Morning Chop: Braves 8/4
Jul 27, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman
Dan Uggla(26) runs to third against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Uggla’s RBI grounder lifts Braves past Phils in 12
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The red-hot Atlanta Braves found a different way to continue their winning streak: good, old-fashioned hustle.
Dan Uggla had a tiebreaking RBI grounder in the 12th, the Atlanta bullpen pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings and the Braves beat the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 on Saturday night for their ninth straight win.
Luis Avilan (4-0), one of seven Atlanta pitchers, threw a scoreless 11th inning to earn the win and Craig Kimbrel got the last three outs for his 33rd save in 36 chances as the Braves won for the 11th time in 13 games.
Simmons Impressive Ball & Bat Tricks
You may have seen it already, but if not, we found a cool video on the MLB Fan Cave of Andrelton Simmons showing off his trick skills bouncing the ball on his bat, and with his foot, soccer style. Several other Braves’ players tried the tricks as well, but just like his wizardry with the glove, few can do it quite like Simba! Check out the video HERE.
Guerry Clegg commentary: Braves’ Freeman should be considered for NL MVP
In ESPN’s promos for tonight’s Braves-Phillies game, the narrator describes Freddie Freeman pretty aptly:
"He’s a slick-fieldng, smooth-hitting, funky-dancing, 23-year-old All-Star. He’s leading the NL East’s best team in OPS, OBP, RBI and BG, which is short for Bro Grabs. Yep, he gives the best bear hugs in the bigs. They oughta call him Friendly Freeman. He’s Friendly Freeman. He’s living the hug life. And he’s about to take the stage."
Freeman is all of that and more. It’s about time the baseball world takes notice, not only of how good he is but also how important he is to the Braves. He has been their undisputed Most Valuable Player. The Braves are threatening to run away with the division, and Freeman is a big reason why. (Yes, the Washington Nationals’ surprising collapse is another big reason.)
Aug 2, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman
Chris Johnson(23) celebrates hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Braves defeated the Phillies 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Braves’ Chris Johnson Proving Worthy to Follow Chipper Jones
Before spring training the Atlanta Braves completed a trade that brought over one of the most important players of their 2013 season. The same trade also brought over Justin Upton. Who knew that Chris Johnson, the throw-in addition to the deal for Upton, would turn out to be the National League’s batting leader this late in the year and tie a record held by Hank Aaron?