Nate McLouth, Atlanta Braves erupt to down the Astros.

The offense for the Atlanta Braves did not allow room for the bullpen to blow the lead on Monday. After suffering a tie and a loss to the Mets in their first two games of Spring Training, the Braves exploded on the Astros for 13 runs. They were led by Nate McLouth. Here is a look at the movers and shakers for the Braves:

Stock Rising –
Nate McLouth – McLouth went 2-2 with a double, two walks, two rbis, three runs scored and a stolen base. He has been playing solid defense this spring. He is off to a hot start, which is encouraging to the Braves. Don’t underestimate the importance of the stolen base. This is something the Braves need.
Eric Hinske – Continued his hot-hitting this spring as he went 2-3 with two doubles, two rbis and a run scored. He has three hits this spring, all of which were extra base hits. He played first base today.
Brandon HIcks – Went 2-3 with a double, two rbis and two runs scored. He is one to keep an eye on this spring. He has been a disappointment at the plate in his career. If he can hit, he could have a spot on the big-league team easily.
Derek Lowe – He had a solid debut. He pitched two innings, gave up two hits and induced an inning ending double play in the first inning.
Brett Oberholtzer – Pitched the final two innings of the game. He gave up two hits in two innings of work with no runs and no walks.

Stock sinking –
Scott Linebrink – Had a rough Braves’ debut. Pitched one inning gave up three hits and two runs, all with two outs. The defense did not help him any, however. A hard-hit ball off Uggla’s glove and a lost pop-up fly ball were all ruled hits. No errors were given, but it didn’t help Linebrink get out of a jam.
George Sherrill – Pitched a scoreless inning in his Braves’ debut. He was anything but sharp. He gave up two hits and a walk, but managed to escape without a run scoring.

Chipper Jones Returns, Braves Fall to Mets.

Chipper Jones made his return to the Atlanta Braves’ lineup for the first time since tearing his ACL back on August 10, 2010. He started as DH today. He has made some encouraging progress and today was no different. His return did not help the Braves win over the Mets, however. The bullpen blew another opportunity at a win today. Here is a look at the impact certain players had:

Stocks Rising –
Mike Minor – Minor pitched two solid innings today against the Mets. He made it look effortless as he blew through the Mets in two innings of work. He allowed no hits or walks in his two frames and only needed seventeen pitches to make it through both innings.
Rodrigo Lopez – Started the game for the Braves. He pitched two solid innings as well. He gave up a hit, a walk and struck out one.
Joe Mather – Went 1-2 with a double and a run scored today.
Martin Prado – Had a solid start to his Spring as he went 2-3 with an RBI. This was the first game that he had played since tearing his oblique back in September.
Chipper Jones – Went 1-3 with a run scored. Most impressively was that he was able to run the bases effectively and showed no signs of problems with his knee. He is still yet to play in the field.
Shawn Bowman – Went 1-3 with a two-run single as he played third base.

Stock Declining -
Brandon Beachy – Had a rough start to his spring, as his two competitors for the Braves’ 5th starter spot shined. He gave up 3 hits and 2 runs in 2 innings of work. On the bright side, he struck out three Met hitters.
Scott Proctor – He had a blown save and a loss today as he gave up 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks in only 1 inning of work. Not a good start in his pursuit toward a spot in the Braves’ bullpen.

Next up –
The Braves will take on the Astros tomorrow as Derek Lowe makes his spring debut.

Behind the Box Score: Braves and Mets Tie 5-5 in Spring Opener

The first game of the 2011 Spring Training for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets ended in a 5-5 tie over 10 innings of baseball. Here is a break down of the action from today’s game:

Stock is rising –
Freddie Freeman – Freeman had a nice debut for 2011. He went 3-3 with three doubles and a run scored. He looked great at the plate and in the field. He could not have had a better start to the year.
Eric Hinske – Hinske was 1-3 with a solo home run in the 4th inning. He started today in LF.
Jair Jurrjens – Jurrjens had a solid start to the spring. He pitched two innings gave up two hits and striking out one.
Jonny Venters, Eric O’Flaherty – Combined for two scoreless innings.
Anthony Varvaro – Varvaro, the cast-off from the Seattle Mariners, had a strong Braves’ debut. He pitched a perfect inning adding a K.
Cristhian Martinez – Martinez cleaned up Craig Kimbrel’s mess. He got the Braves out of a jam in the 5th inning and pitched 1.2 innings without giving up a hit and k-ing one.
Stephen Marek – Had a strong debut as well. He struck out two and walked one in a scoreless 8th inning.
Wilkin Ramirez – Had a solid debut for the Braves. Went 2-2 at the plate with a run scored. Played solid defense in RF.

Stock looking up -
Ed Lucas – He had a terrible throw at second base as he threw a ball at the ankle of Diory Hernandez, though Hernandez did not make an extraordinary effort in trying to catch it. He also had a base-running blunder where he was called out for apparently missing third base. He more than made up for it at the plate as he went 2-2 with two rbis at the plate. He showed some promise and potential out of the gates, overall.

Stock falling -
Brooks Conrad- Conrad had a rough game at the plate as he went 0-3 with 2 Ks. He also left two runners in scoring position. To make matters worse, he had an error at second base.
Craig Kimbrel – Got off to a rough opening. He worked only a third of an inning. He gave up two runs on two hits while walking two. Control has been an issue in his career, so this is something to keep an eye on.
Juan Abreu and Michael Broadway – Both pitchers blew a save. Abreu gave up one run and walked two hitters. He did strike out two batters, leaving two runners in scoring position. Broadway blew a two run lead in the 10th inning by giving up a two run home run to Willie Harris.

Next up:
The Braves and Mets will play tomorrow. Chipper Jones and Dan Uggla will make their spring debuts. Rodrigo Lopez, Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor are all expected to pitch two innings tomorrow.

Can You Say “Spring Training!” Braves Set to Face the Mets.

After a long and cold winter, there is nothing that energizes me like the start of Spring Training. It means that we are about four weeks away from opening day and hopefully a little warmer weather. The Atlanta Braves kick off their spring today against their division-rival the New York Mets. Here is the lineups and pitching matchups:

Jair Jurrjens will start for the Braves. He will face right-handed Jenrry Mejia.

Here is the starting lineup for the Braves:
1. Jordan Schafer, DH; 2. Nate McLouth, CF; 3. Jason Heyward, RF; 4. Brian McCann, C; 5. Eric Hinske, LF; 6. Freddie Freeman, 1B; 7. Brooks Conrad, 2B; 8. Brandon Hicks, 3B; 9. Diory Hernandez, SS.

The Mets will counter with the following:
1. Jose Reyes, SS; 2. Luis Castillo, 2B; 3. David Wright, 3B; 4. Angel Pagan, CF; 5. Jason Bay, LF; 6. Ike Davis, 1B; 7. Josh Thole, C; 8. Scott Hairston, DH; 9. Fernando Martinez, RF.

The list of Braves who will pitch today out of the bullpen are:
Eric O’Flaherty, Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters, Stephen Marek, Anthony Varvaro, and Cristhian Martinez. They have also brought Randall Delgado and Brett Oberholtzer with them if they are needed. There is no scheduled order for these pitcher’s appearances in the game.

Enjoy the game today. I will give a recap later on. Follow me throughout on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TomahawkTalker.

7 Keys to the Atlanta Braves’ Success in 2011: #2 – The Starting Rotation

This is the sixth installment of a series on the Atlanta Braves’ keys to success for the upcoming season. The list so far is as following (in ascending order):
7. Freddie Freeman
6. Dan Uggla
5. Fredi Gonzalez
4. Nate McLouth
3. The Bullpen

Coming in at number 2 is the Atlanta Braves’ Starting Rotation.

Why is the starting rotation such an important key for the Braves in 2011? The answer to this question does not lie in Atlanta, but is in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Phillies added arguably the most sought after free agent on the open market this offseason. They signed pitcher Cliff Lee to a five-year $120 million contract. The addition of Lee to the Phillies rotation means that they will now have a starting rotation of Roy Halladay (won the Cy Young this year and with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003), Lee (won the Cy Young with Cleveland in 2008), Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels (former World Series MVP) and Joe Blanton.

As soon as the Phillies signed Lee, discussion began on whether this starting rotation would be be the best starting rotation that has ever been assembled. Lee’s addition also meant that the Phillies were sent the National League East division title, the National League pennant, and the World Series championship…without ever throwing a pitch in 2011. Kidding here, but the way the media has portrayed the Phillies after Lee’s acquisition, they have been talked about in a way that would make you think they have already won everything.

While all of this was going on, the Braves added a sorely needed, power-hitter to their lineup in Dan Uggla. This was the piece that many have considered a huge weakness and flaw with the Braves for the past 3 seasons.

As for the rotation, the first four starters are already pre-determined. The Braves will be led by Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens.

Tim Hudson is coming off a superb 2010. This was the second best year of his career. He had not enjoyed success at this level since 2003 when he was still with the Oakland Athletics.

Hudson emerged as the ace of the Braves’ rotation last year. He was able to pitch toe to toe with many of the premier starters in the MLB. He will be needed to carry the success he enjoyed in 2010 to 2011 as he is needed to match up with the Phillies.

Derek Lowe – Lowe has continued to struggle with the Braves. He was signed to a four-year $60 million contract before the 2009 season. He has failed to live up to the expectations and level of his pay. At times he has shown flashes of the vintage Lowe. But, overall he has been a huge disappointment. Here is what he did the past two season with the Braves:

He improved in 2010 from 2009, but he has not been worthy of the contract he signed. After he missed the first start of his career in August due to an injury, Lowe came back with a vengance and showed signs of the pitcher that the Braves thought they were getting when they signed him to a four-year deal. In September and October, Lowe went 5-0 and had a 1.17 ERA in 30.2 IP with a 29-3 K to BB ratio. He led the charge for the Braves into the playoffs. He went 0-2 in the playoffs while only giving up 3 earned runs. Without Lowe’s emergence, the Braves would not have made the playoffs.

Tommy Hanson – Hanson had a solid 2010. He emerged as a big-game pitcher, though you wouldn’t be able to notice that from his stats. He was undermined by poor defense, a bullpen who seemed to only blow games when he started, and an anemic offense to support him. He suffered through a stretch in 2010 when he went 1-6 while allowing a 2.78 ERA due to the Braves scoring two or fewer runs in 10 of 12 starts. Here is his overall numbers with the Braves the past two seasons:

Hanson could have easily won 15 games or more if he would have not had bad luck. Overall, the Braves are pleased at the progress he has made as a pitcher. He has lived up to the hype that surrounded him as he came up to the Major Leagues.

Jair Jurrjens had his worst season of his short career in 2010. Most of that is because of injuries. He only made 20 starts in 2010. He had averaged 32.5 for the Braves in his first two years with the team. He had career lows in many categories in 2010. Here is a look at his stats with the Braves the past three years:

Jurrjens and the Braves are hoping for and expecting a rebound in 2011. He has had time to heal and is needed to perform closer to his 2008 and 2009 levels.

The fifth starter is not filled. The Braves have three primary candidates: rookies Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy and veteran Rodrigo Lopez.

The Braves rode a combination of Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy into the playoffs in 2010. Minor was called up in August, but tired in September. Beachy made three starts in September and pitched well in all three. Minor and Beachy are considered the main competitors for the 5th starting spot in the Braves’ rotation. Minor would be the only left-handed starter that the Braves would have. This is one reason why he is considered the favorite.

Lopez was signed to a deal late in the offseason. He was told that he would be given an opportunity to win the fifth starter position. He has experience in his court. He would have to have a stellar spring to win the spot. He may be an insurance policy or could push for a bullpen roll as well.

All together, the rotation of the Braves have to bring their best to the table this season. The Phillies’ rotation will undoubtedly set the bar high. The Braves have the depth and talent to compete with the Phillies rotation, though they will be dependent upon younger starters. One thing is certain, the Braves will not just let the Phillies take the division. Be prepared for a dog-fight on the field this year.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the Braves’ rotation out-performed the Phillies. Time will tell.

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