The Atlanta Braves have won 12 of their last 15 meetings with the Washington Nationals, which is important to consider when making your MLB picks Tuesday, as the two teams meet at Nationals Park.
Courtesy of SBR Forum, the Braves are plus-109 road underdogs in the pro baseball odds, with the betting total sitting at seven in the market.
Let’s take a closer look at this National League East matchup from a betting perspective, while offering up a prediction along the way.
The Atlanta Braves have won each of their last 11 games and, in doing so, have firmly established themselves as the team to beat in the National League.
The team’s record now stands at 68-45, just one game in the loss column behind the Pittsburgh Pirates for the best record in the major leagues.
It’s no surprise that Justin Upton and Jason Heyward, two of team’s most talented players, have awakened from long slumps during the Braves’ recent run.
Batting out of the No. 2 hole consistently for the first time all season, Upton is hitting .405 with four homers and 10 RBI during the streak.
Heyward, meanwhile, has been batting leadoff for the first time all year, and the results have been magnificent for manager Fredi Gonzalez.
The Braves right fielder has scored a whopping 17 runs in the last 11 games to go along with three home runs.
Should these two young outfielders continue their success for the rest of the season, the rest of the National League should be put on notice.
Though each has underperformed as a whole this season, both are capable of carrying a team for long stretches.
Another big reason for the team’s success has been the effectiveness of its pitching staff.
For most teams, losing a pitcher like Tim Hudson for the season would be a death sentence. Not for the Braves, though.
Mike Minor has established himself as the ace of the staff and has been at his best in recent starts, posting a 1.61 ERA in four second-half starts.
Other starters Kris Medlen, Julio Teheran and Alex Wood have ERAs below 4.00, and Brandon Beachy should only get better as he gets further removed from elbow surgery.
Add in a bullpen that has a major league-best 2.44 ERA on the season, and it’s difficult to find holes in this Braves team.
With a 13.5-game lead over the Washington Nationals, the Braves have all but wrapped up the National League East division.
Now they can focus on securing the best record in the NL and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
The Braves have just seven games remaining against teams with records above .500, says ESPN’s Buster Olney.
That easy schedule and big divisional lead might even allow the Braves to rest their star players and get healthy for a deep run into October.
Don’t be surprised if the National League’s most complete team racks up over 100 wins by season’s end and runs away with the best record in the Senior Circuit.
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The Atlanta Braves have to find a replacement for injured starting pitcher Tim Hudson. And now that they have taken care of their first trade priority by landing a left-handed reliever, they will be free to test the market.
On Monday, as reported by David O’Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves acquired left-handed reliever Scott Downs from the Los Angeles Angels for minor league reliever Cory Rasmus.
This was a solid move to complete an already strong bullpen.
O’Brien notes that the Braves are still are on the lookout for a left-handed bat and “possibly more pitching.” He then goes onto note that Atlanta may wait until after the non-waiver trade deadline to acquire those aspects.
However, Atlanta would be wise to take a look at some of the top pitchers floating around on the market now.
As MLB.com Atlanta beat writer Mark Bowman tweets, this is something the club has been contemplating:
Braves starters currently have the seventh-lowest ERA in baseball at 3.70. However, losing Hudson from that group was a big blow. He is second on the team in innings pitched, and he posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.19 WHIP this season before the injury.
To make matters worse, starter Paul Maholm was also recently placed on the 15-day disabled list.
The Braves do have reason to think they can weather the storm without acquiring a new starter. Brandon Beachy just made his first start since Tommy John surgery, and Maholm‘s absence doesn’t figure to be a lengthy one.
However, it is risky business counting on pitchers coming back from injury. As evidence of this, in his first start with the Braves in his return, Beachy was awful. On Monday, he lasted just 3.2 innings against the Colorado Rockies, allowing eight hits and seven earned runs.
This is not to suggest that Beachy can’t get rolling by the end of the season, but that is far from guaranteed. He certainly wouldn’t be the first pitcher to struggle after coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Then there is Maholm. He is turning in a solid year, but at 31, the Braves have to guard against the possibility that this injury is a sign that the lefty is hitting the wall.
These are two big question marks in the rotation, ones that the National League East leaders would be wise to address.
Bowman points out that the White Sox‘ Jake Peavy and the Royals‘ Ervin Santana are possible targets. There is no doubt that both men would allow the Braves a greater sense of confidence in their rotation as we near the postseason. However, there is the probability that it will take a ransom to land them.
Still, as the clock ticks down on the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline and these pitching targets remain on their current teams, the asking price could begin to drop. And it’s not like the Braves need to be bargain shopping.
With a nine-game lead in their division, the Braves are headed towards the postseason, barring a total meltdown. This is the first time in awhile that this team can consider mortgaging parts of its future with an eye on winning a World Series.
With quality starters still dangling on the market, the Braves cannot turn their backs on this opportunity.
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The Atlanta Braves already found the relief arm they were looking for, but they may not be done searching for pitching prior to Wednesday’s trade deadline.
As noted by the team’s official Twitter account, the Braves dealt right-hander Cory Rasmus to the Los Angeles Angels for lefty reliever Scott Downs on Monday:
Downs has been tremendous this season (1.76 ERA in 44 appearances), but the Braves could use another arm after losing starter Tim Hudson (8-7, 3.97 ERA) to a season-ending ankle injury last week, per Kipp Adams of ESPN:
To replace Hudson, general manager Frank Wren has a short list of targets capable of taking his spot. But as he told Carroll Rogers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the market is a little thin this year:
I’ve had years where I’ve had two legal pages written out of names of potential trade possibilities. This year I’ve got half a page of teams and names that really fit for us, so it’s a small number. The payroll is not going to be the issue for us; it’s going to be the talent we have to give up. It’s also understanding how much of an upgrade a particular player is for us. It’s a thin market. Are there pitchers out there that would make us better? Yes. The number of them is pretty low.
Still, Wren will be doing everything he can to find some extra help on the trade market, and Rogers suggested several potential options the Braves may be exploring.
Jake Peavy
Rogers believes Chicago White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy is at the top of Wren’s wish list, and it would make sense for the Braves to pursue a deal to acquire him.
As reported by Dan Plesac of the MLB Network, Peavy has been scratched from his Tuesday evening start, and the Braves are said to be an interested party:
That Peavy isn’t pitching Tuesday comes as no surprise. The White Sox don’t want to risk losing him to injury amidst trade negotiations, and he’s sure to bring back a hefty return should they decide to deal him before Wednesday’s deadline.
Several teams are said to be interested in the 32-year-old hurler, and the Braves will likely be looking at some stiff competition as the deadline draws near. If Wren is being cautious about what he gives up in return, Atlanta may have a hard time topping offers from teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox.
Kyle Lohse
As noted by Rogers, the Braves have scouted Milwaukee Brewers starter Kyle Lohse, who has been absolutely terrific since the middle of June and would be a tremendous replacement for Hudson.
Since June 9, Lohse has posted a 6-1 record and currently boasts a 7-7 record with a 3.22 ERA. The Brewers probably won’t be looking to buy before the deadline, but it also seems they may not be looking to sell.
Per Brewers beat writer Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin has no interest in trading Lohse:
Still, general managers never want to seem eager to deal their best assets. It’s hard to believe Melvin won’t part with Lohse if a suitor presents a tempting offer.
Again, the Braves probably aren’t looking to deal the kind of young talent Milwaukee would likely want in return, but with the way Lohse has been pitching lately, they may have to at least consider it.
Bud Norris
According to Jon Morosi, the Braves are actively pursuing Houston Astros starter Bud Norris:
While that’s certainly positive news, Atlanta isn’t the only party interested in the 28-year-old righty.
As Major League Baseball reported Tuesday, at least three teams are said to be in the mix for Norris, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are also a likely suitor, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports:
As is the case with Peavy, Norris has been one of the hottest names on the trade market of late. If the Braves want him, they’ll have to toss out a strong offer to acquire him.
On one hand, no trade target seems a likely candidate to join Atlanta before Wednesday. On the other hand, it only takes one big domino to fall to shake up the entire trade market.
Should Atlanta miss out on players like Peavy and Norris, the market may open up with a little more breathing room for Wren to strike a deal.
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Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons has more than just a good glove on him.
As if his walk-off triple on Monday night wasn’t enough, new video surfaced of Simmons pulling off his best Tiger Woods impression, juggling a baseball with his bat instead.
The video doesn’t start off too well, as reliever Luis Avilan and third baseman Chris Johnson attempt to perform the stunt unsuccessfully. In fact, both should keep their day jobs.
Utility infielder Paul Janish comes up next and does rather well, but ultimately loses control.
I will give Janish credit because he wasn’t hitting the ball with short strokes, instead putting a little more lift on it, which makes it harder to control.
Then, Simmons stepped up and really impressed.
Notice how Simmons keeps the bat close to his body, maintaining perfect balance. That allows him to have more control over where the ball goes off the bat.
Now, compare that to Woods’ video with Nike:
The major differences between the two are Woods went between his legs and behind his back, while Simmons played a little hacky sack with the baseball.
Of course, both ended the exhibition nicely by hitting their respective ball after bouncing it one last time off the club or bat.
It would be interesting to see how far each ball flew, however.
There’s no real way to tell, but it’s a fair guess to assume Tiger’s went farther.
With 162 games in a season, sometimes players have to find new ways to entertain themselves.
Who knows what other feats they pull off away from the cameras?
Maybe next time we’ll see a video catching a player doing a trick shot where he hits a baseball into a garbage can 250 feet away.
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If the Atlanta Braves want to make one of the most underrated moves of the season, general manager Frank Wren should go out and acquire Scott Downs from the Los Angeles Angels.
Atlanta has been looking for left-handed relievers to add to its bullpen recently, and Downs is one of the players the team has targeted, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN. James Russell is a lefty who would be a great fit, as I wrote a few days ago, but the Braves could potentially get Downs for cheaper and he’d be just as good.
The Braves have gone with just one left-handed reliever for the bulk of the season. Jonny Venters hasn’t been able to throw one pitch for the team this season, and Eric O’Flaherty only made it through 19 appearances before getting injured. Both are out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
That leaves Luis Avilan as the lone lefty in the bullpen. Atlanta could’ve used Alex Wood as a reliever, but now that Tim Hudson is out for the season with a broken ankle, it seems that he’s needed much more in the rotation. The Braves could call someone up from the minors, but trading for Downs would be a better idea.
Downs isn’t going to come into a game and blow the opposing hitters away, but he knows how to get the job done. In 42 appearances this season, he has a 1.24 ERA. He’s struck out 21 batters and walked 11 in 29 innings of work. Oh, and he has quite the scoreless streak going at the moment.
May 1 was the last time Downs allowed a run of any kind—meaning earned or unearned. That was nearly two months ago. He’s gone 29 consecutive appearances without allowing an opposing player to score. Over that stretch, batters are hitting .183 and have a .485 OPS against him.
The Angels are out of the playoff hunt this season and with Downs’ contract expiring after 2013, there’s really no sense in keeping him throughout the remainder of the year if they can get something worthwhile in return. It doesn’t appear that Los Angeles is very willing to move him, though, per Peter Gammons of MLB Network:
Things could certainly change in the next few days. Entering Saturday, Los Angeles was 11 games back of Oakland in the AL West. If it drops a couple more before Wednesday, maybe then the team will be more keen on accepting an offer for the 37-year-old veteran. Either that, or Atlanta should make Los Angeles a strong offer.
We’re not talking about trading a top prospect to land a guy who’s only going to face a batter or two each night. No, we’re talking about giving up a minor leaguer who’s in the lower levels of Atlanta’s system, and while he could be good someday, it’s much too early to tell. What could the Angels possibly want for Downs? Seriously.
The Braves should have a lot of options in the coming days in terms of potential acquisitions, but if they want to get someone on whom manager Fredi Gonzalez can rely day in and day out, it should be Downs. Wren will find a way to work out a deal with the reluctant fourth-place Angels.
All statistics in this article were obtained via FanGraphs unless otherwise noted and are current through July 26. All contract information was obtained via Cot’s Contracts and all injury information was obtained via Baseball Prospectus.
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The Atlanta Braves could be in for even more bad injury news as star center fielder B.J. Upton was pulled from Friday’s game with a right adductor strain.
The team reported the news via their Twitter:
B.J Upton left tonight’s game with a right adductor muscle strain.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 13, 2013
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Yasiel Puig is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
At least that’s what ESPN and many Los Angeles Dodgers fans think.
After the announcement of the all-star rosters, the final vote players were announced with Puig going up against four others.
But the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays have joined forces to help ensure Puig doesn’t win the final vote. The Braves are pushing for their fans to vote for not only Freddie Freeman, but also for Toronto’s Steve Delbar. The Blue Jays have agreed to do the same.
So far it’s worked.
As of Tuesday morning, both players were leading their respective leagues in the final votes, with the results being revealed Thursday at 4 p.m.
This is occurring despite the fact that ESPN and MLB are pushing for Puig to get the vote because they think he deserves it.
It’s angered a lot of fans and had former Braves player Chipper Jones putting his two cents in on Twitter:
The fact remains that Puig doesn’t deserve the nod over everyone else.
Bryce Harper’s Classy Move
Last year, Bryce Harper pulled off one of the classiest moves when it came to the final vote. Pitted against Jones, Harper said he’d vote for Jones, according to the USA Today’s Gabe Lacques.
Harper knew he’d have more opportunities, saying Jones deserved it more than he did. Luckily for the two, injuries helped them both to Kansas City.
This year, the same holds true for Puig.
While he’s been exciting, he’s only been in the big leagues for a little more than a month.
He has 33 games under his belt and has been a one-month phenom. But that doesn’t mean he deserves to go to the All-Star game.
The PR Push
Luckily for Freeman, both Atlanta’s and Toronto’s PR departments have been pushing for fans to vote for him.
In fact, it was such a good move that the Tigers and Giants decided to team up to help their candidates as well. Hunter Pence is getting support from Detroit fans, while Joaquin Benoit is getting backing from San Francisco fans.
However, they got started a day later than the Braves and Blue Jays, which could mean all the difference in the world.
But the real race comes down to Freeman and Puig.
Both fanbases think their guy is more deserving, and one set of fans will cry foul when the winning player is revealed.
Whether it’s ESPN’s and MLB’s push for Puig or the Blue Jays teaming up with the Braves to push Freeman, it’s clear that inn the end someone is going to lose out.
But you have to admit, the Blue Jays and Braves made a great move in response to ESPN.
It will be interesting to see what the fans decide.
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Chipper Jones was honored by the Atlanta Braves on Friday, as he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame and had his No. 10 jersey retired.
It wasn’t much of a surprise when the Braves announced they would enshrine the eight-time All-Star and former MVP who hit .303 with 468 home runs in his 19 years with the Braves.
Jones was just one of those guys that you couldn’t help but root for. He was a fan favorite by every definition of the word, and that became clearer than ever during his induction ceremony.
GOD BLESS CHIPPER JONES the best ATLANTA BRAVE EVER in my thoughts!! I’ll always remember # 10!!’ — feeling great
— Joey (@jtct1987) June 28, 2013
Congrats to @RealCJ10 on getting his jersey retired at Turner Field tonight. My favorite player in any sport, ever. You deserve it Chipper
— Bacon (@BaconTFM) June 28, 2013
If I teared up a little bit during the chipper jones ceremony will you all hold it against me?
— Leith (@leith_greene) June 28, 2013
Congratulations Chipper! Enjoy the next 72 hours or so! Lots of folks giving ya well deserved Love! @RealCJ10 #10
— Sandra Golden (@sportsandra) June 27, 2013
The fans were always in Chipper’s heart, and his luncheon on Friday proved that he will always be in theirs.
According to Alive.com, Jones’ was the most attended Hall of Fame induction ceremony ever. He drew crowds of fans who wanted nothing more than to wish him well and thank him for all that he has given them over the years.
It wasn’t just fans who said goodbye to a legend, though.
Members of the media who have written about and had relationships with Jones paid tribute to the legend on Friday, including Trey Holloman of The Citizen and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
@RealCJ10 was the first professional athlete I interviewed I was nervous but he was down to earth and made me feel like I belonged #Always10
— Triple H III (@trey_holloman) June 28, 2013
Happy Chipper day! #braves retiring his No. 10 tonite. truly deserving. a legend. @RealCJ10
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) June 28, 2013
Jones was a down-to-earth player with a good head on his shoulders.
He was never the type of guy who would be obnoxiously arrogant or treat the people around him poorly. Instead, he had an aura of kindness and hospitality that’s hard to come by these days.
Aside from being a ballplayer, Jones was a role model, an outstanding citizen and a considerate, caring person.
Chipper’s love of the game and boyish enthusiasm are what made fans fall in love with him. He was always excited to step on the field, and he mentioned after the ceremony that he would have liked to have played on Opening Day, as seen in this moment of reflection captured on video.
Jones was a charismatic guy, and he built up one of the most loyal followings in history. Fans simply couldn’t get enough of him, and it showed during his ceremony.
You could hear a pin drop when Jones delivered his speech in his relaxed, easygoing manner.
Jones never took himself too seriously, but the crowd hung on his every word, and memorable quotes soon flooded Twitter.
Chipper Jones just gave a shout out to Martin Prado during his jersey retirement. Crowd gave Prado an enormous ovation.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) June 28, 2013
“I want to thank Todd Van Poppel tonight.” – Chipper Jones
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) June 28, 2013
He is simply one of the greatest legends to ever play the game, both in terms of how he played and how he carried himself off the field.
Chipper will go down as one of the greatest players in history, and there has arguably never been a better switch-hitter aside from Mickey Mantle.
As Jones joined his place amongst the immortals on this occasion, several legends were there to see him through, including Hank Aaron and Jones’ former coach, Bobby Cox.
Hank Aaron at the podium at Chipper Jones’ #Braves Hall of Fame luncheon pic.twitter.com/Lc2Sn4FfOu
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) June 28, 2013
One legend, Bobby Cox, pays tribute to another, @realcj10 #Thanks10 http://t.co/vw0QKdLlFe
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) June 28, 2013
Friday evening closed another chapter in Jones’ incredible life.
Chipper will be forever remembered as one of the greats, and those of us who had the pleasure to watch him should be thankful.
The next stop for this legend is Cooperstown.
The newest member of the #Braves Hall of Fame, Chipper Jones. pic.twitter.com/SbQ0D7CZ7e
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) June 28, 2013
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The Upton brothers got a little too close for comfort on Tuesday night.
B.J. Upton and Justin Upton collided in left-centerfield on Tuesday night as the Atlanta Braves took on the New York Mets.
You can clearly see B.J. waving off his younger brother, but Justin didn’t hear him and the two collided right as B.J. makes the catch and hangs on.
The two were obviously just fine, as B.J. shoves his younger bro as the two walk off the field together, but I’m not sure Mrs. Upton will be so happy.
It’s one thing to see two players collide and joke about it, but how often do we see brothers do it?
Twitter had a bit of fun with the collision too:
Upton brothers fall down, go boom. http://t.co/vsI6LSttVw
— Erik Malinowski (@erikmal) June 19, 2013
VIDEO: Upton brothers collide in outfield, but no one’s hurt, so it’s funny. http://t.co/gtP8l4ZzEP
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) June 19, 2013
Too many syllables for a “Prince” parody song, alas RT @sbnation: This is what happens when Uptons collide: http://t.co/9sIloJGjua
— dianagram (@dianagram) June 19, 2013
Let’s just hope that the two can learn how to share better in the future.
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