Atlanta Braves (7-4) at Toronto Blue Jays (6-6) Game No
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Atlanta Braves (7-4) at Toronto Blue Jays (6-6) Game No. 12 April 19, 2015 Rogers Centre Toronto, Canada RHP Shelby Miller (1-0, 0.90) vs. LHP Daniel Norris (1-0, 4.76) TODAY’S GAME: The Braves and Blue Jays are meeting for the fi rst time since 2013 and play the fi nale of a three-game series and the third of six contests between the two clubs this season...The Jays will visit Turner Field Braves vs. Blue Jays for a three-game series August 15-17...The two clubs each went 1-1 at home in the 2013 meeting and the all-time 2013 2015 All-Time series is knotted at 18-18...Atlanta has gone 6-10 in 16 games at Roger Centre (12-8 at Turner Field)...LOOKING Overall 2-2 1-1 18-18 AHEAD: The Braves will have an off day tomorrow in New York, then will open a three-game series on Tuesday at Atlanta 1-1 --- 12-8 at Toronto 1-1 1-1 6-10 against the Mets...ROAD WARRIORS: Today the Braves are playing the third game of a nine-game, 10-day road trip to Toronto (1-1), New York (three games, 4/21-23) and Philadelphia (three games, 4/24-26))...Atlanta is on the Braves in Interleague Play road for 12 of its fi rst 18 games of the season...Eighteen of Atlanta’s fi rst 21 games will be against teams from the 2014 2015 All-Time National League East division. Overall 7-13 1-1 156-145 at Home 5-5 --- 79-72 ENTER THE INTERLEAGUE: Today the Braves play the third of 20 scheduled interleague games in on the Road 2-8 1-1 77-73 2015...Atlanta went just 7-13 in interleague action last year, including 5-5 at home and 2-8 on the road...Atlanta owns an all-time interleague record of 156-145 (.518), which ranks as the fourth-best interleague record among Braves DHs in Interleague Play National League clubs...This season Atlanta plays six games vs. Toronto (3 road/3 home), four games each against G Avg. (H-AB) HR RBI Boston (2/2) and Tampa Bay (2/2) and three games against Baltimore (road) and the New York Yankees (home). 2014 10 .108 (4-37) 1 1 2015 2 .333 (2-6) 0 0 BRAVES DH: The Braves are slated to start Freddie Freeman as the designated hitter in today’s game...This All-Time 150 .250 (146-585) 14 69 will be Freeman’s fi rst career start at DH...Nick Markakis played as the designated hitter in yesterday game(16th career start at DH) and he went 1-for-2 with three walks...On Friday night, Chris Johnson went 1-for-4 with a run scored as the DH, his fi rst career start in that role...Braves DHs went just 4-for-37 (.108) last season, their worst Putting It in Play single-season mark in the 18 years of interleague play, and have hit .250 in 150 games...They have posted four Active Major League leaders in plate appearances per seasons of .300 or better (2005-.333, 2007-.412, 2009-.316 and 2010-.318). strikeout: Player PA/SO TURN TWO: The Braves defense turned fi ve double plays in yesterday’s 6-5 loss...It marked the fi rst time that 1. ALBERTO CALLASPO, Atlanta 11.20 Atlanta turned fi ve DPs in a game since April 6, 2005, at Florida (a 2-1 win in 13 innings). 2. Yadier Molina, St. Louis 10.72 BIRTHDAY BOY: INF Alberto Callaspo celebrates his 32nd birthday today...Callaspo has played in six 3. Dustin Pedroia, Boston 10.68 4. Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels 10.31 career “birthday” games and has gone 4-fro-18 (.222) with four runs and two RBI...All four runs came in a 2-for-3, 5. Victor Martinez, Detroit 10.04 two-walk effort in 2011...RARE DAY: Callaspo struck out twice at the plate in yesterday’s game - his fi rst two strikeouts of the season...In the 885 career games in which he’s had at least two at-bats, Callaspo has fanned two- or-more times in a game just 48 times...CHART TOPPER: Callaspo’s career rate of 11.20 plate appearances per Pinch Me strikeout is the best among all active players (see chart at right). Active Major League leaders in pinch-hit home runs: THE STREAKER: OF Nick Markakis went 4-for-4 on Friday night with a walk and three runs scored and Player Pinch-HRs 1. JONNY GOMES, Atlanta 10 then reached safely in his fi rst four plate appearances yesterday (three walks and a single), giving him nine straight 2. John Mayberry, Jr., New York Mets 7 plates appearances with a walk or hit...Friday marked his 24th career game with four-or-more hits and the third time Seth Smith, Seattle 7 in his career that he had at least four hits and three runs scored in a game. 4. Jeff Baker, Miami 6 Ryan Howard, Philadelphia 6 TO ERR IS HUMAN: 3B Alberto Callaspo’s seventh-inning error Saturday night against New York is the Reed Johnson, Washington 6 only miscue Atlanta has committed in 99 innings of play (427 total chances) this season...Callaspo’s error came in the team’s 43rd inning of play...The Braves lead the majors with a .998 fi elding percentage this season...Atlanta ranked third in the NL in fi elding percentage (.986) last season and since Fredi Gonzalez’s arrival in 2011, the Recent Braves Transactions Braves own the second-best team fi elding percentage in the majors, with a mark of .986 (CIN is No. 1, at .987)... April 13: Designated RHP Juan Jaime for assign- Four of the top fi ve season fi elding percentages in franchise history have come under Gonzalez (see chart at right) ment; Purchased the contract of RHP Sugar Ray Marimon from Gwinnett (AAA); Released OF Carlos THREE IN FIVE: Veteran C A.J. Pierzynski clubbed his third home run of the season yesterday in his fi fth Quentin. game played...Pierzynski has hit safely in all fi ve games...PARK IT: Pierzynski poked his second home run of April 6: Acquired the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Com- the season and his fi rst career homer at Turner Field on Tuesday night as part of a back-to-back effort with Freddie petitive Balance Round B pick (75th overall) in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft in exchange for minor- Freeman in the fourth inning...Pierzynski has homered in 31 different MLB ballparks...There are just two current league OF Victor Reyes. parks in which he has at least one plate appearance and has failed to homer (Nationals Park and Dodger Stadium). April 6: Recalled RHP Brandon Cunniff from Gwin- FRONT RUNNERS: Yesterday’s loss marked the sixth time this season that Braves the scored fi rst in the nett (AAA); Placed LHP JOsh Outman on the 60- day disabled list, retroactive to 3/27 (thoracic outlet game, but the fi rst time that they lost in that situation (5-1). syndrome); Designated OF Carlos Quentin for as- JONNY ON THE SPOT: OF Jonny Gomes clubbed his 10th career pinch-hit home run Friday night with signment. a solo shot in the eighth inning...Gomes is the active Major League leader in pinch homers (see chart at right) and April 5: Acquired OFs Cameron Maybin and Carlos ranks T17th in pinch homers over the last 40 years (since 1974). Quentin, as well as minor-league OF Jordan Parou- beck, minor-league RHP Matt Wisler and the Padres’ FIVE ALIVE: The Braves allowed fi ve home runs in Friday night’s game, including a career-high four homers Competitive Balance pick (41st overall selection) in allowed by starting pitcher Julio Teheran...It marked the fi rst time the pitching staff allowed that many home runs the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, in exchange for OF in a game since September 2008...The last time they allowed fi ve homers and still won the game was June 30, 1978, Melvin Upton, Jr., and RHP Craig Kimbrel; April 5: Purchased the contracts of RHP Cody with a 10-9 win over San Francisco. Martin, LHP Eric Stults, OF Kelly Johnson and OF BRAVES TO HONOR DON SUTTON WITH HOF INDUCTION: The Braves announced on Thursday Eric Young, Jr.; Re-assigned INF Pedro Ciriaco to that longtime broadcaster Don Sutton will be inducted to the Braves Hall of Fame on Monday, July 20, at the 755 Club at Gwinnett (AAA); Placed two players on the 15-day disabled list, including LHP Mike Minor (left shoul- Turner Field...A pregame ceremony will follow that evening when the Braves take on the Dodgers...Before his broadcast der infl ammation), OF Joey Terdoslavich (left wrist days, Sutton had a stellar playing career that spanned 23 seasons...His Major League career was highlighted by 324 wins sprain, retroactive to April 2); Placed three pitchers with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers and California Angels. Sutton began his career in on the 60-day disabled list, RHP Shae Simmons and 1966 with the Dodgers, where he stayed for 16 years and achieved many of his personal bests...Following his time with the RHP Dan Winkler (both recovering from “Tommy Dodgers, he spent intervals of time with the Astros, Brewers and Angels before retiring in 1988...Sutton ranks seventh on John” surgery): RHP Arodys Vizcaino and OF Dian baseball’s all-time strikeout list with 3,574 and appeared in more than 750 games throughout his career...In 1989, Sutton Toscano were both placed on the restricted list.