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Home , Aaron Blair, Daniel Castro, Erick Aybar, Mallex Smith, Mark Bradley (baseball), Ron Roenicke

Braves Clippings Friday, April 29, 2016 Braves.com

Mallex, Markakis lead Braves to snap skid

By Ian Browne and Maureen Mullen / MLB.com | 1:29 AM ET

BOSTON -- The Braves put together a steady offense against Clay Buchholz and salvaged the finale of a four-game series with the Red Sox by pulling out a 5-3 victory at on Thursday night. The win snapped an eight-game losing skid for Atlanta.

"We did a lot of good stuff on the whole game -- pitching-wise, offensively," Braves Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's a good game. It really is a good baseball game."

After Boston scored one in the first, the Braves rallied for three in the second and led for the rest of the night.

Nick Markakis had four hits and three RBIs from the leadoff spot. and No. 9 hitter added three hits each, with Smith driving in two runs.

Jhoulys Chacin did enough to get the win, going five-plus innings, allowing six hits and two runs. Buchholz took the loss, giving up eight hits and five runs over 6 1/3 innings.

"They are a tough lineup, so I was trying to keep the ball down, trying to make pitches," Chacin said. "Just want to keep going, keep giving my team the most that I can. Just trying to maybe go a little bit longer in games."

Buchholz has given up five earned runs in four of his five starts.

"I wouldn't ever go on a bad streak if I knew what I had to do not to go on them," Buchholz said. "I think it just happens sometimes. Team is going good and everybody is throwing the ball well, and it's falling on me right now. I haven't been throwing the ball as well as the other guys. It usually stops and turns and goes the other way at some point, too."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Keep the line moving: Trailing by a after the first inning, the Braves sent seven batters to the plate in the second. With one out, four straight batters reached and three scored to take the lead. started it off with a walk, followed by a bunt single by , a run-scoring ground-rule by Smith and a two-run single by Markakis.

Confusion for Bogaerts in first: With the Red Sox rallying in the bottom of the first, a strange play unfolded. After Dustin Pedroia doubled and walked with one out, a grounder to first, and Freeman threw to second for the force, where Aybar was covering. However, the throw pulled Aybar off the bag, and second-base umpire (and crew chief) Joe West called Bogaerts safe. However, Bogaerts apparently didn't realize he was called safe, and Aybar tagged him as he walked off the bag toward the dugout. Hanley Ramirez followed with an RBI single that could have scored two runs if not for the bizarre play.

"It was a weird play," Bogaerts said. "I'm right in front of the play. I thought I was out. I didn't hear a 'safe,' I didn't hear an 'out.' I just thought I was out. I was just making sure I stayed on the base so I don't get called for an automatic 'double play,' you know, that rule where you can't go over the bag. That was my main focus, trying to stay on, and I thought I was out."

Hunter and the hunted: With two outs, runners on second and third and the Braves leading by three runs in the seventh, left-hander Hunter Cervenka, a 27th-round pick of the Red Sox in the 2008 Draft who made his Major League debut on April 12, came in to face Ortiz for the first time in his career. On the sixth pitch, with a 3-2 count, Cervenka got Ortiz to ground out, ending the threat.

QUOTABLE "Last time we rattled off four in a row, we won a game like this. Winning is contagious, just like anything else. And hopefully we can rattle off -- I'm not talking about sweeping the Cubs or anything, but maybe we can win two out of three there." -- Gonzalez, on a win like this possibly being a catalyst for his team UNDER REVIEW In the top of the sixth, Smith thought he had stolen second base for the Braves. But manager challenged the call, and it was overturned after a review that took 2 minutes and 16 seconds. Smith did not maintain contact with the bag throughout his slide, and shortstop Bogaerts tagged him out.

In the top of the eighth, Smith was involved in another challenge play. This time, he was called out trying to steal third. Gonzalez challenged, but the call stood after a review of 2 minutes and 42 seconds.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS If the Red Sox are going to get to where they want to go this season, they need to gain some swagger at home. After splitting with the Braves the past two nights, Boston is 0-2-2 in home series this season and 5-7 overall at Fenway.

Despite their record, the Braves went 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the game and are now batting .303 (53-for-175) with runners in scoring position this season. In their past 13 games, they are hitting .339 in such circumstances, going 39-for-115.

WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Atlanta opens a three-game set at Wrigley Field on Friday at 2:20 p.m. ET, the first of six meetings between the Braves and Cubs this season. Aaron Blair gets the start after a busy week that saw the right-hander make his Major League debut on Sunday before being named the 's of the Week for April 18-24 on Monday. On April 19 he earned his third Minors win of the season, going seven scoreless and hitless innings while striking out 10 for -A Gwinnett.

Red Sox: Boston hosts the Yankees for their first rivalry showdown of the season on Friday night at Fenway Park. Lefty Henry Owens makes his second start since replacing the injured in the rotation. The Yankees counter with Masahiro Tanaka. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Markakis makes mark with 4-hit game

Right fielder jumps on Boston's Buchholz to drive in 3 runs

By Maureen Mullen / Special to MLB.com | 12:59 AM ET

BOSTON -- Nick Markakis entered Thursday's season-series finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park with just one hit in the first three games of the four-game, home-and-home series, hitting .273 for the season.

While he had seen Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz plenty in his nine seasons in the East with the Orioles, Markakis had little to show for it. He was just 6-for-41 (.146) with three RBIs, seven walks and six against the right-hander before the Braves' 5-3 win over Boston on Thursday.

But Markakis went 4-for-5 Thursday night -- a season high in hits and one shy of his career high -- with three RBIs, raising his batting average 32 points to .305.

His four hits are the most he's recorded since going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk at Toronto on April 17, 2015. He did most of his damage against Buchholz, going 3-for-4 with all his RBIs coming against the Red Sox's right-hander.

"Just seeing the ball," Markakis said. "If you look at my track record against him in the past, it's not very good. I just went up there with the approach to try to hit his mistakes. He left a couple balls out over the plate for me. I put a good swing on them, and they ended up finding some grass.

"He was pretty much the same guy he always is. The biggest thing was just hitting his mistakes. I wasn't very successful at it in the past, but tonight, I put a little bit of extra emphasis on that -- try not to miss his mistakes -- and got a couple of good pitches out over the plate and put good swings on them."

Markakis led off the game with a double off the wall in left-center. That tied a Braves record with his 11th double in April, matching in 1969 and in 2003. It also raised his career average in game-opening plate appearances to .356 (103-for-289), the highest such mark since 1974 (with a minimum of 200 plate appearances).

"He is about as steady as a baseball player that you can see," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He gives you good at-bats, never gives one away. It doesn't matter if it's lefty or righty. He's not your prototypical leadoff guy. He's not a guy to steal bases. But he gets hits, he gets on base, and when the lineup comes back around, he's got a knack to drive in some runs."

With the Braves trailing by a run, Markakis drove in two in a three-run second inning with a one-out single to center, scoring Erick Aybar and Mallex Smith to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead.

His two-out single in the fourth scored Aybar for the Braves' fourth run of the game. Markakis has reached base safely in his past 26 road games, the second-longest active streak in the Majors. In that stretch, he has hit .347, going 35-for-101. He leads the team with 25 hits, 13 walks, 11 doubles and 19 RBIs.

Markakis is a career .285 hitter at Fenway, going 89-for-312 with 35 RBIs in 79 games. His 27 doubles at Fenway trail only the 151 he hit at Camden Yards, his former home park while with the Orioles.

"I've played a lot of games here," Markakis said. "It's a good place to hit, especially for lefties. I grew up a Red Sox fan, so it's always special playing here. Just go out there and have fun."

Taillon, Benintendi among top prospect performers Thursday

Pirates prospect continues to impress while Boston stays hot at the plate

By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com | 1:32 AM ET

With Jameson Taillon's impressive start to the 2016 season, you would never suspect that he hadn't pitched competitively since '13.

The Pirates' No. 4 prospect (No. 51 overall) improved to 2-0 on Thursday, firing seven innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Indianapolis in a win against Norfolk. Taillon scattered five hits and issued two walks in the outing, which was his longest of the season for the Indians.

It seemed as though Taillon, the No. 2 overall pick of the Draft in 2010, was destined to join Gerrit Cole in the Pirates' big league rotation in 2014 after he had finished the previous year at Indianapolis. But injuries derailed the right-hander's progress up the ladder, as surgery and then surgery for an inguinal hernia wiped out his '14 and '15 seasons, respectively. Now 24, Taillon finally is healthy and making up for the lost time in a hurry with a lights-out start to the season in Triple-A.

Taillon has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his four starts for the Indians, and he's pitched to a stellar 1.54 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 23 1/3 innings in that span. The right-hander's command has really stood out, as the two free passes he permitted on Thursday were his first of the season, giving him an overall K/BB ratio of 23/2.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Thursday

• No. 22 overall prospect (Red Sox's No. 3) hit a go-ahead, bases-clearing double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead Class A Advanced Salem past Frederick, 7-4. He drove in four runs in the game, giving him 18 RBIs in 20 games this season, while his 2-for-4 performance at the plate extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Overall, the 2015 No. 7 overall Draft pick is batting .346/.407/.642 with 17 runs scored, 16 extra-base hits and four steals.

• No. 31 overall prospect Jesse Winker (Reds' No. 1) and No. 68 Jose Peraza (Reds' No. 5) went a combined 6-for-8 with four extra-base hits to power Triple-A Louisville in a win against Durham. Peraza collected three of the four extra-base knocks, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and his first of the season, while Winker doubled as part of a 3-for-4 effort.

• No. 37 overall prospect A.J. Reed (Astros' No. 2) connected on his fifth home run of the season in Triple-A Fresno's win against El Paso. The 22- year-old first baseman has collected hits in five straight games for the Grizzlies, with two home runs and six RBIs in the span.

• No. 40 overall prospect Brent Honeywell (Rays' No. 3) picked up his second win of the season for Class A Advanced Charlotte with 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball against St. Lucie. The right-hander scattered five hits, walked two and struck out five in the outing, with 62 of his 97 pitches going for strikes. Honeywell, 21, has been outstanding in his five starts for Charlotte this season, posting a 0.89 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP and 31/4 K/BB in 30 1/3 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .187 average.

• No. 83 overall prospect Albert Almora (Cubs' No. 5) collected three hits for the fourth time in his past nine games as Triple-A Iowa doubled up Colorado Springs, 10-5. One of those three knocks was Almora's third home run of the season -- a three-run shot that padded the I-Cubs' lead in the bottom of the eighth inning -- and he also picked up his second steal in the contest. The 22-year-old center fielder has opened his first Triple-A campaign on a tear, batting .362/.403/.551 with 15 runs scored in 18 games.

• After allowing a combined 15 earned runs over his first three starts for Class A Rome, Braves No. 6 prospect Touki Toussaint got back on track -- and picked up his first win -- Thursday by tossing five innings of one-run ball against West Virginia. The 19-year-old righty allowed two hits and struck out three while finding the zone with 36 of his 58 pitches, and he also induced six groundball outs in the outing.

• Giants No. 9 prospect Andrew Suarez struck out a career-high 10 hitters in 6 2/3 innings as Class A Advanced defeated Stockton in 11 innings, 3-2. The 2015 second-rounder allowed one run on five hits and did not issue a walk in the outing. He's piled up 19 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings between his past two starts, notching 30 strikeouts (against just three walks) in 22 2/3 innings on the season.

• Cardinals No. 10 prospect Harrison Bader's solo home run accounted for Double-A Springfield's only run in a loss to Northwest Arkansas. The 21- year-old outfielder has homered in back-to-back games for Springfield and has three in his past four contests. The Cardinals assigned Bader to Double-A for his first full pro season, having him bypass the Class A Advanced level entirely, and he's responded to the challenge by batting .342/.398/.539 with four homers and 12 RBIs in his first 19 games. • White Sox No. 11 prospect Tyler Danish fired a nine-inning shutout for Double-A Birmingham against Pensacola in what was the best start of his Minor League career. The right-hander yielded three hits and walked two in the gem, which he needed 105 pitches (71 strikes) to complete, and he generated 14 groundball outs while striking out six hitters.

• Braves No. 12 prospect Lucas Sims was dominant in his second Triple-A start, striking out a season-high 11 hitters in seven innings as Gwinnett outlasted Toledo in 15 innings, 4-3. The 21-year-old righty, a first-round Draft pick in 2012, has been impressive this season in five starts between Double-A Mississippi and Gwinnett, posting a 2.03 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings (14.2 K/9).

• Royals No. 16 prospect Jorge Bonifacio extended his hitting streak to nine games in Triple-A Omaha's rout of Oklahoma City, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. After back-to-back years in Double-A, Bonifacio, 22, is batting .346/.354/.603 with four home runs and 17 RBIs through 20 games this season in his first taste of the Triple-A level.

• Indians No. 21 prospect Willi Castro filled out the stat sheet in Class A Lake County's win against Burlington, going 4-for-5 with his first home run of the season, a triple, four RBIs and two runs scored. After an 0-for-17 stretch at the plate, the 19-year-old switch-hitter has collected six hits in 10 at-bats in his past two games for the Captains.

• Rangers No. 21 prospect Travis Demeritte slugged his eighth home of the season and second in as many days to retake the Minor League lead as Class A Advanced High Desert beat Lake Elsinore, 6-4. The second baseman has torn the cover off the ball so far this season, with a .288 average and a 1.116 OPS through 18 games, though his 33 strikeouts in that span suggests he could be in store for regression.

Lester seeking first Wrigley win as Cubs host Braves

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com |

Anyone who has been around Jon Lester this season can tell that the left-hander seems more relaxed. This is Year 2 of his mega-contract with the Cubs, he knows his way around Wrigley Field better and knows his teammates. Cubs manager has noticed.

"He said I'm a lot looser, too," Maddon said.

Lester will try for his first win at home this season when the Cubs welcome the Braves on Friday in the first of a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Atlanta will counter with right-handed rookie Aaron Blair (0-1, 5.06 ERA).

Lester has posted quality starts in his two previous outings at Wrigley so far, giving up four earned runs over 13 1/3 innings while striking out 15. In his last outing against the Reds, he gave up one run over seven innings in the Cubs' 8-1 win.

Maddon has been impressed by Lester's delivery this season, saying he looks as if he's back on track. It also helps that Lester is reunited with former Red Sox teammate .

"It's just different in all the best ways," Maddon said of Lester.

Three things to know about this game

• Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo hit more home runs in a six-game stretch (five) culminating Tuesday than the entire Braves team totaled in its first 21 games.

• Blair will be making his second start for the Braves. In his Major League debut, he gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Mets and took the loss. A first-round pick by the D-backs in 2013, he was dealt to the Braves last December in the trade.

On Monday, Blair was named the International League's Pitcher of the Week for April 18-24. On April 19 while pitching for Triple-A Gwinnett against Durham, he earned his third Minors win of the season, going seven innings without allowing a hit or a run and striking out 10.

• David Ross, who homered on Thursday, will be paired with Lester and catch his third straight game. With Miguel Montero going on the disabled list with a sore back, the Cubs called up Tim Federowicz from Triple-A Iowa.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves end 8-game losing streak

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

BOSTON — There were moments when it appeared the Braves might fade to yet another loss. Instead, they kept competing until they finally won another game. The Braves beat the Red Sox 5-3 on Thursday at Fenway Park to end their losing streak at eight games. Veteran Nick Markakis had three RBIs and rookie Mallex Smith had two as the Braves (5-17) beat up Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz.

“We did a lot of good stuff the whole game pitching-wise, offensively,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “It’s a good baseball game.”

Braves starter Jhoulys Chacin allowed two runs over five-plus innings before five relief combined to limit the Red Sox (12-10) to one run the rest of the way. Chacin got off to a shaky start and allowed seven base runners through the first three innings but limited the damage to two RBIs by Hanley Ramirez.

Chacin went to on a minor-league contract as one of several candidates to join the Braves’ rotation. He’s turned out to be their most effective pitcher early in the season with a 3.27 ERA through four starts.

Shoulder issues slowed Chacin during the past two seasons but he appears to be rounded into the form he showed while having a career-best season with the Rockies in 2014.

“I feel fine,” Chacin said. “My arm feels good. Everything is getting back to where it used to be before. I just want to keep going and trying to give the team the most I can (and) trying to maybe go a little bit longer in games.”

Buchholz walked four batters and allowed eight hits and five runs over 6 1/3 innings. The Braves took a 5-2 lead on Smith’s run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

Ramirez led off the bottom of the sixth with a single that chased Chacin in favor of left-hander Eric O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty got Travis Shaw to ground into a double play and, after Chris Young followed with a double, struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. to end the inning.

After the Braves left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning, Christian Vazquez led off the bottom of the inning with a single against Alexi Ogando. followed with a walk but Ogando retired Dustin Pedroia on a fly out and stuck out Xander Bogaerts.

Braves left-hander Hunter Cervenka came in to face Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who grounded out.

“How many left-handed relievers do you think ‘Big Papi’ has faced in his career in the seventh, eighth, ninth innings?” Gonzalez said of Ortiz. “And I mean good relivers. He’s facing your best left-handed relievers all of his career. Cervenka got him out but I wasn’t too comfortable with that because of what he’s been able to do.”

Ramirez staked Buchholz to a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first inning. The Braves responded in the second inning with Smith’s RBI double and a two-run single by Markakis that put them ahead for good.

Braves rookie Smith sparkles at plate, stumbles on bases

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

BOSTON — Mallex Smith’s education continued on Thursday at Fenway Park. The good thing for the Braves is that even while learning Smith contributed to a much-needed victory.

The rookie center fielder went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in the Braves’ 5-3 victory over the Red Sox. Smith also committed a pair of base-running blunders.

Such is life in the big leagues so far for Smith, who is rated the top outfield prospect in the organization. He’s has had his ups-and-downs since the Braves promoted him from Triple-A Gwinnett on April 11 when center fielder went on the disabled list.

“He causes some havoc on the bases,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He’s getting good at-bats and scoring some runs. The young man keeps getting better and better every time we run him out there. I’m pleased with his progress.”

Smith’s RBI double in the second inning tied the game and he scored when Nick Markakis followed with a two-run single. Smith added an RBI single in the sixth that put the Braves ahead 5-2 and doubled again in the eighth inning.

But Smith was caught stealing after each of his last two hits. In both cases the Braves came out on the wrong end of replay reviews.

In the sixth inning Smith slid in under a tag by shortstop Xander Bogaerts and was called safe by umpire Joe West. But Red Sox manager John Farrell challenged the fall and replay umpires in New York determined that Smith came off the bag with Bogaerts applying the tag.

Did Smith think he was safe?

“That’s not for me to determine,” Smith said. “I know I will be ready to be all the way safe next time.” After Smith’s one-out double in the eighth, he attempted to steal third with Nick Markakis . Umpire Kerwin Danley called Smith out. Gonzalez challenged the play but the call stood.

Gonzalez said he had no issue with Smith trying to steal in that situation but faulted him for hesitating before running.

“Once you take that false step and you can’t go—that’s here the experience comes in—shut it down don’t go,” Gonzalez said. “He’ll learn that here in the big leagues, where in Triple-A you steal that bag and not learn from it. It’s a good teaching moment. But also I thought it was a good play.”

Smith had 226 stolen bases in 285 attempts during 393 games in the minor leagues. In the majors the pitchers have quicker deliveries to the plate and the have stronger arms.

“I probably should have shut it down,” Smith said of his second steal attempt. “It’s a learning experience. I’m going to go through my lumps. This is one of those things I’ve got to learn.”

Smith said his first game played at Fenway Park included some lively heckling by fans in the center field bleachers.

“It’s awesome, great environment, great fans,” Smith said. “It’s been a great day.”

Longevity leads to 2,000 hits for Braves’ Pierzyynski

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

BOSTON — If Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski had stuck to his many vows to leave baseball over the years he wouldn’t have made it to 2,000 hits.

At Pierzynski’s position, sticking around for 19 years is an accomplishment in itself. That’s why Pierzynski said he never put much thought into reaching 2,000 hits.

“You never think you are going to play that long,” Pierzynski said. “If you ask people that know me, I’ve been saying I was going to retire for five years now. For some reason, you keep coming back. It’s a lot of hits and a lot of games and lot of ups and downs, good and bad times. At the end of the day, it’s a cool accomplishment and something to be proud of.”

Pierzynski reached the milestone when he singled in the second inning Wednesday against Red Sox right-hander Justin Wright. He’s the 10th player who played primarily catcher to collect at least 2,000 career hits.

The other catchers on the list are Ivan Rodriguez (2,844), Ted Simmons (2,472), Carlton Fisk (2,356), (2,342), Jason Kendall (2,195), (2,150), Mike Piazza (2,127), Gary Carter (2,092) and (2,048 hits).

“As a catcher, you look at that list and there are some of the all-time greats,” Pierzynski said. “To be associated with them is pretty special.”

Pierzynski was stuck on 1,999 hits for three games in Atlanta as he went 0-for-9. He said he hoped to reach 2,000 hits at home in front of his family but said he’s glad he did it because he was tired of getting so many calls and messages about it.

“It’s over and now I can try to get more hits and get more wins,” Pierzynski said.

Losing Braves ‘can’t figure out what to do to change anything’

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves are a losing team. That doesn’t mean they don’t have winning players.

Catcher A.J. Pierzysnki won a championship with the White Sox. Shortstop Erick Aybar played in four AL division series and one ALCS with the Angels. Outfielder played in the World Series with the Mets last season, one of his seven postseason series. Right fielder Nick Markakis played in an ALCS with the Orioles.

“There’s a lot of guys on that team that have won and are proud of winning,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Believe me, they feel it every night.”

Yet even with those seasoned players who were part of winning teams, the Braves set a franchise record for April losses (17) on Wednesday. And they still had three games left to play this month.

Pierzynski probably is the most outspoken leader on the team. He said he hasn’t sensed that the Braves are slacking in any way, which in some ways makes their struggles more upsetting. “It’s hard to explain because we can’t figure out what to do to change anything,” Pierzynski said. “Everyone does their work, everyone goes about it the right way, everyone is positive. But we’re just not winning games. There’s no one thing you can point to. It always seems like it’s something different every night.

“That’s the most frustrating part is that you can’t just be like, ‘Oh, we can just hit better, we can just field better, we can just pitch better, we can just run the bases better.’ Something different always pops up every night and that’s the hardest part to swallow.”

As Braves struggle, Fredi G. trusts rebuilding ‘process’

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

BOSTON — The Braves off to a historically bad start to their season, and manager Fredi Gonzalez said the organization expected to be better than 4-17 because they feel as if they can compete as they rebuild.

But Gonzalez said he’s also heartened by the reports he gets every day detailing the progress of high-level prospects in the team’s restocked minor- league system.

“The reason I say I trust the process is I see the young players that we made trades for and got through the draft — they are getting closer,” Gonzalez said. “Last year they were so far away. Some of them weren’t even in this organization last year. This year you saw them in spring training and you read the minor-league game reports each morning and you go, ‘These guys are closer.’”

In the meantime, the major league Braves already have set a franchise record for losses in April. They rank near the bottom in nearly every statistical category in the majors, with their four home runs standing as the most glaring deficiency.

The Braves expected to have inconsistent pitching because Julio Teheran and Bud Norris are the only two veterans in the rotation. But Gonzalez noted that the Braves have plenty of experienced position players.

“We’ve got professional hitters in there, players that have been around,” Gonzalez said. “You look at our team, we are not young offensively other than Mallex Smith and (Daniel) Castro. Everybody else has a lot of time in the big leagues.”

Four touted prospects acquitted by the Braves over the past two years have debuted with the big-league club: Smith, Hector Olivera, and right-handers Aaron Blair and Mike Foltynewicz. Three more are at Triple-A Gwinnett: Rio Ruiz and right-handers Lucas Sims and Tyrell Jenkins.

With the Braves already having set a franchise record for April losses, it’s not certain Gonzalez will still be around to manage those players when they make it to the majors. Gonzalez’s contract is up after the end of the season.

Gonzalez said likens the Braves to the Mets two years ago, when they had several young players on the way up. He said he remembers hoping Mets manager Terry Collins would get a chance to work with those players. The Mets stuck with Collins, while the Nationals went through several managers during their rebuild.

“You trust your people,” Gonzalez said. “You plan on it. We did it to ourselves. We felt like we needed to stock the pipeline and get better and get depth. We did it to ourselves. But we didn’t think we would ever be 4-17 to start off the season and I’m looking to turn that around and hopefully it starts soon.”

Braves right-hander Norris could be replaced for next start

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

BOSTON — There’s a chance struggling Braves right-hander Bud Norris won’t make his next scheduled start, Monday at the Mets.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitching Roger McDowell met with Norris on Thursday to analyze his rough start the night before against the Red Sox. Gonzalez was noncommittal when asked if Norris would take his next turn in the rotation.

“We’re still hashing through that and talking though that kind of stuff to see what’s best for him, and what’s best for us,” Gonzalez said. “But I think the No. 1 priority is to get him fixed.”

If Norris is pulled from the rotation the Braves could call on right-hander Mike Foltynewicz from Triple-A Gwinnett. In four games this season with Gwinnett, Foltynewicz has a 2.05 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 14 walks over 22 innings.

Norris lasted just 1 1/3 innings against the Red Sox while allowing six runs on seven hits, including Dustin Pedroia’s . Since allowing three runs over seven innings against the Nationals in his first start this season, Norris has posted a 10.91 ERA over his past four starts while pitching a total of 15 2/3 innings. “He feels like he’s throwing the ball well enough to get better results but obviously he’s not,” Gonzalez said. “You’ve got to look at the numbers. We are looking at videos, we are watching him. We are getting a lot of his input (because) this guy has been around and he knows his body and what he needs to do. We will go forward and try to get him on track.”

The Braves signed Norris to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the expectation that he would rebound from a poor 2015 campaign. He added strength during the offseason after losing weight last year while battling a bout of bronchitis while pitching for the Orioles and Padres.

Lucas Sims fans 11 in second Gwinnett start

By Staff

After a mediocre Triple-A debut for Gwinnett on Saturday, Lucas Sims made a strong second start Thursday afternoon.

Sims allowed one run in seven innings, but more impressive were the 11 strikeouts he recorded. He gave up five hits and walked two. The G-Braves won 4-3 in 15 innings at Toledo.

Sims was plagued by a lack of run support this season at Double-A Mississippi, where he was 0-2 with a 1.84 ERA before his promotion to Gwinnett. That has continued somewhat at Gwinnett.

On Saturday, Sims allowed two runs in five innings of a 7-1 loss at Columbus.

For the season, Sims is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA. In 12 innings, he has allowed eight hits and walked six, but he has recorded 16 strikeouts.

Sims was a first-round draft choice of the Braves in 2012 out of Brookwood High School.

Fox Sports

The Braves' season is lost and their future is a big question mark

Atlanta's season is already in the tank, but are the Braves poised to get any better in 2017 and beyond?

By

The Braves are 5-17. The season is lost. Manager Fredi Gonzalez will be fired. So much for the final season at Turner Field, which was never all that promising to begin with.

The real question is what the Braves will look like in their first year at the new SunTrust Park next season, and in all the years to follow.

The Braves will gain significant financial flexibility this offseason, thanks to at least $50 million in expiring contracts. Some of their top prospects will be ready for the majors, or close to it, in 2017. , or someone like him, could be the new manager.

Here's the problem:

If the Braves failed to properly evaluate this year's roster -- an understatement, the way things are turning out -- who's to say their other evaluations can be trusted?

General manager John Coppolella, after the team started 0-9, told the Braves' MLB.com website that he believed the club's 25-man roster was better than the group that finished last season 67-95.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution followed up by asking Coppolella why he thought that way.

"I think it's a deeper lineup, better bullpen, growth of young players and improved health," Coppolella said. "Those four factors, I think, put a better team out there for us. Whether or not it leads to a better record ... it's a better 25."

Coppolella, contacted on Thursday by FOX Sports, adopted a more somber tone.

"We're obviously disappointed in the way this season has gone," he said. "We're not going to make excuses. We know we need to play better.

"We're excited about our future. There are a lot of good things going on in our farm system. But we need to start playing better now. We can't finish the year the way we're playing right now." Some of the Braves' troubles are beyond Coppolella's control -- new center fielder Ender Inciarte played only three games before going on the DL with a strained left hamstring. Some also are unexpected -- new shortstop Erick Aybar became one of the worst players in the majors seemingly overnight.

The Braves have hit four homers. Their No. 2 starter, Bud Norris, has an 8.74 ERA. Their one actual star, first baseman Freddie Freeman, is batting .219 with a .680 OPS.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, continues to draw scrutiny with his decision-making, not that could get much more out of this bunch.

Maybe things will improve slightly once the Braves dismiss Gonzalez -- it's difficult to imagine him surviving past the team's current eight-game road trip, with the Braves facing the Red Sox, Cubs and Mets. But whichever coach the Braves appoint as Gonzalez's interim replacement -- most likely, Eddie Perez or Terry Pendleton -- will be just as doomed.

Which brings us back to the construction of the present roster.

It was Coppolella who acquired Aybar and two highly regarded pitching prospects for , an elite defensive shortstop who was under club control for five more years.

And it was Coppolella who acquired third baseman Hector Olivera in a complex 13-player trade that cost the Braves both young talent and money; Olivera remains on paid administrative leave while baseball determines his penalty for a domestic-violence incident.

Some trades work out, some do not -- that's baseball. Coppolella certainly scored big in landing Inciarte, shortstop and right- hander Aaron Blair for Shelby Miller, and some of his other deals look good, too.

Prospects, though, are like trades -- hit and miss.

The Braves are excited about third baseman Rio Ruiz, who is batting .329 at Triple A at age 21; shortstop Ozzie Albies, who is batting .351 at Double A at 19; and Swanson, who is batting .333 at High A at 22.

They also are excited about two right-handers at Triple A, Mike Foltynewicz and Lucas Sims, both of whom throw in the high 90s, and Blair, a No. 3 or 4 type starter who made his major-league debut last Sunday.

On the other hand, left-hander , acquired in the Simmons trade, continues to show questionable command at Double A. And righty Touki Toussaint, the prize of the Bronson Arroyo salary dump, has a 12.66 ERA in his first three starts in the Class A South Atlantic League, though he is just 19.

Prospects do not always develop in linear fashion; players do not always transition into new organizations seamlessly. To be sure, the Braves' farm system is in a better place than when Coppolella and president of baseball operations John Hart took over after the 2014 season. Albies and Sims were among the players the new regime inherited, and all of the trades helped the system improve from 29th to third in the organizational rankings.

Still, many of the Braves' top young pitchers have an injury history, and none of the hitting prospects is the next or Carlos Correa.

Such players, of course, are difficult to find. And sometimes -- see Paul Goldschmidt and Jacob deGrom -- they come out of nowhere. So, while some in the industry believe that the Braves lack impact young talent, one rival executive counters, "I don't think you can say that. They have plenty of upside and lots of high picks left."

Problem is, this is not a great year for the Braves to hold the No. 3 overall selection; the top of the draft does not include a player at the Bryant- Correa level, industry observers say.

This also will not be a great offseason for the Braves to regain financial flexibility. The free-agent market will be thin, though the Braves at least will be in position to sign the front-line catcher they desperately need, with Matt Wieters, Francisco Cervelli and Wilson Ramos all expected to hit the market.

Ultimately, the Braves believe they can be like the Royals, a team without major stars, but athletic, strong up the middle and maybe even deeper in pitching. Coppolella can use some of his young pitchers as chips to acquire position players, and others to form a powerhouse bullpen; two relievers coming off Tommy John surgery, and Paco Rodriguez, also should be back in '17.

The plan seems reasonable enough. But as the Braves are so cruelly discovering, plans do not always develop smoothly.

Yahoo! Sports

They're already calling for Fredi Gonzalez's job in Atlanta

By Chris Cwik

The were supposed to be bad coming into the season. That's what happens when you trade off all your major-league assets for future considerations. It wasn't a big secret. Everyone knew the Braves were coming into the year in a clear rebuilding phase.

Thus far, the club has definitely lived up to those expectations. Through 21 games, the team is just 4-17. That's the worst record in the majors. While it's early, and the team probably won't play .190 ball the rest of way, there are already some who want to see manager Fredi Gonzalez fired. Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has seen enough bad baseball this season, and thinks the Braves need to dump Gonzalez.

Other than the fact that it's incredible early in the year for a team to dismiss a manager, there's nothing too shocking about Bradley's opinion. The Braves were supposed to be awful, and haven't been a good team since 2013. Managers who post three straight losing seasons don't typically stick around. It wasn't hard to see this coming. Even the oddsmakers had Gonzalez as the first manager to be fired this season.

It's also widely believed that the Braves have been rebuilding with an eye toward 2017. The team's new will open next year, and many have speculated that the Braves want to put a contending team on the field to commemorate the occasion.

The new stadium, and the team's supposed contention plans, definitely seem to signal a new era of Braves baseball. That era was probably never going to include Gonzalez.

While calling for Gonzalez's head is fair, you can't say the Braves put him in a position to succeed the past few seasons. Gonzalez started out as a promising manager while with the , and won early in his tenure with the Braves, but there were missteps along the way. Most notably during Game 4 of the 2013 NLDS, when the Braves blew a late lead against the while Gonzalez left the best reliever in baseball, , in the pen.

The Braves disappointed in 2014, winning 79 games, and then the team began selling off parts that offseason. Jason Heyward and were shipped out, as was Evan Gattis. Just a few games into the 2015 season, the team parted with Kimbrel and Melvin Upton. Unsurprisingly, they finished with 67 wins in 2015.

It's not fair to think any manager could have made a different to the club last season. If you don't have good players, it's going to be incredibly tough to win. The same can be said of the Braves this year. Even if the team had brought in some coaching savant, it's tough to argue they could have done anything to drastically improve this club. , Adonis Garcia and Jeff Francouer batting second, third and fifth for the club Wednesday night. No manager is leading that lineup to 95 wins.

With all of that said, Gonzalez is likely going to be fired at some point. While 21 games into the season seems early, the did pull the plug on Ron Roenicke after just 25 last year.

The bigger and more interesting question will be what happens once Atlanta decides to part ways with Gonzalez. If contention in 2017 is really the goal, it makes sense that the team would look for an established manager with a strong track record. Former skipper Bud Black is available, and is regarded well, but it's unclear if he would take the Braves job in May and ride things out with such a horrible team. Black could wait until later in the year and maybe catch on with a club he believes can contend sooner.

The other option is promoting an interim coach already in the team's organization. Bradley mentions Terry Pendelton, Eddie Perez or as possible options. The problem there is none of those guys are likely to improve the club either, so they wind up managing an awful team and then likely get replaced when a new regime comes in during the offseason. Porter already experienced some of that with the .

The good thing is, many analysts believe in the young talent the Braves have acquired recently. The farm system is well-regarded, and the club could feature a number of impact youngsters soon. Maybe contention in 2017 is aggressive, but that might not be far off. It's easy to look at guys like Dansby Swanson, Sean Newcomb and Aaron Blair and see that the future is close.

Once the young players are ready, it will be key that the team finds a manager capable of handling the ups-and-downs that come with having a young team, and also someone who can make smart on-field decisions. Getting rid of Fredi Gonzalez is the easy move, picking the right successor will be much more difficult.

The

Go ahead and fire Fredi Gonzalez, but don't blame him for Braves' 4-17 start

By Jesse Spector

The buzzards are circling for Fredi Gonzalez. It should hardly come as a surprise that the manager of a 4-17 team would face speculation about his job, but that also does not mean it makes complete sense.

Columnist Mark Bradley sounded the klaxon on his blog for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday with a piece titled, “For the 4-17 Braves, there’s no choice but to fire Fredi G.” As Craig Calcaterra noted at NBC’s Hardball Talk, this can be taken as a pretty good sign that Gonzalez is indeed on his way out, based on the AJC’s pattern of Braves coverage over the years.

The problem is that the case for dropping the ax on Gonzalez now revolves around Atlanta being 4-17. This is a team that was built to lose, with no illusions of being a competitive team in the final year of Turner Field. The Braves may not have expected to be quite this bad, but you can also look at their schedule so far and understand losing 17 of 21.

The Braves started by dropping two games to the Nationals, then three to the Cardinals. They went to Washington and lost four more before sweeping the Marlins in Miami. After a home win against the Dodgers, Atlanta lost the last two games of that series, then got swept by the Mets in a three-game set and the Red Sox in two games before a return matchup at Fenway Park on Wednesday resulted in an eighth straight loss.

With that early schedule, the Braves’ best hope was probably something like 8-13. They have a 1-5 record in one-run games, and if you flip that around, 8-13 is exactly what you would get. Maybe if Freddie Freeman hadn’t opened the season in a slump, or if Julio Teheran hadn’t struggled with his control as much as he has, or if the Braves had more good players. But the thing is, it doesn’t matter, and never did, because the Braves are built to lose, and lose is what they are doing.

“Doing nothing is no longer an option,” Bradley wrote. “They can’t allow 4-17 to become 8-34.”

Why not? Seriously, who cares? Whether the Braves lose 100 games or 110 games this year is immaterial. The question that the Atlanta front office should be asking is whether Gonzalez is the right man for the actual task at hand. That would be teaching and instilling a professional workplace environment for a young team with more young players on the way as the summer goes on.

If the Braves were going to fire Gonzalez for results-based baseball reasons, they should have done it after Game 4 of the 2013 NLDS, when Gonzalez saved Craig Kimbrel for a bottom of the ninth inning at that never happened after ’s two-run homer in the eighth off David Carpenter. They should have done it after the 2014 season, when Gonzalez presided over a team that was tied for the division lead at the All-Star break and went on to finish 17 games behind. They should have done it after last year’s 95-loss debacle, but instead gave Gonzalez and his coaching staff contract extensions in the middle of it.

As Bradley wrote last September, “By offering such extensions to a manager and coaches of a team that was five games below .500 at the break, the Two Johns (Hart and Coppolella, the front office brain trust) essentially said, ‘We’re about to gut this roster even more, and this is our way of saying nothing that happens will be held against you.’”

Unless something has changed behind the scenes to make the Braves believe that Gonzalez is not the right fit to command respect and help his players improve on a personal level while the team routinely gets slaughtered, there is no particular reason that a change has to be made now. If the idea last summer was that the teardown was going to continue — which it did — and that the results on the field would not be held against Gonzalez, using the results to justify Gonzalez’s dismissal makes less sense than at almost any other point in his tenure.

If the Braves don't believe Gonzalez is the person to lead them back to contention, by all means fire him and start looking for the right person. There already is plenty of evidence in that column. Just don't pretend that a bunch of losses early in a season that the Atlanta front office punted before it started is appropriate justification.

Associated Press

Braves end 8-game slide, beat Red Sox 5-3 behind Markakis

By DOUG ALDEN (Associated Press)

BOSTON (AP) -- Atlanta hitters got to Clay Buchholz early and never let up as the Braves pieced together a rare victory.

Nick Markakis had three singles, a double and three RBIs and the Braves beat the 5-3 Thursday night, ending Atlanta's eight-game losing streak. ''Any game is big no matter how we win it, especially with the way things are going now,'' said Markakis, who led off the game with a double. ''We just need to battle, stay confident and support each other and be as consistent as we can.''

The Braves have been consistent, just not in the right way while struggling to a big-league worst record of 5-17. Atlanta won for the first time since April 19 and avoided being swept by the Red Sox in the interleague series, which included two games in each city.

Mallex Smith doubled twice and had an RBI single for the Braves and Jhoulys Chacin (1-1) was effective enough over five-plus innings to get his first win since signing with Atlanta as a free agent.

Atlanta ended its second eight-game slide of the year with a dozen hits and solid pitching from Chacin and the bullpen.

''We did a lot of good stuff on the whole game,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ''It's a good baseball game.''

Chacin (1-1) gave up two runs and six hits before leaving with nobody out in the sixth. Five pitchers combined for four-hit relief, with Arodys Vizcaino getting three outs for his second save.

Buchholz (0-3) allowed five runs, eight hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 6.51.

Buchholz said he struggled with his fastball command and the Braves took advantage.

''There was a couple of them that got hit hard and they found the holes. They didn't hit the ball at anybody,'' Buchholz said. ''It happens like that sometimes. When you do walk guys, you try to minimize the damage. I didn't do a very good job of that tonight.''

Boston's Hanley Ramirez had an RBI single in the first and drove in another with a double in the third. The Red Sox didn't score again until Dustin Pedroia's RBI single with two outs in the ninth.

Markakis led off the game with a double, then singled in a pair of runs in a three-run third, when Smith had an RBI double. Markakis' single made it 4-1 in the fourth.

THE STREAK

Atlanta heads to Chicago for a three-game series against the first-place Cubs. While Gonzalez wasn't getting carried away with expectations, he said adding another win or two at Wrigley Field this weekend could go a long way toward boosting the Braves' morale. Prior to Thursday, Atlanta's only victories came during a four-game bunch before the latest eight-game slide.

''Last time we rattled off four in a row (after) we won a game like this,'' Gonzalez said. ''Winning is contagious, just like anything else.''

UNHAPPY RETURN

A.J. Pierzynski, who played part 2014 in Boston, had a rough game after getting his 2,000th career hit the night before. Pierzynski allowed two passed balls and had a foul pop-up bounce off his mitt - much to the delight of Boston fans who cheered the muffed play.

BAD TIMING

Buchholz said the four walks wouldn't have been as significant if it wasn't for the timing.

''I don't mind walking guys in situations,'' Buchholz said. ''But when you're out there trying to throw a strike - trying to throw the ball down the middle and you don't do it, it's frustrating.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: RHP Bud Norris (1-4, 8.74 ERA) may come out of the rotation before his next scheduled start. Norris lasted just 1 1/3 innings Wednesday. ''We're still hashing through that and talking though that kind of stuff to see what's best for him, and what's best for us,'' Gonzalez said. ''But I think the No. 1 priority is to get him fixed.''

Red Sox: LF was out of the starting lineup after going 1 for 12 in the first three games against the Braves and failing to reach base for the first time this season on Wednesday. Holt pinch hit for Chris Young in the eighth inning Thursday and grounded out.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Aaron Blair (0-1, 5.06 ERA) is set to start for the Braves when they open a weekend series at Chicago against Cubs' LHP Jon Lester (2-1, 1.98).

Red Sox: LHP Henry Owens (0-0, 8.10) makes his second start of the season as the Red Sox open a three-game series against the Yankees. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (1-0, 2.92) gets the start for New York.

Braves-Cubs Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO (STATS Senior Writer)

The already lost one of their bright young stars for the season. They hope an ankle injury to another isn't too serious.

It's uncertain if Kris Bryant will be available Friday when the Cubs look to continue their recent dominance over the visiting Atlanta Braves.

Bryant suffered a mild right ankle sprain running the bases in Thursday's 7-2 win over Milwaukee. He left the game and underwent an MRI as a precaution.

"I don't want to create conjecture," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "Let's just see what happens and look at the tests."

The reigning NL Rookie of the Year, Bryant is 10 for 23 with eight runs scored in six games. His injury comes three weeks to the day that 23-year-old slugger Kyle Schwarber tore two ligaments in his knee.

Schwarber's injury has not derailed the Cubs' hot start, but losing another key contributor for any extended period could prove costly even with the club's solid depth.

As Chicago (16-5) waits for word on the severity of Bryant's injury, it will continue to rely on some veterans to remain hot. Anthony Rizzo is batting .308 with 12 RBIs in seven games and Ben Zobristis 7 for 18 with six RBIs in his last five.

"We're definitely a good team," Zobrist said. "It's good so far but we've got a lot to do."

With or without Bryant, the Cubs appear to have a good chance to win their fourth in a row while hosting an Atlanta team that owns the majors' worst record at 5-17.

Though the Braves snapped an eight-game skid with Thursday's 5-3 victory at Boston, they yielded 20 runs in the previous two contests and rank near the bottom of the majors in ERA (4.98) and walks allowed (87).

That might not bode well against the Cubs, who average 6.2 runs and lead baseball with 114 walks after drawing 11 on Thursday.

"Guys are all having great at-bats," Zobrist said. "If you have those good at-bats you're going to have a better chance of getting hits when they keep it in the zone."

Cubs hitters walked a modest 26 times but clubbed 13 homers while winning the final six games against the Braves last season.

Jon Lester (2-1, 1.98 ERA) allowed two hits and struck out seven in 7 1/3 innings of a 4-0 win at Atlanta in 2015. The left-hander has yielded one run in three of his four starts this season, most recently last Friday over seven innings of an 8-1 victory at Cincinnati.

Nick Markakis and Freddie Freeman combined for seven of Atlanta's 12 hits Thursday, but together are 2 for 15 with seven strikeouts over the past two seasons against Lester.

Markakis is 12 for 25 with five doubles and 10 RBIs in the last six road contests.

Teammate Aaron Blair takes the mound after he allowed three runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings of his major league debut in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the .

"He came as advertised," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said of the right-hander, who went 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA for Triple-A Gwinnett this month.

"I thought he did good. I can't wait to see him pitch (Friday)."