Atlanta Braves @ Bare Baseball - Baseball MLB Blog

ARLINGTON -- After recovering from a violent collision at home plate, Johnny Estrada is ready to get back into the trenches.
Estrada sat out of the Braves' lineup a full week with a concussion and whiplash from last Monday's collision during a game against the Angels. During a play at the plate, Darin Erstad's left shoulder hit Estrada's mask and knocked the Braves catcher nearly unconscious.

"My neck's just a little bit sore, but it isn't anything near what it was," Estrada said. "The doctors have cleared me to play today, so I'm in there. I didn't want to take the full week off. If it was up to me, I'd have played Saturday."

Estrada said he's been feeling well and has continued to take batting practice during his time out of the lineup.

Before the injury, Estrada was hitting .282 with two home runs and 26 RBIs, including a career-best seven-game hitting streak that was snapped at Washington on June 4.

"He was knocked out for a moment, and anytime you are, it's going to take a week, no doctor is going to release you," manager Bobby Cox said. "Johnny wanted in the lineup, but I couldn't even use him as a pinch-hitter."

Although he isn't concerned about his health in his first series back, Estrada is aware of the Texas temperatures that will likely reach the mid-90s all week.

"I'm sure it'll sneak up on me today," Estrada said. "I'm sure I'll be tired tonight and a little sore tomorrow just because I haven't played in a week. There's nothing you can do to simulate catching a nine-inning game."

During Estrada's absence, Atlanta called up 21-year-old Brian McCann for added depth. McCann went 3-for-7 over the weekend and hit his first Major League home run in the sixth inning of Saturday's game against Oakland.

"He played his way into staying here," Estrada said of McCann. "Everybody likes him around here. He's a good kid and he's got a high ceiling. He's young and can swing the bat a little bit."

McCann remained with the club for the road trip. He will be Estrada's backup for the first two games and could get the start in Wednesday's series finale.

Quotable: "We got off to a real good start, I think we were 10 games over at one point, and we've hit a cold spot here like a lot of teams right now. We've had some areas that we need to improve in. If we're going to get going, we're going to have to get going in certain areas. We need to get a few more runs across the board and we still feel we can get the bullpen straightened out." -- Cox assessing his squad at this point of the season

Summer reunion: Atlanta outfielder Brian Jordan returned to Ameriquest Field in Arlington Monday for the first time as a player since his stint with the Rangers last season. Jordan, who struggled with injuries throughout his one-year stay in Texas, helped mentor the young Rangers team and is excited to play in Arlington again.

"It feels weird," Jordan said. "I miss those guys. I miss the young guys. It's going to feel weird playing against them out there."

Jordan isn't the only one seeing familiar faces in the opposite dugout.

Atlanta's John Thomson and Julio Franco each donned Rangers blue during their careers, and Texas' Mark DeRosa played for the Braves until this season.

Jordan, 38, believes his experience in the Major Leagues and his relationship with the young players in Texas could help the Braves ease the transition to a young roster.

"To watch young guys develop is fun for me because I feel like I'm a leader," Jordan said. "We got young in a hurry. I think it caught everybody off guard. It's going to be one of those things where you help them along and hopefully in the end, they can help us win."

Coming up: Jorge Sosa (2-0, 2.63 ERA) will make his first start of the year opposite Pedro Astacio (2-7, 5.60 ERA). The right-handed reliever has struggled with his control, issuing five walks in his past two innings. Cox doesn't expect Sosa to go more than five innings but he did throw seven scoreless innings in a Sept. 12 start against the Royals last year.

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

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ARLINGTON -- Jorge Sosa gave the Braves just what they needed in his first start of the season.
Sosa tossed five solid innings and struck out seven to lead Atlanta to a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday in front of 30,221 fans at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

"He did a great job for us, and we really needed someone to do a great job," manager Bobby Cox said. "He had a good pitch count, the whole works. A bunch of punch-outs, he was throwing good. He didn't walk anybody, and that's the key when you're spot-starting like that."

Sosa made 21 appearances out of the bullpen this year and was asked to start Tuesday due to injuries in the starting rotation. With the performance, Sosa will get another start in Cincinnati.

"The Braves put confidence in me to start a game. I hadn't started in a while and it feels good," Sosa said through a translator. "It's my first start in a while and I felt good, but I understood that five innings and the amount of pitches were fine."

Sosa didn't allow a walk for the first time in 42 career starts. He upped his record to 3-0 on the season with a 2.79 ERA.

The bullpen completed the game with four shutout innings. Adam Bernero and Chris Reitsma each tossed a pair of innings and moved the bullpen's scoreless string to eight frames.

Sosa looked shaky in the first inning. He gave up a single to Michael Young, then allowed a two-run home run to Mark Teixeira. The runs were all Texas would get as Sosa didn't allow another runner past second base.

"He's got really good stuff," Young said. "We couldn't get anything going aside from the two-run home run in the first inning. He pretty much just shut us down after that."

Sosa received plenty of run support throughout the game, but especially from the top three spots in the order. Kelly Johnson, Marcus Giles and Julio Franco combined to go 8-for-12 with six RBI and four runs scored.

Johnson had recorded two hits in his previous 12 games with Atlanta, but was a triple away from the cycle on Tuesday.

"Everybody knows they can hit and it's a matter of fighting through it," said the 23-year old Johnson, who was hitting .059 going into Tuesday's contest. "The guys that stick around the longest can fight through these times."

Not to be outdone by the youngster, the 46-year old Franco posted three RBIs on a trio of hits.

The Braves offense struck early. Johnson led off the game with a double and Giles sacrificed him to third. Franco drove in the run with a single up the middle.

After the Teixeira home run, both sides went quietly the next three innings. Down 2-1 in the fifth, the Braves posted a five spot to take the lead for good.

Kelly Johnson / SS
Born: 02/22/82
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: R

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With one out in the fifth, Ryan Langerhans and Wilson Betemit reached base to set the stage for Johnson's first career Major League home run. Johnson took Pedro Astacio's 1-1 change-up 411 feet over the right-center field wall to put the Braves up, 4-2.

"We know Kelly can hit and he was getting tough luck immediately when he got called up," Cox said. "He's really starting to stroke it nice, really nice."

On the next pitch, Giles lined a single to right field. He scored two pitches later when Franco delivered a two-run home run into the center-field grass to put the Braves up, 6-2. The homer was Franco's third of the year.

"It feels good to contribute because I haven't been hitting the ball well," Franco said.

Atlanta went up, 7-2, in the sixth with a Johnny Estrada double into the right-center field gap and an Andy Marte single to left field.

The win ended Atlanta's two-game losing skid and kept the hopes alive of breaking its string of losing five consecutive series.

"There are a lot of factors that make this a really sweet win," said Johnson, who resides in Austin, Texas in the offseason. "I had a day that I can look back and kind of remember. Just kind of breaking me out of what's been going on. On top of that, being in my home state and having friends and family in town, it feels great. It's been a good road trip so far."

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

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ARLINGTON -- Andruw Jones has found his home run swing.
With the Braves a season-high 4 1/2 games out of first place entering Tuesday's game with the Rangers, Jones is doing his best to bring the Majors' worst offense to life, and he's doing it with the long ball.

"Earlier in the season, I was getting pitches to hit and fouling them straight back or popping them up," Jones said. "Right now, I'm just making good contact and they're going out of the park."

Jones sits in a tie for second in the National League with 16 home runs, one behind Derrek Lee's 17. He has 39 RBIs and is hitting .253, just over the Braves' .245 team average.

"Andruw's always been sort of hot and cold," manager Bobby Cox said. "We're trying to get him more hot than cold these days."

Atlanta's center fielder is riding a four-game hitting streak heading into Tuesday, going 6-for-15 in that stretch. Each of his last four hits has been a home run, including his second multi-homer game of the season Saturday against Oakland.

During that game, Jones surpassed the 800-RBIs mark for his career, and is five runs shy of reaching the 800 plateau in that category.

"Right now, I'm not swinging the bat great. I'm getting home runs but I'm not swinging the bat the way I want," Jones said. "I want to be more consistent. Maybe I'll be 1-out of-4 and I'll get a home run, but I want to be 2-out of- 4 with two good hits."

Jones hit .239 during the first month of the season, including his career-worst hitless streak at 0-for-28, but rebounded in May to hit .283. During his season-high eight-game hit streak in early May, Jones hit .438, going 14-for-32.

Jones is hitting .214 in June, but could be on rise again.

"It's Andruw Jones. He's going to have these times where he can carry an offense," outfielder Kelly Johnson said. "Now if we can just get the rest of the lineup to get on base and do all the little things, manufacture some runs and add the way he's swinging it, we'll be good. He's been awesome these last few days, but he's been doing it for seven or eight years, so it's really nothing new."

Quotable: "He had a hard night. It was a hard night for a catcher." -- Cox, on Johnny Estrada's first game back from injury

Back in Texas: With Atlanta's three-game set against the Rangers, Ryan Langerhans and Johnson returned to the state they call home in the offseason.

"This is the first time since I've been in high school that I've played in Texas," Johnson said. "I've been waiting for this for a while."

Langerhans and Johnson reside in Austin, Texas, in the winter. The players work out together and often take batting practice on the University of Texas' Disch-Falk Field. Both players are also avid Texas Longhorns fans and watch the football games with family when they are home.

Johnson enjoyed his opening at-bat at Ameriquest Field in Arlington on Monday. With about 50 family members and friends looking on, he ripped a single into left field, one of only two hits against Rangers starter Chris Young.

He struck again Tuesday. Johnson laced a 1-2 pitch into the right field corner for a double to lead off the game, and then came around to score the Braves' first run.

Four innings later, Johnson hit his first career home run over the right-center field wall.

"Everybody that the Braves draft comes from Georgia, so all of my friends are always near home," Johnson said. "They always have friends and family come in. I'm lucky to have any family come in. I don't know if I've had too many friends see me play until last night."

Johnson received his second consecutive start in Tuesday's game and occupied the leadoff position. Langerhans played across the outfield from Johnson in right field and hit in the eighth hole.

Heading into Tuesday, Langerhans is hitting .248 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 46 games, while Johnson is hitting .059 in his first 12 games with one RBI.

Coming up: Kyle Davies (2-1, 1.86 ERA) will look to rebound after the worst start of his young career. The 21-year-old right-hander allowed four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings against Oakland on Friday after giving up two earned runs in the previous four starts he had made to begin his big-league career.

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

ARLINGTON -- Starters Kyle Davies and Chan Ho Park both had very comparable first innings.
Both pitchers threw more than 35 pitches, and they both loaded the bases with the first three batters.

But that's where the similarities end.

Park wriggled out of the inning, allowing only one Braves runner to touch home, while Davies was ripped for a five-spot.

"We let [Park] get away in the first, and they didn't let us get away," manager Bobby Cox said.

The Braves downturn continued Wednesday with a 9-5 loss to the Rangers. Atlanta has now dropped each of its last six series and stands one game over .500 at 33-32.

For the first time since Oct. 1, 1978, Atlanta's starting lineup had seven rookies. The youth movement included a pair of 21-year-olds in the battery Wednesday.

"We're going to have some bumps and bruises, but if [the rookies] can come out and play without feeling a lot of pressure, like they're capable of doing, we're going to win some of those closer games," first baseman Adam LaRoche said.

Davies lasted just 2 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on eight hits and four walks in front of 33,663 at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

After his last two games, Davies' ERA ballooned from 0.77 to 3.45. Wednesday's outing was the shortest of his career. He had thrown at least five innings in each of his first five career starts.

"I didn't pitch ahead at all," Davies said. "From the first hitter on, I didn't throw a lot of strikes. If you fall behind a good-hitting ballclub, you're going to get beat."

The right hander threw 81 pitches on the evening, nearly half of them in the first inning. Davies allowed the first six batters to reach base on a pair of singles, doubles, and walks. He regrouped to retire the next three batters, but the damage was already done.

Pete Orr, Marcus Giles, and Kelly Johnson all reached base to start the game. A LaRoche groundout then scored Orr. The next batter, Andruw Jones, worked a walk, on an 11-pitch at bat, to load the bases, but two strikeouts ended the threat.

Park went on to complete five full innings without surrendering another run.

"When you get the bases loaded with no outs, you'd like to think you can get more than one run," LaRoche said.

Texas upped its advantage to 7-1 with single runs in the third and fourth innings.

Davies allowed a double and two singles before giving way to Jorge Vazquez. Vazquez struck out the final two batters of the third inning, but was hurt by the long ball for his second consecutive outing, when, with one out in the fourth inning, Alfonso Soriano belted a solo home run just over the center-field wall to give Texas the six-run lead.

Atlanta stormed back with four runs in the sixth and seventh to narrow the margin to 7-5. With two outs, Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira dropped a throw to first, eventually allowing three unearned runs to cross the plate.

Atlanta had a chance to strike again in the seventh. Ryan Langerhans walked and Andy Marte hit a double, putting two runners in scoring position. Wilson Betemit skied a sacrifice fly, but it was the last run the Braves would tally.

"We battled hard. They made some good pitches in tough situations," said Orr, who had three hits on the evening as a last-minute addition to the lineup. "It's hard when a team's struggling, it always seems like you need that one big hit in a big time game, and we didn't get that today."

The Rangers increased their lead to a comfortable 9-5 margin in the ninth when a ground ball escaped Giles and two more unearned runs came around to score.

Every Braves starter recorded at least one hit except for Giles, who had three walks. Atlanta posted 13 hits and six walks on the evening, but left 14 runners stranded.

"We swung the bats fine," Cox said. "We had enough runs to win."

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

ARLINGTON -- With Atlanta's record dropping precariously close to .500, the organization searched for some relief.
The club found it in former San Francisco Giants pitcher Jim Brower.

On Wednesday, the Braves announced the signing of Brower through the rest of the 2005 season. Brower was released by the Giants on June 13, after appearing in 32 games this year, compiling a 2-1 record out of the bullpen.

"We've always liked him in the bullpen out there," manager Bobby Cox said. "We don't see that team that often, and sometimes you miss some of their pitchers when you play them only three games. He's a kid that would help set up for [the Giants], pitched in the middle, and even closed occasionally."

Brower is expected to join the club when it begins a four-game series in Cincinnati on Thursday. A corresponding roster move will be announced at that time.

The Braves hope Brower will help solidify a bullpen that has been up and down all season. Going into Wednesday's game, the Braves pitching staff ranks third in the National League in ERA, and is riding an eight-inning scoreless streak.

Before those eight innings, the 'pen had allowed 13 runs in its last 12 1/3 innings, dating back to the first game in the Oakland series. Jorge Vazquez, who was the most recent pitching callup, made his season debut in a relief role Monday against the Rangers, surrendering two runs and two walks, while striking out three in 2 1/3 innings.

Brower has a career 32-29 record with five saves and a 4.36 ERA. He was with the Giants for two years.

"He's got a good track record and threw some good innings with San Francisco," said Braves reliever Chris Reitsma, who hasn't allowed a run in his last 10 innings pitched. "He's a workhorse. He gets a lot of games in, and they obviously weren't afraid to use him."

According to Cox, nine different teams were looking at acquiring Brower after his release.

"Everybody's looking for bullpen help right now, so there was a lot of interest in him," Cox said.

Quotable: "He threw one changeup. We're trying to get him to throw the changeup more. He's got a pretty good one, but he just doesn't trust it. He threw one, and the guy hit it out of the ballpark in the first inning, so that was the end of the experiment with the changeup for him." -- Cox on Jorge Sosa's one mistake in Tuesday's start.

Injury report: Rafael Furcal sat out his second consecutive start Wednesday, nursing a nagging shoulder injury. Cox also pulled Furcal halfway through Monday's opener, after the Rangers had the game in hand.

"It's the same thing he had all spring, and has had all season," Cox said. "It doesn't get much better, and it doesn't get any worse. It's just always there.

I'm just trying to give him a couple of days off, give him a breather, and see if it wouldn't help. I'll talk to him today to see how he feels about playing the opening game in Cincinnati."

Wilson Betemit replaced Furcal in all three games. Betemit went 2-for-6 in the first two contests against the Rangers, with one run and one RBI.

Tim Hudson and Johnny Estrada are also feeling the effects of their recent injuries. Hudson was pulled out of his start against Los Angeles due to cramping, and woke up the next day with soreness. He made his next start in Texas, but his control suffered. Hudson's status for his next scheduled start Saturday is still unknown.

Estrada played in his first game Monday after a week off from a concussion. He battled through five innings before Brian McCann replaced him. Estrada played all nine innings of Tuesday's game, but did not start in the series finale.

"Johnny wants to play, but I've got to watch him a little bit," Cox said. "I noticed a couple of times when he took pitches and swung last night, you could really see the grimace on his face. He's still sore. The first night he got lightheaded, and that scared me."

Briefly: Cox had seven rookies in his starting lineup for Wednesday's game, marking the first time Atlanta has had at least seven rookies in the same lineup since the last game of a 93-loss season in 1978. ... A pair of 21-year olds, Kyle Davies and McCann, started as the Braves battery for the second time this season Wednesday. The duo represents the first pitcher-catcher combo under 22-years-old since the Mets' Dwight Gooden and John Gibbons in 1984.

Coming up: John Smoltz (5-5, 3.22 ERA) will take the mound after tossing his first complete game in more than six years against Oakland on Saturday, a 5-3 Braves win. He has thrown six or more innings in each of his last four starts, while giving up at least three runs per game during that stint, registering a 2-2 record.

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

CINCINNATI -- With every passing day it seems like the Braves are delivered another heavy blow on the injury front. While potentially deflating, John Smoltz is treating June like its October and doing whatever he can to help his teammates realize there's still plenty of season left.
While Smoltz can't do anything to change the fact that Mike Hampton, John Thomson, Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones are all currently on the disabled list, he is capable of raising a young team's spirits, like he did with eight strong innings in the Braves' 5-2 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park on Thursday night.

"I don't approach many games like a playoff," Smoltz said. "It's just hard to do that every time out. But the last couple, I've had to approach like a playoff because the wins aren't coming the way they should, and we need to start pouring them on. The way you do it is by having a starter go out there and giving you as many innings as possible."

Smoltz, who has notched a Major League record 14 postseason victories, limited the Reds to two earned runs and four hits in eight innings. He's lasted at least eight innings in each of his past three starts. The last time he managed to do that over a trio of starts was Aug. 24- Sept. 4, 1999.

"Today it was more important that I pitch innings more than anything else because of the [situation] of our bullpen and the situation of Hudson," Smoltz said. "I've been used to other guys picking up the slack for me. So this time around, it's kind of nice to pick up the slack for some other guys."

Smoltz's effort, which was soured only by solo homers by Joe Randa and Adam Dunn, came just hours after the Braves had learned Hudson was going on the disabled list with a left oblique injury. Having three starters on the disabled list simultaneously might still prove disastrous. But at least for one night, the 38-year-old Smoltz, who has been around for each of the previous 13 consecutive division titles, kept hope alive.

"It's been a struggle, and obviously people know what our issues are," said Smoltz, who tossed a complete game in his previous start on Saturday against the A's. "We just have to find ways to do like we did today."

While recording just their seventh win in their past 20 games, the Braves prevented falling into last place in the National League East and now trail the front-running Nationals by five games. Not bad for a team that has lost each of its last six series and eight of its last nine.

"The last couple of weeks, it's been pretty rare where we jump out with a lead before they do," Marcus Giles said. "As a team that's struggling, when you don't get the lead before they do, it kind of deflates you."

Giles' fifth-inning solo homer off Reds starter Brandon Claussen proved to be the game-winner for the Braves, who hadn't won the first game of a road series since April 18, the night Ryan Langerhans' 12th-inning homer allowed them to claim a 1-0 win over the Astros.

John Smoltz / P
Born: 05/15/67
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 220 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Langerhans proved important again in this victory with a perfectly-timed, well-stretched leap that helped him grab a Ryan Freel shot to the wall in the sixth inning. The other offensive stars were Rafael Furcal, who provided his 12th career leadoff homer, and Julio Franco, who defied age yet again and sparked a two-run seventh inning.

Franco, who was battling a high fever on Wednesday, stole both second and third base in the seventh. The last time the 46-year-old first baseman registered a two-steal game was July 17, 1994, when he was with the White Sox.

After stealing third base uncontested against Reds reliever and former Braves top draft pick Matt Belisle, Franco trotted home on a Johnny Estrada RBI double. Brian Jordan followed with an RBI single to cap the two-run inning and give the Braves the second hit they would record in 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

When the Reds produced two baserunners to begin the ninth inning, the seventh-inning insurance runs looked big. But former Reds reliever and current Braves closer Chris Reitsma quickly righted himself, retiring the next three batters to notch his fifth save.

"It just looked like a baseball game we expect ourselves to play," Giles said.

Of course it didn't hurt that Smoltz was out there displaying his patented postseason determination and showing his young teammates that he's willing to carry some of the load to help them get through this rough stretch.

"I want to get back to when I'm on the field, they feel we're going to win," Smoltz said. "That takes re-earning."

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

CINCINNATI -- When Jim Brower was released by the Giants on Sunday, he quickly found he had a couple of other employment options. But when he learned the Braves were one of those interested teams, the right-handed reliever felt Atlanta was where he needed to be.
"I came here because of the organization, what they've done in the past and what I think they're going to continue to do, [which is] have success and win," Brower said.

Brower signed with the Braves on Wednesday and got a chance to meet many of his new teammates before Thursday night's game against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The 32-year-old adds veteran leadership and depth to a Braves bullpen that has struggled during the past two months.

Braves manager Bobby Cox said he could use Brower both as a late-inning setup man or as a long reliever.

"I told him to be ready -- however the game is going," Cox said. "He's ready to go."

In 32 appearances that totaled 30 1/3 innings with the Giants this year, Brower was 2-1 with a 6.53 ERA. The numbers weren't as impressive as last year, when in 89 appearances with the Giants, he posted a 3.29 ERA. But most of the damage against him this season came in a small amount of games.

"There's three games I'd love to have back," Brower said. "They're bittersweet. You feel good, but runs happen."

Brower allowed a total of four earned runs in his first two appearances of the season and then allowed just three more during his final 11 appearances in April. His most recent struggles came on June 5, when he allowed four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Mets.

Because Giants manager Felipe Alou utilizes many of his relievers in situational roles, Brower is happy with the fact that he's allowed just eight of the 30 runners he's inherited this year to score.

"I was happy with what I did situationally," Brower said. "I didn't stop my own runs from scoring too well, but I was stopping everybody else's."

Brower hasn't made a start since 2001, and he doesn't see it in his future with the Braves this year.

"The versatility that I bring is probably better out of the 'pen," said Brower, who took Tim Hudson's spot on the 25-man roster when the veteran hurler was placed on the disabled list Thursday afternoon.

Tim Hudson / P
Born: 07/14/75
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Rotation changes: With Hudson on the disabled list with a left oblique injury, Cox has opted to start both Jorge Sosa and Kyle Davies on short rest this weekend. Sosa will pitch on Saturday and Davies will throw in Sunday's series finale against the Reds.

"This will help our bullpen," Cox said. "They've [relievers] been getting a lot of work."

Sosa needed 74 pitches to complete five innings and limit the Rangers to two runs in his first start of the season on Tuesday. As for Davies, he needed 81 pitches to complete a career-low 2 1/3-inning stint on Wednesday night.

Thanks to an off-day on Monday, barring any further injuries, Cox won't have to dip into his Minor League system to get another starter until June 25. At that time the Braves will likely promote Seth Greisinger, who limited the Pirates to two earned runs in five innings in a June 5 spot start at PNC Park.

More respect for Cox: In a players poll that is in this week's Sports Illustrated, Cox was voted as the top manager in baseball. He received 37 percent of the votes, easily outdistancing runner-up Joe Torre, who received 17 percent.

Major League players, who were polled during Spring Training, also voted the Nationals' Frank Robinson and the Rangers' Buck Showalter as the worst managers in the game. Both received 12 percent of the votes.

Time change: ESPN has chosen the July 3 game against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park as its Sunday Night Game of the Week. The game time has been moved from 1:35 p.m. ET to 8:05 p.m. ET.

Coming up: Horacio Ramirez (4-4, 5.20 ERA) will oppose Ramon Ortiz (2-4, 6.10 ERA) in Friday night's game against the Reds. Ramirez has allowed a team-high 12 homers. Cincinnati, entering Thursday, had hit a league-leading 52 homers in its first 35 home games.

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

CINCINNATI -- If the bad news must be presented first, another Braves starting pitcher has been placed on the disabled list. The good news is that Tim Hudson's left oblique injury isn't the same as the one that plagued him the past two years.
With Hudson unable to overcome discomfort near his left rib cage, the Braves opted on Thursday afternoon to place their veteran hurler on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Tuesday.

"It just [stinks] because I don't like having to miss time, and I don't like just sitting around and watching my teammates go to battle -- when I don't have anything to do with it," Hudson said. "That's what is truly frustrating."

With this transaction, the Braves now have three of their starting pitchers on the disabled list simultaneously. Mike Hampton and John Thomson are both out for an indefinite period.

Ironically, John Smoltz, who created plenty of preseason concerns regarding his conversion back to a starting role, and Horacio Ramirez, who made just one appearance in the final four months of last season because of his shoulder, which was surgically repaired in October, have been the healthiest of the quintet that began this season in Atlanta's rotation.

"I don't want to miss any time, especially with all that's been going on with everybody getting injured and stuff," Hudson said. "It's just bad timing. But what I think is best for the team and best for me is probably taking a little time off and try to get back to 100 percent, or as close to 100 percent that I can be to help the team win."

This is the second straight year Hudson's season has been interrupted because of an oblique injury. But he said this one is different than the one that forced him to be on the disabled list from June 23-Aug. 7 last year.

The Braves, who signed Hudson to a deal that will cost them at least $47 million over the next four years, are at least glad to know this might not be the same injury that has lingered over the past few years.

When Hudson's oblique troubles began late in the 2002 season, the discomfort was closer to his hip. Such was the case last year and in Game 4 of the 2003 American League Division Series, during which he lasted a career-low one inning against the Red Sox.

"This is something totally different than what I was dealing with last year," Hudson said. "I've never really dealt with any rib cage stuff."

With their fingers crossed, the Braves are hopeful Hudson's stint on the disabled list is a short one. But at the same time, they realize such an injury could sideline him much longer than two weeks.

Tim Hudson / P
Born: 07/14/75
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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"We'll give him a two-week breather and see how it does," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "I think he had a little of it in the early throwing in February. It's the same thing that's bothered him all season long."

Hudson contends that he didn't begin feeling this type of discomfort this season until the morning of June 9, the day after muscle cramps had limited him to four innings against the Angels.

"I'm not sure exactly how I did it," Hudson said. "I might have done it swinging a bat. I know I didn't do anything when I was pitching."

However Hudson suffered the injury, he proved on Monday night against the Rangers that he wasn't himself. During that contest, he allowed five earned runs and issued five walks in a season-worst 2 2/3 innings.

The ailment prevented him from being able to pull his left arm through when he was rotating his body in his delivery. Consequently, many of his offspeed pitches against the Rangers were left up in the zone.

Hudson, who was obtained from the A's in December, has gone 0-2 with a 7.90 ERA in three June starts. He was 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA in the 11 starts he had made entering this month.

"I hate that this happened, especially this early in the year," Hudson said. "But I know I'm not able to go out there and pitch the way I'm expecting to pitch and the way this organization is expecting me to pitch. I've got to get back to 100 percent so that I can go out there and do what I'm supposed to do."

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

ATLANTA -- When Mike Hampton was placed back on the disabled list this past weekend, he wanted his family to know he never intended to be spending so much time with Braves head athletic trainer Jeff Porter and his assistant, Jim Lovell.
"I've become too good of friends with those guys," said a sarcastic Hampton, attempting to provide some humor to what has been a mentally exhausting period for himself and the entire Braves organization.

When the Braves left Atlanta to begin a 12-game, 14-day multi-coast road trip on May 8, they owned a 1 1/2-game division lead and were coming off a four-game sweep of the Astros, which began with a John Thomson complete-game masterpiece and ended with a dominant Hampton shutout.

Since then, Thomson and Hampton have totaled 15 1/3 innings and found themselves in the same unenviable position as Chipper Jones, who is on the disabled list for at least the next 4-6 weeks.

With their rash of injuries and inability to add to their payroll, the Braves have been forced to accelerate the rise of many of their top prospects to the Majors.

Consequently, they've lost 17 of their past 28 games. But they're still three games over .500 (31-28) and just two games out of first place in the National League East.

"It was worse last year," said Julio Franco, correctly pointing out that after their game on June 9, 2004, the Braves were at .500 (29-29) and 3 1/2 games out of first place.

While Franco is on target with his optimistic fact, the situation seems so much different this year. Thomson's tendon in his right middle finger won't allow him to return until mid-July, at the very earliest. Hampton has already made the visit no pitcher wants to make, an appointment to see Dr. James Andrews, who told him he needs two more weeks of rest before his left forearm will be reassessed.

As for Jones, he won't need surgery to heal the torn ligament in his left foot. But he won't be back in the lineup for at least 4-6 weeks. By that time, the organization that has won 13 consecutive division titles will be hoping it's still in position to make a sprint toward the finish line.

"We just have to endure and get healthy, and we will," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said.

For many years, the Braves have been known for having the best Minor League system in baseball. This year, they're being put the test by having to put their top Minor Leaguers in the Major League lineup.

When Kyle Davies takes the mound to oppose the A's at Turner Field on Friday night, he won't be the only 21-year-old in the Braves' lineup. Joining him will be his batterymate, Brian McCann, who will be making his Major League debut, and his third baseman, Andy Marte, who will be making his third career start.

While becoming the only professional sports organization that has ever won 13 consecutive division titles, the Braves built their foundation on pitching. With John Smoltz and Horacio Ramirez both providing eight innings in the first two games of the Angels series this week, they showed their teammates they're ready to do a little extra during this time of need.

If Ramirez has turned the corner, as his past two starts suggest, and Davies continues his success, the Braves' rotation, which is headed by Tim Hudson and Smoltz, is still a solid one that should at least be capable of keeping their team close on a regular basis.

"We've got some hurdles to overcome here," Hudson said. "There's always peaks and valleys during the season. We're just in a bit of a rut right now. We've got to have some guys step up, and have some of the young guys come in and produce."

Based on their comments, the Braves' players haven't lost their optimism during this trying time. But that is to be expected of any team managed by Cox, whose has built a winning attitude in his clubhouse throughout his team's long run of success.

"The name of the game is picking each other up," Cox said. "We did it last year; we're going to try it again this year."

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

ATLANTA -- Kyle Davies had realized the hometown dream a few weeks earlier. This was Brian McCann's turn to take center stage and appreciate the sensation of being an Atlanta boy, wearing a Braves uniform.
Unfortunately Davies' inability to continue the impressive run that began his career prevented McCann from realizing the added satisfaction of making his Major League debut on a night in which his hometown team halted its downward spiral.

Although McCann's first big league hit helped spark a three-run third-inning, his contributions weren't enough to erase Davies' struggles or the decisive two-run, seventh-inning homer Eric Chavez drilled off Roman Colon in the Braves' 6-4 loss to the A's on Friday night.

Still the 21-year-old kid from Duluth, Ga., who is regarded as one of the game's best catching prospects, walked away with a smile and the memories of a memorable evening he was able to share with approximately 200 friends and family members that were in attendance.

"It was probably the greatest experience I've ever had," McCann said. "Stepping on a big league field was very, very special."

Braves manager Bobby Cox was so impressed with McCann's poise behind the plate and ability to provide a two-hit performance that he announced the youngster will back behind the plate to catch John Smoltz on Saturday afternoon.

It was just eight or nine years ago, when a young McCann went into the Braves' clubhouse with his father, a former baseball coach at the University of Georgia and Marshall University, and had the opportunity to have a picture taken with Smoltz, who later autographed the photo.

"It's going to be fun," said McCann, who with a second consecutive strong performance could earn himself a permanent roster spot, even when Johnny Estrada makes his expected return to the lineup on Monday.

Colon, who was one of six rookies the Braves utilized, has allowed six homers in 18 innings this year and is quickly falling out of favor in the bullpen rotation. Chavez's two-run shot landed in the right-field seats and ultimately prevented the hometown boys, who had played two Minor Leagues seasons, from celebrating their first night together under the bright lights.

Davies, who was raised 20 minutes south of Atlanta, played against McCann when the two were just beginning their teen years. They'll now go down in history together as one of the youngest battery mates ever. The last time a pitcher and catcher, under the age of 22, were in the same lineup was with the Mets in 1984, when 19-year-old Dwight Gooden teamed with 21-year-old John Gibbons.

"It was a lot of fun and hopefully we can do that a whole lot more," said Davies who allowed four earned runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings and watched his team lose for the 15th time in their past 23 games.

Davies, a 21-year-old right-hander who had provided scoreless performances in three of the four previous Major League starts he had made, experienced most of his struggles during a 38-pitch fourth-inning in which the A's tallied three runs and erased the three-run second inning the Braves had utilized to gain the early lead. The big blast came courtesy of Bobby Crosby's two-run homer -- the first surrendered by the young hurler this year.

"All night I had to battle to get the ball down, and especially in the fourth, it got exposed real quick," Davies said. "I was throwing mainly fastballs. I probably should have been mixing it up a little bit. But it's over now."

After Brian Jordan struck out to end the eighth with runners at first and second base, the Braves looked like they were going to mount another rally when McCann singled to begin the ninth against Huston Street. But the young catcher made a youthful mistake and was caught too far off first base when another 21-year-old, Andy Marte, lined to Chavez, who fired to first to double up McCann.

"I don't know what I was doing," McCann said. "It was definitely a big mistake at a crucial point of the game. I feel like I let some guys down."

Considering Cox's praise, that didn't seem to be the general feeling in the clubhouse.

"McCann had a great night behind the plate," Cox said. "I thought he had a super night, just receiving the ball period. He hit three balls real good ... I thought he looked terrific."

McCann had an RBI single in front of Davies' perfectly-executed squeeze bunt in the Braves three-run second inning against A's starter Danny Haren. But Marcus Giles' fifth-inning solo homer would be Atlanta's only further damage against the visitors, who had lost 11 straight road games entering this series.

While he wanted a different result, McCann could still elicit a youthful smile and look forward to the opportunity to spend the rest of the evening with his mother and father, who had thrown him countless pitches in the batting cage in hopes that the dream would come true.

"This is probably more of a thrill for [my dad] than me," McCann said. "He's put in long, long hours, and I just want to thank him."

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

ATLANTA -- Other than knowing he's going to be limping around with a protective boot for at least another month, Chipper Jones' future remains a mystery to him and the Braves.
While there is hope that the damaged ligament in his left foot will heal within the next six weeks, Jones knows there's still a chance the bunion that brought on his injury could prove bothersome again and force him to have surgery.

"It's the reason I've got foot problems," said Jones, who has been battling discomfort caused by bunions on both of his feet for the past four or five years.

Bunions, which are often caused by wearing tight shoes, cause the big toe to become swollen and point inward. The increased pressure could have caused Jones to suffer a partial tear of the lateral collateral ligament between the second and third toes while running toward the plate on April 24.

Braves head athletic trainer Jeff Porter said that the bunions made Jones "more predisposed to this kind of injury" and confirmed that they could hinder the natural healing process, which foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson suggested instead of surgery on Thursday.

When foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson examined Jones on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C., he told the Braves third baseman that if he opted for surgery, he couldn't return this year. Nothing more need to be said.

"[I wanted] whatever alternative was going to give me the chance to play," said Jones, who was placed on the disabled list after aggravating the injury on Sunday at PNC Park.

If Jones' condition hasn't improved when he's re-examined in a month, he could then opt for the surgery and still be ready by the start of Spring Training next year.

Anderson also told Jones that having surgery to correct the bunions wasn't an option because it would likely be a career-ending procedure.

While the 33-year-old Jones would have liked an option that allowed him to return much sooner, learning surgery wasn't necessary was the best news he could have received. But at the same time, Anderson told the injury-riddled veteran that there isn't a definite timetable in relation to his injury.

"He said toes have a mind of their own," Jones said. "I'm beginning to think all parts of the anatomy have a mind of their own."

Estrada changes analysis: When Braves catcher Johnny Estrada first spoke to the media about his collision with Darin Erstad, he hadn't seen an overhead view that the Braves video coordinator, Rob Smith, provided him late Wednesday afternoon.

The opportunity to see it from a different angle made Estrada think differently about Erstad, who knocked Estrada in the face and to the ground while scoring the winning run on Monday night.

"It doesn't make me mad that I got hit or that I had to stay a night in the hospital," Estrada said. "What frustrates me is that there are a lot of people out there who believe it was a good, hard baseball play. I just don't think it was. I think it was something that could have been avoided.

"I think he made up his mind way too early that he was going to come and run me over, no matter where he was. You can clearly see on that camera angle overhead that the plate was open. He could have gone straight, but instead made a left turn and cleaned my clock."

Estrada, who suffered a concussion and whiplash, will likely return to the lineup on Monday, which would mean the Bay Area native would miss the opportunity to play against the A's -- his favorite team as a child -- this weekend.

Betemit gets hot corner nod in young lineup: While Jones is out, Braves manager Bobby Cox plans to give both Wilson Betemit and Andy Marte time at third base. Betemit got the nod in Friday night's series opener against the A's.

"Betemit has been so hot," said Cox in reference to the 24-year-old former top prospect's .435 (10-for-23) batting average in June. "It's kind of not fair to sit him on the bench all of the time."

Betemit joined Kyle Davies, Ryan Langerhans and Brian McCann, who was making his Major League debut, as the group of four rookies in the Braves' lineup on Friday. Davies and McCann formed the first pitcher and catcher duo under the age of 22 since Aug. 19, 1984, when a 19-year-old Dwight Gooden took the mound for the Mets and threw to 21-year-old catcher John Gibbons.

The Braves have nine rookies on their roster. While Cox can't remember if he's ever had to play this many youngsters at once, he indicates it doesn't concern him.

"None of that bothers me," Cox said. "Honestly, that never comes across my mind. We've got nine guys on the field, just like they do."

Thomas returns: Charles Thomas, who was one of the three players the Braves traded to Oakland for Tim Hudson in December, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. Still, he came to Atlanta to see his former teammates and speak with some of the friends and family members who had planned to come see him this weekend.

"For this to have happened at this point, it's frustrating," Thomas said. "It just shows you just how much of a business it is."

Thomas, who was hitting just .109 (5-for-46), feels he didn't get enough of an opportunity for regular playing time in Oakland. He had just seven at-bats in between May 18-June 8.

"It's been frustrating, to say the least. I came into a situation here last year where I got a chance to play, and obviously things turned out well. This year, I never got a chance to get going."

Braves bits: The Braves will promote a pitcher from their Minor League system to serve as their starter on Tuesday night against the Rangers. ... Seth Greisinger cleared waivers on Thursday and was optioned to Triple-A Richmond. ... Raul Mondesi cleared unconditional release waivers and was released by the Braves on Wednesday.

Coming Up: John Smoltz (4-5, 3.24 ERA) will oppose Kirk Saarloos (2-4, 4.75 ERA) in the second-game of a three-game set against the A's on Saturday afternoon.

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

ATLANTA -- When the Braves were burdened with a number of injuries to their top players last year, Andruw Jones admittedly put too much pressure on himself and consequently struggled.
Unfortunately this year, he once again finds himself in the middle of a youthful, and once again, injury-plagued clubhouse. Thus the need for veterans like himself and John Smoltz -- two of the Braves' three longest-tenured players, along with Chipper Jones -- to carry the load has become a necessity.

So when Jones backed up Smoltz's first complete game in more than six years with a two-homer performance in the Braves' 5-3 win over the A's at Turner Field on Saturday afternoon, a team that has had its share of misfortunes once again had reason to smile and enjoy the contributions of its leaders.

"I'm just happy that we won and went out there and performed like we did today," said Jones, whose second multi-homer performance of the year lifted the Braves to just their ninth win in 24 games.

Jones' two-run homers in the fourth and sixth innings were enough for Smoltz, who allowed just five hits and three earned runs, while tossing his first complete game since April 30, 1999.

"He pitched a great game and I was just honored to be back there catching him," said 21-year-old Brian McCann, who followed Jones's sixth-inning game-decider with a solo shot to right field that gave him his first big league homer just six at-bats into his career.

Smoltz's effort was much more dominant than his line might indicate. Remove the four consecutive singles he allowed in the A's three-run sixth inning and it was basically an afternoon of futility for the Oakland offense. Their only other hit came courtesy of Nick Swisher's second-inning infield single, and they produced just one baserunner in the final three innings.

"I'm glad I'm not talking about a stupid loss because of one bad inning," said Smoltz, who has won three of his past four starts and allowed runs in just six of the past 31 innings in which he's appeared.

After Jones had given Smoltz a two-run lead with his fourth-inning shot off A's starter Kirk Saarloos, the veteran hurler stayed in command until Mark Ellis, Bobby Kielty and Mark Kotsay began the sixth with singles. Marco Scutaro followed with a two-run double to deep center field, and it looked like the Braves were reliving an event from earlier in the week.

In Smoltz's previous start, he began with 4 2/3 perfect innings and still found himself charged with 13 hits and four earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. But fortunately for Smoltz and the Braves, there wouldn't be any further reason to make a deja vu reference.

"When I get a lead, I pride myself on keeping a lead," Smoltz said. "I didn't do that very well. But at the same time, [I] prevented a huge inning and gave us a chance to come back and score those three, which for a pitcher is like a B-12 shot."

Adam LaRoche, who contributed three hits, began the Braves' sixth-inning charge with a one-out single. One batter later, Jones drilled a Justin Duchscherer fastball into the left-field seats for his team-leading 14th homer of the season.

"It was huge, because we expect so much out of Andruw that it's almost unfair to think he can do that all of the time," Smoltz said of Jones's first multi-homer game since May 14.

Jones, who at 28 years old was the oldest position player in the Braves' starting lineup, came into this game struggling. He hadn't homered since May 18, and his most recent multi-hit game had come on May 15. In his previous 23 games, Jones had hit .179 (15-for-84) and seen his batting average fall from .294 to .249.

The rapid decline in production has been a part of Jones' inconsistent nature over the years. But this year, with Chipper Jones out of a youthful lineup that during each of the past two days has featured four rookies, he's doing everything he can to not add any pressure upon himself.

"I went through that last year and it really went bad for me," Jones said. "So this year, I just go out there and let it happen. If you don't do it, somebody else will do it."

McCann might be the man who provides Jones some of that assistance in the very near future. He had a two-hit performance in his big-league debut on Friday night, and with his homer on Saturday gave the Braves even more reason to keep him around to serve as a backup when Johnny Estrada returns on Monday.

"This is the first time in a long time at this time of the year that I've thrown to a young catcher," Smoltz said. "He really did a great job."

Smoltz admitted that McCann, who first career homer fell just over the right-center field wall, inspired him throughout the game with his youthful energy.

But McCann, who grew up 20 minutes north of Atlanta as a big Braves fan, might have had the most glowing recount of the afternoon in which the veterans provided the leadership and the youths responded favorably.

"Today was unbelievable," McCann said. "I got to catch one of my childhood idols."

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

ATLANTA -- As the Braves entered this season, it looked like Roman Colon might develop into one of their primary relievers. But the rookie right-hander's inability to keep opponents from taking him deep has certainly halted his rise at the Major League level.
Eric Chavez' game-winning two-run homer off Colon in the seventh inning of Friday night's loss to the A's added to the 25-year-old reliever's struggles. In the 18 innings he had thrown entering Saturday, he had surrendered six home runs and posted an eye-popping 8.50 ERA.

"You know, when he first came up, he was kind of lights out," said Braves manager Bobby Cox. Colon didn't allow a homer and posted a 3.32 ERA in 18 late-season appearances last year.

This year has been a different story for Colon, who appears to be healthy. His fastball has been clocked as high as 97 mph on numerous occasions. But his inability to locate his heater has gotten him in trouble.

"I don't know what it is," Colon said. "It just happens with one pitch. I throw one bad pitch and they don't miss."

Chavez's blast came on a changeup that Colon left up in the zone. Cox was happy that the young hurler had gained some confidence in throwing the offspeed pitch, but as with the rest of the youngster's repertoire, the Braves skipper wants to see it located better.

Most of Colon's struggles are due to the fact that he hasn't been able to keep the ball down in the zone. But he points back to a May 22 game at Fenway Park where he thought he located two pitches well, but was nevertheless victimized by David Ortiz and Johnny Damon.

Ortiz, a dead-pull lefty hitter, reached out and directed an outside fastball into left field for a double. Damon had done the same two batters prior. Thus, the damage was more severe when Ramirez followed Ortiz with a long homer into the right-field seats.

"From what I see, I don't have any luck right now," Colon said. "I'm just kind of slumping right now. It's something a lot of the players go through. But I've got to get out of there. It's kind of like I'm stuck in there right now."

Still, Cox believes in Colon and sees a bright future for him.

"He's throwing the ball harder this year," Cox said. "He's throwing 96 or 97 [mph] all of the time. Even when he's throwing 94, it looks like 97 to me. He's going to be good."

Still believing in KJ: Cox gave Brian Jordan a rest and utilized Kelly Johnson and Ryan Langerhans as his corner outfielders on Saturday afternoon. Johnson and Langerhans, who lived together in Austin, Texas, during the offseason, are a couple of rookies who have experienced dramatically different fortunes lately.

While Langerhans has hit .393 (11-for-28) in June, Johnson entered Saturday with just one hit in the first 27 at-bats of his Major League career. Still, Cox had the struggling outfielder batting second in Saturday's lineup.

"I'd like to keep Kelly up in the front of the order, because he gets on base a tremendous amount," Cox said in reference to Johnson's plate discipline, which helped him compile a .438 on-base percentage and draw 34 walks in 44 games with Triple-A Richmond this year.

Langerhans also started the season slowly, and didn't begin producing consistently until he started focusing on hitting the ball to left field. Since heeding the advice presented by hitting coach Terry Pendleton and teammate Jordan, the left-hander has seen his batting average rise from .188 to .241.

Hudson's charity: Tim Hudson has agreed to team with good friend and former A's teammate Barry Zito in his Strikeouts for Troops program. For every strikeout Hudson records this year, he'll donate $100 toward a fund that will help bring some of the comforts of home to U.S. servicemen and women currently recuperating at military hospitals.

Other pitchers involved in the charity are Boston's Curt Schilling, Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia and Matt Miller, Joe Blanton of Oakland and Washington's Chad Cordero.

Hudson, who was traded to Atlanta in December, was trying to find a way to oppose Zito in Sunday's series finale. But Horacio Ramirez wasn't willing to alter his schedule and allow Hudson, who threw just 76 pitches on Wednesday, to come back on short rest.

Braves bits: Cox was inducted into the first class of the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night. He was given his plaque during a pregame ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Other inductees included Hank Aaron, former Atlanta Hawk Dominique Wilkins, ex-Atlanta Falcon Tommy Nobis, former Georgia Tech football head coach Bobby Dodd and legendary golfer Bobby Jones. ... The Braves still haven't decided who will be their starting pitcher on Tuesday night against the Rangers. They will likely promote somebody from their Minor League system.

Coming Up: Ramirez (4-4, 5.05 ERA) will oppose lefty Zito (2-7, 4.41 ERA) in a battle of southpaws during Sunday afternoon's series finale against the A's.

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/