OOTP16 - Atlanta Braves

[WeagleWeagle]

Series Preview

The Braves (2-4) & the Yankees (2-4) are each searching for their first series wins of the season. New York made some interesting moves in the offseason by signing 3 1B in Chris Davis, Adam Lind, & Mike Napoli. Currently Lind is being used as a PH with Napoli as DH & Davis as everyday starter at 1B? Where is Teixeira you ask? He is in AAA ball playing for the Scranton Railriders.... And A-Rod is currently riding the pine along with Brett Gardner. Things are weird in the Big Apple. The Yankees have lost all but 1 game by a single run. They have the 3rd best bullpen ERA in the AL but their starters have really struggled along with their defense. Atlanta is hoping to find some kind of offense as they are tied for last in the NL in runs scored. Atlanta will get to hit the DH this week as the series is in Yankee Stadium

Expected Pitching Matchups
Game 1
RHP Michael Pineda 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 0.0 WAR
vs
RHP Shelby Miller 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 0.1 WAR
Game 2
RHP Ivan Nova 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 8.00 FIP, -0.1 WAR
vs
RHP Julio Teheran 0-1, 5.68 ERA, 0.97 FIP, 0.4 WAR
Game 3
LHP TJ House 0-0, 16.20 ERA, 7.10 FIP, -0.1 WAR
vs
LHP Brett Anderson 0-1, 32.40 ERA, 7.10 FIP, 0.0 WAR

Primary Lineup
LF Jacoby Ellsbury .562/.562/.688
2B Scooter Gennett .307/.333/.455 3 RBI
C Gary Sanchez .333/.333/.500
DH Mike Napoli .250/.333/.250 RBI
1B Chris Davis .294/.350/.588 HR 2 RBI
3B Mark Reynolds .200/.385/.800 4 HR 5 RBI
CF Aaron Hicks .211/.348/.316 RBI
RF Carlos Beltran .182/.250/.364 HR RBI
SS Didi Gregorius .208/.269/.333 4 RBI

[WeagleWeagle]

4/18/2016

Braves Win in 10
Braves (3-4) 3 @ Yankees (2-5) 2

New York, NY - The trend for both teams continued. Atlanta struggled to score runs but got some strong pitching while the Yankees dropped another 1 run ballgame. It was not a great start for Shelby Miller especially in the first inning when he surrendered a 2 run bomb to Gary Sanchez. After that though the Yankees would never touch home plate again. In the top of the 4th Nick Markakis continued his hot hitting by smashing first HR of the season to tie the game at 2. The bullpens on both sides shut things down until the top of the 10th when Peraza (who is hitting a measly .080) worked a walk. He stole 2nd base then advanced on Mallex Smith's bunt single. Jace Peterson finally came through with a sac fly scoring Peraza. The braves turned the bottom of the 9th over to Nesbitt who after walking the first batter sat down the next three Yankees and earned the win. Major props to Cody Martin & Jim Johnson who pitched 5.0 innings of relief & surrendered only 1 hit with 7 Ks between the two of them. Both teams will look for more offense in the 2nd game of the series

WP: Angel Nesbitt (1-0) 1.0 IP, BB, K
LP: Delin Betances (0-2) 2.0 IP, H, ER, BB

Player of the Game: Nick Markakis 3-4, HR(1), 2 RBI(3), R

Minor League Review

Indianapolis (7-5) 8 @ [Gwinnett (7-5) 4
- LF Cedric Hunter 2-4, 2B(5), R (.271)
- DH Dion Toscano 1-3, 2B(5), RBI(11), R (.283)
- 2B Elmer Reyes 2-4, HR(2), RBI(3), R (.219)

Mississippi (5-5) BYE

Carolina (8-3) 4 @ Frederick (3-8) 0
- LF Braxton Davidson 3-5, 2B(2), R (.409)
- CF Joseph Daris 2-4, HR(2), RBI(8), R (.465)
- SP Andy Otero W(2-0), 7.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Rome (1-4) 2 @ Charleston (4-1) 5
- CF Danny Reyes 2-4, R (.364)
- LF Alex Verdugo 1-3, HR(2), RBI(3), BB, R (.238)
- 1B Alec Bohm 1-3, 2B(1), BB (.235)

MLB News
- 2B Joe Panik (SF) has now gotten a hit in 20 straight games

Top Performances of Day
1.) SP Jimmy Nelson (MIL) 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, BB, 5 K, W in 5-0 win versus CHI
2.) 3B Taylor Featherstein (LAA) 3-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R in 8-3 win versus LAD
3.) SP Jacob deGrom (MIA) 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K, W in 4-2 win versus WAS

[WeagleWeagle]

4/19/2016

Braves Find Offense in 10-6 Win
Braves (4-4) 10 @ Yankees (2-6) 6

New York, NY - Coming into today's game the Braves had scored a total 20 runs all season long. They scored half that today as Atlanta exploded for 18 hits & 10 runs. Manager/GM WeagleWeagle decided to sit Peraza to start the game who is hitting under .100 & move Jace Peterson to 2nd giving rule 5 selection Christian Villanueva his first start in the big leagues. He did not disappoint going 4-5 with with a single game Braves record 3 doubles & 3 RBIs. It all started in the 1st when the Braves jumped to a 2-0 lead thanks to back to back singles by Santana & Freeman. Pierzynski then came through with a 2 out double to open the scoring. Julio Teheran immediately blew the lead and turned in and overall horrid performance lasting only 4 innings. He surrendered an RBI single to Mike Napoli then a 2 run blast to Chris Davis to drop the Braves down 3-2. But Atlanta came back again in the 2nd. Simmons doubled, then Villanueva doubled for first time of game to drive him in, then Jace Peterson finally came through with RISP (although he would later leave bases loaded twice with strikeouts) doubling Villanueva home. Just like that it was 4-3 Braves. Braves would add 2 more in the 3rd & chase Ivan Nova. AJ Cole turned in another brilliant performance in relief going 5 innings, giving up only 4 hits, walking one, & striking out 4 to get his first major league victory. Freddie Freeman went yard for the first time in 2016. Brett Anderson will take the mound tomorrow hoping to have a better showing this last time especially with AJ Cole's 2 performances so far this season he could be pitching for his job.

WP: AJ Cole (1-0) 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K
LP: Ivan Nova (0-1) 2.1 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 2 K

Player of the Game: Christian Villanueva 4-5, 3 2B, 3 RBI, R

Minor League Review

Indianapolis (8-5) 6 @ Gwinnett (7-6) 4
- 1B Conrad Gregor 2-4, HR(2), RBI(2), 2 R
- C Chris O'Dowd 2-4, 2B(1), RBI

Montgomery (4-7) 0 @ Mississippi (6-5) 3
- SP Mitch Atkins W(1-0) 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 K
- CF David Rohm 1-4, HR(2), RBI(11), R (.289)
- SS Zack Cozart 1-4, HR(1), RBI(2), R (.278)

Montgomery (4-8) 4 @ Mississippi (7-5) 5
- SP Wes Parsons W(1-1) 7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K
- SS Zack Cozart 3-4, 2 RBI, R (.364)

Carolina (8-4) 1 @ Wilmington (7-6) 6
- CF Joseph Daris 1-4, R (.447)

Rome (2-4) 6 @ Delmarva (1-4) 5
- SP Chandler Day W(2-0) 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, K
- 3B Edwin Diaz 2-4, HR(2), 2 RBI(10), 2 R
- RF Alex Verdugo 2-4, 2B(2), RBI(4), 2 R
- 1B Alec Bohm 1-3, HR(2), 2 RBI(4), BB, R

MLB News
- C Christian Vazquez signs 1 yr $2,480,000 deal with LAA
- 2B Christian Colon (2B) will be out 4 more months with fractured ankle
- 1B Joey Votto (CIN) tore his labrum, the reigning NL MVP will be out for at least 3 months
- RP Josh Outman was picked up off of waiver by SF

Top Performances of Day
1.) SP Tyler Thornburg (MIL) 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K in 2-1 win versus CHI
2.) 1B Telvin Nash (HOU) 3-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, R in 4-2 win versus OAK
3.) SP Nick Tropeano (LAA) 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, W in 2-0 win versus LAD

[WeagleWeagle]

4/20/2016

Hicks Walks Off New York
Braves (4-5) 7 @ Yankees (3-6) 8 (11)

New York, NY - It was another great one in Yankee Stadium Wednesday night as it took extras again to decide the winner. This time though the Yankees avoided their 5th one run loss. New York jumped on the board first in bottom of the 3 when Gary Sanchez hit a deep sac fly to score Jacoby Ellsbury. But Atlanta fired back in the top the 2nd with 2 runs on singles by Pierzynski & Smith. Braves added a third when Santana opened inning with a triple & then was singled in by Bethancourt. But things fell apart for Brett Anderson in the bottom of the 5th. A Scooter Gennett single drove in the first run , Mike Napoli sac flyed the 2nd run, & Aaron Hicks broke things open with a 2 RBI double giving the Yankees a 5-3 lead. But Atlanta wasn't going quietly. In the top of the 7th Freeman worked a lead off walk & Villanueva followed with a single. Phil Gosselin got the start today as Jose Peraza & Jace Peterson spent the day on the bench. He had a solid day with his biggest hit coming in the 7th singling home both Villanueva & Freeman to tie the game at 5. Jim Johnson entered the game to try and keep it level and failed miserably in the bottom of the 7th as Chris Davis launched a pinch hit 2 run homer to push Yankees ahead again 7-5. But AGAIN Atlanta would not go quietly. In the top of the 8th Bethancourt brought Eric Young Jr home with a single & then the big one in the top of the 9th when a leadoff Mallex Smith double lead to a game tying RBI single (notice how many freaking singles we hit???) by EYJ. But he was left stranded on 2nd and the game was pushed to extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th the Yankees finally put the Braves away for good. Chris Martin loaded the bases on 2 singles & a walk then after a Chris Davis strikeout, Aaron Hicks came through for his 3rd RBI singling in Adam Lind and giving New York an important win. The Braves will head home now for a 4 game homestand against rival Philadelphia.

WP: Andrew Willer (1-0) 1.0 IP 0 ER
LP: Chris Martin (0-1) 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, K

Player of the Game: Aaron Hicks 3-6, 2B, 3 RBI

Minor League Review

Louisville (4-10) 4 @ Gwinnett (8-6) 5
- CF Todd Cunningham 3-5, RBI(6)
- LF Dian Toscano 2-4, 2 HR(2), 3 RBI(14), 2 R (.278)
- RF Destin Hood 2-3, 2B(5), RBI, BB

Montgomery (4-9) 0 @ Mississippi (8-5) 2
- SP Yean Garlos Gil W(1-1), 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K
- 3B Jameson Henning 2-3, RBI(3)

Carolina (8-5) 5 @ Wilmington (8-6) 11
- LF Braxton Davidson 1-2, 2B(3), 2 RBI(12), 2 BB
- 3B Dustin Peterson 1-4, 3B(1), 2 RBI(9)

Rome (2-5) 0 @ Delmarva (2-4) 2
- RF Jordan Paroubeck 2-4 (.250)

MLB News
- 2B Robinson Cano (SEA) suffered partially torn labrum out for 5-6 weeks
- CF Marcell Ozuna (MIA) now has 6 HRs in 9 games to lead NL, Marlins are 8-1

Top Performances of Day
1.) 3B Brett Lawrie (OAK) 3-4, 3B, 7 RBI(!!!!), BB in 10-4 win versus Houston
2.) CF Billy Burns (OAK) 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB in 10-4 win versus Houston
3.) SP Clayton Blackburn (SF) 8.2 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W in 5-1 win versus SD

[WeagleWeagle]

Series Preview

The Braves (4-5) open a 4 game homestand today against the struggling Phillies (4-5). Philadelphia has dropped 3 straight since taking the first series between these 2 clubs in Citizen Bank Park. The Phillies ran into a buzzsaw in New York getting swept by the Mets thanks to basically no offense. The Braves are coming off their first series win of the season but did just lose an 11th inning heartbreaker. Both teams are 4 games back of the best team in baseball currently the Miami Marlins

Expected Pitching Matchups
Game 1
RHP Josh Collmenter 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 0.0 WAR
vs
RHP Matt Wisler 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 4.34, 0.1 WAR
Game 2
LHP Cole Hamels 0-0, 3.46 ERA, 4.59 FIP, 0.1 WAR
vs
LHP Alex Wood 0-2, 3.00 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 0.4 WAR
Game 3
RHP Chad Billingsley 0-0, 4.09 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 0.2 WAR
vs
RHP Shelby Miller 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 0.1 WAR
Game 4
RHP Nathan Eovaldi 0-1, 5.79 ERA, 6.62 FIP, -0.2 WAR
vs
RHP Julio Teheran 0-1, 8.71 ERA, 6.03 FIP, -0.1 WAR

Primary Lineup
SS J.P. Crawford .231/.231/.513 2 HR 5 RBI
2B Odubel Herrera .214/.290/.214 3 RBI
3B Maikel Franco .250/.270/.389 2 RBI
1B Ike Davis .226/.351/.387 HR 6 RBI
CF Colby Rasmus .364/.400/.500 2 RBI
RF Dominic Brown .174/.269/.348 HR 2 RBI
LF Austin Jackson .231/.231/.346 HR 2 RBI
C Tommy Joseph .120/.214/.240 HR 2 RBI

[WeagleWeagle]

4/21/2016

Phillies Edge Braves
Phillies (5-5) 3 @ Braves (4-6) 2

Atlanta, GA - It was a familiar scene Thursday night in Turner Field. The Braves got excellent pitching & little offense as they fell to Philadelphia 3-2. The Phillies offense was held in check most of the night except for the 5th inning when Matt Wisler gave up a devastating bases loaded triple to Philly slugger Maikel Franco. Those 3 runs would be all they would get all night but that's all they needed. Atlanta compiled 10 hits but were only able to muster 2 runs due to lack of hitting with RISP & no power. Peraza & Eric Young Jr each had RBI's in an attempted rally in the 6th inning but it faltered when Domingo Santana struck out with runners on 2nd & 3rd. The rookie slugger has struggled mightily in his first season of real MLB action hitting a sad .178 with only 1 HR & 3 RBIs. The Braves bullpen was outstanding as Avilan, Simmons, Marshall, & Nesbitt teamed up to pitch 4 innings of shutout 1 hit ball with 8 strikeouts between them. Nesbitt has looked real impressive early this season & that continued Thursday striking out the side in the 9th. Bad weather is in the forecast tomorrow but if it holds off then we will get to see an aces duel between Alex Wood & Cole Hamels

WP: Josh Collmenter (1-0) 6.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LP: Matt Wisler (0-1) 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, BB, 5 K
S: Ken Giles SV(2) 1.0 IP, BB, 2 K

Player of the Game: Josh Collmenter

Minor League Review

Louisville (4-11) 7 @ Gwinnett (9-6) 9
- SP Jason Hursh W(2-0) 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 K
- CF Todd Cunningham 3-5, 2B(3), 2 R (.413)
- SS Daniel Castro 2-4, 2 2B(4), 2 R (.269)

Montgomery (4-10) 5 @ Mississippi (9-5) 12
- CF Matt Lipka 4-5, 3 2B(7), 3 RBI(6), 2 R
- SS Zack Cozart 2-5, RBI(7), R (.448)
- 1B Levi Hyams 1-4, 2 RBI(14), R (.364)

Myrtle Beach (7-8) 1 @ Carolina (9-5) 2
- C Tanner S. Murphy 2-4, 2 2B(6), RBI(6)

Greenville (5-3) 6 @ Rome (3-5) 7
- CF Danny Reyes 2-5, 2B(4), 2 RBI(3) (.314)
- C Matthew Kassowitcz 2-4, RBI(3) (.346)
- 3B Ian Hagenmiller 2-3, 2 HR(2), 3 RBI(5) (.296)

MLB News
- Nothing really....

Top Performances of Day
1.) SP Blake Treinin (WAS) 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 K, W in 5-0 win versus NYM
2.) SS Peter Kozma (STL) 3-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB in 5-1 win versus PIT
3.) 2B Kolten Wong (STL) 3-4, HR, RBI, 3 R in 5-1 win versus PIT

[WeagleWeagle]

4/22/2016

Phillies vs Braves Rained Out

Atlanta, GA - The aces duel will have to wait another day as bad weather postponed the game. The 2 squads will faceoff in a double header tomorrow that will start with Wood vs Hammels & conclude with Miller vs Billingsley. All tickets from today's postponed matchup will be honored tomorrow.

Minor League Review

Box scores got corrupted, but looks like we did bad

MLB News
- Sale dazzles Minnesota in a dominating complete game performance

Top Performances of Day
1.) SP Chris Sale (CWS) 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, W in 6-0 win versus MIN
2.) 1B Brandon Belt (SF) 2-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB in 9-1 win versus MIL
3.) DH Billy Butler (OAK) 3-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB in 6-5 win versus SEA

[WeagleWeagle]

4/23/2016

Phillies, Braves Split DH
Phillies (5-6) 2 @ Braves (5-6) 5
Phillies (6-6) 3 @ Braves (5-7) 1 (10)

Atlanta, GA - In game one Alex Wood FINALLY got the W he has deserved. Wood outdueled Hamels as Atlanta earned the 5-2 victory, striking out 13 along the way. That ties the single game strikeout record he set last season & pushes his season total to 25 in 3 games. Andrleton Simmons & Christian Bethancourt continued to give the Braves run support at the bottom of the lineup as each drove in 2 runs pushing their averages to .364 & .382 respectively. In game 2 things got wild. It took 10 innings but Philadelphia finally broke through in top of the 10th against Jim Johnson thanks to a 2 run HR by Carlos Ruiz giving the Phillies the 3-2 win. Chad Billingsley was dazzling going 9 innings striking out 7 & only surrendering a lone run to Christian Bethancourt on a sac fly. Atlanta will look to split the series tomorrow when they send Teheran to the mound.

1st Game
WP: Alex Wood (1-2) 8.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 13 K
LP: Cole Hamels (0-1) 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 7 K

Player of the Game: Alex Wood

2nd Game
WP: Chad Billingsley (1-0) 9.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 7 K
LP: Jim Johnson (0-1) 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, K
S: Ken Giles SV(3) 1.0 IP, BB

Player of the Game: C Carlos Ruiz 2-3, HR(1), 2 RBI(3)

Minor League Review

Gwinnett (10-7) 9 @ Durham (8-8) 3
- SP Williams Perez W(2-1) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K
- LF Dion Toscano 1-4, HR(3), 3 RBI(17), 2 R (.281)
- C Chris O'Dowd 4-5, 2B(2), HR(1), 3 RBI(5), R (.474)

Mississippi (9-7) 1 @ Mobile (9-7) 8
- LF Matt Lipka 2-4 (.333)

Myrtle Beach (9-8) 7 @ Carolina (9-7) 4
- LF Braxton Davidson 3-5, 2B(4), RBI(13), R (.390)
- RF Conner Lien 2-5, 2 RBI(12)

Greenville (5-5) 8 @ Rome (5-5) 13
- SS Edwin Diaz 3-3 2 HR(4), 4 RBI(15), 2 BB, 4 R (.316)
- C Matthew Kassowitcz 2-5, HR(1), 3 RBI(7), 2 R (.324)
- DH Aldo Koutsoyanopulos 2-4, 2B(2), 2 RBI(4), R (.179)

MLB News
- Wainwright bewilders Cubs in shutout
- Garrett Richards whitewashes TEX

Top Performances of Day
1.) SP Garrett Richards (LAA) 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, W in 8-0 win versus TEX
2.) SP Adam Wainwright (STL) 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W in 3-0 win versus CHC
3.) C Ryan Doumit (CWS) 3-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R in 15-13 win versus MIN

[WeagleWeagle]

4/24/2016

Braves Offense Explodes
Phillies (6-7) 0 @ Braves (6-7) 9

Atlanta, GA - Manager/GM WeagleWeagle has been waiting on it all season & finally the whole lineup clicked to give an outstanding pitching performace the run support it deserves. Julio Teheran threw 7 scoreless innings and Shae Simmons pitched 2 more to seal the shutout while the offense cranked out 10 hits that lead to 9 runs. The biggest hit of the day was Teheran himself who with runner on 2nd & 3rd delivered a 2 RBI triple to break the game open. Jose Peraza showed some life at the plate hitting 2 doubles & driving in 2 runs to push his average up to .158. Markakis also continued his solid start to 2016 with a 2-4 day that included an RBI double. Gallardo was pushed out after only 2.2 innings surrendering 6 runs. Braves now sit 4 & half back from Miami with a bye week tomorrow before starting a home series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

WP: Julio Teheran (1-1) 7.0 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 K
LP: Yovani Gallardo (1-2) 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Player of the Game: Julio Teheran

Minor League Review

Gwinnett (10-8) 2 @ Durham (9-8) 5
- LF Cedric Hunter 2-5, 2B(7), R (.268)
- RF Destin Hood 1-4, 2B(6), R (.277)
- 1B Barrett Kleinknecht 1-3, 2B(1), 2 RBI(6) (.229)

Mississippi (10-7) 7 @ Mobile (9-8) 3
- 1B Levi Hyams 2-5, HR(4), 4 RBI(20), R (.368)
- CF David Rohm 2-4, HR(3), RBI(12), R (.274)
- 2B Jordan Edgerton 3-3, HR(2), RBI(8), 2 R (.242)

Myrtle Beach (10-8) 9 @ Carolina (9-8) 0
- LF Braxton Davidson 2-3, BB (.403)

Greenville (6-5) 3 @ Rome (5-6) 2
- SP Chandler Day L(2-1) 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
- 3B Ian Hagenmiller 3-4 (.342)
- LF Alex Verdugo 1-3 (.239)

MLB News
- Yankees send 2B Scotter Gennett & promising RF prospect Nick Plummer to SD for SP James Shields
- SF 2B Joe Panik extends hit streak to 25 games
- TOR 1B Yonder Alonzo goes 5-6 in 22-10(!!!) win over NYY
- NYY DH Mike Napoli wins AL Player of the Week Award hitting .500, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R
- ARI CF AJ Pollock wins NL Player of the week thanks to hitting .500 with 4 RBIs
- COL loses LF Corey Dickerson for 3 weeks due to hamstring tendinitis
- STL SP Zack Petrick leads rookie pitchers in K/BB with 13.00, BAL Zack Davies is 2nd with 8.00
- Top 5 teams in Power Rankings: MIA, CWS, SF, TEX, KC
- Bottom 5 teams in Power Rankings: MIN, BOS, CHC, HOU, SD

Top Performances of Day
1.) RF Jose Bautista (TOR) 3-5, 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB in 22-10 win versus NYY
2.) RF Carlos Quintin (BAL) 2-3, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB in 11-4 win versus BOS
3.) 1B Yonder Alonzo (TOR) 5-6, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R in 22-10 win versus NYY

[WeagleWeagle]

4/25/2016

Braves on BYE

Minor League Review

Gwinnett (11-8) 6 @ Durham (9-9) 4
No box score available

Mississippi (10-8) 2 @ Mobile (10-8) 6
No box score available

Carolina (9-8) on BYE

Delmarva (3-8) 1 @ Rome (6-6) 3
No box score available

MLB News
- SF 2B Joe Panik's hit streak ends at Chase Field in 7-3 loss to ARI
- COL loses another OF this time CF David Dahl to fractured thumb for a month

Top Performances of Day
1.) 1B Jose Abreu (CWS) 3-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB in 8-2 win versus BAL
2.) 2B Howie Kendrick (ARI) 3-4, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R in 7-3 win versus SF
3.) SP Jaime Garcia (HOU) 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W in 4-0 win versus SEA

[WeagleWeagle]

Series Preview

St Louis enters this weekend contest 7-5 with a 1 game lead in the NL Central of Milwaukee. They have done it through elite starting pitching and outstanding defense ranking 1st in both starters ERA at 2.28 & defensive eff at .731. Adam Wainwright has been doing Adam Wainwright things but the big help for STL has been the outstanding pitching of the backend of the rotation. Marco Gonzalez is in first full season as a major leaguer after 26 IP last season. This is Zack Petrick's first season ever in the Show and he leads all rookie pitchers in K/BB with an impressive 13.00. Offensively it's been former Brave Jayson Heyward leading the way along with young 2B Kolten Wong. Atlanta is hoping their young core of hitters Jace Peterson, Jose Peraza, & Domingo Santana can get on track as all 3 are hitting under .200 with rookie CF Mallex Smith heading the same way. The Cardinals are dealing with a large amount of injuries as Matt Holiday, Jhonny Peralta, Carlos Martinez, & Corey Litrell are on the DL for at least 2 more weeks. Both teams will be seeing the other's back half of the rotation which heavily favors the Cardinals.

Expected Pitching Matchups
Game 1
RHP Lance Lynn 1-1, 3.75 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 0.2 WAR
vs
LHP Brett Anderson 0-1, 16.50 ERA, 5.66 FIP, 0.0 WAR
Game 2
LHP Marco Gonzalez 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 0.2 WAR
vs
RHP Matt Wisler 0-1, 5.73 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 0.2 WAR
Game 3
RHP Zach Petrick 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 0.4 WAR
vs
LHP Alex Wood 1-2, 2.74 ERA, 1.97 FIP, 1.0 WAR

Primary Lineup
3B Matt Carpenter .256/.353/.349 4 RBI
1B Matt Adams .255/.294/.383 HR 3 RBI
SS Alexi Amarista .097/.184/.290 2 HR 8 RBI
RF Jayson Heyward .349/.383/.674 4 HR 10 RBI
LF Randal Grichuk .211/.231/.237 RBI
C Yadier Molina .136/.156/.250 HR 2 RBI
2B Kolten Wong .324/.375/.514 2 HR 6 RBI
CF Peter Bourjos .270/.333/.351 RBI

[Baebae32]

I enjoy reading this. Good work & go Bravos!

[WeagleWeagle]

Originally Posted by Baebae32

I enjoy reading this. Good work & go Bravos!

Thanks man! I am really enjoying it so far though I wish we could find a more consistent offense!

[WeagleWeagle]

4/26/2016

Gosselin A Hero
Cardinals (7-6) 2 @ Braves (7-7) 3 (13)

Atlanta, GA - The Braves are getting used to these extra inning games. It was a familiar scene for both teams, great pitching backed by no offense. Brett Anderson finally had himself a great day going 6.0 innings (total amount he went previous 2 starts), surrendering 0 runs, giving up only 4 hits, & striking out 5. It looked like he was going to be in line for the win as Jace Peterson opened the game with a bang in the bottom of the first driving his first HR of the season. Jace looks to be on the upswing going 2-5 Tuesday night with a homer & triple. It was 1-0 heading to bottom of 6th with runners on 1st & 2nd with 2 outs when GM/manager WeagleWeagle had to make a tough decision. Anderson was cruising along but the Braves wanted insurance so he pinch hit for Anderson. It briefly looked like a brilliant decision as Pierzynski came in and does what Braves fans have come to expect in crunch time & knocked in an RBI single extending Braves lead to 2-0. However diaster struck in only 4 pitches in the top of the 7th. Angel Nesbitt has been lights out so far this season but his light exploded Tuesday night as after 2 pitches he gave up a leadoff double then after 2 pitches more he gave up a 2 run HR to Yadier Molina. Just like that it was tied. From that point on both teams would blow chances with runners in scoring position. Atlanta used 8 pitchers with Cody Martin being the highlight going 3 innings, giving up only 1 hit, & striking out 3. In the top of the 13th, rookie AJ Cole entered walked the first batter he faced & gave up a single to put men on the corners with no outs. He then got a flyout to the catcher & double play ball to escape. Jose Peraza came through with a 2 out walk & then stole 2nd base to get a runner in scoring position. Atlanta then went to the last guy on their bench Phillip Gosselin. Facing Kevin Siegrist he roped the first pitch he saw straight up the middle for a game winning, walkoff single to lift the Braves to a dramatic 3-2 victory. Atlanta will need a deep game out of Wisler tomorrow due to the high use of arms in the 13 inning contest.

WP: AJ Cole (2-0) IP, H, BB
LP: Kevin Siegrist (0-1) 0.2 IP, H, ER, BB

Player of the Game: Phillip Gosselin 1-1, game winning RBI

Minor League Review

Gwinnett (12-8) 10 @ Durham (9-10) 4
- SP Jason Hursh W(3-0), 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
- 2B Elmer Reyes 4-5, 2 HR(4), 2 RBI(8), 3 R (.317)
- LF Dion Toscano 2-4, 2 RBI(19), 2 R (.274)

Mississippi (10-9) 0 @ Mobile (10-9) 3
- SP Tyrell Jenkins L(3-2) 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
- C Hsiue-Liang Bai 1-4, 2B(2)

Lynchurg (11-7) 3 @ Carolina (10-8) 7
- SS Yeudi Grullon 2-4, 3B(1), HR(3), RBI(1) (.217)
- LF Braxton Davidson 1-4, HR(5), 3 RBI(16) (.394)

Delmarva (3-9) 1 @ Rome (7-6) 3
- SP Chad Sobotka W(1-0) 7.0 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K (2.89 ERA)
- C Matthew Kassowitz 2-4, HR(2), 2 RBI(9) (.333)
- 3B Ian Hagenmiller 2-4, RBI(7) (.348)

MLB News
- Not a darn thing

Top Performances of Day
1.) C Austin Hedges (SD) 2-3, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB in 9-4 win versus TEX
2.) SP Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL) 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, W in 2-1 win versus CHC
3.) CF George Springer (HOU) 2-5, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB in 15-4 win versus SEA

[WeagleWeagle]

4/27/2016

Braves Bullpen Stands Strong
Cardinals (7-7) 3 @ Braves (8-7) 5

Atlanta, GA - The last thing Braves skipper said to the media Tuesday night was he needed a strong start from Wisler after using 8 arms in the 13 game win yesterday. Well.... Wisler only gave up 2 ER but he surrendered 10 hits & walked one running his pitch count all the way up to 90+ in only 3.2 innings of work. That meant tired arms would have to hold down the fort most of the game as long reliever AJ Cole was still exhausted from his last 2 outings. And hold down the fort they did. Luis Avilan went 1.1 giving up absolutely nothing. Sean Marshall followed with 2 outstanding innings giving up only a hit & a walk but striking out 2. Angel Nesbitt & Jim Johnson combined to work through a bit of a jam in the 8th before giving the game over to young closer RJ Alvarez. The first batter Alvarez faced (Matt Adams) launched a 98 mph fastball over the CF wall.... But that would be it as he would strike out the next 2 batters he faced & get the last Cardinal to pop out to the catcher to earn his 2nd save of the season. Offensively the Braves were solid. Fighting back from a 2 run deficit, it got started by Wisler actually in bttom of the 3rd when he lead off the inning with a double. Santana of course struck out next (he leads the league in strikeouts, battling Kris Bryant for top spot) before Eric Young Jr came through with a 2 strike double to put the score at 2-1. Atlanta took the lead in the bottom of the 5th. Andrleton Simmons worked a walk to start the inning, followed by a Phillip Gosselin single that due to a Cardinal error put runners on 2nd & 3rd. Jace Peterson then scored Simmons on a sac fly. Eric Young Jr again pushed a run across with a single to give the Braves the 3-2 lead. In the top of the 9th the Braves needed some insurance and got it from the 9th inning man Phillip Gosselin. The goose got the start in LF after being a hero the night before. He once again came through in the 9th with runners on 2nd & 3rd driving a single down the line to score both men and extend the lead to 5-2. It proved important as Alvarez surrendered a run before slamming the door shut. Atlanta will go for the sweep when they send their ace Alex Wood to the mound tomorrow night.

WP: Luis Avilan (1-0) 1.1 IP
LP: Marco Gonzalez (1-1) 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
S: RJ Alvarez (2) 1 IP, H, ER, 2 K

Player of the Game: CF Eric Young Jr 3-3, 2B(2), BB, 2 RBI(5) (.300)

Minor League Review

Gwinnett (12-9) 2 @ Charlotte (9-12) 3
- RF Destin Hood 2-4, 2B(8)
- 3B Adonis Garcia 2-4, HR(1), 2 RBI(5) (.190)

Jacksonville (7-13) 3 @ Mississippi (11-9) 5 (11)
- SP Lucas Sims 7.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K
- 1B Levi Hyams 2-3, HR(5), 2 RBI(22), BB, R (.382)
- CF David Rohm 3-5, HR(4), 2 RBI(14), R (.286)

Lynchurg (12-7) 7 @ Carolina (10-9) 5
- CF Joseph Daris 2-5, 2 R (.280)
- DH Tanner S. Murphy 3-5, RBI(7), R (.234)
- LF Braxton Davidson 1-5, 2B(5), 2 RBI(18), R (.380) ---> This guy is killing it this year

Delmarva (3-10) 2 @ Rome (8-6) 5
- SP Alec Grosser W(2-0) 6.1 IP, 3 H, 8 K (1.15 ERA)
- CF Danny Reyes 1-3, 3B(2), RBI(4), R (.283/.356)
- C Matthew Kassowitz 1-3, HR(3), 3 RBI(12), R (.333) ---> I REALLY REALLY like this kid
- RF Jordan Paroubeck 3-4, 2 2B(3), R (.347/.418/.408) ---> Starting to emerge as a very productive hitter

MLB News
- White Sox have the best record in baseball at 11-4 thanks a lot to their AL leading 24 HRs & solid pitching
- Marlins have best record in NL, Marcell Ozuna off to an amazing start hitting .312, 6 HRs, 14 RBI & their pitching has been amazing
- CWS 1B Jose Abreu & MIA CF Marcell Ozuna are tied for most HRs with 6
- CIN SS Billy Hamilton & ATL CF Maxwell Smith are tied for SBs with 8
- ATL 3B Jace Peterson leads both leagues in triples with 3
- Who is the best hitter in AAA? Phillies 1B Ryan Howard .389/.443/.583 4 HR 15 RBI & being paid 25M for it (LOL Phillies)

Top Performances of Day
1.) 3B Trevor Plouffe (MIN) 4-6, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 R, BB in 9-8 loss to CLE..... (7 RBIs & you lose, that sucks)
2.) CF James Ramsey (CLE) 4-8, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB in 9-8 win versus MIN
3.) SS Nick Franklin (TB) 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R in 11-0 win versus TOR (last year's WS MVP having another strong start)

[WeagleWeagle]

4/28/2016

Wood Outduels Petrick
Cardinals (7-8) 0 @ Braves (9-7) 1

Atlanta, GA - All season long Wood has been dominant but has struggled to get the run support to get the wins. Today he was pretty much perfect going 8.1 innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, & most importantly 0 runs. Zack Petrick for STL has been off to a tremendous start this season & was ready to match Wood pitch for pitch. He did except for one fastball he left over the plate for emerging slugger Andrleton Simmons. Simmons launched it over the left field wall in the bottom of the 4th to give the Braves the lone run of the game. Both pitchers kept batters off balance not by strikouts but by Maddux style location that generate weak popups & groundballs. Both of these guys are gonna be around for awhile doing this to hitters. The Braves complete the very important sweep & have now pushed their record 2 games over .500. Up next is hated division rival Washington who is underperforming to start the season thanks to injuries to Jason Werth & Bryce Harper

WP: Alex Wood (2-2) 8.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
LP: Zack Petrick (2-1) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
S: RJ Alvarez (3) 0.2 IP

Player of the Game: Alex Wood ---> This guys is a borderline god on the mound right now

Minor League Review

Gwinnett (13-9) 10 @ Charlotte (9-13) 5
- SP Williams Perez W(3-1) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 5 K
- 1B Conrad Gregor 2-4, HR(3), 3 RBI(8), R (.370)
- 3B Adonis Garcis 5-5, 5 RBI(10) ---> Has raised avg from .173 to .238 in 2 games

Tennessee (9-12) 5 @ Mississippi (12-9) 6
- 3B Jameson Henning 2-4, 2B(2), RBI(5), R
- CF David Rohm 2-4, 2B(7), 3 RBI(17)

Lynchurg (12-8) 3 @ Carolina (11-9) 4
- LF Braxton Davidson 2-4, R (.387/.447/.653)
- SS Yeudi Grullon 2-4, 3 RBI(8) (.221)

Rome (9-6) 8 @ Greenville (6-9) 2
- LF Danny Reyes 3-5, 2B(5), 2 R (.310)
- SS Edwin Diaz 1-4, HR(5), 3 RBI(18), 2 R (.264/.317/.585)
- 1B Alec Bohm 2-4, 2B(2), 3 RBI(9) (.302/.387/.453)

MLB News
- SEA SP King Felix goes down with rotator cuff inflammation for at least 3 months, big blow to an already struggling ballclub
- KC Yordano Ventura shuts out MIN

Top Performances of Day
1.) SP Yordano Venture (KC) 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W in 9-0 win versus MIN
2.) 1B Jose Abreu (CWS) 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB in 11-8 win versus BAL
3.) SP Alex Wood (ATL) 8.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, W in 1-0 win versus STL

[WeagleWeagle]

Top 10 MLB Prospects

Let's take a quick look at who Baseball America considers to be the top prospects in baseball for 2016

10.) SP Julio Urias | Throws: Left | Age 19 | 5'10" 185 lbs | LAD
Tulsa Drillers - AA
Despite battling a tough eye condition, Urias was outstanding in 2015 for the Dodgers in AA ball. He threw 117.1 innings, posted a record of 7-4, ERA of 3.76, struckout 100, & FIP of 3.97. He can bring the heat touching up to 97 mph with the ability to go a little higher if he needs it. His fastball is MLB ready but his curveball & changeup still need work. He is off to a strong start in 2016 as after 4 appearances he is 2-0, 2.30 ERA, 26 K & very impressive 2.38 FIP. If he continues at this pace don't be surprised if he makes the jump to AAA at some point this season but due to his youth the Dodgers might decide to give him another full season in AA to develop his offspeed stuff.

9.) SP Trevor Megill | Throws: Right | Age 22 | 6'7" 235 lbs | CWS
Great Falls Voyagers - R
Megill is massive at 6'7", 235 lbs but is not the power pitcher you would expect. He has 3 really good offspeed stuff to go with his average fastball. Chicago selected Megill out of Loyola Marymount with the 38th OVR pick in the 2nd round in 2015. He had an ok time in CWS rookie ball splitting time between their low & high R teams going 4-7, ERA of 4.99, K/9 of 9.9, & FIP of 4.49 with a good WAR of 1.1. He will be repeating rookie ball again this year on the Great Falls Voyagers.

8.) SS Alex Bregman | Bats: Right | Age 22 | 5'10" 189 lbs | COL
Boise Hawks - S A
Bregman was the 2nd overall selection out of LSU in the 2015 draft for the Colorado Rockies. He projects to a great 5 tool player with decent power & great contact. He bounced around the different level last season making it all the way to A ball. This year though Colorado wants to at least start him back down in SA after struggling in Ashville. If the Rockies give him time to develop Bregman could be their replacemet for Tulo in a few seasons.

7.) SP Kolby Allard | Throws: Left | Age 18 | 6'2" 175 lbs | HOU
Houston (GCL) Astros - R
It's hard not to love a lefty that has a nasty curve to go along with a 96 mph fastball. Allard is still very young but you can see the tremendous potential there. In GCL last season he went 3-3, with 3.44 ERA, 10.0 K/9, & 4.02 FIP. Due to his age & really the amount of development he still needs he will repeat GCL again at least to start the season. He is probably 3-4 years away from the show but you can't help but be excited in Houston about this power lefty

6.) SP Brady Aiken | Throws: Left | Age 19 | 6'3" 190 lbs | TEX
Texas (AZL) Ranges - R
You wanna talk about a kid that can bring the heat, the Rangers young 3rd OVR 2015 draft pick can touch 98 consistently. He still needs A LOT of work on his control but the stuff is there. The key to his development is going to be his curveball & changeup. Both are ok now but if they become great then watch out. Aiken will play in the Arizona League this summer.

5.) SS Brendan Rodgers | Bats: Right | Age 18 | 6'0" 185 lbs | ARI
Missoula Osprey - R
It surprised absolutley no one who the D-Backs took with the #1 pick in 2015. Rodgers has everything you want in a superstar. A great bat, solid power, & stout defense. He is still incredibly young but in the Arizona league last season he hit .257, recorded a .356 OBP, hit 7 HRs, & drove in 26 RBIs. Arizona would like to see that batting average go up some in 2016 but good to see that early power. Arizona is building talent in their farm system & it starts with Rodgers.

4.) SS Corey Seager | Bats: Left | Age 22 | 6'3" 210 lbs | LAD
Los Angeles Dodgers - ML
The only member of this list to be on a major league ball club. Seager can do it all. Hit for average, smash home runs, get on base, or just make great plays. Seager was dominant at every stop in the minors leading to his ML debut but his 2016 start has been rather pedestrian. Hitting in the 2 hole he has gone .263/.344/.316 with no HRs & 6 RBIs. It is still early & I expect once it clicks Seager will start tearing up pitching. The future is now in LAD with Puig, Seager, Pederson, & Olivera

3.) SP Donnie Everett | Throws: Right | Age 19 | 6'2" 220 lbs | CWS
Chicago A (AZL) White Sox - R
Chicago did not waste either of there first 2 picks in 2015. We saw Megill earlier their 2nd round pick but now for the gem. Everett was CWS 8th overall pick & brings a monster fastball that is consistent between 97-99 with him touching over 100 when he really needs it. He has 3 offspeed pitches that need work but that fastball is already well on it's way to being legendary. He was lights out in rookie ball last season going 2-2 with 2.63 ERA, striking out 7.2 per 9 innings, earning an FIP of 4.37, & posting a 0.4 WAR. He will repeat this level again to work on his control & offspeed stuff but this is a fireballer to keep an eye on in the future. A top of the rotation of Megill & Everett could be quite the daunting task 3-4 years from now for AL opponents.

2.) SP Triston McKenzie | Throws: Right | Age 18 | 6'5" 198 lbs | TOR
Toronto (GCL) Blue Jays - R
McKenzie is a pitcher. Plain & simple guy knows how to use all 3 of his pitches to get outs. Toronto took him with the 47th OVR pick in 2015 & I think they got him as a steal. He was oke in GCL last season going 3-5 with 3.58 ERA but they wanna see more out of him to promote. I think it is a good move as he needs time to develop. McKenzie should be a top of the rotation guy for years to come in the Toronto organization

1.) C Jake Turnbull | Bats: Left | Age 18 | 6'0" 185 lbs | CIN
Billings Mustangs - A
Last season Turnbull was the #55 prospect in MLB. So what changed? How about hitting .318/.398/.466 with 3 HRs, 17 RBIs, 16 2Bs, & 4 3Bs while also stealing 7 bases. Overally he was good at a lot of things. However, he is off to a REALLY bad start in A ball in 2016 hitting under .200 & one measly HR. The Reds might have bumped him up a year early but at the least it's gonna take some time for him to adjust to the next level of play

My Favorite Prospects

Now that we saw who Baseball America really likes lemme give you a few guys to remember that I see as superstars in the future

LF Ludovicho 'Hangover' Bermudes | Bats: Right | Age 17 | 6'1" 175 lbs | LAA
Los Angeles (AZL) Angels - R
Last season the Angels sign who many consider to be the best international free agent of 2015 & possibly ever signed. Bermudes has ridiculous HR power potential & great patient at the plate. He is decent in the OF but his bat is where the money will be. Only 17 the Venezuelan has a LONG way to go before the Show but his journey starts this summer in rookie ball. It's always hard to project kids like this but you can't help but look at his potential & think this is the next big thing. Baseball America currently ranks him #37

LF Trenton Clark | Bats: Right | Age 18 | 6'0" 205 lbs | OAK
Oakland (AZL) Athletics - R
Clark was the #22 OVR selection in the 2015 class & in his first season of rookie ball struggled hitting only .229. He did show the ability to hit with RISP driving in 33 RBIs but still not the production Oakland was hoping for. He needs to work on his plate discipline but all the tools are there for a really great hitter & ball player/ Baseball America has Clark #21 prospect in MLB

LF Aaron Judge | Bats: Right | Age 24 | 6'7" 235 lbs | NYY
Scranton WB Railriders - AAA
It's just a matter of time before this monster of a human being gets his shot at the Show. Judge is off to a great start in 2016 continuing what has been a very good minor league career. He might get the callup this season but you can't help but think he will be on the roster come this time in 2017. He brings a very strong bat & decent defense. If NYY struggles (like they are now) or hits the injury bug we might get to see the Judge in action very soon

CF Austin Meadows | Bats: Left | Age 20 | 6'3" 205 lbs | PIT
Indianapolis Indians - AAA
This guy can do it all. Hit for average, get on base, drive in runs. Meadows has powered his way through the Pirates organization & is knocking on the door for MLB playing time. He probably needs a full season of AAA ball before making the jump but he should be close. The major problem for him right now is Andrew McCutchen. There is a lot of talent in this Pirate OF already so he might be blocked for a bit. But you can't help but get excited about this kid's future. Ranked #36 prospect by Baseball America

[WeagleWeagle]

Series Preview

When you lose 2 of your best hitters life gets tougher. That's the case for Washington (8-8) who enters this weekend's contest at .500 & tied for 3rd in the NL East. Star RF Bryce Harper & LF Jayson Werth are both on the DL with Harper not back for 2 more weeks. A bright spot for Washington has been Harper's replacement Brian Goodwin. The rookie has hit .364 since joining the club & helped Washington get out a 5 game losing streak. The Nationals enter the series coming off a solid series against last place Philadelphia taking 2 of 3 on the road. Atlanta is traveling to Washington to kick off a 10 game road trip that has them visiting 3 of their division rivals: Washington, Miami, & New York. The Braves are trying to decide what to do with struggling rookie RF Domingo Santana who is hitting under .200 & showing no signs of turning it around. The Braves will need more outstanding pitching this week from the middle of their rotation as they face off against the 2nd best pitching staff in the NL.

Expected Pitching Matchups
Game 1
RHP Max Scherzer 1-1, 2.25 ERA, 2.43 FIP, 0.7 WAR
vs
RHP Shelby Miller 1-0, 2.35 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 0.3 WAR
Game 2
RHP Jordan Zimmerman 1-2, 6.48 ERA, 4.86 FIP, 0.1 WAR
vs
RH Julio Teheran 1-1, 5.19 ERA, 5.21 FIP, 0.0 WAR
Game 3
LHP Gio Gonzalez 2-1, 2.50 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 0.0 WAR
vs
LHP Brett Anderson 0-1, 8.25 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 0.2 WAR

Primary Lineup
CF Michael A. Taylor .197/.229/.258 3 RBI
2B DJ LeMahieu .224/.237/.310 6 RBI
3B Anthony Rendon .293/.359/.448 HR 6 RBI
1B Ryan Zimmerman .200/.269/.267 7 RBI
LF Clint Robinson .222/.344/.259 2 RBI
SS Ian Desmond .211/.262/.298 HR 5 RBI
C Dioner Navarro .255/.314/.319 HR 3 RBI
RF Brian Goodwin .364/.400/.455 2 RBI

[WeagleWeagle]

4/29/2016

Braves Win Again
Braves (10-7) 1 @ Nationals (8-9) 0

Washington, D.C - It doesn't matter how bad your offense is if the other team doesn't score... That seems to be the philosophy for this Atlanta team in 2016. A day after Alex Wood & RJ Alvarez combined to shutout St. Louis while only scoring a single run, the Bravos did it again this time with Shelby Miller, Cody Martin, & RJ Alvarez teaming up. Max Scherzer might have been more dominant but he failed to get himself out of the 1 jam he found himself in 8 innings of work. In the top of the 6th, Maxwell Smith roped a single into RF. He then stole 2nd base giving him 9 steals on the season. After a Nick Markakis ground out advanced him to 3rd, Christian Bethancourt hit a fly too short for a sacrifice. This brought up Freddie Freeman with 2 outs & a runner on 3rd. Freeman turned on a Scherzer fastball & sent it down the first base line for a single driving in Smith. That would prove to be all Atlanta needed. Three times Washington would get a runner on 3rd. Every single time the Braves got a strikeout. In the 3rd inning it was Michael A Taylor striking out with runners on 2nd & 3rd. In the bottom of the 6th it was Anthony Rendon with runners on the corners. Finally in the 8th it was rookie Brian Goodwin facing Cody Martin that struck out with runners on 2nd & 3rd. RJ Alvarez left no doubt in the 9th giving up a single but nothing else as Atlanta increased it's modest win streak to 5.

WP: Shelby Miller (2-0) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K
LP: Max Scherzer (1-2) 8.0 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 8 K
S: RJ Alvarez (4) 1.0 IP, H, K

Player of the Game: Shelby Miller

Minor League Review

Norfolk (12-11) 1 @ Gwinnett (14-9) 13
- SP Sugar Ray Marimon W(1-2) 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
- 1B Conrad Gregor 3-5, 2 HR(5), 5 RBI(13), 2 R (.392)
- RF Kyeong Kang 3-5, 2 2B(3), HR(1), 4 RBI(4), 3 R (.455)

Tennessee (9-13) 3 @ Mississippi (13-9) 4
- LF Matt Lipka 2-4, 2B(9) (.325)
- CF David Rohm 2-4, 2B(8), RBI(18) (.308)
- C Reed Harper 2-4, RBI(3) .283 ---> Never played catcher before but injuries have forced him to be the backup for basically all IF positions

Carolina (12-9) 1 @ Salem (8-13) 0
- SP Brandon Barker W(2-1) 6.1 IP, 9 H, BB, 5 K
- 1B Tanner Krietemeir 2-4, HR(2), RBI(8)

Rome (9-7) 3 @ Greenville (6-9) 5
- CF Alex Verdugo 1-3, HR(4), RBI(7), R (.220) ---> #2 prospect is struggling again in low A ball
- 1B Alec Bohm 1-3, 2B(3), R (.304)

MLB News
- Tampa Bay signs SP Drew Smyly to 4 yr, $36.1 M contract extension (0-2, 5.03 ERA in 2016)

Top Performances of Day
1.) SP Aaron Sanchez (TOR) 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, W in 6-1 win versus NYY
2.) RF Dominic Brown (PHI) 3-3, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R in 7-5 win versus Miami
3.) SP Adam Wainwright (STL) 9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W in 5-1 win versus PIT ---> Glad we missed him in our series

[WeagleWeagle]

4/30/2016

Bullpen Falls Apart
Braves (10-8) 6 @ Nationals (9-9) 8

Washington, DC - After 2 straight outstanding pitching performances the Braves were hoping Teheran would keep it going. About that... The first 4 batters Julio faced all reached base with the last 2 doubling & just like that Atlanta was down 3-0. Washington would tack on a 4th run thanks to an Ian Desmond double in the 3rd. It looked like the Nats were heading to a blowout but the Bravos weren't done. They struck back in a big way in the top of the 5th starting with Mallex Smith's one out single. Jace Peterson followed with a single, then WeagleWeagle called for a double steal that was executed perfectly. Christian Bethancourt was bumped to the #3 spot in the lineup due to his great hitting and Santana's struggles. Bethancourt showed it was a smart move coming through with a 1 out single to score both runners. After a Freddie Freeman flyout, Nick Markakis kept the good times rolling with another single (we don't like to hit the ball very far...) setting up Andrleton Simmons who delivered with a run scoring single to put the game at 4-3. In the top of the 7th Atlanta tied things up when Freddie Freeman singled home Jace Peterson. This is when the bullpen got shaky. AJ Cole entered in the bottom of the 6th & delivered a 1-2-3 inning. However in the bottom of the 7th he surrendered the go ahead run for Washington on a Ryan Zimmerman single. But the Braves continued to fight back. Domingo Santana showed some life at the plate blasting a double to start the inning. AJ Pierzynksi pinched hit and came through with a single. Jace Peterson stepped up big with 2 outs to deliver a 2 run double pushing Atlanta ahead 6-5. Angel Nesbitt entered the game in the bottom of the 7th & fell apart. He faced only 4 batters allowing 3 to reach base. Shae Simmons came on in relief & was unable to strand any of them resulting in a 3 run 8th pushing Washington ahead 8-6 & that's how it would end.

WP: Craig Stammen (1-1) 0.1 IP, K
LP: Angel Nesbitt (1-1) BS(2) 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, K
S: Shawn Kelley (7) 1.0 IP, K

Player of the Game: Ryan Zimmerman 2-3, 2B(3), 4 RBI, BB, R

Team Transactions
Angel Nesbitt to Gwinnett (AAA)
Tanner Roark called up

After another poor outing Angel Nesbitt was optioned to Gwinnett. The young reliever has given up 5 runs in his last 3 appearances blowing 2 leads. He will get plenty of chances to work on his stuff & control & should be back up on the club in not too long if he performs well. Roark struggled in spring training but has been outstanding at Gwinnett. He slots in as a middle relief/long relief option.

- Scouting director signs Colombian SP Jorge Gallegos, he has entered our international complex

Minor League Review

Norfolk (13-11) 6 @ Gwinnett (14-10) 3
- 1B Conrad Gregor 3-4, R (.418)
- DH Cedric Hunter 1-3, RBI(17), R (.272)

Tennessee (9-14) 1 @ Mississippi (14-9) 7
- C Hsiue-Liang Bai 3-4, RBI(7), 2 R (.188)
- RF Connor Oliver 2-4, 3B(3), 5 RBI(15), R (.299)

Carolina (13-9) 5 @ Salem (8-14) 4
- LF Braxton Davidson 2-4, HR(6), 2 RBI(20), R (.386)
- 3B Dustin Peterson 2-4 (.233)
- 2B Carlos Franco 1-4, 2B(6), 2 RBI(9), R (.253)

Rome (10-7) 8 @ Greenville (7-10) 4
- RF Jordan Paroubeck 3-5, RBI(6), 2 R (.328)
- C Ruben Perez 2-4, 2B(1), 2 RBI(2), R
- 1B Dylan Manwaring 4-5, HR(1), 3 RBI(3), R (.667)

MLB News
- DET RP Jonathan Papelbon tore his ulnar collateral ligament and will be out 11-12 months, tough blow for the Tigers
- COL SP Tyler Chatwood is out for 4 months with bone chips in elbow
- Twins lose young RF Oswaldo Arcia for 4 weeks with fractured shoulder blade

Top Performances of Day
Stats were off so not posting them this week