With two outs in the 4^th, he walked Chris Davis.  He was then removed from the game due to arm discomfort and placed on the 15 day DL shortly after the game.  The loss of Beachy makes an already shaky starting rotation even more questionable for the short future.  The Braves haven’t yet confirmed who Beachy’s replacement will be, but one can assume it will be either Kris Medlen or Julio Teheran.  Although Medlen is the more experienced pitcher, Teheran has very little left to prove in AAA.  At some point, the Braves have to call up Teheran for good if only to see whether or not he can be a successful major league starter. 

Make the Dream Your Reality

Do you want FREE utilities for a year, just like the Bearcat? There are only 2 days left to make his dream your reality. Don't miss out on your chance to renew and be entered for a chance to win a year of FREE UTILITIES!!! Contact our leasing office as soon as you can to be included in this amazing offer!

Calling All Sneakerhead's

 

Are you a Sneaker Head? If so we would love to have you take part in the next episode of our Kicks on Campus series. We will be raffling off a gift certificate to one lucky Westmar sneaker junkie, to help them purchase their next pair of kicks. Be sure to stay tuned to our blog and Facebook page for more information.

Braves Ticket Giveaway

 Want to go to a Braves game...for Free? Watch the video to find out how you can win your tickets later on this month.

Braves Weekly Wrap-up

Teammates swarm Heyward after his walk-off steal

Teammates swarm Heyward after his walk-off steal

This week for the Braves went exceptionally well.  The week began with a 3-2 win in the series finale against the Washington Nationals.  Heyward began a hot streak that lasted all week with his two-run single in the 5^th that chased Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez from the game.  After the off day on Monday, the game against the Marlins on Tuesday was perhaps the best for the Braves as a team on the season.  Starter Tim Hudson threw a complete game shutout, limiting the Marlins to 8 baserunners over the course of the game.  Offensively, Dan Uggla and recently promoted shortstop Andrelton Simmons were the stars.  Uggla went 4-5 with 2 HR and 5 RBI.  Simmons ended up going 3-5 with 3 RBI.  The final score of the game was 11-0.  The next two games were also victories for the Braves, finishing a sweep of the Marlins.  In the second game, Heyward hit 2 HR, and Martin Prado had 3 RBI.  Michael Bourn had 2 HR and Heyward hit another in the win over Toronto on Friday.  The game went into extra innings, and the Braves won when a throwing error by Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia allowed Jason Heyward to score from third to win the game.  The week ended with the 6^th straight win for the Braves in a 5-2 effort over the Blue Jays.  The Braves look to sweep the Blue Jays in the series finale Sunday.

Lucas Sims in a game for Brookwood High School

Lucas Sims in a game for Brookwood High School

Off the field this week, the major league draft took place.  With their first pick in the draft, the Braves took a pitcher from Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County, Lucas Sims.  Even though the pre-draft comments from the Braves indicated that they would go for offense in the early portion of the draft, the selection of Sims was not a surprise.  He is an excellent prospect at only 18 years old, and the Braves have never been shy about drafting high school pitching prospects.  According to Keith Law of ESPN.com, Sims is currently rated as the Braves’ fourth best prospect behind Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, and Christian Bethancourt. With their next several picks, they took two catchers, two outfielders, and another pitcher



Smoltz acknowledges the crowd after his number retirement ceremony on Friday

The story of the week, however, was the retirement of John Smoltz’s number before Friday’s game against the Blue Jays.  Smoltz is an all-time great Brave and a unanimous first ballot MLB hall of famer.  Smoltz is the only pitcher in the history of baseball to have over 200 wins and 150 saves.  He became the 16^th member of the 3,000 strikeout club on April 22, 2008 by striking out Felipe Lopez with his patented splitter.  The most impressive thing about Smoltz was his career in the postseason.  When all was said and done, he finished with a postseason record of 15-4, an ERA of 2.67, and an 8.97 K/9.  He, along with Maddux and Glavine, was a part of arguably the greatest pitching rotation on one team in major league history.  He will definitely go down as one of the greats in major league history.

Braves Weekly Wrap-up

This week for the Braves was a very up-and-down ride.  The week began on Sunday with the 7^th straight loss for the Braves. On top of that, it finished off a three-game sweep at the hands of the NL East division rival Washington Nationals.  Another loss on Monday brought the losing streak to 8 games, the longest for the Braves in over two years.  The long losing streak can be attributed to a couple of key injuries as well as lackluster play from some of the healthy starters.  Injuries to Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, David Ross, and Chipper Jones left a gaping hole in the Atlanta offense.  Guys like Eric Hinske, Juan Francisco, J.C. Boscan, and Matt Diaz were called on to fill those holes.  While they are excellent players to come off the bench, they are not everyday players. 

Uggla will need to stay hot, if the Braves want to make a run in the playoffs

                On Tuesday, the Braves finally ended their losing streak by beating the Cardinals 5-4 behind a strong performance at the plate from Dan Uggla, who went 1-2 with a 3-run homer and 2 walks.  Wednesday brought Braves fans some hope for the season as both Brian McCann and Freddie Freeman hit their first home runs since their respective injuries.  The Braves had a scheduled off day on Thursday, and the game on Friday with the Nationals was postponed due to inclement weather.  On Saturday, the Braves were dominated by the Nationals’ top starter, Stephen Strasburg.  The Braves were only able to get 4 hits off of Strasburg while striking out 9 times. 

A dejected Pastornicky will be headed down to Triple-A Gwinnett

Simmons will look to make a quick impact in the majors

One of the major storylines of the week was the struggles of SS prospect Tyler Pastornicky.  For the season, “Rev” is only hitting .248.  However, the most important thing that led to him being replaced on the major league roster was his defense.  He only had 7 errors on the season, but his lack of range and a subpar arm were his ultimate undoing.  Many plays that should have been made were not, although errors weren’t charged.   Because of his struggles, Pastornicky was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett Thursday.  To replace him, Andrelton Simmons was called up.  The scouting report on Simmons is that his defense is top tier, but his offense is still a work in progress.  Simmons is projected to hit about the same as Pastornicky, but his defense is worlds better.  With the addition of Simmons to the defense and the health of their starters, the Braves have the potential to turn an up-and-down season into a playoff run.