Atlanta Braves Clippings

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Braves.com

Braves rally from behind for first win

By Joe Frisaro and Glenn Sattell / MLB.com | 2:01 AM ET

MIAMI -- On the ropes early, and in danger of extending their season-opening losing streak even further, the Braves showed resolve and rallied behind three RBIs from Adonis Garcia, including a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, to defeat the Marlins, 6-3, on Friday at Marlins Park as Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day.

Garcia, who committed two errors in the third inning, became the Braves' offensive hero late with his key hits, which enabled Atlanta to avoid dropping to 0-10 for the first time since 1988. The Marlins, meanwhile, let a three-run lead slip away. They had the chance to break the game open early but bounced into three double plays, and fell to 12-26 all-time against Atlanta at Marlins Park.

"I am just glad to have the opportunity to help the team win," Garcia said. "The game didn't start out the way I'd have liked it to in the field."

"He came up with some big RBIs," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Good for Garcia that he kept his head up and got a couple of big hits for us."

Marlins lefty Wei-Yin Chen, going 10 days between starts due to a bruised left elbow, gave Miami a terrific start. He faced the minimum for 6 1/3 innings as the Marlins built their three-run lead. But with one out in the seventh, Atlanta started its comeback. Daniel Castro andFreddie Freeman had back-to-back singles, and Garcia dropped an opposite-field RBI double. Chen was lifted for David Phelps, who induced an RBI groundout from Gordon Beckham. Phelps then struck out pinch-hitter Kelly Johnson.

In the eighth inning, Nick Markakis had a game-tying single off Chris Narveson, who loaded the bases with two outs by hitting Freeman with a pitch. Bryan Morris entered and surrendered the two-run single to Garcia and an RBI single to Beckham.

"It was one of those games. We didn't get the out," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "We were trying to match guys up there a little bit. We didn't get the outs that we needed. They got the hits when they needed them, and we didn't really."

The Braves' postgame clubhouse took on a celebratory atmosphere.

"We've got 'We Are The Champions' in here playing afterwards, making a complete mockery of it," said Beckham.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Pushing buttons: Gonzalez pushed all the right buttons in a four-run eighth inning. Down 3-2, pinch-runner Mallex Smith stole second and scored the tying run courtesy of Markakis, who was moved to the leadoff spot for this game. Pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski was hit by a pitch and scored the go-ahead run on Garcia's hit.

"That just shows you what kind of flexibility we have with this team late in games," Gonzalez said.

Chen's no-no bid: When Chen walked Markakis on four pitches to start the game, it looked like it could be a wild night for the left-hander. But Chen induced a 6-4-3 double play, and retired Freeman on a grounder to short. The lefty retired 12 straight and held Atlanta hitless until Beckham's one-out single in the fifth. The next batter, Jeff Francoeur, bounced into a 5-4-3 double play. Chen, however, settled for a no-decision.

"I think I felt pretty good," Chen said through his interpreter. "Having 10 days of rest, it might be too long for a starter, so sometimes you have doubts about whether you still have the feeling for the game. I tried not to think about all those things. I was trying to do my job out there."

Double-play trouble for Miami: The Marlins were all over Braves starter Williams Perez early, collecting eight hits and two walks off the right-hander in 4 1/3 innings. But they managed just three runs, the third coming on Martin Prado's RBI double. But Prado bounced into two double plays, in the first off Perez and in the seventh inning against Alexi Ogando. Christian Yelich also tapped into a 4-6-3 double play in the third inning off Perez.

Miami was 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base.

"When you're leaving a couple out there early, you do think about it," Mattingly said. "But the way Wei-Yin is going, you're thinking, OK, hopefully, you survive that. And it just kind of flipped on us."

QUOTABLE "I think we've been throwing the ball, as a unit out there, pretty well. We're not going to let one game affect the way we go about our job out there. Our job is to go out and pick each other up, pick the starters up and give us a chance to win. We didn't do it tonight. That's really what it all boils down to." -- Miami reliever David Phelps, who was tagged with the loss

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Marlins have not had a pitcher turn in a complete game since Henderson Alvarez on June 3, 2014, against Tampa Bay. Chen was at 69 pitches through six innings and looked like he might have a chance to go the distance, but he was lifted with one out in the seventh inning. Miami has now gone 274 straight games without a starter going the distance.

WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Bud Norris gets the start on Saturday in the second of a three-game series at Marlins Park. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. Norris has dropped his first two decisions this season, both to Washington. He looks to improve on a 6.00 ERA over 12 innings this season.

Marlins: Tom Koehler comes off a tough loss at Washington, where he gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings, to take on the Braves Saturday. The right-hander has faced Atlanta 14 times, with 10 starts, and he's 2-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 67 innings.

Vizcaino puts pin in Braves' first win

Gonzalez impressed with team's clutch performance

By Glenn Sattell / Special to MLB.com | 1:02 AM ET

MIAMI -- You'll have to excuse the postgame celebration -- but the weight off their shoulders was worth the exuberance after the Braves snapped a nine-game skid to open the 2016 season with a 6-3 win over the Marlins at Marlins Park on Friday.

The Braves overcame a 3-0 deficit with six runs over the seventh and eighth innings, and Arodys Vizcaino nailed it down with a four-out save, completing 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief from five Braves relievers.

"It's a great feeling," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "[Before the game], we talked about it. And I told them, 'It's not going to be a three-run homer. It's going to be a little thing to get us going.'

"It was a couple of hit-by-pitches [in the four-run eighth inning] that got us going. [Tyler] Flowers had a great at-bat [single] and a couple of hit batters [A.J. Pierzynski and Freddie Freeman], and here we go. We put up a big number, and we won the game."

The Braves also stopped a seven-game slide to the Marlins in the process with Vizcaino punctuating the team effort.

"I don't like putting players in position where they may hurt themselves," Gonzalez said. "Not that he got hurt, but Vizcaino throwing 35 pitches in the 10th game of the season -- it doesn't sit well with me."

Vizcaino extended his scoreless streak to 13 2/3 innings over 15 games dating back to Sept. 15 of last season. Since the start of last season, 37 of his 41 appearances have been scoreless. His first career save was last season vs. Miami.

"A Major League win is tough to get," Gonzalez said. "Not to quote anybody in politics, but Joe the Plumber is going to read the paper tomorrow and go, 'Oh, the Braves won by three.' But if you watch the game, it was like the Braves won by three, but it was like a three-ulcer night.

"But it is what it is. It's hard to win a Major League game, so when you do win, you've got to appreciate it."

Garcia proud of Braves' focus, resolve

Third baseman's three RBIs, including go-ahead hit, seal Atlanta's first win

By Glenn Sattell / Special to MLB.com | 12:27 AM ET

MIAMI -- For two-thirds of Friday's series opener with the Marlins, it looked like the Braves would succumb to the same fate they've suffered over the first nine games of the 2016 season.

Down by three runs heading into the seventh inning, it all changed. Consecutive singles off Marlins starter Wei-Yin Chen, who was throwing a one-hitter to that point, put the Braves in business. Adonis Garcia came though with an RBI double and followed it with a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth, and the Braves pulled away for a 6-3 win -- their first in 10 games.

"The game didn't start the way I wanted it to, but luckily baseball is a game of opportunities, and I got more opportunities to help the team," Garcia said.

Garcia made a fielding error and then a throwing error on consecutive plays back in the third inning that helped the Marlins load the bases. But second baseman Gordon Beckham took him off the hook with a stellar play on a J.T. Realmuto ground ball behind second base for the final out of the inning.

Garcia said he felt the win was a big one on several levels.

"It's a very important victory, not just because it's our first one, but because we were able to come from behind, and it showed our team was able to maintain focus and concentration and stay in the game until we were able to pull off the win," he said.

Braves hope to rally behind Markakis' hot streak

By Glenn Sattell / Special to MLB.com | April 15th, 2016

MIAMI -- With the Braves mired in a nine-game skid to start the season, manager Fredi Gonzalez made the move Friday to put right fielder Nick Markakis at the top of the batting order.

Markakis went on to drive in the game-tying run with a single to fuel a four-run eighth that lifted the Braves to a 6-3 win over the Marlins, their first victory of the season.

Entering Friday's action, Markakis led the Majors with seven doubles, hitting three two-baggers on Sunday alone vs. St. Louis. He had three multi-hit games and had hit safely in six of his first nine games while boasting a .303 batting average.

"I think he's been our hottest hitter of late," said Gonzalez before Friday's game. "When Mallex [Smith] is not in the lineup, he's our best option."

Though Gonzalez didn't indicate the move would be a permanent one, he does anticipate it being more than just a one- or two-day switch.

"I don't like doing one-day lineup changes," Gonzalez said. "I may run this out for a little bit, with Nick hitting leadoff."

And that's just fine with the Braves' new leadoff hitter.

"I talked to him about it, and in typical Nick Markakis fashion, he goes, 'Hey skip, whatever you think is a winning lineup. You can put me anywhere you want.' ... He's legit."

Gonzalez reflects on Jackie's stoicism, strength

By Glenn Sattell / Special to MLB.com | April 15th, 2016

MIAMI -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez reflected on Friday's festivities prior to his team's 6-3 win over the Marlins. His attention turned to a special person who overcame a lot more than a losing streak, which the Braves had dealt with leading up to their first win of the season.

April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day, the day Robinson made his Major League debut back in 1947, breaking the league's color barrier. Every player in the Major Leagues wears his No. 42 on that day in honor -- a tradition that started on April 15, 2004.

"Look out on the field today," Gonzalez said. "He not only broke the color barrier for African-Americans, but I think for Hispanics, also. It's a special day for a lot of different reasons."

It certainly makes wins and losses trivial in comparison.

"If you read his story and all the adversity that he has gone through, 0-9 is nothing," Gonzalez said, referring to the Braves' 2016 start. "You've got to put everything into perspective. So it's special."

Q&A: Coppolella on challenges Braves face

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | April 15th, 2016

Braves general manager John Coppolella has engineered the massive rebuilding process since the conclusion of the 2014 season, enriching the club's future via the acquisition of many highly regarded prospects. But while the Braves were aiming to be more competitive than they were during last season's second half, they are off to a 0-9 start.

During a conversation with MLB.com, Coppolella discussed this disappointing start, the club's direction and what he hopes Braves fans will experience this year and beyond.

MLB.com: The early-season schedule will not get much easier, and it has already pitted your team against the Nationals and Cardinals. How has this impacted the start?

Coppolella: It's been a challenging schedule, and unfortunately, we haven't been able to meet the challenge. The schedule will get better for us as the season progresses, but ultimately it comes down to our execution, and we haven't played up to our abilities early in the season. It's very disappointing.

MLB.com: You agonized through the 1-19 stretch your team endured during last year's second half. Has the start of this season been more frustrating?

Coppolella: It's different, because we had the opportunity to win five of the first seven games with leads late into the game. During that horrific streak last season, we were getting blown out. But in 2016, we have just fallen short of one big hit, one big play or one big pitch. It's harder now, because it's at the start of a season, where it gets magnified. We also feel that we have a better team than we did in 2015.

MLB.com: Is it fair to say that injuries have played a part in these early-season struggles?

Coppolella: We lost Ender Inciarte -- likely for a few weeks -- in the third game of the season. We lost Danny Winkler for the year in the fifth game of the season. Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson are still working their way back into shape from offseason surgery. However, every team has injuries, and we just need to play better with the players we have who are healthy. Injuries should not be an excuse.

MLB.com: It has been your goal from the very beginning to build the Braves back into a team that can have sustainable long-term success. What does that mean for 2016?

Coppolella: From a talent pool and financial resources standpoint, 2016 is tougher for us than the upcoming years will be. But that challenge presents opportunity, and many of the young players we have acquired over the past 18 months could surface in Atlanta this season. Inciarte's injury presented an opportunity for Mallex Smith getting called up, and it's possible we could see at least a half-dozen more young pitchers and hitters.

MLB.com: How do you handle the frustration associated with such a bad start?

Coppolella: We have a great support system in place, starting at the very top with Terry McGuirk, John Schuerholz, John Hart and Bobby Cox. All four of these men have been through similar situations and understand what we're going through and what we are building toward for our fans. At the same time, on a personal level, it's excruciating. I feel so much responsibility to these four men, and especially to our fans, for such a poor start.

MLB.com: How important is winning?

Coppolella: It's everything. The Braves are a gold-standard organization, and to start out the season in this manner is embarrassing and unacceptable. John Schuerholz and John Hart have been great mentors in terms of trying to keep things in perspective. We have so many other great things going on in other areas of our organization, but we do need to start playing better and winning more games.

MLB.com: Is manager Fredi Gonzalez's job in danger if this losing continues?

Coppolella: We care about Fredi, and we all hope we can turn things around and start winning games. That will take pressure off everybody.

MLB.com: How do you deal with the pressure?

Coppolella: We understand where we are in the cycle of this process. We're in the second year of this plan, and we have made incredible progress in so many areas. We can't let a poor start and a small sample size overshadow so many other things. We know we are better than our record indicates. More importantly, we know there are better days ahead for our organization and our fans. Nothing productive comes from panic.

MLB.com: You've pointed to the Royals, Pirates, Cubs, Astros and Mets as teams you are trying to emulate.

Coppolella: All of those teams have done great work, but it took time. Our fans are terrific, and they deserve so much better than this and have every right in the world to be frustrated -- we are all frustrated. Go read the newspaper clippings for the Royals, Pirates, Cubs, Astros and Mets. I'm sure the fans of the Royals, Pirates, Cubs, Astros and Mets were frustrated a few years ago. John Schuerholz gave me a great article last week about Dayton Moore and how he rebuilt the Royals. It took Kansas City nine years to reach the playoffs, and the Royals started out 3-14 in 2012 [their seventh year under Moore], but they stayed patient and were ultimately rewarded.

MLB.com: What message do you want to send to Braves fans and Braves Country?

Coppolella: John Schuerholz said: "Winners make commitments and losers make excuses." We aren't going to make excuses for our terrible start -- close games, tough schedule, injuries -- we just haven't done the job. We have made a commitment. We are committed to playing better in 2016. We are committed to our plan of building through the many young and exciting players in our top-rated farm system. And, above all else, we are committed to bringing another World Series to the city of Atlanta and to Braves fans.

Marlins, Braves continue series in Miami

By Glenn Sattell / Special to MLB.com |

Tom Koehler takes the hill for the Marlins in the second game of a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves, who notched their first win of the season Friday. It's the first start of the season at Marlins Park for Koehler, where he is 15-16 lifetime with a 3.63 ERA. Bud Norris goes for the Braves. In two previous starts this season, both vs. Washington, Norris is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA.

In approaching the Braves, Marlins manager Don Mattingly isn't getting caught up in their slow start. He notes Miami's priority is taking care of its own business.

"We've got to play well," Mattingly said. "That's what it really comes down to. It's about us executing and us taking care of ourselves as far as playing the kind of baseball we're capable of. It's really about us playing well."

Three things to know • While Koehler has been one of the more consistent starters for the Marlins this young season with a 2.84 ERA, he has struggled against Atlanta over his career. Current Braves players are hitting a collective .341 against Koehler.

• Norris hasn't faced Miami since the 2012 season and has only pitched in five previous games against the Marlins during his career and has only faced four (Dee Gordon, Martin Prado, Giancarlo Stanton and Ichiro Suzuki) of the current players on their roster.

• Nick Markakis and A.J. Pierzynski have fared well against Koehler over their careers. Markakis is hitting .545 (6-for-11) against the Marlins starter while Pierzynski holds a .467 (7-for-15) mark against the righty, with two homers and five RBIs.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Skid ends: Braves rally, beat Marlins for 1st win in 10th game

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

MIAMI – Only once in the Braves’ 140-year franchise history has a team lost its first 10 games in a season, and for much of Friday night it looked like those 1988 Braves would have some company in that ignominious club.

But after falling behind 3-0 and failing to advance a runner to second base through six innings, the Braves scored two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth for a much-needed 6-3 win against the Marlins that stopped Atlanta’s season-opening losing skid at nine games.

“It’s a great feeling. It really is,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, the subject of increased speculation this week regarding his job status. “It’s a total team effort.”

Adonis Garcia drove in three runs with a hit in each of the pivotal innings, and a maligned Braves bullpen came through with 4 2/3 scoreless innings including a four-out save for Arodys Vizcaino, who struck out Marcell Ozuna with bases loaded to end the eighth inning and got J.T. Realmuto on a groundout with two on to end the ninth.

“Important victory — not just because it’s the first one, but we came from behind and showed a lot of character,” Garcia said through a translator.

The Braves at least have maintained their sense of humor: They played “We Are The Champions” after the game, before their clubhouse was open to media.

“We obviously needed a win,” said infielder Gordon Beckham, who drove in a run in each of the two big innings and made a key defensive play at second base. “I think everybody was getting a little tighter and a little tighter. So to get a win…. It’s a good day. We were down three and could have folded, but we battled back and obviously took it.”

The Braves didn’t have a hit until the fifth inning against left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who allowed nine hits and five runs in five innings in his previous start against Detroit. But after Chen faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings, including a pair of double-play grounders, the Braves’ slumbering offense awakened.

“It loosens up a lot,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said of the win and its effect on the collective team psyche. “Everybody wants to get the first one. To keep coming in every day and seeing a zero in the win column definitely gets a little frustrating. It’s nice to come out here and get a win.”

Trailing 3-0, they chipped away with two runs in the seventh inning on three consecutive one-out hits off Chen, including singles by Daniel Castro and Freeman and Garcia’s RBI double. Beckham added a run-scoring groundout to cut the Marlins’ lead to 3-2.

The Braves took control with four-run eighth after a leadoff single from Tyler Flowers and a stolen base by pinch-runner Mallex Smith. A.J. Pierzynski was hit by a pitch before Nick Markakis’ game-tying one-out single off left-hander Chris Narveson, who was brought in to face him.

Narveson hit Freeman to load the bases before Garcia’s second big hit, a two-out, two-run single for a 5-3 lead. Beckham added an RBI single to cap the four-run inning.

“Today we talked about, it’s not going to be a three-run homer to get us going, it’s going to be a little thing that gets us going, like taking an extra base on a ball in the dirt or something like that,” Gonzalez said. “Today you know what got us going? A couple of hit batters. Flowers had a great at-bat, and we got a couple of hit batters and here we go, we put up a big number.”

Garcia made amends for fielding and throwing errors on consecutive plays in the third inning, which didn’t let in any runs but forced Williams Perez to throw about 20 extra pitches. Perez lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed eight hits, three runs and two walks with one strikeout.

“The game didn’t start the way I wanted it to, and obviously my fielding didn’t start the way I wanted it to,” Garcia said. “But luckily baseball is a game of opportunities, and I got the opportunity to help the team.”

Freman said, “(Garcia) definitely came through for us twice today. It’s huge, and Gordon Beckham did an amazing job, too. Can’t forget him. It’s just nice to keep the line moving for a couple of innings. We haven’t been doing that, and it was mostly my fault. I’ve been stopping the line a lot.”

The Braves are 1-4 on a seven-game trip that began with a four-game sweep at Washington, where they’ve lost 14 in a row over two seasons. They’ll play two more at Marlins Park before an off day Monday and a likely Tuesday matchup with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to start an eight-game homestand.

Bud Norris (0-2, 6.00 ERA) is scheduled to face Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler (0-1, 2.84) on Saturday.

Markakis moved to leadoff spot, could stay there awhile

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

MIAMI – With Ender Inciarte on the disabled list and the Braves not getting much production from the leadoff spot, manager Fredi Gonzalez put veteran Nick Markakis at the top of the order Friday.

“Nicky’s been our hottest hitter of late, and he’s done it before,” Gonzalez said. “And if Mallex (Smith) is not in the lineup, he’s our best option (while Inciarte out).”

Rookie center fielder Smith is 1-for-14 with two walks and five strikeouts since being called up to fill in for Inciarte, who is out with a strained hamstring and could miss another couple of weeks. Gonzalez wanted to rest the left-handed-hitting Smith against Marlins lefty starter Wei-Yin Chen in the series opener.

When Smith returns to the lineup this weekend, he’ll likely be hitting near the bottom of the order instead of the top.

“Looking forward, I don’t like doing one-day lineup changes like that,” Gonzalez said. “I may run this out for a little bit with Nicky at leadoff. I talked to him a little about it, and typical Nick Markakis fashion, he goes, ‘Hey, Skip, whatever you think is a winning lineup, you can put me wherever you want. I really don’t care.’ And he doesn’t. He’s legit.

“So I go, if we’re going to move you to first, we’re going to do it for a while. I don’t want to jerk you around that way.”

Markakis hit .303 with a majors-leading seven doubles and a .39 on-base percentage in nine games before Friday, and his eight RBIs were five above the Braves’ next-highest total.

Friday marked the first time Markakis hit leadoff this season, but he has nearly 1,400 career plate appearances at the No. 1 position including 285 PAs in 2015 in his first season with the Braves. He had a .294 career average and .358 OBP from the leadoff spot, including .295/.379 last season.

Coppolella on Fredi, why GM thinks it’s better team than ‘15 Braves

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

MIAMI – The Braves took an 0-9 record into Friday night’s series opener against the Marlins and needed a win to avoid matching the 1988 Braves for worst start (0-10) in the history of a franchise that’s been in existence more than a century.

There have not been any recent votes of confidence from the front office for Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, installed this week as the favorite to be the first manager fired, according to one Las Vegas oddsmaker.

Braves general manager John Coppolella was asked Friday about Gonzalez’s job status.

“We all care greatly about Fredi,” Coppolella said, “and we hope we get this turned around so it takes pressure off of everybody — players, coaching staff and front office.”

In a Q&A posted on the team’s MLB.com website Friday, Coppolella was asked if the winless start had been more frustrating than a 1-19 stretch the Braves went through in the second half of their 95-loss 2015 season.

He replied, “It’s different, because we had the opportunity to win five of the first seven games (this season) with leads late into the game. During that horrific streak last season, we were getting blown out. But in 2016, we have just fallen short of one big hit, one big play or one big pitch. It’s harder now, because it’s at the start of a season, where it gets magnified. We also feel that we have a better team than we did in 2015.”

The last part of that answer was what caught the attention of some who read it. So we asked Coppolella what made this year’s team better than the 2015 version.

“I think it’s a deeper lineup, better bullpen, growth of young players, and improved health,” he said. “Those four factors, I think, put a better team out there for us. Whether or not it leads to a better record. … It’s a better 25 (on the roster).”

The 2015 Braves had starting pitchers Shelby Miller, who had a team-best 3.02 ERA in 205 1/3 innings, and left-hander Alex Wood (until Wood was traded in July), plus two-time Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons and center fielder Cameron Maybin, who had a career-best season.

Miller, Simmons and Maybin were traded in the offseason.

Newcomers to the 2016 starting rotation are Bud Norris and Jhoulys Chacin, and the lineup additions include center fielder Ender Inciarte, who played well before straining a hamstring that will keep him out a few weeks, and Eric Aybar. So far, Aybar made several defensive mistakes and hit .167 through nine games.

The additions to the bullpen include Chris Withrow, Alexi Ogando and left-handers Eric O’Flaherty and rookie Hunter Cervenka, along with the return of veterans Jason Grilli, who worked hard to come back from season-ending Achilles surgery in July, and Jim Johnson, who was traded in July, had hernia surgery this winter, and was re-signed.

Through Thursday, Grilli had a 6.75 ERA in three appearances and Johnson had a 9.82 ERA in four. Coppolella said Grilli and Johnson are still working their way back to full strength, and believes the Braves will get a boost with the expected June return of reliever Shae Simmons from Tommy John elbow surgery.

The Braves’ bullpen entered Friday with a 7.01 ERA that ranked 29th in the majors, ahead of Colorado (7.59).

Braves-Marlins box score: 7 things to know

By Staff reports - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves beat the Marlins 6-3 Friday night for their first win in 10 games. Here are seven things to know from the box score.

1. Five Braves relievers combined to throw 4 2-3 scoreless innings.

2. Right fielder Nick Markakis has nine RBIs in the 10 games.

3. The Braves had just one hit in the first six innings, but seven in the last three innings.

4. Williams Perez has a 7.00 ERA after two starts.

5. Third baseman Adonis Garcia had two errors, and has four this season. He did have three RBIs too.

6. Outfielder Drew Stubbs struck out three times and has fanned 10 times in 16 at-bats with the Braves.

7. Closer Arodys Vizcaino threw 35 pitches, almost half as many as starter Williams Perez (73).

No end in sight for baseball’s soaring salaries

By Tim Tucker - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Forty years ago this month, baseball fans were amazed by the contract that free-agent pitcher Andy Messersmith signed with the Ted Turner-owned Braves: three years for $1 million, which seemed like a lot at the time.

Baseball salaries have been amazing folks ever since Messersmith ushered in the sport’s free-agency era.

“Even in just the last couple of years, you wouldn’t have guessed what would happen,” said Terry McGuirk, who worked for Turner’s fledgling TV business 40 years ago and now is the Braves’ chairman and CEO. “We are now at a $30 million-a-year pitcher, and we’re probably on our way to a $40 million pitcher.”

From there, who knows?

Baseball’s highest paid player this season, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, will make $32 million, while two other pitchers, Zack Greinke of the Arizona Diamondbacks and David Price of the Boston Red Sox, will make at least $30 million. Thirty-seven players will make at least $20 million this season.

Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is in the second year of a 13-year, $325 million contract, while 10 other active players have long-term contracts worth $200 million or more. Already, there’s speculation that Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper could command a 10- or 12-year deal worth as much as $500 million — half a billion dollars — when he becomes a free agent at age 26 after the 2018 season.

Just as fans marveled at the first $1 million-a-year player (Nolan Ryan in 1980), the first $5 million-a-year player (Bobby Bonilla in 1992), the first $10 million player (Albert Belle in 1997), the first $20 million player (Alex Rodriguez in 2001) and the first $30 million player (Rodriguez in 2009), they can expect to be amazed by further excursions into the salary stratosphere.

J.C. Bradbury, a Kennesaw State sports economist who has extensively researched the history of baseball salaries, won’t be the least bit surprised when $40 million-a-year and $50-million-a-year players arrive.

“It is absolutely going to happen,” Bradbury said. “Absolutely.”

The continuing surge in player salaries “makes perfect sense,” he said, when viewed in tandem with the continuing rise in Major League Baseball’s revenue. As revenue has risen from higher ticket prices, fancier stadiums, local and national TV deals, sponsorships and the Internet, player salaries have risen “at a similar pace” through most of the free-agency era because of competition for players, he said.

“I know it’s very hard for people who sit there and watch the sport and go, ‘How can this person make so much money? No one should make that much money,’” Bradbury said. “But the issue isn’t why the player is getting so much money. The issue is: Who gets it, the owner or the player? When fans complain about the players’ salaries, what they have to understand is they’re siding with the billionaires (owners) over the millionaires (players).

“People say, ‘Oh, if you lowered the ticket price, then players wouldn’t make as much and more people would come to the games.’ The problem with that is that fans want to go to the games to see a better product, and team owners are making more money when they have a better product that is more expensive.”

Industry-wide, MLB is expected to generate almost $10 billion in revenue this year and to spend almost $4 billion on player salaries — both record highs for the sport.

The average player salary across MLB this year is almost $4.4 million, up from about $45,000 in 1975, the season before the Messersmith case.

An arbitrator declared Messersmith and retiring pitcher Dave McNally free agents in December 1975, striking down baseball’s “reserve clause,” which previously bound players to their teams in perpetuity unless traded, sold or released. Although Messersmith had gone 53-30 with a 2.51 ERA over the previous three seasons with the Dodgers, few teams pursued him as a free agent. When negotiations with San Diego broke down, Padres owner Ray Kroc famously said: “He can work in a car wash.”

Turner, in his first year as the Braves’ owner, stepped up with the three-year, $1 million offer.

“That was unheard-of money back then,” recalled Atlanta public-relations executive Bob Hope, the Braves’ PR director at the time. “It was totally shocking.”

When the Braves completed the deal April 10, 1976, two days into the season, Turner quipped: “We just felt Andy Messersmith was too good to work in a car wash.”

Turner had a plan to recoup part of the investment by placing the word “Channel,” rather than the player’s name, above the No. 17 on the back of Messersmith’s jersey. (Turner was putting players’ nicknames on the back of jerseys.) That made the pitcher a billboard for Turner’s TV station, Channel 17 — until MLB put a stop to it.

Messersmith had relatively little success on the mound for the Braves — an early warning that expensive free agents come with no guarantees — but the game’s economic transformation was underway.

Fast-forward 40 years to spring 2016, when Boston’s David Ortiz told teammate Mookie Betts, a veteran of just one full major-league season, that Betts is in position to earn a long-term contract worth $250 million.

The Braves, one of baseball’s bigger spenders through the 1990s, haven’t participated in the recent surge in payrolls — and are paying for that decision in their win-loss record.

Their current payroll of about $87 million ranks 26th among the 30 MLB teams and is slightly lower than it was a decade ago. Even that $87 million figure is deceptively high because it includes $14 million toward the guaranteed salaries of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, both released in spring training. Another $15 million toward their salaries came from Cleveland in last year’s trade and isn’t included in the Braves’ payroll figure.

The Braves have vowed that their payroll will increase after the move to SunTrust Park, but they currently have only $54 million committed in guaranteed contracts for next season, according to a securities filing by team owner Liberty Media. So it remains to be seen how sharply, or how quickly, their spending will rise.

“We want to be one of the high-payroll teams,” McGuirk said. “As we move into our new stadium, we have the opportunity to take a large jump from the level we’re at right now. My goal would be to be a top-10 payroll team.

“As these young guys (in the Braves’ minor-league system) grow up and we have championship teams, we’re going to have to pay them as championship teams. We have done that before, and we understand how it works.”

Still, the runaway salaries for free-agent pitchers is part of the reason for the Braves’ strategy of accumulating pitching prospects to try to develop their own top-of-the-rotation starters.

McGuirk has watched salaries evolve from the Messersmith contract to today’s $30-million-plus-a-year deals, and like most fans he has marveled at the escalation.

“These are nutty numbers,” he said. “I don’t know where it ends. You always think it’s ending.”

SOARING SALARIES Baseball’s highest paid player in each fifth season starting with the first $1 million-a-year player in 1980: Year / Highest paid player (team) / Salary 1980 / Nolan Ryan (Houston Astros) / $1,000,000 1985 / Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia Phillies) / $2,096,967 1990 / Robin Yount (Milwaukee Brewers) / $3,200,000 1995 / Cecil Fielder (Detroit Tigers) / $9,237,500 2000 / Kevin Brown (Los Angeles Dodgers) / $15,714,286 2005 / Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) / $26,000,000 2010 / Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) / $33,000,000 2015 / Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers) / $30,000,000 Source: Society for American Baseball Research (sabr.org) 2016 PAYROLLS The teams with baseball’s five highest and five lowest payrolls this season: Top five 1. Los Angeles Dodgers $248,129,162 2. New York Yankees $227,854,349 3. Boston Red Sox $200,343,907 4. Detroit Tigers $200,008,040 5. San Francisco Giants $171,464,943 Bottom five 26. Atlanta Braves $87,120,573 27. Oakland Athletics $85,799,865 28. Miami Marlins $70,464,500 29. Tampa Bay Rays $65,015,523 30. Milwaukee Brewers $63,914,319 Source: Spotrac.com MLB Team Payroll Tracker (as of Wednesday) (Note: Braves payroll includes $14 million toward the combined salaries of Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher, who were cut in spring training. It doesn’t include another $15 million of those players’ combined salaries because that portion was effectively covered by cash the Braves received from Cleveland in last year’s trade. Braves payroll includes $2.5 million they sent to Detroit in trade of Cameron Maybin to offset part of his salary. The payroll includes players on the disabled list and Hector Olivera on paid administrative leave. Salaries for players currently on the Braves’ 25-man active roster total $63.7 million.)

A look inside the Braves’ 1988 10-game streak

By Staff

The Braves’ 10-game losing streak that began the 1988 season remains a franchise record, and was the National League record at the time. The streak featured famous names on the Braves and the opposition — and several themes familiar to fans watching this season’s team lose its first nine.

A look inside the streak:

Game 1, April 5: Cubs 10, Braves 9 (13 innings)

Bruce Sutter, making his first appearance in a game since May 27, 1986, gave up a two-run lead in the ninth inning, and the Braves lost in front of 34,929 on opening day at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The teams used 13 pitchers overall and combined for seven homers, tying an opening-day record. The Braves hit four homers and had a seven-run fourth inning.

Ozzie Virgil, Ken Oberkfell and Gerald Perry drove in six runs with homers against starter Rick Sutcliffe. Andres Thomas added a homer in the eighth.

Game 2, April 6: Cubs 3, Braves 0

The winning pitcher was Greg Maddux, but was just becoming the force that would lead him to the Hall of Fame. In fact, AJC beat writer Gerry Fraley had to describe Maddux as “a wispy right-hander whose nickname among the Chicago Cubs is ‘Batboy.’’

Maddux was a week shy of his 22nd birthday. In the second half of the previous season he was 1-7 with an 8.86 ERA. In 36 previous appearances, opponents had hit .302 against him. His most recent win was on July 24, 1987.

Not so on April 6, 1988. He held the Braves to three hits, all singles. It jump-started a season in which he posted an 18-8 record with a 3.18 ERA. The following season Maddux finished third in voting for the Cy Young Award, which he later won four times.

Game 3, April 7: Dodgers 5, Braves 2

The attendance for the game: 5,257 on a Thursday night. The starter for the Dodgers was 43-year-old Don Sutton. He gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Pedro Guerrero, Mike Marshall, Kirk Gibson, Mike Davis and John Shelby were a combined 6-for-19 with four RBIs. They entered the game 1-for-30 with no RBIs.

Braves starter Pete Smith held the Dodgers to five hits and two runs in seven innings, but he lost a one-run lead in each of his last two innings, on two-out hits by Marshall and Steve Sax.

Game 4, April 8: Dodgers 6, Braves 3

In the words of AJC beat writer Gerry Fraley: “The Braves so far have been sprinters, a demeaning horse-racing term for giving up the lead and not coming back. The Braves have led after the fifth inning in three of the games and were tied after six in the other loss.

“Their starters have pitched into the sixth inning three times. Their defense has made only one error.”

In the words of beloved Braves star Dale Murphy: “There’s not any one part of our game I’m concerned about. I’m not concerned about the way we’re playing. We just haven’t won, and that’s the bottom line.”

They would lose six more before they won their first, and they would lost 102 more that season.

Game 5, April 9: Dodgers 11, Braves 3

The first blowout of the season was made worse when reliever Jim Acker allowed five runs, including two homers before got an out in the eighth inning.

Dodgers lefty Fernando Valenzuela held the Braves to six hits in eight innings.

After the game, there were some major slumps in play for the Braves. Damaso Garcia became hitless in his past 15 at-bats, with four balls hit out of the infield. Dion James had two hits in his past 18 at-bats. Ken Oberkfell had two hits in his past 14 at-bats. Ken Griffey Sr. was 1-for-12, an infield hit.

Dale Murphy homered in the sixth, but that was his first extra-base hit and first RBI of the season. He had one single in his previous 15 at-bats.

Glavine started for the Braves and couldn’t his change-up for strikes. He allowed 11 base runners, three on walks. Two of those runners scored. He fell behind 4-0 after five innings.

Game 6, April 10: Dodgers 3, Braves 1

After six games, the Braves were hitting .206 and had a .314 slugging percentages, with only four of their past 32 hits going for extra bases.

The combined batting average for the first two spots in the batting order was .196 (10-for-51). Most of that was because Damaso Garcia, the No. 2 hitter, was hitless in his past 19 at-bats.

Game 7, April 12: Astros 8, Braves 3

The crowd on hand at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was 1,938, the smallest at the venue in nine years, and the Braves matched the mark for the team’s worst start since moving to Atlanta, when they were 0-7 in 1980.

After the game, beat writer Gerry Fraley wrote that “Ted Simmons hurled a chair at a door. Dale Murphy furiously dressed and stalked off, looking befuddled and saying ‘it’s frustrating.’”

Said Ken Griffey Sr.: “Losing gets to you. It gets real old. We come out swinging, and then we stop. We have to make our own breaks. We have to keep going the whole game.”

Astros starter Nolan Ryan blew an early three-run lead, but retired 20 of the next 21 hitters he faced after Andres Thomas’ run-scoring single in the first.

The Braves’ four-hit performance dropped their batting average to .197.

Game 8: April 13: Astros 4, Braves 0

With 3,810 customers in the house, the Braves managed only two hits, both singles, against the Astros’ Jim Deshaies. Those hits were by Dale Murphy in the second inning and by Damaso Garcia in the sixth.

Before Murphy could get the first hit, the Astros scored three runs in the first inning.

Game 9, April 15: Dodgers 3, Braves 2

In their first road game, the Braves tied what was then the National League record for consecutive losses at the beginning of a season, a mark held by the 1918 Brooklyn Dodgers, the 1919 Boston Braves, the 1962 New York Mets and the 1983 Houston Astros.

The futility was wearing on the players.

Shortstop Andres Thomas had to come between catcher Ozzie Virgil and first baseman Gerald Perry during a meeting on the mound in the sixth inning. Beat writer Gerry Fraley wrote that the confrontation started because Virgil was unhappy no one alerted him that Kirk Gibson was going from first to third on a wild pitch.

The Braves led 2-0, but Fraley wrote that starter Tom Glavine was undone by a “chopper that became a double, two wild pitches, three flare singles, a runner who reached on a strikeout and a balk.”

Game 10, April 16: Dodgers 7, Braves 4

In the game last loss of the record streak, the Braves again showed no power. They had 10 hits, but all were singles. For the season, the Braves now had 13 extra-base hits in 334 at-bats.

Six years after the Braves started a season by winning a National League-record 13 consecutive games, they held the NL mark for losses to begin a season.

Braves farm report: April 14

By Staff

Braves prospect Rio Ruiz raised his batting average to .346 with a 2-for-4 night, including his first home run of the season, Thursday night.

The Gwinnett Braves third baseman, also drove in three runs in the G-Braves’ 5-0 home victory against Norfolk.

Starting pitcher Aaron Blair had his second strong outing of the season.

Blair (2-0) pitched six innings, allowing five hits but no runs. He struck out six and walked three.

Elsewhere around the Braves farm system:

• Emilio Bonifacio was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double for Triple-A Gwinnett.

• Ozzie Albies was 0-for-4 for Double-A Mississippi, snapping his six-game hit streak. He reached base once on a walk.

• Mississippi starter Sean Newcomb pitched five innings, allowing one run on one hit. He walked four and struck out four as the M-Braves lost 6-3 to Montgomery.

• Dansby Swanson was 0-for-4 for high Single-A Carolina, ending a five-game hit streak. Swanson was 9-for-21 in the streak.

• In his second start of the season, Max Fried pitched six innings and allowed no runs for Single-A Rome. He struck out seven while allowing two hits and walking four as the R-Braves lose to Asheville 5-4. Fried was acquired, along with Jace Peterson and Mallex Smith, in the December 2014 trade that sent Justin Upton to the Padres.

• Center fielder Ronald Acuna was 3-for-5 for the R-Braves, all singles. He scored two runs.

• Rome catcher Jonathan Morales was 3-for-5 with an RBI, a double and a run scored. He raised his season batting average to .407, and he has a hit in six of the R-Braves’ seven games. He has four multi-hit games.

WXIA-TV (NBC)

Atlanta Braves avoid tying worst start in franchise's history

Alec McQuade, WXIA

This is reason to celebrate.

The Atlanta Braves avoided tying the worst start in franchise history and picked up their first win of the season beating the Miami Marlins 6-3 Friday at Marlins Park. They are now 1-9 this season.

With a loss, Atlanta would have matched the 1988's Braves' 0-10 record to start the season, the worst in the the team's history.

Trailing 3-0 after six, it looked as if another loss was on the way. But the Braves scored two runs in the seventh inning and four in the eighth.

Adonis Garcia singled to center driving in A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Markakis giving the Braves the lead for the first time in the game.

Braves reliever Alezi Ogando (1-0) got the win and closer Arodys Vizcaino earned his first save of the season. Marlins pitcher David Phelps (2-1) picked up the loss

Going into Friday's game, the seat of Braves' manager Freddie Gonzalez looked to be getting warm in his sixth season with the team.

In a Q&A with Braves general manager John Coppolella on MLB.com, Coppolella was asked if Gonzalez's job was in danger.

"We care about Fredi, and we all hope we can turn things around and start winning games. That will take pressure off everybody," he said.

That's not a no, but it sounds like Coppolella is hoping time will help turn things around.

"We understand where we are in the cycle of this process," he added. "We can't let a poor start and a small sample size overshadow so many other things."

"Nothing productive comes from panic."

The Sports Xchange

Atlanta Braves finally pick up first win after 0-9 start

The Sports Xchange

MIAMI -- The Atlanta Braves won't have to worry about a connection with historic futility.

Adonis Garcia drove in three runs and the Braves snapped a nine-game losing streak to start the season with a 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday.

The Braves avoided a 0-10 start that would have matched a club record set in 1988.

"It's almost like a playoff win for us," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "You hate to say it was almost a must win, but it was almost a must win."

Atlanta took the lead with a four-run eighth inning against two Miami relievers.

Garcia atoned for a fielding and throwing error on consecutive batters in the third inning after his two-run single with the bases loaded in the eighth off Bryan Morris gave the Braves a 5-3 lead. Gordon Beckham's RBI single increased Atlanta's advantage to 6-3.

"The game didn't start the way I wanted it to but luckily baseball is a game of opportunities and I got more opportunities to help the team," Garcia said. "It's an extra important victory, not just because it was our first one, but because we were able to come from behind."

The Braves began their rally on Nick Markakis' game-tying single to left off Chris Naverson that scored pinch-runner Mallex Smith. Naverson relieved David Phelps (2-1), who allowed two runs in one-plus innings.

Alexi Ogando (1-0) worked two scoreless innings for the win. Arodys Vizcaino pitched the final 1 1/3 innings around two walks and two hits for the save.

"It's a good total team effort -- good feeling," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's not going to be a three-run homer to get us going. It's going to be a little thing to get us going, taking an extra base on a ball to third."

The Braves chased Marlins starter Wei-Yin Chen in the seventh after Garcia's one-out double scored Daniel Castro and advanced Freeman to third. Beckham's groundout against Phelps drove in Freeman and cut Miami's lead to 3-2.

In his second appearance with Miami, Chen allowed two runs and four hits, struck out six and walked one before being lifted with one out in the seventh. Chen missed his last start after a line drive struck his left arm opening day.

Chen kept the Braves hitless until Beckham's one-out single to left in the fifth. He retired 10 straight batters after giving up a leadoff walk to Markakis to start the game.

"Having 10 days of rest might be too long for a starter and sometimes you have doubts whether you have the feel for things," Chen said. "I tried not to overthink and do my job out there."

Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich each had three hits for Miami, which scored in the first, third and fifth.

The Marlins stranded 13 runners, including bases loaded situations in the third and eighth.

"We didn't get the outs; we tried to match (bullpen) guys a little bit," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "They got the hits when they needed and we didn't."

The Marlins chased Braves starter Williams Perez (0-1) after 4 1/3 innings. Perez allowed three runs, eight hits and two walks and struck out one.

Giancarlo Stanton's single to center scored Ozuna for a 1-0 Miami lead in the first. Ozuna had doubled and advanced to third on Yelich's single to left.

Dee Gordon scored from third on Yelich's double play groundout in the third to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.

The Marlins increased their advantage to 3-0 on Martin Prado's RBI double in the fifth.

NOTES: Braves RHP Jose Ramirez was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett after clearing waivers Thursday. Before being designated for assignment Monday, the reliever appeared in two games, allowing six runs and five hits in two innings. ... Braves OF Nick Markakis batted leadoff after OF Mallex Smith hit first in the four-game series against the Nationals. Smith went 1-for-14 against Washington. ... LHP Eric Jokisch joined the Marlins and was assigned to Triple-A New Orleans after being claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. Jokisch, 26, began the season at the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. To make room for Jokisch, the Marlins designated RHP Scott McGough for assignment. ... Marlins LHP Mike Dunn, on the disabled list since the start of the season, had a second MRI on his strained left forearm Monday. The test found no structural damage, Dunn said.

Associated Press

Braves earn 1st win by rallying past Marlins, 6-3

By STEVEN WINE (AP Sports Writer)

MIAMI (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves gathered on the field for hugs and high fives, executing a flawless postgame celebration despite a lack of practice.

''It's nice to touch people's hands for once,'' said first baseman Freddie Freeman, still grinning 20 minutes later. ''It's a nice little two-ton boulder off our shoulders.''

Adonis Garcia drove in three runs in the final three innings and the Braves rallied for their first victory of the year after nine consecutive losses, beating the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Friday night.

The Braves managed just one hit in the first six innings, trailed 3-0 in the seventh and appeared on the verge of falling to 0-10, which would have matched the worst start in franchise history in 1988.

''A three-ulcer night,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

The comeback began with three consecutive hits in the seventh, including a double by Garcia to drive in the first Atlanta run. Nick Markakis' RBI single in the eighth made it 3-all, and Garcia's two-run double put the Braves ahead.

''It's an extremely important victory, not just because it was our first one, but because we were able to come from behind,'' Garcia said through a translator.

Alexi Ogando (1-0) pitched two innings. Ogando and four other relievers combined for 4 2-3 scoreless innings.

''It's almost like a playoff win for us,'' Freeman said. ''You hate to say it was almost a must win, but it was almost a must win.''

Freeman singled and scored while hiking his average to .107.

Miami's Marcell Ozuna had three hits, but struck out with the bases loaded against Arodys Vizcaino to end the eighth. Vizcaino went 1 1-3 innings and retired J.T. Realmuto on a groundout with two on in the ninth for the save.

Even though Gonzalez's pitching changes worked, the manager second-guessed himself afterward, saying he asked too much from Vizcaino.

''I'm not real happy about my usage of the bullpen,'' he said. ''I don't like putting players in positions where they might hurt themselves, and Vizcaino throwing 35 pitches doesn't sit well with me.''

Braves starter Williams Perez allowed eight hits and three runs in 4 1-3 innings. After two starts he has an ERA of 7.00.

David Phelps (2-1) allowed two runs in one inning and was part of a meltdown by the Marlins' bullpen, which hit two batters in a four-run eighth.

''It was one of those games,'' manager Don Mattingly said. ''We didn't get the outs that we needed.''

Christian Yelich had three hits for Miami to raise his average to .429.

Marlins newcomer Wei-Yin Chen, making his second start of the year, allowed two runs in 6 1-3 innings. Chen hadn't pitched since opening day, when he was hit on the throwing elbow by a comebacker but stayed in the game, but he hardly looked rusty.

In the first 6 1-3 innings he allowed only one hit and faced the minimum, but three consecutive hits sent him packing.

The Marlins, starting a seven-game homestand, fell to 0-3 this year at home. The Braves improved to 26-12 at Marlins Park.

FIELDING WOES

Third baseman Garcia committed back to back errors in the third inning, but they didn't lead to any runs. Garcia has four errors this season.

''The game didn't start the way I wanted,'' Garcia said, ''but luckily baseball is a game of opportunities, and I got more opportunities to help the team.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Marlins: LHP Mike Dunn, who is on the DL with a strained left forearm, said he underwent a second MRI that reconfirmed the initial diagnosis of inflammation. ''It's just a matter of giving it rest,'' Dunn said. There is no timetable yet for him to begin throwing.

UP NEXT

Braves RHP Bud Norris (0-2, 6.00) is scheduled to face RHP Tom Koehler (0-1, 2.84) on Saturday. Norris has a 6.18 ERA in five career starts against Miami.

Braves-Marlins Preview

By CHRIS RUDDICK (STATS Writer)

It may have taken 10 games, but the Atlanta Braves finally found the win column.

Now they'll try to make it two straight victories Saturday when they continue a three-game set with the Miami Marlins.

Atlanta looked as if it was on its way to matching the worst start in team history Friday, managing just one hit through the first six innings and trailing 3-0 in the seventh. Adonis Garcia led a furious comeback, though, knocking in three runs as the Braves (1-9) scored six unanswered in a 6-3 win.

"It's nice to touch people's hands for once," said first baseman Freddie Freeman. "It's a nice little two-ton boulder off our shoulders."

Nick Markakis also added an RBI, while Alexi Ogandopicked up the win, as he and four other Atlanta relievers combined to pitch 4 2-3 scoreless innings.

"It's almost like a playoff win for us," Freeman said. "You hate to say it was almost a must win, but it was almost a must win."

Miami's Marcell Ozuna had three hits, but struck out with the bases loaded against Arodys Vizcaino to end the eighth. Vizcaino retired J.T. Realmuto on a groundout with two on in the ninth to earn the save.

The loss ended Miami's seven-game winning streak versus the Braves and also dropped it to 0-3 at home.

"It was one of those games," manager Don Mattingly said. "We didn't get the outs that we needed."

Getting the call for the Braves on Saturday will be righty Bud Norris (0-2, 6.00 ERA). After pitching well in defeat against Washington on April 6, Norris was roughed up by the Nationals on Monday for five runs and nine hits in five innings.

Norris, winless in six starts dating to June 7 of last season and without a victory since Aug. 14 overall, has faced the Marlins (3-4) five times and is 1-1 with a 6.18 ERA against them.

Miami is one of just three National League teams without a win from its starting rotation, along with Atlanta and Arizona, but the rotation has been turning a corner over the last five games.

Since April 10, Miami's starters have not allowed more than three runs in a game and own an ERA of 2.54 over 28 1/3 innings in that span. It's a sharp contrast from the beginning of the year, when they posted a 10.03 ERA in the first three games after allowing 13 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings.

Hoping to continue the recent trend will be righty Tom Koehler (0-1, 2.84), who lost his season debut Sunday against Washington. The Nationals reached him for two runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings of a 4-2 defeat.

"I didn't really have a good feel in the first," said Koehler, who didn't help himself by issuing four walks. "As the game went on, I felt like I got stronger. I would have liked to execute some pitches better in the first inning, thatway I would have given us a better chance to win the game."

In 10 starts and 14 games versus the Braves, Koehler has gone 2-4 with a 3.36 ERA. A.J Pierzynski has been a thorn in his side, going 7 for 15 with two homers and one double.