Atlanta Braves (45-52) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (63-34) Game No. 98 July 26, 2015 Busch Stadium St. Louis, Mo. RHP Matt Wisler (4-1, 3.60) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (11-3, 3.20) TODAY’S GAME: The Braves and St. Louis Cardinals play the fi nale of a three-game set and the third of six meetings between the two clubs this season...The Braves and Cardinals wrap up the 2015 campaign with a three-game Braves vs. Cardinals set at Atlanta (Oct. 2-4)...Atlanta trails the Cardinals in the all-time series 890-1037-18, including a 240-273-1 mark 2014 2015 All-Time during the Atlanta era (since 1966)...The Braves also trail 12-19 at Busch Stadium...ROAD TRIPPIN: Last night Overall (since 1900) 2-4 0-1 890-1037-18 Atlanta Era (since ‘66) --- --- 240-273-1 the Braves opened a 10-game road trip to St. Louis (0-2), Baltimore (July 27-29) and Philadelphia (July 30-August 2). at Atlanta 1-2 --- 129-128 SMOLTZ TO BE INDUCTED TODAY: Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz will be inducted into the Na- at Turner Field --- --- 40-24 tional Baseball Hall of Fame today in Cooperstown, NY...Acquired from Detroit by GM Bobby Cox in 1987, Smoltz at St. Louis 1-2 0-1 419-552-11 fashioned his Hall of Fame career by excelling as both a starter and reliever over the span of two decades from 1988 to at Busch Stad. (since ‘06) --- --- 12-19 2008...He is the only pitcher in major league history with 200 or more wins and 150-plus saves...In 14 full seasons as a starter, Smoltz won 14 or more games 10 times...Twice, he led the NL or shared the lead in wins (1996 and 2006), in- nings pitched (1996 and ‘97) and strikeouts (1992 and ‘96)...He ranked in the top 10 in ERA eight times...Smoltz won Load ‘Em Up the Cy Young Award in 1996 on the strength of a 24-8 record, 2.94 ERA and franchise-record 276 strikeouts...Following 2015 Major League leaders in batting average with the “Tommy John” surgery that sidelined him for the 2000 campaign, Smoltz served as the Braves’ closer for three-plus bases loaded (Minimum 10 at-bats): seasons...He set an NL record with 55 saves in 2002 and finished third in Cy Young Award voting...He and Hall of Player AVG. (H-AB) Famer Dennis Eckersley are the only two pitchers to record a 20-win season and a 50-save season...Smoltz returned to 1. JACE PETERSON, ATLANTA .643 (9-14) 2. CAMERON MAYBIN, ATLANTA .545 (6-11) the starting rotation in 2005 and became the 16th member of the 3,000-strikeout club on April 22, 2008...At the time 3. Matt Duffy, San Francisco .500 (6-12) of his retirement, his 15 postseason wins were the second-most in baseball history, while his 199 strikeouts were tops. 4. Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit .462 (6-13) BRAVES OF LATE: The Braves dropped a 1-0 decision to the Cardinals last night at Busch Stadium for 5. Xander Bogaerts, Boston .438 (7-16) their third consecutive loss...They are just 3-7 over their last 10 games and 10-15 over their last 25 games...From July 1 to July 7, the Braves won six-of-seven games, but then they lost fi ve straight games heading into the All-Star break...Atlanta enters play today in third place in the National League East division, 7-1/2 games behind Washing- Clutch Hitting ton...SLIM MARGIN: In their last 10 losses (dating to July 8), seven of those contests have been decided by two National League leaders with runners in scoring position runs or fewer. Player AVG. FIRST FOR GARCIA: Last night’s starting third baseman Adonis Garcia made his fi rst Major League start 1. FREDDIE FREEMAN, ATLANTA .418 2. Nolan Arenado, Colorado .412 and collected his fi rst career hit with a single to right fi eld in the second inning...Garcia, who was recalled from 3. Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona .408 Gwinnett (AAA) prior to last night’s game, became the sixth Brave to record his fi rst Major League hit this sea- 4. Michael Taylor, Washington .404 son...FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: The Braves trail the New York Mets (seven players) for the Major 5. Buster Posey, San Francisco .389 League lead for players who have recorded their fi rst major league hit this season. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh .389 T7. CAMERON MAYBIN, ATLANTA .387 PUTTING IT IN PLAY: Braves hitters have struck out a National-League-low 672 times this season which T7. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado .387 comes on the heels of a four-season span in which Braves batters ranked among the top four National League teams NL team leaders in batting average with RISP: with the most punchouts (2014, 3rd with 1369; 2013 T1st with 1384; 2012, 4th with 1289; 2011, 4th with 1260). Team AVG. PICKED OFF: Friday night’s starting pitcher Manny Banuelos recorded his second career pickoff and last 1. Colorado Rockies .295 Wednesday’s starting pitcher Julio Teheran picked off his fi fth baserunner of the season...PICKOFF RANK- 2. San Francisco Giants .289 INGS: Teheran’s fi ve pickoffs rank tied for second in the Majors this season and the Braves boast a Major-League- 3. ATLANTA BRAVES .281 leading 15 pickoffs by their pitchers..Since 2012, the Braves have picked off 65 runners, also the most in the majors. YOUNG GUNS: The Braves have gotten a MLB-high 30 wins from starters aged 24 or younger this sea- son...Only one other team has 20 this season (St. Louis, 23)...The 30 wins are already the fourth most in Atlanta Putting It in Play franchise history (since 1966) by starters aged 24 or younger...The 1989 club recorded a team-record 40 such wins. 2015 NL team leaders in plate appearances per strikeout: Team PA/SO NO. 51 WAS NO. 51: With the appearance on July 18 by RHP Jason Frasor (who wears No. 51), the 1. San Francisco Giants 5.40 Braves have now used 51 players this season...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is a franchise record 2. ATLANTA BRAVES 5.39 (topping the 50 players used in 2007) and easily surpasses their total of 39 players used last season...This year’s 3. Cincinnati Reds 5.29 club has had 12 players make their MLB debut (LHP Manny Banuelos, INF Daniel Castro, RHP Brandon Cun- 4. Philadelphia Phillies 5.13 niff, INF Adonis Garcia, RHP Cody Martin, RHP Williams Perez, LHP Andrew McKirahan, RHP John Cornely, 5. Los Angeles Dodgers 4.98 RHP Sugar Ray Marimon, RHP Matt Wisler, RHP Jake Brigham and RHP Ryan Kelly). FREEMAN RETURNS: 1B Freddie Freeman was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list yesterday Pinch Me and entered the game in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter (0-for-1)...Freeman, who was placed on the 15-day National League leaders in pinch-hit batting average: disabled list on June 23 (retroactive to June 18) with a right wrist contusion, appeared in one rehabilitation game Team AVG. on Friday going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI with the Braves’ Gulf Coast League club at the Braves’ 1. Gerardo Parra, Milwaukee .563 2. Chris Denorfi a, Chicago-NL .471 training facility at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla...During his absence from the starting Jeff Francoeur, Philadelphia .471 lineup, which totaled 30 games (6/18-7/24), the Braves scored a total of 83 runs in the 30 games (2.8 per game) 4. Shane Peterson, Milwaukee .429 and went 13-17 without the fi rst baseman...Prior to landing on the DL, Freeman hit .299 with a team-leading 41 5. PEDRO CIRIACO, ATLANTA .348 RBI, 12 home runs and 20 doubles, with the team averaging 4.0 runs per game (over the fi rst 76 games of the sea- Active Major League leaders in pinch-hit home runs: son, all of which Freeman appeared in)...His batting average in 16 June games was .328...COUNTER ROSTER Player Pinch-HRs MOVE: INF/OF Joey Terdoslavich was optioned to Gwinnett (AAA). 1. JONNY GOMES, Atlanta 10 TRADE WINDS: The Braves on Friday night completed a four-player trade with the New York Mets, as Chris Heisey, Los Angeles Dodgers 10 Atlanta acquired minor league RHPs John Gant and Rob Whalen in exchange for INF/OF Kelly Johnson, 3B Juan 3. Seth Smith, Seattle 8 Uribe and cash considerations...Gant, who turns 23 on August 6, went 6-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 17 games (all starts) for St. Lucie (A) and Binghamton (AA) in 2015...The 6-foot-4, 175-pound right-hander is in his fi fth minor league Upcoming Milestones season, all with the Mets, and owns a career record of 26-19...He was named a post-season and mid-season All-Star with the Savannah (A) Sand Gnats last season, and a mid-season All-Star with the Brooklyn (A) Cyclones in 2013... Needs For Freddie Freeman 1 RBI 400 The native of Savannah, Ga., was a 21st-round draft pick in 2011...Whalen, 21, is in his fi fth minor league season 2 Home Runs 100 and went a 4-5 record with a 3.36 ERA over 15 appearances (14 starts) for St. Lucie this season...He originally was Jonny Gomes 14 Runs 500 selected by the Mets in the 12th round of the 2012 June free agent draft out of Haines City (FL) High School and Nick Markakis 39 Games 1,500 owns a career minor league record of 16-9 with a 2.43 ERA over 42 appearances (38 starts)...The 6-foot-2, 200-pound 8 Home Runs 150 native of Stroudsburg, Pa., was ranked as the 18th-best prospect in the Mets’ system by MLBpipeline.com.