Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop and Box Score, Fredi Gonzalez Concerned With Julio Teheran
By Jeff Schafer
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: If you missed Sunday’s game, you missed a great one. The Braves scored four runs in the ninth inning to cap off a game four victory over the Giants. Here is the link to our game recap from last night. Freddie Freeman got things going in the ninth with a homer off Giants closer Santiago Casilla and later when the bases were loaded, Jace Peterson hit a bases clearing triple. Chris Johnson had a good day at the plate going 2-3 as he filled in for a resting Freddie Freeman at first base.
Braves win 7-5
| Batting | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | PA | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jace Peterson 2B | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .269 | .335 | .344 |
| Cameron Maybin CF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .256 | .344 | .406 |
| Nick Markakis RF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .292 | .385 | .346 |
| Jonny Gomes LF | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | .202 | .277 | .337 |
| Juan Uribe 3B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .258 | .305 | .381 |
| Chris Johnson 1B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .269 | .328 | .346 |
| Freddie Freeman 1B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .289 | .357 | .484 |
| Andrelton Simmons SS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .268 | .322 | .395 |
| Christian Bethancourt C | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .175 | .205 | .250 |
| Julio Teheran P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .111 | .111 | .111 |
| Donnie Veal P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Nick Masset P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| A.J. Pierzynski PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .262 | .305 | .402 |
| Jason Grilli P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Team Totals | 37 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 39 | .243 | .282 | .459 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Teheran | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4.87 |
| Donnie Veal, BS (1) | 0.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14.54 |
| Nick Masset, W (1-1) | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.68 |
| Jason Grilli, S (15) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.15 |
| Team Totals | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5.00 |
Fredi Gonzalez expresses concern about Braves starter Julio Teheran
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Lets face it, Teheran hasn’t pitched like he did in 2014…fans and media have been expressing the fact that his velocity on his pitches is down and he’s struggling with command…now Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has voiced his opinion on the situation. The 24-year-old is 4-2 on the season with a 4.87 ERA and 1.541 WHIP – compared to a 2.89 ERA and 1.081 WHIP in 2014 and 3.20 ERA and 1.174 WHIP in 2013.
"After plenty of prying from the media, Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had now admitted that he has been discouraged by starter Julio Teheran’s inconsistency and decline this season.Gonzalez expressed his concern after Teheran’s start against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, in which he went six innings with three earned runs and two home runs allowed.“I didn’t feel comfortable the whole game with Julio,” Gonzalez said. “I know the numbers showed different, but it wasn’t the normal Julio Teheran outing that you feel pretty good about.”"
Eric Stults moves from Atlanta Braves rotation to Tulsa Drillers
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Braves were able to get rid of Eric Stults last week by including him in on the Alberto Callaspo/Juan Uribe trade with the Los Angles Dodgers. Many believed Stults would help the Dodgers backend rotation immediately, but instead LA DFA’d him. No other team must have been interested in Stults as he cleared his waivers yesterday and the Dodgers organization sent him to their Double-A affiliate – Tulsa Drillers. Stults “beat out” Wandy Rodriguez in the 2015 Spring Training for the Braves fifth starter in their rotation, but the veteran experiment didn’t work out.
"In another interesting move by the Los Angeles Dodgers, they acquired major league veteran lefty Eric Stults from the Atlanta Braves in a six-player deal on Thursday, but immediately designated him for assignment and sent him outright Saturday to the Tulsa Drillers after clearing waivers.Stults, 35, was 1-5 with a 5.85 ERA in nine games for Atlanta this season. He started eight games before throwing 3 2/3 shutout innings against the Dodgers last Tuesday. That apparently motivated the Dodgers to trade for him although when they DFAed him, any team could have claimed him and his $2 million salary."
"The Double-A Drillers, who in some ways resemble a Triple-A team, have more former major leaguers than any team in recent Texas League memory, and Stults has the best credentials of any of them."
Freeman out of Braves lineup for 1st time since 2013
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: It was very strange yesterday when the Braves lineup was released to the public and not seeing Freddie Freeman‘s name. Something just didn’t feel right, but it’s understandable. Freeman hasn’t been hitting that well and a day off could be what the slugger needed. Freeman likes to be on the field with his teammates and play every game, but everyone needs rest. Freddie did enter the game (if you missed it) in the seventh inning and had a homer in the ninth to start a comeback victory over the Giants.
"Freddie Freeman was out of the Braves lineup Sunday for the first time since late September 2013, not that he didn’t try to talk manager Fredi Gonzalez into changing his mind.He’s struggled lately, going 6-for-32 (.188) with five walks and 13 strikeouts in the last nine games before Sunday’s series finale against the Giants and left-hander Madison Bumgarner. He struck out three times Saturday.“I’ve been looking at this for three or four days, maybe even a little longer,” Gonzalez said of resting the two-time All-Star. “Just to give him a day, give him a breather. This guy wants to play every day, but maybe every once in a while just give him a breather, get him going again.”"