Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 9/21
Sep 20, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder
Jason Heyward(right) high-fives pitcher
Kameron Loebefore their game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Morning Chop: Tomahawk Take – Summary of Braves’ News
Braves beat Cubs, reduce magic number to one
CHICAGO (AP) — Chris Johnson went 3-for-4 with a home run, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 9-5 on Friday to reduce their magic number to clinch the NL East to one.
The Braves broke open a tie game in the top of the ninth inning with four runs — all with two outs. Brian McCann and Johnson each had an RBI single, and Andrelton Simmons followed with a two-run double.
Freddie Freeman earlier hit a three-run homer for Atlanta.
David Carpenter (4-1) pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win. Kevin Gregg (2-5) took the loss for the Cubs, who wasted three home runs.
Atlanta starter Paul Maholm, twice staked to a four-run lead, allowed eight hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings. Chicago’s Scott Baker allowed only four hits in four innings but was tagged for five runs.
Heyward has ‘blast’ in return from disabled list
Braves outfielder goes 0-for-2 with walk in five innings in first game back
CHICAGO — Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez received a welcome surprise when Jason Heyward entered his office early Friday morning and told him he was ready to return to action.
With this revelation, the Braves activated Heyward from the disabled list and immediately put him in the lineup for Friday afternoon’s 9-5 win over the Cubs. The 24-year-old outfielder drew a walk, scored a run and went hitless in two at-bats while playing his first game since his jaw was fractured by Mets left-hander Jon Niese‘s fastball on Aug. 21.
Quotes From Jason Heyward After His Return Game
"It wasn’t hard to get up for that game at all. It was a lot of fun. I had a blast.It was a good day,” Heyward said. “I swung at strikes. Timing is going to come. It’s going to happen.I’m just really excited and happy to be back on the field again,” Heyward said. “I know I’ll be better in five days. But you’ve got to start the process somewhere."
See the Video of one of Jason’s at-bats in the game last night.
NL East Notes: Pierre, Polanco, Braves, Nationals
- Only two players — Tim Hudson and Brian McCann — on the current Braves roster were with the club when it last won a division title, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). Neither veteran is guaranteed to be back with Atlanta in 2014, however, as each is set to hit free agency. McCann declined to talk about his future, instead commenting that he’s focused on making a deep playoff run and adding some banners to Turner Field.
Grading Atlanta Braves’ Frank Wren’s Performance in 2013
As the 2013 regular season winds down, now is a time to reflect on the performance of general manager Frank Wren this season.
We can now gather enough information about the moves he’s made to get theBraves into their current position.
What did he do right? What could prevent the Braves from reaching the ultimate goal of a World Series title?
Let’s take a look at the grade for Wren in the past year—starting from the conclusion of the 2012 season.
Ex-Brave Otis Nixon Briefly Returns to Jail
Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Otis Nixon spent a few hours behind bars this week in Cherokee County. But this time, it wasn’t because of anything he did, according to police.
That’s because the company that previously backed Nixon’s bond decided it no longer would do so, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
Nixon was arrested in May on drug charges when he allegedly had a crack pipe in his pocket and a crack rock in his vehicle when he was stopped on I-575. On Aug. 13, Nixon was indicted on the charges.