Hanson Shines Against Gwinnett Braves
Pitching for the AA Mississippi Braves in an intraorganization minor league game, Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson was in midseason major league form this morning as he mowed down the AAA Gwinnett Braves at will.
Originally scheduled to start in the Braves’ regular Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals, Hanson was switched to the minor league game due to the afternoon forecast of rain for the Viera, Florida area.
“We just wanted to make sure he got his work in”, Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “We wanted to keep him on track for the regular season.”
Predictably, Hanson was overpowering against the AAA hitters, allowing just three hits and one run in six innings pitched.
Hanson has been overpowering this Spring against major league hitters too, posting a 1-0 record and a 2.51 ERA in his four Grapefruit League starts.
Blanco Optioned To AAA Gwinnett
The Braves optioned outfielder Gregor Blanco to the AAA Gwinnett Braves today as they continue to trim down their roster.
The move came as no surprise as Atlanta really doesn’t have any playing time for Blanco right now with Jason Heyward set to play right field and Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera, and Matt Diaz likely to get most of the playing time in center and left.
Braves’ skipper Bobby Cox said the Braves will probably trim the roster again tomorrow.
Zimmerman Powers Nats Past Braves
Ryan Zimmerman blasted a three-run homerun and Scott Olsen pitched five strong innings to lead the Washington Nationals past the Braves in this afternoon’s Grapefruit League action.
Zimmerman drove in four runs and Olsen scattered seven hits and allowed just one earned run as the Nats cruised to an easy 9-3 win over the Braves.
Martin Prado and Matt Diaz went 2-for-3 in the game for Atlanta, while Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman both went 1-for-1, with Jones driving in two runs with a pair of sacrifice flies and Freeman adding an rbi-single.
The loss dropped Atlanta’s Spring record to 14-9, but the Braves still have the Grapefruit League’s second best record.
Jurrjens Shines As Braves Blank Nats
The Braves got their fifth straight outstanding performance from their starting rotation this afternoon as Jair Jurrjens pitched five scoreless innings in today’s 4-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
Jurrjens followed up on the recent strong pitching performances of Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Kenshin Kawakami, and Derek Lowe by pitching a gem of his own, tossing five shutout innings of one-hit baseball at the Nationals, while throwing 40 of his 59 pitches for strikes.
Atlanta’s relief pitching was outstanding as well, with Eric O’Flaherty, Peter Moylan, Takashi Saito, and Billy Wagner combining to throw four scoreless innings to close out the game for the Braves.
Offensively, Brian McCann, Omar Infante, and Matt Diaz all went 2-for-3 in the game, raising their spring batting averages to .514, .413, and .298, respectively.
The Braves upped their Spring record to 14-8 (second best in the Grapefruit League) with the win, while the loss dropped the Nats’ Spring record to 6-17.
Next up for Atlanta is a trip to Washington’s spring training home in Viera, Florida for tomorrow afternoon’s (1:05 ET) rematch with the Nationals.
If you’re in the area, come on out and watch the Braves and Nats play!
Braves Option Acosta To AAA
The Braves optioned reliever Manny Acosta to the AAA Gwinnett Braves today as the intense competition for the final spot(s) in Atlanta’s bullpen continues.
Acosta has posted a 3.55 ERA in 103 relief appearances in his three seasons as a Brave, but the 28-year old righthander has continually struggled with his command.
The Braves are likely to trim the roster again on Sunday and/or Monday.
