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Atlanta Braves Honor Alumni, Drop Ball Against Phillies

By Alex Burke

May 29, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran (49) reacts in the dugout after being removed from the mound in the 6th inning of their game against the Miami Marlins at Turner Field. The Marlins won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
May 29, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran (49) reacts in the dugout after being removed from the mound in the 6th inning of their game against the Miami Marlins at Turner Field. The Marlins won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Braves honor members of the 1991 National League Champion Braves squad before the game and then get routed by the Phillies.

Tonight’s on-the-field performance by the Braves was ugly, but it was a pretty positive day overall in Atlanta. A short while before tonight’s first pitch, the Braves reportedly had a deal in place that would bring in Padres’ Matt Kemp, a much needed middle-of-the-order righty, but more importantly, shed Hector Olivera.

Right before the game, the Braves continued to celebrate Alumni Weekend by honoring members of the 1991 NL Champions team by carting out many of the starting players as well as John Schuerholz and Bobby Cox.

Game Action

The game featured two pitchers who have both garnered trade interest in Braves’ Julio Teheran and Phillies’ Jeremy Hellickson. While all signs point to Teheran not being moved at the deadline, the same can not be said for Hellickson, whom the Padres have engaged in plenty of talks for.

Teheran, returning after missing one start with a lat injury, looked impressive in a shutdown first inning that extended his scoreless streak to 15 innings. The streak came to a screeching halt in the second inning, however, as Braves-killer Ryan Howard led off with a double down the right field line and Cameron Rupp singled him home one batter later.

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After failing to get much going offensively in the first couple innings, the Braves finally drew some sweat off the brow of Hellickson in the bottom of the third inning. Singles from Jace Peterson and Freddie Freeman were brought home consecutively on singles by Nick Markakis and Adonis Garcia. Hellickson escaped the half-inning after only yielding the two runs.

Shortly after, the top of the fifth was an absolute stinger for Teheran. After giving up singles to the first two Phillies’ up, Teheran was burned by Hellickson who ripped a double down the left field line. The Phillies took the lead, putting Teheran in line for another loss at home, where Teheran has not yet won a game this season.

In the top of the sixth inning, Eric O’Flaherty trotted out to the mound in relief of Teheran. O’Flaherty gave up two runs, which halted the Braves bullpen’s scoreless streak at 18 and 1/3 innings.

The bottom of the sixth was the Braves’ best chance to pull themselves back into the ballgame. After Adonis Garcia drew a five pitch walk, Ender Inciarte moved him over to third with a single. One batter later, Anthony Recker brought Garcia home with a huge two-out knock, which chased Hellickson out of the game– possibly Hellickson’s last pitch in a Phillies uniform. Relief pitcher Edubray Ramos came in for the Phillies to face Brandon Snyder‘s pinch appearance, which ended in a strikeout.

The game was pretty much over after the Braves squandered their opportunity to score in the sixth.

Hunter Cervenka came in to pitch the eighth inning and continued the game’s trend of poor relief pitching for Atlanta. Cervenka was uncharacteristically inept at locating the strike zone and was pulled after walking four batters (including walking in a run). Ryan Weber came in to relieve right after that and allowed all three of Cervenka’s baserunners to score.

Overall, the Braves actually did have some bright spots on offense. The biggest storyline offensively for the Braves was Peterson, who impressed with three line drive hits in the game. Peterson’s three hit game was his first this season. Unfortunately for the Braves, their lousy pitching paired with a few errors in the field were too much to overcome and they lost 9-5.

6. Final. 5. 17. 9

Notable Stat-lines 

  • Julio Teheran (L, 3-9): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K
  • Jeremy Hellickson (W, 8-7): 5.2 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K
  • Jace Peterson: 3-5, 2B
  • Freddie Freeman: 3-5
  • Cameron Rupp: 3-5, RBI

Other Game Notes

  • Ender Inciarte’s hit in the sixth inning extends his hitting streak to 11 games.
  • The Matt Kemp– Hector Olivera trade became official mid-game during the top of the 8th inning.

Next: Atlanta Makes a Big Money Deal

That’s a 2-1 lead for Philly in the series – the finale happens on early Sunday afternoon.

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