Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 5/3/14
May 2, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor (36) walks back up the mound after allowing a San Francisco Giants left fielder Michael Morse (38) home run in the sixth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Another loss for the Atlanta Braves! Fans are highly frustrated, but every team, even teams leading their division, go through dry spells. Atlanta fans always think it’s worse than it is, but with that caveat, I’ll admit that yes, it’s not pretty right now. Check out the boxscores from another close Atlanta loss last night to the San Francisco Giants, courtesy of Baseball Reference.
| Batting | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OPS | Pit | Str |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Heyward RF | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .223 | .625 | 12 | 9 |
| B.J. Upton CF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .214 | .610 | 19 | 14 |
| Freddie Freeman 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .303 | .911 | 24 | 12 |
| Justin Upton LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .313 | 1.011 | 28 | 16 |
| Chris Johnson 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .245 | .616 | 13 | 10 |
| Andrelton Simmons SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .278 | .758 | 14 | 10 |
| Ramiro Pena 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .200 | .646 | 15 | 10 |
| Gerald Laird C | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .185 | .556 | 16 | 9 |
| Mike Minor P | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | 1.000 | 4 | 4 |
| Ryan Doumit PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .194 | .412 | 2 | 2 |
| Ian Thomas P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Anthony Varvaro P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Jordan Walden P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Craig Kimbrel P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Evan Gattis PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .282 | .898 | 3 | 3 |
| Team Totals | 35 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 8 | .229 | .554 | 150 | 99 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | BF | Pit | Str | Ctct | StS | StL | GB | FB | LD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Minor, L (0-1) | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3.00 | 24 | 80 | 55 | 34 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
| Ian Thomas | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.26 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony Varvaro | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.12 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Walden | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.59 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Craig Kimbrel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2.38 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Team Totals | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2.00 | 36 | 136 | 92 | 57 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 14 | 8 |
Mike Minor wasn’t as bad as some will tag him in his 2014 debut. He did allow some hits, but walked zero batters, and a little run support from his teammates would have went a long way. I was not at all disappointed with Minor’s performance in his first outing, but I’ve been very dissapointed with the offense. Bleacher report takes a look at those offensive woes…
Mike Minor’s Tough-Luck 2014 Debut Highlights Braves’ Offensive Woes
"With Minor doing his part by turning in a solid performance, he provided further evidence that this Braves team has the whole pitching thing down solid.The whole hitting thing, on the other hand, is a work in progress. And at this point, one is starting to get the sense that’s just how it’s going to be."
The Atlanta Braves will try to avoid a fifth straight loss as Julio Teheran takes the mound for against Ryan Vogelsong of the San Francisco Giants. Teheran has been superb, and while Vogelsong has struggled mightily, his last outing against Cleveland was great. Joe Morgan of MLB takes a look..
Braves ask Teheran to play stopper vs. Giants
"So far this season, Braves starter Julio Teheran is proving he has the makeup of an ace. On Saturday, Atlanta hopes Teheran has the makeup of a stopper. He takes the hill opposite Giants hurler Ryan Vogelsong in the midst of Atlanta’s four-game losing streak.Teheran’s six straight quality starts and 1.47 ERA inspire confidence in a Braves team that has been outscored 25-8 since April 29."
As I mentioned earlier, many I spoke with weren’t thrilled by Minor’s debut, but they don’t know baseball! Minor had a solid outing for a debut, and I’m encouraged by it. I was worried a touch that Minor’s return could upset the balance, and while the starting rotation has looked in the last 3 games before Minor’s return like a different rotation altogether, Minor isn’t the cause. Andrew Shaw of Rant Sports looks at how Minor’s debut has to encourage Braves’ fans…
Atlanta Braves Have to Be Encouraged About Mike Minor’s Debut
"After starting the season on the DL because of tightness in his shoulder, Mike Minor finally made his debut for theAtlanta Braves tonight. The lefty didn’t have his best stuff out there, but the Braves have to be encouraged by his outing against the San Francisco Giants. Minor pitched pretty well for a guy who had been getting shelled in his rehab starts down in the minors, and looks ready to become a key component in the Atlanta rotation once again this year."
If you didn’t hear about it, manager Fredi Gonzalez of the Atlanta Braves suspected that there may have been some sign stealing going on in the recent sweep by the Miami Marlins. True or not, Jarrod Saltalamacchia laughed at the suspicion, and Bill Baer of NBC Sports takes a look…
Jarrod Saltalamacchia on sign-stealing accusations: “You kind of sit back and laugh a little bit.”
"Marlins catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia responded to the Braves’ recent accusations of stealing signs after being swept in a three-game series in Miami. The Marlins outscored the Braves 23-7, a far cry from the four runs they scored when they lost two of three to the Braves in Atlanta earlier in the week."
Jason Heyward has struggled to be sure, but wants to let fans know they shouldn’t write him off just yet. I doubt any fans have “written him off”, but fans can be an impatient lot, and Jason’s struggles are nothing new. Jasper Scherer of Fake Teams takes a look from a Fantasy perspective…
Jason Heyward: Don’t write him off just yet
"When Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward stepped to the plate for his first major league at-bat on April 5, 2010, he was being touted as the next big thing. After hitting a three-run homer on the third pitch he saw, that notion was seemingly confirmed.Instead, however, Heyward’s career has been defined by failure to meet expectations and, more importantly for readers on Fake Teams, lack of consistent fantasy production."