Clippings Sunday, May 10, 2015 Braves.com

Braves rally from five down, but fall to Nats

By Bill Ladson and Ben Raby / MLB.com | @washingnats | May 9, 2015

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals saw a five-run lead evaporate in the late innings, but they managed to win Saturday's game, 8-6, in the bottom of ninth inning on a two-run by Bryce Harper. It was the third walk-off homer of the 22-year-old's career.

With a runner on first and Atlanta right-hander Cody Martin on the mound, Harper swung at a 1-0 pitch and hit the ball over the right-center-field wall to end the game. Statcast™ tracked the homer -- Harper's sixth in his last three games -- at 435 feet, with an exit speed of 111 mph.

"That guy comes through with big hits and some wonderful catches in all times of the night," starter Doug Fister said. "He is a guy that comes in and does what he needs to do. That's what we need as a teammate. We sure appreciate what he does."

With the victory, the Nationals have won nine out of 11 games and are now a game over .500 with a 16-15 record, while the Braves fell to 14-16.

"Guys are getting healthy," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "For the most part, our bullpen has stepped up. Some guys in some different role are getting comfortable in those roles. Of course, the offense has picked up."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The Nats use the long ball: Seven out of the Nats' eight runs came on homers. In addition to Harper's homer off Martin, Jose Lobaton hit a two-run homer in the second, while Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning. Both of those came off Braves starter Julio Teheran.

But it was Harper who won the game for the Nationals.

"I was trying to get a good AB. Being able to go up there and see a pitch I can deliver, and I got it going," Harper said.

Fister OK: Fister went 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits. He held the Braves hitless until the fifth inning, when he allowed a single to Alberto Callaspo.

Fister acknowledged that he ran out of gas in the seventh after he allowed a two-run to Pedro Ciriaco.

"Skip had every right coming out and getting me there," Fister said. "I couldn't locate a ball there that last inning. I'm fortunate that the guys came behind me and did the job."

Teheran hit hard: Coming off his best start of the season -- six shutout innings in a 5-0 win against the Reds on Sunday -- Teheran threw five innings and allowed a season-high six earned runs and 10 hits against the Nationals.

It marked the fourth time in his last five starts that Teheran did not throw at least six innings. All nine Nationals had at least one hit against Teheran, including Lobaton, who improved to 7-for-13 lifetime (.538) against the right-hander.

Braves rally in eighth: Atlanta erased a 6-1 deficit with a two-run seventh inning and a three-run eighth, culminating with a two-out, two-run double from Christian Bethancourt that scored Freddie Freeman and Callaspo.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW With runners on first and second in the fifth, it looked like Zimmerman hit a double that scored just Jayson Werth. But Williams insisted that the ball went over the fence for a three-run homer. The umpires decided to look at the replay, and after one minute and 57 seconds, the ruling was overturned and Zimmerman had his third homer of the season.

QUOTABLE "I just just want to keep playing, I want to keep having fun, stay heatlhy. That's all I care about. I like to stay in the lineup, stay healthy, that's all I want to do. ... Like I've been saying, I have a lot of great guys around me. I have a great manager who believes in me and we have a lot of fun in this clubhouse. It makes it easy." -- Harper "He's the hottest player in the world right now. He's putting good swings on everything, he's seeing the ball well, his balance is good. You can't really do any one thing to him that's going to get him out. I think you just have to keep mixing it up, and that just wasn't the right pitch there, I guess." -- Martin, on the Harper walk-off home run

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Harper is the first player to hit six home runs in three games since Hee-Seop Choi did it with the from June 10-12, 2005.

WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Alex Wood, who is winless in his last five starts, will face the Nationals for the second time in two weeks in Sunday's series finale at 1:35 p.m. ET. The left-hander threw five innings and allowed a season-high five runs and six hits in a 13-4 loss to the Nationals on April 29 in Atlanta. Wood is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA and is coming off his shortest outing of the season (4 1/3 innings) in a 5-2 loss to the Phillies on Monday.

Nationals: Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is looking to win his third game of the season. Zimmermann took a no-decision against the Marlins on Monday, even though he pitched seven innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He has allowed only one walk in his past three starts.

Teheran follows best start of year with worst

By Ben Raby / Special to MLB.com | May 9, 2015

WASHINGTON -- Fresh off his best start of the season, the Braves' Julio Teheran looked forward to building off the outing Saturday against the Nationals.

Instead, the right-hander threw five innings and allowed a season-high six earned runs and 10 hits as the Nationals beat the Braves, 8-6, on a walk- off home run from Bryce Harper.

"I feel that I was executing pitches," said Teheran, who allowed three runs and four hits in both the second and fifth innings. He went six scoreless frames in his previous outing Sunday against the Reds.

Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton hit a two-run homer in the second, while first baseman Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run blast in the fifth.

All nine Nationals had at least one hit against Teheran, led by Lobaton, who is now 7-for-13 lifetime (.538) against the 24-year-old.

"I was making pitches, and obviously they're very hot right now," Teheran said. "They're having good at-bats against us, and there were two mistakes I made in those two innings and they cost us a couple of runs."

Teheran left the game with Atlanta trailing 6-1, but he took a no-decision thanks to a late Braves rally. Teheran remains 3-1 on the season while his ERA rose to 4.74.

"It was a tough outing for him," said catcher Christian Bethancourt.

"He made some really good pitches, he was getting the ball down, he was pounding the zone, and they were just hitting the ball. They've been hitting the ball really hot, and basically we can't do anything about it. We just have to keep executing pitches, stay positive, don't give up."

Aggressive approach can't cool off Harper

By Ben Raby / MLB.com | May 9, 2015

WASHINGTON -- Hours before the Braves and Nationals met on Saturday afternoon, Atlanta catcher Christian Bethancourt spoke of the need to be aggressive against Washington outfielder Bryce Harper.

"We're not here to walk him," Bethancourt said of the Nationals slugger who had five home runs in his previous two games. "If we locate pitches and execute pitches, and [Harper] still hits it out, I'll take my hat off to him."

In the end, it was Harper who tossed his cap -- literally -- as he approached home plate, his teammates waiting to mob him after his third career walk-off home run.

Harper's 11th home run of the season, which gave him the National League lead, secured the Nats' 8-6 win over the Braves, sending Atlanta to its seventh loss in 11 games. Washington has won nine of 11.

"He's the hottest player in the world right now," said Atlanta reliever Cody Martin, who surrendered the game-winning home run with one out and a runner at first in the bottom of the ninth inning. "He's putting good swings on everything, he's seeing the ball well, his balance is good. You can't really do any one thing to him that's going to get him out. I think you just have to keep mixing it up, and that just wasn't the right pitch there."

Martin threw Harper a 1-0 slider, which the 22-year-old golfed to deep right-center field.

"It really wasn't terrible," Martin said moments after watching replays of the home run from the Braves' clubhouse.

"He put a good swing on it. ... We're trying to go away and it came back middle, but it was kind of shin-high and he went down and put a good swing on it. So credit to him."

Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk and has now reached base in 23 of his last 24 games. For the second straight night, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was left wondering how to cool down the game's hottest hitter.

"When a guy is going that good, that hot," Gonzalez said, "you almost have to bounce it in there, and maybe even then, he can maybe hit it out of the ballpark."

Harper became the first player to hit six home runs in three games since Hee-Seop Choi did it with the Los Angeles Dodgers from June 10-12, 2005.

"There's not much you can do against someone that is that hot right now," Bethancourt conceded. "You just have to wait until he cools down, and hopefully that moment will come."

Harper's game-winning blast spoiled what had the makings for a tremendous Braves comeback.

Atlanta trailed 6-1 in the seventh inning, but rallied to tie the game in the eighth, with a two-out, two-run double from Bethancourt pulling the Braves even.

"I'm really proud of our club -- that our starter [Julio Teheran] goes out and gives up six runs and we came back and we didn't fold," Gonzalez said.

"Our bullpen gave us a chance to win, and even though we didn't, I'm really proud of the way we battled back. There's no column for that -- you either get the 'W' or the 'L,' but I'll tell you what, I'm proud of those guys today."

Zimmermann, Nats go for sweep of Wood, Braves

By Ben Raby / Special to MLB.com | 5/9/2015 8:21 PM ET

Above .500 for the first time this season, the Nationals (16-15) can complete their first series sweep of the year on Sunday against the Braves.

The Nationals have won nine of their last 11 games, including four straight against Atlanta over that stretch. Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will start in Sunday's series finale for the Nationals, who have hit 10 home runs over the course of their current three-game winning streak.

The Braves have lost 16 of their last 25 games, including each of Alex Wood's last five starts. The left-hander will start less than two weeks after he threw five innings and allowed six runs in a 13-4 loss to the Nationals at Turner Field on April 29.

Things to know about this game:

• The Braves have used 30 different lineups in their first 30 games this season, making them the only team in the Majors that has not repeated a lineup.

• Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has now reached base in 23 of his last 24 games after his 2-for-4 day, including a two-run walk-off homer, on Saturday. The slugger now has 11 home runs and 26 walks. Harper is 5-for-11 (.455) lifetime against Wood, with a .500 on-base percentage and a .636 .

• Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos enters Sunday with a 12-game hitting streak, the longest by a National this season. Ramos, who did not play Saturday, is 19-for-46 (.413) with a .449 OBP and a .457 SLG over the course of his streak.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after Saturday’s loss to Nationals

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON — Braves quotes from Christian Bethancourt, Cody Martin, Julio Teheran, Kelly Johnson and Fredi Gonzalez after Saturday’s loss to the Nationals. **CODY MARTIN

Pitch to Harper not that bad, but a walkoff homer anyway

“I just watched a video of it. (The pitch) really wasn’t terrible. He put a good swing on it. It caught a lot more plate that we wanted; we were trying to go away, back-door him. It kind of came back a little, but it was, like, shin-high. He went down and put a good swing on it. Credit to him.”

Tough to find a way to him out right now?

“He’s the hottest player in the world right now. He’s putting good swings on everything, seeing the ball well. His balance is good, you can’t really do any one thing that’s going to get him out. I think you’ve just got to keep mixing it up, and that just wasn’t the right pitch today, I guess.”

And he comes up with a runner on base, so you need to go at him, right?

“Yeah, definitely. I thought I wanted to work in. Threw the first pitch in; it was a bad pitch, not really any purpose to it. And then slider away, I thought maybe he’d take that and try to get a fastball. But good piece of hitting.”

**KELLY JOHNSON

On coming back from 6-1 late-innings deficit to tie before losing

“It was a good rally, especially because it was a little flat. And to have that big inning and come back…. Christian played great, got some big hits. Cam (Maybin). God, man, it was fun to see that. It’s too bad we couldn’t have been on the end of that, walking them off.”

On Bryce Harper coming into his own now, if he hasn’t already

“It’s hard to say otherwise. The guy’s got all the home runs, he’s got almost as many walks as hits, and RBIs for that matter. I mean, he’s doing well, he’s locked in right now. He’s got so much talent, when he’s on, it’s … it’s like that.”

On his strong throw to the plate to nail runner trying to score from second on Uggla’s single in eighth

“Had a good shot to get him, the ball one-hopped, a line drive, so I was able to get rid of it quick. Christian made a great play. At first I didn’t think it was too off-line. It really wasn’t, but Christian made an unbelievable play. The guy wasn’t getting his feet down on the plate and Christian made a tag on him. He gets a ton of credit for that. I just got rid of it as quickly as I could.”

**CHRISTIAN BETHANCOURT

Can you take some positives from this – couple of big hits, a nice tag at the plate?

“Yeah, like you say, a couple of good hits, tied the ballgame, had a good tag. But the most important thing is, we didn’t get the win. Got to give credit to the Nats, especially Harper. That was a tough pitch that he hit out. Can’t do anything about it.”

On Teheran’s performance

“It was a tough outing for him. I mean, he made some really good pitches. He was getting the ball down, he was pounding the zone with his slider. They were just working in the zone. They’ve been hitting the ball really hard. Basically we couldn’t do anything about it, we’ve just got to keep executing pitches and stay positive. We can’t give up; it’s too early in the season. We’ll have a chance to get back on track with them.”

On the late-innings rally

“We got back in the game late. That was nice to see from the guys. We’ve been battling the whole season, and we’re going to keep battling until the last day of the season.”

**FREDI GONZALEZ

On team showing some fight coming back from big deficits

“Unbelievable fight, especially in the eighth inning. We had a lot of great at-bats in the eighth inning. Callaspo, he battled and battled. Bethancourt, who hasn’t really been swinging a hot bat, he ties the ballgame with a double. Really proud of our offense. You know what, I’m really proud of our club, that we go out and our starter gives up six runs, and we came back. Our bullpen gave us a chance to win the ballgame and we didn’t, but I’m really proud of the way we battled back.”

Pitch on Harper’s walkoff home run didn’t look like it was a bad pitch

“It was a breaking ball, I thought Bethancourt was almost going to pick it in the dirt. But when a guy is going that good, that hot, you’re almost going to have to bounce it there, and maybe even then he could hit it out of the ballpark.” On Lobaton matchup vs. Teheran

“You see the matchup, the swings the time before, and the whole time coming in here this morning you’re going, he’s going to be in the lineup. Sure enough, he was. He got a big home run and another hit off of Julio.”

On Bryce Harper, you just going up against the best player in the world at his age right now?

“Right now, no matter what age he is. He ain’t missing too many pitches. Even pretty darn good pitches. He’s swinging it really well right now. Good for them, and bad for us.”

**JULIO TEHERAN

On his performance

“I was executing pitches today. They hit some good pitches. I just battled and tried to do my best.”

Twice gave up three runs and four hits an inning today

“I was making pitches, and like I said, they had good at-bats. Two mistakes in those innings cost me a couple of runs.”

On Lobaton

“He’s swinging really good against us. Just have to find a way to get him out.”

On his road woes

“That’s coincidence. I prepare the same way as I do at home.”

On giving up a lot of home runs recently

“The ball was running a little bit today, something that I haven’t seen before in this park. I felt good. Two mistakes cost me on longballs. Nothing you can do, just get ready for the next one.

Braves rally to tie, but Harper beats them with walkoff homer

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON — Julio Teheran had another rough day, but the Braves rallied from deficits of 3-0 after four innings and 6-1 after six innings, and they had even managed to keep surging Nationals slugger Bryce Harper in the ballpark.

Until the ninth inning.

They got burned again by the hottest hitter in , as Harper hit a two-run walkoff homer against rookie reliever Cody Martin with one out in the ninth for an 8-6 win against the Braves at Nationals Park Saturday.

It was the sixth homer for Harper in three games and the third in the first two games of the series, and it came on a 1-0 slider that was below his knees.

“He’s the hottest player in the world right now,” Martin said. “He’s putting good swings on everything, seeing the ball well. His balance is good; you can’t really do any one thing that’s going to get him out. I think you’ve just got to keep mixing it up, and that just wasn’t the right pitch today, I guess.”

But replays showed it was not a bad pitch — against just about anyone else except Harper on this home-run tear.

“It was a breaking ball, I thought (catcher Christian) Bethancourt was almost going to pick it in the dirt.” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “But when a guy is going that good, that hot, you’re almost going to have to bounce it there — and maybe even then he could hit it out of the ballpark.”

If the Braves had taken a lead, closer Jason Grilli wouldn’t have pitched. When a reporter asked about Grilli not being visible in the bullpen during the eighth and ninth innings, Gonzalez said he was “unavailable” to pitch Saturday. He wouldn’t elaborate other than to say he hoped it was only a minor issue to keep him out a day or two.

The Braves had largely silenced a sellout crowd of 39,193 when Bethancourt hit a two-out, two-run double to cap a three-run eighth inning and tie the score, 6-6. This after they scored two runs in the seventh on Pedro Ciriaco’s pinch-hit double that chased starter Doug Fister, who didn’t allow a hit or walk in the first four innings. “We got back in the game late,” Bethancourt said. “That was nice to see from the guys. We’ve been battling the whole season, and we’re going to keep battling until the last day of the season.”

The Nationals faithful got excited again after Jose Lobaton’s leadoff single in the eighth, but pinch-runner Michael Taylor tried to score from second on Dan Uggla’s pinch-hit single and was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Kelly Johnson, with Bethancourt making a nice catch and tag that showed the rookie’s athleticism.

But after Yunel Escobar’s leadoff single in the ninth, the crowd was buzzing again. And though Martin struck out Jayson Werth to quiet things a bit, two pitches later Harper sent an oh-no-he-did-it-again jolt through the ballpark with his homer to center field.

“He ain’t missing too many pitches,” Gonzalez said. “Even pretty darn good pitches. He’s swinging it really well right now. Good for them, and bad for us.”

Also bad for the Braves: Teheran, who was alarmingly hittable again, giving up 10 hits, six runs and three walks in six innings. That included a two- run homer by backup catcher Lobaton in the second inning – his second off Teheran this season – and a three-run homer by Ryan Zimmerman in the fifth.

The bullpen that’s been so leaky lately was effective in the seventh and eighth innings to give the Braves a chance to fight back and make it a game.

“Unbelievable fight, especially in the eighth inning,” Gonzalez said. “We had a lot of great at-bats in the eighth inning. (Alberto) Callaspo, he battled and battled. Bethancourt, who hasn’t really been swinging a hot bat, he ties the ballgame with a double. Really proud of our offense. You know what, I’m really proud of our club, that we go out and our starter gives up six runs, and we came back.

“Our bullpen gave us a chance to win the ballgame, and we didn’t, but I’m really proud of the way we battled back.”

When Gonzalez said before Saturday’s game that he was more worried about Teheran facing Lobaton than scorching-hot Harper, he wasn’t joking. Lobaton, a seldom-used backup, was a mere 4-for-19 with 11 in six games this season before Saturday, but his three-hit game against the Braves on April 28 included two hits and a homer off Teheran.

He had two more hits including a two-run homer against Teheran Saturday, making Lobaton 7-for-13 with two homers in his career against the Colombian right-hander.

The Nationals seemed poised for a second straight blowout win over the Braves after pushing the lead to 6-1 on Zimmerman’s homer in the fifth, which was initially ruled a double but was overturned after video review.

But the Braves’ offense awakened in the seventh, when they got three consecutive two-out hits beginning with a Bethancourt single. Cameron Maybin and Ciriaco followed with doubles, and Fister had given up two runs and three hits in a span of three batters.

Maybin also had a two-out double in the fifth to score Callaspo, who had singled to start the inning.

Sixteen of the Nationals’ 17 runs in the series have scored on eight homers, and two given up by Teheran on Saturday continued his troubling trends.

Teheran is 1-1 with a 6.48 ERA in his past five starts, allowing 33 hits, eight homers and 22 runs (18 earned) in 26 innings, with 12 walks and 25 strikeouts. His overall ERA climbed to 4.74, and he has a 1-1 record and 7.08 ERA in four road starts.

“It was a tough outing for him,” Bethancourt said. “I mean, he made some really good pitches. He was getting the ball down, he was pounding the zone with his slider. They were just working in the zone. They’ve been hitting the ball really hard. Basically we couldn’t do anything about it, we’ve just got to keep executing pitches and stay positive.

“We can’t give up; it’s too early in the season. We’ll have a chance to get back on track.”

Nationals 8, Braves 6

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How the game was won: The Braves trailed 3-0 after four innings and 6-1 after six, then scored five unanswered runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie before Bryce Harper hit a walkoff two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning to give the Nationals an 8-6 win. It was Harper’s sixth homer in three games including three in the first two games of the series.

Number: 8. Number of homers for the Nationals in the first two games of the series. They scored all of their nine runs Friday on five homers and scored seven of their eight runs Saturday on three homers.

What’s next: The Braves and Nationals play the finale of their three-game series Sunday at 1:35 p.m., with left-hander Alex Wood (1-2, 4.32 ERA) facing Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (2-2, 4.15). The Braves will try to avoid being swept. Braves bullpen struggling, ERA rising steadily

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON – After three Braves relievers gave up six runs and three homers in three innings of Friday’s 9-2 loss to the Nationals, the 13 homers allowed in 93 innings by Atlanta’s bullpen were the second-most in the National League.

Only the Brewers had given up more homers (15) by relief than the Braves, who saw rookies Brandon Cunniff and Williams Perez (in his major league debut) each give up a multi-run homer Friday along with veteran Trevor Cahill, who continued to struggle mightily since being dumped from the rotation.

Atlanta’s bullpen entered Saturday with a 4.74 ERA that was the third-highest in the league, better than only the Rockies (5.10) and Reds (5.32), who play in hitter-friendly home ballparks. They poured gas on the flames Friday, turning a 3-2 Nationals lead after six innings into a blowout.

“It is what it is, but we’ve got to figure out how to get them there,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of the bullpen. “Everybody’s got pieces that you pitch when you’re up, and pieces that you pitch when you’re down (trailing). Our challenge is, the guys you want to pitch when you’re down, you want them to hold the other team at bay, keep (the lead) to two runs, give the offense a chance to catch up.

“We’ve got to figure out which are the pieces we can do that with. That’s where we are, that’s the stage of our (franchise).”

The Braves overall 4.30 ERA was the fourth-highest in the NL, ahead of the Phillies (4.34), Brewers (4.79) and Rockies (5.34).

Cahill has continued to slump since being sent to the bullpen.

In six games (three starts) with the Braves, he was 0-3 with a 9.19 ERA and .353 opponents’ average before Saturday, having allowed 24 hits, 16 earned runs, two homers and eight walks with five strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings. In three relief appearances before Saturday, he had allowed a .474 opponents’ batting average (9-for-19).

Bethancourt works on hitting, handling Braves pitchers

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON – Christian Bethancourt was in the indoor batting cage Saturday morning, just the struggling rookie catcher and Braves hitting coaches Kevin Seitzer and assistant Jose Castro. Seitzer was talking to him about not trying to hit every breaking ball out of the ballpark, just trying to swing for base hits, and Bethancourt appeared to be listening intently.

“Just getting my swing ready for the game,” Bethancourt said a short while later, when asked about the session. “Nothing else.”

The message, he said, was “Don’t try to do too much. Try to use my hands, try to get back in my approach and I should be alright.”

After hitting well in , Bethancourt had just a .159 average, .196 on-base percentage and .227 slugging percentage in 13 games before Saturday, with three doubles, two RBIs, two walks and eight strikeouts in 44 at-bats.

Meanwhile 38-year-old catcher A.J. Pierzysnki, the presumed backup entering the season, was batting .323 with three homers, 14 RBIs and a .356 OBP and .508 slugging percentage in 17 games and has been the primary catcher since about the second week of the season.

With Pierzynski cooling off recently, Bethancourt has gotten more playing time, but hasn’t capitalized on the opportunities. He was 3-for-26 (.115) with no walks, no RBIs and five strikeouts in his past eight games before Saturday, when he made his fourth start in nine games — after starting only one of the previous eight games.

“Just not being patient at the plate,” Bethancourt said of his offensive woes. “Try to get more quality plate appearances, try to use my hands more, I should be alright.”

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was asked Saturday when it might take to get Bethancourt going, to get him back in the approach he had at the plate during spring training.

“I think it’s just getting some at-bats,” Gonzalez said. “Spring training is spring training. And we’ve talked about this before: I’m not worried about batting averages. I’m more concerned about catching well and calling a good game. The batting average stuff will come; he’s a talented guy.”

Bethancourt got the start Saturday with Julio Teheran pitching for the Braves because the two have worked well together in earlier starts this season. Teheran had a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings with Bethancourt pitching before Saturday, and a 7.20 ERA in 15 innings with Pierzynski.

Gonzalez wasn’t convinced of a cause-and-effect there — Teheran got rocked for six runs in the first five innings Saturday — but figured if Teheran was more comfortable then he’d use that battery for the time being. Alex Wood also has a marginally better ERA with Bethancourt catching, while Braves starters Shelby Miller and have better ERAs with Pierzynski pitching. Mike Foltynewicz has only made two major league starts.

“That’s the key — not only to work with Julio, but with Shelby, Alex, Foltynewicz, Eric Stults, all the starters,” Bethancourt said. “It’s a process. I work well with Woody, too, because I had him through the minor league system so. It’s kind of easier with those two guys than the other guys. Shelby just came in a trade; Folty, also. And Eric Stults (came as a free agent). So it’s taking more preparation with those three guys.

“Hopefully it will come. I know it will come. It’s a long season, and hopefully we get to work more often and I can try to help these guys have a really good season.”

Braves’ Peterson can fully appreciate Nats’ Harper

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON – Bryce Harper is 22, playing his fourth major league season with the Nationals, and already has 65 home runs including five in his past two games before Saturday. He had two homers and five RBIs in Friday night’s series-opening win against the Braves.

He is a man-child coming into his own as a bona fide major league star, and among those who got an up-close look Friday night was Jace Peterson, the Braves’ first-year (Peterson isn’t technically a rookie, having surpassed the 45-day service-time limit last year with the Padres).

Peterson turned 25 on Saturday. He’s two years and 160 days older than Harper. Peterson had 53 games and 148 plate appearances over two major league seasons before Saturday, and his next home run will be his first in the majors.

Peterson is someone who can fully appreciate how good Harper is and how much the Nationals slugger has done at such a young age, even if they took entirely different routes.

“Yeah, seeing it and being here, he’s a great ballplayer,” Peterson said before Saturday’s game. “Not everybody can be Bryce Harper and Mike Trout; they’re blessed. They play the game the right way, and they’re great ballplayers.”

How they got to the big leagues is an example of the many disparate paths there are in baseball, even if both were high draft picks.

Peterson attended Hamilton Christian Academy in his native Lake Charles, La., and played three years of football and baseball at McNeese State University, also in Lake Charles. He was selected by the Padres in the supplemental round of the 2011 draft, the 58th overall pick, and spent most of four seasons in the minors before being called up in 2014.

Harper was all-baseball, all the time. An extreme example of the one-sport focus that has become common among elite prospects. He skipped his last two years of high school and got his GED so he’d be eligible for the 2010 draft, and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16, labeled “baseball’s chosen one.”

Athletes – and their parents and coaches – will tell you there is no right or wrong way to go about it. Some believe in doing whatever it takes to reach one’s potential in a single sport and pay whatever costs to get exposure. Others opine that it’s better to have a well-rounded background, not only to avoid burnout or single-sport overuse injuries but to allow more “normal” development, such as experiencing college life rather that going directly from home to pro ball.

“It definitely makes it a little bit easier to be able to focus on one sport and play that,” Peterson said. “But you’ve got to do what you want to do. I don’t regret anything…. He enjoyed baseball and that’s what he did. He’s enjoyed a ton of success and he’s up here and one of the best players in the game.

“For me, I enjoyed playing everything. So I don’t regret anything. I’m happy where I’m at now and look forward to keep on moving. Not everybody’s path is the same. That’s what’s unique about different people, they get to where they want to be in different ways. Here I am and I’m happy with the way I got here.”

Harper hit .443 with 31 homers and 98 RBIs in his first junior-college season at the College of Southern Nevada before being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft and signing a $9.9 million, five-year contract. To repeat, he was 17 at the time.

He spent about 1 ½ seasons in the minors before debuting with the Nationals at age 19 in late April 2012.

There have been a few missteps, several injuries, a few ill-timed comments that were perhaps a reflection of immaturity more than anything else.

But those who’ve really gotten to know him and have played with him, like former Braves Mark DeRosa, say that Harper is as diligent and hard-working as anyone in the game. And that he has an insatiable desire to maximize his talent.

Right now, there is a sense that baseball is seeing a special player begin to fully realize his abilities. Harper became the youngest player in major league history to hit five home runs in two games, and also the first player in Expos/Nationals history to do it, regardless of age. He hit .313 with eight homers, 22 RBIs and a .750 slugging percentqage in his past 20 games before Saturday, and had more walks (22) than strikeouts (21) in that span for a .471 OBP. He was batting .284 overall, tied for the National League lead with 10 homers before Saturday, and among the top five in in RBIs (25), OBP (.426) and slugging percentage (.627).

“He’s comfortable now, and he’s definitely showing it,” said Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who said of Harper’s two homers and 10 RBIs in two games: “That’s special. That’s a special month for a lot of people, and he’s done it in two days. Hopefully he stops in the next two days so we can get him out.”

Fox Sports South

Three Cuts: Harper's walkoff spoils Braves' rally, Teheran's step back; more

Cory McCartney

Bryce Harper. Again.

After hitting two home runs in the series opener -- and five in the last two games -- his scorching hot bat delivered one of the walk-off variety as the Nationals won 8-6 Saturday, spoiling the Braves' rally from five down.

With first base open it was stunning that Harper was afforded the chance to win the game, but it was a fitting finale given the way things have gone between these National League East rivals. In five games, Washington has gone deep 12 times, including eight so far in this set in D.C.

"He's swinging it really well right now," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Good for them and bad for us."

If there's a silver lining for the Braves, it's that they'll have Alex Wood on the mound as they try to bounce back on Sunday. He has a 2.40 ERA in seven starts against the Nationals.

But Wood (1-2) is in need of a rebound himself after lasting 4 1/3 with three earned runs and nine hits last Monday against the Phillies -- oh, and he's given up 11 homers in his career vs. D.C.

Before we turn the page to the final game of this series, there's plenty to focus on from Saturday, including Julio Teheran's rocky start, Cameron Maybin's hot bat and more.

1. TEHERAN TAKES STEP BACK AS NATIONALS KEEP CLICKING AT PLATE

When he last took the mound last Sunday, Julio Teheran stole the show from the Reds' Johnny Cueto, carving up Cincinnati's lineup in giving up just three hits in six scoreless innings. It was a start that provided a collective sigh of relief after the Braves' ace had an April ERA of 4.67 and failed to get a quality start in his last three outings of that month.

The problem, and the focus of manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitching coach Roger McDowell, was on getting Teheran to rely more on his fastball. That pitch, after all, resulted in 7.7 fastball runs above average (wFA) in 2014 and 7.2 the year before.

Teheran threw fastballs against the Nationals, 53 to be exact of his 97 offerings -- and they made him pay for them.

Jose Lobaton hit a two-run homer run off a 91-mph two-seamer in the second, then later in that inning, Yunel Escobar turned a four-seam fastball (94 mph) into another run. In all, five of Washington's 10 hits vs. Teheran were on fastball, which given it's his a pitch he's thrown 59.3 percent of the time this season, isn't surprising.

But what does draw concerns is the success opposing batters are having against Teheran's best pitch. He's at minus-1.2 in wFA this season and is struggling to get opponents to chase pitches, with them swinging at just 29.7 percent of his offerings outside the strike zone, which is the lowest of his career.

Teheran's velocity isn't an issue, but the location certainly is and the result in Washington were the most runs he's allowed since June 11 at Colorado and the most hits since he gave up 11 against the Mets on July 8.

Confidence may be at the center of his problems. Look again at the comments he made ahead of that gem vs. Cincinnati via 92.9 The Game's Grant McAuley:

Despite his success against the Reds, Teheran's fastball worked against him in D.C., especially after giving up that early homer to Lobaton. After throwing 27 fastballs through the first two innings, Teheran had exactly 27 more in the last three innings combined.

2. BETHANCOURT GIVES A GLIMPSE OF HOW GOOD THE PRESENT/FUTURE CAN BE Thanks to an impressive throw by left fielder Kelly Johnson after Dan Uggla smacked a potential go-ahead single in the eighth inning, Christian Bethancourt tagged Michael Taylor out at the plate to preserve the tie.

There's the defense.

But hitting .188, it's the offense that's been the reason why A.J. Pierzynksi has racked up so many starts behind the plate. We know Bethancourt is going to be there when Teheran is on the mound given their history together, but pressing for more time is going to mean delivering at the plate and down two runs in the eighth, the rookie did just that.

Bethancourt drove a 2-2 slider to center for a two out, two-run double to make it 6-6. He had two hits in four trips to the plate, which over his last three games, makes him .363 with two doubles and three RBI.

That may not be enough to supplant Pierzynksi -- who is hitting .323 -- for the every day job that he seemed destined to claim this spring, but a small sample size shows he's at least making some strides at the pate.

3. MAYBIN MAKING GONZALEZ'S DECISIONS THAT MUCH EASIER

During one of his pregame meetings with media during the last home stand, Gonzalez discussed his options in center field -- Cameron Maybin and Eric Young Jr. -- and said he just didn't have a gut reaction over playing one over the other when it came to their offense.

Maybin went 2 for 4 on Saturday, including an RBI double in the fifth inning for the Braves' first run. That made him 10 for 26 (.384) over the last nine games, which has pushed his season average from .135 to .238.

That surge has helped him make seven consecutive starts and eight of nine overall, while Young --who is hitting .165 -- hasn't started since May 1 and his pinch hit appearance in the ninth inning Saturday marked the first time he's played since coming off the bench May 4.

Atlanta is tied for 28th in the majors with a collective .207 average by its center fielders, but Maybin his helping to bridge that gap, with a hat tip to hitting coach Kevin Seitzer.

He's also making things all the easier on his manager.

The Augusta Chronicle

Braves hitters showing early signs of more contact

By David Lee

It’s been well-documented that the Braves shifted toward a contact-oriented lineup during their off-season overhaul, and it’s already showing through the first month’s worth of games.

The Braves trended downward in contact percentage categories to the point of finishing 29th among 30 teams in contact rate within the strike zone in 2014, behind only the lowly Astros at 84 percent.

Through the first month-plus of 2015, the difference has been staggering. Atlanta has vaulted from the bottom to third in at 90 percent contact within the zone. The offense also ranks third in overall contact percentage.

Without coming forward to acknowledge the trend, the Braves front office made it clear they were testing the contact waters during their transition phase by signing hitters like Nick Markakis and Alberto Callaspo, known for their contact ability.

Callaspo is at 92 percent in the zone, and Markakis is at 90 percent, two significant increases from the previous Braves starters at their positions.

Andrelton Simmons remains one of the contact leaders at 93 percent, and he’s been rewarded by seeing time in the second spot of the lineup behind Markakis, giving the Braves two 90-plus-percent contact hitters in front ofFreddie Freeman.

Atlanta’s first baseman has responded with a big power increase and overall more production so far, entering the weekend with five home runs and 18 RBI in 29 games.

A.J. Pierzysnki and Jace Peterson have been notable contact hitters early, as well. Pierzynski found the fountain of youth and leads the offense with Simmons at 93 percent, and Peterson is just behind.

With the added contact comes the obvious drop in strikeouts. The Braves went from the fourth-worst percentage last season to fourth- best so far this year at a decrease of six percentage points.

Whether the new philosophy ultimately pays off with more wins than expected remains to be seen, but with the caution of small sample sizes this early, the Braves have moved up 13 spots in runs scored and rank 16th. BUSY BULLPEN: The Braves entered the season without a concrete middle relief corps, and the revolving door between Atlanta and Triple-A Gwinnett has been spinning nonstop.

Atlanta made 12 moves involving relievers in April, most involving call-ups to the majors and options to Gwinnett; all involved middle relievers being swapped in and out to stay fresh.

The Braves are on pace for another busy bullpen month in May after recently optioning and Michael Kohn to Gwinnett, and recalling Brandon Cunniff and Williams Perez. They also outrighted Donnie Veal to Gwinnett to take him off the 40-man roster.

It’s a bit of an audition phase for Braves relievers this year, but it’s also needed considering Atlanta’s rotation hasn’t held up its end of the innings haul. Braves starting pitchers rank 23rd in innings thrown and have struggled getting deep into starts.

The Sports Xchange

Braves fall to Nationals on Harper's homer

By David Driver

WASHINGTON — Right fielder Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning against reliever Cody Martin as the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 8-6 on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 39,193 fans.

It was the sixth homer in the last three games for Harper, who went deep for the 11th time this year. It was the third walk-off homer in Harper’s four seasons in Washington.

The Nationals had a chance to take the lead in the eighth, but pinch runner Michael A. Taylor was thrown out at home by Atlanta left fielder Kelly Johnson on a single by pinch hitter Dan Uggla, a former Brave.

Atlanta had tied the game at 6-6 with three runs in the eighth. Second baseman Jace Peterson, starting on his 25th birthday, drove in a run with a groundout with the bases loaded against reliever Tanner Roark, and catcher Christian Bethancourt followed with a two-run double. Bethancourt was 2-for-4.

The Nationals (16-15) are over .500 for the first time this season after getting their ninth win in the last 11 games. Atlanta (14-16) has lost 11 of 16 to Washington since June 21, 2014.

The Nationals scored three runs in the second inning as catcher Jose Lobaton hit a two-run homer following a one-out single by Ian Desmond. Later in the inning, Yunel Escobar had an RBI single to score second baseman Danny Espinosa, who had doubled.

Lobaton was 3-for-4 and Escobar was 2-for-5.

Washington starter Doug Fister, who gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings, did not allow a hit until third baseman Alberto Callaspo had a bloop single to left to lead off the fifth. Cameron Maybin doubled down the left-field line with two outs to drive in Callaspo and cut the deficit to 3-1.

First baseman Ryan Zimmerman gave the Nationals a 6-1 lead in the fifth when he hit a three-run homer just over the fence in left after the replay overturned the call on the field. It was the third homer of the season for Zimmerman — his first since April 14.

The Braves trimmed the deficit to 6-3 in the seventh as Fister gave up a two-run, pinch-hit double to Pedro Ciriaco. The Nationals then brought in lefty Matt Thornton, who retired right fielder Nick Markakis on a liner to right as Harper made a fine running catch near the warning track for the final out.

Atlanta starter Julio Teheran, in his 10th career start against the Nationals, gave up six earned runs on 10 hits in five innings, with six strikeouts, three walks and two homers allowed.

The winning was Drew Storen (1-0), who threw a scoreless ninth, while Martin (1-1) took the loss.

Notes: Braves LHP Alex Wood (1-2, 4.32 ERA) will face Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann (2-2, 4.15 ERA) in the series finale today … Harper, who hit five homers in his previous two games, entered Saturday with 25 RBIs in 102 at-bats this year.

Associated Press

Harper homers in 9th, his 6th HR in 3 games; Nats top Braves

By DAVID GINSBURG (AP Sports Writer)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bryce Harper stood at the plate with one more unexpected chance to keep his home-run streak going.

Atlanta had rallied from five runs down, so here was Washington's cleanup hitter, looking to put an end to a game that had somehow reached the bottom of the ninth inning.

Swinging hard at a curveball that nearly hit the dirt, Harper did it again - extending his remarkable run with a two-run shot that sent the Nationals past the Braves 8-6 Saturday.

''Right when I hit it, I knew it was gone,'' he said.

Harper homered for the sixth time in his last three games, one off the major league record set by Shawn Green in 2002.

At 22, Harper had already become the youngest player in big league history to hit five home runs in two games. His one-out drive pushed the Nationals, a preseason favorite to win the World Series, over .500 for the first time this year.

''It looked like (catcher Christian) Bethancourt was going to go pick it out of the dirt, but when the guy is going that good, that hot, you're almost going to have to bounce it there,'' Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ''And maybe even then he could hit it out of the ballpark.''

Harper homered three times versus Miami on Wednesday and connected twice against Atlanta on Friday night. On Saturday, his teammates ripped his jersey in the home-plate scrum, then pitcher punctuated the party with the team's newest victory celebration - he poured chocolate sauce over Harper during a postgame interview.

''Around the bases, got to home plate, and to enjoy that with the team is huge,'' Harper said.

The Nationals blew a 6-1 lead before rebounding in the ninth against Cody Martin (1-1). Yunel Escobar had a leadoff single, Jayson Werth struck out and Harper hit his 11th home run on a 1-0 pitch.

''Certainly, we don't expect him to hit a home run every day,'' manager Matt Williams said. ''But he can get in streaks like this where he sees the ball very well.''

Harper has 12 RBIs in his last three games. He also made a nifty, running catch in right field in the eighth inning.

Drew Storen (1-0) pitched the top of the ninth for the win.

Washington has won nine of 11, going 4-0 against the Braves in that span. The Nationals were 7-13 before getting on a roll with three straight victories in Atlanta.

Harper hit it big on a day the Nationals celebrated their 10th season in Washington by having Hall of Fame slugger Frank Robinson throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Robinson was the Nationals' manager in their first two years after moving from Montreal.

Washington built a 6-1 lead in the fifth. By that point, everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit against Julio Teheran.

Nationals starter Doug Fister took a three-hitter into the seventh and got the first two outs before allowing three straight hits, the last a two-run double by pinch hitter Pedro Ciriaco.

The inning ended with Harper making a stretching, over-the-shoulder catch of Nick Markakis' liner.

Atlanta pulled even in the eighth when Jace Peterson had an RBI grounder and Bethancourt added a two-out, two-run double.

In the bottom half, pinch runner Michael A. Taylor was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Kelly Johnson trying to score from second on a single.

Jose Lobaton hit an early two-run homer. Both of his home runs this season have come against Teheran, against whom he is 7 for 13 lifetime.

Fister held the Braves hitless until Alberto Callaspo led off the fifth with a bloop single and scored on a two-out double by Cameron Maybin.

Ryan Zimmerman homered in the fifth following singles by Werth and Harper. The drive to left was initially called a double, but replay showed the ball had cleared the wall before bouncing back into the field of play.

It was Zimmerman's first home run in 24 games since April 14.

STREAKING Braves: Andrelton Simmons has hit in eight straight games, going 12 for 29 (.429).

Nationals: Escobar is 10 for 24 with five RBIs in his last six games.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg said a flaw in his mechanics forced him from Tuesday's game, and that the problem has been solved. Strasburg said he changed his delivery because of an ankle injury, which in turn affected his back. Williams declined to specify a date for Strasburg's return.

ON DECK

Braves: Alex Wood (1-2, 4.32 ERA) seeks his first win since April 7 when he takes the mound Sunday in the series finale.

Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann (2-2, 4.15 ERA) is 5-2 lifetime against the Braves, including a win on April 29 in which he outdueled Wood.

Braves-Nationals Preview

By JEFF BARTL (STATS Senior Writer)

Bryce Harper's batting average dropped 30 points over the course of five days during a slump that included his career-best 20-game streak of reaching base coming to an end.

Then, something clicked.

Harper's most recent heroic effort pushed the Washington Nationals over .500 for the first time this season, and he'll look to continue his torrid run in Sunday's series finale against the visiting Atlanta Braves.

The 22-year-old's average dipped from .275 to .245 as he went 1 for 17 with six strikeouts during a five-game stretch that concluded with him going hitless and failing to reach base in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Miami.

Harper, though, responded Wednesday with three homers in a 7-5 win over the Marlins and hit two more in Friday's 9-2 victory over Atlanta, becoming the youngest player in major league history to hit five in two games.

Harper then came up in the bottom of the ninth Saturday and hit a two-run walk off homer that gave Washington an 8-6 win.

''Right when I hit it, I knew it was gone," said Harper, whose six homers in a three-game stretch fell one off the major league record set by Shawn Green in 2002. "Around the bases, got to home plate, and to enjoy that with the team is huge."

The Nationals (16-15) have won nine of 11 and have scored 43 runs in four games against the Braves in that stretch. Harper is 8 for 16 in those contests against Atlanta.

''Certainly we don't expect him to hit a home run every day,'' manager Matt Williams said. ''But he can get in streaks like this where he sees the ball very well.''

Harper is 5 for 11 with two doubles in his career off Alex Wood, who gave up five runs in five innings of a 13-4 loss to the Nationals on April 29 after going 3-1 with a 1.49 ERA in his previous six outings against them.

Things didn't go much better for Wood (1-2, 4.32 ERA) on Monday, as he allowed three runs and nine hits over 4 1-3 innings in a 5-2 loss to Philadelphia.

The Braves have dropped each of the left-hander's last five outings

''I've got to make an adjustment,'' said Wood, who had a 2.59 ERA in 24 starts last season. ''It's a humbling game, to say the least.''

Jordan Zimmermann opposed Wood last month, giving up four runs and striking out seven in seven innings. Zimmermann (2-2, 4.15) allowed one earned run in seven innings of Washington's 6-4 win over Miami on Monday, improving to 1-1 with a 2.73 ERA in four starts since allowing eight runs in a loss at Boston on April 13.

The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his last six against the Braves (14-16), who have lost seven of eight on the road.

Pedro Ciriaco's two-run, pinch-hit double in the seventh began a rally Saturday for Atlanta, which scored three more in the eighth to tie it. Slowing Harper, however, might be the only way for the Braves to salvage the finale of this series.

"When the guy is going that good, that hot, you're almost going to have to bounce it there,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ''And maybe even then he could hit it out of the ballpark.''