Atlanta Braves Clippings Thursday, June 9, 2016 Braves.Com
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Atlanta Braves Clippings Thursday, June 9, 2016 Braves.com Two-way Teheran leads Braves past Padres By AJ Cassavell and Mark Bowman / MLB.com | June 8th, 2016 SAN DIEGO -- Julio Teheran kept the Padres off-balance Wednesday afternoon, as the right-hander led the Braves to a 4-2 victory, snapping Atlanta's five-game losing streak and its 12-game skid at Petco Park. Teheran allowed a pair of solo home runs to Padres first baseman Wil Myers, but little else, as he struck out eight over eight frames and allowed five hits. He also chipped in at the plate with a pair of singles and an RBI. Ender Inciarte finished a homer shy of the cycle and sparked a big day from the top of the Braves' order. Inciarte, Chase d'Arnaud and Freddie Freeman finished a combined 7-for-12 with two walks, three runs scored and three RBIs. "Inciarte and d'Arnaud created a lot of havoc at the top of the lineup today, and that's what we need to get some wins," Freeman said. "What they did today translated into a win. It seemed like they were always on base, and we were able to get them in today." Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz labored as much as he has in any outing this season, allowing three runs on nine hits over five innings. He took the loss, as the Padres squandered another chance for a sweep. They're now 0-8 after winning the first two games of a series this season. "You keep putting yourself in a position to sweep -- that's a good thing," said Padres manager Andy Green. "But at some point in time, you need to get the job done." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Breaking the trend: Left-handed starting pitchers had previously posted a 2.10 ERA against the Braves, and Pomeranz had allowed two earned runs or fewer in nine of his previous 11 starts. But these trends were quickly bucked as Inciarte and d'Arnaud began their three-hit games by accounting for two of the four singles Atlanta recorded in a two-run first inning. Inciarte tripled with two outs in the sixth, and scored when d'Arnaud followed with an RBI double. "Inciarte is really swinging that bat pretty good right now, and Chase had a couple really good at-bats," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "You love that first-and-third action when they've got that going. [Freeman] the past few days, we've seen some really good signs." Wil thrills: Myers' multi-homer game was his first as a Padre, and he went deep five times on the eight-game homestand. He also made a diving stop at first base to halt Atlanta's first-inning rally. "I think he's got all the potential in the world," Green said. "I wouldn't want to put any kind of limitation on him whatsoever. To me, from an offensive standpoint, when Wil stays disciplined within his approach and fires off his A swing, he's as good as anybody in the game." Eight strong: Teheran did not allow a hit through the first three innings and found fortune when Alexei Ramirez lined into a double play between a pair of fifth-inning singles. Myers' home runs served as the only costly damage incurred by the Braves right-hander, who has posted a 1.93 ERA over his past 10 starts. Five of the eight hits Teheran has surrendered over his past two starts have been solo home runs. "Every time I step on the mound, I've got all my confidence and I want my team to win and to do all I can to help my team win," Teheran said after notching his second win of the season and his first road win against a National League West opponent since June 6, 2014. Up, but not out: Melvin Upton Jr. has been arguably the Padres' most exciting player this season. He's already stolen home, thrown out six over- adventurous baserunners and hit two walk-off dingers. On Wednesday afternoon, he added a second home-run robbery to his 2016 resume. Freeman launched an 0-2 fastball from Pomeranz to left, which appeared to be ticketed for the seats. But Upton found the wall and timed his leap perfectly, keeping an Atlanta run off the scoreboard. "I knew it was hit well," Upton said. "It was hot. I was just tracking it, found the wall. Initially, I didn't think I was going to jump, but I ended up having to jump, and I caught it." Freeman also came inches short of hitting a home run on Tuesday night, when a replay review determined a fan didn't interfere with his eighth- inning triple. "I asked [Upton] if it was going to be a home run, and he said, 'Yeah,'" Freeman said with a smile. "I said, 'Why didn't you just tell me it was going to be a double?'" SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Braves had scored three or fewer runs in 13 of their most recent 14 games at Petco Park. This was their first win in San Diego since Aug. 28, 2012. WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Atlanta will begin a three-game series against the Cubs at Turner Field on Friday at 7:35 p.m. ET. Bud Norris will attempt to build on the success he had on Saturday, when he allowed one run over five innings while making a spot start in place of the injured Mike Foltynewicz. Padres: Following an off-day Thursday, Andrew Cashner takes the hill in Colorado, looking for his third win in as many outings against the Rockies. First pitch is set for 5:40 p.m. PT. Cashner beat the Rockies with 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball his last time out. Inciarte showing signs of life after slow start By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | June 8th, 2016 SAN DIEGO -- As Ender Inciarte's struggles mounted over the course of the month that has elapsed since he ended a month-long stint on the disabled list, he searched for answers and determined it was time to simply regain the same aggressive, care-free approach he displayed for most of the past two seasons while with the D-backs. Inciarte's diligent efforts to turn things around were rewarded when he notched a season-high three hits and finished a home run shy of the cycle as the Braves snapped a 12-game Petco Park losing streak with Wednesday afternoon's 4-2 winover the Padres. "He's a perfect guy to have [in the leadoff spot]," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "I just feel good for him, because he's been working hard. It's good to see the hard work pay off." Though there were concerns about his ability to hit left-handed pitchers, Inciarte showed the potential to be a leadoff hitter with Arizona last season, hitting .303 with a .338 on-base percentage. That was the role the Braves envisioned him filling for many years to come when he was acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent Shelby Millerto the D-backs in December. But Inciarte's early days with the Braves were anything but kind. The skillful center fielder played just two games before straining his left hamstring, and when he returned to Atlanta's lineup, he proceeded to hit .198 with a .267 on-base percentage during a 27-game span that ran through Sunday. Though Inciarte might not have been attempting to put extra pressure on himself while introducing himself to a new environment, he viewed this stretch as being similar to what he experienced when he hit .197 with a .230 on-base percentage through the first 30 games of his career, in 2014. He then proceeded to hit .296 with a .336 OBP over the remainder of that season. "These past two series, I've been trying to get into a rhythm, because I want to do well and I want to help the team," Inciarte said. "It's not like I'm putting pressure on myself, but I expect a lot out of myself. So hopefully I'm going to get it going, and then hopefully we can start winning more games." Inciarte provided some signs of encouragement during Monday's two-hit performance and then showed more of his capabilities on Wednesday, when he singled during a two-run first inning and then drilled a two-out triple that positioned him to score on Chase d'Arnaud's triple in the sixth inning. "I'm trying to be more aggressive and let it go," Inciarte said. "The past month-and-a-half, my swing hasn't felt right, because I've been just trying to put the ball in play, instead of just trying to hit it hard somewhere. That's what I've been doing lately." Braves' Perez hopeful for minimum DL stay By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | June 8th, 2016 SAN DIEGO -- Williams Perez remains hopeful that he is not dealing with a significant shoulder injury. But because he has continued to feel some discomfort that would have certainly prevented him from making his next start on Sunday, the Braves right-hander will spend at least the next two weeks resting and rehabbing. The Braves placed Perez on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain and recalled John Gant from Triple-A Gwinnett before Wednesday afternoon's series finale against the Padres at Petco Park.