Ubaldo Makes History At Braves' Expense; No-Hits Atlanta At Turner

COLORADO 4, ATLANTA 0

A first-inning run by the Rockies off Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami turned out to be all the scoring they needed. Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez pitched the first no-hitter in Rockies history, blanking the Atlanta Braves 4-0.

Jimenez needed 128 pitches to complete the feat. His control wasn't the greatest; he had 56 balls compared to 72 strikes, and walked six Braves hitters. But in the sixth inning, he pitched exclusively from the stretch and retired every Braves batter he faced from then on, ending the game by retiring the last 15 Braves batters.

The closest calls to ending the no-hitter came in the seventh inning. With a 3-1 count, Troy Glaus smacked a pitch into left-center. Dexter Fowler, who was shading him a little towards right field, sprinted to his left and caught the ball with a perfectly-timed dive. The next batter, Yunel Escobar, hit a low sinking line drive that Fowler caught about two feet off the ground.

Kawakami went five innings for the Braves and allowed four runs on eight hits. He also got picked off of second base on a perfect throw by catcher Miguel Olivo. Jimenez also hit a two-out single off of him that scored the second run for the Rockies. Carlos Gonzalez, who doubled and scored the game's first run, drove in Jimenez and Ian Stewart with another two-bagger, giving him two on the day.

The Braves bullpen was the only bright spot, featuring the major league debut of left-hander Jonny Venters. He did his job, going three innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, striking out two Rockie hitters. Jesse Chavez pitched a scoreless ninth to finish the pitching for the Braves.

Odds 'N Ends: The last time the Braves were no-hit was, of course, Randy Johnson's perfect game on May 18, 2004. Chipper Jones is the only Brave to participate in the two recent no-hitters.

Martin Prado, whose 14-game hitting streak was snapped, was the only Braves players to walk twice.

Jonny Venters joined four other Atlanta Braves players to pitch three innings in their major league debuts:

• Jonny Venters, 4/17/2010 vs. COL - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
• Kevin Barry, 6/26/2006 vs. NYY - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
• Trey Hodges, 9/10/2002 vs. NYM - 3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, W
• Derrin Ebert, 4/6/1999 vs. PHI - 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, S
• Cecil Upshaw, 10/1/1966 vs. CIN - 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO

Kenshin Kawakami has only gotten three runs of support this year from the Braves, continuing a pattern from last season. If Kawakami had qualified last season, he would have had the worst run support in the National League (3.55 R/G).

Braves Back Lowe's Tightrope Act Once More, Beat Rockies

ATLANTA 9, COLORADO 5

At the end of the day, Braves veteran Derek Lowe became the second National League hurler to win three games, getting the victory in a 9-5 Braves win.

Of course, he got the victory the way he always does: pitching just good enough and getting a lot of offense behind him. The Braves blew the game open in the second inning, chasing Rockies starter Jason Hammel. Seven singles, three walks, a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly led to seven runs in the frame. The Braves added another run in the third off of Manny Corpas when Eric Hinske singled home Nate McLouth, driving in his third run of the game.

Lowe danced around a first-and-third, none out situation in the first inning by striking out Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki. Ryan Spilborghs was caught trying to steal second base by three feet.

In the fourth, after inducing a double play from Helton, Lowe gave up a single to Tulowitzki and a double to Brad Hawpe, breaking the shutout. The situation became a lot more dicey when Ian Stewart reached on an error by Hinske and Lowe walked Clint Barmes. Pinch-hitter Seth Smith launched a fly ball to deep right field. Jason Heyward, who had two singles on the day, attempted to scale the scoreboard wall and catch the ball, but it landed two rows out of his reach, making the score 8-4.

Chipper Jones was able to answer in the bottom of the frame with a two-out solo home run. His blast came after he looked silly flopping over the plate after fouling off a pitch from reliever Joe Beimel.

Lowe walked Hawpe to start the sixth, but got Chris Iannetta to ground back to him. Cox then removed him in favor of lefty Eric O'Flaherty, who worked Thursday. Lowe finished the day with seven hits and three earned runs allowed, with two walks and five strikeouts.

O'Flaherty stayed in the game, finishing the seventh inning. He allowed a run on a walk and a double, but struck out three batters. Kris Medlen finished off the game for the Braves with two very effective innings. His only hit allowed was a single to Spilborghs, and he struck out three batters.

Odds 'N Ends: Cabrera had his first multiple-hit game with the Braves, garnering two singles. The only other game where Cabrera reached base more than twice this year was the 5-4 loss to the Giants where he reached base with a double and two walks.

Martin Prado has a fourteen game hitting streak over two seasons, batting .458/.529/.644 over that span. His 19 hits in 10 games to start the season matches the club record set by Deion Sanders in 1992. Prado needs one hit to tie Neon Deion's record for 11 games and two hits to set a new one.

Double Feature Post: Braves Take Final Two At PETCO To Win Series

ATLANTA 6, SAN DIEGO 1

Brave starter Tommy Hanson pitched six effective innings and the Braves exacted a bit of revenge for Monday's thrashing, defeating the Padres 6-1.

Hanson and Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, who looked extra-intimidating in the Padres' camouflage jerseys and green cap, traded zeroes for four-and-a-half innings. The Braves
had just three hits in their five half-innings and struck out five times.

San Diego struck first in the fifth. With one out, Hanson nicked Richard on the shin with a breaking ball. After striking out Everth Cabrera, David Eckstein singled and Adrian Gonzalez followed with another single, driving home Cabrera. Hanson got out of the inning by getting Kyle Blanks to ground out to Chipper at third. He finished the day with four hits, four walks and seven strikeouts.

The Braves struck back quickly in the top of the sixth. With one out, Martin Prado hit a double past Gonzalez down the right field line, bringing his consecutive game hit streak to twelve. Chipper Jones walked and Brian McCann smacked a double to right-center to score two and give the Braves the lead again. Troy Glaus singled him to third and he was erased on a fielder's choice to third. Jason Heyward then singled Glaus home. Hanson only allowed a walk in the sixth to finish his day.

Atlanta added three more in the seventh with Troy Glaus's first home run of the season. The 417-foot shot to left that landed in the second deck upped the score to 6-1 and that's where it stayed. Peter Moylan, Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner each pitched a scoreless inning for the Braves; Saito and Wagner struck out two batters each.

My Take: I've sometimes questioned the way Bobby Cox uses his relievers, but it's all right that Moylan, Saito and Wagner pitched in this game; Moylan hadn't been in a game in three days and Saito and Wagner were shelved for four. Wagner did throw in the pen in Lowe's last start. As Joe Simpson and Chip Caray mentioned in the color commentary, it's a question of "rest vs. rust".

At long last, Troy Glaus had his first extra-base hit of the season. This streak (7 games) was the longest that Glaus has started a season without an extra-base hit. His previous high was three games, starting the 2000 season with the Angels. His repaired shoulder may still be a factor for him.

Brian McCann had two doubles in Wednesday's game. That marks the 32nd time he has had two extra-base hits in a game and the 13th time he has had two doubles in a game.

ATLANTA 6, SAN DIEGO 2

Despite Tim Hudson's impression of teammate Derek Lowe, the Braves held off the Padres on Throwback Thursday/Jackie Robinson Day and pulled away in the eighth inning to earn a 6-2 victory.

Both teams sported uniforms from the 1984 season. What was unusual about them is that every player wore #42 as part of an MLB-wide tribute to Robinson, baseball's first black player to break the "unofficial" color line. That was 63 years ago today. Prior to that, the last black player to play a major league game was Moses Fleetwood Walker, a catcher who played 42 games for the American Association's Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884.

The baby-blue clad Braves struck quickly off of Padre starter Mat Latos. Martin Prado hit a long home run to left field that gave the Braves an early 1-0 lead. They tried for more in the second, but Jerry Hairston, Jr., who plays just about every position, made two excellent plays to take hits away from Yunel Escobar and Jason Heyward in the second inning.

The two combined to get the Braves a second run in the fourth. With two out, Escobar singled and stole second base. Heyward then smacked a long double to right-center that scored Escobar. Atlanta added a run in the fifth when Chipper Jones, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on Brian McCann's double to left-center.

Will Venable, who was 12-35 with four homers and 11 runs scored against the Braves in 8 games plus two at-bats, added a fifth homer that bounced off of the top of the scoreboard in right field. After a great jumping grab by Prado and a bouncer back to Hudson, pinch hitter Matt Stairs doubled to right-center and Cabrera chased him home with a single.

From that moment, the Braves bullpen shut down the Padres for the rest of the game. Kris Medlen, Eric O'Flaherty, Moylan, Saito and Wagner combined four 3 1/3 innings of no-hit, no-run ball with four strikeouts.

To support the effort the Braves added three runs in the eighth inning. Jones walked and stole second. After McCann popped up and Glaus struck out, Escobar singled past a diving Chase Headley at third and the ball was deflected into left field, allowing Chipper to score standing up. Heyward then launched an opposite-field blast that nearly gave him his fourth homer of the year. Instead, the ball bounced off the warning track, giving him a double that scored Escobar. Eric Hinske brought Heyward home with an opposite-field single.

My Take And Odds 'N Ends: While I still believe that having every player wear #42 was tacky, the annoyance subsided as the game wore on. It was a little humorous to see "42" displayed in everyone's number slot graphic on SportsSouth.

I think a more meaningful tribute would be to have one player nominated or elected from each team to wear #42 from now on. Some teams may not have to do that, like the Yankees.

1984 was also the year of an intense game between the Braves and Padres that became a beanball war from the very first pitch. The August 12th game featured three bench-clearing fights, with several Braves players, two Padre pitchers and both managers being ejected. Two Padres coaches serving as managers were also ejected. There were even a few fans who were arrested for joining the fighting. Pascual Perez, the target of the Padres pitchers the entire night for hitting Alan Wiggins with the first pitch, pitched eight innings of five-hit ball, allowing just one run. He got removed for a pinch-runner after he was finally hit by a pitch in the bottom of the eighth.

After walking no one in his first start against the Giants, Tim Hudson was bit by whatever walk bug bit Derek Lowe and he lost control with his pitches. In his Braves career, Hudson has walked five batters seven times; he has a 3-4 record in those games. Even more interesting: in each win, Hudson allowed exactly two earned runs.

Let The Hand-Wringing Commence

In a recent column by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, Orlando Hudson claims that black players are being discriminated against in the free agent market. What's worse is that Passan seems to agree with it.

MINNEAPOLIS – As Major League Baseball prepares for its annual Jackie Robinson Day on Thursday, one prominent African-American player questioned teams’ commitment to employing black players past their prime years.

A "commitment" to employ black players "past their prime". Just one sentence into the article, we have a problem. Why should a team take on a player who may not contribute as much as they did in the past with the color of their skin as a factor? That's a classic definition of racism.

“You see guys like Jermaine Dye without a job,” Minnesota Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson said Monday. “Guy with [27 home runs and 81 RBIs] and can’t get a job. Pretty much sums it up right there, no? You’ve got some guys who miss a year who can come back and get $5, $6 million, and a guy like Jermaine Dye can’t get a job. A guy like Gary Sheffield, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, can’t get a job. …

“We both know what it is. You’ll get it right. You’ll figure it out. I’m not gonna say it because then I’ll be in [trouble].”

We know it, huh? Lets see who we're talking about here:

During the off-season Dye turned down a $3 million contract offer from the Cubs, was rumored to be linked with the Nationals during the off-season after Elijah Dukes was released, and talks petered out with the Brewers.

If Dye was looking for more money from some team, he struck out and now he doesn't have a job. It definitely seems as if it's mostly his own fault.

Gary Sheffield, on the other hand, is a 41-year old outfielder who hit well in a part-time role with the Mets, but was brutal in the field. Now, he's one year older and probably still has a glove of iron. No National League team is going to take him and there are only 14 DH spots in the American League.

What Hudson wants to say: He believes there is a racist element to the free-agent market in baseball, and that it’s paralyzing the 36-year-old Dye’s ability to earn what non-blacks with commensurate numbers received in the offseason.

Wow! What a damning statement! I'd sure love to see you back that up while Dye lobbies the Mariners and Sheffield tries to get younger.

“Call it what you want to,” Hudson said. “I ain’t fit to say it. After I retire I’ll say it. I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff to say after I retire.”

So, he's not fit to say it now, but after he retires, he's going to go all Kitty Kelly on us?

Hudson’s comments came on the heels of Dye turning down a one-year contract offer from the Washington Nationals for less than a quarter of his $11.5 million salary with the Chicago White Sox last season. After a first half in which he slugged .567 and hit 20 home runs, Dye spent the second half of 2009 in a deep slump from which he never emerged, batting .179 and slugging .297 while playing subpar defense in right field.

Hudson believed Dye’s credentials – 164 home runs in the last five years and an OPS 21 percent better than the league average – would buy him the benefit of the doubt.

Okay, let me get this straight: Hudson believes that Dye should be paid according to his track record despite the fact that he utterly tanked for three months last season offensively and defensively. If that is the case, then that should work for trades too. The Braves should have been able to get something more for Jeff Francoeur and something, period, for Kelly Johnson because of their positive track records.

Dye hoped to play for a contender, and while he understood he would take a pay cut, he expected a deal in the $4 million-plus range. Hudson said he and Dye spoke on the phone this offseason about his status, though they never broached specifics about why the market never materialized above $3.5 million, a number approached or exceeded by a number of players with inferior credentials.

“We don’t even get into it,” Hudson said. “We both know what it is.”

Translation: Dye wanted to get paid. He didn't get paid what he wanted and now he doesn't have a job. It must be because he's old and black.

And what's this about "players with inferior credentials"? Hm. I probably have to keep reading for that.

The Baltimore Orioles guaranteed $4.5 million to first baseman Garrett Atkins, 30, after he hit .226 and slugged .342 in 354 at-bats last season.

Atkins, a white guy, is also a corner infielder and six years younger than Dye, thus more likely to return to his pre-2009 production. Dye was unlikely to play first base despite expressing interest, so I'm not sure this a particularly good comparison.

Thirty-three-year-old Aubrey Huff’s(notes) on-base percentage was 30 points lower than Dye’s and his slugging percentage 69 points lower, yet the San Francisco Giants gave him $3 million

Another white guy, but three years younger than Dye also a player who had been playing first base and DHing for a few years. He shuffled between DH and the corner infield and outfield spots his entire career. The only times Dye has been in the infield are for one game at first and one at short in 2005 with the White Sox.

The Chicago Cubs paid 31-year-old Xavier Nady $3.3 million after an elbow injury limited him to 28 at-bats last season.

A third white guy, he's also five years younger than Dye and called on to be a utility-type like Huff once was. He's already played in the outfield and first base this year.

Whether teams with first base openings didn’t trust Dye’s ability to convert or others with outfield slots preferred different players, his presence on the open market in mid-April is particularly puzzling when coupled with the fates of other black players.

The elephant in the room behind Curtain #2!

Second baseman Ray Durham, coming off a 2008 in which he got on base at a .380 clip and slugged .432, couldn’t get anything more than a backup sniff as a 37-year-old. Durham’s case, one source said, is among those being looked at by the MLB players’ association in its potential collusion case against MLB.

I'm not sure how they can argue collusion with this. Durham did have a fine season (.289/.380/.432), but it was in a diminished role with two teams (304 PAs with San Francisco, 112 PAs with Milwaukee). Maybe there was concern that he couldn't take a full role any longer.

Also, I'm noticing a trend here: Every black player cited so far is above 35 years of age. As of this blog post, according to Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index, there are only 81 baseball players 35 or older. Out of those 81 players, only 14 are outfielders or first basemen. That either means that there are entrenched players at the positions or teams want to go younger at said positions. Dye's real crime may just be getting older.

Outfielder Kenny Lofton(notes) put up an above-average OPS as a 40-year-old in 2007 and hasn’t been seen since.

And Sheffield, 41, remains a free agent after slugging .451 with spacious Citi Field as his home stadium.

I was wondering when we'd get to them. Kenny Lofton somewhere along the line has garnered the reputation for being a "malcontent". In recent years, he hasn't done anything to disprove that. After he left the Yankees, he was rumored to trying to steer C. C. Sabathia away from signing with the Yankees. This came after he agreed with teammate Gary Sheffield's comments in which he said black players were treated differently than whites in the Yankee clubhouse. This essentially branded longtime manager Joe Torre as a racist.

There are other factors, of course. The free-agent market has shifted drastically against older players. The game places a greater emphasis on defense. And in the individual cases, Lofton came with a difficult-to-handle reputation, as did Sheffield, who once alluded to possible racism from his manager with the New York Yankees, Joe Torre – an accusation backed up by Lofton.

Okay, I win. Blog post over.

But wait, there's more...

Never has Dye been lumped among the malcontents, and his case lends credence to a belief among some black baseball players that should frighten MLB: They’re treated differently. True or not, it doesn’t matter. The specter of racism in a game still haunted by its history – and trying to rejuvenate itself among black youth – is a disturbing reality.

First, note the scary adjectives and noun:

• should frighten MLB
• The specter of racism
• a game still haunted by its history
• is a disturbing reality

That paragraph could have been so much better, but it's watered down by hyperbole. Whether black players believe there is a racist conspiracy against them is their problem. Major League Baseball shouldn't just sign unemployed black players because blacks and most Hispanics were shut out of the major leagues for 63 years. Not only that, but no one has let them forget about those 63 years for the 63 years since.

There are some things that go on in the game that shouldn’t be going on,” Hudson said. “But it’s part of baseball. It’s part of life. Deal with it.”

Perhaps Hudson’s stake is personal. Two years ago, he entered free agency seeking a multiyear deal. He ended up taking an incentive-loaded $3.4 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This season, the 32-year-old hoped for multiple years again. He signed with Minnesota for $5 million over one year.

The second-base market is one that has been closed off to most free agents over the past few years. Almost every team has a regular starter at second base, with a few exceptions. Hudson had to sign with the exceptions both times. That doesn't mean baseball is racist.

Hudson’s words spoke enough that Dye and his agent, Bob Bry, declined to comment Monday night. Hudson going public was unique, too, as other players worry it will have a negative effect on the issue.

Right: You're going to get a bunch of dudes on the Internet disagreeing with it.

While some will accuse Hudson of race baiting and paranoia, the reality is quite the opposite: He is taking public a concern that promotes discussion and forces MLB to be honest with itself about the precipitous drop in African-American players over the last two decades.

"Promotes discussion"? If accusations by Sheffield, Lofton, Hudson and many other black players hasn't led to a solution, there are two reasons for it:

• MLB isn't going to bother with it.
• The problem is so overstated that it isn't significant.

You'd think that with so much racial sensitivity in today's society that Major League Baseball would bend over backwards to make sure black players find employment. Apparently, that's not happening.

As for the drop in black players overall, the main culprits are the NBA and NFL. Basketball and football seem to be much more popular with black Americans and that's why Major League Baseball is stepping up their inner-city programs.

Between the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program and Urban Youth Academies, baseball has tried to resolve that chasm between the sport and black children. The issue: Compared to the football juggernaut and the stranglehold of basketball, baseball finishes a distant third.

... wow, I scare myself sometimes.

While the tremendous influx of black talent in the major leagues in recent years – from Ryan Howard and Carl Crawford to Justin Upton and Jason Heyward – is a positive sign, it doesn’t eliminate the feeling that others have been and continue to be mistreated.

Funny how all of those players have more talent than Orlando Hudson. And who are these "other" black players, by the way? All this article has really proven is that one player is upset that he can't get a secure job and is upset about another who screwed up his shot at getting a job and may not get one this season. If this is all about "promoting discussion", then anyone at all who feels as if they're being discriminated against should speak up and not make it seem like it's an isolated case.

So as players receive their special jerseys this week with the No. 42 on the back and the sport celebrates Robinson breaking the color line, baseball will examine itself again and wonder how it can change a perception that is now six decades old and seems to be going nowhere.

It's a perception that's most likely born of suspicion and paranoia: "Because my ancestors were wronged because of the color of their skin, I may be wronged too." That's not good.

By the way, everyone wearing #42 on Jackie Robinson day is a total and utter farce. I was fine with individual players doing it, but having it be mandatory for everyone is just going too far.

EDIT: Slight grammar fix
SECOND EDIT: Deleted three "(notes)" from quotes

Chargers 17, Falcons 2. Oh, Wait...

SAN DIEGO 17, ATLANTA 2

Jair Jurrjens didn't have anything. Jo-Jo Reyes didn't have anything either. That pretty much sums it up.

Highlighted by a frantic 10-run fourth inning, the San Diego Padres defeated the Atlanta Braves by a score of 17-2.

Will Venable started his big day in the second inning with a triple to the right field corner. He scored on Nick Hundley's infield single.

This is how the fourth inning transpired:

1. Chase Headley doubles.
2. Will Venable singles, Headley to third.
3. Nick Hundley walks, Venable to second.
4. Tony Gwynn, Jr. walks, Headley scores, Venable to third, Hundley to second.
5. Kevin Correia hits a bloop single to right, Venable and Hundley score, Gwynn, Jr. to third.
6. Everth Cabrera grounds to second base, Omar Infante throws home to Brian McCann, Gwynn scores. Correia to second.
7. David Eckstein flies out to right.
8. Adrian Gonzalez hits a ground-rule double. Correia scores, Cabrera to third.
Jo-Jo Reyes comes in to pitch.
9. Kyle Blanks doubles, Gonzalez and Cabrera score.
10. Headley singles and reaches second base on an error by McCann, Blanks scores.
11. Venable hits a home run to center field, Headley scores.
12. Hundley walks.
13. Gwynn, Jr. strikes out looking.
14. Correia strikes out swinging.

The Padres added more in the fifth inning off of Reyes when Blanks belted a three-run homer, making the score 14-0. The Braves were able to break the shutout the next inning with an RBI single by Troy Glaus and a bases-loaded walk by Jason Heyward. The Padres got back two of those runs and one more in the seventh. with an RBI single by Hundley and a two-run double by Gwynn. Jesse Chavez was able to put out the fire for the Braves by striking out four of the five batters he faced.

Safe to say, that's pretty much the story of the game. Kevin Correia's 5 2/3 inning stint where he allowed just two runs got lost in the barrage of runs. The Padres pen threw 3 1/3 scoreless inning, striking out five batters in total.

My Commentary: The lineup returned to the same one as Opening Day. Of course, it didn't have the same result. Chipper Jones went 0-3 in his return, but didn't appear to have any ill effects from his right oblique injury.

The Padres beat the Braves by fifteen runs. They've won by that amount or larger just four times in franchise history; the most recent drubbing came at the expense of the Florida Marlins on August 23, 2002 (18-2). Their 24 hits tied the club record, last accomplished on April 19, 1982 against the Giants.

Melky Cabrera isn't exactly being a great leadoff hitter so far. In six games positioned in the leadoff spot, he's just 2-26 (30 PA) with one double, four walks and two runs scored. This is a little strange, as he has good career splits as a leadoff hitter:

297 PA, .290/.373/.408, 13 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 36 RBI.

Coincidentally, Cabrera is horrible as the very first batter of the game:

64 PA, .179/.281/.231, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR

So it remains to be seen what he'll do if he remains in the leadoff spot. He'll bat better than .077, surely, but how productive will he be?

EDIT: Added link to box score

The Freak and Kung Fu Panda Vault Giants Ahead of Braves

SAN FRANCISCO 6, ATLANTA 3

Atlanta was cruising along with good pitching and the lead, and then something bad happens to make them lose the lead and eventually, the game. The same script played out just like Friday's game, except the teams didn't need extra innings to finish the Giants' 6-3 victory.

In the first inning, Brian McCann got the jump on Tim Lincecum with a two-run, two-out homer into the stands in right field. Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami, who earned the nickname "Dragon Slayer" for pitching his best when opposing other teams' aces, made that stand up as he retired the first eleven batters he faced. Pablo Sandoval broke that streak with a triple and scored on Aubrey Huff's single, which beat Atlanta's unusual right infield shift on him.

The Braves couldn't get anything else going against Lincecum in the meantime. After the top of the sixth, they had only mustered four hits since the home run and struck out six times (seven overall). In the bottom of the sixth, the Giants grounded out twice to start the frame. Sandoval then singled and Huff walked to move him to second. Mark DeRosa then singled to right field. Jason Heyward attempted to throw out Sandoval at the plate, but his throw was up the third base line and McCann couldn't block it. The ball struck Sandoval and rolled into foul territory behind the plate. The confusion allowed Huff to come around and score the go-ahead run. Kawkami finished the inning and left the game in the seventh for a pinch-hitter. His day included just one walk and five hits allowed in six innings.

Lincecum struck out the side after getting the 3-2 lead to finish his day with seven innings pitched and ten strikeouts. Kris Medlen answerd in the bottom of the inning by striking out two of the three men he faced.

The Braves were held off the scoreboard in the eighth by set-up man Jeremy Affeldt. Aaron Rowand led off the Giants' half with a single was erased on a fielder's choice by Escobar. Sandoval then smacked Medlen's first offering into the right field seats to increase the Giants' lead to three.

With two out, Huff hit a fly ball to left field. The wind messed with it enough that Diaz had the ball go off his glove. Huff reached third on the error, probably assisted by Diaz dropping the ball as he was trying to pick it up. Bengie Molina drove Huff home with a single.

Heyward somewhat made up for his error with a similar home run to yesterday; an opposite-field shot to left. That closed the gap to 6-3, and that's how the game ended after Matt Diaz struck out.

My Commentary: The Braves blew another quality start, which makes them 1-2 in that department after six games. Atlanta was 64-35 in quality starts last year. It's always frustrating when a quality start is blown, but two in one series almost makes it unbearable.

Heyward now leads the Braves in the young season with three home runs. He may lead the league in strikeouts (9), but the production has been there for the first week.

In an illustrative note about small sample sizes, Jeff Francoeur has a bigger OPS+ (299) in the first week than all the Braves outfielders' OPS+es added together (278):

Melky Cabrera - 11
Matt Diaz - 24
Jason Heyward - 180
Nate McLouth - 63

The problem is likely Diaz and McLouth getting limited action and Cabrera being exposed as Gregor Blanco with power.

Atlanta Halts AT&T Jinx, Heyward Helps Power Comeback and Win

ATLANTA 7, SAN FRANCISCO 2

Derek Lowe lost control of his pitches yesterday, but made it through his start relatively unscathed. Jason Heyward helped pick him up with a home run and the Braves piled on runs with the aid of Giants miscues to win the game 7-2.

The first three innings featured the Giants and Braves trading goose eggs. Atlanta left three runners on base in the first two innings and the Giants left the bases loaded in the third.

San Francisco struck first when Juan Uribe executed a successful hit-and-run with one out, driving in Aubrey Huff from third base. Uribe was thrown out trying to steal and Eli Whiteside struck out to end the inning.

After leaving seven runners on base through four, the Braves got on the board when Jason Heyward hit a letter-high fastball over the wall in left for his second career home run. That tied the game and Derek Lowe made it hold up despite losing control of his pitches. Sandoval grounded to second to start the inning, but Glaus couldn't handle the throw. Lowe then walked Huff on six pitches. He got Mark DeRosa to ground to Prado to start a 5-4-3 double, but then he lost control again and was forced to walk Uribe to load the bases. On the second pitch to Eli Whiteside, he hit a hard grounder that Escobar slid to corral and he spun and fired to Glaus at first. Whiteside slid headfirst into the base but was out by about a step as Glaus picked the ball out of the dirt.

The Braves opened the floodgates in their next three frames, scoring six runs with the aid of four walks, an error, and four wild pitches. Troy Glaus was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run and Jason Heyward had an RBI single to bring home the third run. Infante scored on a wild pitch in the eighth and singled home Eric Hinske in the ninth. Hinske had a pinch-hit double, which drove in Heyward, and reached third on a balk, after which he scored.

Peter Moylan and Takashi Saito each pitched a scoreless inning, with Saito striking out two batters. Jesse Chavez came on to pitch with a 7-1 lead and allowed a walk and two singles, which scored a run, but he got a double play to end the ball game.

My Commentary: Lowe set a career-high in walks in a game with seven (two intentional). He became the 33rd Braves pitcher in recorded baseball history to be credited with a victory and have seven or more walks in his stint. The franchise record is 11, set by Jimmy Freeman on a complete-game effort on September 1, 1972 against the Phillies. The Braves won the game 11-5.

It was almost pathetic to see Lowe lose control of his pitches like he did. To his credit, he kept it up and was able to get out of the sixth inning thanks to that amazing Escobar play and Glaus dig. The advanced fielding metrics like Ultimate Zone Rating and Fielding Runs Above Average may not show it, but I do believe that Escobar is an above-average fielding shortstop at best.

Jason Heyward's home run shows exactly what kind of power he has. If he can continue to be consistent, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll win the NL Rookie of the Year, even if Stephen Strasburg comes up in the middle of the season.

Marathon Ends With Some Controversy, Giants Victorious

SAN FRANCISCO 5, ATLANTA 4, 13 INN.

The Braves went from cruising, to devastated, to excruciated and then disappointed.

The Giants erased the Braves' two-run lead with one out in the ninth and managed to push across a run four innings later, winning by a score of 5-4.

Tim Hudson, the Braves starter, was sharp from the start, allowing just two Giant baserunners through six innings. Jonathan Sanchez was as ineffective by comparison, as he left in the fifth inning trailing 2-0. The score became 3-0 when Matt Diaz singled in a run off Brandon Medders, the new pitcher. In the seventh, the Giants got on the board with two RBI groundouts following a single by Aaron Rowand and a double by Edgar Renteria. The Braves added a run in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk to David Ross, but left the bases loaded at the end of the inning.

Takashi Satio pitched a perfect eighth and the Braves were held off in the ninth. On Billy Wagner's first pitch in the bottom of the frame, Eugenio Velez smacked a double. Rowand struck out, but then Edgar Renteria hit a game-tying home run to send the game into extra innings.

The Braves left runners in scoring position in the 11th, unable to score off Brian Wilson or Sergio Romo. The Giants had a runner on second base with one out in the 11th but were held off by Peter Moylan. Pablo Sandoval reached second base on a bloop double to lead off the 12th against Kris Medlen and went to third on a sacrifice bunt. However, Travis Ishikawa's grounder wasn't deep enough in the infield to score Sandoval and Eli Whiteside struck out.

In the 13th, after Brian McCann went to second base on a throwing error by Affeldt, Kris Medlen was called out on missing a bunt attempt and Bobby Cox was tossed out arguing the call. Melky Cabrera flied out to right, Prado walked and Escobar flied out to right to end the inning.

The Giants' John Bowker flied out to right to start the 13th. Juan Uribe walked and tried to steal second base with two out and Aaron Rowand at the plate. Rowand swung and missed and may have hit McCann with his backswing because McCann threw the ball awkwardly into center field, allowing Uribe to move to third. Rowand then hit a grounder that got past Martin Prado into short left field. Escobar desperately tried to throw out Rowand, but was off the mark as Uribe scored and the Giants pulled out the victory.

My Commentary: The Braves may not miss Chipper Jones in this series, but it seemed as if the situational hitting problems that plagued Atlanta last year were happening again in this game. The Braves left 14 men on base and were 3-17 with runners in scoring position, including 0-3 in the 13th inning alone.

Jason Heyward continued to struggle as he garnered the Braves' second golden sombrero of the year. Since his home run to start his career, Heyward has been two for his last 17 with one walk and nine strikeouts. Only one of those strikeouts was of the looking variety.

Billy Wagner blew Tim Hudson's seven-inning start Friday afternoon. It was the first quality start of the year for the Braves' pitching staff. The team had 15 blown quality starts that ended up as losses last year.

Martin Prado is the sixth Brave since 1953 to get on base six or more times in a game and still have his team lose:

- CF Sonny Jackson, May 22, 1971: 4-4, 2B, BB, 3 R, ROE (New York 8, Atlanta 7, 11 inn.)
- LF Barry Bonnell, October 1st, 1978: 5-6, 2B, BB, 3 R, ROE (Cincinnati 10, Atlanta 8, 14 inn.)
- RF Claudell Washington, July 4th, 1985: 3-8, 3B, 2 BB, ROE (New York 16, Atlanta 13, 19 inn.)
- RF Dale Murphy, May 23, 1987: 1-3, 5 BB, 2 R (Chicago 7, Atlanta 6, 16 inn.)
- 3B Terry Pendleton, September 14, 1996: 5-5, 2B, BB, 3 R (New York 6, Atlanta 5, 12 inn.)
- 3B Martin Prado, April 9, 2010: 3-4, 3 BB, 2 R (San Francisco 5, Atlanta 4, 13 inn.)

Writer's Note: I did not see the entire game because of a previously-scheduled engagement, but I saw from the first to middle of the top of the fifth, then caught the 10th inning forward.

Two Is Enough; Cubs Shut Out Braves

CHICAGO 2, ATLANTA 0

As much as things went right in the first two games of the series for the Braves, nearly everything went wrong for them Thursday night. Randy Wells and the Cubs bullpen made two solo home runs stand up as Chicago shut out Atlanta 2-0.

Wells pitched six innings and allowed six hits and three walks. Twice he was able to get out of situations with runners in scoring position by getting double play groundouts from Troy Glaus in the third and Yunel Escobar in the sixth. Glaus's double play came after an error by Wells on a dropped throw to second base that loaded the bases.

In the meantime, Tommy Hanson was trying to match Wells, but he fell behind 1-0 in the second inning on a long home run to right by rookie Tyler Colvin. The blast was Colvin's first in his major league career. Marlon Byrd launched a blast to left field in the fourth inning to increase the lead to two runs. That's where pitching and defense took over.

Hanson, who struggled to hit the outside corner all night, managed to allow just five other Cub baserunners in 5 1/3 innings of work. He gave way to Eric O'Flaherty, who pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing no hits.

When Wells was removed in the sixth inning, Pinella chose his pitchers strictly on lefty-righty batters the rest of the game. Sean Marshall pitched to Jason Heyward and Nate McLouth, then he gave way to Esmilian Cardid, who pitched to pinch-hitter Matt Diaz to finish the sixth inning. Caridad worked into the seventh and left with Martin Prado on first and two out for the left-hander John Grabow to face Brian McCann. McCann walked, so Grabow was removed in favor of closer Carlos Marmol. He got Glaus to ground out, his second such result with a runner in scoring position, to end the inning.

Jesse Chavez, who had a terrible spring training (10 IP, 21 H, 14 ER, 12.60 ERA), pitched two innings of perfect relief in the eighth and ninth for the Braves. In the Braves' half of the ninth, Yunel Escobar lead off with a single. Jason Heyward then swung and missed at three sliders low and inside. After working a full count, Nate McLouth walked and Eric Hinske came on to pinch-hit. On a 2-0 count, he launched a pitch to center field, but it died at the warning track. Escobar moved up to third. The next batter, Melky Cabrera, struck out looking on a 1-2 pitch to end the game.

My Commentary: Hanson looked good early on, but he was having trouble all night trying to locate pitches on the outside corner, mostly to right-handed batters. This caused him to throw a lot of pitches and be taken out in the middle of the sixth inning. He was lucky that he only had those two runs scored off of him. It's great that he struck out seven batters, but he probably needs to throw a lot less pitches doing that.

The Braves bullpen has been perfect so far. Every pitcher has done excellent work; O'Flaherty mowed down the Cubs batters quickly tonight. I wonder how long that scoreless streak (10 2/3 innings) will last.

Troy Glaus had two singles and didn't strike out once and Martin Prado continued to stay hot early, getting three hits.

I know I railed against small sample sizes earlier, but what I'm fearing about Melky Cabrera seems to be coming true. Through the first three games, he's 1-13 with just a single and two walks while the former leadoff hitter Nate McLouth is 2-8 with two singles, three walks and a hit by pitch. Cox said that the Braves may change their lineup for Friday's game against the Giants. The game is against Johnathan Samchez, a left-hander, so Diaz may start in left field and David Ross at catcher while Cabrera and McCann get days off.

Jason Heyward looked every bit like a rookie in the ninth inning with Escobar on first and none out. I hope that he's learned his lesson quickly; the Braves can't afford to have him do that when the team needs him the most.

Chipper Authors Comeback, Braves Win First Series

ATLANTA 3, CHICAGO 2

Ryan Dempster and Sean Marshall shut the Braves down. John Grabow did not. With one out and Martin Prado on second, Chipper Jones smacked a home run to left-center field to give the Braves the lead and an eventual 3-2 victory.

The road to the final score was paved by pitching. Both starters, the Braves' Jair Jurrjens and the Cubs' Dempster, allowed just three hits and two walks in their stints.

However, the Braves struck first in the second inning.

With Brian McCann on first base and one out, Yunel Escobar swung and missed on a botched hit-and-run. McCann would have been tagged out had shortstop Mike Fontenot not lost control of the baseball. This assisted Jason Heyward, who smacked a double down the right field line, scoring McCann and giving the Braves a 1-0 lead.

Jair Jurrjens allowed just two hits and no runs into the fifth inning. After Byrd walked, Soriano grounded into a fielders choice as he appeared to beat the throw to first. Replays showed he was out by a half-step, but the inning continued.

Mike Fontenot fouled off some pitches before getting a single, moving Soriano to third base. Geovany Soto then was walked as Jurrjens again couldn't find the strike zone. Dempster then hit a ball that handcuffed first baseman Troy Glaus as he tried to backhand it; that error scored a run. Ryan Theriot then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give the Cubs the lead.

In the meantime, the Braves hadn't gotten a batter on base since the third inning and were held in check as they struggled to hit Dempster's pitches. The Cubs' former closer racked up four straight strikeouts at one point, finishing with nine in six innings. Sean Marshall, who tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the series opener, struck out two batters himself.

Long reliever Kris Medlen came on in relief of Jurrjens in the sixth inning after the starter threw 94 pitches. Medlen allowed just two singles in two innings of work. He was helped in the sixth by Glaus spearing a liner hit by Marlon Byrd and doubling up Aramis Ramirez.

In the eighth, after allowing a one-out single to Fukudome a stolen base and a walk to Derrek Lee, Braves reliever Peter Moylan got Ramirez to ground to Escobar for a 6-4-3 double play.

Grabow then came in to pitch for the Cubs. With one out, Martin Prado hit a high fastball to the wall in left-center, just missing a home run. Jones then worked Grabow to a 3-1 count. Grabow then tried a change-up on the outside corner and Chipper belted it into the left-center field stands, giving the lead back to the Braves. Young reliever Esmailin Caridad came on and struck out Troy Glaus, his fourth whiff of the game, to end the frame.

Billy Wagner entered in the ninth and struck out the side, interrupted by an Alfonso Soriano single. It was his first save as a Brave and his first in nearly two years. It also marked the 30th time in Wagner's career that he struck out three batters for a single-inning save.

My Commentary: At least this game showed that this Braves team has the ability to come back in a close game.

Melky Cabrera doesn't seem over-matched, but he's pulling his best post-6-for-6 Willie Harris impersonation in the first two games. Then again, everyone pulled that off against Dempster tonight (at least from the third inning forward).

Martin Prado was eaten up on a hard grounder that took a bounce past him, but he did wonderfully on the double plays. Only Glaus's backhand error was the most obvious flub of the night.

Jurrjens just lost complete command in the fifth inning. He has a tendency to nibble a lot when he's in trouble and that gets his pitch count up very quickly. He had that same problem last season.

Pitching two or three innings in relief at a time is something that Kris Medlen was born to do. I hope Bobby uses him a lot more as a two-inning fireman.

The loss of control was odd for Moylan, but he worked out of the jam.

Lastly, when Billy Wagner's on, forget it.

So Much For Small Sample Sizes

ATLANTA 16, CHICAGO 5

Highly-touted prospect Jason Heyward started his major league career with a bang. The right fielder hit his first major league home run which gave the Braves a 6-3 lead. That helped open the floodgates, as the Braves won by a score of 16-5.

After Yunel Escobar tied the game with a two-run single, moving Brian McCann to second base, Heyward endured two up-and-in fastballs from Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano. Then, Zambrano tried to throw a fastball over the plate around Heyward's knees. With a short, powerful stroke, Heyward blasted the pitch into the Braves bullpen. That sent most of Turner Field and watching on television into euphoria.

The second inning proved to be Carlos Zambrano's last as he committed a throwing error to third base, allowing a straying Martin Prado to score. The last straw was a solo home run given up to McCann. Zambrano became the fourth pitcher since 1920 to last less than 1 2/3 innings on an Opening Day start, giving up at least 7 earned runs:

- Carlos Zambrano, 4/5/10 @ ATL - 1 1/3 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
- Jose Contreras, 4/2/07 vs. CLE - 1 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
- Dave Stewart, 4/6/95 @ TOR - 1 1/3 IP, 5 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO
- Brad Havens, 4/5/83 vs. DET - 1 1/3 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO

Cubs reliever Jeff Samardzija didn't fare much better than Zambrano. The former Notre Dame wide receiver gave up six runs, five earned, after walking the bases loaded to start the frame.

Braves starter Derek Lowe fared better than Zambrano, but he wasn't exactly stellar. The sinkerballer gave up a first-inning, three-run home run to Marlon Byrd, which gave the Cubs an early 3-0 lead. Lowe lasted six innings, giving up five hits, including two-run home run to Aramis Ramirez in the third, which closed the gap to a score of 8-5.

A pivotal play occurred in the sixth inning with none out and Kosuke Fukudome on first. Byrd hit a hard line drive to left-center. Center fielder Nate McLouth dove at the last second and caught the ball. Unfortunately, when he hit he ball, it squirted free. He threw the ball back to the infield on his back.

In the meantime, Byrd was called out. Aramis Ramirez was confused by that and stood on second base while Yunel Escobar collected McLouth's throw. After Escobar tossed the ball to Troy Glaus, the first basemen stepped on the bag and the umpires ruled it a double play. Television replays clearly showed that McLouth lost control of the ball, but it was somehow shielded from the umpire's view. After Lou Pinella argued and the umpires conferred, the play was upheld and the Cubs runners were erased. Lowe struck out Alfonso Soriano to end the inning and a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the inning ended his day.

The Braves bullpen threw three perfect innings. Relievers Peter Moylan, Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner struck out five batters combined. The three pitchers pitched because of Tuesday's off-day and to get in some work.

The Cubs' Sean Marshall and James Russell tossed 4 2/3 scorless innings in relief of Zambrano, while Justin Berg and John Grabow finished the game. Chicago's pitchers combined for eight walks; six of those runners came around to score.

My Commentary: The Braves showed how patience and some power can lead to very good things. I hope they keep that trend up.

McLouth's failed catch-turned-double play in the sixth inning shows that instant replay needs to be implemented for those plays. It could work with some ground rules on where to place the runners after such a play is overturned.

In my last blog post, I listed the Braves hitters' previous numbers against Carlos Zambrano. Escobar got a two-run single despite being 0-6 over two games (one in 2008, one in 2009). Jason Heyward homered in his first at-bat and Melky Cabrera went 0-1 with a walk and a run scored; both of them had no previous experience against him. Brian McCann had a single and a home run against Zambrano, boosting his career line against him to nine hits in 14 at-bats.

Things like that illustrate that batter vs. pitcher stats aren't particularly meaningful. They are fun stats, but they don't prove that McCann has Zambrano's number or that Zambrano owns Escobar. The sample sizes don't increase quickly enough to have significant statistical meaning.

Opening Day Preview: Braves vs. Cubs

BRAVES' OPENING DAY LINEUP

1. Melky Cabrera, LF (76 PA, .286/.342/.357, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
2. Martin Prado, 2B (73 PA, .383/.479/.500, 2 HR, 9 RBI)
3. Chipper Jones, 3B (55 PA, .310/.418/.452, 1 HR, 10 RBI)
4. Brian McCann, C (52 PA, .500/.577/.929, 4 HR, 16 RBI)
5. Troy Glaus, 1B (63 PA, .385/.492/.481, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
6. Yunel Escobar, SS (57 PA, .283/.333/.453, 1 HR 9 RBI)
7. Jason Heyward, RF (71 PA, .305/.423/.424, 1 HR 5 RBI)
8. Nate McLouth, CF (61 PA, .118/.217/.196, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
9. Derek Lowe, P

The spring batting stats are beside each player. I think those prove how most of the lineup was constructed. Small sample sizes, are fun, aren't they? I'd like to show you the players' number against Carlos Zambrano, Chicago's opening starter, as well.

1. Melky Cabrera, LF (None)
2. Martin Prado, 2B (3 PA, 1-2)
3. Chipper Jones, 3B (29 PA, 6-23, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 1 SO)
4. Brian McCann, C (12 PA, 7-12, 2B, 4 RBI 3 SO)
5. Troy Glaus, 1B (11 PA, 3-10, 2B, 2 HR, 5 BB, 1 BB, 2 SO)
6. Yunel Escobar, SS (7 PA, 0-6, BB, 2 K)
7. Jason Heyward, RF (None)
8. Nate McLouth, CF (32 PA, 5-24, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 7 BB, 7 SO)
9. Derek Lowe, P

The sample sizes are, naturally, even smaller. Only Chipper Jones and Nate McLouth have really faced Zambrano. Chipper has been facing him since 2002 (and not at all last year) while McLouth has been in the same division as Carlos for most of his career. Yet, every broadcast of baseball today trots out these numbers like they mean something.

A batter's career numbers against a pitcher don't really mean anything simply because batters don't face particular pitchers all that often. If Escobar gets two hits against Zambrano tonight, does that mean that he has "figured him out" after facing him for just one game apiece in 2008 and 2009?

In any case, good luck tonight, Braves, and may you plump up your small sample size stats against Zambrano. :)

Another Season Upon Us: A Braves Prospectus

ATLANTA BRAVES
2009 Record: 86-76 (7th in NL)
Pythagorean Record: 91-71 (-5 Luck, 13th in NL)
Batting Average: .263 (T-4th in NL)
On-Base Percentage: .339 (5th in NL)
Slugging Average: .405 (10th in NL)
Earned Run Average: 3.57 (3rd in NL)
WHIP (BB + H / IP): 1.319 (4th in NL)
Runs Scored: 735 (6th in NL)
Runs Allowed: 641 (4th in NL)
Ballpark: Turner Field (14th year)

The Braves weathered a turbulent 2009 season that saw four of their Opening Day starters lose their jobs or get traded:

• 1B Casey Kotchman - traded to Red Sox with cash for 1B Adam LaRoche
• 2B Kelly Johnson - lost his starting job to backup INF Martin Prado
• CF Jordan Schafer - demoted to Class AAA Gwinnett after a 26-game stretch when he batted .151/.231/.172 with only two doubles and five RBI
• RF Jeff Francoeur - traded to Mets after Braves grew frustrated with his futile attempts to break out

Despite the offensive inconsistencies, the Braves were buoyed by their pitching staff. Perhaps the most important contributors were Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens and rookie Tommy Hanson. Vazquez had a career year with the Braves, while Jurrjens showed his promise and Tommy Hanson instantly solidified the rotation when he was called up in June. Derek Lowe, despite being wildly inconsistent, had 15 victories. Tim Hudson returned to the rotation late in the year and the Braves' first Japanese player, Kenshin Kawakami, had a reasonably successful debut with Atlanta. Combined with the solid production of the bullpen (Eric O'Flaherty, Peter Moylan, Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano), the Braves clawed to within two games of the Rockies for the NL Wild Card with six games to go. However, the Braves would lose those six games to have the playoffs fall from their sight.

After some roster turnover, the Braves look to be better equipped to make a consistent run for a playoff spot.

LOSSES:
RP Manny Acosta (waivers, Mets)
LF Garret Anderson (FA, Dodgers)
RP Jorge Campillo (FA, Royals)
RP Buddy Carlyle (FA, Nippon Ham Fighters)
RF Ryan Church (FA, Pirates)
SU Mike Gonzalez (FA, Orioles)
2B Kelly Johnson (FA, Diamondbacks)
1B Adam LaRoche (FA, Diamondbacks)
PH-1B Greg Norton (FA, retired)
CL Rafael Soriano (trade, Rays)
SP Javier Vazquez (trade, Yankees)
RP Boone Logan (trade, Yankees)

ADDITIONS:
OF Melky Cabrera (trade, Yankees)
RP Michael Dunn (trade, Yankees)
SP Arodys Vizcaino (trade, Yankees)
RP Jesse Chavez (trade, Rays)
1B Troy Glaus (FA, Cardinals)
RF Jason Heyward (promotion)
UT Eric Hinske (FA, Yankees)
SU Takashi Saito (FA, Red Sox)
CL Billy Wagner (FA, Red Sox)

The Braves go into Opening Day with just one question mark lineup-wise: will Nate McLouth be able to play? If he isn't, it's likely he'll go on the disabled list and Melky Cabrera will take his slot in center field while Matt Diaz holds down left field. Every other position has been settled.

PLAYER CAPSULES

OF MELKY CABRERA
First year with Braves
2009 Stats w/NYY: 154 G, 540 PA, .274/.336/.416, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 99 OPS+
Career Stats: 569 G, 2148 PA, .269/.311/.385, 36 HR, 228 RBI, 88 OPS+

RP JESSE CHAVEZ
First year with Braves
2009 Stats: 73 G, 1-4 W-L, 0 SV, 4.01 ERA (103 ERA+), 67 1/3 IP, 69 H, 33 R, 30 ER, 22 BB, 47 SO, 1.351 WHIP
Career Stats: 88 G, 1-5 W-L, 0 SV, 4.48 ERA (93 ERA+), 82 1/3 IP, 89 H, 44 R, 41 ER, 31 BB, 63 SO, 1.457 WHIP

INF BROOKS CONRAD
Second year with Braves
2009 Stats: 30 G, 58 PA, .204/.259/.407, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 74 OPS+
Career Stats: 36 G, 77 PA, .192/.234/.356, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 55 OPS+

LF MATT DIAZ
Fifth year with Braves
2009 Stats: 125 G, 425 PA, .313/.390/.488, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 133 OPS+
Career Stats: 475 G, 1402 PA, .310/.358/.459, 36 HR, 161 RBI, 113 OPS+

SS YUNEL ESCOBAR
Fourth year with Braves
2009 Stats: 141 G, 604 PA, .299/.377/.436, 14 HR, 76 RBI, 116 OPS+
Career Stats: 371 G, 1546 PA, .301/.375/.426, 29 HR, 164 RBI, 112 OPS+

1B TROY GLAUS
First year with Braves
2009 Stats w/STL: 14 G, 32 PA, .172/.250/.241, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 32 OPS+
Career Stats: 1409 G, 5872 PA, .255/.359/.497, 304 HR, 879 RBI, 121 OPS+

UT ERIC HINSKE
First year with Braves
2009 Stats w/2 Teams: 93 G, 224 PA, .242/.348/.432, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 107 OPS+
Career Stats: 996 G, 3521 PA, .254/.336/.438, 113 HR, 424 RBI, 100 OPS+

SP TOMMY HANSON
Second year with Braves
Career Stats: 21 G, 21 GS, 11-4 W-L, 2.89 ERA (143 ERA+), 127 2/3 IP, 105 H, 42 R, 41 ER, 46 BB, 116 SO, 1.183 WHIP

RF JASON HEYWARD
First year with Braves
2009 Stats w/3 Teams: 99 G, 422 PA, .323/.408/.555, 17 HR, 63 RBI
Career MiL Stats: 238 G, 1003 PA, .318/.391/.508, 29 HR, 125 RBI

SP TIM HUDSON
Sixth year with the Braves
2009 Stats: 7 G, 7 GS, 2-1 W-L, 3.61 ERA (115 ERA+), 42 1/3 IP, 49 H, 17 R, 17 ER, 13 BB, 30 SO, 1.465 WHIP
Career Stats: 311 G, 310 GS, 148-78 W-L, 3.49 ERA (127 ERA+), 2059 2/3 IP, 1958 H, 874 R, 798 ER, 632 BB, 1402 SO, 1.257 WHIP

UT OMAR INFANTE
Third year with Braves
2009 Stats: 70 G, 229 PA, .305/.361/.389, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 100 OPS+
Career Stats: 660 G, 2309 PA, .264/.310/.391, 37 HR, 221 RBI, 86 OPS+

3B CHIPPER JONES
Seventeenth year with Braves
2009 Stats: 143 G, 596 PA, .264/.388/.430, 18 HR, 71 RBI, 118 OPS+
Career Stats: 2166 G, 9273 PA, .307/.406/.541, 426 HR, 1445 RBI, 143 OPS+

SP JAIR JURRJENS
Third year with the Braves
2009 Stats: 34 G, 34 GS, 14-10 W-L, 2.60 ERA (159 ERA+), 215 IP, 186 H, 71 R, 62 ER, 75 BB, 152 SO, 1.214 WHIP
Career Stats: 72 G, 72 GS, 30-21 W-L, 3.21 ERA (131 ERA+), 434 IP, 398 H, 174 R, 155 ER, 156 BB, 304 SO, 1.276 WHIP

SP KENSHIN KAWAKAMI
Second year with Braves
2009 Stats: 32 G, 25 GS, 7-12 W-L, 3.86 ERA (107 ERA+), 156 1/3 IP, 153 H, 73 R, 67 ER, 57 BB, 105 SO, 1.343 WHIP

SP DEREK LOWE
Second year with Braves
2009 Stats: 34 G, 34 GS, 15-10 W-L, 4.67 ERA (88 ERA+), 194 2/3 IP, 232 H, 109 R, 101 ER, 63 BB, 111 SO, 1.515 WHP
Career Stats: 567 G, 289 GS, 141-117 W-L, 3.84 ERA (118 ERA+), 2135 IP, 2147 H, 1034 R, 910 ER, 609 BB, 1386 SO, 1.291 WHIP

C BRIAN McCANN
Sixth season with Braves
2009 Stats: 138 G, 551 PA, .281/.349/.486, 21 HR, 94 RBI, 120 OPS+
Career Stats: 611 G, 2372 PA, .293/.356/.497, 91 HR, 389 RBI, 121 OPS+

CF NATE McLOUTH
Second year with Braves
2009 Stats w/ATL: 84 G, 396 PA, .257/.354/.419, 11 HR, 36 RBI, 105 OPS+
Career Stats: 565 G, 2075 PA, .260/.342/.454, 71 HR, 230 RBI, 109 OPS+

RP KRIS MEDLEN
Second year with Braves
2009 Stats: 37 G, 4 GS, 3-5 W-L, 0 SV, 4.26 ERA (97 ERA+), 67 2/3 IP, 65 H, 34 R, 32 ER, 30 BB, 72 SO, 1.404 WHIP

RP PETER MOYLAN
Fifth year with Braves
2009 Stats: 87 G, 6-2 W-L, 0 SV, 2.84 ERA (146 ERA+), 73 IP, 65 H, 29 R, 23 ER, 35 BB, 61 SO, 1.370 WHIP
Career Stats: 189 G, 11-6 W-L, 2 SV, 2.45 ERA (175 ERA+), 183 2/3 IP, 153 H, 65 R, 50 ER, 72 BB, 143 SO, 1.225 WHIP

RP ERIC O'FLAHERTY
Second year with Braves
2009 Stats: 78 G, 2-1 W-L, 0 SV, 3.04 ERA (136 ERA+), 56 1/3 IP, 52 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 18 BB, 39 SO, 1.243 WHIP
Career Stats: 156 G, 9-3 W-L, 0 SV, 4.63 ERA (93 ERA+), 126 1/3 IP, 131 H, 73 R, 65 ER, 48 BB, 85 SO, 1.417 WHIP

2B MARTIN PRADO
Fifth year with Braves
2009 Stats: 128 G, 503 PA, .307/.358/.464, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 117 OPS+
Career Stats: 258 G, 868 PA, .307/.360/.451, 14 HR, 93 RBI, 114 OPS+

RP JO-JO REYES
Fourth year with Braves
2009 Stats: 6 G, 5 GS, 0-2 W-L, 7.00 ERA (60 ERA+), 27 IP, 27 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 13 BB, 21 SO, 1.481 WHIP
Career Stats: 40 G, 37 GS, 5-15 W-L, 6.09 ERA (70 ERA+), 190 2/3 IP, 216 H, 141 R, 129 ER, 95 BB, 126 SO, 1.631 WHIP

C DAVID ROSS
Second year with Braves
2009 Stats: 54 G, 151 PA, .273/.380/.508, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 134 OPS+
Career Stats: 485 G, 1458 PA, .228/.317/.442, 67 HR, 174 RBI, 95 OPS+

RP TAKASHI SAITO
First year with the Braves
2009 Stats: 56 G, 3-3 W-L, 2 SV, 2.43 ERA (194 ERA+), 55 2/3 IP, 50 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 25 BB, 52 SO, 1.347 WHIP
Career Stats: 236 G, 15-10 W-L, 83 SV, 2.05 ERA (218 ERA+), 245 1/3 IP, 171 H, 59 R, 56 ER, 77 BB, 297 SO, 1.011 WHIP

CL BILLY WAGNER
First year with the Braves
2009 Stats w/2 Teams: 17 G, 1-1 W-L, 0 SV, 1.72 ERA (279 ERA+), 15 2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 26 SO, 1.021 WHIP
Career Stats: 782 G, 40-38 W-L, 385 SV, 2.39 ERA (183 ERA+), 833 2/3 IP, 563 H, 248 R, 211 ER, 278 BB, 1092 SO, 1.009 WHIP

Miscues Doom Braves In Spring Finale

WHITE SOX 12, BRAVES 4

W - John Danks (2-1)
L - Tim Hudson (3-2)
HR - Brent Clevlen (1)

THE GOOD: The Braves had four scoreless innings out of the pen and Brooks Conrad had two hits, including an RBI triple in the sixth. J. C. Boscan also had two hits. Brent Clevlen had a solo shot in the ninth.

THE BAD: Just about everything else. Tim Hudson was victimized for five runs in four innings, but only one was earned. The next inning, Jo-Jo Reyes gave up seven runs; five of those runs were earned. The Braves committed five errors in the game.

That's it for spring training! The Braves open the 2010 season at 4:00 on Monday as they take on the Chicago Cubs.

Offense Flat Again, White Sox Win

WHITE SOX 7, BRAVES 2

W - Gavin Floyd (1-0)
L - Tommy Hanson (1-1)

THE GOOD: Tommy Hanson had a great outing, only giving up a first inning run. He allowed just three hits and struck out four batters in four innings. Troy Glaus drove in the Braves' first run and Eric Hinske had two hits.

THE BAD: Nate McLouth was scratched with a hamstring strain; it could be questionable whether he's ready for Opening Day. Kris Medlen coughed up three runs in his two innings of work and Billy Wagner allowed two runs in the ninth. Juan Pierre torched the Braves for three singles and two stolen bases.

UP NEXT: The Braves have another game against the White Sox tomorrow. Tim Hudson will start the game for the Braves.

Jurrjens Sharp, But Braves Offense Flat Against Tigers

TIGERS 4, BRAVES 1

W - Joel Zumaya (2-0)
L - Jair Jurrjens (2-1)
S - Robbie Weinhardt (4)
HR - Don Kelly (3)

THE GOOD: Jair Jurrjens was in good form, allowing two runs in six innings. He allowed six hits, walked one and struck out four batters. Eric O'Flaherty had a scoreless inning after his last unsuccessful stint.

THE BAD: The Braves only mustered five singles on offense. Jo-Jo Reyes gave up two runs, one earned, in the seventh inning.

UP NEXT: The Braves head home to Turner Field to take on the White Sox in a two-game exhibition series. Tommy Hanson will pitch in the first game.

Braves Pound The Stars Out Of Astros

BRAVES 10, ASTROS 5

W - Derek Lowe (3-0)
L - Wandy Rodriguez (1-4)
HR - Chris Johnson (6)

THE GOOD: Troy Glaus went 3-3 with two doubles and drove in three runs. Jason Heyward returned to action by getting a single and a walk and scoring two runs. Martin Prado had two hits and scored two runs. Brian McCann drove in three runs and Eric Hinske had a bases-clearing double.

Craig Kimbrel and Peter Moylan had scoreless innings, extending their scoreless springs. Josh Venters and Jesse Chavez had scoreless innings as well.

THE BAD: Derek Lowe had a somewhat sloppy outing, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks. Eric O'Flaherty had has first poor outing of the spring, allowing two runs on four hits. Matt Diaz was the only Brave with three at-bats to not get a hit.

UP NEXT: The Braves play the Tigers in their Florida finale. Jair Jurrjens is scheduled to pitch.

Braves Take Two from Phllies, Yankees

BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 4

W - Craig Kimbrel (2-0)
L - Ryan Madson (1-1)
S - Vladimir Nunez (1)
HR - Brooks Conrad (2)
Eric Hinske (2)

BRAVES 9, YANKEES 6

W - Takashi Saito (2-0)
L - Zack Segovia (1-1)
S - Billy Wagner (2)
HR - NYY - Nick Swisher (1)
Jorge Posada (1)
ATL - Clint Sammons (1)

THE GOOD: Brooks Conrad hit a game-tying home run against the Phillies and scored two runs in the two games. Eric Hinske hit the game-winner against the Philles. Omar Infante had two doubles.

Kenshin Kawakami allowed five hits and no walks in his inning of work. The lone run came on a solo shot by Nick Swisher. Troy Glaus had two doubles against the Yankees. Matt Diaz had three hits over the two games. Braves relievers pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings total.

THE BAD: Yunel Escobar pulled in an 0-3 day against the Yankees. Scott Proctor continued to struggle in the spring, allowing two runs against the Yankees. Darkhorse bullpen candidate Jonny Venters hurt his chances by allowing three runs in 2/3 inning against the Phillies.

Nationals Pound Braves Relievers

NATIONALS 9, BRAVES 3

W - Scott Olsen (1-2)
L - Scott Proctor (0-1)
HR - Ryan Zimmerman (6)

THE GOOD: Erik Cordier pitched four innings of two-hit ball. Chipper Jones drove in two runs with a single. Nate McLouth had a single, scored two runs and stole a base. Martin Prado, Matt Diaz and Brent Clevlen had two hits each.

THE BAD: Most of the pitching. Scott Proctor and Jesse Chavez both allowed three runs in their innings of work. Mariano Gomez allowed three runs in two innings. Clint Sammons and Joe Thurston went 0-4 and Eric Hinske went 0-3.

UP NEXT: The Braves play the Phillies in Clearwater. Kris Medlen will start for the Braves

Heyward To Start Season In Right; Braves Celebrate By Beating Tigers and Nationals

Okay, maybe they didn't celebrate by beating the Nationals this afternoon, but it was still a great performance by the pitching.

BRAVES 5, TIGERS 3

W - Derek Lowe (2-0)
L - Justin Verlander (1-3)
S - Billy Wagner (1)

BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 0

W - Jair Jurrjens (2-0)
L - Jason Marquis (1-2)

THE GOOD: McCann had four hits in the two games and scored two runs. Nate McLouth had two hits against the Tigers, driving in two runs. Omar Infante had three hits, including a double, run and RBI. Matt Diaz had two hits against the Tigers. Derek Lowe pitched six good innings, allowing just one unearned run. Jair Jurrjens followed that with five innings of one-hit ball in the next game. Takashi Saito didn't allow a run in back-to-back days.

THE BAD: Melky Cabrera went 0-8 in the leadoff spot, but drove in a run. Chipper Jones went 0-5 with a walk. Jason Heyward went 0-4 against the Nationals (gasp!). Billy Wagner allowed a run against the Tigers for the only score rung up on the Braves pen in the two games.

UP NEXT: The Braves travel to Lake Vera, Florida to play the Nationals again. Tommy Hanson will start for Atlanta and Scott Proctor is scheduled to pitch.