Morning Chop: Braves 6/3
By Jeff Schafer
MLB: Atlanta 6, Washington 3
Jun 2, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielders
Reed Johnson(7) and
B.J. Upton(2) celebrate defeating the Washington Nationals at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Nationals 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
"Ramiro Pena socked a two-run homer and B.J. Upton added a solo blast Sunday, carrying the Atlanta Braves over Washington 6-3.Pena’s blast in the first inning staked the Braves to an early lead while Upton’s clout in the next frame put Atlanta ahead to stay at 3-2.Freddie Freeman” href=”http://www.upi.com/topic/Freddie_Freeman/”>Freddie Freeman added a two-run double and Justin Upton” href=”http://www.upi.com/topic/Justin_Upton/”>Justin Upton went 3-for-4 with a run scored as the National League East-leading Braves took the rubber match of a three-game series."
Atlanta Braves wives donate to OK relief efforts
"The Atlanta Braves wives raised money for Oklahoma tornado relief efforts Sunday with a “Brown Bag Bonanza” mystery baseball sale.The bags contained autographed baseballs."
Atlanta Braves Host Autism Awareness Day 2013
"Atlanta kicked off the month of June with our Autism Awareness Game on Sunday, June 2nd, part of Major League Baseball’s partnership with Autism Speaks. Over 250 tickets were sold as families from as far as Alabama came see the Atlanta Braves take on the Washington Nationals at Turner Field. A huge thank you to Walk co-chair Jason Cristal who spearheaded this day of fun at the ballpark!Families enjoyed a parade on the field prior to the start of the game and we were all seated in a great section of the outfield out of the hot Georgia sun! The Atlanta Braves made us all feel extremely welcome as we took advantage of our special sensory friendly room in the Season Ticket Holder Clubhouse.For every ticket purchased, each family member with autism was free. It was an amazing opportunity for families like Steve and his sons Owen and Ethan, who had never been to a baseball game before, to enjoy a game. Each ticket was an entry into a drawing for the chance to win the honoring of calling “Play Ball” at the start of the game. Congratulations to Kristen Gordon and her daughter Carmen for winning the drawing!"
Braves sign Mitch Atkins to minor league deal
"The Atlanta Braves have signed right-hander Mitch Atkins to a minor league deal, a source has confirmed to MLBDailyDish.com. Atkins, who has been pitching for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League this season, will report to Double-A Mississippi.After being drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 draft by the Chicago Cubs, Atkins made his major league debut in 2009 and appeared in two games that season. In ten career major league appearances with the Cubs (2009-2010) and Orioles (2011), he has a 6.75 ERA and 6.8 K/9 ratio. In 2012, he was 6-9 with a 4.87 ERA in 28 appearances with the Syracuse Chiefs, theWashington Nationals‘ Triple-A affiliate."
ATLANTA BRAVES VS. PITTSBURGH PIRATES
"The Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates face off on Monday in Atlanta for game one of their series between teams with some of the best records in baseball.The Atlanta Braves have been one of the more dominant teams this season but when they travelled to Pittsburgh a few weeks back they were swept by the Pirates in a weekend series. The Braves are 6-4 in their last 10 games, 18-7 at home this season, and they lead the NL East by 6.5 games. As a team the Braves are hitting .245 with Chris Johnson hitting .336, Freddie Freeman hitting .314, and Evan Gattis hitting .269. The Braves opponents are hitting .243 and the Atlanta pitching staff has an ERA of 3.36. For game one of the series the Braves start Kris Medlen who was hit in the leg in his last start by a line drive and left after two innings. For the season Medlen has allowed 64 hits and 25 earned runs while striking out 48 over 64.2 innings for a 1-6 record and a 3.48 ERA.The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to look like a contender as they hope to put themselves in position for a post-season berth for the first time in many years. The Pirates are 6-4 in their last 10 games, 14-11 on the road this season, and they are 2.5 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central. As a team the Pirates are hitting .241 with Starling Marte hitting .287, Andrew McCutchen hitting .284, and Neil Walker hitting .260. The Pirates opponents are hitting .223 and the Pittsburgh pitching staff has an ERA of 3.15. For game one at Turner Field the Pirates start A.J. Burnett who has lost his last three decisions. For the season Burnett has allowed 54 hits and 23 earned runs while striking out 89 over 76 innings for a 3-5 record and a 2.72 ERA."