Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 9/5
Sep 4, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Dillon Gee (35) pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to Tomahawk Take’s Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves New From Around the Net
Gee whiz: Dillon great again for Mets
ATLANTA — No do-overs allowed, but Dillon Gee likely would embrace the opportunity to extend this season for several weeks if it meant a chance to expunge April and May from his record.
Over the last three-plus months you can count on one hand the number of NL pitchers who have been as consistent as Gee — better known as the rock of the Mets’ rotation with Matt Harvey sidelined.
The right-hander yesterday helped the Mets bid good riddance to the Braves for 2013 in style, with a four-hitter over seven innings that led to a 5-2 victory at Turner Field.
Spot start turns sour for Loe, Braves in loss to Met
It had been six years since Kameron Loe started a major league game, and it’s fair to say it could be a long while before he starts another.
Making a spot start for the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday afternoon, Loe gave up 11 hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 5-2 loss to the New York Mets. A good homestand ended with a thud, and the Braves’ magic number to clinch the National League East remained at 10, pending the outcome of the Nationals’ night game at Philadelphia.
“It’s a disappointment,” said Loe, 31, brought from Triple-A Gwinnett to make a start so the Braves could give extra rest to rookie Julio Teheran. “I battled out there and gave it everything I had, but fell short today. I’ve been pitching much better lately than I did today, so I know I’m better than that.”
The Braves have won 20 of 25 home games, including seven of nine on the homestand, but it didn’t feel like it after Wednesday’s loss, in which they fell behind 5-0 in the first three innings and a backup-laden lineup mustered four hits in seven innings against Dillon Gee (11-9).
Elliot Johnson Should Be Atlanta Braves’ Starting Second Baseman
[Editorial Note: I said the same thing back in a post on August 28th, and many of our staff have echoed the same sentiments, but it’s good to know some others are coming around to my way of thinking finally.]
The Atlanta Braves‘ Elliot Johnson is good at impersonating people, doing pretty spot-on impressions of Harry Caray and Tim Kurkjian, among others.
But since the Braves claimed him off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 22, Johnson has proven to be a solid baseball player as well.
Not only has he given Atlanta quality defense at both corner outfield positions, second base, shortstop and third base, he has also swung a fairly good stick. He hasn’t set the world on fire by any means, but he has been better than any of the other current options the Braves have at, oh, I don’t know, second base.
Braves’ Chris Johnson on leading the NL in hitting: ‘It’s cool’
Atlanta Braves 3B Chris Johnson is the improbable National League batting leader with less than a month to go in the 2013 season.
But the 28-year-old, who’s played on three teams in the past two seasons, isn’t taking the prospect of winning the crown too seriously — at least not yet.
“It’s cool,” Johnson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, I don’t know if it’s (serious) yet. When you’ve got two weeks left, that might be the time to say there’s a shot. But right now? A month? A lot can happen in a month. You can be hitting .330 at the beginning of the month and be hitting .315 at the end. Or you can be hitting .340, something like that.”