Atlanta Braves Clippings

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Braves.com

Perez hangs tough, but Braves fall in SD

By Mark Bowman and Corey Brock / MLB.com | 3:03 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- Colin Rea won for the second time in as many Major League starts and Matt Kemp and Yonder Alonso each hit solo home runs Monday night as the Padres topped the Braves, 5-3, at Petco Park.

Rea, who won his big league debut on Aug. 11 against the Reds, allowed two earned runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.

"I thought he was better tonight," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said of Rea. "I thought he made pitches tonight. I am real pleased with what he did. He showed great poise, for the most part."

Braves center fielder Cameron Maybin had two hits -- including his career-best 10th home run of the season -- against his former team (2011-14) in his first game at Petco Park since being traded to Atlanta on April 5.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Showing off amongst friends: Maybin contributed to both of Atlanta's runs, as he singled and later scored on A.J. Pierzynski's sixth-inning single after opening the fourth inning with a solo shot that landed in the second deck beyond the left-field wall. The rejuvenated center fielder, who was traded to Atlanta in April, totaled five homers in the 652 at-bats he tallied at Petco Park while playing for the Padres.

"I've always been a guy that has had power, now it's starting to come out a little bit," said Maybin, who has hit .291 with seven homers and a .406 slugging percentage since becoming Atlanta's everyday center fielder on May 2.

Fast attack: After looking at six of the nine pitches Braves starter Williams Perez threw in the first inning, the Padres took a more aggressive approach as they tallied four hits and three runs before the second out was recorded in the bottom of the second inning. Will Venable's single would have only scored one run had catcher Pierzynski held on to the ball after tagging Derek Norris as the Padres' catcher slid toward the plate.

Kemp's home run in the fifth inning accounted for the only other run surrendered by Perez, who successfully adjusted after the second inning and completed 6 1/3 innings.

"From watching him, you would never know it's his first year in the big leagues, because he makes those adjustments and those in-game changes," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's got a nice feel for pitching."

Summer fun, summer runs: It was a slow start to 2015 for Kemp, who had two home runs in the Padres' first 65 games. After hitting a solo shot to right field in the fifth inning on Monday -- no easy feat for a right-handed batter at Petco Park -- Kemp now has 12 home runs in the team's last 53 games.

About that range: San Diego's Jedd Gyorko, who was making his first appearance at a shortstop as a professional, was tested several times Monday. He made a nice diving play on a ball hit up the middle by Pierzynski in the fourth inning, getting to his feet to make the throw to first base just in time for the out.

"It felt good. It felt more comfortable than I thought I would," said Gyorko, who last played the position in 2010 while at West Virginia University. "I think I did a good job to help us get by."

FLASHING THE LEATHER, PART 1 Michael Bourn further endeared himself to Atlanta's pitching staff Monday night when he turned what had the makings of being a Norris double into a double play in the sixth inning.

As Gonzalez was preparing to remove Perez, Bourn raced into left-center field, caught Norris' long drive on the warning track and then pushed himself off the outfield wall to position himself to throw the ball back toward the infield. Andrelton Simmons caught the relay and fired to first base to double up Gyorko, who had rounded second base with the assumption Norris had recorded an extra-base hit.

FLASHING THE LEATHER, PART 2 Along with his production at the plate, Justin Upton made the crowd at Petco roar in the eighth inning, as the left fielder came up with a big-time catch.

With relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit on the mound, Pedro Ciriaco hit the ball hard to left, forcing Upton to run backward and leap into the wall to make the grab for the first out of the inning.

"Upton's play was incredible," Murphy said. "Maybe a game-changer."

QUOTABLE "I thought he was great. He told me he was going to be great. He's not short on confidence," -- Murphy on Gyorko's shortstop debut.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Maybin now has had multiple hits and at least one extra-base hit in five consecutive games. Hank Aaron (1971) and Kelly Johnson (2008) are the only other players in Atlanta history (since 1966) who have matched this stretch.

BOTTOM-OF-THE-ORDER POP The bottom of the order came up big for the Padres on Monday, as No. 7 hitter Norris had an infield single that knocked in a run in the second inning, and No. 8 hitter Venable followed with a two-run single of his own as San Diego jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Matt Wisler will face his former organization for the first time when Atlanta and San Diego resume this three-game series on Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. ET. Wisler was one of the Padres' top prospects before being traded to Atlanta on April 5.

Padres: James Shields gets the start on Tuesday against the Braves at 7:10 p.m. PT. Shields won seven of his first 12 starts but has gone 1-5 with a 4.19 ERA over his last 13 outings.

Hot-hitting Maybin joins rare Atlanta company

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 2:50 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- Cameron Maybin took advantage of the opportunity to show off in front of his old teammates and friends on Monday night.

Playing his first game back at Petco Park since being traded from the Padres to the Braves on April 5, the veteran center fielder highlighted his 31st multi-hit game of the season with a solo homer.

Though the home run was not enough to prevent the Padres from celebrating a 5-3 win, it added to the list of accomplishments Maybin has produced this season. Maybin now stands with Hank Aaron (1971) and Kelly Johnson (2008) as the only players in Atlanta Braves history to record at least two hits and at least one extra-base hit in five consecutive games.

"He's playing good baseball," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who has seen a rejuvenated Maybin hit .280 with a career-best 10 home runs and a .743 OPS this season.

While the stat that links Maybin to Aaron and Johnson might be viewed as quirky, this successful stretch has legitimized the hope that the 28-year-old's success this year is more than just a fluke.

After entering the All-Star break hitting .289 with a .774 OPS, Maybin hit just .188 with a .439 OPS in the first 19 games he played after the break. The frustrating stretch provided his critics a chance to believe he was simply regressing back toward the struggles he endured while hitting .246 with a .665 OPS while spending the previous four seasons with San Diego.

But as Maybin has batted .405 with seven extra-base hits, including two homers, over his past nine games, he has gotten back on track and strengthened the possibility that the Braves will opt to keep him this offseason with the hope that this year's success is indeed an indication that he is starting to live up to the tremendous potential that has surrounded him since his days as one baseball's top prospects.

"You're going to have little ups and downs, it's just about how long those down stretches are," Maybin said. "You never want to go through those, but I've had my fair share of knowing what it's like to go through those. I think this year -- growing as a player and maturing as a hitter -- with my approach, during those stretches I still feel like the consistency of the at-bats is still there."

Bourn's center-field skills working out in left

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 2:32 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- Given the vast experience he has had as a defensively sound center fielder, the Braves were not too concerned when they asked Michael Bourn to assume a regular role in left field after he was acquired from the Indians on Aug. 7.

Though Bourn had not previously played left field on a consistent basis since 2007, he has looked quite comfortable in his new environment. The fleet-footed outfielder further endeared himself to Atlanta's pitching staff during Monday night's 5-3 loss to the Padres, when he turned what had the makings of being a Derek Norris double into a double play.

"I'm going to the bullpen signaling for the left-hander, and it's a double play," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

As Gonzalez was preparing to remove starting pitcher Williams Perez, Bourn raced into left-center field, caught Norris' long drive on the warning track and then pushed himself off the outfield wall to position himself to throw the ball back toward the infield.Andrelton Simmons caught the relay and fired to first base to double up Jedd Gyorko, who had rounded second base with the assumption Norris had recorded an extra-base hit.

Bourn has recorded just two hits in the 24 at-bats he has compiled since joining the Braves. But he has impressed his teammates with his defense. During the first inning of Sunday's win over the D-backs, he ranged into foul territory and sacrificed his body to making a diving grab of David Peralta's foul ball before connecting with the wall's protective padding.

"It's just amazing how much room he can cover," Braves center fielder Cameron Maybin said. "That just improves the defense that much more. It helps our pitchers go out and feel comfortable making a pitch, knowing you have some pretty good defense behind you."

Maybin: San Diego fans were 'great to me'

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | August 17th, 2015

SAN DIEGO -- When the Padres acquired Craig Kimbrel on the eve of Opening Day, there wasn't much reason for their fans to cry about the fact that the acquisition of the dominant closer came at the expense of having to bid adieu to Cameron Maybin and the potential that he had not fulfilled over the previous few seasons.

Maybin was viewed by many to simply be a throw-in component of the deal that was centered on the Padres' willingness to relieve the Braves of the remainder of the Melvin Upton Jr.'s contract. Nearly five months later, this seems laughable, at least to Braves fans.

Maybin and the Braves opened a three-game series on Monday night at Petco Park. It was the first time the rejuvenated outfielder has returned to San Diego since the April 5 trade.

"My energy level is always high, so I expect it will be fun to run around and take it all in," Maybin said. "The [San Diego] fans were great to me and treated me as if I was a hometown guy."

Maybin batted .246 and compiled a .665 OPS while playing for the Padres from 2011-14. Injuries limited him to a total of 109 games during his final two years in San Diego.

Provided the fortune of good health this year, Maybin entered Monday having hit .277 with a .733 OPS in his first 107 games with the Braves.

"Now, he's doing what he is capable of doing," Braves second baseman Jace Peterson said. "It's been a lot of fun to watch."

This week's series also serves as a homecoming for Peterson, who made his Major League debut for the Padres last year and then was acquired by the Braves in the December trade that sent Justin Upton to San Diego.

While Peterson and Matt Wisler were roommates during their Minor League days with the Padres, they envisioned playing at Petco Park together. But they certainly did not expect their first opportunity to do so would come as they both were wearing a Braves uniform.

Wisler, who also was acquired in the April trade with the Padres, will start Tuesday night's game against his former organization. The 22-year-old pitcher made his Major League debut with Atlanta earlier this year.

Braves prospect Jenkins has fatigued arm

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | August 17th, 2015

SAN DIEGO -- Given that Tyrell Jenkins is just two years removed from shoulder surgery, there was some reason for initial concern when he completed just two innings before exiting his start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday.

Fortunately, the Braves do not believe Jenkins is dealing with anything more than a fatigued right arm. The 23-year-old right-hander was placed on Gwinnett's disabled list on Monday, but there is still some hope he will make at least one more start before the International League's regular season concludes in early September.

Jenkins, who ranks as the Braves No. 4 prospect, per MLB.com, is in the midst of his first full season since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2013. He was acquired last November from the Cardinals along with Shelby Miller for Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden. Jenkins has completed a career-high 136 2/3 innings over the 24 starts he has combined to make with Double-A Mississippi and Gwinnett.

After totaling just 59 1/3 innings in 2013, Jenkins completed 74 innings during last year's regular season, and 24 1/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League.

The Braves have certainly been encouraged by the workload Jenkins has handled while producing a 3.23 ERA in his 24 combined starts this year. But at the same time, they are open to him coming back to put a more fitting conclusion to this successful season.

Jenkins produced a 2.03 ERA in the first five starts he made after being promoted to Gwinnett in July. While allowing opponents to hit .327 and produce a .400 on-base percentage over his past three starts, he has shown some signs that he might be fatiguing.

Shields to match up with Wisler as series continues

By Beth Maiman / MLB.com | 1:14 AM ET

James Shields and Matt Wisler will face off as the Padres and Braves play the second game of their three-game series at Petco Park on Tuesday night.

Shields (8-5, 3.89 ERA) had a rough outing in his last start, against the Reds, on Aug. 12, allowing six hits and five runs, while striking out seven and walking four through 6 1/3 innings. Shields had a costly balk, which resulted in the go-ahead run, but settled down to retire 10 batters in a row. The right-hander last battled Atlanta on June 9 at Turner Field, and he took a no-decision, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

Wisler (5-2, 4.74 ERA) will make his first start against the Padres since being traded by San Diego the day before Opening Day. The rookie has struggled since the All-Star break, but has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his 10 career starts. Wisler took a no-decision in his last outing, giving up two runs on seven hits against the Rays on Aug. 12.

Things to know about this game

• Jedd Gyorko started at shortstop on Monday for the first time in his professional career. He played the position throughout college, but has mostly played second for the Padres.

• Braves outfielder Nick Markakis is batting .311 in his career against Shields, with 28 hits and two home runs in 74 at-bats.

• Braves second baseman Jace Peterson, who was acquired in the Justin Upton trade, entered the series batting .313 with runners on base and owns a Major League-best 22 RBIs with the bases loaded.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after Monday’s 5-3 loss at San Diego

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SAN DIEGO — Braves quotes from Cameron Maybin, Williams Perez and Fredi Gonzalez after Monday’s 5-3 loss to the Padres.

**FREDI GONZALEZ

On the loss and his team not quitting, getting guys on against Kimbrel and scoring a run in ninth

“We don’t (quit). We had runners at first and second with nobody out there. That (hot giving up) is never a question; that’s never a doubt. That’s one of our traits that we have in that locker room. There’s a lot of guys who deserve that credit for keeping us fighting.”

On Williams Perez

“I thought Perez did OK, just one (bad) inning. It started with Norris’ chopper (for infield RBI single); we couldn’t get an out there. And the base hit by Venable scored two. But other than that, I thought he did a nice job. Came in and out of his command a little bit during the course of the game, but he kept us in the ballgame. He did a nice job keeping us in the ballgame.”

“Other than a couple of command situations – I think he walked two in a row at one point – other than that I thought he did a nice job. Couple of ground balls (for hits). He’s a sinkerballer, so…. He’s a young kid who’s got a lot of upside.”

We’ve seen Kimbrel do that before, put a couple of guys on to start an inning, then get out with little damage

“He’s got plenty of stuff to get out of it. He can get a punchout any time he wants. It’s hard to square him up, 96-97 (mph fastballs) and he’s got a breaking ball. So, yeah, we’ve seen that before. I thought our guys put some pretty good at-bats against him.”

On Maybin’s five straight 2-hit games and back-to-back homer games

“He’s playing good baseball. I thought today – both teams really, because Justin (Upton) made one heck of a play on that fly ball there by Ciriaco in the eighth inning – but how ‘bout the catch Bourny made? I’m going to the bullpen signaling for the left-hander, and it’s a double play. There was a lot of good defense out there.”

On Bourn not struggling with move to left field despite not playing there in a while

“Not at all. Except the one play in Tampa, where it was two guys who haven’t played together (fly ball landed between them for hit). I think that was the second or third game where they played together, that miscommunication. But other than that, (Bourn) has gone to his left to catch that ball, and (to his right) to catch that ball (Sunday)…. You’ve got two Gold Gloves in that corner, and you’ve got two Gold Gloves in the other corner in Markakis, and then Maybin in the center of the field patrolling. That’s a pretty good outfield.”

**CAMERON MAYBIN

On getting back in a groove after All-Star break

“You’re going to have little ups and downs, it’s about how long those stretches are. You never want to go through those, but I’ve had my fair share of knowing what it feels like to go through those. I think this year, growing as a player, maturing as a hitter, with my approach even when I go through a (rough) stretch I still feel like the consistency and quality of at-bats is still there.”

On how hard he hit the ball on the homer

“I didn’t hit it that hard. It got down the barrel a little bit. But I’ve always been a guy that had power. It’s starting to come out a little bit. But it doesn’t really matter how far they go, just as long as they go over (the fence). That’s all you’re looking for.”

On the great outfield defense with Bourn in left field

“That’s the luxury of having a guy like that over in left, having a guy like myself in center. It’s just amazing how much room he can cover. Again, that just shores up the defense a little bit more. Helps our pitchers go out and feel comfortable in making a pitch, knowing you have some pretty good defense out there behind you, starting with Simmons in the middle, then you add us in the outfield, and Jace (Peterson) is getting better and better every day. Gives those guys confidence they can go out and pound the zone, be aggressive.”

Surprised how quickly Bourn has adapted to left field despite playing there almost none since his rookie year

“No, he’s an athlete, man. He’s a special type athlete. Not a surprise. I think either one of us could have made the transition. Just one of those things, you feel fortunate to have an athlete like that. He can do a lot of different things out there.”

** WILLIAMS PEREZ (translation by Eddie Perez)

On his performance including the three-run second inning

“In the second inning I didn’t pitch well from the first hitter (Justin Upton single). After the (walk to pitcher Colin Rea) I made an adjustment and started pitching better.”

On the Padres getting more aggressive in the 2nd inning

“I knew they started swinging at first pitches, and then balls started dropping where nobody was.”

On Bourn’s running catch at left-center warning track to start double play

“That was an excellent play by Michael, because I knew we had guys in the bullpen throwing. That helped me get out of the inning, and I felt very good about that.”

On Matt Kemp’s opposite-field homer

“The first time I faced him I threw three sinkers away and got him. He’s a good hitter, I tried to do something (in the fifth inning) and left one up, and he got me.”

Braves lose 5-3 at San Diego as road woes continue

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SAN DIEGO – The Braves have forgotten how to win in San Diego, and lately also pretty much anywhere but Atlanta. And rookie Williams Perez hasn’t won since coming off the disabled list, after not losing before going on it.

So it went late Monday at San Diego, where the Braves and Perez trailed 3-0 after two innings. Another big night for Cameron Maybin wasn’t enough for the Braves in a 5-3 loss to start a seven-game trip and a three-game series.

Matt Kemp and Yonder Alonso homered for the Padres, who’ve beaten the Braves eight consecutive times at Petco Park since August 2012. The Braves have lost 16 of 18 road games going back to the last week before the All-Star break.

Alonso hit a solo shot in the eighth inning off reliever Peter Moylan in the veteran Aussie sidearmer’s second appearance since being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, pushing the lead to 5-2.

Jace Peterson’s RBI single off former Braves closer Craig Kimbrel with one out in the ninth got the Braves within two runs, but Kimbrel struck out Nick Swisher with two on, and Andrelton Simmons flied out to end the game.

“We don’t (quit),” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We had runners at first and second with nobody out there. (Giving up) is never a question; that’s never a doubt. That’s one of our traits that we have in that locker room. There’s a lot of guys who deserve that credit for keeping us fighting.”

Perez (4-4) allowed seven hits, four runs and four walks in 6 1/3 innings and lost his fourth consecutive start since returning from a five-week stint on the DL for a bruised foot after being struck by a line drive. He’s 0-4 with a 7.30 ERA since the DL, and was 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his last 10 games (eight starts) before the DL.

The Padres got four hits and three runs in a five-batter span to start the second inning.

“In the second inning I didn’t pitch well from the first hitter (Justin Upton single),” Perez said through a translator. “After the (second-inning walk to pitcher Colin Rea) I made an adjustment and started pitching better.”

Nick Markakis singled off Kimbrel start the Braves’ ninth and A.J. Pierzynski followed with a four-pitch walk, but Kimbrel struck out Adonis Garcia for the first out of the inning. After Peterson’s single to center, Kimbrel retired the next two batters to limit the damage on the way to converting his 34th save.

“He’s got plenty of stuff to get out of (trouble),” Gonzalez said of the former Braves All-Star closer. “He can get a punchout any time he wants. It’s hard to square him up, 96-97 (mph fastballs) and he’s got a breaking ball. So, yeah, we’ve seen that before. I thought our guys put some pretty good at-bats against him.”

Maybin, in his first game in San Diego since being traded to the Braves in the Kimbrel deal on the eve of opening day, homered for the second consecutive game and had his fifth two-hit game in a row. The Braves trailed 3-0 before his leadoff homer in the fourth, Maybin’s career-high 10th of the season.

“I think this year, from growing as a player, maturing as a hitter with my approach,”Maybin said, “even when I go through a (bad) stretch I still feel like the consistency and quality of at-bats is still there.”

But for the Braves, those type of at-bats — and good pitching — haven’t been nearly as frequent for them on the road.

The Braves are 2-16 with a 5.25 ERA and 45 runs scored in their past 18 road games, compared to 19-11 with a 3.22 ERA and 110 runs in their past 30 home games.

Their road struggles go back further on the West Coast and particularly at San Diego, where the Braves have lost eight in a row since their last win in August 2012, when former Brave Kris Medlen threw eight scoreless innings.

Padres rookie Colin Rea, among the few pitching prospects not traded by San Diego last offseason, made his second major league start and allowed five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander gave up only three hits and had a 4-1 lead through five innings, before Maybin singled in the sixth and scored on A.J. Pierzysnki’s two-out single that sent Rea to the showers.

The Padres jumped on Perez for three runs in the second inning, with former Brave Justin Upton getting things started with a leadoff single. Yonder Alonso followed by blistering a ground-rule double that skipped over the left-center fence, and one out later Derek Norris’ chopped infield single drove in the first run of the game.

Will Venable followed with a two-run single, with the ball squirting from Pierzysnki’s mitt on a tag play at the plate after right fielder Nick Markakis’ good throw.

After Perez got out of a two-on, none-outs jam in the third, Maybin homered to lead off the Braves’ fourth and cut the lead to 4-2. Maybin took the first two pitches for strikes and was behind in the count 1-and-2 when Rea threw him a 91-mph fastball that Maybin unloaded upon, driving the ball on a low arc the second seating deck in left field.

Maybin topped his previous career high of nine homers, which he set in 2011 with the Padres – the first of his four seasons with San Diego — and matched Sunday with a 10th-inning walkoff homer to beat the Diamondbacks.

Padres 5, Braves 3

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How the game was won: The Padres scored three runs in the second inning and cruised to a 5-2 win against the Braves in a series opener Monday at Petco Park. Braves rookie Williams Perez (4-4) lost his fourth consecutive start, allowing hits to four of the first five batters in the second inning, then a Matt Kemp opposite-field homer in the fifth that pushed the lead back to three runs, 4-1. Cameron Maybin had his fifth consecutive two-hit game for the Braves including his career-high 10th homer, after winning Sunday’s game with a walkoff homer in the 10th against Arizona. Jace Peterson had an RBI single in the ninth off Craig Kimbrel before Kimbrel struck out Nick Swisher and got Andrelton Simmons on a fly out with two on to end the game.

Number: 8. Consecutive Padres home wins against the Braves. The Braves’ last win in San Diego was a 2-0 shutout on Aug. 28, 2012, when Kris Medlen threw eight innings of five-hit ball with nine strikeouts and no walks.

What’s next: The Braves and Padres play the second game of their three-game series Tuesday at 10:10 p.m., with former Padres prospect Matt Wisler (5-2, 4.74 ERA) starting for the Braves against right-hander James Shields (8-5, 3.89).

Braves’ Maybin: ‘If healthy, I can do a lot of special things’

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SAN DIEGO –The Braves didn’t ask for or really want Cameron Maybin when they got him in a six-player deal that sent Craig Kimbrel to San Diego on the eve of spring training. But, man, are they glad the Padres insisted.

Maybin and fading slugger Carlos Quentin extraneous parts of the deal, pieces the Braves had to take to offset some of the salary that San Diego was absorbing by taking on the remaining $46.35 million owed to Melvin Upton Jr.

The parts the ones the Braves wanted in the trade were pitching prospect Matt Wisler, who’ll start Tuesday against his former team, and the 41st pick in the June draft, both of which fit what the rebuilding Braves were doing.

But while the Braves immediately designated Quentin for assignment – he ended up retiring – they kept Maybin and figured he might be able to help in some sort of center-fielder platoon with Eric Young Jr. To say Maybin has been a pleasant surprise would be akin to saying that San Diego has decent weather.

Maybin hit .277 with nine homers, a career-high 51 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, a .336 OBP and a .397 slugging percentage entering Monday’s series opener against his old team, the Padres. And since moving into the regular lineup in late April, he had batted .292 in 93 games with six homers, 46 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and a .349 OBP.

“He’s had a terrific year so far, and I think that’s what they expected from him when they signed him for a long term,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “But I’m glad he’s with us, and he’s doing what he’s been able to do on both sides of the baseball.”

When the Braves’ team charter was approaching San Diego’s airport Sunday night, the site of the downtown buildings and all the water made Maybin start to get a little nostalgic over his four seasons with the Padres.

“The memories come back quick,” he said. “I think about all the good times I had here, the opportunity they gave me to play and showcase my talents. It’s kind of put me in position I’m in now to be here. Everything works out for a reason. It’s exciting to be back, to come to town with some momentum.”

Padres fans might hardly recognize Maybin, at least in terms of performance: Entering Monday’s game, the Braves’ first in San Diego since the trade, Maybin, 28, was riding a streak of four consecutive two-hit games, during which he was 8-for-17 with two doubles, a triple and Sunday’s 10th-inning walk-off homer against the Diamondbacks.

“Now he’s getting to do what he’s capable of doing,” said second baseman Jace Peterson, another Braves lineup regular who came from the Padres in an offseason trade.

He’s known Maybin since Peterson was drafted by the Padres in 2011, and Peterson said, “He hasn’t had any injuries, he’s been playing well, and this is the Cam Maybin who was drafted a long time ago by Detroit. It’s good to see him doing what he’s doing and helping the team out.”

The Tigers selected Maybin with the 10th overall pick of the 2005 draft. A decade later, the Braves are thrilled to see him putting together his best season in what might not be his only season with them, after all.

Maybin is owed $8 million in 2016 in the final year of a five-year, $25 million contract extension he signed with San Diego in March 2012, a deal that also includes a $9 million team option in 2017 with a $1 million buyout.

In four seasons with the Padres, Maybin hit just .247 with 19 homers, 105 RBIs, a .307 OBP and .358 slugging percentage in 393 games and 1,458 plate appearances. As a Padre, the closest he got to his current level of performance was his first season in San Diego in 2011, when he hit .264 with nine homers, 40 RBIs and a career-high 40 stolen bases in 137 games.

“My first couple of seasons here were good because I was healthy,” Maybin said. “I had some injuries the last three years. Wear and tear I think kind of derailed me a little bit, kind of set me back. But in this game it’s all about, what have you done for me lately. And health is a big part of it…. I feel like if I’m healthy, I can do a lot of special things.”

When he came to the Braves, there seemed almost zero chance that his 2017 option would be exercised. Now, it looks like picking up that option could be strongly considered by the Braves — or whatever team they might trade Maybin to this winter.

The Braves could ginto next season with him as their center fielder. Team officials love him, both for how hard he’s worked to get his career back on track after a lot of injury-plagued seasons, and for how good a guy he’s been in the clubhouse and in the community. The Braves got calls but resisted trading Maybin before the July 31 deadline.

The nine homers in 2011 were a career high that he matched Sunday, and he’s already surpassed his previous high of 49 RBIs. His .716 OPS in 2011 is his career-best for a full season; Maybin currently has a .733 OPS.

“The thing I’m most proud of is the quality and consistency of the at-bats I’ve been able to put together” this season, Maybin said. “It makes it a little more exciting coming back for me knowing there aren’t going to be any excuses, you’re going to go out there, my energy level’s always high, so I expect for it to be fun to run around out here and just kind of take it all in. I had a great four years here. (San Diego) is an amazing city. The fans were great to me, they embraced me like I was a hometown guy, so it’ll be fun to get out there and just kind of … I’ll take it all in, for sure.”

Peterson and other Braves are just glad that Maybin was included in the trade a day before the season began. He’s been one of their best two or three hitters all season and played strong defense.

“He’s been great,” Peterson said. “I’ve had the chance to see Cam since 2011. So I know what he can do. For him to come in and be a leader on the team and do what he does, has been amazing. He definitely puts a lot of pressure on himself to compete and perform every day, and I think that carries over to the whole team. Everybody on this team can get it done on any given day. That’s kind of the mindset that we have. But to have a guy like Cam come in and compete and push everyone has been great.”

What if the Braves hadn’t punted on the season?

By Mark Bradley - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves, who made four major deals over the offseason, made two more in the week before the trade deadline. All six saw the team swap production for potential; all six yielded young pitching prospects. Given that they’d shed the best closer in baseball on the eve of Opening Day, it was generally assumed that the Braves didn’t care much about the 2015 season before they’d played a game. The July deals marked their de facto surrender.

And yet …

The Braves awoke Monday within 9 1/2 games of first place in the National League East, only five games behind the team everyone figured would win the division. That’s with jettisoning Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, Alex Wood, Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan in July. And if you’re asking, “Does Fredi Gonzalez ever wonder how his team might have been without all the dealing?”, the answer is …

Yes. He does.

“We do talk about it in the coaches’ room,” he said after Sunday’s walk-off victory over Arizona. “The division is so up for grabs.”

Understand: The manager isn’t criticizing upper management. “If we hadn’t (plunged into rebuilding), we’d have lost the opportunity to rebuild the farm system,” he said. “It’s hard to ride the fence.”

Then: “I commend our leadership team.”

Simply put, the Braves’ approach to this season was that management would do what it could to give the club a reasonable chance — the tweaking of the bullpen, which continues apace, is evidence of that — but wouldn’t sacrifice any part of the future in the attempt to win 83 games, as opposed to 79.

Said Gonzalez: “You can’t just chase it, chase it, chase it. You have to say, ‘This is the plan. We’re sticking with it. ’”

Here’s the thing, though: As of Monday, the division-leading Mets were on pace to win 86 games. A mediocre team might well have entered the season’s final week with a chance to steal this division.

At the moment, the Braves aren’t even mediocre. Through Sunday’s game, they were 11 games under .500, on pace to finish 73-89. But that was after losing 14 of 22 since July 24, which was the night of the K. Johnson/Uribe trade, which was the Give Up moment. Had they won 14 of those 22, they’d have been 59-58, which would have put them 3 1/2 games behind the Mets and a game ahead of the supposedly mighty Nationals

Surely Washington’s conspicuous talent played some part in the Braves believing the East was unwinnable. (Can’t you hear John Hart saying to John Coppolella, “Do we have Bryce Harper? No. Do we have Max Scherzer? No.”) But the Nats have lost 20 of 29 games since July 17. They led the division by 4 1/2 games on the Fourth of July; they now trail by that much.

Had the Mets — a team with great young pitching but not much else — been the front-runner a month ago, might Braves management have been less inclined to sell at the deadline? Might it actually have done some buying? Possibly. But probably not. Gonzalez points to the series in Colorado just before the All-Star break: “(Freddie) Freeman was out, we lost all four games and we lost (closer Jason) Grilli, too.”

The Braves landed in Denver having just blown a 4-0 lead in Milwaukee as they were poised to climb above .500 for the first time in five weeks and draw within 3 1/2 games of Washington. They hit the break at 42-47, seven games back. That’s when Gonzalez believes management said, to use his words, “OK, boys. We’ve got to get on or get off.”

To management’s credit, it extended the contracts of Gonzalez and his coaches over the All-Star break, a nice way of saying that what was to come wouldn’t be held against them. And management couldn’t have known that a team as gifted as Washington would plunge below .500 by mid-August. Force to choose between diving deeper into rebuilding or trying to prop up a sub.-500 club, the Braves chose the only way that made sense.

Still, you wonder. Braves relievers have absorbed 24 losses, most among National League bullpens. Cut that number to 14 and they’d have led the East by a half-game. And this was the team that traded Craig Kimbrel the night before Opening Day.

Maybin thriving with Braves as they return to San Diego

By David O’Brien

SAN DIEGO – When the Braves got Cameron Maybin from the Padres in the six-player blockbuster that sent Craig Kimbrel to San Diego on the eve of spring training, let’s be honest: he and fading slugger Carlos Quentin were extraneous parts of the deal, merely pieces the Braves had to take to offset some of the huge salary commitment that San Diego was absorbing by taking the remaining $46.35 million owed to Melvin Upton Jr. in his onerous contract.

The only pieces in the trade that anyone really desired were Kimbrel, whom the Padres wanted badly, and pitching prospect Matt Wisler and the 41st pick in the June draft, both of which fit perfectly into everything the rebuilding Braves were doing. Oh, and they also liked getting outfield prospect Jordan Paroubeck in the deal. But really, it was about dumping Upton, and getting back Wisler and the 41st draft pick in the process were like cherries upon the dump-Melvin sundae.

While the Braves immediately designated Quentin for assignment – he ended up retiring – they kept Maybin and figured he might be able to help in center field in some sort of platoon with Eric Young Jr.

To say that Maybin has been a pleasant surprise would be akin to saying that San Diego has decent weather and a pretty good zoo.

Maybin has hit .277 overall with nine homers, a career-high 51 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, a .336 OBP and .397 slugging percentage. And since moving into the regular lineup in late April, he’s hit .292 (104-for-356) in 93 games with six homers, 46 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and a .349 OBP.

Padres fans might hardly recognize Maybin, at least in terms of performance: Entering tonight’s series opener against the Padres, the Braves’ first visit to San Diego since the trade, Maybin is on a streak of four consecutive two-hit games, during which he’s gone 8-for-17 with two doubles, a triple and Sunday’s 10th-inning walk-off homer against the Diamondbacks.

Maybin is owed $8 million in 2016 in the final year of a five-year, $25 million contract extension he signed with San Diego in March 2012, a deal that also includes a $9 million team option in 2017 with a $1 million buyout. When he came to the Braves, there seemed to be almost zero chance that option would ever be exercised. Now, there’s no reason to believe that exercising that option won’t be strongly considered by the Braves — or whatever team they might trade Maybin to this winter.

Right now, I think there’s a good chance the Braves go into next season with him as their center fielder. Team officials love him – both for how hard he’s worked to get his career back on track after a lot of injury-plagued seasons, and for how good a guy he’s been in the clubhouse and in the community, with fans and all.

If Maybin, 28, stays healthy and keeps performing at his current rate, who knows? He could be signed to an extension before that option would be in play.

For now, the Braves, who resisted trading Maybin before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, will hope that he continues to perform at a high level over the final 45 games of the season, including three against the Padres to start this seven-game road trip that culminates in Chicago.

In four seasons with the Padres, Maybin hit just .247 with 19 homers, 105 RBIs, a .307 OBP and .358 slugging percentage in 393 games and 1,458 plate appearances. As a Padre, the closest he got to his current level of performance was his first season in San Diego in 2011, when he batted .264 with a .323 OBP, nine homers, 40 RBIs and a career-high 40 stolen bases in 137 games.

The nine homers in 2011 were a career high that he matched Sunday, and he’s already surpassed his previous career high of 49 RBIs. His .716 OPS in 2011 is his career-best for a full season; Maybin currently has a .733 OPS.

He’s played 201 games at Petco Park, where Maybin has hit .248 (162-for-652) with 45 extra-base hits (10 triples, five homers), 48 RBIs, 40 stolen bases and a .316 OBP and .348 slugging percentage. He already has more RBIs in 107 games this season than he has in 201 games at Petco, and nearly twice as many homers.

• Tonight’s matchup: Braves rookie Williams Perez (4-3, 4.21 ERA) will try to snap a three-start losing streak when he faces Padres rookie right-hander Colin Rea (1-0, 5.40), who’ll make his second major league appearance and start. In his Aug. 11 debut vs. the Reds, Rea gave up seven hits, three runs and one walk with four strikeouts in seven innings.

Perez is 0-3 with a 7.85 ERA and .311 opponents’ average in three games (all starts) since returning from a five-week stint on the DL for a bruised foot from a line drive that struck him. In his last 10 appearances (eight starts) before the DL stint, he was 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA and .239 opponents’ average.

Perez gave up 19 hits and 14 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings his first two games back from the DL, but made a lot of progress his last time out when he limited the Rays to four hits and two runs in eight innings of a 2-0 loss Tuesday in one of his finest performances.

The Braves have failed to score a single run while he’s been in the game in any of his three starts since returning from the DL, after scoring four or more runs while he was in the game during five of his eight starts before the DL stint.

In his only game against the Padres, Perez had one of his best outings, allowing just four hits and one unearned run in seven innings of a 4-1 win June 10 in Atlanta.

• The incredibly unlucky pitcher: The Braves had lost 10 consecutive games started by Shelby Miller before winning in 10 innings Sunday, when Miller took a no-hitter to the eighth inning and got no decision. This is amazing, of course, because Miller has pitched very well in most of those games, including another outstanding performance Sunday in a 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks, when he took a no-hitter to the eighth inning.

Remarkably, Miller is 0-8 in his past 16 starts despite a 3.03 ERA, .254 opponents’ average and 85 strikeouts with 36 walks in 98 innings. No other major league pitcher has had a winless drought that long with an ERA that low, according to Elias.

The Braves have scored fewer than 1.4 runs per innings pitched by Miller during his winless drought. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, his ERA is the lowest for any pitcher in a 16-start winless period at least since official scoresheets were tabulated in both leagues beginning in 1913.

In his first eight starts, Miller was 5-1 with a 1.33 ERA and .156 opponents’ average, and the Braves averaged

4.5 runs per nine innings that he pitched in that span.

Miller has just two wins (2-5) in 12 home starts despite posting a 2.01 ERA, .216 opponents’ average and 76 strikeouts (with 29 walks) in 76 innings at Turner Field. Really, that’s just about unbelievable. In his past nine home starts, he’s 0-4 with a 2.29 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 55 innings.

The Braves scored no runs while he was in five of his past seven home starts, and one run while he was in Sunday’s game.

• The underachieving Nationals: Don’t look now, but the Braves are only five games behind the second-place Nationals in the NL East standings.

Beginning Aug. 2, the Braves have gone 7-6 with a 4.39 ERA, .270 batting average and 57 runs scored in 13 games. In that same time period, the Nationals are 4-11 with a 5.34 ERA, .233 batting average and 57 runs in 15 games.

With an approximate $210 million payroll, the Nationals – a near-consensus preseason pick as NL pennant frontrunners — are a game under .500 at 58-59, now almost as close to the Braves as they are to the first-place Mets, who lead the Nats by 4 ½ games.

And since it’s pretty obvious that a wild card team isn’t coming out of the NL East this season – the Nationals are 9 ½ games out of the second wild-card spot — the Nats are very much in danger of missing the playoffs altogether unless they go on one of those runs that so many people have been waiting for them to go on for a while now. Like, for three years now. (We exaggerate, but only slightly.)

I’ve said since spring that the Nationals’ parts are greater than the sum of those parts, if that makes any sense. They have a lot of expensive pieces that either aren’t worth the money anymore, and/or don’t fit together well. They have one tremendously talent young player, Bryce Harper, who has to carry the offense much of the time while a couple of the overpaid veterans who were supposed to carry the offense instead are almost perpetually slumping and/or recovering from injuries.

And we can now officially scoff at the notion that the Nationals’ starting rotation was going to be too great to not win a pennant. Remember that one? At this rate, they’re going to have to fight just to win a weak division, because the Mets actually have the great – albeit young – rotation that so many folks previously thought the Nationals had assembled.

When the Nationals hit .289 with 34 homers while winning 20 of 25 games from April 28 through May 25, they lulled a lot of people, including themselves, into thinking their pieces had all come together and that they were the team to beat in the NL East. Well, the fact is, they were 7-13 with a .215 batting average in the first 20 games of the season before that 20-5 run, and they are 31-41 with a .240 batting average (3.88 ERA) in the 72 games since that 20-5 run.

In other words, just another team. An expensive team, but ultimately just another team. A team that, with its 58-89 record, would be in fourth place in the NL Central, 9 ½ games behind the third-place Cubs.

The other obvious problem with the Nationals and their 58-59 record: They’re not a team building for the future. They’re a team that was built for now.

• Don’t sleep on Padres – Not that the Braves are in any position to take anyone lightly, particularly not on the West Coast, given their recent woes on all trips out this way. But if anyone tuned out the Padres after their wholly disappointing first half, then look a little closer and you’ll see they’ve not been awful lately.

They’ve no doubt had a big disappointment of a season after spending so much and mortgaging so much of their future in trades last winter, but the Padres are 19-19 in their past 38 games, including 4-2 in past with consecutive series wins at home against the Reds and at Colorado this past weekend.

And here’s the thing: They own the Braves out there at Petco Park. The Padres are 12-6 overall in their past 18 games against the Braves, including 7-0 in San Diego. The Braves’ last win at Petco Park was a 2-0 shutout on Aug. 28, 2012, when Kris Medlen threw eight innings of five-hit ball with nine strikeouts and no walks – in 100 pitches. Remember efficiency?

• Braves’ home/road dichotomy: Of all the seasons when the Braves might be expected to reverse their fortunes in San Diego, this ain’t the one. Because they’ve struggled everywhere on the road lately.

Away from Turner Field, the Braves have gone 7-25 with a 4.94 ERA and only 100 runs scored in their past 32 games, including a ghastly 2-15 with a 5.26 ERA and meager 43 runs scored in their past 17 road games, a stretch that began with the July 8 series finale at Milwaukee when the Braves led 4-0 after three inning and 5-3 after seven innings, only to lose 6-5 as the Brewers avoided a sweep.

The Braves continued on to Colorado and got swept in four games, taking a five-game losing skid into the All-Star break.

While they’ve never recovered fully from that five-game skid before the break, at home the Braves have remained quite competitive, going 19-11 with a 3.22 ERA in their past 30 games. Their 110 runs scored in those 30 games is modest, but far greater than their road output.

• Moylan’s return: The welcome return of reliever Peter Moylan finally happened Sunday, when the amiable Aussie sidearmer retired both Arizona batters he faced, including Paul Goldschmidt.

Moylan went 23 months between major league appearances, since undergoing a second Tommy John elbow surgery. Coincidentally, Moylan’s last previous appearance had also been two-thirds of an inning against the Dbacks, on Sept. 18, 2013 at Arizona. He gave up one hit and one walk in that appearance.

Braves pitching prospect Jenkins lands on Triple-A DL

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins was placed on the Triple-A Gwinnett disabled list Monday with what was termed arm fatigue.

Jenkins, 23, left his start Sunday against Columbus after just two innings, and no announcement was made at the time regarding the reason. Braves officials were encouraged and relieved when Jenkins did well in strength tests performed later Sunday.

The belief is that Jenkins has a common condition known informally as “dead arm” often associated with an increased workload. He’s pitched a career-high 136 2/3 innings in 24 starts this season with Double-A Mississippi and Gwinnett, after totaling a career-high 98 1/3 innings last year including 74 innings in 13 minor league starts in the Cardinals organization and 24 1/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League.

The Braves are likely to shut him down for a couple of starts, then have him make one or two more starts before the season ends to get his innings total to about 150 for the season. That would allow them to aim for about 180 innings in 2016, according to the guidelines the Braves follow for annual progression in innings for young pitchers.

Jenkins has already had a good season, going 8-9 with a 3.23 ERA and 88 strikeouts (60 walks) in 136 2/3 innings, including a 3.71 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings over eight starts since his promotion to Triple-A.

The Braves got Jenkins along with pitcher Shelby Miller from the Cardinals in the November trade that sent Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to St. Louis.

A former Baylor quarterback recruit and 2010 first-round draft pick, Jenkins’ career has been slowed by injuries, but he’s highly regarded and has been rated a top-100 prospect and potential future top-half-of-rotation starter.

Prospect Primer: Weekly update on Braves’ top minor leaguers

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Touki Toussaint, RHP, low Single-A Rome

Ranking: No. 3 prospect in Baseball America midseason report

Toussaint failed to pitch beyond four innings in both of his past two starts for Rome. He’s given up 12 runs (11 earned) on 10 hits in his past two starts, while walking seven and striking out only four. He is now 3-4 with a 6.33 ERA in nine starts since coming to the organization in a trade from the Diamondbacks.

Mallex Smith, CF, Triple-A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 6 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Smith continues to figure it out in Triple-A. Smith bumped his average 14 points in the first seven games of Gwinnett’s current road trip, by hitting 11-for-32 (.344), to get to .274 in 48 games since his call-up from Double-A. Smith showed great baserunning instincts Wednesday in Charlotte when he scored from second on a bunt play after the catcher fielded the bunt and the pitcher failed to cover the plate.

Braxton Davidson, RF, low Single-A Rome

Ranking: No. 7 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Davidson has gone 5-for-25 (.200) with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts in nine games since he returned from the disabled list. He suffered a concussion July 28 when he crashed into the right field fence attempting a catch in Asheville. Davidson is hitting .243 with a .392 on-base percentage in 105 games for Rome in his first full season in the system.

Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Triple-A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 9 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Jenkins was pulled from his Sunday start after just two innings and 37 pitches with a “dead arm” for a lack of life on his pitches. The move then — and the subsequent move Monday to place him on the 7-day disabled list — was precautionary for a pitcher who has a history of shoulder problems and has already pitched a career-high 136 2/3 innings this season in Double-A and Triple-A combined. Gwinnett had an off day coming Wednesday anyway and planned to skip him the next time through the rotation to give him his first real breather of the season.

Lucas Sims, RHP, Double-A Mississippi

Ranking: No. 10 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Sims is coming off his best start and his first win since getting called up to Mississippi. Sims went six innings on Tuesday in Biloxi, allowing just one run in four hits. He walked three and struck out six, while throwing 61 of his 96 pitches for strikes. Sims is now 1-2 with a 5.87 ERA in five start for Mississippi after going 3-4 with a 5.18 ERA in nine starts for Single-A Carolina.

Christian Bethancourt, C, Triple-A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 6 prospect by Baseball America preseason 2015

Bethancourt continues his tear at the plate. Entering the week, he was hitting .500 (18-for-36) in his previous nine games with five doubles, nine RBIs and five runs scored. He is hitting .326 in 47 games since he was sent down to Gwinnett and is playing like he’s poised for a September call-up.

Jason Hursh, RHP, Triple-A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 7 prospect by Baseball America preseason 2015 season

Hursh is scoreless through his first four relief appearances in Gwinnett, allowing two hits in 5 2/3 innings and one walk. He hasn’t struck out a batter in that time but he’s limiting hitters to a .111 average and has a 0.53 WHIP. Hursh is now 1-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 13 appearances in Double-A and Triple-A since moving to the bullpen, compared to 2-6 with a 5.63 ERA in 15 starts in Double-A.

Andrew Thurman, RHP, High Class-A Carolina

Ranking: No. 20 prospect by Baseball America pre-season 2015

Shortly after his one-hit seven-inning gem for Carolina, Thurman was promoted to Double-A Mississippi where he joins Rio Ruiz, another of the prospect haul the Braves got from the Astros for Evan Gattis. Thurman made his Double-A debut Friday night in Mobile, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-3 loss. He struck out four, walked two and threw only 60 of his 100 pitches for strikes.

Steve Janas RHP, Double-A Mississippi

Ranking: No. 30 prospect by Baseball America preseason 2015 season

Janas did everything but get his team a win Saturday against Mobile. He allowed just two runs on six hits over seven innings, collected his first two professional hits and drove in Mississippi’s only run, but had to settle for a 2-1 loss. The seven innings were his longest outing in nine starts since he was called up from Carolina.

Austin Riley, 3B, advanced rookie Danville

Braves’ No. 41 draft pick in the competitive balance round in 2015 draft

Riley hit five doubles, seven home runs and drove in 21 runs in 30 games for the Gulf Coast Braves this summer, earning a quick promotion to Danville. In 15 games there, Riley has six extra-base hits in 15 games with three doubles, a triple and two home runs to go with eight RBIs and a .304 batting average.

Fulton chairman renews push for say on Turner Field

By David Wickert

Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves has renewed his call to have a seat at the table for any negotiations involving the fate of Turner Field.

On Wednesday Eaves will ask his fellow commissioners to approve a resolution calling for Atlanta and Fulton County to agree on a plan to solicit public input and plan for redeveloping the stadium site when the Braves move to their new stadium in Cobb County. Among other things, the resolution calls for the city and county to jointly develop a “request for proposals” or other process that would open the property to competing developers.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has taken the lead on negotiating the sale of the stadium to prospective developers. So far Georgia State University is the only prospective developer to publicly express interest.

Reed has rebuffed Eaves’ previous calls to be included in the negotiations. But in a meeting with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s editorial board Monday, Eaves said the mayor has told him privately the county will have a seat at the table.

Eaves maintains the county owns one-third of the stadium property, and the county Board of Commissioners must approve any deal. The mayor has disputed that.

“We have always had skin in the game,” Eaves told the AJC.

Tuesday’s game: Braves at Padres

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Where: Petco Park, San Diego

When: 10:10 p.m.

TV; radio: SPSO; 680, 93.7, 106.7

Probable starting pitchers: Braves RH Matt Wisler (5-2, 4.74) vs. RH James Shields (8-5, 3.89 ERA)

What’s new: Wisler was drafted by the Padres in the seventh round in 2011 and was considered their top pitching prospect when the Padres packaged him in the trade for Craig Kimbrel just before the start of the regular season. Wisler will face his old team in the 11th start of his major league career. Michael Bourn has fared well in the past against Shields, going 9-for-26 (.346) with a double and could use some good karma to overcome his tough luck early on with Atlanta. Nick Markakis is hitting .311 (23-for-74) with five doubles, two homers and nine RBIs against Shields, much of it when he was with Tampa Bay.

The San Diego Union-Tribune

Matt Wisler maturing under Braves' watch

Padres sent right-hander to Atlanta in deal that netted Craig Kimbrel in April

By Jeff Sanders | 6:28 p.m. Aug. 17, 2015

Matt Wisler ceased being the Padres’ top pitching prospect the day A.J. Preller shipped him to the Braves in the Craig Kimbrel deal. The tutelage he received in his final spring training in Peoria, Ariz., however, helped the 22-year-old hurler continue to turn the corner upon landing in Atlanta’s farm system.

Indeed, credit bullpen coach Willie Blair in part for Wisler’s final ascension to the majors.

“The good thing is Willie at the end of spring training got me turning again – that helped me a lot,” Wisler said Monday in the visiting clubhouse on the eve of his 11th major league start and his first at Petco Park. “Once I got over to the Braves, I was already starting to get back to where I was with my mechanics, having that little turn and not being so stuff and thinking too much.”

In short, Wisler was again just pitchin’.

On Tuesday, the Padres will finally get an up-close-and-personal look at a right-hander they had groomed since selecting him as a high-schooler in the seventh round in the 2011 draft.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander will oppose James Shields a little less than a year after fighting through a tough adjustment period at Triple-A El Paso, where he fashioned a career-high 5.01 ERA after breezing through Double-A San Antonio as the organization’s top pitching prospect. What he learned in those few months, in particular, has helped Wisler remain headstrong despite yielding 14 earned runs over his last three starts (15 innings).

“Last year, I took a step back from where I used to be and I think that helped me a little bit,” said Wisler, who is 5-2 with a 4.74 ERA. “I’ve learned how to bounce back from bad outings.”

To be sure, there’ve been more good days than bad days since making his major league debut June 19 against the Mets.

He turned in eight innings of one-run ball in a victory that day, struck out six or more batters in his first three starts in July and went 4-0 that month. Along the way, he has impressed teammates with his preparation as much as his stuff, which is again revolving around a biting slider that has returned to form.

“You know he's got the stuff, but his poise has been pretty good, more than anything,” said center fielder Cameron Maybin, who was sent to the Braves alongside Wisler in that April 5 trade. “He’s always working with A.J. (Pierzynski) after games to see what he can do better. You never know how a guy really works, but it's impressive to see how well he works. He's definitely a professional. He's not just ‘here.’ The dude was the second dude here today on the computer, just watching video, doing whatever he can to make sure he's prepared.

“Pretty impressive for a young guy.”

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Atlanta Braves tap Millman to hire GM for mixed-use development at SunTrust Park

Phil W. Hudson

The Atlanta Braves retained Millman Search Group Inc. to find the general manager for SunTrust Park’s mixed-use development.

The Owings Mills, Md.-based search group reported the new GM will be responsible for the management and oversight of the mixed-use development planned adjacent to SunTrust Park that will include specialty retail and restaurants, the Roxy Theatre, a nearly 260-room four-star Omni Hotel, a nine-story office space and about 600 upscale residences.

“The Atlanta Braves are setting a new high standard for professional sports venues across the nation, and we are honored to be a part of this monumental project,” Mark Millman, president and CEO of Millman Search Group, said in a statement. “As the first of its kind, this unique mixed-use development requires a reputable general manager with proven year-over-year success overseeing various mixed-use formats, including retail, restaurants, residences, hotels and Class A office buildings. We are seeking a best-in-class individual with the industry competence and professional confidence to bring this project to fruition, facilitate a grand opening, and provide ongoing oversight for continued success.”

Millman reported the development will be the first-ever mixed-use community to open in tandem with a major league venue. Both are slated to open in the spring of 2017.

The Boston Herald

100 years later, Braves Field lives on

By Steve Buckley

On an unseasonably hot and sunny April afternoon three years ago, the Red Sox commemorated the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park with a grand celebration that nobody in the house that day will ever forget.

It wasn’t just the speeches and proclamations. It was this: Hundreds of former Red Sox players making a “Field of Dreams”-like appearance from that funky garage opening out in center field, some of those men old and stooped, some of them still youngish and virile, their range of age reminding us that Fenway is a generational place.

That was on April 20, 2012.

But today, Aug. 18, 2015, there will be no such pomp, circumstance and nostalgia-fueled applause as Boston’s other big-league ballpark turns 100.

We speak, of course, of Braves Field. Or, as it is now known, Nickerson Field. And to be fair, it’s not the ballpark that turns 100. It’s the last remnants of the old ballpark, lovingly tended to by Boston University.

Braves Field survives, even if it’s only what’s left of the right-field grandstand, along with the old ticket office, now used as headquarters for BU’s campus police. But if the nice people at BU wanted to invite a conga line of old Boston Braves players to make a return visit to what’s left of the old Commonwealth Avenue ballyard, it would be a sad spectacle. According to Bob Brady, president of the Boston Braves Historical Society, just 13 former members of the Hub’s National League baseball team are still living.

The youngest of the 13 is Gene Conley, who also played for the Red Sox and Celtics. He turns 85 in November.

But Brady doesn’t mind that the 100th anniversary of the opening of Braves Field — 46,000 packed the new ballpark on Aug. 18, 1915 to watch the Braves emerge with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals — isn’t getting much attention.

In his view, that’s the way it should be.

“The Braves were always second-class citizens in Boston,” said Brady, who was raised in Dorchester. “Any Braves fans who are left shouldn’t expect anything like what happened at Fenway in 2012. The Red Sox were the top team. The Braves were always struggling for attention.”

Born in 1946, Brady was just 6 years old in the spring of 1953 when the Braves announced they were moving to Milwaukee. And though he never attended a game at Braves Field, he remembers being saddened that the team was pulling up stakes.

But while Boston’s tenure as a two-team city was bound to come to an end one way or another, it’s fascinating to ponder how history might have played out had the Braves been able to hang on just a few more years. They were already a team on the ascendency, and they had a minor-league phenom named Henry Aaron who would burst upon the scene in 1954.

The Milwaukee Braves were one of the National League’s top teams in the ’50s, including back-to-back pennants in 1957 and ’58. They took down the Yankees in the 1957 World Series for the franchise’s first championship since the Miracle Braves of 1914. The Red Sox, meanwhile, pretty much snoozed through the 1950s after Boston became a one-team city.

Dick Johnson, curator of the Sports Museum, has theorized that Braves owner Lou Perini eventually would have built a suburban ballpark for his team. Braves Field, then, was probably doomed anyway. But had the Braves survived and flourished, either on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston or on Route 30 in Natick, might it have been the Red Sox who left town?

It’s heavy stuff.

“We could have had Hank Aaron here,” said Brady. “The other thing that sits in my mind as a what-if is that the Boston Braves integrated baseball in Boston. Sam Jethroe broke the color line in Boston sports when he was National League Rookie of the Year for the Boston Braves in 1950.”

That was a full nine years before the Red Sox became the last major-league team to integrate.

“The Braves had no problems signing Hispanics and African-Americans,” Brady said. “Would that have changed Boston when we hit the era of busing and all the issues we went through? Could the Boston Braves have led the way both in sports and societally?”

Author and historian Bill Nowlin, who has teamed up with Brady to publish “Braves Field: Memorable Moments at Boston’s Lost Diamond,” agrees.

“I’ve talked with five or six people who remember going to games and have told me there were absolutely no racial issues,” he said. “Not even a drunk yelling something obnoxious from the stands.”

The Red Sox won the Battle of Boston. Fenway Park lives on.

But at a time when black ballplayers were shunned at Fenway Park, they were welcomed at Braves Field. We must never forget that.

So maybe stop by Nickerson Field — Braves Field — this afternoon and tip your cap. And if you close your eyes and use your imagination, maybe you’ll see some old Boston Braves players.

The Sports Xchange

Braves continue to struggle in loss to Padres

By Sports Xchange

SAN DIEGO -- Will Venable had two RBIs, Matt Kemp and Yonder Alonso homered and Colin Rea won his second straight start as the San Diego Padres defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Monday night.

Rea (2-0), who prevailed in his major league debut on Aug. 11 against the Cincinnati Reds, pitched 5 2/3 innings and was charged with two runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked two.

Craig Kimbrel, the third Padres reliever, pitched the ninth for his 34th save of the season.

Williams Perez (4-4) worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, four hits with four walks. He struck out two in losing his fourth straight start.

The Braves have dropped 16 of their last 24 games.

Alonso hit a solo shot in the eighth. Venable drove in two of the Padres' three runs in the second. Kemp, with a 10-game hitting streak, smacked his 14th homer of the year in the fifth.

The Braves chased Rea after catcher A. J. Pierzynski's two-out RBI single in the sixth drove in center fielder Cameron Maybin, cutting the Padres' lead to 4-2. Reliever Bud Norris ended the inning by striking out third baseman Adonis Garcia.

Rea is the seventh Padre in franchise history to win his opening two starts.

Kemp took a Perez fastball over the right-field fence in the fifth to stretch the Padres' lead to 4-1.

Atlanta had cut its deficit to 3-1 in the fourth when Maybin, an former Padre, redirected Rea's 91 mph fastball for his career-high 10th home run of the season.

The Braves threatened in the third when shortstop Andrelton Simmons singled and reached second on Perez's sacrifice bunt. But Rea stranded Simmons by getting left fielder Michael Bourn to ground out.

The Padres struck first with a three-run second inning.

Catcher Derek Norris' infield single drove in left fielder Justin Upton after he led off with a single. Upton advanced to third on first baseman Yonder Alonso's ground-rule double to left center. Venable chased in Alonso and Norris with a single for a 3-0 cushion.

NOTES: INF Jedd Gyorko became the fourth Padres player to start at shortstop this season. Gyorko last played that position in college at West Virginia. ... Padres OF Wil Myers (wrist) has increased his swinging regimen and could take batting practice this week. ... 1B Yonder Alonso returned to the Padres' lineup after getting struck in the temple by OF Justin Upton's helmet on Saturday. ... With RHP Peter Moylan's appearance on Sunday, the Braves have used 56 players this season, a franchise high. ... After the Braves finish this seven-game road trip, they will play 25 of their last 38 games at home.

Associated Press

Rookie Rea wins 2nd straight start for Padres, 5-3 vs Braves

By BERNIE WILSON (AP Sports Writer)

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Colin Rea's second big league start was less dramatic than his first. It ended the same way: with a victory for the San Diego Padres right-hander.

Rea became the seventh starter in Padres history to begin his big league career 2-0, pitching into the sixth inning of San Diego's 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

Odrisamer Despaigne did it last season.

''I was pretty excited. I was still nervous but I was able to focus on the game,'' said Rea, who allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings while striking out four and walking one.

His only big mistake was allowing a home run to former Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin leading off the fourth, his 10th.

Last Tuesday, Rea won his big league debut in San Diego with more than 70 friends and family members in attendance.

On Monday night, his personal cheering section included only his wife.

''It was nice to just kind of come to the field and worry about pitching tonight,'' he said.

Rea was lifted after allowing A.J. Pierzynski's RBI single with two outs in the sixth. He pitched five innings for a 1-0 victory against Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Craig Kimbrel, obtained from the Braves the day before the season started, pitched a shaky ninth for his 34th save. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk.

Rea got all the backing he needed when the Padres scored three runs on four hits off William Perez (4-4) in the second inning. Derek Norris hit an RBI single with one out and Will Venable followed with a two-run single to right.

''I thought he was better tonight,'' interim manager Pat Murphy said of Rea. ''I felt like he made pitches tonight. Breaking ball was good; little baby cutter, good; even threw a splitter or two that was good. I thought he commanded his fastball for the most part. I was real pleased with what he did. He showed great poise again. You've got to take notice.''

Rea was San Diego's 12th-round pick in the 2011 amateur draft.

Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said Rea reminded him of former Padres farmhand Matt Wisler, who is scheduled to start for the Braves on Tuesday night.

''Same type guy. Mixes his pitches well. He's got a little sink to his fastball, a little run to his fastball,'' Gonzalez said. ''He pitched pretty darn good, really, for a young kid. Him and Wisler were in this organization and that is what he looked like when I saw him out there for the first time.''

Matt Kemp homered to right for San Diego in the fifth, his 14th. Yonder Alonso homered to right with two outs in the eighth, his fifth.

Perez allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck out two and walked four.

Jedd Gyorko became the fourth Padre to start at shortstop this season. Gyorko last played there in college at West Virginia. He's made 63 starts at second base this season.

The Braves lost for the 16th time in 24 games.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: Alonso returned to the lineup after getting struck in the temple Saturday night when Justin Upton threw his batting helmet in the dugout. ... OF Wil Myers (wrist) has increased his swinging regimen and could take batting practice this week.

UP NEXT

Braves: Rookie RHP Matt Wisler (5-2, 4.74 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against the Padres, who traded him to Atlanta as part of the deal that brought them Kimbrel and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.

Padres: RHP James Shields (8-5, 3.89) is scheduled to start for the Padres. He has won only once in his last 13 starts and pitched seven innings only three times in that span.

Braves-Padres Preview

By JEFF BARTL (STATS Senior Writer)

The San Diego Padres had big plans to contend in 2015 and made a plethora of bold offseason moves, one being the signing of James Shields to long-term contract.

San Diego's stance made Matt Wisler expendable before he was moved in one of two blockbuster trades with the Atlanta Braves.

Wisler faces the Padres for the first time when he opposes Shields on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

San Diego (57-62) traded away six of its top 10 prospects in an attempt for an immediate rebuild after missing the playoffs for the eighth straight year in 2014. General manager A.J. Preller hooked up with Atlanta twice in his flurry of deals, first acquiring Justin Upton for prospects Max Fried, Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson and Mallex Smith in December.

One day before the season started, Preller dealt Wisler - then the club's No. 1 prospect - along withCameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and prospect Jordan Paroubeck to Atlanta for closer Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton on April 5.

Kimbrel allowed a run but earned his 34th save - third-most in the majors - against his former team Monday as the Padres (57-62) won 5-3 for their fifth victory in seven tries. Justin Upton, Matt Kemp,Yonder Alonso and Will Venable had two hits apiece.

Kemp also homered and is batting .385 during a 10-game hitting streak, but San Diego is 10 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Los Angeles as Preller's plan has fallen flat.

Maybin homered for the second straight game and is batting .440 with five extra-base hits during a six-game hitting streak. He's batting .350 in five games against the Padres this season.

"Now, he's doing what he is capable of doing," Jace Peterson told MLB's official website. "It's been a lot of fun to watch."

The rebuilding Braves (53-65) have dropped 16 of 18 on the road and six of eight overall as Wisler (5-2, 4.74 ERA) takes the mound looking to make San Diego feel some regret for trading him.

The right-hander allowed 12 runs in 10 innings over his previous two starts before giving up two in five innings Wednesday, but the bullpen fell apart in a 9-6 loss to Tampa Bay.

Wisler has allowed two runs in three of his last four road starts as he prepares to oppose Shields (8-5, 3.89), who is coming off a rough outing.

The right-hander tied his season high with four walks and gave up five runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-3 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday. He also balked in a run in the third.

Shields surrendered three homers in his previous start, a 4-3 defeat to Philadelphia on Aug. 7, and the Padres have lost his last five outings.

"I have to do my job and go as deep as I can in the game and try to keep the team in the game," Shields said. "Unfortunately it didn't work out."

He gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 6-5 loss to the Braves on June 9. Nick Markakis had two hits and Andrelton Simmons drove in three runs off Shields in that contest.