Clippings Friday, May 20, 2016 Braves.com

Foltynewicz struggles as Braves drop finale

By Adam Berry and Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 12:43 AM ET

PITTSBURGH -- Left-hander Jeff Locke threw seven strong innings, Gregory Polanco led another complete performance by the Pirates' lineup and the Bucs beat the Braves, 8-2, on Thursday night to clinch a victory in their four-game series at PNC Park.

Forty games into the season, the Pirates are 22-18. It's the third time since 1993 that Pittsburgh reached the quarter pole with a winning record, having last done so in 2013 (23-17) and 1997 (21-19).

Locke bounced back from a rough start against the Cubs and worked seven full innings for the second time in his last four starts, holding the Braves to two runs on six hits while striking out six. Unlike Wednesday night, Pittsburgh's bats backed up their starter, pounding out eight runs on 11 hits -- including three from leadoff man John Jaso and Jordy Mercer and two from Polanco.

"That's the part that feels good, able to eat up some innings for the guys," Locke said. "[ Chris Stewart] and I were on the same page the whole time. ... Had a good idea what we wanted to do, and he's smart back there."

Polanco flashed rarely seen power in the second inning, launching an 80-mph curveball over the left-center-field wall off Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz -- who gave up five runs (four earned) in three innings. The two-run homer, Polanco's fifth of the season, traveled 409 feet from home plate the opposite way and into the stands with an exit velocity of 105 mph, according to Statcast™.

"He did it in the Minor Leagues. He's done it before," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Polanco. "It stands out in this ballpark when you can do it out there. That's a big reach."

Polanco's barrage against Atlanta's pitching staff continued in the fifth, when he smashed a leadoff triple high off the right-field wall and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jung Ho Kang.

"When you give up those multiple runs real quick, it's tough to come back," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said after watching Foltynewicz surrender six of his seven hits with two outs.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Welcome back, Dad: Fresh off the paternity list following the birth of his daughter, Tiana, Pirates left fielder Starling Marte knocked a two-run single to right field in the first inning against Foltynewicz to open the scoring. One of the Pirates' most productive hitters thus far this season, Marte missed the first three games of this series to be with his family.

Two-out trouble: Foltynewicz retired two of the first three batters he faced before hitting Kang with a 1-2 fastball. The first of Tyler Flowers' two passed balls set the stage for Marte to spark Pittsburgh's two-run first with a bloop single to shallow right. Then in the second inning, the Braves right-hander allowed three consecutive two-out hits, including Polanco's two-run homer. Foltynewicz had allowed two earned runs in 15 innings over his two previous starts.

"A lot of hits came with two strikes and they were all up in the zone," Foltynewicz said. "If they're in the bottom of the zone, things might have been different. I just really wanted to get the team a win tonight, and I think I just tried to do too much and tried to throw the ball too hard."

Fourth time's the charm: After making three quick trips in and out of Pittsburgh last season without throwing a pitch, reliever Wilfredo Boscan finally got on the mound at PNC Park. Called up Thursday afternoon to replace left-hander Cory Luebke in the bullpen, Boscan tossed a perfect eighth inning and a scoreless ninth to seal the victory.

"That was really nice. Waited a long time for that debut," Hurdle said. "He's made a lot of trips here for that debut, and that was quick and efficient." Power surge: notched the first of the two consecutive doubles surrendered by Locke to begin the fourth inning and then opened the sixth inning with his second of the season and of the series. The six home runs the Braves during this four-game series matched the total they have compiled over 19 games at Turner Field this season.

"You've got to imagine that was the most extra-base hits we had in a series this year, so that's a positive," Francoeur said. "We're going to [Philadelphia], it's a good place to hit. Hopefully, we can carry it there this weekend and do some damage there and score some runs. You definitely have to like how we're driving the ball better."

QUOTABLE "First thing I told him was, 'That's not how mine went. That's for sure.'" -- Locke, on Boscan's impressive debut

"Mr. Polanco is doing a really good job. He's doing a great job. He's playing baseball really well." -- Jaso, on Polanco's impressive start to the season at the plate

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Andrew McCutchen's RBI single in the second inning was his 612th career hit at PNC Park, tying former Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson for the all- time hits record at Pittsburgh's ballpark along the Allegheny River. McCutchen already owns the record for career homers (76) at PNC Park.

WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Matt Wisler will take the mound when Atlanta begins a three-game series in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Wisler has pitched into the eighth inning in each of his past three starts, including his May 10 loss to the Phillies.

Pirates: Coming off arguably the best start of his career, Gerrit Cole will take the mound to begin the Pirates' three-game weekend series against the Rockies on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at PNC Park. Cole threw eight shutout innings against the Cubs on Sunday.

Braves' young arms experiencing growing pains

Foltynewicz, Blair, Perez all struggle against Pirates

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:11 AM ET

PITTSBURGH -- Even though they came to Pittsburgh feeling good about the early results produced by their reconfigured, young starting rotation, the Braves knew they were still bound to continue dealing with some growing pains. They were felt throughout this week's four-game series at PNC Park.

Like Williams Perez and Aaron Blair were earlier this week, Mike Foltynewicz was grounded against the Pirates, lasting just three innings during Thursday night's 8-2 loss. Foltynewicz had shown his tremendous potential in the two starts leading up to this latest outing, which simply provided a reminder that he is a 24-year-old and has made just 19 career starts.

"It's all part of the process," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "I can see what he's capable of. It's just the consistency. A lot of guys have had to go through that. The stuff is coming out good. It's just the command. I think for all young it's about getting it to go where you want."

The five members of Atlanta's rotation at the beginning of this series had combined to produce a 2.21 ERA over 12 games this month. But despite the fact that staff veteran Julio Teheran tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings in Wednesday's win, the Braves saw their starting pitchers allow 19 earned runs over 18 innings during this four-game set.

Each member of Atlanta's current rotation is 25 years old or younger, and Teheran is the only one who has made more than 30 career starts.

"There's going to be more growing pains," Snitker said. "We'll hang in there with them and keep working with them."

Perez surrendered six earned runs over six innings on Monday, while Blair retired just three of the 14 batters he faced during Tuesday's loss and then was subsequently optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to gain some of the added development he may still need.

When Foltynewicz took the mound on Thursday, he was coming off two dominant starts and attempting to feed off the confidence gained by tossing eight scoreless innings in Kansas City on Saturday. But when he encountered early trouble against the Pirates, he reverted to overthrowing and paid the price, as he allowed five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits (six with two outs) while recording just nine outs.

"We'd rather go up the hill gradually, instead of having two good outings and then a bad one right after that," Foltynewicz said. "We're getting it. It's just a little fine tuning here and there and concentrating in certain situations."

Aybar OK after chicken bone stuck in throat

Braves SS rejoins team at PNC Park following sedated procedure at nearby medical facility

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | May 19th, 2016

PITTSBURGH -- When Brian Snitker prepared to serve as a big league manager for the first time on Tuesday, he prepared himself for the new experiences that awaited him. But he certainly did not anticipate a chicken bone would force him to alter his lineup just three days into the job.

Atlanta shortstop Erick Aybar experienced a brief scare on Thursday afternoon, when he was transported to a Pittsburgh medical facility to have a chicken bone removed from his throat. But he fortunately returned a couple of hours later fully capable of discussing a story that simply adds to the many oddities the Braves have experienced this season.

Medical personnel sedated Aybar before attempting to remove the bone. But it was quickly realized that the bone had already dislodged itself.

"The poor guy had to be scared to death," said Snitker, who became the Braves' interim manager this week. "He looked OK when he left, but he wasn't speaking real well."

After arriving at PNC Park for Thursday night's finale against the Pirates, Aybar began coughing and feeling some discomfort in his throat. He informed the Braves' medical staff and was immediately transported to a nearby medical facility.

Snitker replaced Aybar in Thursday night's lineup with Daniel Castro.

Pinder, Taillon among top prospect performers Thursday

By William Boor / MLB.com | 12:30 AM ET

When Chad Pinder steps to the plate everything is seemingly going his way. The Athletics' No. 8 prospect has been on a tear lately and it continued Thursday night as he went 4-for-4 for Nashville.

Pinder, the No. 94 overall prospect, also went 4-for-4 on Saturday and has 12 hits in his last 24 at-bats.

The 24-year-old shortstop has hits in seven of his last eight games and has raised his batting average from .194 to .250 over that span.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Thursday:

• Yoan Moncada can do it all. The No. 5 overall prospect extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 1-for-3 night for Salem, but once on the bases, Moncada showed off his speed.Boston's top prospect stole two bases and is now tied for the Minor League lead with 28.

• Dansby Swanson continues to hit regardless of what level he's playing at. Atlanta's top prospect had another multi-hit effort for Mississippi, going 2-for-4 with a homer. After hitting .333 in 21 games at Class-A Advanced Carolina, Swanson is hitting .292 through 19 games at the Double-A level.

• Max Kepler missed out on the cycle, but it was still a night to remember for the Twins' No. 2 prospect. Kepler went 3-for-5 for Rochester, including his first career Triple-A homer. The No. 40 prospect also doubled, homered and drove in three.

• For the third time this season, Jameson Taillon left a start with a zero in the runs column. The Pirates' No. 4 prospect struck out eight over six scoreless frames for Indianapolis. The No. 50 prospect has a measly 1.82 ERA through eight starts.

"I threw a lot of strikes with my fastball and kept them honest with my changeup, which helps the fastball play up," Taillon told MiLB.com. "I had some good curveballs, but I didn't have my best one today, so it was huge to have the changeup working."

• When RBI opportunities present themselves, Kyle Tucker takes advantage. The Astros' No. 4 prospect has four RBIs over the past two games after going 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Quad Cities on Thursday.

• Twins' No. 4 prospect Nick Gordon extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 2-for-5 night for Fort Myers. During Gordon's streak, he has put together four multi-hit games and raised his batting average from .309 to .331.

• Plenty of players had good nights, but J.D. Davis may have had the best. The Astros' No. 12 prospect hit three home runs and went 4-for-5 in Corpus Christi's win over San Antonio. It was Davis' first career three-homer game. He also homered on Wednesday.

• Kyle McGowin seems to be adjusting to Triple-A. The right-hander gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings in his first start with Salt Lake, but has surrendered just three runs in 11 2/3 innings over his last two starts, including Thursday night's loss to Oklahoma City. TheAngels' No. 16 prospect threw 5 2/3 innings, gave up two runs and struck out seven. • Cubs' No. 10 prospect Eloy Jimenez doubled his home run total for the season with a pair of blasts for South Bend on Thursday. Jimenez went 2- for-4 with three RBIs and has a six-game hitting streak.

• Cody Bellinger, the fifth-ranked prospect in the Dodgers' system, may have broken out of his slump as he went 4-for-4 with a homer, leading Tulsa to a win over Springfield.

• Another multi-hit game for Giants' No. 20 prospect Austin Slater. The 23-year-old outfielder has hits in five consecutive games and multiple hits in three of the past five. Slater went 2-for-4 with four RBIs for Richmond.

• Pirates' No. 5 prospect Reese McGuire has seven hits in his last 12 at-bats. The former first-round pick went 2-for-4 for Altoona on Thursday and has at least two hits in each of his past three games.

• After hitting 27 homers in 2013, 25 in '14 and 31 in '15, Adam Walker's power was evident. But just in case anyone doubted the Twins' No. 10 prospect, he put his power on display again Thursday, going 2-for-4 with two home runs in Rochester's win over Durham.

Early NL MOY frontrunner Mackanin hosts Snitker's Braves

By Evan Webeck / MLB.com | May 18th, 2016

It was but a week ago the last time the Phillies took two of three at Turner Field, but there's a different man leading the Braves for this three-game weekend set beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday at Citizens Bank Park.

Fredi Gonzalez became the first managerial casualty of the season when the Braves dismissed him after an 8-5 loss in Pittsburgh on Monday, dropping Atlanta to 9-28 at the time. Brian Snitker, then the Triple-A Gwinnett manager, took over in the interim.

Pete Mackanin, meanwhile, is looking like an early frontrunner for the National League Manager of the Year Award. His Phillies have remained close to the Mets and Nationals atop the National League East.

Aaron Nola (3-2, 2.89 ERA) will face Matt Wisler (1-3, 3.14 ERA) in a matchup of second-season right-handers.

Three things to know about this game:

• Gonzalez was the first manager the Braves let go since 1990, when Bobby Cox took over for Russ Nixon. Cox spent the next 20 years at the helm before giving way to Gonzalez in 2011.

• The Braves missed Nola in their last series, but the Phillies did face Wisler. Atlanta's 23-year-old righty went eight innings, allowing three runs while striking out two batters. Adam Morgan, however, outdueled him as the Phillies won, 3-2. Maikel Franco, in particular, should be excited to face Wisler again. He went 3-for-4 with a home run against him in Atlanta.

• Tommy Joseph has continued his hot hitting from Triple-A Lehigh Valley into the big leagues since being called up last Friday. He's 4-for-10 with a home run, but he likely won't see much action against the Braves' righty-heavy pitching staff. Mackanin is committed to the platoon at first, with Ryan Howard getting the majority of at-bats vs. righties.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

‘Folty’ knocked out early at Pittsburgh, Braves fall to 10-30

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PITTSBURGH – The Braves have had some encouraging moments in the past week or so, but when their starting gets knocked out early things still tend to get ugly.

Starter Mike Foltynewicz lasted three innings Thursday.

The Pirates scored five runs in the first two innings – all with two outs — against Foltynewicz and tacked on three more against the bullpen during a 8-2 win against the Braves at PNC Park.

Jeff Francoeur had three hits including a double and his second home run of the series for the Braves, who lost three of four games in Pittsburgh and fell to 10-30. Their four opponents in the National League East all have winning records.

The Braves 2-5 on a 10-game trip that’ll conclude with a series at Philadelphia starting Friday night. For the recently impressive Foltynewicz (1-2), trouble began in the first inning when he hit Jung Ho Kang with a pitch on 1-2 count with two out and a runner on first. Both Pirates were in scoring position after a passed ball, and Starling Marte’s soft single to shallow right field was enough to bring them in for a 2-0 lead.

“He was getting to two strikes and then having a hard time finishing the hitter off,” said manager Brian Snitker, whose record fell to 1-2 since he took over for fired manager Fredi Gonzalez. “The command wasn’t real good, they mis-hit a couple of balls; sometimes you get the ball up and it’s kind of like you’re doing the work for them, they just have to touch it and it happens to find a hole or it’s just over the infielder’s reach.

“You got the leadoff single and then two outs, and then kind of all hell broke loose a little bit.”

After two ground-outs to start the second inning, Foltynewicz gave up three consecutive two-out hits: John Jason triple, Andrew McCutchen RBI single, and Gregory Polanco two-run homer on a full-count curveball, after Foltynewicz was ahead 0-2 in the count. Just like that, he’d given up five runs before recording his sixth out.

“A lot of hits came with two strikes and they were all (pitches) up in the zone,” Foltynewicz said. “If they’re in the bottom of the zone things might have been different. I just really wanted to get my team a win tonight, and I think I just tried to do too much. Tried to throw the ball too hard, tried to throw a slider, a curveball a little too much there in certain situations with two strikes, and everything was just up and they got the bat on it.”

Foltynewicz, who entered with a 2.89 ERA, saw that climb to 4.15 after he surrendered seven hits, five runs (four earned) and two walks with four strikeouts in three innings. He had allowed only two runs, 12 hits and no walks in 15 innings over his past two starts before Thursday.

Francoeur had a second-inning leadoff single, fourth-inning leadoff double, and a sixth-inning leadoff home run. All three of his hits came against lefty John Locke (2-3), who gave up only three other hits in seven innings and left with a 6-2 lead, after coming in with a 5.45 ERA.

“(Locke) is tough,” Francoeur said. “The Pirates — me and Freddie (Freeman) were just talking — they do a great job of just pounding it in on people. And I think you saw Freddie and Nick (Markakis) and those guys, he was spotting them up on the inside corner, and it’s tough when you do that. Folty ran into a little bit of trouble commanding his fastball, and you get behind, you give (their) pitcher confidence, and he threw well.”

Francoeur raised his average to .327 (15-for-46) against lefties including two homers, both in this series. The Braves hit as many home runs (six) in the four-game series as they’ve hit all season in 19 games (647 at-bats) at Turner Field.

Tyler Flowers and Chase d’Arnaud, batting leadoff for the first time, added doubles for the Braves, who were just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

“I’ve got to imagine that’s the most extra-base hits we’ve had in a series all year, and that’s a positive,” Francoeur said. “We’re going to Philly, a good place to hit, hopefully we can carry it there this weekend and do some damage there, score some runs. You’ve definitely got to like the way we’re swinging and driving the ball. It’s a lot better than before.”

Braves’ Mallex gets a start vs. lefty, Inciarte gets a rest

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PITTSBURGH – With the Braves facing consecutive Pirates left-handed starters Wednesday and Thursday, manager Brian Snitker didn’t want to have left-handed-hitting Mallex Smith out of the lineup both days.

It wasn’t a difficult decision as to which day to play the rookie center fielder: Wednesday’s starter Francisco Liriano has long been known as an extremely difficult matchup for lefty batters and had held them to a .182 average and .212 slugging percentage before facing the Braves.

Thursday starter Jeff Locke entered with a .324 opponents’ average against lefties this season and .271 for his career, higher averages than he’s allowed against right-handed batters.

Smith didn’t play Wednesday and went 0-for-3 Thursday to drop his average to .074 (2-for-27) with two walks and 11 strikeouts against lefties, compared with .304 (21-for-69) against right-handers.

In his past 16 games before Thursday, Smith hit .347 (17-for-49) with four doubles, one triple, three homers, nine RBIs, nine runs, four steals and a .652 slugging percentage.

Former Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had not used Smith against most lefties in recent weeks. Snitker, who took over as interim manager Tuesday after Gonzalez was fired, will continue for now to pick spots against those lefties that he thinks Smith might match up better against than others.

The Braves have used Ender Inciarte in center and Jeff Francoeur in left field against most lefties in recent weeks. On Thursday, Francoeur was in left, and Inciarte, who’s made an equal number of starts in left field and center field, was out of the lineup for the first time since returning from the DL on May 8. Inciarte missed a month with a strained hamstring and started 11 consecutive games before Thursday.

“Just talking to the (coaches) who were up on all that, I didn’t want to sit (Smith) for two days,” Snitker said. “I think it’ll be good for Ender to rest his legs. I’m going to be aware of that, coming off the (hamstring) injury, just not wear him out; he did a lot of running last night, too. I’m sure he’s fine, it’s just more a precautionary type thing more than anything.”

Beckham’s had a good start, but wants to see Braves win

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PITTSBURGH – A three-week stint on the disabled list did nothing to cool the bat of veteran infielder Gordon Beckham, who’s having a bit of a career revival so far in his first season with the Braves.

After going 0-for-2 in his first game back from the DL, Beckham was 10-for-23 (.435) with five doubles, five RBIs and a .500 on-base percentage in seven games before Thursday’s series finale at Pittsburgh.

That included a ninth-inning RBI double in Wednesday’s 3-1 win, in his lone plate appearance after entering the game on a double-switch in the eighth inning.

“I feel good about what I’m doing,” the Atlanta native said, “and that’s the most important thing, is being confident in your approach and how you go into each at-bat.”

Beckham, 29, entered Thursday batting .340 (17-for-50) with seven doubles, eight RBIs and a .901 OPS in 18 games, and he’s become a lineup regular at either second or third base. He had a .394 average with eight RBIs and a .459 on-base percentage in his past 10 games.

With the Braves holding a majors-worst 10-29 record through Wednesday, he’s had a hard time deriving a great deal of satisfaction from his own resurgence.

“It’s kind of tough to focus on individual stuff when … I’m from Atlanta and take a lot of pride in actually having us win,” said the former Westminster Schools and University of Georgia standout. “I’m not going to be here for a long time unless I get re-signed, so this might be the only chance I have to get to play in a Braves uniform. So I want it to mean something, I want it to matter. And it does matter to pretty much everybody in this clubhouse.

“Hopefully we can just start winning some games and get back to respectable and you never know. I mean, you keep doing stuff like we did the last couple of nights, all of a sudden a month later you look up and you’re like, hey, we’re not that far out. And then there’s a chance.

“It’s still relatively early. I know we have a huge deficit, but we do have some talent in here. So hopefully we’ll just keep doing what we did last night, get some good starts like we’ve been getting from those (pitchers) the majority of the year, and just start climbing back into it.”

Beckham, 29, signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Braves after a career-worst season with the White Sox in 2015, when he .209 with 14 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs and a .607 OPS in 237 plate appearances.

Braves’ Aybar gets chicken bone stuck in throat

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PITTSBURGH – If you thought this Braves season couldn’t get any more strangely compelling, there was a bizarre turn Thursday when Erick Aybar got a chicken bone stuck in his throat and had to be taken to a nearby medical facility.

The veteran shortstop was eating lunch in the visitor’s clubhouse shortly after arriving at PNC Park on Thursday when he swallowed a piece of bone that apparently lodged in his throat, so far down that he couldn’t reach it.

He was sedated for a procedure to remove the bone, but by then it had dislodged and was no longer in his throat. Aybar returned to PNC Park and was unavailable for Thursday night’s game against the Pirates because of the earlier sedation.

“He got a bone or something stuck in his throat, and I think they’re going to have to sedate him to get it out,” Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said before batting practice. “That poor guy had to be scared to death. He looked OK when he left, but I don’t think he’s feeling very good. Let’s just hope everything works out all right.”

One Braves player said there was some blood coming from Aybar’s mouth, and that the bone was so deep in his throat that he couldn’t lift his shoulder because of the discomfort.

Aybar had been in the original lineup but was scratched and replaced by Daniel Castro. Braves’ front office situation seems unsettling

By Jeff Schultz - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Regardless of what side you fall on in the “Should Fredi Gonzalez have been fired” debate, most will agree on this: It’s rarely one person’s fault or one person’s success story. It’s organizational.

Ownership has to be committed (and Liberty Media hasn’t been). All front office members need to be on the same page, and there needs to be some clear definition of responsibilities — and here is where the Braves may have a problem.

John Schuerholz stepped up (and out) from general manager to president after the 2007 season — not coincidentally following the trade that failed to prevent a third-place finish. He knighted Frank Wren as his successor and watched as Wren generally proved to be far better as an assistant than someone being asked to manage people, build an organization and see the big picture. Wren failed. Therefore, Schuerholz failed.

Wren was fired. Schuerholz pried close friend John Hart out of semi-retirement. Hart agreed to come on as “president of baseball operations,” which meant there would be two elder statesmen to guide and watch over the new general manager in training, John Coppolella.

Schuerholz, Hart and Coppolella, along with a voice from the shadows, Bobby Cox, decided to let Gonzalez remain through a rebuilding project (termed “retooling” at the time). They didn’t fire Gonzalez with Wren before the 2015 season. They didn’t fire him after it. Instead, they gave him an extension, understanding that losing amid a rebuild wasn’t the manager’s fault.

Then they changed their mind. It’s called image preservation. The decision was made to fire Gonzalez, and it was done clumsily by Coppolella. (Gonzalez receiving an emailed itinerary for a one-way ticket out of Dodge before he had been told anything.) Then it was the more- polished Hart who parachuted into Pittsburgh and did most of the media commitments, in part because public speaking isn’t Coppy’s forte.

Schuerholz remained far off stage. It kept his cloak free of mud splatter.

In March, his title changed from president to vice chairman but he’s still an adviser on player-personnel matters to Hart, who oversees Coppolella, which effectively makes the general manager No. 4 under CEO Terry McGuirk.

I have a question: Who’s in charge?

Coppolella presumably was impressive enough in talent evaluation to convince McGuirk/Schuerholz/Hart to elevate him to GM. The jury will be out on that until the Braves win again. Schuerholz guessed wrong with Wren. Sports teams guess wrong with assistants all the time.

Coppolella was going to get this chance somewhere. He works hard, and he’s a smart guy. Aside from his botched firing of Gonzalez, he’s generally liked personally. But there’s more to being a GM than evaluating talent and financial spreadsheets.

It was amateur hour a few weeks ago: Gonzalez was forced to manage a game with the roster one man short after Coppolella attempted to call up the released/then re-signed Emilio Bonifacio, only to realize just hours before a game that he wasn’t eligible because it hadn’t been 30 days since he originally was released.

It’s an obscure rule. But GMs get paid to know obscure rules.

Understand this: If Schuerholz/Hart felt comfortable turning over baseball operations to Coppolella, they would have done so already. It’s also worth noting it was largely Schuerholz’s decision not to go outside “the family” with the hire, as the organization attempted to recapture the Schuerholz-Cox success of the 1990s.

Schuerholz did a fine job running things, even if the Braves won only one title amid 14 division titles. But nobody likes to talk about how the slide started under his watch the past few seasons.

The Teixeira trade before the deadline in 2007 was the sledgehammer whack at the end. Schuerholz made it with good intentions, believing Teixeira would make the Braves World Series contenders. So he dealt four touted young players: , Neftali Feliz, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The first three became All-Stars. Teixeira played well, but the Braves weren’t much better after the trade (32-26, .552) than before it (56-51, .523). They missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Schuerholz promoted Wren, who came in and was forced to clean up the mess, which he did somewhat. But giving big contracts to B.J. Upton, Kenshin Kawakami, Dan Uggla and Derek Lowe overshadowed the positives and ultimately buried him. Scouts left, player development withered and Wren’s obstinate attitude turned off many in the organization.

Hart and Coppolella have rebuilt the minor league system, but miscalculated this year’s team and appears to have made a $32 million mistake with Hector Olivera. When Gonzalez paid the price for their mistakes, Hart traveled to Pittsburgh to give the more polished sound bites and appear on the team’s broadcast, not Coppolella.

The Braves currently lack success and the front office lacks clarity. Maybe this will all work out. Maybe Coppolella will grow into the job and this period will be viewed as early hiccups. But we’re a long way from being at that point. Braves project adds to entertainment lineup

By J. Scott Trubey

The Atlanta Braves are enlisting some star power to launch the entertainment district next to SunTrust Park.

The Braves and partner Fuqua Development on Thursday announced several new signed tenants at The Battery Atlanta, including burger concept Wahlburgers by chef Paul Wahlberg and his actor brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg.

The opening of the restaurant outside the Braves’ new Cobb County ballpark is expected to be featured prominently in “Wahlburgers,” the brothers’ A&E reality television show about the business, Mark Wahlberg told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“We don’t only want to promote the restaurant in Atlanta, but the whole development in full, the new park, the Braves and everybody else,” Wahlberg said of the show.

A half-dozen metro Atlanta locations are in the pipeline, Wahlberg said. The company has a franchise operator looking to expand the brand in the South, but Wahlberg said he would have an ownership stake in each, including the location next to SunTrust Park.

Derek Schiller, the Braves president of business, said the team zeroed in on Wahlburgers because of its menu and operating chops. The potential showcase role on television only came up late in lease discussions, he said.

Wahlberg said the show has been renewed by A&E for three seasons.

Another big operator, national restaurant, retail, casino and entertainment venue developer Cordish Cos., plans a trio of concepts including a Professional Bull Riders Association Bar & Grill, featuring a mechanical bull.

Cordish developed entertainment districts at stadiums in Philadelphia and St. Louis. The other Cordish concepts will be a two-level Sports & Social Club and a to-be-announced restaurant by a celebrity chef.

“When we first set out on this project, one of the very first things we said was we were creating a destination,” said Braves President of Business Derek Schiller. To be a regional and Southeastern player, Schiller said “the components need to have drawing power, and the ones we’ve already released are proof positive we are achieving that goal.”

Fuqua Development Principal Jeff Fuqua said the majority of the retail space is now leased. The other tenants announced Friday are:

 Dress Up, a women’s fashion boutique

 Retro bowling and high-end food and drink concept Kings Bowl, which caters to corporate events and special occasions and will offer 12 to 16 lanes.

 Mountain High Outfitters, a speciality outdoors merchant

 A Harley-Davidson apparel store, the first in metro Atlanta

 Sugarboo, a gift boutique

 Goldbergs Bagel Co. & Deli.

Fuqua Development will be pitching the project next week at the annual International Council of Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas, the biggest week in retail real estate. Fuqua said the project has “hit critical mass,” where the announced tenants will draw others. He said he expects the project will be effectively leased up by year’s end.

The Braves plan to open the ballpark and the bulk of The Battery’s first phase in time for Opening Day 2017.

The more than $400 million Battery district is crucial to the Braves’ plans to create a mini-city that draws crowds year-round, not only on game days.

Cobb County leaders approved about $368 million in taxpayer money for the $622 million stadium in hopes that being the home of a big-league team would burnish the county’s image and spur development. The county is also banking on big returns in sales and property taxes from the privately owned and financed mixed-use complex.

The Braves previously announced several restaurants, as well as the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre concert venue, an Omni hotel and an office tower for Comcast that will house about 1,000 tech workers. About 550 residences are also planned.

ALSO AT THE BATTERY

Other merchants announced so far are: Antico Pizza; Cru Food and Wine Bar; Tomahawk Taproom featuring Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q; and an-as-yet unnamed new steak concept by chef Linton Hopkins. Chef Ford Fry, which had announced plans for an outpost of his Superica restaurant, has changed the concept to be El Felix.

Associated Press

Polanco powers Pirates by Braves 8-2

By WILL GRAVES (AP Sports Writer)

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- manager Clint Hurdle moved Gregory Polanco into the third spot in the lineup earlier this month curious to see what the still somewhat raw left fielder could do.

Turns out, maybe a little bit of everything.

Polanco hit a two-run home off Mike Foltynewicz and later tripled and scored as the Pirates raced by the Atlanta Braves 8-2 on Thursday night for their fourth win in five games.

The 24-year-old Polanco is hitting .461 (12 for 26) in his last seven games, including his long drive to left center in the second, a spot in PNC Park few left-handed batters reach.

''It stands out in this ballpark when you can take it out there,'' Hurdle said. ''That's a big reach for right-handed hitters. When you get some lefty who can hit it out there, (you see) he's got that kind of power.''

Speed too. Polanco led off the fifth with a triple to right-center while hitting behind star Andrew McCutchen, a spot Polanco suddenly looks very comfortable in.

John Jaso went 3 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored for the Pirates, who scored 29 runs while taking three of four from the Braves. Jaso led off the bottom of the first with a single and later scored when Starling Marte - returning from paternity leave following the birth of his daughter on Sunday - hit a blooper to right field that fell in front of to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

Jaso's two-out triple in the second eventually set up Polanco's shot that made it 5-0, giving starter Jeff Locke time to settle in.

Unlike teammates Jon Niese and Juan Nicasio, who labored while pitching with a significant lead earlier in the series, Locke (2-3) was steady. The left-hander has endured a rocky start at the back end of the rotation and was touched for six runs in a loss at theChicago Cubs last Saturday.

Facing an offense that came in ranked near the bottom of the majors in most statistical categories, Locke found better luck. Though at least one Atlanta batter reached base in each of Locke's seven innings, he avoided major trouble to give Pittsburgh's scuffling bullpen a break while allowing two runs and seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

''We wanted to try and limit the damage as much as you can,'' Locke said. ''It feels good to eat up some innings.''

Following eight shutout innings in a win at Kansas City last Saturday, Foltynewicz struggled. The 23-year-old lasted just three innings, giving up five runs and seven hits as the Braves fell to 10-30, the worst record in the majors.

''I think I just tried to do too much,'' Foltynewicz said. ''I tried to throw the ball too hard. I tried to throw the slider and the curveball a little too much there in certain situations with two strikes. Everything was just up and they got the bat on it.''

Jeff Francouer went 3 for 4 with his fifth home run of the season for Atlanta.

AYBAR OUT

Atlanta was forced to scratch Erick Aybar a few hours before the game after the shortstop arrived at PNC Park expressing discomfort in his chest after swallowing a chicken bone. He was taken to a local hospital and replaced by Daniel Castro, who went 0 for 4 as his averaged dropped to .198.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said Aybar was fine and returned to the team during the game but was unable to play because he'd been sedated while undergoing treatment.

LONG TIME COMING

Wilfredo Boscan pitched two scoreless innings in his major league debut for Pittsburgh, finally making his way onto the mound, a call he never received while getting called up from Triple-A Indianapolis three separate times last season. ''I've definitely been waiting for this opportunity since last year,'' Boscan said. ''It's been a very emotional night. I'm just excited to give my 100 percent.''

Boscan replaced reliever Cory Luebke, whose long comeback from two reconstructive elbow surgeries hit a speed bump when the Pirates sent him to Indianapolis. The 31-year-old Luebke made the team as a non-roster invitee in spring training but struggled in four appearances, including giving up three runs while getting just one out on Monday. Hurdle said he hopes Luebke, who missed three full seasons while his left elbow recovered, will get regular work in the minors in hopes of regaining his form.

UP NEXT

Braves: The 10-game road trip continues Friday in Philadelphia. Matt Wisler (1-3, 3.14) will try to build on an impressive May. The 23-year-old is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA this month and has worked into the eighth inning in each of his last three starts.

Pirates: Open a three-game weekend series with the Colorado Rockies on Friday. Gerrit Cole (4-3, 3.05), coming off eight shutout innings in a win over the Cubs last Sunday, will start. Pittsburgh swept three games from the Rockies in Colorado last month.

Braves SS Aybar out after getting bone stuck in throat

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves removed infielder Erick Aybar from the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Piratesafter getting a chicken bone stuck in his throat.

Manager Brian Snitker said Aybar arrived at PNC Park Thursday afternoon in discomfort and was taken to the hospital to have the bone removed. Aybar was initially scheduled to start at shortstop. He was replaced by Daniel Castro. The 32-year-old Aybar is hitting .174 in 38 games this season for Atlanta.

Braves-Phillies Preview

The were supposed to be struggling during a rebuilding season. Instead, they're surprising everyone with a hot start they hope will continue.

Solid starting pitching, including that from Aaron Nola, has helped make up for a struggling offense, and Nola will take the mound Friday night as the Phillies open their series with the visiting Atlanta Braves.

Philadelphia (24-17) lost 99 games in 2015 and overhauled a good part of its roster before dropping its first four this year. It has been outscored by 28 runs, but the rotation has a 3.72 ERA to rank among the NL leaders as the Phillies try to prove the impressive start isn't a fluke.

Tyler Goeddel hit his first major league homer andJeremy Hellickson tossed six innings in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Miami as Philadelphia took two of three in the series.

''I'm very impressed,'' manager Pete Mackanin said. ''These guys have great makeup. They pull for one another. It's a real team.

''We've held our own and there's no reason to believe we can't (compete for the postseason).''

Nola (3-2, 2.89 ERA) has been a big reason for that success. The Phillies have won Nola's last five starts as he's gone 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA. He's pitched seven innings in four of them, including Saturday when he gave up one earned run in a 4-3 win over Cincinnati.

Nola has struck out 35 and walked six in 34 innings during that span.

''He has a great way about him,'' Mackanin said of Nola, who tied a career high with nine strikeouts against the Reds. ''He knows how to make adjustments. He's a lot of fun to watch.''

Atlanta hasn't been the least bit entertained when facing Nola. The right-hander made three of his 13 starts as a rookie last season against the Braves, going 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA while tossing seven innings twice.

Matt Wisler has been one of the few bright spots for Atlanta (10-30), which has dropped 11 of its last 14 and fired manager Fredi Gonzalez after Monday's loss to Pittsburgh.

Wisler (1-3, 3.14) has gone into the eighth in each of his last three starts, going 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA. He gave up two runs and struck out seven but didn't get any run support in Atlanta's 4-2, 13-inning loss at Kansas City on Sunday.

''I feel like I'm attacking hitters, staying aggressive,'' Wisler said. ''That's the main thing - attack hitters, make them put the ball in play. We have a good defense behind me so attack them, put it in play and see if the defense can make a play for me.'' The right-hander gave up three runs in eight innings against the Phillies on May 10, including a homer to Maikel Franco in his final inning. He got only one run of support and took a 3-2 loss.

Franco is 4 for 6 off Wisler, who tries to help the Braves pick up a rare victory after they fell 8-2 to the Pirates on Thursday. Jeff Francoeur went 3 for 4 with a solo homer, but his teammates mustered only four other hits.

Atlanta shortstop Erick Aybar could be back in the lineup after sitting out Thursday. He had to be sedated to remove a chicken bone he swallowed during a pregame meal but returned to the team later.