Series Preview: Gwinnett Braves (17-30) vs. Toledo Mud Hens (15-32)
Thu: LHP Daniel Rodriguez (2-3, 5.77) vs. LHP Ramon Garcia (1-4, 5.20)
Fri: RHP Brandon Beachy (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Jose Alvarez (4-2, 1.98)
Sat: LHP Sean Gilmartin (2-3, 4.23) vs. RHP Shawn Hill (0-4, 4.92)
Sun: RHP Tim Corcoran (2-3, 3.64) vs. RHP Derek Hankins (1-2, 2.51)
Gwinnett enters the series losing three of their last four. In their last series against Louisville, they were outscored 22-17 and fell to last place in the South Division.
Hitting-
Jose Constanza continues to close in on his 22-game hitting streak from last season. He currently has hit in 18 straight games, hitting .380 (27-for-71) during that span. He has raised his average to .284 (33-for-116) after starting the season at .163. He is tied for third in the International League in triples (3)… Joey Terdoslavich enters the series leading the league with 19 doubles. In 2011, he set the Carolina League All-Time mark with 52 doubles…
Pitching-
Brandon Beachy highlights the pitching staff for the weekend. The 26-year-old pitcher was added to the Gwinnett roster by Atlanta on May 19 and was supposed to start that night against the Louisville Bats, but the game was postponed by rain. He has yet to pitch in a live game on his rehab stint. Before suffereing the injury, Beachy was tied for the Major League lead with a 1.98 ERA and led the Majors with a .171 opponent batting average.
Toledo enters the series with the worst record in the International League. They have struggled away from home, posting a 4-18 record. They are currently 17 games behind the front-running Indianapolis Indians in the West Division.
Batting-
Jordan Lennerton leads the Mud Hens attack. The first baseman leads the team in hitting (.327), RBI (26) and second in homers (7). He enters the series with the ninth highest batting average in the International League and is third with a .438 on-base percentage… Nick Castellanos, the Detroit Tigers No.1 prospect according to Baseball America, leads the league in games played (47). He is starting to come around at the plate, hitting .253 (47-for-186) with five homers and 23 RBI.
Pitching-
Toledo possesses the second best ERA in the league, but has only 15 wins to show for it. In 424.1 innings pitched, they have allowed 161 earned runs. Bruce Rendon anchors the back end of the pen. He owns a 0-1 record with a 0.54 ERA. He has converted nine of 10 save opportunities. Jose Alvarez has been the Mud Hens most effective starter. The southpaw leads the team in strikeouts (55) and is second on the squad with 54.2 innings pitched. He will get the ball in game two against the Beachy.
-Jd-
Breaking Bad, Ending Slumps
In last night’s doubleheader split with the Louisville Bats (22-23), the Gwinnett Braves snapped a few bad streaks.
First off, they snapped a ten-game home losing streak that spanned all the way back to April 22nd. Tim Corcoran broke a personal three-game losing streak on the mound, recording his first win since April 7th . He also collected the first hit for a G-Braves pitcher in 2013. Sean Kazmar capped the nightcap by breaking a 0-for-31 spell, connecting for a single in the third inning, recording his first hit since April 28th. With a two-run double in the fifth, he recorded his first RBI since April 30th.
With the victory, the G-Braves avoided the 30th loss mark for the season. Currently at 17-29, the Braves are in the bottom half of the standings, but have played better baseball of late. In their last 10 games, they are 5-5 and have inched closer to the middle of the pack.
The Braves top hurler, Omar Poveda will take the mound tonight. He is 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA. His ERA is third in the league, while he leads the league in WHIP (0.97) and fewest base runners allowed (54).
He will face Chad Reineke of the Bats. The right-hander was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2004 draft. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2008 for Randy Wolf, and on August 16, 2008 made his major league debut. He bounced around from SD to Oakland before settling with the Reds organization. He enters his fourth season with the Bats, posting a 26-30 record for Louisville. Reineke is an effective starter, featuring four pitches; a fastball, curveball, slider and change-up. He is 3-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 2013.
G-Bites- Last night, Jose Constanza extended his league-high 17 game hitting streak with hits in both games. The left-handed hitter set a G-Braves record with a 22-game hitting streak in 2012. Also, securing the longest hitting streak in the IL last year.
G-Braves Win, Split Doubleheader
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – After dropping their tenth straight home game with an 8-5 loss in game one of the doubleheader, the Gwinnett Braves (17-29) took care of business in the nightcap, winning for the first time at home since April 22 with a 5-2 victory over the Louisville Bats (22-23) on Monday night.
The Bats came out swinging in the first game, scoring eight runs on 11 hits off of G-Braves’ pitching. Starter Sean Gilmartin (L, 2-3) yielded seven earned runs on nine hits over 4.0 innings, losing for the third straight start.
Louisville got to Gilmartin quickly, scoring twice in the first inning. Neftali Soto did the damage with a two-run homer, his fourth of the season.
However, the G-Braves answered in the bottom half of the frame, scoring three runs on three hits against Bats starter Pedro Villarreal. It was the first time the Gwinnett offense scored three runs in the first inning since April 16. In the frame, Joey Terdoslavich doubled and scored on an RBI single by Ernesto Mejia, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Brandon Boggs gave the G-Braves the lead with a two-run homer to right-center field, his second with Gwinnett and fourth of the season.
Following the outburst by the G-Braves, the Bats took over. Louisville scored in each of the first five innings, taking an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth. Henry Rodriguez ended Gilmartin’s rough evening as he crushed a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Gwinnett tacked on runs in the fifth and seventh innings, cutting the deficit to 8-5. It would not be enough, however, as reliever Curtis Partch (W, 1-1) tossed 2.2 innings with one run allowed to secure the victory. Villarreal was effective over 4.1 innings as he allowed four runs, but he did not make it through the fifth to qualify for the win.
In the nightcap, the G-Braves got behind early as Billy Hamilton reached on an infield single, moved to third on a base hit by Neftali Soto and scored as Soto was caught in a rundown, making it 1-0 Bats.
The G-Braves went to work in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs thanks to the wildness of Bats starter Daniel Corcino (L, 2-7). After recording the first two outs of the frame, Corcino hit Jose Yepez with a pitch and gave up back-to-back singles to Sean Kazmar and Tim Corcoran, loading the bases. With the bases jammed, Jose Constanza and Todd Cunningham drew consecutive RBI walks, making it 2-1 Gwinnett.
In the third, Terdoslavich smacked his eighth homer of the season, extending the lead to 3-1. The offense added two more runs in the fifth, both scoring on a double by Kazmar to push the lead to 5-1.
It would be more than enough for Corcoran (W, 2-3), who started and tossed 5.1 innings of one-run baseball. The right-hander scattered eight hits and struck out a season-high seven batters for his first win since April 7. Kameron Loe (S, 1) preserved the victory, allowing one run on two hits over 1.2 innings.
Terdoslavich went a combined 3-for-7 in the doubleheader including two doubles, a home run and two RBI. Constanza added two hits total, going 1-for-3 in both games to extend his International League-leading hitting streak to 17 games.
Hamilton paced the Bats, going 4-for-7 on the night with three runs and an RBI. Soto added four hits and three RBI for Louisville.
The Gwinnett Braves wrap up the four-game series against the Louisville Bats on Tuesday at Coolray Field, first pitch scheduled for 6:05 PM. Right-hander Omar Poveda (3-2, 2.35) will start for the G-Braves, while the Bats will counter with right-hander Chad Reineke (3-3, 4.10).
-Jd-
Series Preview: Gwinnett Braves (16-27) vs. Louisville Bats (20-22)
Sat, May 18
LHP Yohan Flande (1-3, 4.95) vs. RHP Greg Reynolds (3-0, 2.92)
Sun, May 19
RHP Brandon Beachy (MLB Rehab) vs. RHP Pedro Villarreal (1-2, 4.53)
Mon, May 20
RHP Tim Corcoran (1-3, 3.93) vs. RHP Daniel Corcino (2-6, 7.20)
Tue, May 21
RHP Omar Poveda (3-2, 2.35) vs. RHP Chad Reineke (3-3, 4.10)
The G-Braves finished off their current road trip on a sour note, as they dropped the finale in Pawtucket 5-4. After leading 4-0 through 6 ½ innings, the Red Sox scored five unanswered runs to clip the Braves. Bryce Brentz ended it in dramatic fashion, as he hit a walk-off three-run homer against Wirfin Obispo to clinch it for the PawSox. The Braves did finish a nice road trip though, going 4-4 and snapping their 14-game losing skid.
Hitting-
Joey Terdoslavich enters the fold hitting .327 (54-for-165) with seven dingers and 26 RBI. He leads the International League in doubles (15), is second in hits (54) and four in extra base-hits (23). In four games against the Bats in 2013, he is hitting .438 (7-for-16) with a homer and two RBI… Jose Constanza increased his hitting streak to a league-high 13 games last night. After a dismal start, he has caught fire of late, raising his average to .275 (28-for-102). He is tied for third in the IL with three triples.
Pitching-
The Braves staff ranks ninth in the league in ERA with a 4.04 mark. However, their biggest concern has been free passes. They lead the league with 186 walks and have hit a league-high 24 batters. It has not served well at the end of games, as the Braves have six blown saves… RHP Brandon Beachy will make a rehab start on Sunday afternoon for the G-Braves. He will make his first professional appearance since undergoing “Tommy John” Surgery in 2012. He is slated for the 2:05 PM start on Sunday.
G-Bites-
The Braves are currently tied for third place in the South Division and are 13.5 games back of the Norfolk Tides.
Louisville Bats
The Bats have not enjoyed the 2013 campaign either. They hold a 20-22 mark and are currently 9.5 games back of the Indianapolis Indians in the West Division. Louisville is on a two-game losing streak and is 5-5 in their last 10.
Hitting-
Felix Perez leads the offense, hitting .308 (45-for-146) with five homers and 25 RBI. The outfielder has been exceptional with men in scoring position, posting a .313 (10-for-32) clip with one homer and 20 RBI… Fellow outfielder Billy Hamilton has been the beneficiary of the production, as he leads the squad in runs scored (21). The speedster also leads the IL in stolen bases with 21. Last season, he set the Minor League record by amassing 155 bags in his stints with High-A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola.
Pitching-
The Braves will miss the overpowering Tony Cingrani (1-0, 0.00 ERA) in the series. The left-hander is not scheduled to pitch this weekend. However, they will have their hands full with right-handers Greg Reynolds and Chad Reineke. Reynolds comes into the series a perfect 3-0 with a 2.92 ERA. Saturday will be his first start of the season against the Braves. On the other hand, Reineke faced the Braves at home on 4/25. He was sharp, hurling 7.0 innings of shutout baseball. He did not factor in the decision, as his team dropped the game 1-0. On the season, he is 3-3 with a 4.10 ERA.
Bat Sounds-
The Bats dropped three of four at home against the G-Braves in April. However, they hold the all-time mark at 16-15.
-JD-
Photo Gallery: May 2-9
The G-Braves are out of town, but here are some great images of the last homestand.
Five Minutes With B-Mac
Last week in his rehab stint with the Gwinnett Braves, I sat down with Brian McCann to talk about his progress, what’s it like playing in his hometown and his feelings about returning to the Major Leagues.
JD- What’s it Like Playing in Gwinnett?
“It’s amazing. I went to High School at Duluth and I saw some familiar faces in the stands that I went to high school with. This is where I grew up and I’m excited to be here.”
Jd- Do you see people that you haven’t seen since high school up in the stands during games?
“That’s the beauty of being able to play in Atlanta. I’ve been very lucky. I grew up in Gwinnett County and to go and play for the Atlanta Braves, I get to have friends and family come to a game almost every night.”
JD- How are you feeling right now, physically?
“I feel great. Coming back from shoulder surgery I couldn’t be in a better spot right now. So I’m excited to join the big league team again and start playing.”
Jd- Describe the Rehab process?
“It’s the first surgery I ever had, so it took patience and a lot of hard work. I did both of those and the work has paid off. I feel extremely good.”
Jd- Have you had to time to sit down, and think maybe you were pushing this? Or rushing your return to the diamond?
“Not at all, I wasn’t going to come back unless I felt like I can help the team win and be myself out there. I’m throwing the ball great and just as good as before the surgery. This is the best I felt in a long time.”
Jd- Last season you played through the injury, Any regrets?
“No, the position the team was in didn’t allow me to. We had a chance to win a World Series and I wanted to be a part of that. If we didn’t have a chance to make the playoffs I would have definitely had the surgery earlier, but where we were at in the standings and how good our team was, I just wanted to be a part of that. “
Jd- Did you know of the severity of your injury prior to?
“I knew I was probably going to need to get surgery. It was a just a matter of of the significance of the injury and it turned out to be a pretty decent size tear.”
JD- What will it be like when you join your team?
“I won’t know until I get there (about first game). I know I’m excited to get back and playing with my teammates. I haven’t thought about what kind of emotions I will have when I step back onto the field. But, like I said I’m really excited to get back with the team.”
The G-Braves are on ten game losing streak, tonight they hope to snap it as they send Sean Gilmartin (2-1, 2.70 ERA) to the bump against Terry Doyle of the Pawtucket Red Sox. Game time is 6:05 PM at Coolray Field.
-JD-
Boston STRONG, G-Braves baseball
Tuesday is “Boston Strong Night” at Coolray Field, as every ticket sold via the online link gwinnettbraves.com/boston using the promo code STRONG, $5 will be donated to OneFundBoston.org, benefitting the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy. Atlanta Falcons and former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, former Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and former Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown will all be guests of the G-Braves as they throw out ceremonial first pitches.
In honor of Boston STRONG night at Coolray Field we will center today’s blog on fun facts about the Boston Braves. The team became known as the Boston Braves in 1912 after going through various names in a five year span. The name would stick until the Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953.
From Last to First- In 1914, the Braves had one of the most memorable seasons to date. After starting the season 4-18 and entering July 4th with the worst record in the league (26-40), the Braves reeled off 43 wins in 56 tries to finish first in the league. They are the only team to win a pennant after being in last place on the Fourth of July. They won the World Series despite being heavy underdogs against the Philadelphia A’s, sweeping them and being the first team in modern history to sweep a World Series.
Fenway Park- The monumental park has been the Boston Red Sox’s home park since it broke ground in 1912… However, to accommodate for the excess crowds during their historic run in 1914, the Boston Braves used the park to field their last games and the World Series.
The Babe Returns to Boston- After being dealt away by the Boston Red Sox, Babe Ruth was purchased by Emil Fuchs in 1935, becoming player, Assistant Manager and Vice President of the Boston Braves. With his skills diminishing, Ruth wanted a way to transition to a career in baseball once his playing career was over. Fuchs wanted to sell more tickets, so the move was great on paper for both, and Ruth was acquired from the New York Yankees. The move did not pan out, as Ruth retired on June 1–only six days after he hit the last three home runs of his career. It remains one of the most memorable afternoons in baseball history. The Braves finished the season 38-115 in 1935.
Dynamic Duo- Dealing with poor seasons for decades, the Braves were revived in the late 40’s behind the brilliant duo of Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain. In 1948, the hurlers won a combined 39 games and lead the Braves to a World Series appearance. They lost in six games to the Indians.
Milwaukee- The World Series appearance would be the last hurrah in Boston, as their fate change again. Amid four more mediocre seasons, on March 13, 1953, owner Lou Perini, announced he was moving the team to Milwaukee, where the Braves had their top farm club, the Brewers.
Notable Boston Braves
Earl Averill
Dave Bancroft
Dan Brouthers
John Clarkson*
Jimmy Collins
Hugh Duffy*
Johnny Evers
Burleigh Grimes
Billy Hamilton
Billy Herman
Rogers Hornsby
Joe Kelley
King Kelly
Ernie Lombardi
Rabbit Maranville
Rube Marquard
Tommy McCarthy
Bill McKechnie
Joe Medwick
Kid Nichols*
Jim O’Rourke
Charley Radbourn
Babe Ruth
Frank Selee**
Al Simmons
George Sisler
Casey Stengel
Ed Walsh
Lloyd Waner
Paul Waner
Deacon White
Vic Willis**
George Wright
Harry Wright
Cy Young
The G-Braves take the field tonight, as Daniel Rodriguez (1-2, 7.48) will take the ball against Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 0.00) at 6:05 PM. Braves will try and stop their nine game skid.
-JD-
Series Preview: Gwinnett Braves (12-19) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (17-13)
Mon: Omar Poveda (2-1, 1.93) vs. Rubby De La Rosa (0-0, 7.11 ERA)
Tue: Daniel Rodriguez (1-2, 7.48 ERA) vs. Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Wed: Sean Gilmartin (2-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. Allen Webster (1-0, 2.70 ERA)
Thu: Yohan Flande (1-2, 4.97 ERA) vs. Terry Doyle (2-2, 3.03 ERA)
Gwinnett- The G-Braves are currently on an eight-game losing streak. Their slide has dropped them to third in the division and a whopping 8.5 games back in the South standings. After getting back to 12-11, the Braves have been swept by the Indianapolis Indians (21-10) and Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (17-11)in the last week.
Hitting- Joey Terdoslavich continues to hit. The outfielder is ninth in the IL in batting average (.333), T-1st in hits (41), 1st in doubles (13), 1st in extra-base hits (19) and 1st in total bases (71). He has amassed multi-hit games in 12 of his last 20… Jose Constanza has been missing in action. Since extending his hit streak to 11 games on 4/28, the outfielder has not appeared in a contest…
Pitching- Poveda will take the ball in game one. In five starts, the right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA. He is 5th in the IL in ERA, 3rd in WHIP (0.80) and 1st in batting average against (.136)… Rodriguez suffered a setback last time out, as he was roughed up for seven runs (6 ER) in 3 IP. Prior to the start, he tossed 14.1 scoreless frames. He gets the nod in Game 2… Gilmartin suffered his first loss of the season last time out, but he carried a no-hitter through the first six innings. He will pitch on Wednesday… Flande will toss the finale. The left-hander has moved from bullpen-to-starter well, posting a 1-2 record with a 4.19 ERA in four starts.
G-Bites- Infielder Tyler Pastornicky is set to return to the G-Braves lineup tonight, as he was optioned by the Braves last night.
Pawtucket
Hitting- The Pawtuket attack is led by Jackie Bradley Jr. After struggling in the MLB, Bradley Jr. has found his stroke in Triple-A. In 11 games, he is hitting .302 (13-for-43) with two doubles and four RBI… Bryce Brentz is the muscle in the middle of the lineup, leading the squad in homers (5) and RBI (20)… Jeremy Hazelbaker also has five dingers this season…
Pitching-De la Rosa takes the ball in the opener, the former LAD farmhand has struggled in 2013. He is 0-0 with a 7.11 ERA. He has limited hitters to a .229 batting average, but has walked eight in 12.2 IP… Seasoned Vet, Aceves gets the ball in Game 2. After being sent down by the big club, Aceves was sharp with Pawtucket, tossing six scoreless in a win last week… Baseball America’s No.4 ranked Boston prospect, Allen Webster will start on Wednesday. He has an impressive strikeout rate, as he has set down 26 hitters in 20 IP… Doyle gets the call on Thursday. The right-hander currently leads the team in innings (32.2), walks (18) and strikeouts (28)…
-JD-
McCann Homers, Braves Fall Again
On a night when Brian McCann homered in second rehab start for the Gwinnett Braves, the RailRiders stole the show, scoring two in the first, one in the fifth and three in the six to roll to a 6-2 victory on Friday night.
Things never got going for Gwinnett, as starter Yohan Flande was tagged for five runs, four earned in five innings. He entered the sixth inning down two, but surrendered back-to-back hits to Ronnier Mustilier and Addison Maruszuk before being removed from the game. Roman Colon promptly gave up a leadoff double and the rest was history.
The Braves dropped their sixth straight game, seventh in their last ten and have fallen 7.5 games behind the first place Norfolk Tides (19-9).
Joey Terdoslavich had another big night, going 3-for-4 with a solo blast in the seventh. The outfielder has connected for multi-hit games in 12 of his last 18 games. McCann added another hit in the bottom of the sixth, reaching on an infield single. He finished 2-for-4 on the night.
He will be featured in the lineup today, as he plans to be behind the plate to catch starter Tim Corcoran (1-2, 3.12 ERA). The Braves will hope to stop their current six-game losing streak against RHP Dellin Betances (1-2, 7.58 ERA) at 7:05 pm.
G-Bites- Last night in the top of the ninth inning, Corey Rasmus appeared in his 13th game of the season. He tossed a scoreless frame and now leads the league in games pitched. He boasts a 0.64 ERA and leads the G-Braves in saves (4).
-JD-
McCann Rehabs, Braves Continue Slide
The Gwinnett Braves returned to Coolray Field, but couldn’t get back on track, dropping their fifth straight game.
The Braves outhit the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 7-to-5, but could not come up with the timely hits, going 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position. Brian McCann, in his first rehab start with the Gwinnett Braves, punched the only run in with an RBI single in the eighth inning. After a two-out double by Todd Cunningham, McCann delivered with his first hit of the night.
In six rehab games, through Single-A Rome and Triple-A Gwinnett, he is hitting .333 with three homers and eight RBI. The six-time All-Star is not worried about his hitting, but looking to regain full strength in surgically repaired shoulder.
“The last thing I’m worried about is my hitting,” said McCann to Barrett Sallee in his post-game interview for MLB.com. “I feel great swinging the bat. I’m ready to go.”
His bat is not the only thing MLB ready, as he called a great game for the first six innings of the night. Entering the seventh inning, starter Sean Gilmartin was tossing a no-hitter. However, the left-hander surrendered a leadoff single to Melky Mesa and everything went south from there. He would be tagged for three runs in 6.2 innings of ball, suffering the loss.
Joey Terdoslavich had another big night, going 3-for4 and raising his average to the .333 mark. He leads the team in hitting, hits (37), doubles (13) and total bases (64).
The Braves will turn the page from last night’s loss, sending Yohan Flande (1-1, 4.43 ERA) to the mound tonight. The southpaw has been solid as a starter, posting a 1-1 record with a 3.14 ERA in 2013. He will face Graham Stoneburner (1-1, 3.00 ERA). The right-hander is 14th round draft pick out of Clemson University. He features a fastball, change up and a slider. In 2011, Baseball America ranked him the No. 17 prospect in the Yankees organization.
Tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
-JD-
