Clippings Thursday, August 27, 2015 Braves.com

Back-to-back HRs can't end Miller's woes

By Mark Bowman and Jon Cooper / MLB.com | 1:51 AM ET

ATLANTA -- Jose Reyes' two- capped a four-run seventh inning that extended Shelby Miller's winless streak to 18 starts and propelled the Rockies to a 6-3 win over the Braves on Wednesday night at Turner Field.

Miller had retired 14 consecutive batters and held a 3-0 lead before he surrendered five hits, including three extra-base hits, during Colorado's decisive seventh. Ben Paulsen and Brandon Barnes recorded doubles ahead of Reyes' triple off Miller, whose winless streak now stands as the longest ever by an Atlanta in one season.

"We missed a couple of opportunities early on, and when that happens, you're always wondering if you're ever going to get another one for the rest of the game, especially against a guy like Miller," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "You're hoping another opportunity shows up at that point, and when it did, we took advantage of it."

Rockies starter Yohan Flande exited after allowing the Braves to begin the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back homers from Jonny Gomes and Adonis Garcia, and Jace Peterson's ground-rule . But Atlanta was unable to do any further damage as Colorado's bullpen escaped bases-loaded threats to end both the sixth and seventh innings, with John Axford stranding two baserunners in the ninth for his 18th save.

"[Miller] was lights out the whole ballgame," Peterson said. "We go up right there and we get three runs. We could have gotten more, but we didn't. That's baseball and it happened. But hopefully, we can get him a win his next time out."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Barnes a noble: Barnes came into the night batting .111 with four hits in August. He nearly matched that total, going 3-for-4, with a two-run homer in the eighth inning that gave the Rockies some breathing room. Barnes finished a triple short of the cycle in recording his second multi- game of the month, and fourth three-hit game of the season, his first since July 18.

Out of nowhere: Miller needed 37 pitches to complete the first two innings and he escaped a bases-loaded threat in the second inning with 's double-play groundout. He then found a groove, retiring 14 straight batters through the sixth. But he encountered some tough luck in the seventh, as Barnes' double bounced in front of diving Michael Bourn and Blackmon's two-out RBI bounced high off the plate, creating no chance for an out. This marked just the fifth time Miller has received at least three runs of support during his winless streak.

"I just got in a rough area and the momentum kept going for [the Rockies]," Miller said, after allowing more than three earned runs for just the fifth time during the streak.

Reyes of hope: Reyes had driven in more runs at Turner Field than any other visiting park, yet, was 1-for-11 in the series before he delivered his decisive seventh-inning triple. The Rockies now has 27 RBIs in the 76 games he's played in Atlanta.

Great penmanship: The Rockies' bullpen didn't allow a run in the entire three-game series, covering nine innings. On Wednesday, they turned the momentum, by escaping the bases-loaded jams in the sixth and seventh innings. Colorado's relievers entered Wednesday with a - high 4.96 ERA.

QUOTABLE "That's what happens with this lineup. We have a pretty good lineup, and when one guy gets going, it picks up the next guy and the next guy gets going. We feed off each other." -- Barnes, on the four-run rally in the seventh inning

"I haven't seen anything like this before, but by no means is this guy having a bad year." -- Gomes on Miller, who is 5-11 with a 2.62 ERA through 26 starts SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS When Colorado DJ LeMahieu batted cleanup, it made him the first Rockies player ever to hit in all nine positions in a season and the first player to do so in the National League since Will Venable did it for San Diego in 2013.

WHAT'S NEXT Rockies: Colorado has an off-day on Thursday then heads to Pittsburgh for a three-game weekend series with the Pirates to wrap up its six-game road trip. First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. MT.

Braves: Atlanta will welcome Brian McCann and the Yankees to Turner Field for a three-game series that begins on Friday at 7:35 p.m ET. This will mark the first time McCann has played in his hometown since he left the Braves as a free agent after the 2013 season. Williams Perez will face New York's Masahiro Tanaka in the series opener.

Miller's winless rut reaches record level

All-Star's streak of 18 starts without 'W' sets Atlanta mark

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:46 AM ET

ATLANTA -- For the first time in more than three months, Shelby Miller seemed to have everything he needed to end the most frustrating span of his young career. But after being reintroduced to the comfort of a multi-run lead during Wednesday night's 6-3 loss to the Rockies, the Braves right- hander endured an ugly seventh inning that extended his winless streak to an Atlanta-record 18 consecutive starts.

"We don't really talk about [the streak]," Braves second baseman Jace Peterson said. "Everybody knows it's going on. It's one of those things that is terrible. But I know he's going to keep battling and we're going to get him a win soon."

Though Miller earned his first All-Star selection justifiably this season and has proven he has the stuff and makeup to serve as the Braves' ace for years to come, Miller now owns the distinction of having gone winless in more consecutive starts during a season than any other pitcher in Atlanta history. He had shared the dubious record with Carl Morton, who had 17 winless starts to begin the 1976 season.

"I don't think I've seen anything like it," Braves left fielder Jonny Gomes said of the streak. "If we had a playoff game tomorrow, I'd want that guy on the hill. His stuff and composure, it's all there. He's obviously getting frustrated. That's understandable."

Miller had every reason to be frustrated after he squandered the only three-run lead he has been given since this winless streak began on May 23. The 24-year-old right-hander entered the seventh inning with a shutout bid in place and the momentum of retiring 14 consecutive batters. But he exited the frame with just two outs and the Rockies holding a 4-3 lead.

"You give up some good at-bats and then you go out there and make some pitches and it doesn't show for you," Miller said. "At the same time, that is part of the game and that's what happened."

If it's hard to explain how Miller has gone winless in the 18-start stretch -- during which he has surrendered two earned runs or fewer 11 times -- it was harder to explain how quickly the momentum shifted Wednesday night, after Gomes and Adonis Garcia gave the Braves a 3-0 lead with the back-to-back homers to begin the bottom of the sixth.

Ben Paulsen began the seventh with a double, and Brandon Barnes extended the frame when he delivered a double that landed in front of diving left fielder Michael Bourn. Jose Reyes capped the decisive frame with a go-ahead, two-run triple. But the most frustrating development for Miller came moments earlier, when Charlie Blackmon cut Colorado's deficit to 3-2 with a two-out single that bounced high off the plate.

"In my mind, I'm thinking this is his game," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I'm not thinking about anybody else in that bullpen for a lot of different reasons. This guy hasn't won a game in a long time. I'm going to give him every single opportunity to do it."

Braves eye Olivera for expanded roster

Cuban prospect, 30, acquired in July from Dodgers

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | August 26th, 2015

ATLANTA -- The Braves are looking forward to introducing Hector Olivera to the Major Leagues. Before doing so, they want to give the 30-year-old Cuban a chance to immerse himself in in the United States and make up for time lost while recovering from a strained left hamstring.

Olivera -- who is not expected to be called up until Major League rosters expand Tuesday -- has produced meager offensive results since he began a Minor League rehab stint on Aug. 13. The struggles he has encountered in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, and Triple-A have allowed the Braves to face the reality that there is no reason to rush him. "We're not going to leave him down there forever and at some point if he's not quite ready, we're still going to bring him," Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said. "It will most likely be when the rosters expand. He probably isn't going to be fully the same guy we're going to see next year."

Many fans will recognize Olivera as the centerpiece of the Braves' haul when they paid the hefty price of including prospect Jose Peraza and left- hander Alex Wood in the megadeal completed with the Dodgers on July 30.

Though inexperience may prevent Olivera from being at his peak level this season, Hart and his staff are hoping Braves fans soon get a sense of why there was a willingness to part ways with two talented young players to get a highly touted 30-year-old prospect who had never played professionally in the U.S. before this year.

"The guy [Olivera] looks great and he's strong," Hart said. "But it's just the day-to-day grind that he hasn't done."

Olivera batted .358 with a .921 OPS in the 13 games he played with the Dodgers at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. He strained his hamstring June 20 and aggravated the injury July 13 while completing a rehab assignment.

When you subtract the games he has played at the Rookie and Class A levels, Olivera has totaled just 19 games in the Minor Leagues in the U.S. The Braves have viewed this recent rehab stint as Olivera's and thus are not overly concerned that he entered Wednesday with just five hits (all singles) in 25 at-bats since joining Triple-A Gwinnett.

"We're just going to have to do the right thing with [Olivera]," Hart said. "The guy is a good hitter and he's going to hit and he should hit. This guy has never played in the big leagues and he just hasn't had the reps really over the last year and a half."

Yanks' McCann excited to return to Atlanta

By Grace Raynor / MLB.com | 1:45 AM ET

It is who Brian McCann credits for teaching him how to hit at the Major League level, and it was John Smoltz who McCann said taught him how to call a game as a young player in the Braves' organization.

On Friday, McCann -- a Georgia native who grew up a Braves fan -- will return to Atlanta to face his former team for the first time since he signed with the Yankees as a free agent after the 2013 season. The Braves and Yanks are meeting for the first time since 2012.

"I'm just excited. I was hoping to be able to go back there and play and [am] lucky enough that the schedule matched up and we're able to go back," McCann said. "When the schedule came out and I saw it, I was really excited for that. I wanted to go back and play before they knocked down Turner Field."

The Yankees will hand the ball to Masahiro Tanaka, who is 5-3 in his past eight starts and has a 4-2 Interleague record. The Braves will counter with Williams Perez, who took a no-decision in his last outing after 4 2/3 innings of eight-hit, six-run ball against the Cubs.

Things to know about this game

• McCann spent nine seasons with the Braves. He was drafted in the second round of the 2002 Draft. He hit .277 with 176 homers and 661 RBIs for Atlanta.

• With 138 double plays through Wednesday, the Braves ranked second in the Major Leagues in that category. The Pirates were the only team ahead of them with 144. has been involved in 91 of those, a Major League best.

• Braves right fielder enters the series on an eight-game hitting streak. Against the Yankees, Markakis has a .299 average in 161 games, though he is 1-for-7 when facing Tanaka.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after Wednesday’s loss to the Rockies

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes from Shelby Miller, Jace Peterson and Fredi Gonzalez after Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Rockies.

**JACE PETERSON

On frustration in the clubhouse “We come every day to try to get a win, and it seems like we can’t do it consistently. So, yeah, we’re frustrated. I thought Shelby threw a great game. He had that one inning where things kind of got out of hand, but I thought he threw great, gave us a chance. We were right there at the end of the ballgame, still had a chance to win it, so we kept fighting.”

On small crowds past three nights

“It’s definitely not fun playing in front of an empty crowd, but I know when we win, they’ll come. So we’ve just got to keep fighting, keep playing, and hopefully this weekend the fans come out and show support, because that definitely means a lot to us and it definitely keeps us up. So it’s more fun to play when the house is packed.”

On Colorado bullpen

“They kept us off-balance and we couldn’t get it done. That’s baseball. Take an off day tomorrow and Friday come back and get after the Yankees.”

On his three-hit, two-sac bunt game

“Personally I feel good, but you don’t really ever feel that good about it when you lose.”

On getting a 3-0 lead for Shelby Miller

“He was lights-out the whole ballgame. We go up right there, get three runs, and hopefully we could have got a couple more, but we didn’t. That’s baseball and it happens, but hopefully we can get him a win next time.”

On Miller’s 18-start winless streak, you ever seen anything as strange?

“It’s definitely up there, but we’ve seen some strange things happen this year. Like I said, rather stay focused and locked in. We’ve got another month and a few days, so we’ve got a lot of baseball left to play.”

Team think about his 18-start winless streak?

“It’s terrible, but I know he’s going to keep battling and we’re going to get him a win here pretty soon.”

**SHELBY MILLER

On the four-run seventh inning by Rockies

“I just got in a little rut there and the momentum just kind of kept going for them.”

On the groove he was in through sixth

“I felt good. I felt like we had good command of our pitches, Betty (Bethancourt) called a great game. Other than that, I felt good.”

One of those nights where you realize again this game can be cruel?

“Yeah, I mean, you give up some good at-bats, and then you go out there and make some pitches and don’t have anything to show for it. At the same time, that’s part of the game. And that’s what happened.”

** FREDI GONZALEZ

On Miller’s four-run seventh inning to blow 3-0 lead

“There was some bad luck. He made a nice pitch to Blackmon and the ball hit off the plate and got up in the air, we couldn’t get anybody out. The (hit) to Bourny out there, first or second hitter of the inning, he tried to dive for it and just…. They put a big number up. But those are the types of games where you like to have Shelby Miller pitching, especially the way he’s been going. You’ve got a 3-nothing lead, run him back out there and you feel pretty good.”

On the homers in sixth to push lead to 3-0

“We got back-to-back home runs. But we didn’t add on. We had some opportunities, even in the ninth inning. You hate to give up those two runs in the eighth. We had bases loaded a couple of times, just didn’t get that two-out knock to make get some add-on runs.”

What are you thinking when he’s got a 3-0 lead and all of a sudden in the seventh they’re batting around and scoring four runs?

“I’m thinking, this is his game. I’m not bringing anybody from that bullpen for a lot of different reasons that we talk about. But hey, this guy hasn’t won a game in a long time, we’re going to give him every single opportunity to do it. And again, it’s just a chopper off the p late, got up in the air, a ball splits a gap … we just couldn’t get it done for him.” Did you think about leaving him in or had the inning just spiraled by that point?

“Well, I did leave him in. By the time I took him out he was down one run. I did leave him in. At that point you try to minimize the damage and not let him throw another 15, 16 pitches.”

Braves’ Miller blows lead in loss to Rockies, is winless in 18 starts

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nearly 3 ½ months after coming within one out of throwing a no-hitter, Braves ace Shelby Miller still has not recorded another win. And Wednesday night, it was a bad bounce and a big blown lead by Miller that continued the streak.

His winless skid reached further historic proportions when he blew a 3-0 lead against the Rockies, giving up four runs in the seventh inning of a 6-3 Braves loss at Turner Field. It was the 18th consecutive winless start for Miller, the longest by any Braves pitcher in one season since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966.

The Braves, losers of nine of their past 10 games, dropped the series and fell to 1-6 against Colorado. The Rockies had won only two of their previous 14 games before taking the last two in the poorly attended three-game series.

“We come every day to try to get a win, and it seems like we can’t do it consistently,” said Braves second baseman Jace Peterson, who had three hits including a double, and two sacrifice bunts. “So, yeah, we’re frustrated. I thought Shelby threw a great game. He had that one inning where things kind of got out of hand, but I thought he threw great, gave us a chance. We were right there at the end of the ballgame, still had a chance to win it, so we kept fighting.”

Miller (5-11) worked out of trouble in each of the first two innings and got some support in the sixth via consecutive home runs from Jonny Gomes and Adonis Garcia to start the inning, pushing the lead to 3-0.

But after getting 15 outs in a 14-batter span through the sixth, including four consecutive perfect innings, Miller ran into a wall in the seventh. The Rockies batted around in the inning, getting five hits against Miller, including a two-out, high-chop infield single from Charlie Blackmon that drove in the second run.

““There was some bad luck,” said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose Braves have lost 31 of 43 games since their 42-42 start. “He made a nice pitch to Blackmon and the ball hit off the plate and got up in the air, we couldn’t get anybody out.

Blackmon’s single was followed by a two-run triple from Jose Reyes for a 4-3 lead. One intentional walk later, Peter Moylan replaced Miller and got the final out of the inning.

“I just got in a little rut there and the momentum just kind of kept going for them,” said Miller, who was charged with nine hits, four runs and two walks with seven in 6 2/3 innings.

He fell to 0-10 with a 3.24 ERA in his past 18 starts, the longest single-season winless streak in Atlanta franchise history and four starts from matching the record of 22 winless starts by the Braves’ Carl Morton from mid-September 1975 to mid-July 1976.

The 10 consecutive losses is the most by any Braves starter since the Boston Braves’ Many Salvo lost 10 straight decisions in 1941.

“We’ve seen some strange things happen this year,” Peterson said. “It’s terrible, but I know he’s going to keep battling and we’re going to get him a win here pretty soon.”

The Braves had another chance to tie or regain the lead after loading the bases with two out in the seventh, but Andrelton Simmons grounded out to end the inning. The Rockies added a two-run homer by Brandon Barnes in the eighth against reliever Edwin Jackson to open a 6-3 lead.

For much of the night it looked like Miller had a bump of good karma from Mitch Miller, his father, who works for the fire department in Brownwood, , and was among those who threw out ceremonial first pitches before the game. The International Association of Fire Chiefs is having its annual Fire-Rescue Conference and Expo this week in Atlanta.

But the upbeat night turned sour when Miller gave up four runs in the seventh, wiping away his potential win. His 18-start winless streak surpassed a 17-start drought by Morton in 1976 as the longest single-season drought in Atlanta history.

It was already the longest in major league history by any pitcher within a season in which he made an All-Star team, easily surpassing the previous record of 13 consecutive winless starts by Nolan Ryan of the 1983 Astros.

Gomes and Garcia feasted on left-hander Yohan Flande, hitting back-to-back jacks three pitches apart off Flande, who was chased from the game when Jace Peterson followed with a double that bounced over the center-field fence. Gomes started the first and last games of the series against lefties and homered in each. Garcia has played 31 games and the rookie already has six homers, fifth-most among current Braves.

Miller worked out of trouble in each of the first two innings. After giving up consecutive one-out singles in the first, Miller struck out DJ LeMahieu and Ben Paulsen to end the inning. When the Rockies loaded the bases with none out in the second, Miller escaped by striking out Flande and inducing a double-play grounder from Blackmon.

The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the second when Gomes drew a leadoff walk, Garcia singled, Peterson advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Christian Bethancourt grounded out to score Gomes. In the sixth, the lead grew when the Braves hit back-to-back homers for the third time this season.

Miller entered with just a 5-10 record despite a 2.50 ERA that was the sixth-best among NL starters. He had the worst run support among major league starters at 2.56 per nine innings pitched before Wednesday, and during his winless streak that support had shrunk to just 1.55 runs per nine innings.

He got about twice that Wednesday, to no avail.

“I felt good. I felt like we had good command of our pitches,” Miller said. “Betty ( Chirstian Bethancourt) called a great game…. You give up some good at-bats, and then you go out there and make some pitches and don’t have anything to show for it. At the same time, that’s part of the game. And that’s what happened.”

Rockies 6, Braves 3

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How the game was won: The Rockies erased a three-run deficit by scoring four runs off Shelby Miller in the seventh inning of a 6-3 win against the Braves at Turner Field. Miller (5-11) hasn’t won in more than 3 1/2 months, and this time blew a 3-0 lead after the Braves got consecutive homers from Jonny Gomes and Adonis Garcia to start the sixth inning. Miller gave up nine hits, four runs and two walks, including five hits in the seventh, the biggest blow a two-run triple by Jose Reyes for a 4-3 lead. Brandon Barnes added a two-run homer off Edwin Jackson in the eighth.

Number: 18. Consecutive winless starts for Shelby Miller, the most by a Braves pitcher within a single season since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966, and the most by any All-Star pitcher in a season in which he made the All-Star team. Nolan Ryan had the previous record of 13 consecutive winless starts with the 1983 Astros.

What’s next: The Braves have a day off Thursday before welcoming to town the , who are expected to draw huge crowds to Turner Field in a three-game series that begins Friday at 7:35 p.m. Rookie Williams Perez (4-4, 4.76 ERA) faces Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (9-6, 3.61) in the series opener.

If Miller’s winless streak doesn’t end tonight vs. Rockies….

By David O’Brien

By now I think we’re all familiar with Shelby Miller’s remarkable winless streak, and also – this is important – we’re all quite aware that won-lost records, particularly within the relatively small sample size of a single season, can and often do mean absolutely nothing in relation to how well or poorly a pitcher performed in that that season, due to the many factors out of his control, such as run support and team defense.

I note the latter because we don’t need anyone to tell us via tweet or comment below that won-lost record is a terrible way to measure a pitcher’s performance, or – apply whiny voice here – “you know there are many, far better ways to measure a pitcher’s performance” or “why do you even bother citing a pitcher’s won-lost record?”

We get it. All of us. You, on the other hand, are a bit clueless if you respond in such a manner, as it clearly indicates you don’t bother reading what you are responding to.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a quick, closer look at Miller’s winless streak as he enters tonight’s start against the Rockies, and we do so in order to point out just how noteworthy is the level of bad luck and consistently poor run support that must come into play for a pitcher of Miller’s ilk to go without a single win for such an extended period.

First of all, just consider that until Miller came along this season, the only major league pitcher to go more than a dozen starts without a win during a season in which he made the All-Star team was Nolan Ryan, who had a string of 13 winless starts in 1983 for the Astros. Miller has 17, folks. Seventeen. He made the All-Star team this season after going 5-1 with a 1.33 ERA in his first eight starts this season, and the Braves scored 4.5 runs per nine innings he pitched in that span. The team won eight of his first nine starts, but just two of his past 16. That’s right, the Braves are 2-14 in the past 16 starts by the guy who’s been their best pitcher this season.

Miller is 0-9 with a 3.11 ERA in his past 17 starts, and the Braves have provided an average of 1.55 runs per nine innings that he’s pitched in that span. Not 1.55 runs per start — 1.55 runs per nine innings pitched by Miller.

The Braves have not scored more than three runs while he’s been in the game in any of those starts, and in 12 of those 17 games they scored one or no runs while he was in (eight times they failed to score a run while he was in).

Miller has a 5-10 record despite a 2.50 ERA that’s the sixth-best among NL starters, just a tick behind (2.49), who 14 wins, and ahead of Matt Harvey (2.57), who has 11 wins. Cole and Harvey rank among NL wins leaders, while Miller is tied for the ninth-most losses in the NL.

The primary reason, of course, for the disparity: Miller has the worst run support among major league starters at 2.56 per nine innings pitched (and it’s been a full run lower than that during his past 17 starts). By comparison, teammate Julio Teheran has received the seventh-best run support among NL starters this season at 5.09 runs per nine innings pitched.

Miller’s .223 opponents’ average is the ninth-lowest among NL starters, just behind Harvey (.217) and ahead of former Cardinals teammate Matt Wacha (.230). Miller’s .327 opponents’ is tied with Jonny Cueto for fifth-best among NL starters, ahead of Tyson Ross (.332), Cole (.339) and Wacha (.342).

Before Miller, the only other Braves pitcher to go 17 consecutive winless starts within a single season during the team’s Atlanta era (going back to 1966) was Carl Morton, who began the 1976 season by going without a win in his first 17 starts.

In 12 starts at Turner Field, Miller is just 2-5 despite an outstanding 2.01 ERA and .216 opponents’ average in 12 starts, with 76 strikeouts (29 walks) and only four homers allowed in 76 innings. Two wins in 12 home starts with those stats? Really, it’s hard to believe.

And for those who keep waiting for the pressure and disappointment of his nearly historic winless streak to overwhelm him and affect his performance, well, consider this: In four August starts, Miller is 0-2 with a 2.84 ERA, 25 strikeouts, 14 walks and only one homer allowed in 25 1/3 innings. F

For the month, he’s limited opponents to a .189 average, .295 OBP and .278 slugging percentage. He has a .210 opponents’ average and .302 opponents’ slugging percentage since the All-Star break, after allowing .227/.336 marks before the break.

In his past two starts, Miller has 18 strikeouts with eight walks in 13 1/3 innings. And no wins. But hey, at least the Braves won one of those games, after losing 10 consecutive games started by Miller and failing to score at all while he was in seven of those 10.

Miller is tied for third among NL starters in lowest opponents’ average with runners in scoring positon at .193 (27-for-148), better than Cubs ace Jake Arrieta (.195) and trailing only a couple of former Cardinals teammates, Carlos Martinez (.159) and Wacha (.192).

If he can’t break the streak tonight, well, all bets are off on him ending it before the season ends. Because tonight he faces the Rockies, who are 3- 12 with a 6.72 ERA in their past 15 games. Of course, one of those wins came Tuesday, when they beat the Braves 5-1 in a game where third baseman Adonis Garcia made three errors, the Braves left 10 runners on base, and all four runs charged to rookie starter Mike Foltynewicz were unearned. That’s right, all four, unearned.

The win over the Braves marked just the fourth time in their past 26 games that Colorado allowed fewer than three runs. They are 7-19 with a 6.15 ERA in that span.

Miller is 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA in four starts against the Rockies, the loss coming in his only star against them as a Brave, on July 10 in Colorado. He was charged with season-highs of 11 hits and five earned runs in five innings in that game.

Carlos Gonzalez, who didn’t play Tuesday due to a sore knee, is 1-for-6 with a homer and four strikeouts against Miller, the only current Rockie who’s homered off him. DJ LeMahieu is 3-for-5 with two walks against Miller, and Braves nemesis Charlie Blackmon is 3-for-8.

• Unfamiliar Flande: The Braves’ snake-bitten pitcher is matched up tonight against lefty Yohan Flande (3-1, 3.94 ERA), who pitched in the Braves’ minor league system during 2011-2013 but hasn’t faced the Braves or almost anyone on the team.

Flande is 3-0 with a 3.08 ERA and .216 opponents’ average in nine games (five starts) since July 4, despite allowing eight homers in 38 innings. He’s 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in his past three games (all starts) despite allowing six homers in 17 2/3 innings in that span, including three solo homers in 4 2/3 innings in an Aug. 9 start at Washington.

Flande has a better road ERA (4.42) than at Coors Field (3.62). He also has a 3.00 ERA in nine night games (three starts) compared to a 6.39 ERA in four day games (two starts).

The only current Brave who’s faced Flande is Cameron Maybin (0-for-2).

• Etc.

Andrelton Simmons is toughest to strike out in the majors at once every 14.7 plate appearances, far ahead of the next-toughest, the Mets’ Daniel Murphy (once every 13.4), while the third-best rate is once every 11.8 PAs by Cleveland’s , the leader….

Nick Markakis continues to blaze in August, his .344 average (32-for-93) tied with Dee Gordon for third-best in the NL through Tuesday. As a this season, Markakis’ .383 OBP is third-best in the NL, behind (.432) and Matt Carpenter (.391).

Speaking of not whiffing much, Markakis is eighth-toughest to strike out in the NL at once every 8.3 plate appearances. He has the NL’s fifth-highest batting average with two strikes at .265 (66-for-249)….

Jace Peterson’s .198 average against lefties is fifth-lowest among NL qualifiers, as is his .247 OBP against lefties. In the second half, Peterson has struggled against most everyone. Since the beginning of July, he’s 36-for-181 (.199) with 10 extra-base hits, 15 RBIs, 14 walks, 48 strikeouts, a .260 OBP and .282 slugging percentage….

Matt Wisler’s 9.13 ERA in August is the worst among NL starters, while fellow Braves rookie Mike Foltynewicz’s 7.27 is tied for fourth-highest among NL starters.

Braves’ record, attendance both in decline since 42-42

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

They were 42-42 with less than a week to go before the All-Star break, but the Braves’ season took a sharp turn south soon after and they’ve never recovered, with injuries triggering we’re-out-of-it trades and the won-lost record predictably plummeting at alarming speed.

Since reaching the 84-game mark with a .500 record, the Braves had gone 12-30 before Wednesday night’s series finale against the Rockies, including 3-11 in their past 14 games. With the Braves coming off an 0-7 road trip, it wasn’t surprising that announced attendance was below 14,000 for each of the first two games of the Rockies series, and there were perhaps half that many actually in the ballpark.

Meanwhile, the third-place Braves were 15 ½ games behind first-place New York and 10 behind second-place Washington before Wednesday. They were only three games ahead of the lowly Marlins and four ahead of the last-place Phillies, whose 50-76 record was the worst in the majors before Wednesday.

Yes, it’s been rough for a team not at all accustomed to being irrelevant in the standings long before the calendar even turned to September. But the Braves are committed to this rebuilding – or revamping, or retooling, or whatever they call it – and that means short-term pain for what they hope will be long-term gain.

“We knew when we made those deals (trading away players for prospects in late July), and guys get hurt — you’ve got to fight your way home,” Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said. “And it’s going to be tough. We play the Cubs, and we’re going to have the Mets, clubs that are playing for something. It’s going to be good for some of our guys to get the feel of what it is. But at the end of it, we’re going to have to be ‘game on.’ Because I can remember being, for years, being that club that, you kind of come in and circle that club that’s wounded a little bit. But there it is. Here we are.”

Hart and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez were asked if there were any concern over younger Braves possibly developing a “loser’s mentality” and going through the motions at times, perhaps accepting defeat from being around it so much in the second half of the season.

“That’s unacceptable,” said Gonzalez, adding that he hasn’t sensed it being a problem or becoming one. “If you’ve got a chance to win a game, you’ve got to win it. You never want that (loser’s) mindset. You’ve still got to develop the mindset of winning. If I see (anything but that) I will take care of it myself. That’s my job.”

Hart said, “I’ve been with a lot of clubs that go into the break 20-25 games over .500 and heading to the playoffs, but probably had as much fun (with this) club in the first half, because of the way these guys played. We were playing right at .500 (through 84 games), when people probably thought we’d be more like we are now. I think obviously we’ve had some injuries, we weren’t (deep) enough to overcome them. We’ve made a lot of trades. It’s not even the club that it was a month ago.

“But with that said, the one thing that Fredi and I have talked about, and the coaches and I have talked about – the energy level, not accepting defeat. We picked up an Edwin Jackson — we’re trying to (make sure), when we go in to play the tougher teams, that we’re going to be in the game. There’s enough makeup and character on this club that that one doesn’t bother me. It’s effort level, playing the game the right way, playing to win, not being happy when you lose. I feel that’s still the m.o. of this team.”

Olivera not expected to join Braves before Tuesday

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

They know that Hector Olivera’s pending arrival is highly anticipated by Braves fans who haven’t had a whole lot to get excited about in recent weeks.

But Braves officials are being careful not to bring the Cuban up from Triple-A to the major league team until they think closer to being ready, when he has regained his leg strength and his timing down at the plate.

Instead of Monday’s homestand opener against the Rockies, or Friday’s series opener against the Yankees, the ETA for Olivera now looks to be no sooner than Tuesday (Sept. 1), when major league rosters can be expanded. Not only will the delay give Olivera, 30, more time to hone his swing, it’ll also allow the Braves to avoid making a roster move to open a spot for him on the 25-man roster.

Not that delaying Olivera’s arrival is easy, when the Braves could use a spark of any kind.

“It is tough. Believe me,” Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said. “It’s not easy when you look at it and go, we’re just going to have to do the right thing with this guy. We’re just going to have to.”

The Braves gave up plenty to get Olivera from the Dodgers in a three-team deal July 30, sending to Los Angeles infield prospect Jose Peraza along with Alex Wood and relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan. Olivera, who is signed for five more seasons beyond this one, can play three infield positions (all except shortstop) and left field, and the Braves plan to make him their regular third baseman.

Olivera had two hits and his first RBI in his fifth game for Gwinnett on Tuesday, and was 5-for-20 with five singles, one RBI, one walk and three strikeouts in for the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate before Wednesday night’s game at Charlotte. This after going 1-for-17 with a single in six games at the rookie- and low-Single A levels in the first stops of his rehab assignment.

“We DH’d him last night at Charlotte,” Hart said. “We’re going to play him at third base a couple or three games in a row, then we might give him a day off. We’re not going to leave him down there (in Triple-A) forever. At some point (even) if he’s not ready, we’re going to bring him. Most likely it’s going to be when the rosters expand, and he probably isn’t going to be fully the same guy we’re going to see next year.”

Before missing a month with the hamstring injury, Olivera batted .387 (12-for-31) with a double, a triple and a for the Dodgers’ Triple-A Oklahoma City affiliate, and looked ready to make his major league debut and be the impact guy that he was expected to be when the Dodgers signed him to a six-year, $62.5 million contract last winter, when they outbid the Braves, Padres, Marlins and Yankees for his services.

“We knew when we made the (trade) that he hadn’t been able to play for a period of time,” Hart said. “He hurts his hamstring, his baseball activities got shut down. This is a guy that I think was ready to play; he hadn’t played a lot in the year leading up to (this), in the year he was defecting he didn’t participate a lot. Then he’s out for basically all winter doing showcases and workouts. Then when he finally signed, he didn’t get over (to the United States) till May. He got back in the fray, he didn’t ever have a spring training, and he gets hurt.”

Olivera, listed at 6 feet 2 and 220 pounds, impressed Braves with “light-tower power” during batting-practice sessions when both were rehabbing recently in Florida. Freeman said in batting practice, Olivera hit balls about as far as former Braves slugger Evan Gattis.

How his talent will translate to , in the near- and long-term, remains to be seen. But the Braves, who will pay Olivera about $32 million through the 2020 season, are going to be patient and give another several days in Triple-A to continue working on his timing and his conditioning.

“We’ve sort of looked at two things,” Hart said. “One, we want to make sure he is healthy, so we’ve taken our time there. And then, he’s going to need a little bit of a spring training. We’ve had to sort of throw him in the fray. We’ve adjusted, we wanted to get him out of the Gulf Coast League. We felt that he was healthy enough that we weren’t going to blow the hamstring out, but we were still going to get him into game shape, into playing shape. Physically he looks great. It’s just the day-to-day grind that he hasn’t done.”

Fox Sports South

Winless drought has Braves' Miller nearing place in history

Cory McCartney

ATLANTA -- A spot in history he likely wants no part of is becoming more and more of a possibility for Shelby Miller.

A day before he took the mound Wednesday night against the Rockies, the right-hander was discussing what's gone right and what's gone wrong in his All-Star first season with the Braves. "You've got to take the positives with the negatives," he summarized, "and try to get better day-in and day-out with what you have."

The elephant in the room, though, continues to grow as he made it 18 consecutive starts without a win, taking the loss as Atlanta dropped the series finale 6-3.

Everything was in place to break through as Miller -- given a 3-0 lead by an offense that has supplied him with the majors' lowest run support -- allowed just four hits through six innings and had retired 14 consecutive batters.

Then the seventh inning happened.

He gave up four earned runs on five hits, including Jose Reyes' two-run triple that gave the Rockies the lead.

"You give up some good at-bats and then you go out there and make some pitches and ... it doesn't show for it, but it's part of the game and that's what happened," Miller said afterward.

At 5-11 with a 2.50 ERA, time is running out on the 24-year-old righty, who hasn't earned a victory since May 17 vs. the Marlins.

In 2013, Cole Hamels went 9-9 and had a 2.46 ERA for the Phillies. That was the fewest wins for any pitcher with at least 30 starts and an ERA under 2.50 since 1901 (per Baseball-Reference's Play Index).

Miller would need to win at least five of his expected remaining starts to not take Hamel's place. That stretch includes two outings vs. the National League East-leading Mets (Sept. 11 and home and Sept. 22 on the road), one against the Blue Jays, the American League East leaders (Sept. 17 at Turner Field), two vs. the Nationals (Sept. 6 at home; Sept. 29 away) and his next outing, Sept. 1 against the Marlins in Atlanta.

He has already gone the most starts without a win by any Braves pitcher since the team relocated in 1966 and surpassed Nolan Ryan's 13 in 1983 for the longest drought by any player in an All-Star season.

But to his credit, Miller isn't sweating his winless streak or the tough-luck outings that have come with it, seeing him drop his last 10 decisions.

"Just finishing strong and getting in whatever starts I have left and trying to finish the season on a good note," he said of his focus.

ESPN

Pedro Ciriaco's streak of plate appearances without a walk is awesome and amazing

David Schoenfield, SweetSpot blogger

A reader pointed this out in my chat Tuesday: Atlanta Braves utility guy Pedro Ciriaco has yet to draw a walk this season. In 123 plate appearances. How did I not know this? He has a chance at the single-season record for a non-pitcher: The immortal Craig Robinson had 148 walk-less plate appearances for the 1973 Phillies.

But it's even better than that: Ciriaco didn't draw a walk last year in 49 plate appearances. The last walk he drew was in 2013. He has gone 191 consecutive plate appearances in the majors without one. That's not the major league record. Mariano Duncan began 1995 with 218 plate appearances without a walk and ended 1994 with 105 walk-less PAs, so he had 323. That might be the record, but I'm not sure; apparently, nobody really keeps track of this. By the way, Duncan was an All-Star in 1994. Go figure.

The last time Ciriaco drew a walk was when he was with the Padres in 2013. How do you walk Ciriaco? I went to the video. Allen Webster of the Red Sox walked him on four straight fastballs. Webster didn't really come close to the strike zone, so even the free-swinging Ciriaco didn't swing.

As you would guess, Ciriaco doesn't walk because he chases a lot of bad pitches. He's like a dog and a big pile of beef jerky; no self-control. Among players with 50 plate appearances, he has the second-highest chase rate in the majors at 49 percent. So he swings at almost half the pitches he sees that aren't even strikes. The No. 1 guy is Chris Heston, and he's a pitcher.

Here's the top-five list for most PAs in a season without a walk since 1901, courtesy of the Baseball-Reference Play Index:

1. Ed Walsh, 1907 White Sox: 156

2. Cy Young, 1904 Red Sox: 149

3. Craig Robinson, 1973 Phillies: 148

4. Eddie Plank, 1903 A's: 138

5. Bill James, 1914 Braves: 135 Walsh, Young, Plank and James were all pitchers (the first three, in fact, are Hall of Famers), so Robinson's season was pretty special. The only other position players in the top 10 are Alejandro Sanchez of the 1985 Tigers (133) and Ernie Bowman of the 1963 Giants (131).

As for Robinson, the Braves actually traded for him and made him their starting shortstop in 1974. He hit .230 in 452 at-bats with no home runs, four doubles and six triples. Yes, 10 extra-base hits all season. But he did draw 30 walks. If you get the idea that the 1970s was a bad era for middle , you would be correct. Some day I'll do a big post on all the awful seasons from 1970s and second basemen. Definitely a dark era in major league history.

So here's rooting for Ciriaco. He has been playing a little more recently, with three starts since Aug. 21, so maybe he can catch Robinson. Keep swinging, Pedro.

The Macon Telegraph

Fallen Macon firefighter’s sons throw ceremonial first pitches at Braves game

BY LIZ [email protected]

ATLANTA -- The crowd at Turner Field cheered Wednesday night as the children of a fallen Macon-Bibb County firefighter walked to the mound.

Lt. Randy Parker’s sons, Andrew, 22, and Chandler, 9, were tapped to toss the ceremonial first pitch during Firefighter Appreciation Day as the Braves took on the .

“We were more of a football family,” Andrew Parker said while waiting in the stadium concourse.

So to prepare, he and Chandler tossed the ball a bit Wednesday before leaving for Atlanta.

“I don’t think it’s really hit them until (Wednesday),” said their mother, Sandie Parker.

As the game was about to get underway, a picture of Randy Parker in his firefighter dress uniform flashed on the large screen in center field.

The boys’ 46-year-old father was killed in February when a floor collapsed during a house fire.

As baseball fans paused for a moment of silence for Parker’s sacrifice, his widow gently wiped away tears while she stood in the first row near home plate.

“It’s just humbling that they are doing it in honor of Randy and they thought that much to ask us,” she said.

The announcer bellowed from the speakers: “In honor and recognition of Lt. Parker, here to throw out tonight’s ceremonial first pitch are his two sons.”

They stood about 4 feet apart on the mound.

Chandler was first to wind up and throw, with his big brother right behind him.

“Good job,” their mother said as she high-fived Chandler as he returned to the stands.

She was ushered to home plate to serve as honorary Braves manager just before the start of the game.

Dozens of the lieutenant’s former colleagues from the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department traveled to Atlanta for the game.

During pre-game festivities, about 500 firefighters and family members marched around the field, with the Parkers taking the lead.

“Randy’s family has been through so much since February when this accident occurred, and it’s just awesome that the Braves reached out to us,” Macon-Bibb Asst. Fire Chief Shane Edwards said. “Just for her two boys to be able to throw out that first pitch just means so much to our organization in the fire department and also that family.”

For each ticket sold Wednesday night, $5 was donated to the Georgia Fallen Firefighter Foundation.

Events honoring Lt. Parker give the family something to look forward to.

“Sometimes it’s very raw ‘cause it brings back some of the emotions,” Sandie Parker said. “But at the same time it seems like these events always come at a good time because his birthday is Sept. 12, so we’re getting ready to celebrate that.”

The Braves game was a major highlight for Parker’s older son and will likely be his favorite tribute to his father. “I really appreciate what the Braves have done for us,” Andrew Parker said.

The night was even more special shared with so many firefighter families.

“Everybody just loving on us, so that’s what’s awesome,” Sandie Parker said. “It has been a little over six months but we haven’t been forgotten by any means.”

The Sports Xchange

Rockies rally to hand Braves 6-3 defeat

By Stan Awtrey

ATLANTA — Jose Reyes drove in two runs with a triple to complete a four-run seventh inning and spark the Colorado Rockies to a 6-3 come-from- behind win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday at Turner Field.

The Rockies batted around to erase a 3-0 lead and send Atlanta pitcher Shelby Miller home without a win for his 18th straight start. Colorado won two of the three games in the series and finished the season 6-1 against the Braves.

Colorado’s go-ahead rally started with first baseman Ben Paulsen’s double. He scored on an opposite-field single by third baseman Daniel Descalso, who went to third on a double by left fielder Brandon Barnes.

Center fielder Charlie Blackmon drove home a run on an infield single, a chopper that stayed in the air too long to give shortstop Andrelton Simmons a chance to make a play. Reyes followed with a triple that rolled to the wall in right-center field.

The Rockies added some insurance in the eighth. Left fielder Brandon Barnes hit a two-run homer, his second, off reliever Edwin Jackson.

The Braves hit back-to-back home runs to open the sixth inning. Left fielder Jonny Gomes connected for his seventh homer and third baseman Adonis Garcia followed with his sixth homer.

Second baseman Jace Peterson doubled, which chased starter Yohan Flande. Reliever Simon Castro walked two to load the bases but retired Cameron Maybin on a ground ball to end the inning.

Simon (1-0) got the win. Simon was one of five relievers used by Colorado, whose bullpen has gone four straight games without allowing a run. John Axford pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 18th save.

Miller (5-11) allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings on nine hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.

The Braves scored a run in the bottom of the first. Left fielder Jonny Gomes walked, third baseman Adonis Garcia singled and both moved up on second baseman Jace Peterson’s sacrifice bunt. Catcher Christian Bethancourt got the run home with a bat-shattering ground ball to shortstop.

The Rockies had chances against Miller in the first and second innings. They had runners on the corners with one out in the first and the bases loaded with no one outs in the second and could not push a run across.

The Braves, likewise, left two runners on base in the second and fourth when Miller could not deliver a two-out hit.

Associated Press

Barnes has 3 hits to lead Rockies to 6-3 win over Braves

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Colorado Rockies thought they missed their opportunity against Atlanta starter Shelby Miller. In the seventh inning, Miller gave them a second chance.

After wasting a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the second inning, the Rockies managed to score four runs in the seventh inning to erase a 3-0 deficit en route to a 6-3 victory over the Braves on Wednesday night.

''We missed a couple of opportunities early on and when that happens, you're always wondering if you're ever going to get another one for the rest of the game,'' Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. ''Especially against a guy like Miller.''

Brandon Barnes had three hits, including a two-run homer, and Jose Reyes had a two-run triple in the seventh that gave the Rockies the lead for good. Simon Castro (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Rockies, who won two out of three for their first series win at Turner Field since 2005.

Miller (5-11) dominated the Rockies in the middle of the game, retiring 14 straight at one point. But his winless streak extended to 18 when he could not shut down the Rockies in the decisive seventh.

''I'm thinking this is his game,'' Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ''I'm not bringing in anyone out of that bullpen. This guy hasn't won a game in a long time and we have to give him every opportunity to do it.''

Miller gave up a double to Ben Paulsen, a single toDaniel Descalso and a double to Barnes that cut the deficit to 3-1. Charlie Blackmon then hit a two-out infield chopper to make the score 3-2 before Reyes launched a triple to right-center to score Barnes and Blackmon.

''That's what happens with this lineup,'' Barnes said. ''We've got a pretty good lineup and when one guy gets going, he picks up the next guy and the next guy gets going. We feed off each other.''

Barnes tacked on a two-run homer in the eighth off Edwin Jackson.

The Rockies' bullpen had their fourth consecutive game without allowing a run as John Axfordearned his 18th save. He struck out Pedro Ciriaco with two on to end the game.

During his winless streak, Miller has an ERA of 3.24 and has given up one earned run or less eight times. He broke Nolan Ryan's record of longest winless streak by an All-Star, which was 13 starts.

Jonny Gomes and Adonis Garcia hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning off Rockies starterYohan Flande to give the Braves a 3-0 lead. It was just the third back-to-back home runs this season for the Braves, who are last in the majors in homers.

The Braves got on the board on an RBI groundout by rookie Christian Bethancourt in the second inning that scored Gomes.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: OF Carlos Gonzalez returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday's game with a sore knee. ... 3B Nelson Arenado was a healthy scratch.

UP NEXT

The Rockies will have a day off Thursday and open a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Friday. RookieJon Gray (0-0, 5.94) will start for the fifth time since being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Aug. 4. The Pirates will start Francisco Loriano (9-6, 3.23), who is 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies.

The Braves will host the Yankees for a three-game series starting Friday. This is the Yankees' first visit since 2012 and the crowds are expected to be large at Turner Field. Braves rookie Williams Perez (4-4, 4.76) will face Masahiro Tanaka (9-6, 3.61) in the opener.

MAKING HISTORY

Rockies 2B D.J. LeMahieu, who makes his offseason home in Atlanta, batted cleanup for the first time this season Wednesday night. LeMahieu has hit in every spot in the lineup for the Rockies in 2015, the first time a Rockie has ever done so. He went 0 for 4 with a walk.

INTERESTING COMBO

Due to a defensive shift, Freddie Freeman grounded into a rare 6-5-3 in the first inning as SS Reyes was playing to the right side of second base and 3B Descalso made the pivot at second.

BOUNCING BACK

Garcia made three errors at third base during Tuesday's loss to the Rockies, but he rebounded Wednesday with three hits, including a home run, and no errors.