Clippings Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Braves.com

4-run 5th leads Braves to victory over Mets

By Anthony DiComo and Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 2:16 AM ET

NEW YORK -- For the first time since he began subbing for the superstars in New York's rotation, Logan Verrett was unable to make the Mets forget about and Jacob deGrom. Verrett gave up four runs in the fifth inning Tuesday at , including a three- homer to Hector Olivera, dropping the Mets to a 6-2 loss to the Braves.

Combined with Washington's loss to the Orioles, which lowered the Mets' magic number to six, the defeat kept their East lead at 6.5 games with 11 to play. The Mets are a half-game back of the Dodgers in the race for home-field advantage in their potential NL Division Series matchup, after the D-backs defeated Los Angeles on Tuesday, 8-0.

"For me, it looks like we're tight," manager Terry Collins said. "I don't know why. It's just the perception it looks like from the bench."

"I don't think we're tight," third baseman said. "There's just going to be some games where we get outplayed, and tonight was one of them."

Subbing for deGrom, whom the Mets pushed back in their rotation to lighten his workload, Verrett held the Braves scoreless until Jace Peterson homered to start the fifth. Five batters later, Olivera added a three-run shot to spoil Verrett's day.

That made a winner out of Braves rookie Matt Wisler, who pitched into the eighth to snap a seven-game losing streak.

"We aren't chasing a playoff berth, but we're here to play hard and we're not here to give games away," Olivera said through his interpreter, Alex Cotto. "We work hard and we're going to play hard. We're going to try to win every game that we can."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Rookie settles in: Wisler appeared to be in trouble when he allowed Wright's solo and a before recording his second out of the night. But the poised rookie gathered himself and retired 20 of the final 25 batters he faced, while notching a career-high eight . He walked Curtis Granderson to open the eighth, and then anxiously watched as the Mets ended up scoring just one run after loading the bases with one out.

Swing and a drive: For the first time since 2013, Wright homered to the opposite field when he took Wisler deep for a solo shot to right-center in the first inning. Wright also made a nifty play when he barehanded an Olivera grounder on defense in the third, firing across the infield diamond for the out.

Fifth-inning power: Peterson opened the four-run fifth with his first home run since going deep on Aug. 2-3. But the big blow came from Olivera, whose three-run shot proved decisive and served as the second homer of his young career. Statcast™ projected Olivera's home run to land 418 feet away. This marked just the second time in the past 25 games that the Braves hit two homers in an entire game.

"I don't even know when the last time it was we hit two home runs in one game, let alone in one inning," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That was a big four-spot there."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Murphy hit the 225th and 226th doubles of his career, passing Ed Kranepool for the second-most in franchise history. Wright is the Mets' all-time leader with 381 doubles.

Wisler has produced a 2.25 ERA in the four starts he's made against New York teams (the Mets and Yankees). He has compiled a 6.85 ERA in his other 13 starts this year. IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL, A.J. Michael Conforto threw out A.J. Pierzynski in the sixth inning for his sixth outfield assist in 47 games. That is tied for the NL rookie lead with Washington's Michael Taylor, who has played in 128 games. Two innings later, he made a diving catch in left field to rob Pierzynski of a hit.

WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Williams Perez will take the mound when Atlanta and New York conclude their three-game series on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Perez has allowed three earned runs or less and pitched into the sixth inning in each of his three previous starts against the Mets.

Mets: Bartolo Colon, who quietly leads the Mets in wins and , will look to continue stating his case for the playoff roster when the Mets conclude their series with the Braves. Colon is unlikely to win a rotation spot in October, but could still pitch his way into the bullpen.

Wisler's strong September beneficial for Braves

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | September 22nd, 2015

NEW YORK -- When the Braves put Matt Wisler in the bullpen earlier this month, they were hoping to provide him a chance to make necessary adjustments in a less stressful role. A little more than two weeks later, it appears the brief assignment might have simply served as the wake-up call the talented rookie needed.

Wisler extended his recent success as he showed poise over seven strong innings and helped the Braves claim a 6-2 win over the Mets on Tuesday night at Citi Field. After allowing a pair of extra-base hits in the first inning, the young hurler displayed some of the confidence that has been enhanced with the encouraging results he has produced since making an unexpected relief appearance on Sept. 6.

"When you get in a rut, sometimes change is good," Wisler said. "It changed my mentality. Instead of being out there, just trying to grind through stuff, now it's me attacking them, instead of them attacking me. I think [going to the bullpen] definitely helped. It sent a message to me."

After allowing the Nationals seven earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings on Sept. 3, Wisler found himself with a 9.49 ERA over a seven-start stretch that went back to Aug. 1. Three days later in need of pitching near the end of a four-game series against the Nationals, the Braves provided Wisler a two-inning relief assignment that he completed in scoreless fashion.

Had Manny Banuelos and Mike Foltynewicz not developed ailments that ended their respective seasons, Wisler might have remained in the bullpen to make at least one more appearance. But the past couple of weeks have proven he was ready to make an immediate return to the rotation.

As Wisler limited the Mets to five hits and two runs over seven-plus innings, he displayed some of that aggression that he has regained over the past few weeks. He has completed at least six innings in each of the three starts he has made since returning to the rotation and in the process, he has shown some of the tenacity that he lacked when he admittedly allowed adversity to overwhelm him in August.

"The difference between August and September is probably five starts," Gonzalez said. "Between September and May of next year is another five or six starts. Here is a guy who is going to get comfortable when he keeps going out there."

Wisler surrendered a David Wright solo homer and Daniel Murphy double before recording his second out on Tuesday. But he then proceeded to retire 20 of the final 25 batters he faced, while recording a career-high eight strikeouts. After walking Curtis Granderson to begin the eighth inning, he anxiously watched as allowed just one run after entering with the bases loaded and one out.

Though he did not match the eight innings he produced when he made his Major League debut against the Mets on June 19, Wisler moved another step to proving why the Braves believe he could be a beneficial part of their rotation for many years to come.

"I had the really rough August and I'm still trying to learn from that," Wisler said. "I feel better mentally out there. The last couple of outings, I'm just trying to attack hitters as best as I can to keep guys in the game. I think I'm starting to feel better about that."

Olivera continues to make strides for Braves

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:10 AM ET

NEW YORK -- Though the Braves have conceded that they will likely not see Hector Olivera's true potential until he has a chance to experience a full next year, they are hoping to spend the final days of this season seeing a little more of what he provided during Tuesday night's 6-2 win over the Mets at Citi Field.

Shaking off some of the frustration that has developed through his first three weeks as a Major Leaguer, Olivera displayed some of the power the Braves coveted when he drilled a decisive three-run home run off Mets starting Logan Verrett. The 30-year-old Cuban's second career homer capped a four-run fifth inning and provided him a chance to get a little more comfortable in his new environment. "Every day I'm gaining more experience and more confidence," Olivera said. "This is just continuing to build for next year. I'm just taking it day-by- day. But every day I'm on that field, I'm getting the experience that I need."

Olivera has batted .237 (14-for-59) and collected four extra-base hits through the first 18 games of his career. The Braves have not provided him the regular playing time that was envisioned when they acquired him from the Dodgers in a July 30 trade that sent top prospect Jose Peraza and Alex Wood to Los Angeles.

But Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has indicated that this is part of his plan to allow the much-hyped third baseman a chance to get more comfortable as he adapts to a lifestyle vastly different than any he has previously known. Over the course of the year that has followed his exit from his native Cuba, Olivera has been a part of two different organizations and spent most of this summer dealing with a hamstring strain.

Gonzalez has been batting Olivera second with the hope that he will see more fastballs while being positioned between Nick Markakis and Freddie Freeman. During the fifth inning of Tuesday night's game, Mets manager Terry Collins opted to intentionally walk Markakis ahead of Olivera, who promptly responded by hitting his game-winning homer.

"We've seen [the power potential] in batting practice and now it's just a matter of putting him in games and letting him show what he can do," Gonzalez said.

Simmons up for Defensive Player of the Year

Atlanta's Gold Glove shortstop won the award in 2014

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | September 21st, 2015

ATLANTA -- Soon after making his Major League debut during the 2012 season, Andrelton Simmons began drawing comparisons to the legendary . Over the three years that have followed, the Braves shortstop has continued to legitimize this lofty comparison.

Thus it should come as no surprise that Simmons is one of the 12 nominees for the Best Defensive Player honor in the 2015 Esurance MLB Awards. He captured this same honor last year.

The Esurance MLB Awards annually honor 's greatest achievements as part of an industry-wide balloting process that includes five components, each of which accounts for 20 percent of the overall vote: media, front-office personnel, retired MLB players, fans at MLB.com and Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) voters.

Individual awards will go to the Best Major Leaguer in addition to the winners in the following categories: The Best Everyday Player, Starting Pitcher, Rookie, Defensive Player, Breakout Player, Bounceback Player, Manager, Executive, Social Media Personality and postseason performer.

Winners will also be recognized for the year's best offensive play, defensive play, Moment, single-game performance, Social Media Post, Celebrity Fan, Fan Catch, Interview, broadcaster call, Player-Fan Interaction, Video Board Moment and Trending Topic.

Though Simmons is the reigning winner of this award, he faces some strong competition this year. Other candidates for the Best Defensive Player honor include Baltimore's Manny Machado, Colorado's Nolan Arenado, Kansas City's Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain, Miami's Adeiny Hechavarria, San Francisco's Brandon Crawford and , St. Louis' Tampa Bay's Kevin Kiermaier and Toronto's Kevin Pillar and .

Simmons has captured a Gold Glove Award and been recognized as the National League's top shortstop courtesy of the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards at the conclusion of the past two seasons. He has nearly tripled the Defensive Runs Saved total of any other Major League shortstop dating back to the start of the 2013 season.

Voting will remain open through Nov. 13 by visiting mlb.com/awards. Winners will be announced live on MLB Network and MLB.com on Nov. 20.

Report: Braves looking at new spring home

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | September 22nd, 2015

NEW YORK -- The Braves search for a new Spring Training home has led them to propose developing a site near St. Petersburg, Fla.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Braves recently submitted a proposal to the Pinellas County Commission to develop a 240-acre landfill into a multi-use facility that would serve as their Spring Training complex and provide top-notch playing fields for amateur and professional clubs to use once the Major League regular season begins.

Braves officials did not comment on this report. Former Braves and Tampa native is among the potential investors in this project that would include the construction of a 10,000-seat baseball stadium, athletic fields, a hotel and entertainment venues. The projected development cost has been estimated at $660 million.

The Braves have spent the past couple years looking at potential sites within Florida to build a new Spring Training site. Their contract with their current site, Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, expires after the 2017 season.

With the Astros and Nationals moving their Spring Training complexes from central Florida to Palm Beach County in 2017, the Braves have been given more reason to begin looking for a more appealing Spring Training home from a geographical perspective.

Once the Astros and Nationals move south, the Tigers would be the only other Major League team located within 30 minutes of the Braves' current Spring Training home.

If the Braves end up in the St. Petersburg area, they would be located within 30 minutes of the Spring Training homes of the Yankees, Phillies and Blue Jays. The Pirates, Orioles, Tigers and Rays would all be within an hour away.

Colon, Mets continue postseason push vs. Braves

By Joe Trezza / MLB.com | 1:19 AM ET

The Mets' magic number will sit at six when New York and Atlanta conclude a three-game series at Citi Field on Wednesday. With 11 games left to play, clinching their first crown since 2006 appears more of a "when" than an "if" at this point for New York.

With that in mind, much of the scoreboard watching around the Mets has shifted from Washington to Los Angeles, towards New York's likely NL Division Series opponent. The Mets remain a half-game back of the Dodgers in the race for home-field advantage, as the D-backs defeated Los Angeles 8-0 on Tuesday.

The Mets look to leap into a tie in that category behind a starter that could be pitching his way into their postseason plans. Bartolo Colon's 4.15 ERA just narrowly outpaces Jon Niese's (4.16) for highest on the staff, yet Colon owns a 2.59 mark since Aug. 1. Braves starter Williams Perez (6-6, 5.16) is 2-0 over his last three starts.

Three things you need to know about this game

• Perez owns a 4.84 ERA in three appearances against the Mets this season. He earned a win June 20 with a six-inning, four-run effort. On June 13 he recorded the against New York, the only one of his career.

• Second baseman Daniel Murphy enters play in sole possession of second place on the Mets' all-time two-baggers list. Murphy recorded the 226th double of his career on Tuesday, jumping ahead of Ed Kranepool in the club's record books.

• New York has gotten more than it could have hoped for from Eric Young Jr., since promoting the speedster to serve as a specialty runner. Young has scored eight runs in September without a hit, one off the all-time mark for September-October. Allan Lewis scored nine for the A's in 1973.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after Tuesday’s road win against the Mets

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

NEW YORK — Braves quotes from Hector Olivera, Matt Wisler and Fredi Gonzalez after Tuesday’s 6-2 win against the Mets.

**FREDI GONZALEZ

On Wisler’s performance

“He was good. What, a career-high for strikeouts? He pitched aggressively. The only pimple, and A.J. talked to him about it, was walking the guy leading off the eighth inning. With Granderson it’s not hard to do, because he doesn’t swing at anything that’s off the plate. You’ve got to throw the ball over the plate to make him swing. But I thought (Wisler) did a tremendous job. And we scored some runs, had some added-on runs with Garcia coming off the bench. Those are two big runs there.”

On difference for Wisler after a rough first inning “I think it was just command of his fastball. And he threw a couple of breaking balls, a couple to David Wright that buckled him in his second at-bat. But I thought his command of his fastball and his breaking pitches were pretty good today.”

On Peterson homering after struggling for a long time

“I don’t even know when’s the last time we hit two home runs in one inning. That was a big four-spot there, and then again to add on late in the game in the ninth inning, Garcia off Clippard. And Vizcaino, it goes unnoticed a bit, but that’s a heads-up play (in the ninth).”

On Olivera showing the pop he has in his bat, crushing a 2-0 fastball

“We’ve seen it. We’ve seen it in batting practice, now it’s just a matter of (doing) it in the game. But that’s one reason we put him in the 2-hole, between Nicky (Markakis) and Freeman. We’ve seen it two or three times where they’ve walked Nicky to face him, and I think he’s come up big (in those situations). I know in Philly he came up big with a homer, and again today.

“But in that spot you’re going to get some pitches to hit, because they don’t want to put him on and mess around with him with the breaking ball and face Freeman behind him. But that was nice to see the pop there.”

On chance to get a series win against someone other than the Phillies

“It’s a good feeling to do that. We’ve got another young pitcher, Williams Perez, going tomorrow. Hopefully he can dazzle them again and give us an opportunity to win a series and get on the bird (to Miami).”

In retrospect, could moving Wisler to bullpen for one game against Nationals have been a wakeup call for him?

“It could have been. But you know what, I think we needed him to be in the bullpen that series, because we played a four-game series against the Nationals and we needed all the pitching. But I think it’s a conversation that Roger and myself and I know A.J. has had with him, just a young pitcher that needs to learn to do some stuff. It could have been both, but we didn’t do it intentionally to be a wakeup call.”

**MATT WISLER

On how he’s improved since being sent to the bullpen for one game

“This time it’s me attacking them instead of them attacking me. I think it definitely sent a message to me — obviously let me know I can’t just not perform up here, but I think just getting up there, changing my mentality on the mound and getting back to what it used to be, is helping me a lot.”

On being angry at himself after the eighth-inning leadoff walk, last batter he faced

“Yeah, you can’t let the leadoff guy in the eighth get on. That started a rally. Luckily my bullpen guys picked me up. But I can’t let that happen. If I learned anything tonight, it’s that if I’m cruising like that, the situation with Granderson coming up, he’s a guy I’ve got to make swing. I can’t let that happen, I can’t walk a guy in that situation.”

**HECTOR OLIVERA (through translator Alex Cotto)

On crushing the 0-2 fastball, the third fastball he got in that at-bat

“The plan’s always the same – just look for a good pitch to drive. It just so happened I got a good pitch where I could extend my arms, and the home run came.”

Said a while back you wanted to gain confidence, does something like this do that?

“When I talked about gaining confidence, what I meant was by playing more games. And I feel as I’ve played more games, yeah, it’s starting to build some confidence. But if I just keep working, it’ll all take care of itself.”

“Every week, every day I gain more experience, more confidence. This is just continuing to build toward next. I’m just taking it day by day, but every day I’m on that field I’m getting the experience I need.”

On hitting a three-run homer in a game against a first-place team, score tied at time

“Bottom line, we aren’t chasing a playoff (berth), but we are here to play hard, and we’re not here to give games away. We’re going to play hard and work hard and try to win every game we can.”

Wisler sharp, Olivera has big homer in Braves’ 6-2 win over Mets

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

NEW YORK — The Braves produced what for them was a rarity, a two-homer, four-run inning. That gave Matt Wisler a three-run lead against the Mets, a team that brings out the best in the rookie pitcher.

Wisler had a career-high eight strikeouts in seven innings and got solid support from the lineup and bullpen in a 6-2 win Tuesday against the Mets at Citi Field, the fourth win in five games for the Braves as they try to finish strong in a season turned dismal in the second half.

All the runs in the Braves’ four-run fifth inning came were provided by Jace Peterson’s leadoff homer and Hector Olivera’s two-run homer, which opened a 4-1 lead. Adonis Garcia’s two-run, two-out double in the ninth capped the Braves’ scoring against the National league East leaders.

“Bottom line, we aren’t chasing a playoff (berth), but we are here to play hard,” Olivera said through a translator, “and we’re not here to give games away. We’re going to play hard and work hard and try to win every game we can.”

In his first win in nearly two months, Wisler (6-8) was charged with five hits, two runs and one walk in seven innings. He left with a 4-1 lead after issuing a leadoff walk to Curtis Granderson in the eighth.

After giving up a David Wright homer and Daniel Murphy double off the center-field wall on consecutive at-bats in the first inning, Wisler allowed only three hits over the next five innings, and Murphy’s ground-rule double in the sixth was the only extra-base hit in that span.

“He pitched aggressively,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “The only pimple, and A.J. (Pierzynski) talked to him about it, was walking the guy leading off the eighth inning. With Granderson it’s not hard to do, because he doesn’t swing at anything that’s off the plate. You’ve got to throw the ball over the plate to make him swing.

“But I thought (Wisler) did a tremendous job. And we scored some runs, had some added-on runs with Garcia coming off the bench. Those are two big runs there.”

Peterson’s leadoff homer and Olivera’s three-run shot accounted for all the scoring in a fifth inning that provided a 4-1 lead for the Braves, their highest single-inning output in exactly one month. They scored five in the fifth inning of a 9-7 loss Aug. 22 at ’s Wrigley Field.

“I don’t even know when’s the last time we hit two home runs in one inning. That was a big four-spot there,” said Gonzalez, whose Braves swept the last-place Phillies before embarking on this final road trip of the season.

They snapped a five-game losing streak against the Mets and evened the series at a game apiece. With a win Wednesday, the Braves could collect their third series win in the past 11, and their first in that stretch against a team other than the Phillies.

The Mets have lost five of seven games but retained a commanding 6 ½-game lead over Washington with 11 to play. If the Mets won six of their remaining 11, the Nationals could win all 12 of their remaining games and still finish behind New York.

After Granderson walked to start the eighth, he came around to score on Michael Cuddyer’s bases-loaded off Edwin Jackson, the fourth pitcher used by the Braves in the inning. Peter Moylan replaced Wisler and gave up a single by David Wright, and Matt Marksberry faced two batters and had a pop-up and a walk that loaded the bases before Jackson entered and retired both batters he faced.

Wisler improved to 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA in three starts against the Mets, the only team he’s beaten more than once and the lowest ERA he’s posted against any of the 13 teams he’s faced. The 22-year-old right-hander limited the Mets to six hits and one run in eight innings in his June 19 major league debut, and Wisler’s best performance since then was Tuesday’s outing against the Mets in his 17th major league start.

“He had much better command today than the last time we saw him,” Mets manager Terry Collins said, referring to a Sept. 11 game when Wisler allowed seven hits, two runs and three walks in six innings of a loss to the Mets. “He really stayed on the outside part of the plate to righties. We always knew he had a good slider. We all know his breaking ball is very, very good. But down in Atlanta the other day he was missing. We got him in deep counts where he had to come in to us, similar to some of the mistakes we made today.”

It was Wisler’s first win since working seven strong innings (seven hits, two runs) against the Cardinals on July 26. Wisler was 5-1 with a 3.43 ERA in seven starts to that point, but since then he’d posted an 0-7 record and 7.71 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) before Tuesday.

His three best starts this season have been against division leaders: the Mets (twice) and the Cardinals.

With the Braves trailing 1-0, Peterson led off the fifth inning by pulling a 3-2 changeup over the fence in the right-field corner. It was his sixth homer of the season and first since Aug. 3.

One out later, Michael Bourn singled and advanced on Wisler’s sacrifice before the Mets intentionally walked Nick Markakis to bring up 30-year-old rookie Olivera. The Cuban third baseman took two 90-mph fastballs for balls, and when Logan Verrett threw another fastball on the outer edge of the plate, Olivera reached out and crushed it, driving it well past the left-center field fence for his second homer in his 18th major league game and 58th at-bat. “The plan’s always the same – just look for a good pitch to drive,” Olivera said. “It just so happened I got a good pitch where I could extend my arms, and the home run came.”

Olivera had not driven in a run in 11 games since Sept. 7, when he had four RBIs with a double and his first homer in his sixth major league game.

The two homers in the inning were just the sixth and seventh of September for the Braves in 21 games, and raised their majors-low total to 90 for the season. They need 10 homers in their final 10 games to avoid being the first Atlanta team to hit fewer than 100 homers since the 1988 team hit 96.

Braves have never used more players, and rarely homered less

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

NEW YORK – The Braves have never used more players than this season, and rarely have they hit fewer home runs.

When reliever Dan Winkler made his major league debut Monday, he was the 60th played used by the Braves, who became just the second major league team to use as many as 60 in a single season. They joined the 2014 , who used a record 64.

The Braves have already used 20 percent more players than they did in their previous franchise record of 50 in 2007.

Winkler was the 13th pitcher to make his major league debut this season, tied with the Yankees (also this season) for the most in a full century, since the 1915 Philadelphia Athletics had 21 make their MLB debuts.

Meanwhile, the Braves had a major league-low 88 home runs in 151 games before Tuesday, and would need 12 homers in their final 11 games to avoid becoming the first Braves team to have fewer than 100 homers in a season since the 1988 team hit 96.

Considering the Braves had only five homers in 20 September games before Tuesday, it’s likely they’ll finish not only with fewer than 100, but with fewer than the 96 homers hit by the ’88 team.

The only Braves with more than eight homers before Tuesday were Freddie Freeman, whose team-high 16 homers before Tuesday were still two fewer than the career-low total he had in 2014, and Cameron Maybin, who had a career-high 10 homers before Tuesday.

Nick Markakis, who hit 141 homers in nine seasons with the Orioles through 2014, including at least 10 every season, had two homers before Tuesday. He and the Braves attribute his dropoff in large part to having missed an entire offseason of strength work after major neck surgery in December.

Markakis’ home-run rate of one every 287 at-bats before Tuesday was the lowest among major league qualifiers, and Braves teammate Andrelton Simmons’ rate of one every 166 at-bats was fourth-lowest among NL qualifiers.

‘Stomach sleeping’ the culprit for Markakis’ soreness

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

NEW YORK – Nick Markakis was back in the Braves lineup Tuesday after missing two games with a trapezius muscle strain near his neck.

The veteran said it was not at all related to major neck surgery he had in December for a herniated disk.

“No, this is way lower,” he said. “I don’t have any issues with my neck at all.”

So then, you may be asking, what was the cause of this painful situation? Call it a bad sleeping position.

“I’m a stomach sleeper, so I sleep on my stomach,” Markakis said, demonstrating how his neck gets turned sometimes when he’s in his customary sleeping position. “Not the best for me.”

He’s tried sleeping on his back, of course. “I roll right over,” he said. “I don’t even know I’m doing it.”

After two days of rest and treatment, he was fine Tuesday.

Despite the neck surgery that forced him to miss an entire offseason of strength and conditioning, and most of the Grapefruit League schedule during spring training, Markakis was ready by and was tied for third in the National League in at-bats (574) and tied for sixth in games played (146) before Tuesday. He batted .298 with 40 extra-base hits (two homers) and a .371 OBP (ninth-best in the NL) and .376 before Tuesday, and Markakis had hit .317 (38-for-120) with 11 doubles, a .397 OBP and .408 slugging percentage in his past 29 games.

“Coming off surgery and being where I am now, sure there’s a couple of things that I’d like to do better,” said Markakis, whose two home runs are eight below his previous single-season career low, “but overall in the big picture, I’m pretty pleased with what I’m doing right now. Under the circumstances. So, just continue what I’m doing, and get better in the offseason.

Braves’ Winkler returns from TJ surgery in MLB debut

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

NEW YORK – As Braves pitcher Dan Winkler neared the ready stage in his comeback from elbow surgery, team officials asked him a few weeks ago in Florida whether he’d like to join the major league team in September rather than wait to pitch in the Braves’ Instructional League in October.

“So I was like, absolutely,” Winkler said, smiling as he recalled the exchange.

And so, what transpired Monday night was a unique situation in which a 25-year-old pitcher’s first game of any kind since Tommy John surgery was also his major league debut. Winkler faced three batters in Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Mets, sandwiching two strikeouts around a walk in two-thirds of a scoreless inning of work.

There were plenty of nerves, but they were only glaringly apparent on his first pitch, an off-target fastball that hit umpire Fieldin Culbreth in the right knee after darting past the mitt of veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski. “Broke his shin guard,” Pierzynski said of the blow, which nearly knocked Culbreath off his feet.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, “A.J. was giving him a little ribbing, said, ‘You can tell your kids the first pitch you threw in the big leagues, you missed the catcher completely and hit the umpire.’”

“It only happens to me,” said Winkler, smiling as he talked with a few reporters after the game. “Just ‘cause it was me. That’s what I told (Andrelton) Simmons, too. I said, of course that happens to me with my first pitch in the big leagues. I felt bad. When I get excited I kind of cut (pitches) a little bit, and I cut my four-seamer. (Winkler laughs.) It wasn’t very good, but it worked out.”

Indeed, he ended up striking out that first batter, left-handed-hitting rookie slugger Michael Conforto, who had homered off Shelby Miller in the second inning. Winkler walked the next batter, Ruben Tejada, after getting ahead in the count 0-2. But he recovered quickly and struck out the third and final batter he faced, lefy Kirt Kieuwenhuis.

For a guy who’d never faced big-league hitters, it was impressive. Add to that the fact that the only hitters Winkler had faced in 15 months were a few Braves in simulated-game conditions last week, and it was a doubly so.

The Braves selected Winkler in the December from the . They took him even though he was only six months into his elbow-surgery rehab, figuring it would be worth the wait and the requirement of keeping him on the 25-man major league roster for most of the first half of the 2016 season once he was activated from the disabled list.

Before he got hurt, Winkler had posted a 1.41 ERA and 71 strikeouts with 17 walks in 70 innings over 12 starts with the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate.

“It’s pretty nice to get him out there, get his feet wet,” Gonzalez said. “He’s had a long road of rehab, and it’s nice for him to go out there. We didn’t want to use him any more than we did, 20 pitches, that was it. We got that accomplished today.”

A day later, after watching video of Winkler and discussing his debut with coaches, Gonzalez said. “I think he ended up with 16 (pitches). Struck out two left-handers. We’ll probably give him a couple of days before we use him again, then whenever we can use him…. The best thing is, he came out of it healthy. He’s going to go to the Arizona Fall League (in October and November). So I don’t know how many more appearances he can get here, but it’d be nice for him to get two or three more here, then continue on to the Fall League and then be able to help us next year.”

Winkler was still beaming Tuesday over what had happened the night before. He had stayed up until the wee hours, answering texts and emails.

“Hundreds, literally,” he said. “They’re still (coming in) right now. I’m a small-town kid from Illinois, went to a high school of 200, so it’s a big think for my area.”

He was also up late talking with five family members who’d been at the game – his parents, his wife, Camille, and an aunt and uncle who live nearby in New Jersey.

“I was up till, like, 3,” he said, smiling. “It was just crazy. Phone blowing up. I don’t know. It’s cool. … My uncle actually works a couple of blocks from where (the Braves are) staying right now. That’s pretty cool. So my mom and dad came and stayed with them. Just worked out perfect…. My wife is a nurse and she recently just got done working, so she’s been traveling with me and trying to enjoy the ride as well.” He had so many emotions – about making it back from Tommy John and making his major league debut – that Winkler was glad to have some family members to share it with. And he only became more emotional reading and replying to texts he received from former coaches and training- staff members of the Rockies as well as those at the Braves’ spring-training headquarters, where Winkler spent most of his summer rehabbing.

“I texted them back and said, couldn’t be here without you guys,” he said. “But that made it pretty special, all the hard work and everything just to get back here. Still got a lot of hard work ahead of me. Still and up and down rollercoaster, just to stay here, to stay healthy.”

Braves seek to move spring training home to St. Petersburg

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves would move their spring training facilities from the Orlando area to St. Petersburg in 2018 under a proposal the team recently submitted to Pinellas County officials.

The Aug. 31 proposal included a letter from Braves president John Schuerholz, who wrote that the team hoped to reach an agreement to relocate to the region by the end of the year. Schuerholz said construction would begin by next year with completion scheduled for the 2018 season.

A Braves spokeswoman said the team has no comment on the proposal. The story was first reported Tuesday by The Tampa Bay Times.

Pinellas County administrator Mark S. Woodard wrote in a memo that an evaluation committee ranked a proposal by SportsPark Partners LLC for the new Braves facilities as the best among three submitted by a Sept. 1 deadline. The county board of commissioners is to consider all three proposals at a future meeting this fall.

The Braves have trained at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., since 1998. Schuerholz told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in March that the team was conducting a “broad-based search” across Florida for a potential new spring training site. The team’s lease with Disney expires in 2017.

The leading proposal for the St. Petersburg site was submitted by SportsPark Partners LLC, which includes the Braves, Echelon real estate development fund and the Gary Sheffield Sports Foundation. The architect for the proposed project is Populous, which is building the Braves’ new stadium in Cobb County. The proposal estimates the cost for the project at $662 million.

Sheffield is a Tampa native who played for the Braves from 2002-03. He did not return a phone message on Tuesday but a letter of interest from Schuerholz to Sheffield is part of the SportsPark proposal.

“We look forward to entering into the next phase of our discussions with you and Pinellas County to work hard and in earnest to try to reach terms on a deal before the end of 2015 and make this development a facility of which we all can be proud,” Schuerholz wrote to Sheffield.

The SportsPark proposal includes a 10,000-seat stadium with berm seating for an additional 1,000 fans. It also includes additional athletic fields, other sports facilities and a hotel on the site, with the goal of making the facility an “international destination” for amateur and professional sports. That would make the project similar to the Disney complex.

The St. Petersburg location is not the only site known to be considered by the Braves. Real estate consultants representing the team met with officials in Palm Beach County in April. The Braves trained there from 1963 until departing for the Disney complex.

Once the Nationals and Astros relocate to a planned new facility in West Palm Beach in 2017, the Braves and Tigers would be the only teams remaining in the Orlando area. The Tigers train in Lakeland, which is about 45 miles west of Lake Buena Vista.

Schuerholz said in March that the Braves had not ruled out renewing their lease with Disney, but that proximity to other teams was a major consideration for Grapefruit League scheduling.

“That’s the great equation for us: Spend more time on the field and less time on the bus,” Schuerholz said.

There are 15 teams that train in Florida and five are clustered within a hour drive of the St. Petersburg area: the Phillies (Clearwater), Yankees (Tampa), Blue Jays (Dunedin), Pirates (Bradenton) and Orioles (Sarasota). Further south on the Gulf coast are the Rays (Port Charlotte), Twins (Fort Myers) and Red Sox (Fort Myers).

Any move by the Braves likely will include public financing. Palm Beach County has pledged $108 million in public funds and the state another $50 million toward costs of building and financing the planned facilities for the Astros and Nationals.

Florida has a state fund dedicated to partnering with local governments to build or renovate spring training stadiums. The fund was set up to compete with the Cactus League in the Phoenix area, where 15 teams train.

Schuerholz has said the Braves would not move to Arizona.

Braves have been more adept at building off field than on it

By Jeff Schultz

The Braves aren’t good at winning championships, but they seem to excel above all others in at least one area: Getting government entities to build things for them.

They got a free stadium after the 1996 Olympics (Turner Field).

They’re getting $368 million in a bond sale from Cobb County for a $672 million stadium — as well as $35 million for capital maintenance, bringing the public money assault to a total of about $400 million. (The Braves will, however, pay some of the debt service as rent. Why? Because they’re givers, of course.)

And now, this: The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that a group is attempting to lure the Braves to Pinellas County (Fla.) as their new spring training home. The bait on the hook: a 240-acre, $662 million mixed used development that could house two major league teams.

The complex would be built on an old landfill. The Braves currently have the second-worst record in baseball at 60-91. I think they call this symmetry.

No specifics of the potential deal have been reported regarding the Braves’ financial stake in this, if any. But John Schuerholz, the Braves’ president and unofficial Rich Uncle Pennybags (“Monopoly” game man), was quoted in a letter in the 258-page proposal to the Braves as saying, “We look forward to entering into the next phase of our discussions with you and Pinellas County to work hard and in earnest to try to reach terms on a deal before the end of 2015 and make this development a facility of which we all can be proud.”

It’s no secret the Braves have been looking for a new spring training home. Their deal at Disney’s Wide World of Sports expires in two years. So they’ve been seeking and/or weighing potential offers from other interested parties in Florida over the last several months. This is the first one, however, that has had any specifics attached to it.

On an unrelated note, the Braves announced Tuesday that “2016 A-List Memberships are on sale now. The A-List guarantees the best seats at the lowest prices for the final season at Turner Field and beyond.” A-List members receiver priority for seating at the new stadium in 2017.

Maybe it’s just me but I’m not seeing the rush to secure priority seating right now.

Atlanta Business Chronicle

A new spring home in Florida for the Atlanta Braves?

A development group is hoping to build a spring training facility for the Atlanta Braves in Pinellas County, Fla., at the Toytown site.

SportsPark Partners LLC was one of three proposals Pinellas received to develop the 240-acre "historic landfill" in the central part of the county. The partnership, led by Echelon's Darryl LeClair, includes the Atlanta Braves and the Gary Sheffield Sports Foundation.

"The Project is an international, destination facility that will host sports events and tournaments for more than a dozen sports and will also be a destination location for entertainment and cultural events," the proposal reads.

The facility's anchor would be the Braves spring training home.

The project also would have a dormitory, hotel and office components according to documents filed with Pinellas County.

The Braves are looking for a new spring training facility as the team comes to the end of a 20-year contract at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando in 2017. With the upcoming move slated for the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals out of central Florida to a combined facility in South Florida, the Braves will be the only team left in the central part of the state except for the in Lakeland.

The Braves made it clear after the Astros and Nationals announced their move that the team would be looking for a new home.

On Sept. 21, Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz told Atlanta Business Chronicle the team is working on finding a new spring home and that the team will stay in Florida for spring training.

“We have communicated with a couple of communities in Florida,” he said. “We will follow up with a couple of them. We have a number of others that have expressed some level of interest. Some of them have money, some of them don’t have quite as much money, so we are ferreting all of that out. The goal was to have a decision either by the end of this season, which likely won’t happen by the end of this calendar year. If we have a decision by the end of this calendar year, which I’m hopeful we will, and I believe we can, it gives us plenty of time to build the kind of spring training facility that we want. We are hopeful that the people we are talking to, which I’m not at liberty to say who it is right now at their behest, it will be a part of a revitalization and redevelopment of areas as a mixed used development where the stadium will sit at the end of a nice corridor, maybe on a lake.”

Echelon, which previously made a bid to draw the to a proposed new stadium in Carrillon, confirmed it is part of a partnership with the Braves to develop Toytown, but declined to discuss the proposal in depth.

The Toytown site is a prime location with access to Interstate 275 just west of the Howard Frankland Bridge coming from Hillsborough County. Adding the Braves would give Pinellas its third spring training facility to complement the in Dunedin and the Philadelphia Phillis in Clearwater.

WSB Radio

Braves could move spring training to Tampa/St. Pete

By Marcy Williams

Atlanta — As the Braves prepare to move to Cobb County in 2017, the team may also relocate spring training in Florida.

The Braves' lease at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista expires in 2017. The organization is part of a bid to develop a former landfill in Pinellas County into a $660 million stadium complex with hotel and office space.

The Braves are not the only game in town. The Tampa Bay Times reports the county is considering other offers, but ranks the SportsPark proposal number one.

If the Pinellas County Commission signs off, the Braves hope construction begins next year. The designer, Populous, is the same one who developed the concept for SunTrust Park in Cobb County.

The team's even offered to share the space if another major league club is interested. The Braves and Detroit Tigers are the only two teams left in central Florida.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority hosts a community meeting tonight at Turner Field to discuss future plans for the ballpark once the Braves depart.

Georgia State University would like to convert Turner Field into a football stadium in a $300 million dollar proposal including student housing, residential and retail space. Casinos have also expressed interest in the property.

Earlier this year, neighborhood groups around Turner Field were awarded a $212,000 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission to study development opportunities for the area.

The St. Petersburg Tribune

Group eyes Pinellas Toytown site for Atlanta Braves' spring facility

By Steven Girardi | Tribune Staff

ST. PETERSBURG — The Atlanta Braves spring training operations, along with a hotel and office buildings, are part of a development proposal to reclaim the former Toytown landfill.

SportsPark Partners LLC is one of three groups to submit plans to Pinellas County’s Economic Development Office to develop the sprawling 240 acres in the gateway area off of Interstate 275 near Roosevelt Boulevard.

The SportsPark group envisions a $662 million international professional and amateur sports complex that would include the Braves and possibly a second Major League Baseball team for spring training.

The group includes Echelon, the real estate development firm led by Darryl LeClair, who in 2012 proposed building a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays in the Carillon area not far from Toytown. It also includes the Gary Sheffield Sports Foundation, SportsWise Partners, and the Braves.

The SportsPark proposal has athletic facilities including a 10,000-seat baseball stadium, a 15,000-seat indoor arena, a 20,000-seat track and field venue, a swimming pool center and a hockey rink. It also has 210,000 square feet of hotel space, 695,000 square feet of dormitories and apartments, and 164,000 square feet of retail. News of the baseball complex on Tuesday caused some concerns for St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, who has been in stadium negotiations with The Tampa Bay Rays. The team wants to leave Tropicana Field before its lease with the city expires in 2027.

The St. Petersburg City Council is deadlocked 4-4 on a proposal by Kriseman to let team explore other locations, and the mayor said the SportsPark project likely will seek the same tourist tax money that could help to build a new Rays ballpark.

“So yeah, I have some concerns regarding the impact it could have and the fact that we have had no movement with the council to move the ball forward — to know whether we’re going to need funds for a Rays stadium,” he said.

He said he remains in contact with Rays ownership, and the sides have agreed to halt talks until the baseball season ends.

City Councilman Karl Nurse said the proposal “reinforces the need to get the Rays discussion off dead center.”

“You really don’t want to end up funding a spring training facility for the Atlanta Braves without considering what you’re doing with the Rays and how does this impact them,” he said. “Eventually you sort of close the door to options for the Rays.

County Commission Chairman John Morroni, who also chairs the county’s Tourist Development Council, did not return a telephone call.

Rick Vaughan, the Rays’ vice president of communications, said the team had no comment on the proposal.

The SportsPark submission includes a letter from Braves President John Schuerholz sent to Sheffield in August confirming the team’s interest in the project and in forming a partnership. Schuerholz said the goal is to begin construction of a baseball facility in 2016 and for the team to move its spring training from Kissimmee to the new complex in 2018.

The team has one year remaining on its contract at Disney’s “Wide World of Sports” facility.

Populous, the group’s architect firm, specializes in sports projects, including the design of the Braves’ new Cobb County Stadium and work on other major league ballparks. The project’s spring training complex includes six major league size fields in addition to the 10,000-seat stadium. The complex would have 12 more major league fields and a 3,000-seat stadium, two youth baseball fields, 20 multi-sports field and 18 volleyball courts.

Sheffield, a former major league player from Tampa and St. Petersburg, plans to use the facility for his charitable sports organization that reaches out to low-income children. Sheffield previously had proposed building a $34 million baseball complex in Pasco County. But county commissioners terminated that contract in December as Sheffield and his partner, James Talton, could not raise the money.

SportsPark anticipates the project will generate $800 million in annual revenue and create 3,361 permanent jobs.

Other bidders for the Toytown property are developer Charles Puccini and Meridian Realty Capital.

Puccini, proposes to build a 135-acre, energy-producing solar complex called SunRay Park. The $300 million project includes a movie theater that produces and stores its own electricity, a hotel, 225 rental homes, office buildings and retail space, all of which would be tied to the solar power panels.

It expects to create more than 1,000 jobs, in addition to the temporary construction jobs to build it.

Meridian, from Cincinnati, proposes a town center concept that includes commercial property, up to 1,500 residences, park space. retail/restaurant space, and a sportplex with baseball fields, tennis courts and a skate park. It will pay the county $1 million, will assume costs of preparing the old landfill for development and expects to create 21,000 jobs.

The proposals are being reviewed by a five-member committee that will report to the Pinellas County Commission.

Pinellas officials decided to seek proposals for the former landfill in the spring to gauge potential interest even though the site has about 25 years of buried trash that could complicate development and require some mitigation or trash removal. The landfill closed in the mid-1980s and the county spends about $750,000 a year on maintenance.

Bay News 9

St. Petersburg landfill could become Braves training facility

By Trevor Pettiford, Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG -- Pinellas County and a local developer are looking at plans to attract a major league baseball team to the area, and it’s not the Tampa Bay Rays. County officials are looking at a proposal to turn the old Toytown Landfill in St. Petersburg into a massive spring training facility for the Atlanta Braves.

Developers call it SportsPark, a $662 million complex with, among other things, a 10,000 seat baseball stadium, more than a dozen soccer fields, a soccer and track stadium and even a 4,400 bed dormitory.

Although developers aren’t commenting on the proposed project, Atlanta Braves officials are throwing their support behind it.

“We believe that we can enhance and grow (the area's) baseball heritage by relocating our spring training operations to this new development and Pinellas County," said Braves President John Schuerholz in a letter to SportsPark developers and county officials.

For the last 18 years, the Braves have trained at Disney’s ESPN World Wide of Sports complex in Kissimmee.

Currently, an aviation club uses part of the 240-acre landfill site to fly model airplanes.

They never thought they could face the prospect of being moved out.

“A lot of us will probably either join other clubs or go fly in the parks somewhere,” said Luis Espinosa.

There are two other proposals for the site that both call for it to be turned into a multi-use park, residential and office space complex, but the SportsPark concept is at the top of the list.

County commissioners are expected to take up the issue sometime next month.

Fox 13 Tampa Bay

Toytown plan includes Braves spring training field

By: Steve Nichols, FOX 13 News

PINELLAS COUNTY (FOX 13) - A redevelopment team proposes building a $662 million athletic complex on the 240 acre site of the old Toytown landfill called SportsPark.

A spring training facility for the Atlanta Braves would be the centerpiece, yet only a fraction of the overall project.

In addition to a 10,000 seat Major League Baseball stadium there would be a 3,000 seat baseball stadium and nearly 20 other baseball diamonds. A separate 20,000 seat stadium could accommodate soccer, track and field events. There would also be 20 multi-sport fields, 18 sand volleyball courts and an aquatics center.

Principal partners include the Braves, The Gary Sheffield Foundation, and Echelon, a Pinellas-based developer. None of the parties would comment publicly Tuesday, but Pinellas county administrator Mark Woodard told FOX 13 News he wants to ask county commissioners for direction early next month. By October 6th Woodard wants to be able to present commissioners with a list of the big issues that have to be resolved.

Money may be at the top of the list. The documents submitted by SportsPark Partners refer to a county contribution ranging from $4 million to $10 million a year, but does not state for how many years. That would be in addition to $2 million a year provided to professional sports franchises by the state. Woodard confirmed the county could get its money from its tourism tax.

However, Dunedin is expected to ask for bed tax revenue for a new Toronto Blue Jays spring training facility. St. Petersburg will also need county bed tax revenue if the Tampa Bay Rays decide to build a new stadium in Pinellas. A commitment to the SportsPark project would significantly reduce revenues available for other projects.

There are also questions surrounding the use of an old landfill for sports fields. There are liabilities associated with that, and the development proposal leaves that liability to the county. Two other teams submitted other concepts for the Toytown property, but Woodard said there were different concerns about those, so SportsPark was ranked number one by a review committee.

A green light by Pinellas county commissioners to continue negotiations will leave the project on a fast track. A letter from the Atlanta Braves expresses "significant interest" in the project and in relocating its spring training to Pinellas from the Orlando area. The letter proposes striking a deal by the end of this year so construction can start next year and be finished in time for the 2018 spring training season.

The Sports Xchange

Big inning lifts Braves past Mets 6-2

By Jerry Beach

NEW YORK — Matt Wisler earned his first win in almost two months, and Jace Peterson and Hector Olivera each homered during a four-run fifth inning that lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 6-2 victory over the on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

The Braves (61-91) won for the fourth time in five games and scored more than three runs for the first time since Sept. 13.

Despite the loss, the Mets (85-66) saw their magic number to win the National League East reduced to six by virtue of the Washington Nationals’ 4- 1 loss to the .

Wisler (6-8) pitched seven-plus innings, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out eight.

He was 0-7 with a 7.71 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) since his previous win July 26.

Wisler was pulled after walking right fielder Curtis Granderson to open the eighth.

The Mets loaded the bases against right-hander Peter Boylan, who gave up a single to third baseman David Wright, and left-hander Matt Marksberry, who walked center fielder Yoenis Cespedes with one out.

Atlanta right-hander Edwin Jackson minimized the damage by retiring pinch hitter Michael Cuddyer on a sacrifice fly to center and inducing shortstop Wilmer Flores to ground out.

Braves pinch hitter Adonis Garcia provided insurance by lacing a two-run double in the ninth.

Mets right-hander Logan Verrett (1-2), making a spot start in place of right-hander Jacob deGrom, allowed four runs on five hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three.

The Mets took the lead six pitches into the game on Wright’s solo homer to center field.

Verrett allowed two hits through four innings before the Braves busted out in the fifth.

Peterson, Atlanta’s second baseman, hit a leadoff homer.

One out later, center fielder Michael Bourn singled and went to second on a bunt by Wisler. After an intentional walk to right fielder Nick Markakis, Olivera blasted a three-run homer well beyond the left field wall. It was the third baseman’s second major league home run.

Notes: Mets INF Juan Uribe (chest contusion) remained sore and did not play Tuesday night. Uribe was injured diving for a ball on Sunday night. … Mets RHP Jacob deGrom, whose start was skipped Tuesday, will return to the rotation Sunday when New York plays the finale of a four-game series against the . DeGrom has a 6.31 ERA in his last five starts. … Mets bench coach Bob Geren turned 54 Tuesday. … Braves RF Nick Markakis returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sore trapezius. He went 1-for-4 with a walk. … RHP Dan Winkler, who struck out two in his major league debut Monday night, will be among the Atlanta prospects to participate in the Arizona Fall League.

Associated Press

Wisler, Braves stall Mets' push toward NL East title, 6-2

By BEN WALKER (AP Baseball Writer)

NEW YORK (AP) -- No one got a hit with someone in scoring position. Their big bopper stood still in the batter's box when strike three bounced away. Their setup man got tagged again.

Even as his New York Mets inched closer to the NL East title, manager Terry Collins wasn't thrilled with what he saw.

''All of a sudden, we've hit a wall,'' he said.

Rookie right-hander Matt Wisler stopped his nine-start winless drought and the Atlanta Braves stalled the Mets' push toward the postseason with a 6-2 victory Tuesday night.

David Wright homered as the Mets lost for the fifth time in seven games. They stayed 6 1/2 games ahead of Washington, whose loss to Baltimore cut New York's magic number to six for clinching the division. ''Looks like we're tight,'' Collins said.

The Mets had won five in a row against Atlanta, and Wright put them ahead again with a solo homer in the first. It was his first drive at Citi Field during an injury-interrupted season.

But other than Daniel Murphy's two doubles, New York rarely dented Wisler in finishing 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

''I don't think we're tight,'' Wright said, later adding, ''We need to get some momentum back on our side.''

Mets star Yoenis Cespedes made no forward progress when he struck out in the fourth. He appeared to check with the plate umpire on whether he swung, even when the ball went to the backstop, and was easily thrown out at first.

''I'd like him to run, yes,'' Collins said.

Despite the loss, Collins hadn't lost his sense of humor. Asked about a strategic move that went awry, he deadpanned: ''I'm going to go home and my wife's going to tell me, 'You were an idiot!'''

Down 4-1, the Mets loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. Edwin Jackson, Atlanta's fourth pitcher of the inning, gave up a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Michael Cuddyer and got Wilmer Flores on a grounder to protect the lead.

Pinch-hitter Adonis Garcia lined a two-out, two-run double in the ninth off Mets reliever Tyler Clippard. In his last 8 1-3 innings, Clippard has given up nine runs.

Jace Peterson led off the Atlanta fifth with a home run and Hector Olivera launched a three-run shot later in the inning off Logan Verrett (1-2).

Verrett pitched in place of All-Star Jacob deGrom, who was pushed back for extra rest. This was Verrett's third spot start of the season - he gave Matt Harvey breaks with the first two outings and threw well both times.

Wisler (6-8) struck out a career-high eight and left after a leadoff walk in the eighth. The 23-year-old, who beat the Mets in his big league debut June 19, had been 0-7 in his last nine starts.

Earlier this month, Wisler pitched well against the Mets but wound up with a loss.

''I think my stuff kind of matches up with their weaknesses,'' he said. ''They're a really good hitting team, obviously, they're tops in our division and it's a battle every time against them. But I continue to have some good luck against them.''

Olivera's tiebreaking homer came after an intentional walk to Nick Markakis with two outs.

The Braves won for just the eighth time in 35 games. They have the second-worst record in the majors after trailing the Mets by only 1 1/2 games a few days before the All-Star break.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: Markakis started after missing two games because of stiffness in his upper back and neck.

Mets: 3B-2B Juan Uribe is ''still pretty sore'' after bruising his chest on a diving stop Sunday night, Collins said. Collins said it didn't sound as if Uribe was available. ... Slumping C Travis d'Arnaud pinch-hit in the ninth. Collins said it was a ''safe bet'' d'Arnaud would be in the lineup Wednesday. ... Righty reliever Carlos Torres is slowed by a strained left calf.

TERRY TIME

Even with the Braves struggling, manager Fredi Gonzalez is secure - in July, the team extended his contract through 2016. Collins has a club option for next season and Gonzalez said Mets management should take care of his counterpart now. ''Do the right thing for T.C.,'' Gonzalez said.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Williams Perez (6-6, 5.16 ERA) is 2-0 in his last three starts. The no-decision was against the Mets, when he pitched six innings and gave up three runs. His lone career save came this year vs. the Mets.

Mets: Bartolo Colon (14-12, 4.15) has won all four of his starts vs. the Braves this season. Three Atlanta hitters have caused him trouble - Andrelton Simmons (11 for 20), Freddie Freeman (9 for 20) and (7 for 15 with two homers).

Braves-Mets Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO (STATS Writer)

Recent struggles haven't cost the New York Mets much in the NL East race, and having Bartolo Colon face the Atlanta Braves could get them untracked.

Colon attempts to become the first Mets pitcher to win all five starts against an opponent in a single season in 30 years Wednesday night.

New York (85-66) has dropped five of seven, equaling its loss total from its previous 24 games. Still, the Mets are atop the East by 6 1/2 games on second-place Washington with 11 to go.

They fell 6-2 on Tuesday, ending their five-game winning streak against the Braves (61-91).

"All of a sudden, we've hit a wall," manager Terry Collins said.

Collins now turns to Colon (14-12, 4.15 ERA), who is 8-2 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 career starts versus Atlanta.

The right-hander has won all four this year behind a 3.51 ERA. He can become the first Met to go 5-0 in five starts against an opponent since Dwight Gooden did it against the in 1985.

He'd also be the first to accomplish the feat against the Braves since Orel Hershiser in 1988.

Colon, though, is looking to bounce back from Wednesday's 6-0 loss to Miami. The right-hander gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings after going 4-0 with a 0.57 ERA over his previous five games - four starts - in a stretch that included a career-high 31 consecutive scoreless innings.

Colon served up two homers Wednesday after not allowing one since Aug. 26. The 24 he's allowed are a team high and the most he's given up since he was hit for 26 with the in 2005.

"He's going to make you swing the bat," Collins told MLB's official website. "He's around the plate so much that sometimes they barrel up and he's had some issues of giving up the long ball."

The only home run he's allowed to Atlanta this year was to Jonny Gomes, who is now with Kansas City. Nick Swisher and A.J. Pierzynski are the only current Braves to have homered off Colon with two apiece.

Colon has been given four runs of support in every outing against Atlanta in 2015, but the Mets are averaging 2.3 runs while batting .210 over the past seven games. That includes a .115 average with runners in scoring position after going 0 for 8 on Tuesday.

Yoenis Cespedes is a major culprit, batting .154 without an RBI in that stretch after compiling a .382 average with nine homers and 19 RBIs over his previous 13 games. Additionally, is in a 3-for-26 slump.

Those issues may continue since Atlanta's 4-1 stretch has been keyed by a 1.84 ERA. Rookie Matt Wisler provided the latest gem Tuesday, allowing two runs with eight strikeouts in seven innings.

Williams Perez (6-6, 5.16) kicked off the team's recent surge with a solid outing Friday, yielding one run in 5 2-3 innings of a 2-1 win over Philadelphia. He's 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA over his last three starts.

The rookie right-hander hasn't been sharp in two starts - both at home - against the Mets, going 1-0 despite allowing seven runs in 12 innings with 13 hits and five walks.

Curtis Granderson, Travis d'Arnaud and Daniel Murphy are a combined 9 for 15 with two homers and two doubles off Perez.

Murphy is hitting .407 with six doubles and 10 RBIs in his last seven games against Atlanta, doubling on three of his four hits in this series.

Proposal would bring Braves spring training to St. Pete

By - - Wednesday, September 23, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The Atlanta Braves say they want to build a stadium, practice fields and hotel rooms on a former landfill site, converting the 240-acre property into the county’s third spring training mecca.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the team would partner with former baseball star and Tampa native Gary Sheffield and St. Petersburg developer Darryl LeClair on a $662 million investment to create an “international destination” for amateur and professional sports, catering to elite youth athletes after the big-leaguers break camp in April. The Pinellas County Commission will take up the matter later this fall. The requests for proposals were filed Aug. 31 and made available recently on the county’s website.