Atlanta Braves Clippings

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Braves.com

Braves fall behind early, can't rally vs. Jays

By Gregor Chisholm and Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 1:25 AM ET

ATLANTA -- David Price tossed seven strong innings, while Edwin Encarnacion reached base five times in his return to the lineup as the Blue Jays coasted to a 9-1 victory over the Braves on Wednesday night at Turner Field.

Toronto maintained its three-game over Yankees for first place in the American League after New York pulled out a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays pulled within two games of the Royals for the top record in the AL after Kansas City lost, 5-1, to the Indians.

Right-hander Shelby Miller took the loss after he allowed five runs (four earned) over 3 2/3 innings in his shortest outing of the season. His streak of winless starts now sits at 22, despite the fact that he surrendered three earned runs or fewer in 15 of those outings. Miller allowed seven hits and two walks, while striking out three and throwing 53 of his 83 pitches for strikes.

Price had another quality start and saw his season ERA drop to 2.42 in 30 outings. He allowed one run in the first on Freddie Freeman's sac fly, but quickly settled in after that and escaped several jams en route to allowing two runs or fewer for the 18th time in his past 22 starts. Price allowed six hits and three walks, while striking out nine.in No. 16

"He labored a little bit early," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I think he was a little bit off with his location in the early innings, and then he kicked it in pretty good and battled. I don't think it was as easy of an outing as he made it look. They were aggressive with him early, but he did what we brought him over here for again and he has been great."

Encarnacion was one of the standouts on offense for the Blue Jays as he returned from a two-game absence to post a three-hit night. Left fielder Ben Revere also got in on the action with a pair of hits, while Russell Martin added a late two-run homer to go along with a two-run double in the first inning.

The Braves have lost 40 of their past 51 games, including 25 of their past 29.

"It's tough as a team and as a group to go out in the second or third inning and you're already down 4 or 5-0," Braves outfielder Nick Swisher said. "It's tough because instead of being in attack mode, you're kind of on your heels a little bit, saying, 'All right, maybe I've got to take a few pitches here because [our pitcher] just had a long inning.' Next thing you know, you're down 0-2 in the count. So, for us, I think we need to keep that aggressive mentality and not worry about the score."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Piling on early: The Blue Jays got to Miller early and often with four hits in the first, including an RBI double by Bautista and Martin's two-run two-bagger. Ryan Goins also added a sacrifice fly in the frame as Toronto jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Price even had to take the mound. It was the 52nd time this season the Blue Jays scored at least four runs in a single inning.

"Bringer of Runs? I'll definitely welcome that nickname," Price said in reference to the Blue Jays scoring five first-inning runs in his last start and four more on Wednesday. "This offense scores, everybody knows that. It's the best offense in all of baseball. I'll take as many runs as I can get."

Dubious franchise record: Though he has been the Braves' best starter throughout the season, Miller now shares the franchise record for consecutive winless starts (22) with Carl Morton (1975-76). The Braves once again provided the meager run support that has blemished this maddening stretch. But Miller did not look like himself as he surrendered hits, including a pair of doubles, to four of the first five batters he faced. After holding the Blue Jays scoreless in the second and third innings, he issued two walks, committed a balk and surrendered another double in the fourth.

"He left some balls out over the plate and didn't locate," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "With a good hitting club like [the Blue Jays], if you don't locate, you're going to hit, and that's what happened today. This might have been the first time I haven't seen him locate in a long, long time."

Putting the game on ice: Toronto's lineup added another run in the fourth and then put the game away in the fifth with two more. Goins led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a double by Kevin Pillar. One run then scored on a grounder by Cliff Pennington, and Revere drove home the second with a double to center. Goins finished 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and a pair of walks. Since becoming an everyday player on July 26, he has 28 walks in 42 games.

QUOTABLE "He's one of those guys when you get in two-strike counts, he's got stuff to put you away. He's a competitor. He's one of the best in the league. For him to be [with the Blue Jays], that's a huge pickup for them. He's definitely going to help them down the stretch." -- Swisher, on Price

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Miller has posted a 3.68 ERA during his winless streak that dates back to May 23. Wednesday marked the seventh time during this span that he has allowed four or more earned runs, but it also marked the 16th time within this span that he received one run or less of support.

Encarnacion has reached base in 43 consecutive games, which is the longest streak by a player on a Canadian team since Tim Raines in 1985 (44).

Price is the new American League leader in ERA at 2.42. Houston's Dallas Keuchel was the previous leader, but his ERA soared to 2.56 after he surrendered nine runs in a start against the Rangers on Wednesday.

ANDRELTON RARITY Andrelton Simmons committed an error in each of the first two innings. This was the National League Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop's fourth career two-error game and first since July 5, 2014.

WHAT'S NEXT Blue Jays: Right-hander Marco Estrada will take the mound when the Blue Jays close out their three-game series against the Braves on Thursday night at Turner Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Estrada surpassed his career high in innings pitched during his last start, but one concern is that he has allowed 10 home runs over his previous six outings.

Braves: Atlanta will counter with rookie Matt Wisler, who will be looking to build off the six solid innings he completed against the Mets on Friday. The rookie right-hander entered that outing having posted a 9.49 ERA over his past seven starts.

Grilli nominated for Clemente Award

Injured Braves closer honored for positive contributions on and off field

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | September 16th, 2015

ATLANTA -- Jason Grilli returned to Turner Field on Wednesday night to be honored as the Braves' nominee for the 2015 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. At the same time, the veteran reliever took advantage of the chance to confirm his belief he will be ready to pitch again at the start of next year's Spring Training.

"That's my goal and that is my plan, barring no setbacks or jumping the gun too much," Grilli said. "I'm going to be 39 [years old] this offseason and some people might count me out or say I'm too old, but as long as there is opportunity, someone will find a spot for me. My history has proven that something like this won't set me back."

Grilli's return enabled him to reunite with some of his Braves teammates for the first time since he ruptured his left Achilles tendon while attempting to cover first base during a July 11 game at Coors Field. As he has spent the past few months recovering, he has seen Atlanta go from a team that entered July 8 with a .500 record to one that could now finish the season with Major League Baseball's worst record.

Some of the early season success was influenced by Grilli, who converted 24 of 26 save opportunities and posted a 2.96 ERA in 36 appearances.

"It's never fun, especially given where we were at when I left this team, and for me personally; I was having a good season," Grilli said. "You put in all that hard work and hope to contribute and be a factor in having a winning season and getting to the playoffs. That all gets erased after one play."

Though Grilli has not been able to help the Braves on the field over the past two months, his community efforts played a significant role in him being named Atlanta's nominee for the Clemente Award. Named after Hall of Fame right fielder and renowned philanthropist Roberto Clemente, the award recognizes players who best represent the game through positive contributions both on and off the field, where sportsmanship and community involvement rank paramount.

Fans are encouraged to participate in the process of selecting the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award on MLB.com. Voting ends Oct. 9, and participating fans will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2015 World Series, where the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be announced.

During Wednesday's pregame ceremony, a $7,500 check was presented to Feeding America, a charity that Grilli has become very involved with in attempt to fight against hunger. Along with volunteering at food banks across the country, the veteran reliever is also one of the Major Leaguers committed to the 108 stitches campaign, its mission to "Strike Out Cancer."

"Everybody wants to be a great ballplayer, but to be a better person, who better to exemplify and lead the way than Roberto Clemente?" Grilli said. "Something that is near and dear to my heart is feeding families and children that can't afford to, no matter what their circumstances might be. To see that instant gratification is something I don't do for any recognition, just for the sake of using this platform as Roberto did."

Tough-luck Miller ties Braves winless streak

Ace allows five runs (four earned), tallies 22nd straight start without victory

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:45 AM ET

ATLANTA -- Those who have watched the Braves throughout this season should have no trouble recognizing that Shelby Miller has been Atlanta's top starting pitcher. But as long as historians continue to give credence to a pitcher's record, Miller will also be remembered for having spent this year enduring the longest winless streak in franchise history.

Miller gained this dubious distinction as he struggled through a four-run first inning and completed his shortest outing of the season in Wednesday night's 9-1 loss to the Blue Jays. Though a lack of run support has plagued this maddening streak, the Atlanta ace had to bear much of the blame for this result.

"I really didn't have anything going for me," Miller said as he displayed his frustration with uncharacteristically short answers following the game.

Miller has not been credited with a win since he came within one out of no-hitting the Marlins on May 17. His 22-start winless streak matches the franchise record that Carl Morton set over the course of the 1975 and '76 seasons. Still, this dubious distinction does not paint a clear picture of how effective the Atlanta hurler has been over the course of this season.

After allowing the Blue Jays five runs (four earned) and seven hits in just 3 2/3 innings, Miller found himself with a respectable 3.00 ERA through 30 starts. Alex Wood (3.54), who was traded to the Dodgers, stands as the only other Braves pitcher who has posted an ERA below 4.34 while making at least 10 starts this season.

"It's tough watching that because he's such a great guy and such a great competitor," Braves outfielder Nick Swisher said. "He's an All-Star this year and he's got tremendous stuff. He just can't catch a break. Sometimes in this game, that's what you need is a break or a lucky bounce here or there. He's just been on the unfortunate side.

"It's not a lack of work ethic or anything. The dude is a machine. He works his tail off and wants that ball every fifth day. We want him on the mound."

This marked the 16th time during the 22-start winless streak that the Braves have provided one run or less of support while Miller still had an opportunity to earn a win. But the right-hander put himself in a tough spot when he allowed hits, including a pair of doubles, to four of the first five batters he faced in the Blue Jays' four-run first inning.

Miller's struggles continued when he issued two walks, committed a balk and surrendered a Josh Donaldson double before exiting with two outs in the fourth.

Miller has allowed four earned runs or more in just seven of his 30 starts. But with three of those instances occurring within his past five starts, there is certainly reason to wonder if he is being affected by both the physical and mental grind this season has created.

"It's not really anything mentally, maybe more physically," Miller said. "You kind of get tired. You've just got to try to stake out these last couple starts and see what happens."

Braves willing to sit Olivera based on matchup

Acquired from Dodgers, third baseman has yielded time to hot-hitting Garcia

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | September 16th, 2015

ATLANTA -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez understands the price his organization paid to acquire Hector Olivera from the Dodgers. But at the same time, he has not felt the pressure to play Olivera if he believes Adonis Garcia provides a better matchup on certain nights.

The Braves have said they need to take a patient approach with Olivera. Still, it was surprising to see the much-hyped third baseman on the bench while Garcia started the first two games of this week's series against the Blue Jays.

"I want to see [Olivera] as much as I want to see him, but I also want to put the best lineup out there to give me a chance to win ballgames," Gonzalez said. "I don't want to go in there and say, 'We're playing for 2016.' I'm not going to do that. I come in every day and try to put the best lineup together to win a ballgame."

When the Braves were willing to part ways with top prospect Jose Peraza and left-hander Alex Wood to acquire Olivera from the Dodgers on July 30, the assumption was he would spend most of this season's final weeks displaying his power potential in the middle of Atlanta's lineup.

But Olivera spent all of August in the Minors, recovering from a hamstring injury and better acquainting himself to professional baseball in the United States. Since making his Major League debut on Sept. 1, the 30-year-old Cuban third baseman has started just 10 of the 15 games Atlanta has played.

Olivera struggled with three Minor League teams for the Braves, and he hit just .225 (9-for-40) during the first two weeks of his Major League career entering Wednesday. He went 1-for-12 since producing a three-hit game on Sept. 9 in Philadelphia.

Instead of allowing Olivera a chance to work through his struggles against lefties Mark Buehrle on Tuesday and David Price on Wednesday, Gonzalez felt it was best to wait for better matchups.

"We sit and talk about it with the coaching staff, and I think the matchup with that particular day's pitcher plays a part," Gonzalez said. "You want [Olivera] to play and to have some success. You don't want him to get buried."

Meanwhile, Garcia batted .277 with eight homers through the first 155 at-bats of his career. He also entered Wednesday having hit .391 with a 1.026 OPS in his past 14 games.

"When you win and produce, you get a chance to play, but I do want to get a chance to see [Olivera] play," Gonzalez said. "So, that is the hardest thing coming in every day. And what do you tell Garcia? Do you tell Garcia he's not part of the future? The guy has 150 at-bats and eight home runs. He's as hot as a firecracker."

Looking to extend lead, Blue Jays end road trip

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | September 16th, 2015

Before heading back to Toronto to begin a nine-game homestand that will include a three-game set against the Yankees, the Blue Jays will attempt to take advantage of another opportunity to defeat the Braves and improve their own postseason standing.

The Blue Jays will send Marco Estrada to the mound to oppose rookie Matt Wisler in Thursday's series finale at Turner Field owning a three-game lead over the second-place Yankees in the American League East. The Yanks will come to Toronto begin a three-game series on Monday.

After taking a second consecutive loss for the first time in a month, the Blue Jays shook off Tuesday night's series-opening loss with the four-run first inning that propelled them to Wednesday night's win over the Braves, who have lost 25 of their past 29 games.

The Blue Jays will likely be without Troy Tulowitzki for at least another week as he recovers from a right shoulder injury. But the Toronto lineup was strengthened on Wednesday night, when Edwin Encarnacion returned from his brief absence with a three-hit game. Encarnacion had missed the previous two games with a sore left middle finger.

Things to know about this game

• Estrada has completed a career-high 152 1/3 innings this season, and he has shown some wear as he has lasted just five innings in both of his past two starts. Home runs have become an issue again as well. Last year, Estrada allowed 1.7 homers per nine innings, but through 24 games this year, he was at 0.84 HR/9 IP. In his last six starts, that has skyrocketed to 2.76 HR/9 IP.

• Wisler will certainly be challenged by Toronto's potent lineup. Before limiting the Mets to two runs over six innings on Friday, he had produced a 9.49 ERA over his past seven starts. His finest outing during that rough stretch was completed on Aug. 29, when he limited the Yankees to two runs over six innings.

• Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin is expected to get the night off with Estrada on the mound. Dioner Navarro has become Estrada's personal catcher over the past couple months, and that is expected to continue for a little while longer. Toronto will eventually have Martin behind the plate for Estrada's starts because they will likely want to start him every day in the postseason.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after loss to Blue Jays

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after 9-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday at Turner Field.

**FREDI GONZALEZ

On Shelby Miller’s issue tonight

“I think it was location. Location with all his pitches. He left some balls out over the plate and didn’t locate. With a good-hitting club like they do if you don’t locate you are going to get hit. That’s what happened. That might be the first time I haven’t seen him locate in a long, long time.”

On if Miller’s winless stretch is wearing on him

“That’s something you may have to ask him. It’s got to be tough for a young man to go through what he’s going through. If he keeps sticking his note to the grindstone he will be a better person, a better pitcher at the other end of that. It’s hard to tell those guys now and for them to believe you it’s a different story. I’m sure it’s frustrating for him.”

On why he removed Miller in the fourth inning

“It’s 80-plus pitches and it’s just one of those days I wasn’t going to let him go out there and let him get beat up all night long.”

On if Miller’s rough starts lately are a mental or physical grind

“He’s got to go through it. I think today he surpassed his most innings in the big leagues if I’m not mistakes. And he’s got two more starts, maybe three more starts and you’ve got to try and keep him built up and get him as close to 200 innings as we can for next year and also for his future. It’s a grind. It’s not easy pitching in the big leagues. It’s 33, 35-plus starts every single year it’s a grind, it’s tough. He’s going to be better off for it in the future.”

On the team putting the ball in play against David Price

“They scored four runs in the first inning and then we came back and manufactured a run right away. I’m thinking, OK, we keep it right there we might be able to tack on some more runs in the course of the game. You see Price’s stuff elevate when he has to. We have first and second and suddenly he’s starting 93, 94 mph fastballs. You can tell why he’s been so successful.”

**SHELBY MILLER

On what was disappointing about his start

“I just didn’t really have anything going for me at all, really. So a lot of things.”

On if he was upset when Gonzalez removed him from the game

“No, not really. I can understand it.”

On if his location could have been better

“Yeah, probably just throw more strikes.”

On if he feels mental and physical grind late in season

“Not really anything mentally, more of physically you kind of get tired and you try to stake out these last couple starts and see what happens.”

On if anything in first inning made him think he needed to make adjustments

“Not really.”

**NICK SWISHER

On David Price

“He’ s one of those guys, you get a two-strike count he’s got stuff to put you away. He’s a competitor. He’s one of the best in the league, and for him to be over there it’s a huge pickup for them. He’s definitely going to help them. In situations like that you can’t get in two-strike counts he’s going to put you down.”

On falling behind early to Price

“That’s kind of been our thing. It’s tough as a team and as a group when you go out in the second inning you are already down four-, five-nothing. It’s tough. Instead of being on the attack mode you are kind of on your heels a little bit and it’s, ‘All right. Maybe I’ve got to take a couple pitches here. It’s a long inning I can’t just go up and swing at the first pitch.’ And then next thing you know you are down 0-2. For us maybe we need to keep that aggressive mentality and not worry about what the score is and just play our game.”

On Miller’s losing streak

“It’s tough watching that, man. He’s such a great guy and he’s such a competitor. He’s an All-Star and he’s got tremendous stuff. Can’t catch a break, man. Sometimes in this game that’s what you need is a break and a lucky bounce here or there. He’s just been on the unfortunate side. It’s not a lack of work ethic or anything like that. The dude’s a machine. He works his tail off and he wants the ball every fifth day. And we want him on the mound. Just like with Julio (Teheran) when he steps on the mound, we feel we’ve got a good chance just like Shelby does. This is a tough stretch for him. You hate to see somebody go through something like that. Every time he steps on the mound you try to dig in a little deeper because you really want to get him that win. With a lineup like they had tonight, they got some runs early and it was tough to come back.”

Blue Jays beat up Miller, Braves

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Turner Field was eerily silent when Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez walked to the mound in the fourth inning on Wednesday. It’s been a pretty quiet place for much of the past month as the home team scuffles but, still, this felt different.

Maybe Braves backers were in disbelief because Gonzalez was on his way to take Shelby Miller out of the game. How could it be that Miller, once so reliable, couldn’t even get out of the fourth inning?

The Blue Jays knocked Miller around during a 9-1 interleague victory and extended his career-long losing streak to 14 decisions. Miller fell behind 4-0 in the first inning and the Braves never recovered.

“This is a tough stretch for him,” Braves outfielder Nick Swisher said. “You hate to see somebody go through something like that. Every time he steps on the mound you try to dig in a little deeper because you really want to get him that win. With a lineup like they had tonight, they got some runs early and it was tough to come back.”

The Braves (57-89) won the series opener but couldn’t earn their first winning streak since they won three in a row against the Marlins Aug. 6-8. The Braves have lost 29 of 35 since then. The Blue Jays (83-62) are trying to pull away from the Yankees for the AL East title.

For a long time Miller dominated opposing lineups while his teammates rarely backed him with runs. The 2.37 runs per nine innings the Braves scored in support for Miller over his previous 29 starts were the fewest in the majors. He was winless in his past 21 starts before Wednesday in spite of a 3.51 ERA over that span.

The Braves, last in the majors in runs, still don’t score much—especially when facing an ace such as Blue Jays left-hander David Price. Now Miller also is inconsistent.

The Rockies touched Miller for four runs over 6 2/3 innings on Aug. 26 but he came back to hold the Marlins to one run in seven innings in his next start. After the Nationals got to Miller for six earned runs over 4 1/3 innings on Sept. 5, he responded with three runs allowed to the Mets over six innings in his last start.

Miller’s seesaw continued against the Blue Jays, who lead the majors in runs scored. Miller gave up five runs (four earned), walked two batters and threw just 53 strikes on 83 pitches during his shortest outing of the season.

“It’s got to be tough for a young man to go through what he’s going through,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “If he keeps sticking his note to the grindstone he will be a better person, a better pitcher at the other end of that. It’s hard to tell those guys now and for them to believe you. I’m sure it’s frustrating for him.”

Miller (5-15) struggled from the start. He struck out Josh Donaldson after Ben Revere led off the game with a single but the Blue Jays went on to score four runs in the inning.

Jose Bautista hit a line-drive double to score Revere. Edwin Encarnacion singled and Russell Martin followed with a two-run double, then went to third on an error by shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Ryan Goings hit a sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead.

With 3 2/3 innings pitched Wednesday Miller is up to 186 this season, surpassing the career-high 183 innings he pitched for the Cardinals in 2014. He said he’s feeling the effects of a long season.

“Not really anything mentally, more of physically you kind of get tired,” Miller said.

The 4-0 deficit was a tough early hole for the Braves against Price (16-5). He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in nine starts for the Blue Jays, who acquired him in a trade with the Tigers on July 30.

“It’s tough as a team and as a group when you go out in the second inning you are already down four-, five-nothing,” Swisher said. “Instead of being on the attack mode you are kind of on your heels a little bit and it’s, ‘All right. Maybe I’ve got to take a couple pitches here. It’s a long inning I can’t just go up and swing at the first pitch.’ And then next thing you know you are down 0-2.

“For us maybe we need to keep that aggressive mentality and not worry about what the score is and just play our game.”

The Braves trimmed Miller’s deficit to 4-1 on Freddie Freeman’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning. Miller stranded one base runner in the second inning and two in the third before he ran into trouble again in the fourth.

Cliff Pennington led off with a walk and went to second on a balk by Miller. Price moved Pennington to third base with a ground out, and then Revere scored him with a sacrifice fly for a 5-1 lead.

A double by Donaldson and a walk by Bautista prompted Gonzalez to remove Miller earlier than he had all season. Miller had two starts of 4 1/3 innings this season.

“It’s just one of those days I wasn’t going to let him go out there and let him get beat up all night long,” Gonzalez said.

Sugar Ray Marimon relived Miller and got out of the inning with no more runs allowed. The Blue Jays scored two runs against Marimon in the fifth for a 7-1 lead that was plenty enough for Price, who limited the Braves to six hits and struck out nine.

The Braves had their best chance to get to Price in the fifth inning. The rally fizzled in part because of bad luck.

Christian Bethancourt led off with a walk and pinch hitter Ryan Lavarnway followed with another walk. Nick Markakis hit a fly ball to shallow right field that second baseman Pennington ran after with his back to the infield.

The ball dropped, and Bethancourt and Lavarnway were caught between bases. Pennington started a double play that retired those two. After Daniel Castro singled, Price struck out Freeman to end the threat.

Braves closer Grilli still plans comeback

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After spending two months with his family following a season-ending Achilles injury, Braves pitcher Jason Grilli said he still plans to pitch in 2016.

“I’m going to be 39 this offseason. Some people may count me out; some people may say I’m still too old,” he said. “But as long as there is opportunity I think someone will find a spot for me knowing that (in) my history I’ve proven time and time again something like this won’t set me back.”

Grilli suffered the injury July 11 during a game at the Rockies. He said that “barring any setbacks” he planned to be ready for the start of spring training.

Grilli is set to be paid $3.5 million in 2016 by the Braves, who have a club option of $3 million for 2017 with a $250,000 buyout. At the time of his injury he had recorded 24 saves in 26 chances and had an overall ERA of 2.94.

Grilli was at Turner Field on Wednesday to be recognized as the Braves nominee for major league baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes players for sportsmanship and community involvement. Grilli was nominated for his work with hunger awareness and the fight against cancer.

Braves center fielder Maybin returns to lineup

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves center fielder Cameron Maybin returned to the lineup on Wednesday after recovering from a scratched left cornea in his eye.

Maybin missed seven games with the injury and then played off of the bench on Sunday against the Mets and Tuesday against the Blue Jays. He said he won’t need time to get acclimated to playing every day again.

“I’ve been playing all year,” Maybin said. “I don’t feel like a week has me in a position where my legs aren’t under me. It was just like a nice little break for the body, if anything. I felt good the whole time. I always worked out.”

Maybin entered Wednesday hitting .267 with a .331 on-base percentage and a .381 slugging percentage. He’s on pace to finish with career highs for batting average and on-base percentage for a full season.

Maybin left a game at the Nationals on Sept. 5 because of poor vision. He’d been playing for several days with pain in his eye after scratching it while handling his contact lense.

“I felt like I should have been limping around (with) everybody asking me how I was feeling,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed being out there every day. I’ve enjoyed being healthy every day. When something like that comes up that you can’t really play through it’s tough to deal with. I’m just happy to be back in the lineup and try to finish up the year and do some exciting things.”

Braves’ Fredi G. balances future with trying to win now

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It’s no secret that the Braves organization is looking to the future but manager Fredi Gonzalez said he’s still trying to send out lineups that give the Braves the best chance for victory.

That’s why Hector Olivera is splitting time at third base with Triple-A call-up Adonis Garcia, and struggling second baseman Jace Peterson is in a platoon with Daniel Castro. It’s why A.J. Pierzynski is the regular catcher instead of Christian Bethancourt and veteran Nick Swisher is getting the bulk of the time in left field.

Olivera, Peterson and Bethancourt may end up being lineup regulars in 2016 but they aren’t producing like it now so Gonzalez is trying to find favorable match-ups.

“Winning is part of developing, also,” Gonzalez said. “I think it’s a big part. Sometimes you get away from the winning concept and say, ‘Oh, this is instructional league. We are playing for 2016, 2017.’ You win, you produce, you get a chance to play.”

Olivera’s part-time status is drawing the most attention because the Braves traded a lot of assets to get him at the deadline. In exchange for Olivera the Braves sent the Dodgers a good left-handed starter (Alex Wood), their closer (Jim Johnson) an established bullpen lefty specialist (Luis Avilan) and one of their top minor-league prospects (Jose Peraza).

But in 12 games with the Braves entering Wednesday Olivera was hitting .225 (9-for-40) with 10 strikeouts and had a .311 on-base percentage and .325 slugging percentage. Meanwhile, in 44 games played since being called up Garcia was hitting .277 (43-for-155) with a .288 on-base percentage and .490 slugging percentage, including eight home runs.

The Braves expect more from Olivera after he plays winter ball and goes through spring training. He missed all of spring camp this year as he waited to sign as a free agent and then sat out nearly two months because of a hamstring injury.

“I want to see him play,” Gonzalez said of Olivera. “That’s the hardest thing coming in every day. And what do you tell Garcia? Do you tell Garcia he’s not part of the future?”

Gonzalez said that in addition to trying to win games for the Braves he has an obligation to those teams still in the hunt for postseason berths.

“I know the New York Yankees are watching and the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets—everybody,” he said. “I don’t want to go in there and say, ‘You know what, we are playing for 2016.’ I ain’t going to do that. I come in every day and try to put the best lineup that can win a ballgame.”

The Braves aren’t trying to lose, which is both good and bad

By Mark Bradley

When you lose 19 of 20 games; when you lose 12 in a row at home; when you go six calendar weeks between victories over a plus-.500 team; when you go 15-47 since July 7 … when you do all of that — and the Atlanta Braves have done all of that — it’s natural for folks to wonder if you’re actually trying to win. Sure enough, folks are wondering.

R.J. Anderson raised the question on Baseball Prospectus. On Grantland, Ben Lindbergh assessed the state of the race to the bottom of the National League East and wondered if there was a sure-thing No. 1 prospect — a Bryce Harper, say — who’d be worth his weight in tanking. (Apparently there isn’t.) On Baseball Prospectus’ Effectively Wild podcast, Lindbergh and BP editor Sam Miller discussed the Braves at length and wondered, you know, if they’re actually trying to win. (The podcast’s title gives away the ending: “Why Don’t Bad Teams Tank in September?“)

I’ll concede that, if the Braves were trying their hardest to lose, the results couldn’t be much different than they’ve been. Over the season’s first 84 games, the Braves played .500 ball, meaning they won one of every two games. Over the past 62 games, they’ve played .242 ball, meaning they’ve

won one of every four. As noted in this space, they could become the first team in baseball history to lose 100 games after being .500 so deep into a season. (They’ll need to go 5-11 over the final 2 1/2 weeks to do the deed.)

That said, I’ve seen little to indicate that the Braves are indeed losing games on purpose. They’ve haven’t shut down Shelby Miller or Julio Teheran. They’ve haven’t benched Freddie Freeman or Nick Markakis. And here, at least to me, is the capper: The average age of the Braves’ starting eight position players in Tuesday’s game against Toronto was … 30 years and one month. (And they did, wonder of wonders, win that night.)

If you find that heartening — our heroic Braves aren’t tanking after all! — maybe you shouldn’t. That a team this bad is trotting out five position players over 30 in a September game tells us that this organization isn’t a-swim in close-to-major-league-ready non-pitching prospects. (We note that the great hitting hope Hector Olivera will turn 31 next year.) That’s scary. And if you’re trying to win and still losing, that tells us only one thing: You’re terrible.

Terrible teams don’t get better overnight. Maybe by 2017 the young pitching will have kicked in and the Braves will have landed Yoenis Cespedes as a free agent and Olivera will have turned into George Brett if not Mike Schmidt. But guys like A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Swisher surely don’t have much left, and on this woebegone team they’re among the brighter lights.

Thursday’s game: vs. Blue Jays

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Where: Turner Field

When: 7:10 p.m.

TV; radio: SPSO; 680, 93.7, 106.7

Probable starting pitchers: Braves RH Matt Wisler (5-7, 5.60) vs. RH Marco Estrada (12-8, 3.31).

What’s new: A.J. Pierzynski had a three-hit game in the Toronto series opener, including a base hit in the ninth to give Andrelton Simmons a chance to be the walk-off hero Tuesday night. It was Pierzynski’s second three-hit game in 13 games, and over that span he is hitting .347 (17-for-49) with three doubles and six RBIs. Entering Wednesday, Adonis Garcia had multi-hits in three of his previous four games and was batting .357 (15-for-42) with four home runs against lefties, which was getting him some playing time at third base over Hector Olivera. The walk-off single Tuesday night left Simmons 13-for-32 (.406) over his previous eight games, including good series against both the Phillies and Mets.

- Carroll Rogers Walton

UPCOMING

Friday: vs. Phillies, 7:35 p.m.

Saturday: vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m.

Sunday: vs. Phillies, 1:35 p.m.

Monday: at Mets, 7:10 p.m.

Tuesday: at Mets, 7:10 p.m.

Lee: sales tax funds to be used for Braves bridge

By Dan Klepal - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cobb County s engineering consultant submitted a rendering of a single span bridge, with pedestrians and bicyclists on one side and commuter trams on the other, as an alternative to the county s plan to build a double deck bridge.

Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee said Wednesday the county plans to pay for a bridge over I-285 to the new Braves stadium with a combination of federal transit money, and special purpose sales tax revenue — despite the bridge not being on the SPLOST project list approved by voters in November.

Lee also has given up on the idea that the bridge will be ready for the Braves opening season in 2017.

The announcements, made public Wednesday through email, said the bridge construction schedule is no longer on pace to open in time for any portion of the 2017 season, and that the chairman will recommend “that we postpone the implementation of this project.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has previously reported that the bridge would not be open until September, or the last month of the 2017 baseball season.

“Make no mistake, I am not rethinking the idea of the bridge,” Lee wrote in Wednesday’s email. “I continue to believe that the bridge would be a major asset to Cobb County.”

Using SPLOST funds for bridge will require a majority approval of commissioners. None of the four district commissioners returned messages Wednesday seeking comment.

The announcements come two weeks after The AJC first reported that the Georgia Department of Transportationwould not fund any portion of the bridge construction, or the estimated $3.5 million needed to reinforce a parking deck into which the bridge would tie. Lee did not address the issue of how the county will pay for the parking deck improvements.

County officials have said bridge construction will cost at least $9 million, but the AJC has reported at least two engineers who expressed doubt that it can be built for that price.

Lee directed a reporter to his assistant, Kellie Brownlow, when he was asked about the bridge after a commission meeting Tuesday. Brownlow then told the AJC that Lee was unavailable Tuesday, or any other day during the rest of the week.

The newspaper submitted 11 written questions to Brownlow through email Wednesday after Lee’s announcement. None were answered.

The bridge, which would connect fans to 2,000 parking spaces at the Galleria Centre, is considered a critical piece of infrastructure that will help keep pedestrians off busy roadways before and after games.

It is also considered important for the trams that will move people from hotels, businesses and park-and-ride lots.

Cobb Parkway is already one of the busiest corridors in the state, and the Braves stadium is expected to add about 20,000 additional cars to area roadways during sold-out games. Neither the Braves nor the county has released any information about its plans for traffic control, pedestrian safety, or parking.

GDOT announced last week that it was providing $42 million for improvements to help mitigate heavy traffic in the area of SunTrust Park, but declined to contribute to the bridge or the parking deck. That left Cobb scrambling for a new way to fund the project.

Faye DiMassimo, Cobb’s transportation director, did not respond to multiple questions sent to her through email Wednesday. She and Lee were both quoted in the Marietta newspaper article on the bridge Wednesday morning.

DiMassimo said in that story that the county plans to use a portion of $50 million in SPLOST money it has set aside as un-designated funds to match state or federal grants.

Ron Sifen, a citizen member of the county’s Transportation Advisory Board and a transit activist, called that a breach of trust. He called the county’s un-designated SPLOST money a “slush fund,” and questioned what would go unfunded if Federal Transit Administration money is used for the bridge.

Tom Cheek, a western Cobb resident who has battled the county for improvements to the Medical Examiner’s Office, agreed: “The way SPLOST is explained to the voters is that they’re re voting on a speciflc list of projects, and not on a slush fund for projects that will be decided upon later.”

The Braves said in a statement that the team is prepared to open the stadium without the bridge.

“We continue to work closely with the county, our partners in the development and area landowners to provide adequate parking and safe travel to the ballpark,” the statement says. “The safety of our fans and other visitors to the development is paramount, and we will provide multiple avenues to accommodate their safe passage.”

Bob Voyles, a member of the Galleria Authority and the Cumberland Community Improvement District, supports the bridge project but said he encouraged Lee to consider the delay because the Galleria is in the process of an economic feasibility study for a new hotel that would be built next to the convention center.

“We realized if (the county) did any improvements to fix the parking deck, we might have to come back and rebuild some of that when we build our hotel,” Voyles said.

But the announcement also comes less than a week after the Marietta newspaper ran a column that quoted an unnamed member of the Galleria Authority as saying Lee did not have a majority of board members in favor of building the bridge.

The AJC reported in July that three board members expressed concern that the bridge would eat up valuable parking spaces needed for their shops and conventions and that entertainment at the Braves mixed-use development would compete with the performing arts center.

The story so far:

The bridge plan has changed considerably since it was announced almost two years ago. Lee went public with plans for the bridge the day after the Braves announced in November 2013 their move to Cobb County, telling the Marietta newspaper that the bridge would be included in the county’s contribution toward stadium construction.

Lee repeated in July, 2014 that no local tax dollars would be used in building the bridge. Three months later, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the county had informed the state that at least half of the bridge funding would come from local taxes.

The AJC was also the first to report that there would be millions of dollars in additional expenses beyond the county’s $9 million estimate, including an estimated $1.5 million for land purchases and $3.5 million to reinforce a parking deck into which the bridge will connect. The newspaper also was the first to report that the bridge would not be ready for the stadium opening in April 2017 — that the soonest it would open is September, or the last month of the baseball season.

Marietta Daily Journal

Bridge delay calls for stepped up leadership

The skies are clear, but the much-ballyhooed “Braves Bridge” is now facing what amounts to a “rain delay” — at a minimum. The multi-use bridge would cross over Interstate 285 and connect the Cobb Galleria Centre convention hall, adjacent office towers and hotels at one end with the new Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park at the other. The delay stems from questions about where it would land on the Galleria end, what the impact would be on the Galleria and tenants of the towers and hotels there, what its cost would be and who should pay for it. Some also question whether the bridge is actually still needed at this point. Members of the Cobb Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority, which runs the convention center, are fearful of losing some of their best parking spaces to the bridge and its approaches. Childress Klein Properties, which operates the office towers, is fearful that game-goers would be in competition for office parking. Both the authority and Childress Klein have commissioned independent studies of the impact the bridge might have. That, in combination with the wariness expressed by a number of the authority’s members, prompted Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee on Tuesday to announce that a decision on the bridge will be delayed until at least the first quarter of next year. The bottom line is that the bridge will not be built in time for the Braves’ inaugural 2017 season in the new stadium. “I’m going to recommend — when the actual final design comes forward — I’m going to recommend to the Board of Commissioners that we set this aside until the other partners can get all their information together,” Lee told the MDJ. The pedestrian bridge is said to have a $9 million price tag, which could rise by several million dollars if it has to be strengthened to support circulator buses. There’s also the fact that infrastructure projects rarely come in at their advertised price. Cobb DOT chief Faye DiMassimo says Cobb would pay for the bridge via a combination of $4.5 million in federal dollars and $4.5 million in local SPLOST matching dollars. But the bridge was not included on the project list for the 2016 SPLOST referendum that voters OK’d last fall, which could be legally problematic for Lee and the county. It’s also unclear whether SPLOST dollars would be shifted to the bridge from some other SPLOST project, and if so, which one. Interestingly, the Braves have been zip-lipped about the bridge, even after the delay announcement. That has some wondering if they quietly have come up with a “Plan B” that is not dependent on the bridge, and which envisions the vast bulk of their stadium parking on the north side of the interstate, which might in fact be the case. The fact remains, however, that a bridge over I-285 from the Galleria area to the stadium area is almost certainly going to be needed, and probably sooner rather than later. Otherwise, it’s probable that game days and game nights will see hundreds — or more realistically, thousands — of fans parking south of the interstate in the various decks and lots and walking to the game via the Cobb Parkway underpass at the interstate. That underpass is typically choked with vehicular traffic, and getting to it would also involve crossing the ramps leading onto and off the interstate. Not only would that be hazardous, but it would disrupt the flow of traffic onto the highway. Public safety would demand a better option. In order for it to come about, there will have to be some stepped-up leadership and more creative thinking on the part of not just the commission, but also the coliseum authority and Childress Klein — and yes, the Braves themselves. If they still feel the bridge is important, it’s time for the team to come out of the dugout and be part of the solution. And while it’s important that pedestrians be protected, it’s equally vital that Cobb taxpayers be protected as well.

The Sports Xchange

Toronto's offense explodes for 9-1 win over Atlanta

By Guy Curtright

ATLANTA — The Toronto Blue Jays offense got cranked back up Wednesday night in support of David Price and in the process added to the miseries of Atlanta’s Shelby Miller.

First baseman Edwin Encarnacion was 3-for-3 with two walks and Price improved to 7-1 since his trade from Detroit to Toronto with a 9-1 interleague victory over the Braves.

Catcher Russell Martin hit his 20th homer of the season with a runner on in the ninth inning to finish with four RBIs and the Blue Jays (83-62) maintained their three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East.

Price, who is 16-5 with a 2.42 ERA overall, struck out nine over seven innings and the only run he gave up came in the first. The left-hander allowed six hits and walked three, departing after 105 pitches.

Miller (5-15) didn’t make it out of the fourth inning in losing his 14th straight decision. The right-hander, who was picked for the All-Star Game, has gone 22 starts without a victory, extending his Braves record.

Encarnacion, who had missed the previous two games with a sore left middle finger, has reached base safely in 43 consecutive games since July 21 and is batting .365 (57-for-156) over that stretch.

Catcher Christian Bethancourt was 3-for-3 with a double and a walk for the Braves (57-89), who had snapped a 12-game home losing streak with a victory in the series opener Tuesday.

Miller gave up five runs (four earned) and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings before being pulled after 83 pitches. He committed a balk, walked two batters and struck out three in his shortest outing of the season.

After scoring just two runs in their previous two games, the Blue Jays doubled that total in the first inning with four hits and the first of Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons’ two errors in the game.

Martin followed an RBI double by right fielder Jose Bautista with a two-bagger that scored two runs before shortstop Ryan Goins added a sacrifice fly.

The Braves scored quickly in the bottom of the inning, swinging three straight times on first pitches by Price. Right fielder Nick Markakis led off with a double, moved up on a groundout and scored on first baseman Freddie Freeman’s sacrifice fly.

The Blue Jays got the run back in the fourth, though, while chasing Miller. They added two runs in the fifth against reliever Sugar Ray Marimon for a 7-1 lead.

Toronto left fielder Ben Revere had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and an RBI double in the fifth.

NOTES: Blue Jays 1B Edwin Encarnacion returned to the cleanup spot in the lineup after missing two games because of a sore middle finger on his left hand. … RHP LaTroy Hawkins is dealing with a tight forearm and hasn’t made a relief appearance for Toronto since Friday. … Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Braves coupled with Sunday’s 5-0 defeat against the Yankees in New York was the first time since Aug. 14-15 that the Blue Jays lost consecutive games. … With the walk-off victory, the Braves won for the 16th consecutive time in a one-run game at Turner Field. The last one-run home defeat was 13-12 to Washington on April 28. …The three-game interleague series ends Thursday, with RHP Marco Estrada (12-8, 3.31 ERA) starting for the Blue Jays against Atlanta RHP Matt Wisler (5-7, 5.60 ERA).

Associated Press

Price wins again, 1st-place Blue Jays top Braves 9-1

ATLANTA -- David Price is emerging as more than Toronto's ace. The left-hander is showing he can also be the team's stopper, the pitcher who can be trusted to halt losing streaks.

Price allowed one run in seven innings, Russell Martin hit a homer and drove in four runs, and the Blue Jays beat Shelby Miller and the Atlanta Braves 9-1 on Wednesday night to protect their lead in the AL East.

Price (16-5) gave up six hits and had nine strikeouts as he improved to 7-1 since coming to Toronto in a trade with Detroit in late July. Four of the seven wins have followed losses; the latest stopped a two-game skid.

Price said he didn't know so many of his wins had followed losses, but he embraced the stopper role.

"I'll be that guy," Price said after taking the AL lead with his 2.42 ERA.

The Blue Jays stayed three games ahead of second-place New York in the division. The Yankees beat the Rays 3-1.

Toronto manager John Gibbons said Price made his strong win look easy, even though he struggled with his location at times.

"He did a nice job picking us up after we lost a couple games," Gibbons said.

"That's what we brought him over for and he's been great."

Toronto had 12 hits as it returned to its customary high-scoring pace after managing only a combined two runs in the two straight losses. Martin hit a two-run double in the four-run first and added a two-run homer off Ryan Kelly in the ninth.

"It's the best offense in all of baseball," Price said.

Miller (5-15) gave up five runs, four earned, in 3 2/3 innings -- his shortest start of the season.

"Just kind of didn't have anything going for me at all, really," Miller said.

Miller's streak of 22 winless starts is the longest for any pitcher in a season he was an All-Star. The right-hander has the worst run support in the majors and has 14 losses since his last win on May 17.

Ben Revere drove in two runs with two hits, including a double in the fifth, for Toronto.

The Braves' run came in the first. Nick Markakis hit a leadoff double and scored on Freddie Freeman's fly ball. Christian Bethancourt had three hits.

GOOD AS NEW

Toronto 1B Edwin Encarnacion had three hits and two walks in his return after missing two starts with a sore left middle finger.

UNUSUAL 4-6-5 DP

Price walked Bethancourt and pinch-hitter Ryan Lavarnway to open the fifth but then had help from an unusual double play. Second baseman Cliff Penningtoncouldn't catch a shallow pop fly by Markakis, but his throw to Goins forced Lavarnway at second. Goins threw to third baseman Josh Donaldson, who tagged Bethancourt when he slid past the bag.

TRAINER'S ROOM

BLUE JAYS: Gibbons said RHP LaTroy Hawkins was available after being held out with right forearm soreness for four days.

BRAVES: RHP Jason Grilli, recovering from surgery on July 17 to repair his ruptured left Achilles tendon, said he hopes to be ready for spring training. He said he'll soon be free of his walking boot. Grilli was named the Braves' Roberto Clemente Award nominee. ... OF Cameron Maybin was 0 for 4 and struck out in his first three at-bats in his first start since suffering an abrasion in his left eye on Sept. 5.

UP NEXT

BLUE JAYS: RHP Marco Estrada will try to give the Blue Jays the series win over the Braves. Estrada (12-8) is 6-3 with a 3.03 ERA since the All-Star break. He is 2-0 in three games, including two starts, against NL teams this season.

BRAVES: Rookie RHP Matt Wisler will try to snap a personal six-game losing streak. His last win was on July 26. Wisler is 5-7 with a 5.60 ERA after winning five of his first six decisions.

Blue Jays-Braves Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO (STATS Writer)

Although the Toronto Blue Jays' potent offense hadn't been faring too well in NL parks, it's coming off its most productive performance yet.

The AL East-leading Blue Jays try to finish their road interleague schedule at .500 by again teeing off on the lowly Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.

Toronto (83-62) leads the division by three games over New York, and much of the credit goes to an offense leading the majors with 5.5 runs per game and 204 homers.

The Blue Jays, however, might be in a more comfortable position if not for going 4-5 on the road during interleague play - and the problem there has been the offense.

The bats have mustered a .232 average with 11 homers while averaging 4.8 runs in those games, a stark contrast to hitting .297 with 18 homers and 6.2 runs per contest while winning seven of 10 at home against NL opponents.

The offense came through Wednesday with half of its 12 hits going for extra bases in a 9-1 win at Atlanta (57-89). Toronto totaled two runs and nine hits while losing the previous two games.

"It's the best offense in all of baseball," said left-hander David Price, who earned the win and moved to 7-1 with Toronto since being acquired in a trade with Detroit.

Having Edwin Encarnacion healthy is a big plus. He had three hits and two walks after missing two games with a sore left middle finger. He's 9 for 17 with two homers and five RBIs in his last five games.

Encarnacion's next RBI will give him 100 this season, joining Josh Donaldson (119) and Jose Bautista (102) at the century mark. They would be the fourth Blue Jays trio to do it and first since Carlos Delgado (137), Tony Batista (114) and Brad Fullmer (104) in 2000.

Toronto hands the ball to Marco Estrada (12-8, 3.31 ERA), who is 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in 16 2-3 scoreless innings over his last five meetings with Atlanta, including two starts. He tossed 1 1-3 innings of relief against the Braves in a 5-2 win April 19.

Estrada wasn't very sharp Saturday, giving up four runs and a season-high three homers in five innings of a 9-5 win in 11 over the Yankees before Toronto swept the doubleheader with a 10-7 victory in the second game. The right-hander was 5-2 with a 2.42 ERA over his previous eight starts.

The Braves have lost 25 of their last 29 games, including 13 of 15 at home.

They're hoping Matt Wisler (5-7, 5.60) can build on his performance from Friday's 5-1 loss to the Mets. The rookie right-hander allowed two runs and seven hits with six strikeouts in six innings. His aggressiveness carried over from a surprise relief outing at Washington five days earlier in which he tossed two hitless innings in an 8-4 loss.

That appearance was designed to help Wisler snap out of his funk, which included going 0-5 with a 9.49 ERA over his seven previous starts.

"I've got a lot to work on, there was still a lot of guys on base, but I felt better out there," Wisler told MLB's official website Friday. "I not only felt better, I felt confident attacking guys the whole game."