Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 5/14
By Jeff Schafer
Tomahawk Take Editorial Note: I still can’t believe Buster Posey missed the tag on Jason Heyward at home plate. Posey had the ball so quickly, Heyward was probably 1/3 between third and home, I thought for a second “should Heyward turn around?” Evan Gattis hit his first career triple and Mike Minor dominated the Giants. Great small ball by the Braves and amazing pitching led to a 5-0 win at the bay!
| Batting | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Heyward RF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .205 | .619 |
| Justin Upton LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .286 | .913 |
| Freddie Freeman 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .308 | .902 |
| Evan Gattis C | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .259 | .820 |
| Chris Johnson 3B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .270 | .629 |
| B.J. Upton CF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .212 | .634 |
| Andrelton Simmons SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .260 | .693 |
| Mike Minor P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .143 | .286 |
| Ian Thomas P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Anthony Varvaro P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jordan Schafer PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .136 | .401 |
| David Hale P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 |
| Tyler Pastornicky 2B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .150 | .477 |
| Ramiro Pena 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .190 | .642 |
| Team Totals | 36 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 12 | .250 | .576 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Minor, W (1-2) | 6.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4.24 |
| Ian Thomas | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.52 |
| Anthony Varvaro | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.13 |
| David Hale | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.65 |
| Team Totals | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0.00 |
Minor pitches Braves past Giants
Tomahawk Take Editorial Note: Mike Minor was able to pick up his first victory of 2014 on Tuesday as he pitched into the 7th inning. Minor tossed the ball to Ian Thomas, then Anthony Varvaro and David Hale, who closed the game out. The bullpen only allowed two hits and one walk. Seemed like all Minor’s pitches were working last night and even a nasty curveball which he doesn’t usually throw.
May 13, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor (36) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Minor (1-2) retired 16 in a row at one point and allowed just three hits and two walks over 6 2/3 frames to pick up the victory.
Freddie Freeman knocked in two runs and scored twice, and Evan Gattis recorded an RBI triple for the Braves, winners in five of their last seven following a seven-game slide.
“When you play the Giants, you’re in it for 27 outs,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. “They’re not giving anything away.”
Braves’ woes vs. Gigantes
Tomahawk Take Editorial Note: If the Braves lost on Tuesday, it would of been the first time since 1990 that the Giants won five in a row against the Braves. But they didn’t! The Braves do struggle against this team no matter where we play them. We put ourselves in the position to win the series on Wednesday so lets hope that happens.
The Giants are 14-4 with a 2.79 ERA and 25 home runs in their past 18 games, including 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA and eight homers in four games this season against the Braves.
In their past 10 games against the Braves, the Giants are 8-2 with a 1.53 ERA. The Braves have posted a 4.50 ERA in those 10 and contests while hitting a puny .176 and being out-homered 14-5 by the Giants.
Toronto Blue Jays Trade Rumors: Dan Uggla Deal With Atlanta Braves Option For Ricky Romero, Jose Bautista, Mark Buehrle?
Tomahawk Take Editorial Note: The Braves are looking to trade Dan Uggla…the Blue Jays seem to be already dumping their stars…seems like a good fit. But what are the Jays asking for? Since the Braves don’t have the best minor league system at the time, I’m thinking one of the young starting pitching….aka Alex Wood, Mike Minor, David Hale.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been off to another slow start in 2014 and trade rumors have once again come up involving names like Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, José Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Brett Lawrie and they could be on the trading block heading into the deadline this summer and teams like the NY Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets or Texas Rangers could be interested and now there is news that the team could be interested in Dan Uggla with the Atlanta Braves.
Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion could be on the move since the Jays are likely going to be in rebuilding mode soon and making those moves could net some great prospects. Encarnacion showed off his power last season and Bautista has been killing it, getting on base in nearly every game and he is now leading the Jays in home runs, scoring, runs, RBIs and on base plus slugging percentage. Bautista would be a huge snag for teams needing outfield help and he could be a big factor in the playoffs this year if he gets traded.