Atlanta Braves (57-88) Vs
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Atlanta Braves (57-88) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (82-62) Game No. 146 September 16, 2015 Turner Field Atlanta, Ga. RHP Shelby Miller (5-14, 2.86) vs. LHP David Price (15-5, 2.46) TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Blue Jays play the second game of a three-game series and the fi fth of six contests between the two clubs this season...The Braves claimed two-of-three games at Rogers Centre in April Braves vs. Blue Jays and own a 20-18 edge in the all-time series...Atlanta has gone 13-8 in 21 games at Turner Field (7-10 at Rogers 2013 2015 All-Time Overall 2-2 3-1 20-18 Centre)...UP NEXT: After this series the Braves will continue their 10-game homestand against with a three-game at Atlanta 1-1 1-0 13-8 weekend series against Philadelphia...The Braves will make their fi nal road trip of the season to New York (9/21-23) at Toronto 1-1 2-1 7-10 and Miami (9/25-27) before fi nishing with a six game homestand (9/29-10/4) against Washington and St. Louis. Braves in Interleague Play HOME STREAK SNAPPED: Last night the Braves posted a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays and snapped a 2014 2015 All-Time 12-game home losing streak...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only fi ve Major League teams since 1969 lost Overall 7-13 6-12 161-156 more than 12 straight games at home, the last being the 2002 New York Mets (15)...WINNING THE CLOSE at Home 5-5 3-5 82-77 ONES: The Braves have won each of their last 16 home games that were decided by one run, dating back to on the Road 2-8 3-7 79-79 May 1...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the longest streak of its kind in Braves history...Over the last 30 years, there were only two streaks as long in the majors; the Boston Red Sox had an 18-game run spanning the 2005-06 seasons, and the San Francisco Giants had a 17-game streak over the 1995-96 seasons. Catch This BRAVES OF LATE: The Braves are 1-4 on this homestand and 3-11 in September...They have lost 24 of Top batting averages among all Major League catchers their last 28 games and 39 of their last 51...They have gone 15-46 in their last 61 games played since July 8, when since July 1 (Minimum 175 at-bats): they entered play with a .500 record (42-42)...Atlanta currently sits in fourth place in the National League East Player, Team AVG. 1. Buster Posey, San Francisco .360 division, a season-high 26 games behind New York...IT’S BEEN A WHILE: The Braves have been as many 2. A.J. PIERZYNSKI, ATLANTA .326 as 27 games out of fi rst place in the standings, marking the fi rst time they’d been that many out since 1989, when 3. Francisco Cervelli, Pittsburgh .301 they fi nished the season 28 games out in the NL West division...Atlanta’s 7-2 win at Philadelphia on 9/7 snapped Impressive Company its season-high 12-game losing streak...The streak was the team’s longest since it lost 12 straight games from Oct. The most career DOUBLES by players who were primar- 3, 1987 to April 16, 1988 (they started the ‘88 season with a 10-game losing streak)...The last time the Braves lost ily catchers (Source: STATS, Inc.): 12 straight in the same season was April 23 to May 11, 1977, when they dropped a franchise-record 17 straight Player (Years) Doubles games...LOSING SEASON: The Braves will post their second straight losing season (79-83 last year), but just 1. Ivan Rodriguez (1991-2011) 572 their fourth losing campaign in the last 25 seasons (since 1991)...They were also under .500 in 2006 (79-83) and in 2. Ted Simmons (1968-88) 483 2008 (72-90). 3. Carlton Fisk (1969-93) 421 4. Gabby Hartnett (1922-42) 396 TURN TWO: The Braves’ defense ranks second in the majors with 162 double plays turned on the season... 5. Jason Kendall (1996-2010) 394 Pittsburgh ranks fi rst with 163...The next closest team is Colorado (156)...TOP SHORTSTOP: Andrelton Sim- 6. A.J. PIERZYNSKI (1998-2015) 390 mons has been involved in a Major-League-leading 111 double plays this season...The next-highest SS is Texas’s 7. Johnny Bench (1967-83) 381 8. Jorge Posada (1995-2011) 379 Elvis Andrus, with 98, and Andrus has started 12 more games than Simmons (141/129)....Simmons holds the 9. Gary Carter (1974-92) 371 Major-League lead among all shortstops with a .993 fi elding percentage. 10. Victor Martinez (2002-15) 362 SIMMONS HEATS UP: SS Andrelton Simmons collected the game-winning hit in the ninth inning last The most career HITS by players who were primarily night and has hit safely in seven of his last eight games...He has gone 12-for-32 (.406) in that stretch, including catchers (Source: STATS, Inc.): a 2-for-5 effort on Sunday vs. NYM...TOUGH TO FAN: Simmons has struck out only 40 times in 524 plate Player (Years) Hits appearances this season...His rate of one strikeout per 13.1 plate appearances ranks as the second-best rate in the 1. Ivan Rodriguez (1991-2011) 2844 majors behind NYM’s Daniel Murphy (14.2)...TEAM IMPROVEMENT: As a club the Braves rank fi rst in the 2. Ted Simmons (1968-88) 2472 3. Carlton Fisk (1969-93) 2356 National League with a rate of 5.42 plate appearances per strikeout...Atlanta ranked 13th in the NL last season (4.43 4. Joe Torre (1960-77) 2342 PAs per SO) and last in the NL in 2013 (also 4.43). 5. Jason Kendall (1996-2010) 2195 ANOTHER THREE-HIT GAME: C A.J. Pierzynski posted his 10th three-game of the season last night 6. Yogi Berra (1946-65) 2150 7. Mike Piazza (1992-2007) 2127 and the 135th of his career...His 10 games of 3+ hits this season ranks third in the majors among all catchers, while 8. Gary Carter (1974-92) 2092 his three games of 4+ hits is tops among all backstops...SINCE JULY 1: Pierzynski owns a .326 (60-for-184) 9. Johnny Bench (1967-83) 2048 batting average since July 1, the second-best mark among catchers (minimum 175 at-bats) in that time frame...He 10. A.J. PIERZYNSKI (1998-2015) 1977 has hit safely in 37 of his 48 starts since July 1...On the season, he is batting .296 with 22 doubles, seven homers 11. Bill Dickey (1928-46) 1969 and 44 RBI...This marks the 14th season with at least 20 doubles for the veteran backstop, who ranks sixth all-time among catchers with 389 career doubles...With his fi fth-inning RBI-single on 9/6, Pierzynski collected his 1,970th Multi-Hit Men career hit and moved past Hall of Famer Bill Dickey (1,969) for 10th place all-time in hits among catchers. 2015 National League leaders in multi-hit games: LEADING MAN: OF Nick Markakis’s on-base percentage of .421 when leading off an inning ranks fourth Player, Team M-H Games in the NL, while his batting average of .365 when leading off an inning ranks third...HOT STRETCH: Markakis 1. Dee Gordon, Miami 51 has hit safely in 41 of his last 51 games (since 7/20), going 67-for-212 (.316) over that stretch...MULTI-HIT MAN: 2. NICK MARKAKIS, ATLANTA 49 Joey Votto, Cincinnati 49 Markakis ranks T2nd in the NL with 49 multi-hit games and his 166 base hits rank third in the league. 4. A.J. Pollock, Arizona 48 CLEMENTE NOMINEE: Major League Baseball announced yesterday that Jason Grilli has been named the 5. Bryce Harper, Washington 46 Braves’ 2015 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet...Today marks the 14th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established to honor Clemente’s legacy and to offi cially recognize local Putting It in Play Club nominees of the Award...Grilli is one of the 30 Club fi nalists for the annual award, which recognizes a player 2015 NL team leaders in plate appearances per strikeout: who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the fi eld, including sportsman- Team PA/SO ship and community involvement...Grilli was nominated for his community service with hunger awareness and his 1. ATLANTA BRAVES 5.42 dedication in the fi ght against cancer...He serves as a member of Feeding America’s Entertainment Council and has San Francisco Giants 5.41 volunteered at food banks across the country...He is also committed to the 108 stitches campaign, with a mission to 3. Miami Marlins 5.16 “Strike Out Cancer.” FIFTY-NINE: RHP Ryan Weber’s appearance last week at Philadelphia made him the 59th different player Clutch Hitting used by the Braves so far this season which, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is a franchise record (topping NL leaders in batting average with RISP (min. 80 at-bats): the 50 players used in 2007) and easily surpasses their total of 39 players last season...FIFTEEN DEBUTS: With Player, Team AVG. his start on 9/8, RHP Ryan Weber became the 15th Brave to make his Major League debut this season...He is the 1.