Atlanta Braves

For the second straight game, Atlanta's bats were kept quiet through seven-plus innings, but as they did on Saturday, Atlanta broke through in the eighth inning to emerge with a 5-2 win and its first series sweep over the Dodgers since 2008. Down 2-1, Freddie Freeman singled and Brian McCann walked to put runners on first and second against reliever Kenley Jansen. B.J. Upton came in to pinch run for McCann, and the Dodgers brought in Brandon League to face Andrelton Simmons. Simmons' sacrifice bunt attempt was misplayed by Juan Uribe, allowing him to reach an load the bases for pinch hitter Gerald Laird. Laird singled to right, scoring Freeman and tying the game at two. A sacrifice fly by Ramiro Pena, a single from Chris Johnson, and another sacrifice fly from Jordan Schafer made it a 5-2 game in favor of Atlanta. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel worked around a walk to strikeout the side and record his 14th save of the season. Luis Avilan threw a scoreless eighth inning to earn his second win of the season. Atlanta starter Mike Minor was impressive as usual, allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out nine in the victory. It took Atlanta five innings to plate a run against Dodgers starter Matt Magill, as Jordan Schafer singled to score Pena and make it a 2-1 game in the fifth.

ESPN Box Score It was a weird game. If the rain didn’t make it long enough, Don Mattingly tried to with his constant pitching changes in the latter innings. I have some sympathy for him, since it’s not like any of his pitchers actually work. Well, I guess you could say Matt Magill was, but it constantly seemed like he was about to give up the goose over his five innings of work. He didn’t, and so on the back of another strong outing by Mike Minor, the Braves found themselves down 2-1 going into a half-hour rain delay in the bottom of the 6th. When the rain abated, Mattingly went to work, using four different pitchers get his team through the next two innings with the lead. That was as far as they’d get, though. The Braves managed 4 runs in the 8th on only three hits, helped out by a couple walks and a timely error on an attempted sacrifice bunt by Andrelton Simmons. The Braves did managed to get a sacrifice bunt down in the inning when Jordan Schafer executed a suicide squeeze two pitches after swinging away (and luckily it off) on a pitch where Gerald Laird had broken from third. Craig Kimbrel came on to pitch the 9th against the heart of the Dodger lineup and was absolutely filthy. Things of note: -Fredi managed to pinch hit not once but TWICE today with his catchers. Now granted, when Laird pinch hit (and singled! WTF!) Brian McCann had already been pinch-run for, but still. Fredi used his whole bench, and it was effective. -I still have complete confidence in Jason Heyward. He’s still walking and hitting baseballs hard. He just hasn’t had much to show from it lately. -I really enjoyed the crowd there. They stuck it out despite the rain delay and were up for all of Kimbrel’s two-strike, 2-out pitches. Good intensity, and I’m glad they were rewarded with the win.

The view from my seat...looking straight up. Hello? Tap, tap. Are FanPosts working again? MOOSIC, PA (May 12, 2013) - Photos from the third game of the Gwinnett Braves at SWB RailRiders series. Jason Heyward on deck. The view from my seat...looking straight up. Hello? Tap, tap. Are FanPosts working again? MOOSIC, PA (May 12, 2013) - Photos from the third game of the Gwinnett Braves at SWB RailRiders series. Jason Heyward on deck. Fouling one off. Joey Terdoslavich singles in the first. On the mound for the G-Braves: Daniel Rodriguez. Tyler Pastornicky doubles in the second. Heyward hits a 2-RBI single in the second inning. Alden Carrithers steals 2B in the third. Reegie Corona with the tag. Ernesto Mejia with a putout in the third. Daniel Rodriguez pitched 5.1 innings, giving 5 runs (all earned), 4 walks, and 2 home runs. He had 3 strikeouts. Mejia after striking out in the sixth. Tyler Pastornicky was stranded after getting on via a hit by pitch. Brandon Boggs is out on the forceout in the 7th. Shortstop Addison Maruszak's throw is too late to get Alden Carrithers at first. Wirfin Obispo pitched the 7th and 8th, plus two outs in the 6th. Heyward reacts to striking out in the 8th. He had a pretty good day, though: 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Joe Terdoslavich also struck out in the 8th. Ryan Buchter pitched the 9th. Addison Maruszak reached on an error by right fielder Joey Terdoslavich. A single and two walks scored Maruszak, and the Braves' two-run lead was down to one. Catcher Matt Pagnozzi confers with Buchter on the mound. Whatever he said must have worked, because Buchter struck out the next two batters, ending the game. The 14-game losing streak was over! Jason Heyward and Paul Janish on the field after the game. (Janish got the day game after the night game off.) Jeez, Heyward's a big guy. Janish is 6'-2", and looks like a shrimp next to Heyward. Final score: Braves 7, RailRiders 6.

Daniel Shirey-USA Today Sports Over the past few seasons you would be hard pressed to find a better setup and closer combination than that of Johnny Venters, Eric O’Flaherty and Craig Kimbrel for the Atlanta Braves. The thought that the Braves were able to have two powerful left-handed relievers as set-up men is just amazing. Two of the three have gone down to bad elbow injuries in the last several days leaving only Kimbrel remaining healthy from the group. Will the Braves still be successful in the pen? Yes, I think so. That’s the short answer. To elaborate a little bit, the Braves are a great franchise because of the depth they have in their organization. All great teams are like that and the Braves are no different. But having a lot of options to replace the successful due of O’Flaherty and Venters is not a magic solution. Other things need to happen for them to be able to remain successful. First of all the fact that the Braves bullpen has only thrown a little over 115 innings probably has a lot to do with their MLB leading 2.72 ERA as a group. The Braves haven’t had the best starting staff this season but they have eaten enough innings for the Pen to remain fairly rested. The result has been the pen being the best in the majors. If the starters can play a little better and a little further into the games for the next few weeks, Jordan Walden and Luis Alivan will return from their minor injuries. At that point it is likely that the Braves will have more moves to make. They will also make a move with one current starter when Brandon Beachy returns from elbow trouble in June. The bullpen of the Braves by the end of June will look totally different than it did at the beginning of April. As long as the supporting factors remain the same and Kimbrel, the lone remaining workhorse from 2010 – 2011 not to go down to an injury, remains healthy it will help the Braves keep one of the best bullpens in the game no matter who the names are. David Miller is a Senior Writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.

Former Giants pitcher Brian Wilson seen here in a cable car during the World Series victory parade will pitch for someone this year, Will it be the Braves?. PhotoCredit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Since the news of Eric O’Flaherty’s UCL tear broke yesterday fans have wondered whether veteran closer and TJ surgery alumni Brian Wilson might be on the Braves radar. The answer is probably yes, he along with others who might be willing to take a short term deal to prove their health and ability are certainly on that radar. The details are more complicated. Backstory – Who Is Brian Wilson? Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38 on Twitter)  pitched for Louisiana State University until his junior season when he injured had his first TJ surgery. The Giants drafted him in 2003 and he moved quickly through their system reaching San Francisco  in 2006. He was up and down that year posting a 5.40 ERA and a 1.767 WHIP.  He started 2007 in the minors but by the end of the year he had become Giants’ closer saving six games with one blown save. In 2008 he racked up 41 saves in 2008 but had a 4.62 ERA and a 1.444 WHIP. That ERA dropped In 2009 to 2.74 and the WHIP dropped to 1.203 but he blew seven of his 45 save opportunities. he improved again in 2010, leading the NL with 48 saves to go with a 3-3 record, a 1.179WHIP  and a 1.81 ERA. He added six more save and a win in the post season and Braves fans will sadly vouch for. Wilson was again in the top three in saves with 36 in the first five months of 2011 but elbow issues ended his season in August. He tried to avoid a second TJ surgery by rehabbing the elbow but appeared in only two games in 2012 before having the operation and missed the rest of the season.  He was ever present on the Giants bench as they marched towards another World Series and while his saves total didn’t grow his beard did to almost comic proportions. The Giants fans embraced it and his other eccentricities like: Wearing a pair of orange cleats so bright Marlins manager Edwin Rodríguez complained to MLB and they fined Wilson  $1,000 then used a magic marker to color half of the shoes black. Told Jim Rome in an ESPN interview that he had become a certified ninja in a dream. He said  that although it takes a lifetime to achieve such things in a dream that’s only 12 minutes. Asked why his beard kept getting noticeably darker and said it was because they played a lot of day games and the beard was tanning in. Frequently references to “The Machine” from the movie 8mm and appeared to get a phone call from it during another Jim Rome interview pulling a leather BDSM mask from his pocket and claiming it belonged to the Machine. Amid all of his publicity stunts however Wilson remains a devout Christian and  gives freely of his time and resources within the community. On Memorial day 2011 Wilson endowed two scholarships for LSU ROTC in memory of his father, an Air Force veteran who died of cancer when Wilson was 17. But back to baseball. In April 2012 Wilson said he expected to be back with the Giants in 2013.  The Giants did not exercise their $6.8M option and instead nontendered him. The enigmatic Wilson was upset or perhaps not. Since that time he’s made statements that can be interpreted pretty much as you’d like to interpret them. After being released by the Giants and workouts for a couple of teams indicated he wasn’t ready, he said he would not work out for anyone until he was sure he was completely healthy. Last week Brian Sabean was asked by Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com whether he had been in contact with Wilson. Sabean said he hasn’t been in touch with him lately and doesn’t know how Wilson is throwing although he has heard that his former closer is “working out like a fiend” and is “going to try to showcase himself over the All-Star break or thereabouts.” That’s A Wrap I doubt Wilson is ready now and as such he’s not an immediate option. If he does workout he’ll likely do it in

Turner Field, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves, 5/18/13, bottom of the fifth

1:30 PM on TBS and FOX Sports South Lineups Matt Magill 23-year old Matt Magill will take the hill for his 3rd career major-league start. He features mainly a fastball and a slider, but he will add a change-up to lefties. The righty throws fairly hard – ranging from 91-94 – but his main weakness is his control. During his minor-league career, he never really had a walk rate below 9%, and in his transition to the majors, it’s up to 16%. Obviously, it’s only been two starts and could simply be a rough patch, but with a history of control issues that seem to be popping up in the majors, the Braves need to be patient this afternoon and make him work. The fact that’s it’s loaded with lefties will probably make it more difficult for Magill as his change-up command, the best way t0 neutralize lefties, seems to be all over the place. Today Facing Magill will be #StaffAce Mike Minor. Minor has been excellent this season, coming in with an ERA of 2.75 (though his FIP is a run higher), and he has been able to weather early season battles with Detroit, at Colorado, at Cincinnati, and at Arizona. Today’s match-up with LA at home should be a little easier for the lefty. Things are shaping up nicely for a sweep, but the Braves still have to execute.

I just thought it might be fun to keep track of all two dozen of the Braves relievers that seem to be on the roster. First we had the last bullpen spot in spring training come down to what we thought was a competetion between Anthony Varvaro and Cristhian Martinez. However, as we approached opening day it was Jonny Venters that would be the first Braves reliever on the DL. Leaving the opening bullpen to include: Craig Kimbrel, Eric O'Flaherty, Jordan Walden, Cory Gearrin, Luis Avilan, Cristhian Martinez, and Anthony Varvaro. Result: Jonny Venters to 15-day DL with elbow discomfort Counter: 1 on the DL, 8 total relievers Not even two weeks into the season the Braves made a trade, acquiring Luis Ayala from the Baltimore Orioles for Single-A LHP Chris Jones. Waiting two days announce the corresponding roster move, the Braves then placed Cristhian Martinez on the DL with shoulder inflammation. Result: Cristhian Martinez to 15-day DL with shoulder inflammation Counter: 2 on the DL, 9 total relievers Within three weeks of being acquired by the Braves, Luis Ayala is shockingly placed on the DL with an anxiety disorder. The problem is revealed to be due to elevated blood pressure and the addition of blood pressure medication. The Braves recall David Carpenter from Triple-A to take the roster spot. Result: Luis Ayala to 15-day DL with an anxiety disorder Counter: 3 on the DL, 10 total relievers Then we come to the excitement this past week, starting with Fredi stating that he would use a 6 man bullpen in the immediate future. Then Thursday Jonny Venters undergoes his 2nd "Tommy John" surgery. On Friday Jason Heyward is activated from the DL with corresponding move being Jordan Walden sent to the Dl with shoulder inflammation. Result: Jordan Walden to 15-day DL with shoulder pain Counter: 4 on the DL, 10 total relievers We finally arrive to the news Saturday that bullpen workhorse Eric O'Flaherty has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow and is placed on the DL. With "Tommy John" surgery likely coming for EOF, the Braves recall Cory Rasmus, younger brother to Colby, from Triple-A. Result: Eric O'Flaherty to 15-day DL with torn UCL Counter: 5 on the DL, 11 total relievers Worth Noting: Luis Ayala is currently on rehab assignment but is not yet close to a return, there has been no substantial update on C-Mart since his "shoulder inflammation", expect one or both of the Braves lefty set-up men to be transferred to the 60-day DL if the injury bug continues to bite the Braves, and the Braves have signed veteran relievers Kameron Loe and Joe Beimel in the last few weeks to minor league deals. As always the Braves seem to have pitching depth, which in times like thesse makes Frank Wren's unwillingness to trade from it that much more important.

When I got back into the hobby in late 2005, I was in absolute awe at the number and types of sets that were being produced. As it was all new to me, I was a bit irrational in some of my purchasing decisions. I made an attempt to buy a box of almost everything that wasn’t super high end as soon as it came out. I quickly became a favorite of the card shop near me. I then discovered Dave & Adam and Blowout Cards and abandoned the shop for the cheaper internet, but saving money just allowed me to buy additional boxes. When Topps took the Bowman brand out of mothballs in 1989, I have to admit, I was less than impressed. I thought the cards were ugly and the ones I decided to keep were a pain because they wouldn’t fit into any of the standard boxes or pages that I had. That was fine for pre–1957 cards, but it was simply annoying for these ugly new cards. I can’t recall when Topps decided to brand Bowman the “Home of the Rookie Card”, but it was long before I got back into the hobby. When I left the hobby, it was that first base card that was a really big deal. When I came back, it was the Bowman Chrome rookie, preferably signed. I spent two years buying a lot of boxes of the big three Bowman products (Bowman, Bowman Chrome, and Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects). I’m a set collector by heart so I sorted each set by card number and put them in boxes. They then set there and the vast majority of those cards are sitting there now. Turns out, I don’t really like the Bowman sets. The cards themselves are attractive, but as far as design goes, they change too little from year to year. The designs aren’t distinctive enough to stretch across three different product lines. A bigger problem for me is the checklist. If you get to see a lot of minor league games, you might love this set. Bowman is full of minor leaguers. When I open a pack, especially of Draft Picks and Prospects, I’m left scratching my head at each of the names. The vast majority are people I’ve never heard of. Of course, that’s to be expected of any set dedicated to minor league prospects. I love minor league baseball. I love it when the different Braves top prospect lists come out each year. That said, I’m not interested in collecting sets full of players I won’t remember in a few years. The thrill of an older baseball card set is leafing through the pages of a set in a binder and seeing the history of the game unfold. With Bowman, I can’t do that. Bowman just confuses me. 2013 Bowman for the Braves Collector Topps just released their first Bowman set of 2013 and for Braves collectors, there’s not a lot here. The set itself is mostly the same as it ever was, with additional gimmicks to make up for what is widely considered a week autograph checklist. The base set comes in at 220 cards featuring major league players. Their is also a 110 card prospect list that are technically inserts, but are realistically, considered a part of the set. The prospects are available in Chrome parallels, which are also the beginning of the Bowman Chrome prospect parallel set that will be continued when 2013 Bowman Chrome is released. The base cards and prospect cards are available with the usual variety of colored borders allowing the collector to build a rainbow of their favorite player or team. There are other notable insert sets and gimmicks. The Topps 100 prospect insert set has been continued in 2013. This set features a card for each of Bowman’s Top 100 prospects in baseball, in order. Debuting this year is 2013 Bowman Blue Sapphire Best Players of All Time. This insert set features shiny reprints of top players first Bowman card and will be continued throughout all of the Bowman products this season. Topps has produced a series of Blue Wave Refractors which can only be obtained by redeeming wrappers. Finally, Topps has created a list of the top 5 prospects

(Reuters) – The Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle Mariners in a walk-off for the second successive day with a 5-4 victory on Saturday. Jason Kipnis, who belted the go ahead three-run homer in the 10th inning on Friday, was driven in from third by Mark Reynolds on a fielders choice grounder in the bottom of the ninth to keep the Indians at the top of the American League Central (24-17). In New York, Robinson Cano drove in four runs on two two-run homers as the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2. … View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Atlanta Braves News