Morning Chop: Braves 6/17
By Jeff Schafer
""
Freeman, Teheran lead Braves past SF Giants 3-0
Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
"Freddie Freeman singled three times and drove in one run, Julio Teheran pitched six innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 3-0 on Sunday night.Atlanta won its second straight to take the three-game series and increase its NL East lead to 6½ games.San Francisco, the defending World Series champion, has lost 14 of its last 20 on the road, but the Giants remained just one game behind Arizona in the NL West.Braves closer Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 19th save in 22 chances. Kimbrel struck out Andres Torres and Joaquin Arias before retiring Nick Noonan on a flyout.Freeman, who began the night hitless in 11 career appearances against Giants starter Tim Lincecum, singled in his first three at-bats and improved his average to .456 with runners in scoring position – third-best in the majors."
Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets Preview
"MLB wagering interest swings to the Atlanta vs New York battle on Monday at Turner Field as the Braves try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.The Braves will turn to Tim Hudson and his 4-6 record as they look for a win in this one, while the Mets send Dillon Gee (5-6) to the hill.Betting Line:Baseball odds makers, including 5Dimes, opened the Braves as -175 moneyline favorites in this matchup. Over under bettors saw the number open at 7 at shops such as 5Dimes.Power Rankings: The Braves – Mets odds would favor the Braves if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Atlanta is rated No. 9 in the current National League Odds Shark poll, while New York is at No. 15 in the National League."
Atlanta Braves Salaries
"Dan Uggla32Second baseman$13,146,942B.J. Upton27Center fielder$13,050,000Brian McCann28Catcher$12,000,000Justin Upton24Left fielder$9,958,333Tim Hudson36Starting pitcher$9,000,000Paul Maholm30Starting pitcher$6,500,000Eric O’Flaherty27Relief Pitcher$4,320,000Jason Heyward22Right fielder$3,650,000Kris Medlen26Starting pitcher$2,600,000"
Andrew Parker, Mike Volpe Sign With Atlanta Braves
"Senior catcher Andrew Parker and senior pitcher Mike Volpe of Towson University have signed free agent contracts with the Atlanta Braves and will be assigned to one of the Braves’ minor league affiliates.Parker and Volpe led the Tigers to their first Colonial Athletic Association championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013.A three-year starter at catcher for the Tigers, Parker was honored as the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He finished the season with a .989 fielding percentage and threw out 26 of 54 base runners trying to steal against him.Volpe enjoyed an outstanding senior season for the Tigers as he posted a 10-3 record with 2.59 E.R.A. In 16 games, he pitched 102.2 innings and allowed 41 earned runs. He issued 35 walks and had 76 strikeouts.At the CAA Tournament, he compiled a 2-0 record with a 3.94 E.R.A. and 17 strikeouts in 16 innings of work. In the CAA championship game, he pitched the Tigers to a 5-2 win over William & Mary by throwing a complete game seven-hitter. He walked two and had four strikeouts earned a berth on the CAA All-Tournament team. In the win over William & Mary, he pitched the first complete game of his career."