Clippings Sunday, August 16, 2015 Braves.com

Braves' late charge falls short vs. D-backs

By Mark Bowman and Steve Gilbert / MLB.com | 12:33 AM ET

ATLANTA -- produced one of his finest starts since returning from Tommy John surgery and David Peralta helped build a lead that proved comfortable enough for the D-backs to preserve during Saturday night's 8-4 win over the Braves at Turner Field.

Corbin surrendered three hits and notched eight over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. The D-backs southpaw retired 18 of the 21 batters he faced through the first six innings. He showed some fatigue as he neared the end of his eighth start since returning from the elbow surgery. But he was not harmed by the two two-out walks he issued before exiting the seventh inning with the bases loaded.

"Today I felt like I had my best fastball since I've been back," Corbin said. "It felt really good. Just keeping the ball down and mixing it up and in and then just working off my . It just seemed like everything was clicking today. It's getting better and [I hope to] just continue to improve."

The Braves made things interesting with a four-run eighth inning that was highlighted by Nick Swisher's two-run homer off Daniel Hudson. But the D-backs managed to preserve the contributions made by Peralta, who began the fourth inning with a homer and capped his three-RBI night with one of the two sacrifice flies Braves starter surrendered during the decisive fifth inning that gave Arizona a 6-0 lead.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Staying hot: Peralta continues to make a case for everyday playing time with his performance at the plate. Over his last five games he is a combined 13-for-21 with 11 RBIs. Peralta has settled into the cleanup spot in the lineup behind Paul Goldschmidt.

"I'm feeling pretty good," Peralta said. "Yesterday, we didn't have a good game, but we just turned the page. We came with the same attitude and the same energy and tried to win the game. We're just going to keep doing what we're doing now."

More growing pains: Foltynewicz displayed good life with his fastball, which touched 99 mph twice as he ended the top of the third with his second of Goldschmidt. But Atlanta's hard-throwing hurler struggled with fastball command, and his slider began to flatten out as he surrendered four hits and two sacrifice flies while facing just six batters in the fifth inning. He was charged with six earned runs and nine hits in just 4 2/3 innings.

"You see some good glimpses coming out of [Foltynewicz's arm]," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Now we've got to get the whole thing together -- the pitches, the location, his pitchability and getting through innings."

Putting out the fire: David Hernandez, who underwent Tommy John surgery around the same time as Corbin, helped his rehab partner secure the win when he came on in relief with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh and struck out Joey Terdoslavich to end the threat.

"It's always tough there in the seventh not to finish it and get out of it myself," Corbin said. "But Dave did a great job coming in with the strikeout."

Two-out rally: The Braves had been limited to just four hits before Jonny Gomes delivered a two-out single that accounted for the first of Atlanta's four runs in the eighth inning. Adonis Garcia followed with an RBI double and Swisher capped the rally when his two-run homer rattled the right- field foul pole. But after cutting their deficit to 6-4, the hosts saw their hope to claim a comeback win evaporate as the D-backs widened their lead in the ninth inning against Jake Brigham.

QUOTABLE "There are a lot of good things I can take from this to the next start. I threw a lot of good sliders tonight. I've just got to get to where I throw that consistently down and away, instead of leaving it over the middle of the plate. I threw a couple good [split-finger fastballs] tonight, too. So there are some little positive things that keep me going into the next and next start." -- Foltynewicz, on allowing six runs over 4 2/3 innings vs. the D-backs SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS recorded four strikeouts and completed 2 1/3 perfect innings in his Atlanta debut. Jackson became the 55th player and 28th different reliever used by the Braves this season. The previous franchise record was 50 different players, set by the 2007 club.

WHAT'S NEXT D-backs: The D-backs will send Rubby De La Rosa to the mound in Sunday afternoon's series finale (10:35 a.m. MT) at Turner Field. De La Rosa is coming off a win against the Phillies and is 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA over his last five starts.

Braves: Atlanta will counter with in Sunday's series finale that will begin at 1:35 p.m. ET. Miller has posted a team-best 3.16 ERA (minimum nine starts) while going winless in his past 15 starts. His run support has been 1.38 during this frustrating stretch.

Braves show character with 8th-inning surge

Swisher's HR caps 4-run frame in loss to D-backs

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:01 AM ET

ATLANTA -- Though it proved to be a rally that fell short, the two-out offensive surge the Braves produced during the eighth inning of Saturday night's 8-4 loss to the D-backs provided Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez some proof that his players have not quit despite facing the reality that their playoff hopes essentially disappeared over the course of the past month.

"It's so great to be part of a team that wants to compete and just fight until the last out," Braves first baseman Nick Swisher said. "We have a lot of young guys that are very talented. Just being here for a week, the sky is the limit for this team in the future. I think if we just continue to go out and give it everything we have every single day, things are going to turn in our favor."

When the Braves acquired Swisher from the Indians last week, they were aware of the concerns surrounding his surgically-repaired knees. But at the same time, they viewed him as a high-energy, respected figure who had the potential to enrich their clubhouse and possibly prove that he does indeed have something left in the tank.

Swisher's two-run homer off Daniel Hudson capped the four-run, eighth-inning eruption that allowed the Braves to walk away from this latest loss with some energy. The veteran first baseman had been just 1-for-17 since being acquired by Atlanta before the .

"It was nice to get out on one and really let it fly a little bit," Swisher said. "When you come to a new team, you just want to get hits."

The Braves had totaled just three hits when they exited Saturday's seventh inning trailing the D-backs 6-0. Instead of looking like a club that had lost 21 of its previous 31 games, they instead showed some fight with the help of Cameron Maybin, who fueled the rally by recording a one-out hustle double.

Maybin scored two batters later, when Jonny Gomes recorded an RBI single off left-handed reliever Keith Hessler. Adonis Garcia, who was targeted to spend most of this season with Triple-A Gwinnett, followed with a RBI double -- his ninth extra-base hit since being recalled to Atlanta's roster on July 25.

After Swisher's homer cut Atlanta's deficit to 6-4, the D-backs tallied a pair of insurance runs off Jake Brigham in the ninth inning. Still, Gonzalez walked away from this setback with the sense his club still has some fight left in it.

"These guys are professional and they love playing the game," Gonzalez said. "When they get a chance to play, they do well and they bring it. When they don't get a chance to start, they're getting after it and supporting their teammates. Those are great qualities to have with your players."

Though Swisher has been around this club for just a week, he has already gained a sense of what kind of players Braves president of operations has been targeting.

"They're bringing in guys that just grind it out each and every single day," Swisher said. "Regardless of whatever the score is, it seems like we don't stop coming, which is great. Even though we lost tonight, that was something to build on."

No regrets from Freeman on return from wrist injury

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | August 15th, 2015

ATLANTA -- As has missed most of these past two weeks because of a minor right oblique strain, there has certainly been reason to wonder if he might have avoided this injury had he played more than one Minor League rehab game before returning from a right wrist injury that sidelined him for five weeks. But Freeman is not among those who buy into this theory. The Braves' first baseman views the oblique strain he suffered on Aug. 3 against the Giants as simply an unfortunate development that just happened to occur less than two weeks after he had returned from his lengthy absence.

"It was just one of those days," Freeman said. "I had no problems there. My legs felt great. Everything felt great. It was just one of those things. I've seen some articles that have said I might have come back too early, but that's not the case. I felt great when I came back. It's just that an oblique can happen sometimes. Unfortunately, it happened a couple of weeks ago. But it's all healed up now and that's all I can ask for."

The Braves certainly weren't going to take any risks when Freeman suffered the oblique strain while swinging at two consecutive pitches thrown by Giants starting Matt Cain. Though the ailment might have been minor enough to prevent a disabled list stint, the club took advantage of the opportunity to provide its prized first baseman a chance to rest for a few days and then spend more than a week preparing his body for the daily grind the remainder of this season will present.

Freeman is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list for Wednesday night's game in San Diego, but he will first play Minor League rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday and Monday. He played two rehab games with the Gulf Coast League Braves earlier this week and took batting practice with his Atlanta teammates before Saturday night's game against the D-backs at Turner Field.

"I've been swinging for the past six or seven days and playing games the past few days," Freeman said. "I'm 100 percent healthy. I haven't felt this good in August for a few years, so it's definitely a good feeling."

Being sidelined throughout most of this summer has been an unfamiliar and unwelcome experience for Freeman, who had made a Major League- best 243 consecutive appearances before the right wrist injury sidelined him from June 18 to July 24.

"It's definitely weird," Freeman said. "I'm not a big fan of sitting ever. When you physically just can't play … this has been a frustrating season for me. Hopefully, I can get back Wednesday and end the final month-and-a-half of the season on a positive note."

Miller hopes to end winless stretch in finale vs. D-backs

By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com | August 15th, 2015

When the D-backs and Braves play the final game of their three-game series on Sunday, Shelby Miller will be looking to end a 15-start winless streak.

Rubby De La Rosa, who will start for the D-backs, has 10 wins this year, twice as many as Miller, despite having an ERA that is more than two runs higher. The reason for the disparity comes down to run support.

The Braves have scored an average of 1.9 runs for Miller when he's been in the game, worst in the , while the D-backs have given De La Rosa the fourth-most runs to work with in the league at 5.1.

Things to know about this game

• Miller's 15-start winless streak is the longest by an Atlanta pitcher since Jo-Jo Reyes went 18 starts without a win from 2008-09. Miller's last win was May 17, when he threw a two-hitter against the Marlins.

• D-backs outfielder Yasmany Tomas is expected to be back in the lineup after missing three games with tightness in his left calf.

• De La Rosa is 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA over his last five starts. He started against the Braves on June 3 and did not get a decision, allowing seven runs over five innings.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after loss to Diamondbacks

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after the 8-4 loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday at Turner Field.

FREDI GONZALEZ

On Mike Foltynewicz

“You can tell how electric his stuff is. You can see the first two at-bats against (Paul) Goldschmidt. This guy is one of the top right-handers in our game and he didn’t get a good look at him. The base hit he got him was a little bloop single. You see some glimpses of some pretty good stuff coming out of that arm. Now we’ve got to get the whole thing together: the pitches, the location, his ‘pitchability,’ getting through innings. That’s stuff that every day we are working at it. Roger (McDowell) works at it and every couple days (Foltynewicz) goes out there to the bullpen and gets after it.”

On the eighth-inning rally

“Our guys don’t give up. We had bases loaded the inning before with (Joey) Terdoslavich swinging to get us back in it. We scored a couple runs after being shut out for the whole game. Jonny (Gomes) gave us a couple good at-bats. You see ‘Swish (Nick Swisher) hitting the ball and getting us within two runs.”

On Gomes and Swisher showing the energy he wants

“Absolutely. That will continue. These guys are professional and they love playing the game and when they get a chance to play, they do well and they bring it. When they don’t get a chance to start they are in the dugout getting after it and supporting their teammate. Those are good qualities to have in your players.”

On Edwin Jackson’s first appearance

“I don’t even know the last time he pitched. It was sometime in July. We were trying to get him into a non-leverage situation, just get him some work, and he gave us a big 2 1/3 innings. His pitch count is right at 20-something so you can bring him back in a couple days or a day-and-a-half. It was good. It was nice to see. He didn’t forget how to pitch. Now it’s a matter of building him up and running him back out there a couple times and picking a role for him, whether we want him in the back of the bullpen or we want him to start or any of that kind of stuff. This guy is a valuable piece for our pitching staff.”

On Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin

“He just threw his fastball. He commanded his fastball both sides of the plate to both lefties and righties. He threw a couple of wrinkles here and there but he pitched off his fastball. That was a pretty darn good performance right there.”

MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ

On his outing

“I thought I pitched OK. The line wasn’t pretty but I thought I went out there and made some pitches, got some ground ball outs when I needed to. But at the end of the day you can’t leave sliders and fastballs over the middle of the plate with two strikes. It’s probably a broken record but the two-strike put-away pitches I’ve got to get better at and tonight I didn’t execute them. I left a lot of pitches up in the zone which (leads) to bloop hits like that.”

On if he was reaching back when he struck out Paul Goldschmidt with a 98 mph fastball

“Yeah, a little bit. He can hit the fastball. My fastball with his bat I was seeing if I could blow it by him. I got him a couple times and got him with the slider a couple times, too. Other than that, I pitched OK. There are some positives out of that but not too much.”

On if he can take things to the next start

“There are a lot of things to take. I threw a lot of good sliders tonight. I’ve just got to get that consistently down and not up and over the middle of the plate. I threw a couple good splits (fastballs) tonight, too. There are a couple good things to take to the next bullpen and the next start and everything will be OK.”

EDWIN JACKSON

On his Braves debut

“Just following Ryan (Lavarnway). He made it easy on me tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the mound in a game-time situation. He made it pretty simple. Follow what he puts down and everything will be all right. I tried not to do too much. It’s been a while since I’ve been out there. My game plan was to stay within himself.”

NICK SWISHER

On the young team

“Very talented. Just being here for a week, the sky is the limit for this team, the future. If we can just keep going out there and giving it everything we can each and every day, things are going to start turning in our favor.”

On if it’s unique to have a team with this spirit “I think it’s great. I think that has a lot to do with the front office because they are bringing over guys that grind it out each and every day. Regardless of whatever the score is, it just seems like we don’t stop coming, which is great. Even though we lost tonight that was something to build on.”

On the two-run home run

“This is my first go-around in the National League so I don’t know a lot of these guys. I’m trying to figure out what these guys are trying to do to me. I’ve been working with Seitz (Kevin Seitzer) to get my stroke back. Tonight it was nice to get out on one and kind of let it fly. You come to a new team you want to get hits. That’s all you want to do is get on base and get hits. We were talking today and it looked like I was kind of feeling for it instead of just letting it go. That’s always been my style, man, is just let it go. So that was nice to get, especially in that situation.”

‘Folty’ falters as Braves lose to D-Backs

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It’s not May anymore for Mike Foltynewicz and the Braves.

Back then, Foltynewicz excited fans at Turner Field with his powerful fastball. The Braves were still competitive and Foltynewicz looked like a key piece of the rotation.

Now Foltynewicz is showing the kind of inconsistency that got him sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett in June, and the Braves are playing out the string. The Diamondbacks roughed up Foltynewicz on Saturday on their way to an 8-4 victory.

Foltynewicz allowed six runs over 4 2/3 innings. It was his least effective outing in his four starts since rejoining the Braves after Manny Banuelos was placed on the disabled list.

“You see some glimpses of some pretty good stuff coming out of that arm,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Now we’ve got to get the whole thing together: the pitches, the location, his ‘pitchability,’ getting through innings. That’s stuff that every day we are working at it.”

The Braves (52-64) lost for the fourth time in five games. They couldn’t solve Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin, who held them to three hits over 6 2/3 innings.

The Braves rallied with four runs in the eighth inning against the bullpen, including Nick Swisher’s two-run homer. But the Diamondbacks added two runs in the ninth against right-hander Jake Brigham.

Jonny Gomes and Adonis Garcia had two-out, RBI hits against lefty Keith Hessler and Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer against Daniel Hudson to cut the deficit to 6-4. The rally stayed alive when Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons reached on an error by Diamondbacks counterpart Chris Owings.

But Ryan Lavarnway struck out to end the inning and the Diamondbacks added two runs in the ninth inning against right-hander Jake Brigham. The Braves (52-64) suffered their fourth loss in five games.

The Diamondbacks (57-58) only hit a handful of balls hard against Foltynewicz (4-4). Unfortunately for him, most of them came at the wrong time and one of them left the ballpark.

“The line wasn’t pretty but I thought I went out there and made some pitches, got some ground ball outs when I needed to,” Foltynewicz said. “But at the end of the day you can’t leave sliders and fastballs over the middle of the plate with two strikes. It’s probably a broken record, but the two- strike put-away pitches I’ve got to get better at and tonight I didn’t execute them. I left a lot of pitches up in the zone which (leads) to bloop hits like that.”

A.J. Pollock’s one-out double against Foltynewicz in the first inning fell in front of Cameron Maybin in shallow center field. After Paul Goldschmidt struck out, David Peralta smacked a single over shortstop Andrelton Simmons to score Pollock.

Foltynewicz retired the next six batters he faced before Peralta led off the fourth inning with a home run to right field. Aaron Hill scored when Chris Owings reached on a fielder’s choice. Braves third baseman Garcia couldn’t get the ball out of his glove cleanly on a potential ground ball double play.

Peralta collected his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Hill followed Peralta with another sacrifice fly and Jake Lamb hit a run- scoring double down the right-field line.

That chased Foltynewicz after just 4 2/3 innings, which was his shortest start since he lasted 4 1/3 innings at the Mets on June 14. The six earned runs allowed by Foltynewicz tied for the most he’d given up in a game after he did the same against the Giants on Aug. 3.

While the Diamondbacks got to Foltynewicz, Corbin (3-3) handcuffed the Braves. After Maybin’s single with one out in the first inning, the Braves didn’t get another hit until Lavarnway doubled with two outs in the fifth. Corbin ended the threat by retiring Braves pitcher Edwin Jackson, who batted because he had to pitch 2 1/3 innings in relief of Foltynewicz.

“You’ve got to tip your hat sometimes,” Swisher said. “He was working the fastball both sides of the plate. He had a good slider. Really didn’t leave anything in the middle part of the plate. Hat’s off to him.”

Diamondbacks 8, Braves 4

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A recap of the Braves’ loss to the on Saturday at Turner Field.

How the game was won: The Diamondbacks roughed up Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz on the way to the 8-4 victory. Foltynewicz gave up six earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings. It was his shortest start since he lasted 4 1/3 innings at the Mets on June 14 and tied for the most runs he’s allowed. The Braves managed just three hits over 6 2/3 innings against Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin. They rallied with four runs in the eighth innning but Arizona added two runs in the ninth.

Number: 10. Braves pitcher Shelby Miller starts with no runs scored in support, the most in the majors.

Next: The Braves play the Diamondbacks at 1:35 Sunday on Fox Sports South. Braves RHP Shelby Miller (5-9, 2.48 ERA) faces Diamondbacks RHP Rubby De La Rosa (10-5, 4.55).

Braves lefty Marksberry shakes off ‘learning experience’

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Left-hander Matt Marksberry is the first member of the Braves’ 2013 draft class to make it to the majors. He’s hardly the first young pitcher to have an impressive streak interrupted by a bad outing.

The Rays tagged Marksberry for five runs in 2/3 innings Wednesday. Three of the runs were unearned, but they came after Marksberry committed a fielding error while covering first base.

Marksberry didn’t make an appearance in the next game, Friday against the Diamondbacks, but manager Fredi Gonzalez said he’ll call on Marksberry when needed.

“Some of the stuff you see, we can fix.” Gonzalez said. “But I think the biggest thing is you keep running him out there.”

The Rays had three consecutive hits before Marksberry he recorded an out. The go-ahead run scored when Marksberry stepped over the first-base bag.

“I look back on it as a learning experience,” Marksberry said. “There’s definitely some things I need to work on. I was really frustrated with myself because I’m a lot better than I performed. The only thing positive I can take out of it is I wasn’t wild, I wasn’t walking people. I was just getting hit. I can live with getting hit compared to walking people.”

Until the rough outing at Tampa Bay, Marksberry had been one of the many Braves call-ups to have success out of the bullpen in their first major- league stint. When Marksberry allowed a run against the Marlins on Sunday, it ended a streak of five consecutive scoreless appearances since the Braves promoted him from Triple-A Gwinnett.

The Braves selected Marksberry, 24, in the 15th round of the 2013 draft out of Campbell University if North Carolina. He began this season at high single-A Carolina and pitched 11 games for Gwinnett before getting promoted.

“The only word I can use to describe it is ‘whirlwind,’ he said. “It’s been great experience, a very humbling experience. I’m very fortunate for the Braves organization to give me a shot and believing in me enough to send me up here, especially in a rebuilding process. It’s good to know I might be a future piece.”

Smoltz offers tips to Braves

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Before the Braves honored for his recent induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Smoltz had a pitching session with the team’s current pitchers. Smoltz met offered tips to a handful of Braves pitchers in the Turner Field bullpen on Friday. One of them, All-Star Shelby Miller, said that among the helpful advice offered by Smoltz was the utility of bullpen sessions between starts.

“We don’t take advantage of those things sometimes as much as we should,” Miller said. “Having him there really locks you in and makes you want to be the best you can be and let him see your best stuff. It was awesome to have them there to help. Right away he noticed some things that were wrong and we corrected them.”

Smoltz pitched for the Braves from 1988 to 2008. He was voted to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Braves celebrated Smoltz’s induction during a ceremony before the game against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Miller said it was the first time he’d talked in depth with Smoltz, and he came away impressed by his knowledge and confidence.

“He’s somebody you want to (model) yourself after,” Miller said. “A guy who obviously is confident in his game, and you look back at what he’s done in his career and the way he went about it, it’s one of a kind. To have somebody like that come around and help us and get to pick his brain a little bit is pretty special.”

Will Braves keep Julio Teheran in this makeover?

By Jeff Schultz - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

As the Braves continue to remove any reminders of the Frank Wren era as if they’re warts in the middle of their forehead — , B.J. Upton, , Alex Wood, Craig Kimbrel, , Chris Johnson, Jose Peraza (and Christian Bethancourt back in the minors) — it’s clear the remainder of this season will play out like a high-level tryout camp.

“Given where the Braves are, nobody is immovable, except maybe Freddie Freeman,” John Smoltz, the team’s recently knighted Hall of Famer, said. “And even for a young player like Julio, when you see 20-some guys get moved, you can’t help but think, ‘What about me?’”

Yes. What about Julio Teheran? He pitched a gem against Arizona at Turner Field on Friday night, throwing a one-hit shutout for five innings with seven strikeouts before leaving after six with a 3-1 lead. For all of his hiccups and accompanying criticism and trade speculation this season, this is what Teheran has done in his past three starts: 2-0 (with a no decision in a third win), six earned runs allowed in 19 2/3 innings (2.75 ERA), 17 strikeouts and only three walks.

“The last three or four games, I see the same guy I saw before,” pitching coach Roger McDowell said.

“The guy’s still a young pitcher in the prime of his career,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

“Everybody has one of those seasons in their career when they struggle — this one was mine in the beginning,” Teheran said. “But now I feel I’m where I want to be.”

I’ve believed all season the Braves would be making a mistake to pull the chute on Teheran, amid speculation to that effect around the trade deadline. He won 28 games in his first two full major league seasons. Last year he led the rotation in wins (14), innings (221), ERA (2.89), strikeouts (186) and opponents’ batting average (.232).

He has struggled with command and consistency this season, but as McDowell said, “You win 14 games two years in a row and you make the All- Star team, and the expectation is that’s going to happen every year. Sometimes you fall into that trap.”

Teheran saw his ERA balloon to as high as 5.07 in mid-June (it’s now at 4.44, nearly double Shelby Miller’s 2.48). He has had a split-personality disorder, hinging on hotel bed sheets: He is 6-1 with 2.44 ERA at home; 2-5 with a 6.75 ERA on the road.

Some believe he hasn’t pitched inside and gone after hitters like he used to. But quoth McDowell, “A lot of being aggressive comes from fastball command. Shifting his stance to the left side of the rubber seems to have cured some ills.

When Wren went on his spending spree last winter, he signed Teheran to a six-year, $32.4 million extension. The deal made sense. It was a manageable contract for a young pitcher (now 24) who had shown himself to be the staff ace, and it gave the club cost certainty through at least 2019.

But now there are questions about Teheran’s status. Smoltz, who knows Braves President, Baseball Operations John Hart well and keeps tabs on the Braves, said of Teheran: “When you’re looking at the rotation today, fair or not, his stuff is in the middle. Everybody is looking for the Shelby Miller 97 (mph fastball). But this kid’s a pitcher. He’s just been in a funk.”

Hart and assistant general manager John Coppolella have been stockpiling young arms in the trades. Now they’re in the weeding out process and determining who to keep and who to deal for other pieces. Gonzalez denies rumors that dealing Teheran has been discussed, adding, “You never say nobody’s trade-able because maybe somebody comes in and blows your socks off. But we have never said we would trade this guy. We still see him as a top-of-the-rotation guy. He’s a young guy still trying to figure it out.” The evaluation process for prospects has changed in baseball. Money does that. The pressure to win quickly does that. Notwithstanding Gonzalez’s comments, the way the Braves deal with Teheran today is not how they might have dealt with him 20 years ago.

“Evaluation now is happening at mock speed,” Smoltz said. “You see guys like Julio who have early success and then struggle for the first time, and they don’t know what to do. It’s a hold-your-breath moment for the team.”

Smoltz speculated that all of the player movement may have unsettled Teheran a bit, but the latter denies that.

“It’s something that’s part of the game,” he said. “I want to stay here. This is where I signed, and I want to stay my whole career here. But you never know what’s going to happen.”

The past several months have reaffirmed that.

The Augusta Chronicle

Significant Braves working out, playing on Florida back fields

By David Lee

Three significant pieces of the Atlanta Braves’ present and future are currently teammates, but the setting is more similar to a high school scrimmage than a major league game.

Freddie Freeman, Hector Oliveraand Dian Toscano are all working out or playing for the Gulf Coast League Braves at their complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The GCL is a rookie level made up of recent draft picks and mostly teenagers who play on the back fields of spring training sites, sometimes with no attendance.

That likely changed Thursday when Freeman made his first rehab appearance and Olivera made his organizational debut against the GCL Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Freeman went 0 for 3 and Olivera went 0 for 2.

Freeman is rehabbing from a strained right oblique muscle suffered Aug. 3, just 10 games after returning from a right wrist injury that kept him out five weeks. The disabled list stints are a new experience for Freeman, who played all 162 games last season and has played at least 147 in each of his four full seasons.

The 25-year-old is expected to return to the Braves on Wednesday in San Diego.

Olivera, acquired in the July trade with the , made his first in-game appearance in a Braves jersey Thursday. The 30-year-old filled out his uniform with a strong frame and reportedly put on impressive batting practice sessions.

Olivera is getting back to game speed after sitting out of competitive baseball in 2014 and playing just 19 games in the Dodgers farm system before the trade. He’s also nursing a strained left hamstring suffered July 13, although it’s considered minimal at this point.

The Cuban is expected to make his major league debut this month, possibly when the Braves return to Atlanta on Aug. 24. It would make for one of the more anticipated Braves debuts in the past couple years.

Toscano was signed for six years in January out of Cuba, but the 26-year-old outfielder has dealt with paperwork issues for much of the year and has yet to be cleared to play competitive games. He remains at the Florida complex working out and waiting.

Toscano’s talents are less known to the general public than Olivera’s, but he’s expected to provide on-base ability and an advanced approach at the plate that draws walks and avoids strikeouts. He doesn’t offer much speed or power but could possibly serve as a fourth outfielder and occasional starter.

JACKSON SIGNS: The Braves signed right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson to a major league contract Friday for the remainder of the season.

Jackson, 31, will pitch out of the bullpen and become the 28th reliever used by the Braves this season. He’ll earn the minimum salary for the rest of the year.

Jackson earned $11 million from the Chicago Cubs this season and will make another $11 million from them next year after they designated him for assignment in July. He had a 3.19 ERA with 12 walks to 23 strikeouts in 31 innings for the Cubs.

This year marks the first since he was 22 years old that he isn’t in a major league rotation. He fell out of favor with the Cubs after recording a 6.33 ERA in 140 2/3 innings in 2014. His brief time with Atlanta could also serve as an audition for a potential rotation spot in 2016.

Jackson attended Shaw High School in Columbus, Ga., and lives in Atlanta.

Braves' lower-level prospects producing at high rate

By David Lee

While the Atlanta Braves have graduated numerous prospects from the upper levels of their farm system this season, the lower levels are also holding up their end of the production.

Minor leaguers still in the infant stages of the system have a long way to climb to reach the major leagues, but recent results from several of them are promising for the future as the Braves look toward success down the road.

Atlanta’s 2015 first-round pick, left-hander Kolby Allard, threw two scoreless innings and struck out five in the Gulf Coast League on Saturday. The 14th overall pick, who was seen as a potential top-five pick before a pre-draft back injury, has thrown three hitless innings with no walks and eight strikeouts to start his professional career.

Third baseman Austin Riley, drafted 41st overall in June, has already graduated from the GCL and is raking for rookie-level Danville. Riley, drafted for his power, has nine home runs in his first 43 pro games and is hitting .298 in 13 games for Danville.

A lesser-known name among Braves prospect fans is Ronald Acuna, a 17-year-old Venezuelan outfielder who has already graduated from the GCL and has played four games with Danville. Acuna, who signed for six figures in 2014, is drawing rave reviews for his athleticism and ability to stick in center field.

Acuna is following the path of fellow 17-year-old Venezuelan Juan Yepez, who is also at Danville after a recent promotion out of the GCL. Yepez signed for $1 million as Atlanta’s biggest international signing in 2014. He’s currently adjusting to the Appalachian League after hitting .306 in the GCL.

All of these names are positioning themselves for potential assignments to Rome in 2016, but some of that could depend on their spring camp performances. The Braves’ new development team has been more aggressive in promoting young players to higher levels, which could benefit several of these teenagers.

THURMAN PROMOTED: Right-hander Andrew Thurman was assigned to Double-A Mississippi on Thursday and made his Southern League debut, a reminder that the Braves got more than just one name in the Evan Gattis trade.

Thurman was dealt with Mike Foltynewicz and third base prospect to the Braves for Gattis this past winter. The right-hander was seen as the final piece of the deal, but he offers major league potential.

The 23-year-old had a 3.77 ERA with 11 walks to 43 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings for Advanced-A Carolina to begin his Braves career. He was assigned to Mississippi this past week and gave up four earned runs in his Double-A debut.

Thurman was drafted in the second round by the in 2013 and struggled in the last year, prompting his throw-in status by Houston. But he shows the potential for three average-or-better pitches, including a fastball that can sit low-90s and reach 97.

WHALEN ON DL: Right-hander Robert Whalen, acquired in the trade along with John Gant last month, was placed on Carolina’s disabled list Thursday after lasting just one inning in his Aug. 6 start.

Whalen made two good starts before his most recent outing was cut short by an undisclosed injury.

Associated Press

Corbin allows only 3 hits, Diamondbacks hold off Braves 8-4

By CHARLES ODUM (AP Sports Writer)

ATLANTA (AP) -- Patrick Corbin's first scoreless appearance of the season showed he's gaining momentum in his return from Tommy John surgery, and his fastball led the way.

Corbin allowed only three hits and no runs while pitching into the seventh inning and David Peraltahomered and drove in three runs as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 8-4 on Saturday night.

In the first six innings, Corbin allowed just three baserunners and got 15 outs via strikeouts or ground balls.

''This was as good as I've seen him,'' said Arizona manager David Hale.

Corbin (3-3) had eight strikeouts and three walks in 6 2-3 scoreless innings. It was the eighth start of his comeback. The left-hander was effective attacking with his fastball.

''Today I felt I had my best fastball since I've been back,'' Corbin said, adding that he used his slider as his top secondary pitch.

''It's great to go out there when everything felt in rhythm all game,'' he said.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Corbin ''threw a few wrinkles here and there, but he pitched off his fastball.''

Peralta had two hits, including a fourth-inning homer off Mike Foltynewicz (4-4).

The Diamondbacks led 6-0 before the Braves scored four runs in the eighth. Nick Swisher's two-run homer off Daniel Hudson hit high off the right field foul pole. Paul Goldschmidt added to the lead with a two-run single off Jake Brigham in the ninth.

Corbin's only trouble came in the seventh, when the Braves loaded the bases on Adonis Garcia's single and back-to-back two-out walks by Andrelton Simmons and Ryan Lavarnway. David Hernandez struck out pinch-hitter Joey Terdoslavich to end the inning.

The Braves appeared to have good looks at Corbin in the first inning. Jace Peterson led off with a drive that center fielder A.J. Pollock caught at the wall.Cameron Maybin then singled to center field, but that was Atlanta's last hit until Lavarnway's two-out double in the fifth.

Foltynewicz couldn't survive the Diamondbacks' three-run fifth. Consecutive singles by , Pollock and Goldschmidt loaded the bases. Peralta and Aaron Hill drove in runs with sacrifice flies before Jake Lamb's run-scoring double pushed the lead to 6-0.

Peralta gave Arizona a 1-0 lead in the first when his single drove in Pollock, who doubled.

Foltynewicz allowed six runs on nine hits, leaving his ERA at 5.61.

HOT BATS

Arizona had 11 hits. With the eight runs, the Diamondbacks are averaging 7.7 runs while hitting .354 over their last six games.

DEBUT FOR JACKSON

Making his Braves debut, Edwin Jackson relieved Foltynewicz and recorded four strikeouts while allowing no hits in 2 1-3 innings. Jackson, released by the Cubs on July 27, was signed by Atlanta on Friday.

Gonzalez said he has told Jackson to use the remainder of the season as an audition for 2016.

''He didn't forget how to pitch,'' Gonzalez said. ''Now it's a matter of building him up and running him back out there ... and picking a role for him.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RF-3B Yasmany Tomas (strained calf) ran before the game but did not start for the third straight game. Hale said his trainers were worried about Tomas running full speed. ''We can't afford to lose him,'' Hale said. ''That's a big ol' calf muscle.'' He said Tomas was available off the bench and will start on Sunday.

Braves: 1B Freddie Freeman (strained right oblique) took batting practice before flying to Columbus, Ohio to join Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. He is expected to return to the Braves on Wednesday, when he is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Rubby De La Rosa will try to continue his recent strong run of quality starts when the series ends on Sunday. He is 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA in his last five starts.

Braves: RHP Shelby Miller will look for his first victory since May 17. Miller, winless in his last 15 starts, is only 5-9 despite his strong 2.48 ERA.

Diamondbacks-Braves Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)

After being held in check in their opener against Atlanta, the Arizona Diamondbacks quickly got back to producing at the plate.

They've provided Rubby De La Rosa with enough support for a career-best win streak while the Braves have continued to give Shelby Miller only a meager backing in a 15-game winless drought he'll try again to snap Sunday. Arizona (57-58) is batting .354 and averaging 7.7 runs in its last six games, but had five hits in a 3-2 loss Friday. The Diamondbacks bounced back with 11 hits in an 8-4 victory the next day

David Peralta, batting .466 in his past 17 contests, homered and drove in three runs, giving him 20 RBIs in that stretch.

"I'm feeling pretty good," Peralta told MLB's official website. "(Friday), we didn't have a good game, but we just turned the page. We came with the same attitude and the same energy and tried to win the game. That's what we did today. We're just going to keep doing what we're doing now."

Arizona has backed De La Rosa (10-5, 4.55 ERA) with a combined 25 runs in his last five starts and gave him little to fret over in a 13-3 victory against Philadelphia on Monday, his fourth in a row. The right-hander allowed three runs in six innings, putting his ERA at 2.81 during his win streak.

Miller (5-9, 2.48) has received 14 runs in 15 games since a 6-0 win in Miami on May 17 and the Braves (52-64) didn't score any in his five innings in a 4-1 loss to the Marlins last Sunday. The right-hander gave up two runs in his eighth consecutive defeat, the longest losing streak by an Atlanta pitcher since Kenshin Kawakami dropped 11 straight in 2009-10.

Miller has a 3.16 ERA during the longest winless drought by a Braves starter since Jo-Jo Reyes' 18 games from 2008-09.

"Eventually, I'm going to win a game," Miller said. "Right now, it's all about going out there and trying to get a win, more than myself."

Miller is the first to have a .357 winning percentage or lower and a sub-2.50 ERA in at least 20 starts since Joe Magrane went 5-9 with a 2.18 ERA in 24 starts for St. Louis in 1988.

Miller has received zero runs of support seven times in his last 10 games and got just one in Arizona on June 2. He didn't help himself by matching a career high with six walks, and he gave up four runs in 4 1-3 innings, his shortest outing this season.

De La Rosa allowed seven runs in five innings in his only start against the Braves on June 3 but avoided the loss when Arizona rallied for a 9-8 victory.

Freddie Freeman hit a pair of homers off him but hasn't played since Aug. 3 because of a strained right oblique. , 0 for 8 in this series, hit a pair of doubles.

Peralta played just one game in the series against Atlanta in June and did not face Miller. Welington Castillo, batting .308 with eight homers in his last 17 games, has one hit in his last seven at-bats versus Miller, a home run.