Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 8/31
Aug 30, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Julio Teheran(49) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Braves’ Teheran wins duel with Marlins’ Fernandez
via Miami Herald
ATLANTA — When Elliot Johnson doubled and Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer before the second out of the first inning Friday night, Braves fans might have wondered what all the fuss was about over Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez.
Fernandez settled in and gave everyone a good idea why he’s a frontrunner for NL Rookie of the Year. But Atlanta’s own top rookie, Julio Teheran, won the pitching duel and the Braves beat the Marlins, 2-1, at Turner Field to push their winning streak to five games and cut their magic number to 15.
Any combination of Braves wins and Nationals losses totaling 15 will clinch the Braves’ first National League East division title since 2005. Atlanta improved its majors-leading records to 82-52 overall and 48-18 at home, including 17-3 with a 2.15 ERA in the past 20 home games.
Teheran (11-7) gave up one run, four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in 6-1/3 innings. He retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced and improved to 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star break.
Atlanta Braves Option Evan Gattis to Triple-A Gwinnett
In order to get Evan Gattis some at-bats, the Atlanta Braves have optioned El Oso Blanco to Triple-A Gwinnett.
The slumping rookie catcher was hitless in his last 17 at-bats and has hit just .188 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 36 games since June 1.
Fernandez’s rookie strikeout record no consolation in loss
An impressive young pitcher boosted his Rookie of the Year stock with a dominant performance Friday night at Turner Field. Unfortunately for the Marlins, it wasn’t Jose Fernandez.
On a night that Fernandez became the Marlins’ rookie king of K’s, the achievement was overshadowed by his first ‘L’ since the All-Star break.
Atlanta’s Julio Teheran, a year older at 22 and also gaining consideration in the National League’s rookie race, outdid him in a 2-1 Braves win at Turner Field.
Granted, Fernandez scored the only run off Teheran (11-7) after hitting his first career triple. But the Braves right-hander got the ‘W’ after limiting the Marlins to four hits and striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings.
It could be argued Fernandez (10-6) faced a tougher task in holding the potent Braves lineup to three hits and two runs in six innings. His consolation prize was pushing his season strikeout total to 173, surpassing Scott Olsen’s mark of 166 in 2006.
Braves Baseball Feels Like the Good Old Days
As we head into September, Atlanta Braves baseball 2013 feels like the good old days. It feels like back in the days when the Braves won 14 division championships in a row, and fans expected them to be in the playoffs, like it was their birthright.
No one expected the Braves to run away with the NL East this season. Washington was supposed to be a powerhouse and the Braves would have all they could handle to hang in there with them. We all expected a wire-to-wire, exciting pennant race.
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