Fox Sports

Braves in market for lefty reliever

March 26, 2013; Lakeland, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jordan Walden (52) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves enjoyed a significant advantage in recent seasons, deploying not one but two premier left-handed relievers. Now Jonny Venters has undergone Tommy John surgery and Eric O’Flaherty is likely to follow.

Huge blows, for sure. But not necessarily crushing.

General manager Frank Wren said Saturday that the trade market has yet to develop, but rest assured, the Braves will actively search for another left-handed specialist. Mike Dunn, whom the Braves sent to Miami in the Dan Uggla trade in November 2010, would be ideal.

For now, the Braves still have one quality lefty, Luis Avilan, who has pitched 6-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. Right-hander Jordan Walden, currently out with right shoulder inflammation, throws a “split change” that neutralizes left-handed hitters. Righty Cory Rasmus, the younger brother of Colby, was recently called up after displaying a good changeup and putting up terrific numbers at Triple-A.

Global Post

Atlanta Braves – PlayerWatch

RHP Brandon Beachy, coming back from Tommy John surgery, had his scheduled rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett rained out Sunday and threw a limited simulated game indoors instead. He was slated to pitch three innings after working two innings during an extended spring training game in Florida last Tuesday. Beachy had surgery last June 21 and hopes to return to the Braves during the second part of June. He is slated to pitch four innings for Gwinnett on Friday against Toledo.

Braves 101

Atlanta Braves Bullpen Still Strong with Loss of Eric O’Flaherty

The Atlanta Braves bullpen is riddled with injuries, but if they keep up their current pace, there is nothing to worry about.

Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty are gone for the year with Tommy John surgery. Luis Ayala has been on the disabled list since late April with anxiety disorder. Cristhian Martinez was moved to the DL with shoulder problems to make room for Ayala on the roster. Jordan Walden” href=”http://www.sportsmedia101.com/atlantabraves/tag/jordan-walden/” rel=”tag nofollow”>Jordan Walden, though he should be back soon, has his own shoulder issues.

But still, the Atlanta bullpen leads Major Leagues with a 2.65 ERA, 16 points lower than the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Access Atlanta

Dish Network customers may lose 47 Braves games on Fox Sports South and SportsSouth

Dish Network has declined to pay Fox Sports regional networks for 47 Atlanta Braves games this year so metro Atlanta Dish customers will lose access to games starting this Friday against the Detroit Tigers – unless circumstances change.

FSS added 45 Braves games in February from Peachtree TV and is now the exclusive local provider of 150 Braves games. (Other games are set aside for ESPN, Fox national, TBS and MLB Network.) The games air on either Fox Sports South or SportsSouth.

Dish customers will still be able to view the other 80 or so games remaining in the season, according to FSS.

May 18, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Joe Mauer (7) hits a single in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves (25-18) finished the weekend with a great deal of momentum, completing a sweep of the LA Dodgers that featured the Braves overcoming late deficits in all three games, including a rain-drenched Sunday afternoon game that went well into the evening due to two rain delays.  The Braves were in desperate need of momentum, having lost 5 of 6 games before the weekend, but if the way they played against LA is any indication, they appear to have momentum to spare.  They’ll need it as the Minnesota Twins (18-22) come to Turner Field for a three game series beginning tonight, most likely hungry from their recent struggles, and anxious to turn things around.

Minnesota has indeed struggled lately, losing their last five games, and are currently in last place in the AL Central, six games out of first.  In fact, the Twins have been outscored more than 2-to-1 in their recent slide, and even the hot Joe Mauer had his 15 game hitting streak snapped in the Twins 5-1 loss to Boston on Sunday.  When asked about their lackluster performance on Sunday, outfield Chris Parmelee said,

We didn’t really come up with key hits when we needed to or when we wanted to.  It’s tough to win a ballgame when you don’t have any clutch hits.

With the ups-and-downs Atlanta has had, the Braves can certainly sympathize with the absence of clutch hits this season. Still atop the NL East though, and now by 2.5 games, the Braves are now showing great signs of an offensive turnaround, particularly in their series with LA where they practically defined clutch!  Despite the recent loss of Jonny Venters to a 2nd TJ surgery, and the more recent loss of Eric O’Flaherty to the same fate, the Braves are playing well and poised to go on a run like they experienced in April.

Trying to keep that run going for the Atlanta Braves will be Julio Teheran (2-1, 4.57 ERA) in game 1 of the series against the Twins.  Julio had a rough start to the season, but has begun to turn things around and pitch well.   In his last four starts for Atlanta, Julio has gone for a 2.84 ERA, and although he has never faced the Twins before, his command and control issues early in the season are beginning to improve.  When asked about the young pitcher, catcher Gerald Laird commented that,

He’s making adjustments in the middle of the game and he’s making changes when he needs to. That’s a good sign.

Taking the mound for the Twins in game 1 of the series will be Kevin Correia (4-3, 3.35 ERA).  Kevin has had a rough stretch lately himself, but has still been the Twins most consistent pitcher.  After beginning the season strong, he has put up a dismal 5.71 ERA in his last three outings, and hopes to turn that around pitching in a stadium he is familiar with.  Correia spent his first decade as a pro in the National League, and posted a 2.66 ERA in five games played at Turner Field.

Of Note:  The Twins have never been to Turner Field as a team.  You may recall the sweet taste of victory the Braves enjoyed in game 5 of the 1991 World Series, when they beat the Twins 14-5 in Atlanta’s old, but memorable Fulton County Stadium.  Unfortunately, the Braves went on to lose games 6 and 7 to lose the series, but Braves fans everywhere remember fondly that game 5.  The Braves will hope to have that same game 5  flavor in this week’s series at Turner Field as well.

Game 1 – Monday, 7:10 PM EST
MIN:  Correia (4-3, 3.35 ERA)
ATL:  Teheran (2-1, 4.57 ERA)

Game 2 – Tuesday, 7:10 PM EST
MIN:   Pelfrey (3-4, 6.57 ERA)
ATL:   Hudson (4-3, 5.12 ERA)

Game 3 – Wednesday, 12:10 PM EST
MIN:   Worley (1-4, 6.20 ERA)
ATL:   Maholm (5-4, 3.83 ERA)

The State

Atlanta Braves earn soggy sweep over L.A. Dodgers

May 19, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Ramiro Pena (14) celebrates with left fielder Justin Upton (8) after scoring a run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Ramiro Pena got a fierce wakeup call with the bases loaded and the scored tied in the eighth inning.

Pena fouled the first pitch off his lower right leg and bent over in anguish. But after he fouled off the next pitch, he hit a sacrifice fly to put the Atlanta Braves ahead to stay.

“I needed to keep the focus,” Pena said. “That’s a big at-bat right there, so I just tried to make contact and put the ball in play.”

“With a rain delay and getting tired a little bit later, you have to keep concentrating on the game,” Pena said. “Everybody did a great job from the beginning (of the eighth), and I think everybody put something in that inning.”

Jansen began the eighth by allowing a single to Freddie Freeman and walking Brian McCann. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly brought in closer Brandon League for the first time in the series, but he fared no better than his teammate.

ATL All Day

Eric O’Flaherty Placed On DL With Left Elbow Issue

In a very troubling move for the Atlanta Braves bullpen, the club placed set-up man Eric O’Flaherty on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday with what they are calling “left elbow inflammation”. Cory Rasmus was called up from triple-A Gwinnett to take O’Flaherty’s roster spot, but this is a significant blow to an already decimated bullpen.

O’Flaherty was the last remaining piece of the “dream” set-up trio that included Jonny Venters (Tommy John surgery) and Jordan Walden (shoulder inflammation) and he’s been tremendous with the Braves since arriving in 2009. O’Flaherty has posted sub-2.00 ERA’s in each of the last two seasons and was well on his way to another strong year, having thrown 18 innings with a 2.50 ERA in 2013.

CBS Sports

Brandon Beachy‘s rehab start delayed until Friday

Braves starting pitcher Brandon Beachy (elbow) was unable to begin a rehab assignment Sunday for Triple-A Gwinnett because the game was postponed by rain. Beachy will instead throwing a three-inning simulated game, according to MLB.com.

Beachy will make his rehab start Friday for Gwinnett.

Lasorda’s Lair

Has Don Mattingly Lost Control On The Field?

Not to say he’s ever really had it. But if you read between the lines you may be able to see that the players are running the show. Don Mattingly no longer has control over his players on the field . Having control over your payers on the field is just as important as having control in the clubhouse. Take a look at what Ken Gurnick wrote over at MLB.com this morning. It’s some pretty disconcerting stuff.

It’s bad enough that the Dodgers decided to option catcher Tim Federowicz back down to AAA Albuquerque today to make room for second baseman Mark Ellis. The veteran second bagger is coming off of a sore quad, and is in the starting lineup this afternoon in the third game of the three game series against the Braves in Atlanta. The move is suspect, as it leaves us with the horrendous Ramon Hernandez once again as the backup catcher to A.J. Ellis, but was the move perhaps more of a disciplinary move?

Apparently Mattingly was not happy with Tim Federowicz’s pitch selection in that fateful bottom of the eighth during last night’s 3-1 loss to the Braves. With Fedex behind the plate, the Dodgers were clinging to a 1-0 lead. Before the inning, starter Chris Capuano told Mattingly that he was tiring and his calf was hurting, despite allowing just four hits and no runs up to that point. In that fateful eighth frame, Capuano allowed a one out piddly groundball single, and then was yanked. Mattingly went to the bullpen and brought in Kenley Jansen. The right hander has been the Dodgers best and only good reliever all season long.