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Braves Clippings Saturday, June 20, 2015 Braves.com

Braves rally vs. Mets, give Wisler first win

By Mark Bowman and Carlos Collazo / MLB.com | 12:50 AM ET

ATLANTA -- Jace Peterson's two- in the eighth ruined Jacob deGrom's gem and enabled the Braves to celebrate 's sparkling Major League debut with a 2-1 win over the Mets on Friday night at . deGrom had surrendered just two hits before giving up ' leadoff double and Pedro Ciriaco's one- infield single in the eighth. With runners at the corners, the Mets pulled their prized right-hander in favor of former Braves farmhandSean Gilmartin, who promptly allowed Peterson to drill his game-winner over ' head in center field.

"[Wisler] threw great," said Peterson, who roomed with the young when they were in the Padres organization last year. "Any time you can get a performance like that, you want to capitalize on it, and fortunately, I was able to do it."

Wisler proved why he has been considered one of the game's best pitching prospects. The 22-year-old right-hander, who was acquired in the April trade that sent to the Padres, allowed one run and six hits over eight . His stellar debut was blemished only by 's one-out RBI single in the sixth inning.

"I actually felt pretty comfortable and confident out there," Wisler said. "It was just another game, really."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Unfazed rookie: After surrendering a leadoff double that helped put Ruben Tejada in position to score when Cuddyer chopped his sixth-inning single over a drawn-in infield, Wisler saw Chris Johnson and Peterson end the frame by turning a nifty on ' sharp grounder. The young Atlanta hurler retired seven of the final eight batters he faced and completed a perfect eighth inning by getting to look at a for a called third strike.

Happy Birthday? On his 27th birthday, deGrom continued his recent hobby of shutting down Atlanta hitters -- until the eighth inning. deGrom threw seven innings before running into trouble in the eighth, when Simmons led off with a double. After surrendering a sacrifice bunt and an infield single to pinch-hitter Ciriaco, deGrom was pulled. Simmons and Ciriaco wound up scoring on the next at-bat, with both runs being charged to deGrom.

"I hung a there, and he it," deGrom said about Simmons' double. "That's part of the game."

Ciriaco's hustle: Peterson delivered the game-winner, but it was Ciriaco who helped fuel the eighth-inning rally by sprinting to first base as Flores caught his one-out chopper in the grass and then looked Simmons back to third base. That slight delay allowed Ciriaco to reach with an infield single and ended the night for deGrom, who'd entered the eighth inning having allowed just two earned runs over the past 27 innings he had completed against the Braves.

QUOTABLE "I'm just going out there trying to locate and stay within myself, not trying to do too much and just pitch ahead in the count, get strike one and go from there. I think my mechanics are sound right now, and they were like that at the end of last year. Early on I was getting a little out of my delivery. And working, staying on top of that has helped me out a lot in these past seven starts." -- deGrom, on his recent success

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Wisler became the first Braves starter to throw at least eight innings in his Major League debut since back in 1988. Their starts are eerily similar; Smoltz also debuted against the Mets, tossed eight innings and allowed one run with two in a win.

Wisler needed just 88 pitches to complete his eight innings. He is the first pitcher since 1914 to throw that few over that long a span in his Major League debut. WHAT'S NEXT Mets: The Mets look to in Game 2 of their three-game series at Turner Field on Saturday night at 7:10 ET. The rookie right- hander is coming off his best start of the season, during which he struck out 11 Toronto hitters and allowed just one over six innings.

Braves: Atlanta will counter with Williams Perez, who has not allowed an earned run in the 13 innings he has totaled over his past two starts. Perez has proven to be a welcome surprise, as he has used his to consistently escape trouble. In six career starts, he has a 1.50 ERA despite surrendering a .322 on-base percentage.

Wisler poised, professional in debut

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:23 AM ET

ATLANTA -- When Matt Wisler learned on April 5 that Jace Peterson had made Atlanta's roster, he sent his former roommate a congratulatory message. Approximately an hour later, after learning that he had been included in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to San Diego, Wisler sent Peterson another message that said, simply, "We might be teammates this year."

The former Padres products certainly made the most of their opportunity to play together on the big stage. Peterson's two-run double in the eighth inning provided Wisler all the support he needed to celebrate the sparkling Major League debut he produced while leading the Braves to Friday night's 2-1 win over the Mets at Turner Field.

"We talked when I got here; he promised me he'd get me a couple runs today," Wisler said. "He pretty much helped me calm down today. He said, 'Don't worry about it, it's just another game, and I'm behind you, just like last year.'"

Throughout a significant portion of last year, Peterson and Wisler roomed together while playing for -A El Paso. Now they stand as just two of the multiple pieces the Braves were thrilled to gain through the two significant trades made with the Padres over the past six months.

Given their prior relationship, Peterson might have been one of the few who were not shocked to see the poise and professionalism Wisler exuded as he needed just 88 pitches to limit the Mets to one run over eight innings. Neither the surroundings nor the matchup against a very efficient Jacob deGrom deterred Wisler as he moved toward his first Major League win.

"I honestly felt more calm than I probably should have out there," Wisler said. "I kept telling myself, 'Don't get too comfortable, because it's going to burn you.'"

Wisler, ranked by MLB.com as the Braves' No. 2 prospect, was actually so nervous that he arrived at Turner Field at around 12:15 p.m. ET on Friday. Over the next seven hours leading up to the first pitch, he evaluated scouting reports, went through his normal pregame ritual and met his teammates, many of whom had never seen him, because the Braves acquired him after the conclusion of .

By the time Wisler opened his career by striking out , the nerves had dissipated.

"I didn't know anything about him, other than we had traded for him," veteran A.J. Pierzynski said. "He had multiple weapons and threw a lot of strikes. I know he was nervous when I was talking to him before the game. But at no point did he ever look out of place or intimidated by the moment."

Pierzynski and the Braves were impressed with the command Wisler displayed while consistently mixing speeds and hitting his spots with his , slider, curveball and . He threw 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes and retired seven of the final eight batters he faced after allowing Michael Cuddyer's RBI single in the sixth inning.

"When he is in that mode and attacking the zone and throwing all of his pitches for strikes, he's really good," Peterson said. "It was a good pace of the game, and I expect that a lot out of him."

Braves being cautious with Freeman

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | June 19th, 2015

ATLANTA -- After bidding adieu to his Major League-best consecutive-games streak on Thursday, veteran first baseman remained out of the lineup on Friday because of a sore right wrist.

"[The streak] was the last thing on my mind," Freeman said. "I just want to get healthy and get back on the field. We're going in the right direction. It was obviously sore yesterday because of the [cortisone] shot. Today it's a lot better, so hopefully, tomorrow it will be fine."

Freeman had played 234 consecutive games before missing Thursday night's series finale against the Red Sox. He received a cortisone injection shortly after exiting Wednesday night's game against Boston in the sixth inning. The wrist began bothering him before Sunday's game at , but he continued to play through the discomfort. Though Freeman is hoping to return on Saturday, the fact that he was still feeling some discomfort on Friday might give the Braves reason to him out until at least Sunday's series finale with the Mets.

Freeman dealt with a similar ailment a few times during his Minor League career, and he was usually able to return to action after resting for just a few days.

"It's one of those things that's going to take a little more time, because if I took one bad swing, I could get set back even more," he said. "So I think we're just being a little more cautious this time."

Braves honor Rutgers Stringer

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | June 19th, 2015

ATLANTA -- Long before she became one of the most successful collegiate coaches in women's history, Vivian Stringer was a young Pirates fan who idolized , and some of the other civic-minded athletes of yesteryear who helped create the opportunities she has attempted to cultivate for today's youth.

"They were people that represented the intertwining, because it didn't matter if you were black or white, people appreciated who they were as human beings," Stringer said.

This is the sentiment that will be celebrated as the Braves celebrate Heritage Weekend over the next few days. The event kicked off on Friday afternoon with the Champion for Justice Award Ceremony presented by at the Center for Civil and Human Rights. The 2015 Hank Aaron Champion for Justice Award was presented to four outstanding individuals who have made a lifelong commitment to overcoming industry obstacles and inspiring future generations.

This year's winners are civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr., former Major League Willie Horton, Medal of Freedom recipient Rep. John Lewis of and Stringer, who serves as the head coach of Rutgers University's women's basketball team.

"I am so humble," Stringer said. "I am wondering, why am I here? I haven't done anything. I took my cues, my leadership and the ability just to stand up, because of people like John Lewis. Whether we recognize it or not, the early starters were people like Hank Aaron and Willie Stargell. These people paid the price and so often we see them in their glory, but don't know what they might have gone through to get to that level.

"So the least I can do is to stand up for the young women that I have the opportunity to coach. Those who started a long time ago are the ones who fueled me and gave me the inspiration and the motivation to go on. They're the ones who took the hits. You think about John Lewis. He was on those bus rides. He was the one who was hit on the head. He was the one who understood he needed to lay his life down so that others would have an opportunity."

Stringer has guided three schools to the NCAA Final Four, and she experienced the thrill of being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. She understands that the accomplishments that have afforded her fame would not have been possible without the efforts of such individuals as Lewis and Lafayette, who both played key roles in the Freedom Rides that promoted unity in the segregated South during the 1960s.

"In 1961, the same year [President] Barack Obama was born, black people and white people couldn't be seen riding on a bus together leaving Washington, D.C., traveling to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama or Mississippi," Lewis said. "So we had to speak out. I tell young people today that when you see something that is not right, not fair or not just, you have a moral obligation to speak up."

Braves strike deal with third-rounder Guardado

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | June 19th, 2015

ATLANTA -- When the Braves selected Anthony Guardado in the third round of the 2015 Draft, he was regarded as a high-reward late bloomer who had not caught the attention of many scouts until this year. Thus, it was not surprising that he agreed to an under slot signing bonus.

According to MLB.com's Jim Callis, Guardado reached a deal with the Braves on Friday after agreeing to a $550,000 signing bonus. The slotted amount for this year's 89th overall selection was $635,000. Atlanta can use the difference to sign some of its other selections above slot.

The Braves have not commented on the deal.

Guardado missed most of his senior baseball season at Nogales High School (LaPuente, Calif.) because of a shoulder injury he suffered while serving as the school's quarterback in the fall. He made just five starts during the baseball season, but his first matched him up against Peter Lambert, who was selected in the second round by the Rockies.

The scouts who came to watch Lambert that day saw Guardado flash an impressive fastball that touched 94 mph. Guardado posted a 1.05 ERA and notched 55 strikeouts while issuing 11 walks in 33 1/3 innings during his senior season at Nogales. Rookies lead Mets, Braves in Saturday showdown

By Carlos Collazo / MLB.com | 12:25 AM ET

Two rookie starters oppose each other on Saturday at Turner Field, as the Braves look to Williams Perez and the Mets give the ball to Noah Syndergaard for the second game of a three-game series.

Syndergaard, 22, went through a bit of a rough patch to start June, allowing 20 hits and 11 earned runs through 10 innings against the Padres and Giants. But he bounced back in his most recent start, against the Blue Jays, fanning 11 and limiting Toronto hitters to just one earned run over six innings.

Perez has posted the best ERA (1.50) on the Braves since being moved into the rotation, and over seven starts, he's allowed more than one run just once. He has had a tendency to walk batters (his 3.75 BB/9 rate is the highest on the team), but over his last 14 innings (two starts and an inning of emergency relief), he's cut that down, walking just four.

Three things to know about this game

• Among starters with at least 40 innings under their belt this season, Syndergaard averages the hardest fastball, at 96.9 mph.

• Entering the series, the Braves had struck out just 18.1 percent of the time, while Syndergaard strikes out almost 10 batters per nine innings.

• After missing Friday's game with continued soreness in his right wrist, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is hoping to get back on the field on Saturday.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after Friday’s win against the Mets

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

— quotes compiled by Matthew Bain and David O’Brien

Braves quotes from Matt Wisler, A.J. Pierzynkski, Jace Peterson and Fredi Gonzalez after Friday’s 2-1 win against the Mets.

**MATT WISLER

On if he felt good right from the start

“Yeah I felt good. Coming out of the , getting on the mound, I thought I’d have a little more nerves, I actually felt pretty confident out there…just another game really. Just get out there and attack from the get go, they were swinging early. Made some good pitches early in the counts so they were just rolling over.”

On how good it felt to strike out his first batter

“Yeah getting that first out, that was my one thing. The whole time I was like I need to get this first out, so to get that out was huge. First batter to get a , that’s pretty awesome.”

On Jace Peterson coming through for him

“He told me, we were talking when I got here, and he promised to get me a couple runs today. He pretty much helped me calm down today, he was like don’t worry about it, it’s just another game. I’m behind you just like last year.”

On if Peterson’s presence made his debut easier

“Yeah, you know playing with the guys that you know. I know him, I know Cameron (Maybin), so it helps to know some guys that you came up with.”

On what A.J. Pierzynski said to him after the first inning

“He was just like, ‘Nice work, first inning getting out of the way.’”

On if this really just felt like another game

“Honestly I don’t know how. I was nervous as heck the whole day. Last night is when it started hitting me. I think it was just nerves the whole day so by the time I got to the mound I wasn’t really nervous anymore.” On his coming to the ball park so early

“My pitching cpoach from Gwinnett told me to make sure I was here early…I was sitting around the house just overthinking, so I was like screw this let’s head to the field…(I got here at) 12:15.”

On how cool it is for his former roommate to get the game-winning hit for him

“It’s crazy. It’s funny because when I first got traded, 30 minutes before I saw he made the Opening Day roster so I texted him congrats. And I was like hey, there’s still a chance we might be teammates this year.”

On what Peterson said to him after the game

“He said, ‘Nice work. Just like an old habit, really.’”

On how much it helped having Pierzynski behind the plate?

“Yeah he was a great presence back there, he knew what he was doing. We talked a little bit before the game, kind of just how I pitch and how I go about things, and he worked with it.”

On if this game is better than his game May 30 in Columbus

“Yeah because it’s on the big-league stage. In my debut to have an outing like that, it’s unbelievable.”

On if he felt as good as he did May 30

“Yeah. … I think I could have gone nine (innings) tonight, but obviously the situation didn’t (allow for that).”

On if he had to fight the urge to overthrow at all

“Honestly I felt more calm than I probably should have out there. You know, first game, I was a little too comfortable I think. I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t get too comfortable because they’re going to burn you if you do.’”

On if he remembers the moment he truly felt comfortable

“I threw my bullpen, didn’t feel anything, well I felt nervous obviously. But once I got to the , that’s when the nerves started hitting me. But I always have nerves right before I go out there, but I had a little bit more. I just focused on my breathing, staying relaxed with my body then once I got to the mound it was just like pitching.”

On if any particular player helped him ease into the game

“I think once I got into the game I was all right. After that first inning I felt fine. But having guys here beforehand, you know (Jason) Grilli was talking to me, all these guys, just saying, ‘Relax, stay through it.’”

On coming back from his worst start in Triple-A to this performance in his debut

“I worked on stuff in the pen this week. … made a couple slight changes. I think I was overturning a little bit, so stuff with staying flat. So just correcting that stuff and then feeling good on the mound.”

On home many family members and friends he had at the game

“Probably 15 to 20-ish. My parents, my brothers, my sisters, their boyfriends and girlfriends. Couple uncles and aunts, I had some friends here, too. So it should be a pretty good showing once I get out here.”

On how different it was to come in with this team after not being with them in spring training

“Yeah, I probably knew maybe seven or eight guys. Guys coming up from Gwinnett that I’ve played with, couple guys that came over in the trade. Other than that, meeting everybody. Really good group of people here. Pretty much like I’ve been here the whole time.”

On if having Peterson here made him feel even more comfortable

“Yeah having someone like that I can lean to. I was probably talking to him for an hour when I got here, just sat down and going through some stuff.”

On how well Peterson is performing

“Yeah, he’s playing really well. Last year he was coming up and down last year, didn’t really get a chance to stick. And this year he had a good opportunity. He’s a good ballplayer, an awesome dude. A hard worker so it’s awesome to see for him.” On what it was like being told he was going to the big leagues

“So I was pitching the morning game, so I go out to the field and my teammate’s like, ‘Hey, you’re going up.’ And I was like, ‘No, I’m pitching today.’ And he was like, ‘No you’re going up, you’re not pitching today,’ and I was like, ‘No, I’m pitching today. Go see the board.’ So I did. I went into Marty’s (Gwinnett pitching coach Marty Reed) office kind of hot, and I was like, ‘Hey, Wong’s pitching today.’ He pointed to the locker and said, ‘You see that locker?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ He was like, ‘Do you see that jersey?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘I’m still the pitching coach. I’ll tell you when you’re pitching.’ Kind of like joking with me I think – I hope. And then after that he told me I was starting in Atlanta.”

On how he felt after hearing he was getting called up

“It was awesome. I didn’t feel too much that day. … Yesterday I started thinking about the game more. That’s when the nerves and stuff started coming.”

**FREDI GONZALEZ on Wisler’s performance

“Tremendous. He came as advertised, a guy that can mix three or four pitches, throw the ball for strikes. The first guy you should interview is A.J. Pierzynski, because he came in and said, you mean this guy who can hit the glove anywhere I put it, with a lot of different pitches? He was really excited about catching him, and the kid did a nice job. For a second there I thought DeGrom was going to out-pitch him, because you draw your first assignment in the big leagues, you draw a guy like him and you give up one run, you’ve got a chance to lose the game. But we battled, (got runners on) first and third there, and Petey had a terrific at-bat there and hit one over Lagares. We were able to score a couple of runs and hold them off there in the ninth inning.

“It was a good first outing for him in the big leagues, and for him to get the win, a pretty special night.”

On striking out the first batter he faced

“It’s fun. There’s a lot of firsts for him today. We’ll give him the (lineup) cards like we always do, his first beer shower with the guys, celebration … it’s nice. It’s nice to see a young kid not come in and throw 99 and hit the bull (with an errant toss) every third pitch. He comes in, and same think like Williams Perez, he has a nice mix, throw the ball over the plate, follows the glove around in the strike zone. It’s nice to see that.”

On his poise and mound presence, not showing any nervousness after they’d get a leadoff hit or one-out hit

“None whatsoever. And Snit (Gwinnett manager Brian Snitker) said the same thing, he said, ‘This guy has pretty good composure, pretty good mound presence,’ and he showed it today. He does a lot of good things, holds runners well, looks like he swings the bat, at least makes contact. Nice to see that.

“He got himself an opportunity by pitching well in Triple-A, now we’ll see how long we can keep rolling him out there.”

On Peterson’s big double

“Over the head of a who won a Gold Glove last year. He stuck his nose in there against a left-hander, didn’t panic, didn’t change his approach, put the ball in play.”

Best debut you’ve seen in a while by a starter?

“Yeah, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head better than that. And pretty efficient, too. I don’t think he even broke 90 pitches (88). We had to pinch-hit for him. If not it would have been tempting to run him back out there.”

Seemed like he changed speeds and hit the glove all night, like he’d done it many times before

“Exactly.”

**A.J. PIERZYNSKI

On Wisler’s performance

“He had multiple weapons, threw a lot of strikes. I know he was nervous, talking to him before the game. But at no point did he ever look out of place, intimidated by the moment. We walked out to the mound, me and Simba (Andrelton Simmons), one time and said, ‘Are you having fun?’ And he just kind of laughed. We were talking about other things; he’s a Notre Dame fan, so I got on him about that. But other than that, he seemed like he was in a good spot and threw the ball well.”

How many pitching debuts do you think you’ve caught in your career? “A lot. I’ve caught a lot this year. They’re still fun, though. After the game they get the beer shower for their first win, it’s cool. First strikeout. Those kind of things are cool. Those are those things you never forget. Your first K, your first win, your first all that stuff is cool. For him to do it here in front of the home crowd, especially against deGrom, the way he was throwing, it was very impressive.”

Did you know much about Wisler before today?

“Didn’t know a thing about him. Knew we traded for him, talked to Lavarnway, who caught him once in Triple-A, that helped me. Talked to Roger (McDowell), he showed me the reports about him from Triple-A. Then we just talked about what he likes to do. He did a good job preparing. I knew he had some scouting stuff on these guys. He watched video, which is nice, and helped me, and then we basically just got on the same page tonight and he pitched good against a tough opponent.”

**JACE PETERSON

On his two-run double off Gilmartin, who had stranded all eight runners he had inherited this season before tonight

“You’ve got to give credit to the guys in front of me. Simmons started it off getting that double, and Eury did a good job getting him over. Ciri (Ciriaco) put that ball in play and didn’t jog down the line, he busted it. So we have (runners at) first and third, and he gave me a fastball, and I was able to put a good swing on it.”

You know Wisler well, were you surprised at how calm and effective he was tonight?

“No. We both got drafted in ’11, so I’ve seen him all the way up through the minors, and we played together a lot in Triple-A. When he’s in that mode and attacking the zone and throwing all his pitches for strikes, he’s really good. I expect that a lot out of him.”

You guys were friends, roommates?

“Yeah, we were roommates in Triple-A. We stayed together, we were drafted together and have been close ever since. Last year we got to room together.”

So it’s pretty special for you to be able to get hit for him?

“Absolutely. Help him out. It was a great all-around game. We fought all the way to the end, and we couldn’t be more happy.”

Wisler shines in debut, Peterson’s 2-run double lifts Braves

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After watching Matt Wisler win Friday in his major league debut against a first-place team and one of baseball’s top , the Braves could feel even better about the franchise’s future, which they believe will be bright and fortified by power arms.

Wisler worked eight entirely impressive innings, and his former Padres Triple-A roommate Jace Peterson got him a win by hitting a two-run double in the eighth to lift the Braves past the , 2-1, in a series opener at Turner Field.

After Jacob deGrom limited the Braves to four hits and one walk in 7 1/3 innings and left with a 1-0 lead and two runners on, Peterson greeted former Braves prospect with a double over the head of center fielder Juan Lagares to put the Braves ahead and send a charge through a crowd of 28,853.

“We were talking when I got here, and he promised to get me a couple runs today,” Wisler said of Peterson, his roommate last season in Triple-A, before both were traded to the Braves in separate deals. “He pretty much helped me calm down today, he was like don’t worry about it, it’s just another game. I’m behind you just like last year.”

Wisler (1-0) allowed six hits, one run and no walks with two strikeouts in eight innings, and the 22-year-old right-hander threw only 88 pitches and didn’t allow a runner to reach third base until the sixth inning. He joined John Smoltz (1988) as the only Braves starter to pitch at least eight innings and allow one or no runs in his major league debut.

“Coming out of the bullpen, getting on the mound, I thought I’d have a little more nerves,” said Wisler, the first major league pitcher since 1914 to go as long as eight innings in so few pitches in his debut. “I actually felt pretty confident out there … just another game really. Just get out there and attack from the get go, they were swinging early. Made some good pitches early in the counts so they were just rolling over.”

He had command of all his pitches including a 94-95 mph fastball, 90-92 mph sinker, outstanding slider, and improved change-up.

“He had multiple weapons, threw a lot of strikes,” said the Braves’ 38-year-old catcher A.J. Pierzynski. “I know he was nervous, talking to him before the game. But at no point did he ever look out of place, intimidated by the moment.

“For him to do it here in front of the home crowd, especially against deGrom, the way he was throwing, it’s very impressive,” said Pierzynski. “Tremendous,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He came as advertised, a guy that can mix three or four pitches, throw the ball for strikes.”

Wisler said he had about 15-20 family members and in-laws in attendance. Someone asked the 22-year-old Ohio native if this was better than his May 30 Triple-A Gwinnett game at Columbus, when he pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts.

“Yeah, because it’s on the big-league stage,” Wisler said, smiling. “In my debut to have an outing like that, it’s unbelievable.”

Called from Gwinnett this week to take the rotation spot of demoted rookie , Wisler lived up to the elite prospect ranking and scouting reports that said the right-hander had poise and polish beyond his years. He was a model of efficiency, never facing more than four batters in an inning and recording 63 strikes with only 25 balls.

“For a second there I thought deGrom was going to out-pitch him,” Gonzalez said, “because you draw your first assignment in the big leagues, you draw a guy like him and you give up one run, you’ve got a chance to lose the game. But we battled, (got runners on) first and third there, and Petey had a terrific at-bat there and hit one over Lagares. We were able to score a couple of runs and hold them off there in the ninth inning.

“It was a good first outing for him in the big leagues, and for him to get the win, a pretty special night.”

The Braves got Wisler, a 6-foot-3 Ohio native, from the Padres along with in the six-player trade that sent Craig Kimbrel and center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. to San Diego on the night before opening day. Wisler was rated by as the No. 1 prospect in the Padres organization after last season and the No. 34 prospect in baseball before this season.

Prospect met Friday, and the Braves knew there wasn’t likely to be much room for against deGrom, who had been 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA and .162 opponents’ average in his previous six starts, with 53 strikeouts and five walks in 43 1/3 innings. The Mets right-hander was in dominant form again, allowing only one runner to advance past first base through seven innings.

But after Andrelton Simmons led off the eighth inning with a line-drive double off the wall in left-center, the Braves were in business. Eury Perez sacrificed the runner to third, and Pedro Ciriaco, pinch-hitting for Wisler, beat out an infield single when Wilmer Flores hesitated for a moment after first glancing toward Simmons near third base.

The Mets elected to replace deGrom with lefty Gilmartin to face Peterson, who had already walked and singled off deGrom. Peterson greeted Gilmartin with a double to deep center for a 2-1 lead, the first inherited runners that Gilmartin had allowed to score all season.

Peterson is 26-for-75 (.347) with 12 extra-base hits and 12 RBIs in his past 18 games, and said this one, helping his friend get a win in his debut, was specialm?

“Absolutely,” Peterson said. “We were drafted together in ‘11 and have been close ever since. Last year we got to room together…. It was a great all-around game. We fought all the way to the end, and we couldn’t be more happy.”

After Peterson’s one-out single in the third inning, the only Brave to reach base against deGrom was Chris Johnson on a two-base missed-catch error by Curtis Granderson in the fourth inning. Johnson went to third base on a wild pitch before deGrom struck out Pierzynski to end the inning with the Mets ahead 1-0.

Wisler went pitch-for-pitch with deGrom in almost every inning, never facing more than four batters in an inning and allowing only one runner to advance past second base. That was Ruben Tejada after a leadoff double in the sixth inning, the only extra-base hit until Simmons’ leadoff double in the eighth.

“We walked out to the mound one time, me and Simba (Andrelton Simmons), and said, ‘Are you having fun?’’” Pierzysnki said. “And he just kind of laughed. We were talking about other things; he’s a Notre Dame fan, so I got on him about that. But other than that, he seemed like he was in a good spot and threw the ball well.”

Tejada went to third on Lucas Duda’s fly out and scored on Michael Cuddyer’s single before Wisler’s induced an inning-ending double play grounder from Wilmer Flores.

Wisler struck out the first batter of the game, Granderson, swinging at a nasty . Tejada followed with a single to center before Wisler retired the next five batters to get through two innings in 23 pitches including 16 strikes.

After allowing a leadoff single in the third, he got a sacrifice bunt and two flyball outs by the next three batters. After giving up one-out singles in the fourth, he again retired the next two batters on a fly ball and groundout.

And after hitting Kevin Piawecki with a pitch with one out in the fifth, Wisler calmly retired the next two batters on a sacrifice by deGrom and a groundout by Granderson.

Braves 2, Mets 1

By Matthew Bain - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How the game was won: Jace Peterson cracked a one-out double over Juan Lagares’ head to score Andrelton Simmons and Pedro Ciriaco in the bottom of the eighth to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.

Matt Wisler outdueled Jacob deGrom in his major-league debut, allowing one run on six hits over eight innings and striking out two. He’s now 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA.

The Mets scored their only run in the sixth when Ruben Tejada hit a leadoff double off the left-field wall in the sixth, and Michael Cuddyer knocked him in two batters later with a chopper over Chris Johnson’s head.

Number: 88. The number of pitches Wisler needed to get through his eight innings.

What’s next: It’s the second of a three-game series tomorrow night against the Mets. Williams Perez (3-0, 2.29 ERA) will start for Atlanta and Noah Syndergaard (2-4, 3.76 ERA) will start for New York.

The Braves’ plan for pitchers - try hard and hope

By Mark Bradley - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves have become a repository of young pitching. Almost every trade since November has yielded at least one pitcher. Of the Braves’ first 26 picks in this month’s draft, 20 were pitchers.

Given that recent Braves seasons have seen the rise and sudden fall of pitchers and and and , is this new corporate direction the equivalent of giving an iPhone to a rhinoceros? The rhino will think it’s pretty but won’t know what to do with it.

Over the past 10 years, the Braves lead the majors in surgeries. According to Jon Roegele’s comprehensive spreadsheet, 33 TJ procedures have been performed on Braves pitchers since 2005. (The total includes pitchers — like and the just-selected A.J. Minter — who had it before being drafted by the Braves.) Last spring they lost Medlen and Beachy on consecutive days; it was the second TJ for both.

Said the writer Will Carroll, who tracks baseball injuries: “You almost never see a guy having a second Tommy John inside five years, and they had two … What more sign from the heavens do you need?”

John Hart became president of baseball operations last fall, so we can’t lay the rash of TJ surgeries at his feet. He is, however, the steward who has set the course of this franchise and the pragmatist who calls young arms “currency.” The Braves will never have a 10-man rotation, but some arms could be used to land position players. That’s provided those arms aren’t shredded.

“There’s the old adage,” Hart said. “You need 10 to get three.”

Carroll, whose 2004 book was entitled “Saving The Pitcher”, is unstinting in his criticism of the Braves. He claims they as an organization have failed to embrace modern technology and techniques. “This isn’t just a problem of teaching,” he said. “It’s a systematic and complete breakdown of pitching development system, showing up in injury and development.”

The new Braves, Hart said, are trying “to be as cutting-edge as we can” regarding pitching. They’ve tweaked their organizational approach, which would seem a no-brainer. (When you’ve had 20 TJ surgeries in five years, you need to try something.) They’re testing the biomechanics of pitchers. They’re asking harder questions of their medical staff.

Still, Hart concedes that the tent poles of the development plan are essentially the same as every team’s. The Braves want to monitor usage in the minor leagues.”If a guy has a 32-pitch inning,” Hart said, “he’s not long for the game.”

They also want to be mindful of problematic pitching mechanics. Even so, Hart believes “it’s a misnomer to say you can predict Tommy John by deliveries” and offers the example of Kevin Appier, who had an ungainly motion but worked 16 big-league seasons and never had TJ.

Tommy John surgery – at least Round 1 of it – isn’t a disqualifier. John Smoltz just became the first pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame after TJ: He had it in 2000; he would win 56 games and 155 more thereafter. had it in 2008 and won 49 games in the first three full seasons after his return.

Sometimes the surgery provides a opportunity. The Braves mightn’t have pried Max Fried from the Padres and Mike Foltynewicz from the Astros had each not had TJ. They were highly regarded prospects who became value buys. Said Hart: “We’ve acquired some guys who’ve been surgically repaired. If you can take your time with them, you might get 80 percent (of their potential), and you might get 90 percent.” The nuts-and-bolts question isn’t how to avoid Tommy John. Nobody has that answer. (Tampa Bay went five years between TJ’s for major-league pitchers. Then the Rays lost starters and in the span of 14 months.) The greater issue is how to develop young pitchers. As Braves pitching coach from 1990 through 2005, Leo Mazzone oversaw the careers of three Hall of Famer. Here’s what he’d do:

“Get them on a program where they’re pitching every fifth day in the minor leagues and they’re always starting. There’d be no innings limit. That should not be in the equation. are your best teacher. Get it so nothing changes and they can work on putting touch on the ball.”

Mazzone has long been a maverick among pitching mavens. He had starters throw twice, as opposed to the usual once, between turns, but they wouldn’t employ what Mazzone calls “max effort.” His belief was that throwing often and getting the ball to move – the “touch” part — was the best therapy. Perhaps it was coincidence that and Greg never had Tommy John. Perhaps not.

Fretting over pitchers is as old as baseball itself. An organization can do everything in its power, only to find that the safeguarding of arms is beyond its control. Said Hart: “We’re trying to live by our code, but you have to roll the dice.”

Then this: “We certainly don’t have it figured out. We’re trying.”

Braves players rank among league’s best (and worst)

By Matthew Bain - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Here’s a quick check-in on Braves whose numbers rank among the ’s best (and worst) entering Friday’s game against the Mets.

Cameron Maybin: He leads the NL with a .367 home — good for third in all of baseball. Maybin also leads the NL and ranks second in the majors with a .444 average with runners in scoring position.

Andrelton Simmons: He ranks as the third-most difficult player in baseball to strike out, as he’s gone 15.2 at-bats per strikeout this season. He’s also grounded into 14 double-plays, which is tied for the most in all of baseball.

Williams Perez: He ranks second among NL rookies and third among all rookies with a 2.29 ERA.

Freddie Freeman: He is tied for second in the NL and third in all of baseball with his 20 doubles. He’s also fifth in the NL with a .418 average with runners in scoring position.

Shelby Miller: His 1.99 ERA ranks fifth in the NL, but his 1.86 ERA in night games ranks first. He’s tied for first in the majors with Felix Hernandez with two complete-game . Miller’s .205 opponent batting average is third-lowest in the NL.

Julio Teheran: He is tied for third-worst in the NL with 14 home runs allowed and owns the No. 3 spot with 54 runs allowed. He’s also hit five batters, tied for third-most in the NL. On the bright side, Teheran is tied for second in the NL with six successful sacrifice bunts.

Jace Peterson: He has been caught stealing six times, which is tied for second-most in the NL. But he’s also tied for fourth-hardest to double up in the NL, as he’s averaged 222 at-bats between double plays this season.

C. Johnson gets a 3B start against a right-hander

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Chris Johnson was in the lineup at third base Friday for the first time in six games and just the sixth time in 23 games since the Braves acquired Juan Uribe in a May 27 trade from the Dodgers.

After starting 123 games at third base for the Braves in 2013 and 149 games at the position in 2014, Johnson has been used as a platoon player in his third season with the team, playing mostly against left-handers. One of his starts at third base since the Uribe trade came when Uribe played second base.

Johnson is in the first season of a three-year, $23.5 million extension that he got in late May 2014 from then-manager , who was fired in October. The Braves have tried to trade Johnson since the fall, and still hope to move him before the July 31 trade deadline.

He got a start Friday against Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom, his second start against the Mets ace in a week. Johnson was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against deGrom in Saturday’s game at New York, and still had a team-best 5-for-11 against the Mets standout before Friday’s series opener at Turner Field.

“You look ahead and you try not to overplay Uribe,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “And you look ahead at the schedule, you’re still facing (mostly) right-handers. So we said, this is a matchup that historically he’s been able to handle, so get him in there.” Gonzalez was asked whether that would be how Johnson was used going forward, against lefties and occasional righties.

“Yeah, he’s part of the team. He’s part of the 25,” Gonzalez said. “He’s going to come in in a pinch-hit situation sooner or later, and if he hasn’t played in a week, 10 days, that’s not fair for him or for us. So you look for a matchup that suits him well, and looking ahead, you don’t see any left- handers anywhere. So run him in there someplace.”

Freeman (wrist) still out of lineup, hopes for weekend return

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Freddie Freeman’s sprained right wrist kept him out of the Braves lineup for a second consecutive game Friday, and he was hopeful but not certain about returning this weekend for one or both remaining games of a three-game series against New York.

“It’s a little bit better,” said Freeman, who hurt the wrist a week ago, but continued playing until the pain forced him to leave Wednesday’s game against Boston in the seventh inning. “It’s taking some time. It’s still sore, it’s still day to day.”

He got a cortisone injection in the wrist after leaving Wednesday’s game, and Freeman was told it could take 48 to 72 hours for the medicine to take effect. He hopes to be back in the lineup Saturday, but said it could linger through the weekend.

One thing of which he was certain: The 15-day disabled list has not been discussed, and he said it wouldn’t be.

“No, that’s not an option,” Freeman said. “I won’t allow that.”

Freeman has hit .316 with 25 extra-base hits and 33 RBIs in his past 49 games, and had seven homers, 18 RBIs and a .662 in his last 19 games.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Friday afternoon that Freeman’s wrist was “a lot better today than yesterday. Today I could use him for defensive purposes later in the game. I think we’ll try to stay away from him completely. Hopefully we score 10 runs and won’t have to use him. Give him another day for that medicine to work.”

Freeman played in 234 consecutive games, including 233 starts, before sitting out Thursday’s series finale against the Red Sox. That was the longest active games-played streak in the majors, and no one else has an active streak as long as 200 games.

The last time Freeman had a right-wrist injury was 2009 in Double-A, he said, when he was shut down in the final weeks of the season so that he’d be ready for ball. Because of what he calls a “violent” swing follow-through, in which he snaps the wrist of his bottom (right) hand late in his swing, Freeman said it would be easy to further aggravate it if he tried to play before it was completely healed.

He was asked whether the injury might linger through the weekend.

“It could,” he said. “That’s the thing. I’m very hopeful that it’s not, but just knowing my swing, just one little thing could set it right back. Obviously I want to be in there against a division rival, so hopefully if I can get better today, if the cortisone – I did get the cortison at 8:30 on Wednesday, so it’s still not 48 hours yet. I’m on a dose pack (anti-inflammatory medication) and more medicine, so hopefully everything kicks in and I’ll be good to go tomorrow.”

After Freeman injured the wrist on a swing late in Saturday’s 11-inning win against the Mets in New York, he could barely swing the bat the following day. But when Gonzalez asked him about it, Freeman said he felt OK and hit about five balls flipped to him in the batting cage.

“Fredi was watching me take like five flips, and I said, I’m good, it doesn’t hurt,” Freeman said. Then he smiled. “I wanted to cry when he walked away, it hurt so bad.”

Freeman had hoped the pain would be tolerable until this Sunday, when he could take a cortisone shot after the day game and have nearly 48 hours until the next game because of the team’s day off Monday. But that plan was scrapped when the pain worsened this week.

Braves players excited to see what Wisler can do

By Matthew Bain - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

About four hours before tossing his first major-league pitch Friday against the Mets, Matt Wisler was leaning back in a chair underneath a brand- new “Wisler” nameplate and chatting with Alex Wood in the Braves’ clubhouse. He must have a black belt in “cool face,” because his demeanor didn’t reveal any of the nerves that must have been throbbing at that point.

Wisler arrived with a lot of hype, as Baseball America ranked him the No. 34 prospect in baseball and the top prospect in the Braves’ farm system. His teammates said they’re eager to see what Wisler can do in his first big-league outing.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about this kid, so you’re always geeked up,” said before the game. “He’s been a big prospect, and it’s time to see what he’s got going on today. We’re excited to see it just as much as you guys are.”

“The first one’s always special; you don’t really want to think too much,” Wood said. “It’s a whole different ballgame up here, but it’ll be exciting to see him throw tonight.”

The Braves acquired Wisler with Cameron Maybin in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton Jr. to San Diego the day before opening day. In 12 starts with Triple-A Gwinnett, Wisler is 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA. He’s 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his past five games, but those numbers are inflated by his last start, when he allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Wisler pitched his best Triple-A game May 30, when he tossed 8 1/3 scoreless innings with two hits and seven strikeouts against the Columbus Clippers. He showed flashes of the No. 2 big-league starter who scouts claim he can be.

“Matt was really, really good,” Gwinnett Braves manager Brian Snitker said after that game. “He’s gotten better from his first day here. Early on, he was working on a lot of stuff and probably had a lot going on in his mind, being new with the trade. He’s worked his butt off and has just gotten better.”

Wisler’s numbers were significantly better in Single-A (2.53 ERA) and Double-A (2.80 ERA), compared with his 4.76 ERA in two seasons of Triple-A.

His fastball can touch 96 mph but consistently hits 92-95 mph with some left-to-right movement. His slider is his out pitch, which comes out in the low-80s and has some nice late movement away from right-handed hitters. Baseball America said Wisler had the best slider in the Padres’ farm system after the 2012 season.

The Braves sent reliever Sugar Ray Marimon to Gwinnett to open a roster spot for Wisler.

Division up for grabs; Wisler debuts tonight vs. deGrom

By David O’Brien

There’s a pretty good chance the Mets will be the only team in the with a winning record after this weekend. With more than 90 games still to play.

The first-place Mets are 36-32 as they arrive in Atlanta for a three-game series starting tonight against the Braves (32-35), who are in third place, 4 ½ behind New York and just two games behind the dysfunctional Nationals (34-33), who open a three-game series tonight against the surging Pirates.

Atlanta is 17-16 going back to its three-game sweep of the Marlins May 15-17, but in their past 16 games the Bravos are a mere 6-10 with a 4.53 ERA, including two losses in the past three against a last-place Red Sox team that had previously lost lost seven in a row.

But don’t despair, Braves Country. Because as rough as things have been for much of the past few weeks, it’s not like any team in the NL Least, er, East, appears poised to run away with the division. And if anyone is, it’s probably not the Nationals.

I mean, the Mets at least have a rotation that features Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and , all pitching against the Braves in that order beginning tonight. (Hey, it could be worse — the Braves will miss their ancient nemesis, Bartolo Colon.)

The Nationals? They have one ace performing up to expectations, (7-5, 1.93 ERA), with (5-5, 3.75 ERA) as their next-best starter. Gio Gonzalez has a 4.82 ERA. (6.55 ERA) is no longer the pitcher the Braves love to face, he’s now the pitcher every team loves to face.

The Nats are 6-14 with a 4.99 ERA and only 73 runs scored in their past 20 games. They just lost three of four against the Rays, including both games at home in that back-to-back two-game series arrangement like the one the Braves just completed with the Red Sox.

And here’s the other thing about the Nationals, and this is really pretty amazing: In their first 67 games, their three-game series against the Cardinals accounted for their only games against a team that made the 2014 postseason. Three games out of 67.

The sked gets a little tougher for the Nats the rest of the way, with 29 games against 2014 playoff teams in their last 95, beginning tonight with the opener of a three-game series against Pittsburgh.

As for the Braves and Mets, if either team had clicked off, say, 12 wins in their first 17 June games, they’d have a sizeable lead over the Nats right now. But neither did.

The Mets are just 8-9 in June, and in their past 16 games they are 7-9 with a .246 batting average, 4.69 ERA and 56 runs scored, with 10 of those runs coming in one game – a 10-8 win against the Braves on Sunday. Oh, yes, they’ve had the Braves number of late. I had to smile when I heard an Atlanta radio guy talking yesterday about a sweep of the Mets being a legit possibility, his reasoning being that the Braves have always played well against the Mets.

The Braves are 6-13 with a 4.32 ERA against the Mets since last July 7, and the Braves have been outscored 86-60 and out-homered 20-8 in those 19 games. And tonight, the Braves will start a prospect, right-hander Matt Wisler, making his major league debut against arguably the hottest pitcher in baseball, Jacob deGrom.

It’s one of those matchups that seems so one-sided on paper, you might be ready to bet on the Braves, if you were the sick type who actually bets on baseball.

Wisler’s debut: He’s 22 years old, has a 3-4 record and 4.29 ERA in 12 starts at Gwinnett, and tonight Matt Wisler makes his major league debut agtainst Jacob deGrom, who is 16-10 with a 2.56 ERA in 35 major league starts over two seasons, with 234 strikeouts in 225 1/3 innings.

DeGrom, who is his past 28 starts, going back to June 21, 2014, is 16-6 with a 2.15 ERA, .214 opponents’ average, and 200 strikeouts with 42 walks in 184 1/3 innings.

DeGrom, who in his past six starts is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA and .162 opponents’ average, with 53 strikeouts and five walks in 43 1/3 innings.

Good luck, kid.

But before you go thinking this is a matchup that Wisler’s mother might want to avoid – you saw what we did there; couldn’t resist – consider this ray of hope: In deGrom’s past eight road starts, going back to late August, he is just 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA and seven homers allowed in 49 innings.

On the other hand, in his only start in Atlanta during that stretch, he allowed just three hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings, with three walks and 10 strikeouts, in a Sept. 21 win.

In fact, in four starts against the Braves, deGrom is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA and .226 OA, with 38 strikeouts, six walks and one homer allowed in 25 innings. He got no decision last weekend in New York when he allowed five hits, one run and one walk with nine strikeouts in seven innings of a Mets loss.

Against deGrom, Chris Johnson is 5-for-11, Andrelton Simmons is 3-for-10, and Freddie Freeman is 2-for-10 with a homer. No other active Brave has more than four official at-bats or one hit against him.

Of course, Wisler’s entire family and friends will actually want to see this one, because you only have one major league debut. It’s a night he’s never going to forget. Also, it’s the start of what most people believe could be a great career for the 6-foot-3 Ohio native, who was rated by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in the Padres organization after last season, and the No. 34 prospect in BA’s Top 100 entering the 2015 season.

The Braves got Wisler – along with Cameron Maybin — as a key piece in the six-player trade that sent Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton Jr. to the Padres on the night before opening day.

And don’t let Wisler’s modest won-lost record and ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett fool you. The ERA is a bit skewed by the eight hits and seven earned runs he gave up in 3 2/3 innings in his most-recent start Sunday at Indianapolis. He has 49 strikeouts and 13 walks in 65 innings for the season, and befor that Indy game Wisler had posted a 1.96 ERA over his previous nine starts while allowing only 31 hits in 41 1/3 innings.

Here’s a link to the story I wrote about Wisler last night, with quote from John Hart about the situation and how long he might be up, that kind of thing.

Wisler features a mid-90 mph four-seam fastball, a low-90s two-seamer (sinker), and a plus-slider and decent curveball and change-up. He’s more polished at this point than Mike Foltynewicz, the rookie whose spot he’s taking for now, after Folty struggled in a few starts in a row and got sent down this week.

Foltynewicz can throw harder than either Wisler or lefty , the other top starting prospect for the Braves at Gwinnett, but Wisler and Banuelos – and anyone calling him ManBan needs to stop – are perhaps a bit more polished and understanding of their stuff at this point.

It’s going to be interesting to watch tonight. It always is when a top pitching prospect makes his debut.

And in the age of social media, it’ll also be interesting to see the reaction. Because you can bet it’ll be largely irrational and knee-jerk unless the kid just has a down-the-middle line that’s neither great nor terrible, say six innings with 7-8 hits and 3-4 runs allowed, and five strikeouts with three walks. If he does that, it won’t allow what will otherwise surely be a premature, over-the-top evaluation by so many folks in various online platforms.

Imagine if Wisler gives up 10 hits and seven runs in four innings. “Overrated! He’s terrible! Great job trading Kimbrel, John Hart!”

Or, if he pitches seven innigns and allows only one or two runs runs and four or five hits, with seven strikeouts and a couple of walks. “Best trade ever! Why didn’t Frediot start this guy earlier!? Way to go, John Hart, we could have been in first place if you’d brought him up sooner!” Ah, yes, rational discussion is likely to ensue later tonight. Stay tuned.

But seriously, enjoy the game, folks. It’s always exciting seeing a young, promising kid make his big-league debut. And I know the majority of folks at home and in the stands will actually be able to put things into context a little better than some of the more vocal or outrageous posters on the Internet will.

Miller winless in past five starts despite low ERA

By Matthew Bain - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Most pitchers would be thrilled to have ’s 2.97 ERA over his past five games. But those same pitchers also would probably pass on his 0-2 record in that span.

“If you wouldn’t have told me (about Miller’s winless streak) I wouldn’t have known that because he’s pitched that good for me,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said after the Braves’ 5-2 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday. “He gets an extra day here now with the off day, now on to the next one.”

Miller earned the loss Thursday night after giving up four runs (one earned) and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. He pitched three perfect innings to start the game, but then allowed the four runs before getting chased in the sixth inning. The three runs scored in the sixth were unearned as Juan Uribe dropped a pop fly in foul territory before hit a single later in the at-bat.

“Those things happen,” Miller said after the game. “Obviously just bad luck. It’s something that you can get down on or say, ‘If it didn’t happen those four runs don’t score,’ and that’s just not the game of baseball. Those things happen, and I didn’t do a good job personally getting out of it. I gave up some hits over the middle of the plate that were pretty crucial at times, and they ended up putting together a good inning.”

David Ortiz hit a single of his own after Betts, and then a run scored on Hanley Ramirez’s double play. The next batter, , scored Betts with a single and Alejandro De Aza chased Bogaerts home with an RBI double in the right-field corner.

In his most-recent start before Thursday, Miller tossed six scoreless innings before giving up three runs and leaving the game in the seventh down 3-1. The Braves came back to tie the score and pick up the win in extras.

“These past two games I’ve given up big innings, and I’ve kind of dug ourselves into a hole,” Miller said. “Last time we came back and won, which was great, but that’s not always going to happen. At the end of the day, I’m still upset about it. It’s my fault we lost.”

Miller’s other loss in his past five games came May 28 in San Francisco, when he allowed one run over seven innings in a 7-0 loss. The Braves’ bats haven’t given Miller much support during his winless streak, putting up 3.2 runs per game.

On June 8 Miller left with the 3-1 lead against the Padres after allowing one run on five hits over seven innings. But Jim Johnson and Jason Grilli blew the lead, handing Miller a no-decision in Atlanta’s extra-inning loss.

His one true subpar appearance in the streak came June 2 in Arizona when he walked six batters and gave up four runs on six hits before leaving with one out in the fifth. The Braves came back to take a 6-4 lead in the sixth before ultimately losing 7-6.

Miller’s strikeout numbers have tapered off during the winless streak, averaging a little more than three a game compared to about five a game in his first nine starts. In those first nine starts, Miller was 5-1 with a 1.50 ERA. After Thursday he’s 5-3 with a 1.99 ERA.

Miller’s next start is slated for June 24 on the road against Doug Fister (2-3, 4.80 ERA) and the Nationals.

Albies gives Braves another top prospect from Curacao

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves fans can take heart. They have another Curacao Kid coming up through the pipeline.

The organization that signed and , that traded for Jair Jurrjens and has Andrelton Simmons patrolling shortstop, is continuing the tradition of rearing another prized prospect from the small tropical paradise north of Venezuela: Ozhaino Albies.

His teammates and friends just call him Ozzie, which is a great name given his position — shortstop. He is 18 years old and playing anything but like it in his first full season of , with the .

Entering play Friday, Albies, a switch-hitter, was batting .318 on the season, which was sixth in the . He ranked fifth in stolen bases with 22. He recently was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star game which will be played Tuesday in Asheville, N.C. This is after Albies hit .364 combined in rookie ball last year. He hit .381 (24-for-63) in his first 19 games for the Gulf Coast Braves and earned a quick promotion to Danville, where he hit .356 and was named the Appalachian League’s top prospect.

“He’s a baseball player,” said Rome manager Randy Ingle, dropping the ultimate compliment. “He knows how to play the game. You would think he was older, the way he goes about things. He’s got a great personality. He plays hard every game, every play. And that’s not even talking about his tools. He’s got the range at shortstop. He’s got a plus-arm. He’s a switch-hitter that has plus-speed.”

That Albies is a Brave is no accident. Albies signed two years ago for $350,000 at age 16, over the Rangers, Yankees, Reds, Dodgers and Rays.

“My first tryout in my life was with the Braves,” said Albies, who worked out for former Braves international scouting director Johnny Almaraz at age 14. “My family was always the Braves, too, because of Andruw Jones, and Simmons, Jair Jurrjens, Randall Simon. I watched (Jones) with my grandpa, with my dad and my mom, every game, every night.”

Albies said his father surprised him for his seventh birthday and drove him to Jones’ house in Curacao to get his glove autographed.

Albies said he grew up a fan of both Jones and Jose Reyes, formerly of the Mets, now with the Blue Jays. But Albies said his favorite major league shortstop is Simmons. The two worked out together in the offseason in Curacao, along with , a for the Orioles, and , a shortstop with the Rangers who was rehabbing a shoulder injury.

Albies spent time in major league camp this spring and saw action in four games, and he got to take ground balls with Simmons. He said Simmons gave him pointers on taking shorter routes to the ball.

It’s not easy playing shortstop in the same organization as Simmons, knowing it might be a difficult path to the big leagues, but Albies is doing all he can. He’s continuing to hit, working on his line-drive stroke and making the adjustment to pitchers who aren’t giving him nearly as many as he saw in rookie ball.

Albies pointed to a game late last month against the Charleston RiverDogs.

“I saw like three fastballs during the whole game,” Albies said. “So everything otherwise was change-up and sliders. I hit it, too.”

The numbers bear it out. Albies had hits in each of the three games against Charleston to start a 16-game hitting streak. He went 5-for-12 against the RiverDogs with a double, two RBIs and two stolen bases. For the season, Albies ranks 12th in the league in on-base percentage (.374) and tied for sixth in triples (five). He has 13 doubles.

About the only thing that would seem to be working against him is his height. Albies is listed at 5-foot-9, but might be doing well to stand 5-8. But Ingle is quick to point out that height never slowed guys such as (5-8) and Jose Altuve (5-6). And Albies gained eight pounds, up to 158, trying to get stronger this past offseason. Most of it appears to be in his chest and shoulders.

“He’s not tall, but he’s strong,” Ingle said. “You shake his hand, and you’re like ‘This is coming from you?’ He’s like a little piece of dynamite.”

Ex-Braves: Gone but not forgotten

By Mike Luck - For the AJC

Updates on former Braves players around the majors:

Jason Heyward, OF

St. Louis Cardinals

Heyward hit .333 in the past week and raised his average to .260. But he only has six homers and 20 RBIs. His Thursday was his first since May 27.

Craig Kimbrel, P

San Diego Padres

He recorded his 17th save Thursday, striking out two in an inning. His ERA is dropping, down to 3.67 after being an uncharacteristic 5.74 a month ago. He’s fanned 40 in 27 innings.

Dan Uggla, 2B

Washington Nationals The good news is he hit .500 in the past week; the bad news is he had only two at-bats. He hasn’t started a game since May 27. Uggla is hitting .225 with one homer and 12 RBIs.

Evan Gattis, OF-DH

Houston Astros

His .231 average is 32 points below last season’s. But he has 12 homers and 39 RBIs, putting Gattis on pace for career highs in homers (projected for 29) and RBIs (on pace for 94).

Justin Upton, OF

San Diego Padres

After flirting with .300 early in the season, Upton’s average has fallen to .275. He has 13 homers and 42 RBIs, but has one homer and four RBIs in 17 June games.

Brian McCann, C-1B

New York Yankees

The 31-year-old McCann is having a solid season. He’s hitting. 260 with nine homers and 40 RBIs. He likes Yankee Stadium, hitting .316 at home this season.

Tim Hudson, P

San Francisco Giants

He gave up eight hits in five innings (three earned runs) in his most recent start, a loss to the Mariners. Hudson is 4-6 with a 4.65 ERA. He’s allowed 89 hits in 79 1/3 innings.

Jeff Francoeur, OF

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies took some heat for letting Francoeur throw 48 pitches as a reliever in a blowout loss. Francoeur, hitting .262 this season, didn’t start in right field the next game.

Melvin Upton Jr. OF

San Diego Padres

He’ll play more since outfielder Wil Myers is back on the DL for at least two months. Upton had a triple Thursday, but is batting .176 with no RBIs in nine games.

Kris Medlen, P

Kansas City Royals

He’ll make his first start since elbow surgery when he begins a rehab assignment with Northwest Arkansas on Friday. He could be in the majors by the All-Star break.

Saturday’s game: Braves vs. Mets

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Where: Turner Field

When: 7:10 p.m.

TV/radio: FSSO/680, 93.7, 106.7

Probable starting pitchers: Braves RH Williams Perez (3-0, 2.29) vs. RH Noah Syndergaard (2-4, 3.76)

What’s new: Syndergaard is making his eighth start since his major league call-up May 9 when went on the disabled list with a groin strain. Now Gee is out of the Mets’ rotation (designated for assignment), and the Mets are giving yet another hard-throwing prospect a legitimate chance to see what he can do. Syndergaard throws 98 mph, and while this is his first official start against the Braves, he has faced them in spring training. entered the series a new major-league record holder. Entering Friday, he had played in 393 consecutive errorless games as an outfielder. held the previous mark from 1990-94. Markakis also had RBIs in four consecutive games, a streak that was snapped Thursday. Markakis leads the Braves with a .395 on-base percentage.

Fox Sports South

Three Cuts: Wisler, Peterson wreak havoc in Braves' rally win over Mets

Jay Clemons

ATLANTA -- Here are three detailed takes from the Braves' 2-1 win over the New York Mets -- a thrilling comeback victory for Atlanta.

1. THE BRAVES' PRESENT AND FUTURE WONDERFULLY CONVERGED FOR ONE GRAND NIGHT AT TURNER FIELD

Even if the Braves had lost 1-0 on Friday, it still would have been an uplifting evening for the franchise, given the stellar MLB debut from Atlanta starter Matt Wisler (zero walks, one run allowed over eight jam-free innings).

But a heroic story like this needed an offensive savior, as well. Jace Peterson rose to the challenge in the eighth inning, launching a go-ahead, two- run double off Mets reliever Sean Gilmartin -- just minutes after Pedro Ciriaco legged out an infield single, forcing starter Jacob deGrom to the bench.

For his game-changing at-bat, Peterson had patiently waded through a number of looping breaking pitches from the southpaw Gilmartin, before rocketing the big RBI double over Juan Lagares's head in center field.

It might have been one of the Braves' top five moments at Turner Field for the season.

"(Gilmartin) gave me a fastball (on the 3-1 payoff pitch), and I got a pretty good swing on it," said Peterson.

Which brings us to this: Was it deGrom's fault that Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores -- one of the National League's shakiest defenders in the 6-hole -- spent too much time deking-out Andrelton Simmons (two hits) at third base on Ciriaco's seemingly routine grounder?

And why should that have been deGrom's swan-song batter ... given the doable count of only 97 pitches?

A little tapper to the shortstop shouldn't motivate a manager (Mets skipper ) to make a change at the mound -- especially with a Mets bullpen devoid of automatic stoppers.

(To be fair, closer made the FOX Sports South's all-star team at the quarter-mark.)

Back to the Braves: Before spring training began, the odds of Peterson and Wisler serving as proven building blocks in the bigs before July 1 would have been long. Even for those, like yours truly, who didn't think Alberto Callaspo would last very long as Atlanta's every-day second baseman. (Spoiler alert: He didnt.)

Peterson (two hits, two RBI vs. New York) has been a marvel in the leadoff spot. In the last 30 days, the McNeese State product has a .287 batting average, .362 on-base percentage, one homer, 14 runs and three steals. The kid's been so good ... that it's fair to wonder what position Jose Peraza -- Atlanta's top-ranked prospect -- will handle.

Whenever Peraza earns a permanent promotion to the majors.

As for Wisler, one of the primary pieces of the Craig Kimbrel/Melvin Upton Jr. trade with the Padres (along with Cameron Maybin and hitting prospect Jordan Paroubeck), his outing against the Mets was virtually flawless. He allowed only six baserunners (zero walks, five scattered singles) and never tossed more than 15 pitches in a single frame.

Sounding Off: Focus on Perez as Braves take on Mets

Adding to the fun, according to writer Adam Rubin, Wisler enjoyed the longest MLB debut against the Mets in 14 years -- nearly matching Rockies pitcher ' shutout effort from 2001.

It was a "tremendous, tremendous outing," said Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez, when discussing Wisler's debut in his post-game media session. "(Wisler) came as advertised."

Gonzalez marveled at Wisler's capacity for relying on a four-pitch repertoire and effectively changing speeds on the Mets hitters.

"The kid did a nice job. For a second there, I thought deGrom would out-pitch (Wisler)," said Gonzalez. "(Wisler was supposed to have) pretty good mound presence, and he showed it today." Wisler's superb start likely wasn't a one-time occurrence. At the Triple-A level from May 5 to June 7, spanning seven appearances, the 22-year-old pitcher had a 1.97 ERA, supplemented by a 25/6 K-BB ratio.

Not bad for a guy who allowed seven runs in his last Triple-A outing. And it's easy to see why MLB.com has Wisler pegged as the Braves' No. 2- ranked prospect -- behind Peraza, of course.

When discussing his magical night, Wisler repeatedly used "unbelievable" as a descriptive term. He also felt great pride in wearing a Braves logo that had some eerie familiarity -- dating back to his Little League days.

"It's awesome to put a Braves uniform on and be here," said Wisler, who will presumably log his second MLB start next week against the Nationals (on the road).

2. THIS SEEMS LIKE A GOOD TIME TO APPRECIATE THE WORK OF JASON GRILLI

To be honest, there's probably nothing Grilli can do to fully erase the memory of Craig Kimbrel's time with the Braves, especially since Kimbrel recently dominated Atlanta hitters at Turner Field (two saves, two perfect innings, three strikeouts).

But Grilli has proffered a Kimbrel-esque run on the mound since that ugly Atlanta loss to Washington on April 28 (when the club blew an eight-run lead).

For the months of May and June (including Friday), Grilli has the following tallies: A 2.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 19/5 K-BB rate and 12 saves.

Against the Mets, Grilli weathered an unforced error from Juan Uribe, temporarily putting the game-tying run on base in the 9th. But a Lagares flyout (second out) and Darrell Ceciliani clinched the Braves' 33rd win.

3. THE NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST IS EMINENTLY WINNABLE ... TO JUST ABOUT ANYONE WHO WANTS IT

OK, so the Phillies (23-45 entering Friday) have no tangible shot at claiming the division by season's end. But the other four clubs shouldn't be discounted for 1st or 4th place ... when everything's done.

**When discussing the Mets (36-33), Nationals (35-33), Braves (33-35) andMarlins (29-40), all four teams currently have a below-.500 record on the road. In fact, first-place New York has a wretched mark of 10-22. .

**Conversely, the above four teams have a .500 or better record at home.

**How's this for parity: Citing their last 10 games, the Mets, Nationals, Braves and Marlins each sport a 5-5 record.

But for me, it goes deeper than a sample size of 10 days, four weeks or even two months.

When using a simple eye test for New York, Washington, Atlanta and Miami, none have the capacity to run away and hide from the other contenders.

Remember Adam Rubin, the aforementioned Mets writer? Check out this in-game Tweet from Friday:

Mets infield defense absolutely dreadful again tonight. It's amazing this is a first-place team.

Baseball America

Braves See Value In High-Risk Acquisitions

By Ray Glier

ATLANTA—The Braves can scour the land all they want for high-ceiling pitching prospects, but they can acquire, under normal circumstances, just one first-round talent a year in the draft.

There is another way—a riskier way—to stockpile coveted power arms. While they wait for their new ballpark to be built, the Braves have declared the future is the future, their window as a contender is not even open yet, and they have limited expectations for their big league club until they play in a fresh park in 2017. So the organization is filling its pipeline with players bearing the familiar smiley-faced scar of Tommy John surgery, and other players who have been dinged by injury.

Since John Hart became the general manager last October, the Braves have acquired six pitchers in trades who were regarded as high-upside, first- round talent. The deals came with some peril. All six have been dinged by injury, which is why they were available in the first place. Four had undergone Tommy John surgery, one had season-ending shoulder surgery, and another was a high-first round talent who fell to the middle of the 2015 draft’s first round because of a mysterious back ailment. “Our thinking in the majority of these is the risk of taking an injured player versus taking a lesser talent that has limited upside and is healthy,” Hart said. “You can weigh the edges. We valued the upside and sacrificed the present because of where we are as an organization. To get that level of upside talent and to have them pass our medical protocol, it became the right thing to do.

“Some of these guys we wouldn’t have gotten if they hadn’t had injuries,” he said.

Here is the rundown. The names might be familiar because, at one time or another, they were considered elite prospects.

• Manny Banuelos, 24, who was plucked out of Mexico when he was 16, was once the Yankees’ top pitching prospect. His elbow was repaired in October 2012 and he missed all of 2013. Ineffective in 2014 for the Yankees in the minors, he was traded to the Braves in the offseason. The pitcher nicknamed “ManBan” is 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 13 starts for the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett.

• Chris Withrow, 26, a first-round pick of the Dodgers in 2007, had Tommy John surgery in June 2014 and was acquired May 26 along with Juan Uribe. The Braves see him as a potential closer because of a power arm. He is still rehabilitating.

• Arodys Vizcaino, 24, who is serving an 80-game suspension for using a banned substance, underwent TJ surgery in March 2012. He was acquired in the offseason from the Cubs. Hart said Vizcaino is pitching in simulated games and is velocity is back to 100 miles per hour.

• Lefthander Max Fried, 21, was the seventh overall pick of the 2012 draft by the Padres. He underwent elbow surgery in August 2014. He was acquired in an offseason deal for Atlanta’sJustin Upton. Fried is still in rehab.

• Former Cardinals prospect , 22, who had season-ending shoulder surgery in 2013, was a first-round pick in 2010. Jenkins, acquired with pitcher Shelby Miller in the deal for rightfielder , is 4-4 with a 2.84 ERA for the Braves’ Double-A Mississippi team.

• Atlanta used the 14th pick two weeks ago to pick prep lefthander , who had been projected as a top-five pick early in the spring before a back injury. Allard insists he is fine, and so do the Braves. Roy Clark, a special assistant to Hart, told Fox Sports South that Allard would only take a physical with the Braves and he slid to 14th because other clubs did not want to take a blind risk.

In addition, the Braves selected a rebuilt arm in the . Daniel Winkler, 25, had TJ in June 2014 while in the Rockies’ organization. Winkler was 5-2 with a 1.41 ERA in 12 starts in Double-A Tulsa in 2014 before being injured. Hart said the Braves are going to nurse Winkler over 15 months, not the usual 12.

“Before you know it, the end of 2015 will be here and it will be 2016,” Hart said, “and we will have a lot of fresh, healthy pitchers.”

Maybe.

Dr. Glenn Fleisig, the research director at American Sports Medicine Institute and colleague of the noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, said the statistics on Tommy John surgery show 80 percent of pitchers who have TJ regain their talent and 20 percent do not.

“If a team is scouting a pitcher who has had Tommy John surgery, they should realize there is a 1-in-5 chance he will not make it back,” Fleisig said.

Fleisig also said that players who have been hurt once also have a risk of being hurt again. So Jenkins, the righthander who had shoulder problems, and Allard, the high school southpaw declared fit by the Braves, have increased risk. Banuelos is pitching well, but there is a shadow over him, too.

“Most medical people on most teams know that a person with a history of injury makes you have a higher risk of future injury,” Fleisig said. “A guy with a previous injury that will be a knock against him, a red flag, but it does not need to be a deal-breaker.”

Here is the team effort in the Braves strategy. Fleisig said ’s HITS system (Health Injury Tracking System), a surveillance watchdog, has the details of the surgery and rehab of every minor leaguer and major leaguer. Teams can go in and make a decision on a player based on the doctor who did the surgery (they might not like his methods or track record), or the course of treatment after the surgery, or his progression through rehab.

“For every guy we have acquired I can honestly say we have another 10 to 12 we didn’t bite down on because we didn’t get good enough medical information that allowed us to pull the trigger,” Hart said. “Some of them broke my heart. They were guys I really wanted. The medicals didn’t line up. These guys we got, the medicals lined up.”

The Braves could also afford some risk because they had six picks among the first 89 in the 2015 draft because of free agent compensation. They took four pitchers with those six picks. Atlanta selected 20 pitchers with its first 26 picks of the draft, so if the gambles don’t pay off they will have plenty of arms in the system.

Among the Braves picks: A&M’s A.J. Minter in the second round. He has had Tommy John surgery.

The Braves did not just acquire dinged players and cross their fingers. They took minor league pitching coach and former big league pitcher and created a new position for him as rehabilitation coordinator at the team’s facility in Orlando. The Braves also hired Dave Trembley, the former manager of the Orioles, as farm director. He is a veteran influence on young players. “The process is very tedious and meticulous, and you have to be dedicated, you have to keep positive outlook,” Trembley said. “It is an awful lot of work and awful lot of scheduling and the Braves organization has a good plan on getting these pitchers back to where they were. It’s not easy. It’s getting up at 7 a.m. and it’s getting treatment 2 or 3 times a day.

“There is a progression and target date for return. We make sure they feel part of the organization down here and integrated because we feel confident they are going to pitch for us.”

ESPN

Wisler a winner, turns back the clock to Smoltz

Mark Simon

The scene was a familiar one for fans, though they would have to jog their memory banks quite a bit to recall what we're referencing.

Rookie starter Matthew Wisler pulled a John Smoltz in his major league debut.

What do we mean by that?

Wisler became the first Braves starter to make his debut with eight innings pitched since Smoltz, who will be inducted to the Hall of Fame this summer. Both did so in wins against the New York Mets.

Smoltz's came 27 years earier at Shea Stadium in late July with the first-place Mets clinging to a small lead in the NL East.

Wisler's also came against the NL East leaders, though the Mets' edge slipped to a half-game with their loss and the Nationals' win.

Wisler and Smoltz share one other bond: Smoltz was acquired by the Braves in a trade with the Tigers the year before his debut in a famous deal in which the Braves shipped out Doyle Alexander (who helped Detroit win the AL East).

Wisler was traded in a noteworthy deal, too. The Padres sent him as part of a package to the Braves in return for much-heralded closer Craig Kimbrel.

How he won

Wisler won by mixing a four-pitch assortment -- a fastball that averaged 92 mph and peaked at 94, along with a curveball, changeup and slider. The Mets got two hits in three at-bats ending with a curveball, but Wisler's other three pitches were effective.

Wisler ended up getting most of his outs with his heater, as the Mets went 4-for-18 in at-bats ending with it. They were also 0-for-4 against his changeup and 0-for-2 against his slider.

Most impressive, the Mets got nine at-bats from their left-handed bats against Wisler. Those hitters were a combined 0-for-9.

Flashback

Wisler needed a Braves comeback in the eighth inning to squeak out a victory. The path for Smoltz was a little easier. The Braves got Smoltz two early runs and led throughout. Smoltz, who faced a lineup that included star power hitters , Howard Johnson and , left for a pinch hitter after the Braves scored three runs in the ninth inning to extend a 3-1 lead to 6-1.

Hall-of-Famer got the last three outs.

There were a few comments on Smoltz after the game that foreshadowed what was to come.

"He's got better stuff than anyone else on that team," then-Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra told reporters.

Said Braves manager Russ Nixon: "More than the victory, I got one of the foundation blocks for this team's future."

The Braves are hoping to be able to say similar things about Wisler.

Yahoo! Sports

Nick Markakis sets record by going 393 outfield games without an error

By Ian Denomme

Baseball trivia aficionados, you can finally remove Darren Lewis from your memory bank. The former journeyman outfielder of the 1990s is no longer the answer to the question “Who holds the record for most consecutive games played in the outfield without committing an error?”

The honor now belongs to Nick Markakis of the Atlanta Braves. Markakis set the new mark on Thursday night when he completed his 393rd consecutive outfield game without an error. The two-time Gold Glover, in his first season with the Braves, last had an error on Aug. 10, 2012 while with the Orioles, according to MLB.com.

“Markakis was an Gold Glove winner in 2011 and '14, and from '12 until now, he is tied for first with for the best fielding percentage among qualified .

…

Now in his 10th year in the bigs, Markakis sets this record a bit differently than Lewis, who went the first 392 games of his Major League career with the Athletics and Giants before being charged with an error on July 9, 1994.”

In 1,408 career games in the outfield Markakis actually has committed 18 errors, but they all came between 2006 and 2012. In 2009 alone he committed six errors, which was the third most in the American League. But since that August game in 2012 he has been letter-perfect.

Lewis’s defensive record is still equally impressive as Markakis. In 1,273 games in the outfield over 13 seasons he committed just 16 errors, and he never had more than three in a single season. Lewis won his only Gold Glove in 1994 with the Giants, and retired with a .994 fielding percentage as an outfielder, good for eighth best all time.

Associated Press

Wisler shines in debut as Braves beat deGrom, Mets 2-1

By CHARLES ODUM (AP Sports Writer)

ATLANTA (AP) -- Backed by a big hit from his former Triple-A roommate, Matt Wisler enjoyed a major league debut that ranked with the best in Atlanta history.

Wisler allowed only one run in eight innings to outpitchJacob deGrom, and Jace Peterson hit a two-run double in the eighth to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 2-1 win over the New York Mets on Friday night.

''At no point did he ever look out of place or intimidated by the moment,'' Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said of Wisler.

Even Wisler was surprised the nerves he felt warming up before the game didn't follow him to the mound.

''I honestly felt more calm than I probably should have,'' Wisler said, adding ultimately it felt like ''another game.''

The only other pitcher in Atlanta history to pitch at least eight innings and allow only one run or less in his debut was John Smoltz, who also held the Mets to one run in eight innings on July 23, 1988.

Wisler (1-0) allowed six hits and walked none. The NL East-leading Mets' only run off Wisler came onMichael Cuddyer's run-scoring single in the sixth.

''For my big league debut, to have a night like that was unbelievable,'' Wisler said.

Wisler and Peterson came to the Braves from the Padres in separate offseason trades. Wisler was San Diego's top prospect before coming to the Braves as a big part of the April 5 trade that sent closer Craig Kimbrel to the Padres.

Wisler and Peterson were Triple-A teammates in the San Diego organization. Wisler, 22, was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game.

''We talked when I got here,'' Wisler said. ''He promised to get me a couple runs.''

Until the eighth inning, deGrom (7-5) was dominant on his 27th birthday. He allowed two runs and four hits, including two in the eighth.

After deGrom departed, left-hander Sean Gilmartingave up Peterson's two-run double over the head ofJuan Lagares in center field. The Mets have scored a combined two runs in three straight losses, dropping their lead over second-place Washington to a half-game.

''We've gotten some very good pitching,'' Mets manager Terry Collins said. ''We just aren't scoring runs.''

Andrelton Simmons, who had a second-inning single for Atlanta's first hit, led off the eighth with a double to left field. One out later, pinch- hitter Pedro Ciriaco's infield hit left runners at first and third. Peterson gave Atlanta the lead with his double off Gilmartin.

DeGrom took his first loss since May 11.

Ruben Tejada led off the sixth with a double to left field and moved to third on Lucas Duda's fly ball to right. Cuddyer's grounder took a high bounce overChris Johnson at third base for a run-scoring single.

It was the only inning Wisler allowed more than one baserunner.

ROSTER MOVE

Right-hander Sugar Ray Marimon was optioned to Gwinnett to clear a spot for Wisler.

SAVE FOR GRILLI

Jason Grilli pitched the ninth for his 19th save. With one out, Wilmer Flores reached on third basemanJuan Uribe's fielding error. With Flores still on first, Grilli struck out pinch-hitter Darrell Ceciliani to end the game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: RHP , out for the season following Tommy John surgery, is from the Atlanta area and traveled from Florida to be with the team. Wheeler said his rehab has been slow and he hopes that starting to throw next month ''will speed up the process a little bit.''

Braves: 1B Freddie Freeman (sprained left wrist) missed his second straight start, but was ''a lot better'' and available as a defensive replacement, according to manager Fredi Gonzalez.

UP NEXT

Mets: Rookie RHP Noah Syndergaard, 0-3 with a 6.46 ERA in three road starts, will look for his first win away from New York when he faces the Braves on Saturday night. Syndergaard is 2-4 overall with a 3.76 ERA.

Braves: Atlanta also will start a rookie as RHP Williams Perez (3-0, 2.29) looks to continue his string of strong starts. Perez threw six scoreless innings in a win at Boston on Monday.

Mets-Braves Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO (STATS Writer)

Jace Peterson hasn't had any problems against New York Mets pitching during his hot stretch. He'll try to extend both trends in the Atlanta Braves' first matchup with Noah Syndergaard.

Peterson and the Braves will try to keep Syndergaard winless on the road Saturday night while doing the same to the Mets during their road trip.

Peterson, hitting .284 in his first season as Atlanta's everyday second baseman, has batted .367 over the past 12 games. He's 8 for 17 with a homer, six RBIs and five runs in four meetings with New York (36-33) in that span after going 1 for 16 in his first six matchups.

His second hit Friday was a two-run double in the eighth to give Matt Wisler a 2-1 win in his major league debut. Wisler went eight innings hours after being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.

The Mets have lost the first three on this eight-game trip, totaling two runs and 15 hits.

"We've gotten some very good pitching. We just aren't scoring runs," manager Terry Collins said after Jacob deGrom tossed seven scoreless innings before being charged with the runs Peterson knocked in.

Syndergaard (2-4, 3.76 ERA) has posted a 6.46 ERA in losing all three road starts. The right-hander was hit hard in his most recent such outing June 2, giving up seven runs and 10 hits despite recording 10 strikeouts in four innings of a 7-2 loss to San Diego.

Syndergaard, though, is coming off an impressive home performance Monday, striking out a season-high 11 while allowing one run and two hits in six innings against Toronto. Wilmer Flores delivered a walkoff single in the 11th for a 4-3 win. The Braves (33-35) will also send out a rookie in Williams Perez (3-0, 2.29), who has allowed one or no runs in five of his six starts. The right-hander has pitched 14 consecutive innings without yielding an earned run over three games - two starts.

That stretch includes a scoreless 11th for his first save in a 5-3 win over the Mets last Saturday. Perez followed that by shutting out Boston for six innings of a 4-2 road victory Monday.

"He said he likes starting more than being a reliever or a closer," bullpen coach Eddie Perez said, acting as interpreter. "But he said he'd do anything to be in the big leagues."

The Mets' .240 average and 3.7 runs per game rank among the lowest marks in baseball. They're even worse on the road, hitting .232 with an average of 3.0 runs.

Curtis Granderson has been a major culprit with a .198 average on the road. He's 0 for 10 in four games at Turner Field.

It's uncertain if Atlanta will have Freddie Freeman in the lineup after he missed a second straight game with a sprained left wrist. He was feeling "a lot better" and available as a defensive replacement Friday, according to manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Freeman has gone 5 for 29 with a home run and six RBIs in his last nine home games against New York.