The Atlanta Falcons lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, completing an 0-4 preseason for the defending NFC South Champions.
The Falcons got more yards in the game with 344 compared to 275 by Jacksonville, but the Jaguars were just more effective when they had the ball. Also, rookie kicker Jeremy Shelley missed a field-goal and an extra point, that would have made the game 20-20 at the end of regulation. The biggest play of the game for the Falcons was a 65-yard touchdown run by Josh Vaughan to give the Falcons a 16-13 lead at the time. The other touchdown came when Jonathan Massaquoi recovered a fumble by Jacksonville quarterback Matt Scott and returned it nine yards for the score. Shelley added a 42-yard field goal to complete the scoring for Atlanta.
Dominique Davis played most of the game at quarterback for Atlanta and did good at times but overall wasn't impressive. He passed for 175 yards and threw an interception. Vaughan led the Falcons in rushing with 83 yards on five attempts. Chase Coffman had a good showing at tight end as he caught four passes for 47 yards to lead the team in both categories for the game. Linebacker Robert James led the Falcons in tackles with seven, while Massaquoi had the only sack of the game for Atlanta. Also, rookie cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford both picked off passes in the first half in a good showing for them.
The Jaguars won their final preseason game to give them a 1-3 record before the start of the real season next weekend. They got two field goals from kicker Josh Scobee, an 18-yard touchdown run by Jordan Todman and finally a 13-yard pass from Mike Kafka to Jeremy Ebert for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to complete their scoring in the game. Todman rushed the ball nine times for 60 yards to lead the Jaguars. LaRoy Reynolds had a big game on defense for Jacksonville coming up with eleven tackles. Newly acquired Will Blackmon had the interception for Jacksonville off of Davis.
The Falcons regular season opener will be on September 8th against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. Before then, the Falcons will have to cut their roster down to the league limit of 53 by Saturday evening. They began that process by announcing linebacker Brian Banks, who was falsely accused of rape and spent five years in prison for it, was released on Friday morning. An immediate fan-favorite as fans were pulling for the man to make the team, Banks recorded only four tackles while playing in all four of the Falcons' preseason games.
Josh Vaughan points to the sky after scoring on a 65-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave the Falcons the lead at the time in their loss to Jacksonville.
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The Atlanta Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night winning 3-1.
The Braves had eight hits in the game. Brian McCann had two hits, but his three-run homer provided all the offense the Braves would need to win. It was McCann's nineteenth homer of the season. Justin Upton and Andrelton Simmons also added two hits in the game, Upton was later hit in the hand by a pitch and had to leave the game, he is day-to-day with the injury. Chris Johnson and B.J. Upton each added a hit in the victory.
Kris Medlen was fantastic in the victory and improved his record to 11-12 on the year. He pitched seven innings and gave up no runs on six hits while striking out six. David Carpenter pitched the eighth inning and gave up a solo homer to Lonnie Chisenhall but was perfect other than that. Craig Kimbrel came out to pitch a perfect ninth inning to earn his 43rd save of the season.
The Braves are now 81-52 on the year. They will begin a three-game series with the Miami Marlins starting tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. Julio Teheran (10-7) will start for the Braves against Jose Fernandez (10-5) for the Marlins.
Brian McCann rounds the bases after hitting a three-run homer to help the Braves defeat the Indians 3-1 on Thursday night and complete a three-game sweep.
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Chris Johnson came through in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.
The Braves collected ten hits in the game. Jordan Schafer led Atlanta with three hits, including a big two-run single in the second inning. His speed also played a factor as it helped him beat out throws for a base hit, the winning run and he also stole two bases. Johnson's one hit on the night was a big one though, as it drove in Schafer for the winning run. Brian McCann also had two hits in the game and scored a run, Dan Uggla, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton and Andrelton Simmons all added a hit in the victory.
Paul Maholm did a fantastic job pitching but unfortunately he didn't get the victory. He pitched six innings and gave up a run on six hits, one was a homer to Mike Aviles. David Carpenter and Scott Downs combined to pitch a scoreless seventh inning. Luis Avilan came in and gave up a run on two hits in the eighth which caused Maholm to not earn the victory. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth by throwing only eight pitches and he earned the victory and is now 3-2 on the year.
Atlanta is now 80-52 on the season and they will wrap up their three-game series with the Indians tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Kris Medlen (10-12) will make the start in the finale against Ubaldo Jimenez (9-8) for Cleveland. Also, the Braves made room for Uggla on the roster by sending Todd Cunningham back to Triple-A Gwinnett, but he will most likely be back with the Braves next week when rosters expand for September.
Chris Johnson drives in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Braves a 3-2 win over the Indians on Wednesday.
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The Atlanta Braves have thrived playing at home of late and they continued that trend on Tuesday night by beating the Cleveland Indians 2-0.
The Braves were out-hit as they only had three in the game while Cleveland had six. The biggest hit came off Elliot Johnson's bat, as he had a two-run triple in the second inning of his debut at Turner Field as a Brave and it was all the Braves would need to help them win. Chris Johnson and Joey Terdoslavich had the other two hits for Atlanta in the victory.
Alex Wood had a good start but did struggle a little with his command. He pitched five and two-thirds innings and gave up five hits, four walks and struck out five batters while improving his record to 3-2 on the season. Luis Ayala and Scott Downs helped Wood to get out of the sixth inning before Downs returned to pitch the seventh inning, he had three strikeouts in his inning and a third. Luis Avilan pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Craig Kimbrel came on to pitch a perfect ninth and pick up his 42nd save of the year.
Atlanta is now 79-52 on the season and they will continue their series with Cleveland tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Paul Maholm (9-10) will take the ball for the Braves against Justin Masterson (14-9) for the Indians. Also, the Braves received good news as Brandon Beachy's visit with Dr. James Andrews went well. His elbow is still in great condition and he should only need a little rest before returning and helping Atlanta down the stretch and into the postseason.
Elliot Johnson hits a two-run triple to provide the Braves the only runs they needed in their 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.
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The Atlanta Falcons cut fifteen players from their roster to get down to the NFL league mandated limit of 75 players on Tuesday. Here is the list of players that were released from the team; Quarterback Seth Doege, Running back Donald Russell, Fullback Devonte Campbell, Tight ends Colin Cloherty and Tim Biere, Wide receivers Marcus Jackson, Marcus Sales and Rashad Evans, Offensive linemen Jeff Nady and Matt Smith, Defensive linemen Cam Henderson and Brandon Thurmond, Linebacker Nick Clancy and Safety Troy Sanders. None of the players are a surprise as none of them figured to make the team. A few of the players have a possibility of ending up on the Falcons' practice squad once players can be signed to that on Sunday.
Former Georgia State running back Donald Russell was among the first-round of cuts from the Falcons on Tuesday.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves were able to avoid a four-game sweep and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Atlanta had ten hits in the game. Jordan Schafer, Elliot Johnson and Joey Terdoslavich all had two hits apiece to lead the Braves, Schafer and Johnson each added an RBI in the victory. Andrelton Simmons added a solo homer in the seventh inning, it was his twelfth of the season. Paul Janish and Gerald Laird each added a hit and an RBI in the victory as a lineup of reserves did the majority of the damage in the game. Mike Minor had the only other hit in the game for the Braves as Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman combined to go 0-7 with three strikeouts.
Minor had a great day on the mound and it was just what the Braves needed to take the finale of the series from the Cards. He pitched seven innings and gave up a run on six hits to improve his record to 13-5 on the year. Luis Avilan recorded two outs in the eighth but did give up a run on two hits. Craig Kimbrel came in to get the final out and then shut down St. Louis in the ninth to record his 41st save of the season.
Atlanta is now 78-52 on the year. They will have an off day on Monday before welcoming the Cleveland Indians to town for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. Alex Wood (2-2) will start that game for the Braves against Danny Salazar (1-1) who will be making the fifth start of his career for Cleveland.
Jordan Schafer knocks one of his two hits on Sunday in the Braves' 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
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The Atlanta Falcons didn't show much of anything as they struggled again and fell 27-16 to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night and dropped to 0-3 in the preseason.
The Falcons managed 308 total yards of offense, but could only manage three field goals by Jeremy Shelley and a touchdown Dominique Davis. The pass was for 41 yards, but most of that came from receiver Darius Johnson, who caught the ball after about five yards and moved down field with speed and a few jukes for the score. Johnson has impressed and is creating competition to make the team as a fifth or sixth receiver. Matt Ryan had a decent day while in, passing for 138 yards, but he was sacked five times and its obvious now that the offensive line is a real concern. Davis threw for 105 yards to go with the touchdown, but he also threw a pick.
Steven Jackson had his best showing on the ground yet, as he rushed for 51 on twelve carries. Davis also had 45 rushing yards on two scrambles. Julio Jones led the team with four receptions for 81 yards, Johnson also had four receptions for 62 yards and Tony Gonzalez made his preseason debut with two catches for 21 yards. Kroy Biermann had a big day on defense, he came up with seven tackles and two sacks. Robert Alford, who got beat a lot during the game in coverage, did record an interception later in the game.
Tennessee had three touchdown passes in the game to go with two Rob Bironas' field goals. Their two quarterbacks also connected on 17 of their 22 passes as they had terrific showings. Jake Locker passed for 133 yards and a touchdown, Ryan Fitzpatrick had the other two touchdown passes to go with his 76 yards of passing. Chris Johnson also had a good day in the ground game, carrying the ball eleven times for 65 yards. Nate Washington led Tennessee's receiving corps with four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons are now 0-3 and they will play their final preseason game at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The Jaguars are also 0-3 on the preseason. The Falcons also will have to cut fifteen players by Tuesday to get down to the NFL's mandated league rule of 75 players on the roster by midnight of that day.
Receiver Darius Johnson avoids a tackle and heads to the end zone for the Falcons only touchdown in their 27-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night.
Photo Courtesy of the USA Today
The St. Louis Cardinals once again had a dominating pitching performance, this time by Shelby Miller, and they beat the Braves 6-2 on Saturday night.
The Braves had seven hits in the game. Andrelton Simmons had two hits to lead the team. Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer, his sixteenth of the year, to give the Braves the only lead they would have in the game. Gerald Laird had a pinch-hit double in the ninth inning to drive in the Braves only other run. Chris Johnson, Brian McCann and Joey Terdoslavich each added a hit in the loss for Atlanta.
Julio Teheran had a decent outing but it wasn't good enough and he took the loss, he is now 10-7 on the year. Teheran pitched six innings and gave up four runs, including homers to Matt Carpenter and Carlos Beltran, on five hits while striking out eight batters. David Carpenter and Luis Avilan combined to pitch the seventh inning. Carpenter gave up a run on three hits before Avilan came in to stop the bleeding. Anthony Varvaro pitched the eighth and gave up a run on two hits and struck out two men.
Atlanta is now 77-52 on the year and they will finish up their four-game series with the Cardinals tomorrow at 2:15 p.m. Mike Minor (12-5) will start the finale against Lance Lynn (13-7) for St. Louis.
Freddie Freeman rounds third base after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of the Braves' 6-2 loss on Saturday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
Adam Wainwright once again proved dominant against the team that drafted him and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Braves 3-1 on Friday night.
Atlanta had only six hits in the game and they never seemed to string together a rally or anything. Freddie Freeman and Chris Johnson led the team with two hits apiece, Freeman also drove in the Braves' only run with a two-out single. B.J. Upton and Kris Medlen had the other two hits in the loss. Justin Upton got ejected in the game for continuously arguing with the home plate umpire over the strike zone and the calls the umpire was making on balls and strikes.
Kris Medlen had it going in the beginning, but then fizzled in the seventh inning. He threw only 78 pitches and the Braves were probably hoping he could have gone further than he did. He ended up pitching six innings and giving up three runs on six hits, including a homer to Matt Holliday. He also suffered the loss and is now 10-12 on the year. Scott Downs pitched in the seventh inning and struck out a batter, David Carpenter gave up two hits but pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Braves.
Atlanta is now 77-51 on the year and they will play the third game of the four-game series with the Cardinals tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. Julio Teheran (10-6) will start the game for the Braves against Shelby Miller (11-8) for St. Louis. The Braves also announced that Brandon Beachy was placed on the disabled list due to elbow inflammation, they hope he will be ready once the fifteen days is up. They brought up Todd Cunningham to take his place on the roster.
Also, Atlanta acquired starting pitcher Freddy Garcia from the Baltimore Orioles for cash. Garcia had a 3-5 record with a 5.57 ERA for the Orioles in eleven appearances with the big-league club this season. He had an 8-3 record with a 2.84 ERA for the Orioles Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk. Garcia will be assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett and will most likely be called up in September when the rosters expand and he will be used in spot starts and long relief.
Kris Medlen throws a pitch in the Braves' 3-1 loss to the Cardinals on Friday night. Medlen faltered in the seventh inning in a game the Braves needed him to come up big.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The St. Louis Cardinals started off a four-game series with the Braves in winning fashion on Thursday night winning 6-2.
The Braves collected nine hits in the game, but they could do nothing with that other than Justin Upton's two-run homer in the fifth inning. It was Upton's 24th of the season in his first game after sitting out the past few with a sore back. Brian McCann, Andrelton Simmons and new Brave Elliot Johnson each had two hits apiece to lead Atlanta. Freddie Freeman and Paul Maholm also added a hit each in the loss.
Maholm, who was making his first start after coming of the disabled list earlier in the day, impressed early on but then fell back to his old ways by the fifth inning. He only lasted five and a third innings and gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits as his record fell to 9-10 on the year. Luis Ayala and Scott Downs combined to pitch out of the sixth inning jam that Maholm started. Anthony Varvaro came in for some mop up duty and pitched the final two innings and gave up another Cardinals' run on four hits.
The Braves are now 77-50 after losing to St. Louis for the first time in 2013. They will continue their series with the Cardinals tomorrow night at 8:15 p.m. Kris Medlen (10-11) will take the ball for the Braves against former Braves' prospect Adam Wainwright (14-7). Also, Jason Heyward will now be out for the next four to six weeks after having surgery to repair his broken jaw. The injury is a big blow to the Braves as they had finally found a good lead-off hitter in Heyward and now they will be without one again until Heyward returns or someone else steps up and contributes. Brandon Beachy will miss his start on Sunday as he has his elbow looked at, which felt sore after his last outing against the New York Mets on Tuesday. If the Braves lose Beachy, it would be yet another blow on the injury front and to the rotation.
Justin Upton hits a two-run homer in the fifth inning and provided the Braves their only offense of the night in the 6-2 loss to St. Louis.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
Chris Johnson came to the rescue in his fifth and final at-bat of the day as the Atlanta Braves went on to defeat the New York Mets, 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon.
Atlanta had nine hits in the game and could never seem to put together a scoring drive again against New York. Johnson, who was 0-4 with three strikeouts on the day, came up in the top of the tenth with two runners on and redeemed himself with a three-run homer to give the Braves the lead and the victory. It was Johnson's tenth home run of the season. Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons led Atlanta with three hits apiece in the contest, Freeman also drove in the Braves' other run with a single in the sixth inning. Gerald Laird and Joey Terdoslavich each added a hit in the ball game. Jason Heyward left the game in the sixth inning after being hit in the face with a 90-mph pitch from Jonathan Niese, it is not yet known how serious the injury is.
Alex Wood started the game for the Braves and pitched really well over six innings. He gave up a run, which was a solo homer to Josh Satin, on six hits and struck out four batters. Jordan Walden pitched the seventh and eighth innings and did really well striking out four batters over those innings. Luis Avilan pitched the ninth inning and got into a bases loaded jam but pitched his way out of it, he also earned the victory and is 5-0 on the year now. Craig Kimbrel pitched the tenth inning and earned his 30th consecutive save, and his 40th overall this season.
The Braves are now 77-49 on the year. They will travel to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals for a four-game series starting tomorrow night at 8:15 p.m. Paul Maholm (9-9) will return from the disabled list and start the first game for Atlanta against Joe Kelly (4-3) of the Cardinals. Also, reports stated that the Braves claimed infielder Elliot Johnson off waivers from Kansas City. He should provide even more depth at second base and shortstop for Atlanta.
Chris Johnson launches a three-run shot in the top of the tenth inning to propel the Braves past the Mets, 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The New York Mets aren't one of the top teams in baseball, but they have had the Braves' number all year as they defeated them again on Tuesday night, 5-3.
The Braves gathered eight hits in the game, but only put together one scoring inning. Andrelton Simmons had a bases-clearing double in the seventh that drove in all three runs that the Braves would score. Freddie Freeman led the team with two hits in the game. Brian McCann, Chris Johnson, Jordan Schafer, Paul Janish and Brandon Beachy each added a hit in the loss.
Errors really hurt Beachy in the beginning but he did give up a homer to Marlon Byrd that eventually proved to be the game winner. He pitched six innings and gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits. He also struck out four batters as his record fell to 2-1 on the year. David Carpenter, Scott Downs and Luis Ayala all combined to pitch the Braves into and out of a jam in the seventh inning. Ayala then pitched the eighth inning and gave up a homer to Ike Davis that almost left the whole ballpark as it landed in one of the upper rows in the upper deck.
The Braves are now 76-49 on the season and they will finish their two-game set with the Mets tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Alex Wood (2-2) will take the mound for Atlanta against Jonathon Niese (5-6) for the Mets.
Andrelton Simmons laces a three-run double that provided the only offense for the Braves in their 5-3 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
Julio Teheran pitched good enough and the Braves got just enough offense to beat the Nationals 2-1 and win the three-game series from their division rivals.
The Braves had five hits in the game. Freddie Freeman and Phil Gosselin led the team with two hits apiece. It was Gosselin's first hits of his Major League career. Freeman also drove in the Braves' first run, Chris Johnson had the other RBI in the first inning with a bloop single. Jordan Schafer stole two bases in the game, he now leads the Braves with thirteen on the year.
Teheran pitched effectively and improved his record to 10-6 on the year. He pitched six innings and gave up no runs on five hits and struck out five batters. Scott Downs gave up his first run as a Brave but David Carpenter came in and got the Braves out of Downs' jam. Jordan Walden bounced back from giving up a homer yesterday and pitched a perfect eighth. Craig Kimbrel then struck out three batters in the ninth to earn his 39th save of the season.
The Braves are now 76-48 on the season. They will have an off day on Monday before taking on the New York Mets in New York on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. Brandon Beachy (2-0) will now start the first game instead of Kris Medlen, who pitched in the fifteen inning affair on Saturday night. Zack Wheeler (5-2) should start for New York in the first game.
Julio Teheran throws a pitch in the Braves' 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon over the Nationals, Teheran won his tenth game of the season.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The game lasted over five hours and the Braves fought hard all night, but the Washington Nationals came out on top 8-7 in fifteen innings on Saturday night.
The Braves had nine hits in the game. Jason Heyward had a huge night, he hit a home run to lead off the game in the bottom of the first and then hit a two-run homer to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to send the game to extras. The two homers give him thirteen on the season now. Brian McCann led the Braves with three hits, including a two-run homer in the sixth which was his eighteenth of the year. Freddie Freeman added two hits, one was a solo shot in the eighth for his fifteenth homer of the year. Chris Johnson also added two hits in the heartbreaking loss.
Mike Minor started the game and suffered through the shortest outing of his career. He pitched only an inning and two-thirds and gave up four runs on four hits and walked four batters. Anthony Varvaro pitched the next three and a third innings and gave up a run on five hits and struck out three. Luis Ayala pitched the sixth inning and gave up a run on three hits. Scott Downs then pitched a perfect seventh and struck out two batters. Jordan Walden then pitched the eighth inning and gave up a run on a solo homer to Ryan Zimmerman, which proved to be a big run for Washington. David Carpenter struck out the side in the ninth and then Craig Kimbrel made a perfect appearance pitching the tenth. Luis Avilan then pitched the next two innings and was perfect while striking out three batters over that span. Kris Medlen then pitched the next three innings and unfortunately suffered the loss in relief and his record falls to 10-11 on the year. He gave up a homer to former Brave Adam LaRoche in the top of the fifteenth that proved to be the winning run.
Atlanta is now 75-48 on the year and they will finish their series with the Nationals tomorrow afternoon at 1:35 p.m. Julio Teheran (9-6) will start the finale against Gio Gonzalez (7-5) for Washington. Also, the Braves announced they signed infielder Tyler Greene to a minor league deal. Greene, who is a career .224 hitter in the big leagues and has played with the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox, was signed for some depth at second base with Dan Uggla being out due to eye surgery and Tyler Pastornicky's injury. Blake DeWitt, who has been on the disabled list with back issues, was released.
Jason Heyward follows through on his two-run, two-out, home run in the ninth inning of the Braves' 8-7 loss on Saturday, a game that lasted well over five hours.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves can thank Justin Upton for their victory on Friday night as they beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 in ten innings.
Atlanta had nine hits in the victory. None were bigger than Upton's solo homer in the bottom of the tenth that gave the Braves the victory. It was Upton's 23rd home run of the season and one of two hits he had in the game. Jason Heyward had two hits also and scored a run, while Andrelton Simmons added two hits too. Paul Janish got a hit and scored a run, Chris Johnson and Jordan Schafer each added a hit as well.
The Braves got a great start from Alex Wood but unfortunately it went to waste. He pitched six and a third innings and gave up a run on five hits and struck out a career-high nine batters. David Carpenter came in and closed out the seventh inning by getting the final two outs. Luis Avilan and Luis Ayala combined to pitch the eighth inning and they couldn't hold the lead as Washington's Jayson Werth drove in the game-tying run. Craig Kimbrel ran into some trouble in the ninth but was able to get out of the inning with no damage. Scott Downs came in and pitched the tenth and ended up getting the victory, he is now 4-3 on the year.
The Braves are 75-47 on the season and they will continue their series with the Nationals tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Mike Minor (12-5) will take the mound for Atlanta against the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (6-9). The Braves also received some bad news, Tyler Pastornicky will be out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his knee after colliding with Jason Heyward in their last game. To replace him on the roster, the Braves recalled infielder Phil Gosselin from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Justin Upton connects with the game-winning home run in the bottom of the tenth inning in the Braves' 3-2 victory on Friday night over the Washington Nationals.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Falcons first and second stringers looked good on Thursday night against the Ravens, but after that, the team didn't do so hot as the Baltimore Ravens won 27-23.
Atlanta's offense had 422 total yards compared to Baltimore's 249, but the Falcons third string defense gave up 20 points in the fourth quarter. The third string offense didn't fare too well either as they couldn't score in the entire quarter and quarterback Sean Renfree couldn't even keep his final pass in play as time expired with the Falcons threatening to score. Matt Bryant kicked a 45-yard field goal to get Atlanta on the board first. Matt Ryan threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones to cap a impressive drive near the end of the first quarter that made it 10-7 Falcons at the time. Jacquizz Rodgers also had a touchdown in the game with a two-yard run in the second quarter. Jeremy Shelley, a back-up kicker, made two field goals also, one for 29 yards and the other for 42 yards.
Dominique Davis had a much better showing this week, completing eight of his ten passes for 98 yards, he also rushed the ball three times for thirteen yards. Matt Ryan did well too with 97 yards passing to go with his touchdown pass. Josh Vaughan led the Falcons in rushing with five carries for 44 yards. Steven Jackson also had a much better day, rushing the ball eight times for 42 yards. Julio Jones had three receptions, all came on the touchdown drive, for 55 yards while reserve Darius Johnson hauled in six receptions for 50 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Paul Worrilow led the team with six tackles, including a sack. Last week against the Bengals, Worrilow had a team-high eleven tackles as he has really impressed Falcons' coaches in the first two preseason games as he fights for a roster spot. Adam Replogle had the other sack for the defense, one of his two tackles in the game. Asante Samuel had a big interception which he returned for 33 yards that helped set up Rodgers' touchdown run. Dominique Franks also came up with an interception in the game and deflected three other passes thrown by the Ravens.
The Ravens first team didn't show much while they were in the game. Joe Flacco did throw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith in the first quarter to give Baltimore a 7-3 lead at the time, but Smith did all the work as he ran for about 75 of those yards. When Tyrod Taylor entered the game though, the offense started clicking. Taylor threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and Asa Jackson returned a punt 78 yards for the winning touchdown with only six minutes left in the game. It's the second week in a row that the Falcons' special teams has given up a punt return for a score.
The Falcons are now 0-2 in the preseason. Their next game will be Saturday, August 24th against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. The Titans are currently 0-1 in the preseason and will play their second game against the Bengals on Saturday before meeting the Falcons next week. The game on the 24th will be at 8 p.m.
Julio Jones (left) and Matt Ryan celebrate their touchdown in the first quarter of the Falcons' 27-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason game on Thursday.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
For the second time in three nights, the Braves waited for almost two hours to start their game because of rain, but this night they came out on top 6-3 over the Phillies.
The Braves had nine hits in the game. Jason Heyward led Atlanta with two hits, including a solo home run to lead off the game, it was his eleventh of the year. Chris Johnson had a hit and drove in three runs for the Braves, Freddie Freeman and Paul Janish also added a hit and an RBI apiece. Justin Upton, Tyler Pastornicky, Andrelton Simmons and Gerald Laird each had a hit in the victory. Pastornicky left the game after sustaining a knee injury when Heyward ran into him when both players went for a fly ball in the field, it's not known yet if Pastornicky will miss any time.
Brandon Beachy started the game for the Braves and did a good job as he picked up the victory and improved his record to 2-0 on the year. Beachy pitched six innings, and could have gone longer if there hadn't been a rain delay. He struck out two batters and gave up two runs on six hits, including a home run to Domonic Brown. Luis Ayala pitched a scoreless seventh inning and then Luis Avilan pitched a perfect eighth inning. David Carpenter came in to pitch the ninth but gave up a home run to Darin Ruf and a walk before Fredi Gonzalez replaced him with Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel then pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 38th save of the season.
The Braves are now 74-47 on the year. They will have an off day on Thursday before starting a three-game series with the Washington Nationals over the weekend at Turner Field. Alex Wood (2-2) will start the first game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Taylor Jordan (1-3) for Washington.
Jason Heyward is congratulated by Brian Snitker after he hit a lead-off homer in the Braves 6-3 victory over the Phillies on Wednesday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
Kris Medlen pitched effectively and the offense did just enough as the Braves won 3-1 on Tuesday night at Turner Field.
The offense had eight hits in the victory. Chris Johnson had a big hit, a two-run homer in the third inning that put the Braves up 3-0. It was Johnson's ninth home run of the season. Jason Heyward and Justin Upton both led the Braves with two hits in the game, Upton also scored a run. Medlen helped his own cause at the plate when he had an RBI double in the bottom of the second that drove in Tyler Pastornicky, who also had a hit in the game. Freddie Freeman also added a hit in the win.
Medlen was terrific on the mound as he won his fourth straight game and improved his record to 10-10 on the year. He pitched seven innings and gave up a run on five hits and also struck out five batters. David Carpenter relieved him in the eighth inning and was perfect. Craig Kimbrel came in for the ninth and closed the game out for his 37th save of the year.
The Braves are now 73-47 on the season and they will finish their three-game series with the Phillies tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Brandon Beachy (1-0) will look to give the Braves a series win as John Lannan (3-5) will take the mound for Philly. Also, Dan Uggla was placed on the disabled list as he will undergo Lasik Eye surgery to fix his eyes and hopefully improve his performance at the plate. Pastornicky was called up to take his place on the roster and will most likely play second base regularly while Uggla is out.
Chris Johnson hits a two-run homer in the third inning that helped the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies dominated the Braves on Monday night winning 5-1 in a game that was delayed nearly two hours because of rain.
The Braves had six hits in the game. Chris Johnson and Jason Heyward led the Braves with two hits, Johnson also drove in the Braves' only run in the ninth. Justin Upton and Brian McCann each added a hit in the loss. Hamels fanned nine Braves in his complete game, including Upton and Dan Uggla twice apiece.
Julio Teheran started the game off well but it was apparent by the sixth inning that he was beginning to struggle. He pitched six innings and gave up four runs on six hits, including a three-run homer to Cody Asche. He also struck out six batters as he suffered the loss and is 9-6 on the year now. Luis Ayala and Scott Downs each pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth. Anthony Varvaro came on to pitch the ninth and he gave up a run on two hits.
The Braves are now 72-47 on the season and they will play the Phillies again tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Kris Medlen (9-10) will try to continue his three-game win streak as Ethan Martin (1-1) will return to his home-state and pitch for the Phils.
Julio Teheran and the Atlanta Braves struggled on Monday night as the Phillies beat them 5-1 in a game delayed nearly two hours by rain.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
A day after having their fourteen game winning streak snapped, the Braves beat the Miami Marlins 9-4 in an attempt to start another one.
Atlanta had twelve hits in the game. Jason Heyward had a big day, gathering four hits, driving in a run and scoring two runs. Evan Gattis also showed some life at the plate by having three hits, including two doubles, and driving in a run. Freddie Freeman had two hits, including a three-run home run that put the Braves up 4-3 at the time, it was his fourteenth homer of the season. Chris Johnson had a hit and two RBI's, Jordan Schafer and Mike Minor had a hit apiece and Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton drove in a run with separate sacrifice fly's. B.J. came into the game for his brother Justin after he was hurt running down the first base line, apparently he was crapping up from dehydration.
Minor didn't have his best day on the mound but he ended up getting the victory and improving his record to 12-5 on the year. He pitched seven innings and gave up four runs on six hits and struck out six batters. Luis Avilan pitched a perfect eighth inning and struck out a batter and then Anthony Varvaro came in and pitched a perfect ninth to finish the game for Atlanta.
The Braves are now 72-46 on the season. They will welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to town for a three-game series starting tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Julio Teheran (9-5) will start the first game against Cole Hamels (4-13) of the Phillies. Also, the Braves announced they activated Gerald Laird from the disabled list before the game on Sunday and that they sent Todd Cunningham back to Triple-A Gwinnett to create a spot on the roster for Laird.
Freddie Freeman hits a three-run homer in the Braves' 9-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon at Turner Field.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves lost on Saturday night 1-0 to the lowly Miami Marlins which ended their fourteen game winning streak.
The Braves had only three hits in the game as their potent offense was shut down by one of the worst teams in baseball. Freddie Freeman, Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons had the three hits for Atlanta. The Braves struck out ten times as a team in the game, Dan Uggla, B.J. Upton and Alex Wood each whiffed two times.
Wood had a great start blown by the offense that couldn't support him at all. He pitched six innings and gave up no runs on two hits while striking out seven. David Carpenter and Luis Avilan combined to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, Carpenter had three strikeouts in an inning and a third. Jordan Walden came in to pitch the ninth and he struggled and gave up the only run of the game on a wild pitch after giving up a triple. To make matters worse, he left the game after being hit on his pitching hand on a line drive. He also suffered the loss, his record dropped to 4-2, and he caused the Braves' fourteen game win streak to end, the longest streak in franchise history since 2000. Anthony Varvaro replaced Walden to record the final out in the ninth.
The Braves drop to 71-46 on the year and they will finish their series with the Marlins tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. Mike Minor (11-5) will try to start a new win streak for the Braves as Henderson Alvarez (2-1) will take the hill for Miami. Also, the Braves announced they have activated Jordan Schafer from the disabled list and they sent Jose Constanza back to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room for Schafer.
Jordan Walden wipes his face after giving up the winning run to the Marlins on Saturday night. Walden got hurt and left the game later in the inning.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves continued their winning streak and won their fourteenth game in a row by beating the Miami Marlins 5-0 on Friday night.
The offense had seven hits on the night, three of the hits were home runs. Chris Johnson had the biggest shot, a three-run jack for his eighth home run of the year. Brian McCann and Jason Heyward led the Braves with two hits apiece. McCann also had one of the homers, a solo shot for his seventeenth of the season. Justin Upton also hit a home run, a solo drive for his 22nd of the year. Freddie Freeman also had a hit in the victory.
Brandon Beachy had his best start yet since returning from Tommy John surgery and earned his first victory of the season. He ended up pitching eight innings and gave up three hits and struck out six. Scott Downs and Luis Ayala combined for the final three outs in the ninth inning.
The Braves are now 71-45 on the year and they will continue their three-game series with the Marlins tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Alex Wood (2-2) will take the mound for the Braves while Nathan Eovaldi (2-2) will start for Miami.
Chris Johnson rounds the bases after hitting a three-run homer in the first inning of the Braves' 5-0 shutout of the Marlins on Friday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Falcons didn't look well to begin the preseason schedule and the final outcome didn't turn out so well either as Atlanta lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 34-10.
Atlanta only managed 268 yards of offense in the game. They started off the game the right way by driving down field on their first drive and getting a 37-yard field goal from Matt Bryant. They only other points they produced was in the beginning of the third quarter when quarterback Dominique Davis threw an 8-yard pass to Jason Snelling. For the offense, Matt Ryan completed six of his nine passes for 89 yards to lead the quarterbacks. Ronnie Wingo rushed for 29 yards to lead the running backs and Drew Davis had two receptions for 53 yards to lead the receivers. Jonathan Massaquoi recorded a sack for the defense in the loss.
The offensive line struggled to stop Cincinnati's rushing attack and the reserves on defense were run over by the Bengals' offense. Cincinnati produced 434 yards of offense, almost 200 more yards than the Falcons. Bengals' backup quarterback Josh Johnson had a big night, completing nine of his sixteen passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, he also rushed for 64 yards on four carries. Receiver Dane Sanzenbacher also had a big night for Cincinnati, he had two receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown, he also returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown.
The Falcons are now 0-1 on the preseason. Their next game will be next Thursday against the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore at 7:30 p.m. The Ravens defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their first preseason game on Thursday night by a score of 44-16.
Jason Snelling carries the ball in the Falcons' 34-10 preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. Snelling had the Falcons' lone touchdown.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Nationals on Wednesday night by beating them 6-3. It's their thirteenth straight victory and fourth straight series sweep of an opposing team.
The Braves had fifteen hits in the game but struggled to score until the eighth inning. B.J. Upton led the Braves with four hits during the game. His brother Justin also had a good night with three hits, including his 21st home run of the year and a two-run double in the eighth that helped put the Braves ahead for good. Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman each added two hits and an RBI, Heyward also scored two runs. Chris Johnson and Andrelton Simmons each added two hits in the victory, Kris Medlen also had an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Medlen also had a decent night on the mound as he picked up his third straight victory and improved his record to 9-10 on the year. He pitched seven innings and struck out six batters while giving up three runs on three hits, including a homer to Jayson Werth. David Carpenter pitched a scoreless seventh and struck out a batter. Craig Kimbrel labored in the ninth, he threw over 35 pitches, but he got out of a bases loaded jam and recorded his 36th save of the season.
The Braves are now 70-45 on the year. They will have a much needed off day on Thursday before welcoming the Miami Marlins to Turner Field on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. for the first game of a three-game series. Brandon Beachy (0-0) looks for his first victory of the year as he takes on Jacob Turner (3-3) of the Marlins.
Jason Heyward slides into home with one of the Braves' six runs in their 6-3 victory over the Nationals on Wednesday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves pushed their win streak to twelve games on Tuesday night by beating the Washington Nationals 2-1.
The Braves had eight hits in the game. The biggest hit came off the bat of Evan Gattis when he hit a two-run single in the fifth that proved to be all the Braves would need. Justin and B.J. Upton led the Braves with two hits in the game though. Brian McCann, Dan Uggla and Julio Teheran each added a hit apiece. Jason Heyward left the game in the first inning after tweaking a neck muscle during his at-bat. It wasn't know how serious the injury might be or how long Heyward could be out.
Teheran wasn't as dominate in the strike out category as he was in his last time out but he still pitched good enough for the victory to improve his record to 9-5 on the year. He pitched six innings and gave up one run on four hits, the one run came on a Bryce Harper homer. Luis Avilan pitched around a jam in the seventh inning, Jordan Walden pitched a perfect eighth by striking out the side. Craig Kimbrel also struck out the side in the ninth inning to earn his 35th save of the year.
The Braves are now 69-45 on the year and they will finish their series with the Nationals tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Kris Medlen (8-10) will try to earn his third straight victory as Jordan Zimmermann (13-6) takes the mound for Washington.
Evan Gattis drives in the Braves' only two runs in the fifth inning of their victory over the Nationals on Tuesday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Braves continued their winning ways on Monday night and beat the Nationals 3-2 for the eleventh straight victory.
Atlanta had eight hits in the win. Justin Upton had three hits on the night, including the eventual game-winning homer in the top of the eighth. The home run was his 20th of the year and he also scored two runs in the game. Freddie Freeman also had three hits in the game and drove in two runs on separate singles. Jason Heyward had a hit and scored a run, B.J. Upton also had a hit on the night.
Mike Minor started the game and labored throughout his outing. He pitched six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits while striking out three men. David Carpenter came in after Minor allowed a lead-off double in the seventh and he ended up pitching an inning and two-thirds. He struck out two batters over that span and earned the victory and is now 3-0 on the year. Luis Avilan got the final out of the eighth inning with one pitch. Jordan Walden came in to pitch the ninth inning and he allowed a man to get to third but then got the final two outs to pick up his first save of the year.
Atlanta is now 68-45 on the season and they will play the Nationals again tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Julio Teheran (8-5) will take the mound for the Braves and face-off against the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez (7-4).
Justin Upton launches a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning to give the Braves a 3-2 lead which held to the end as the Braves won their eleventh straight game.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves swept the Phillies with a 4-1 victory on Sunday night. It was their tenth win in a row and their third straight series sweep of an opposing team.
The Braves had nine hits in the game. Chris Johnson led the Braves with two hits and two RBI's. Justin Upton had two hits and an RBI while his brother B.J. also had two hits. Jason Heyward also had an RBI single to complete the scoring for the Braves. Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann also had a hit apiece in the win.
Alex Wood had his second straight great start and picked up the victory and is 2-2 on the year now. He pitched six innings and gave up a run on two hits while striking out three. Luis Ayala and Scott Downs combined to pitch the seventh and eighth, each pitcher struck out a batter while in the game. Craig Kimbrel then pitched the ninth inning for the third straight night and earned his 34th save of the season.
The Braves are now 67-45 on the year. They will begin a three-game series with the Washington Nationals tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Mike Minor (11-5) will start in the series opener against Stephen Strasburg (5-9) of the Nationals.
Alex Wood pitched six strong innings to earn his second victory in a row in the Braves' 4-1 victory on Sunday night over the Phillies.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
Thanks to some great hustle by Dan Uggla and Paul Janish, the Braves pulled out their ninth straight victory in the twelfth inning on Saturday night, winning 5-4.
Atlanta's offense struggled at the plate compared to other games of late by getting only five hits in the win. Justin Upton hit his third home run in the last three games, it was a solo shot and his nineteenth of the year. Freddie Freeman had a hit and drove in two runs, B.J. Upton and Joey Terdoslavich each added a hit and Evan Gattis had an RBI. Uggla had the game-winning RBI as he hustled down the line to beat out a double-play in the twelfth to help the Braves continue their win streak. Janish received a lot of credit too for sliding hard into second base and forcing Chase Utley to take longer throwing the ball to first to allow Uggla time to beat the throw.
Brandon Beachy had a much better outing than his first one. He went six and a third innings and gave up four runs, only three earned, on five hits including a homer to John Mayberry, which was the biggest blow while he was on the mound. Luis Ayala came on to get the final two outs of the seventh inning. Jordan Walden pitched a perfect eighth inning. David Carpenter and Scott Downs combined to pitch scoreless ninth and tenth innings. Luis Avilan pitched a scoreless eleventh inning and earned the victory, he is 4-0 on the year. Craig Kimbrel struck out two in the bottom of the twelfth to earn his 33rd save of the season.
The Braves are now 66-45 on the year and they will finish their series with the Phillies tomorrow night at 8:05 p.m. as the two teams will be featured on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Alex Wood (1-2) will take the mound for Atlanta against the Phillies' Cliff Lee (10-4).
Paul Janish, left, slides hard into second base to help break up a double play to allow the winning run to score in the Braves' 5-4 win on Saturday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves won their eighth straight game on Friday night with a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Atlanta had ten hits in the win. Brian McCann had a big night with two hits, including a two-run homer for his sixteenth of the season. Chris Johnson also had two hits, including a back-to-back home run after McCann hit his, it was Johnson's seventh of the year. Jason Heyward also had two hits and drove in a run for the Braves. Justin Upton and Joey Terdoslavich each had a hit and an RBI, while Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla each added a hit in the victory.
Kris Medlen struggled a little bit in his outing but did earn the victory and is now 8-10 on the year. He pitched six innings and gave up four runs on six hits, including homers to Darin Ruf, Delmon Young and Chase Utley, while striking out eight batters. David Carpenter struck out the side in a perfect seventh inning, Jordan Walden had two strikeouts in a perfect eighth. Craig Kimbrel then came on and struck out two in the ninth and earned his 32nd save of the year.
The Braves are now 65-45 and will continue their series with the Phillies tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 p.m. Brandon Beachy (0-0) will pitch in his second game since returning from Tommy John surgery, he will face the Phillies' John Lannan (3-4). Also, the Braves placed Gerald Laird on the 15-day disabled list due to kidney stones. They activated B.J. Upton from the disabled to take Laird's spot on the roster.
Chris Johnson, who has been the Braves' hottest hitter of late, celebrates his solo homer with Dan Uggla in the Braves' 6-4 victory on Friday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves completed a four-game sweep of the Rockies, and won their seventh in a row, with an 11-2 victory on Thursday night.
The Braves' offense continued to surge by knocking out fourteen hits in the game. Chris Johnson led the team with three hits and he drove in two runs, but the night belonged to Justin Upton. Upton had two home runs, a three-run shot and a two-run shot, which now gives him eighteen homers on the season. Julio Teheran helped himself at the plate by getting two hits and drove in a run, Freddie Freeman also had two hits in the game. Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer for his tenth of the season, he also scored three runs in the game. Brian McCann had a hit and an RBI, Andrelton Simmons, Joey Terdoslavich and Todd Cunningham each had a hit and scored a run.
Teheran struggled with command on the mound but still pitched well enough to earn the win and improve his record to 8-5 on the year. He went five innings and gave up a run on five hits, he also tied his career-high with eleven strikeouts. Scott Downs pitched a scoreless sixth inning for Atlanta. David Carpenter and Luis Avilan combined to pitched the seventh and eighth innings, Carpenter gave up a run on a hit while Avilan gave up two hits but no runs. Anthony Varvaro pitched a perfect ninth inning to finish out the game.
Atlanta is now 64-45 on the year. They will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Kris Medlen (7-10) will start the first game of the series against Ethan Martin (0-0) who will be making his Major League debut for Philadelphia.
Justin Upton launches his second home run of the night in the eighth inning of the Braves' 11-2 victory over the Rockies on Thursday.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves continued on their recent hot-streak by shutting out the Rockies on Wednesday night and winning 9-0.
The Braves had another big night at the plate with fifteen hits in the game. Freddie Freeman led the team with four hits, he also drove in two runs and scored two runs. Justin Upton contributed with three hits and scored a run. Evan Gattis, Chris Johnson and Andrelton Simmons each added two hits, Gattis and Johnson each drove in a run. Brian McCann had another big hit, a three-run homer in the third inning, it was his fifteenth of the season. Mike Minor helped himself out at the plate with an RBI single, Jason Heyward also drove in a run in the victory.
Minor also had a good night on the mound as he picked up the win and moved his record to 11-5 on the year. He ended up pitching seven innings and only gave up two hits while striking out six. Luis Ayala ended up pitching the final two innings of the game, he struck out two over that span.
The Braves are now 63-45 on the year and they will finish their series with the Rockies tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Julio Teheran (7-5) will start the finale against Chad Bettis (0-0) who will make his Major League debut for Colorado.
Mike Minor pitched seven shutout innings and even drove in a run in the Braves' 9-0 win on Wednesday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves used a big inning and a lot of offense on Tuesday night to defeat the Colorado Rockies 11-3.
Atlanta had fourteen hits in the victory. Jason Heyward led the Braves with three hits, he also drove in a run and scored three runs batting in the lead-off spot. Freddie Freeman had a huge night with two hits, both home runs, which now gives him thirteen homers on the year. He had four RBI's total and scored three times. Justin Upton also had two hits and drove in a run, Chris Johnson also added two hits. Brian McCann had one hit, but it was the biggest of a six-run fourth inning, a three-run homer to finish off the big inning. It was his fourteenth homer of the season. Evan Gattis added a hit and two RBI's on the night, Dan Uggla had a hit and scored a run, Andrelton Simmons also had a hit. Todd Cunningham made his Major League debut by pinch hitting and singled in the first at-bat of his career.
Alex Wood had a rough start to the game by giving up three runs in the first two innings, including a two-run homer to the Rockies' Nolan Arenado. He then settled down and ended up having a great night by pitching seven innings and striking out seven while earning his first Major League victory and improving his record to 1-2 on the year. Anthony Varvaro ended up pitching the final two innings and struck out one while giving up one hit.
Atlanta is now 62-45 on the year and they will continue their four-game series with the Rockies tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Mike Minor (10-5) will take the mound for Atlanta against Rockies' ace Tyler Chatwood (7-3).
Freddie Freeman watches one of his two home runs against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night as Atlanta won 11-3.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves rallied a few times on Monday night and ended up beating the Colorado Rockies 9-8 in extra innings.
Atlanta had twelve hits in the crazy game. Andrelton Simmons led the team with three hits, but none were bigger than his game-winning triple in the tenth inning that drove in Dan Uggla. He also drove in another run earlier with a double. Chris Johnson had two hits, two RBI's and scored two runs, Jason Heyward and Joey Terdoslavich each had two hits and an RBI. Uggla had a hit and drove in two runs, Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman each had a hit and scored a run and Evan Gattis had an RBI on a ground out.
Brandon Beachy made his much anticipated return from Tommy John surgery, but it wasn't a memorable performance. He ended up going three and two-thirds innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits, including homers to the Rockies' Wilin Rosario and Nolan Arenado. David Carpenter ended up pitching the next two and a third innings and he struck out three and gave up only one hit in that span. Luis Ayala and Luis Avilan both pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth respectively. Jordan Walden attempted to close out the game to give Craig Kimbrel the night off, but he failed as he gave up a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Scott Downs, who was acquired earlier in the day from the Los Angeles Angels, came in and got the final out in the ninth by throwing one pitch and catching a line drive hit right back to him. He then pitched a scoreless ninth inning and picked up the victory and is now 3-3 on the year.
The Braves are 61-45 on the season and they will continue their series with the Rockies tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Alex Wood (0-2) will take the mound against Juan Nicasio (6-4) of the Rockies. Also, it was announced after the game that Reed Johnson was placed on the disabled list with an injury he suffered in Sunday night's victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. To take his place on the roster, the Braves called up outfielder Todd Cunningham from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Andrelton Simmons hits the game-winning triple in the bottom of the tenth inning to help the Braves beat the Rockies 9-8 on Monday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Hawks have made a few moves over the last few days, here is a look at them.
First they signed a big-man from overseas, Pero Antic, who has been playing since 1999. Last year in Greece, he averaged 6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and he appeared in 30 games. Also, the Hawks picked up Gustavo Ayon off waivers from the Milwaukee Bucks. Ayon averaged 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 55 games with the Orlando Magic and the Bucks last season. Also, to make room for the signing of DeMarre Carroll, the Hawks announced that they waived DeShawn Stevenson from the team. Stevenson appeared in 56 games last year for the Hawks and averaged 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds.
The Hawks signed big man Pero Antic from Greece and they hope he can bring some energy and hard-nosed play under the basket.
Photo Courtesy of www.mkd.mk
The Atlanta Braves announced today that they have acquired reliever Scott Downs from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Minor League reliever Cory Rasmus.
With the addition of Downs, the Braves now have another experienced left-handed reliever in their bullpen. He has been around since 2000 when he came up with the Chicago Cubs. He has also pitched for the Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays and the Angels. He has had some really good seasons in the Major Leagues, in 81 games in 2007 he had a 2.17 ERA for the Blue Jays. Then the very next year he post a 1.78 ERA in 66 games for Toronto. He had his lowest ERA though in 2011 with the Angels as he appeared in 60 games and had a 1.34 ERA. So far this year for the Angels he has appeared in 43 games and is 2-3 with a 1.84 ERA. Rasmus had an 8.10 ERA in three appearances with the Braves this year, other than that he has spent the rest of the season in Gwinnett.
Scott Downs, shown earlier this year in a game for the Angels, was acquired on Monday by the Braves to add a veteran left-hander to their bullpen.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Atlanta Braves welcomed the St. Louis Cardinals into town a few days ago and now send them out of town after completing a three-game sweep of them with a 5-2 victory on Sunday night.
The Braves smashed out twelve hits in the victory. Chris Johnson continued his hot streak by leading the team with three hits and he also scored three runs. Jason Heyward hit a solo homer in the third inning for his ninth of the year, he had two hits and two RBI's in the game. Andrelton Simmons also had two hits and he drove in a run with a single in the second inning. Joey Terdoslavich had a pinch-hit single that drove in the eventual winning run in the bottom of the sixth, it was his first Major League RBI. Justin Upton, Freddie Freeman, Evan Gattis and Reed Johnson all had a hit in the victory too.
Kris Medlen wasn't at his best, but he pitched good enough to help the Braves win. He went six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits. He also struck out four batters as he improved his record to 7-10 on the year. Luis Avilan struck out two batters in a perfect seventh inning, Jordan Walden also had a perfect inning in the eighth. Craig Kimbrel came in and closed it out in the ninth for his 31st save of the season.
The Braves are now 60-45 on the year. They will welcome the Colorado Rockies to town for a four-game series starting tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. Brandon Beachy (0-0) will make his return from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss over a year while he recovered from the injury. Jorge De La Rosa (10-5) will make the start for the Rockies.
Joey Terdoslavich's RBI single in the sixth inning put the Braves ahead for good in their 5-2 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Braves can thank Andrelton Simmons for a clutch hit as they used that to beat the Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday evening.
Atlanta had nine hits in the game, but could only score two runs in the pitching duel. Simmons had the big hit, a double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth that drove in the only two runs of the game. It was the second of two hits for Simmons on the day. Brian McCann and Chris Johnson also added two hits with Simmons to lead the team. Justin Upton, Evan Gattis and Joey Terdoslavich each added a hit apiece for Atlanta.
Julio Teheran pitched a terrific game but unfortunately he didn't get the win. He pitched seven innings and gave up two hits while striking out six batters. Luis Avilan struck out a man in the eighth inning, he also earned the victory and is now 3-0 on the year. Craig Kimbrel also struck out a batter in his perfect ninth inning which earned him his 30th save of the season.
The Braves are now 59-45 after the victory and they will finish their series with the Cardinals tomorrow night at 8:00 as the teams will be featured on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Kris Medlen (6-10) will take the mound under the spotlight and face Shelby Miller (10-6) for the Cards.
Andrelton Simmons hits a double with the bases loaded that drives in the only two runs for Atlanta in their 2-0 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
Mike Minor came up big Friday night and the Braves got revenge from last year's Wild Card Playoff Game by beating the Cardinals 4-1.
The Braves gathered eight hits in the game. Chris Johnson led the Braves with two hits and drove in a run. Jason Heyward hit a solo home run in the fifth inning for his eighth homer of the year. Minor also helped his cause with an RBI single to put the Braves ahead. Reed Johnson, Evan Gattis, Brian McCann and Dan Uggla all added a hit apiece, McCann and Uggla both scored a run.
Minor came through with a great start for a Braves rotation that has struggled lately and suffered a few injuries. He pitched seven innings and gave up a run on four hits, the only run was a Yadier Molina homer for St. Louis. Minor also recorded five strikeouts as he improved his record to 10-5 on the year. Jordan Walden pitched a perfect eighth inning and then Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth and struck out two batters while recording his 29th save of the season.
The Braves are now 58-45 on the year and they will continue their series tomorrow with St. Louis at 4:05 p.m. Julio Teheran (7-5) will take the mound for Atlanta against Joe Kelly (1-3) for the Cardinals.
Mike Minor tossed seven stellar innings and also drove in the go ahead run in the Braves' 4-1 victory over the Cardinals on Friday night.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The offense was helping the Braves recover from an early deficit, but it wasn't enough as the Mets scored upon the bullpen and won 7-4 on Thursday afternoon.
Atlanta managed only five hits in the loss. Freddie Freeman led the Braves with two hits, which included a solo homer in the sixth inning, it was his eleventh of the year. Dan Uggla also hit a homer, a two-run shot in the fourth for his 21st of the season. Reed Johnson added a hit and scored a run and Chris Johnson also added a hit for the Braves.
Alex Wood struggled again in his second Major League start. He pitched only four and a third innings while giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out five, he didn't factor into the decision. Kameron Loe pitched the next inning and two-thirds and he got rocked giving up three runs on four hits. He suffered the loss and is now 0-1 on the year. Anthony Varvaro pitched a perfect seventh inning and David Carpenter struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning for Atlanta.
The Braves are now 57-45 on the year. They will travel back to Atlanta and welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to Turner Field tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. Mike Minor (9-5) will take the mound in the first game of the series for Atlanta against former Brave Adam Wainwright (12-6) of the Cardinals.
Freddie Freeman is congratulated by Evan Gattis after Freeman hit a homer to tie the game. The Braves eventually lost 7-4 to the Mets on Thursday afternoon.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
The Braves came out and defeated the Mets 8-2 on Wednesday night but it came at a huge cost.
Atlanta's offense had eight hits in the game. Andrelton Simmons, Dan Uggla and Evan Gattis all led the Braves with two hits and each of them hit a home run. Simmons hit a two-run homer for his eleventh of the year, Uggla hit a three-run shot which was his 20th and Gattis hit a solo homer for his fifteenth. Justin Upton added a hit and an RBI, Chris Johnson also added a hit and scored a run in the victory.
Tim Hudson started the game and had a great night going until the middle of the eighth inning when things went from good to bad in the blink of an eye. Hudson had his ankle stepped on at first base by the Mets' Eric Young Jr. It was learned after the game that Hudson broke his ankle on the play and will now be out the rest of the year, a big blow to the Braves' starting rotation. He finished the night pitching seven and two-thirds innings while giving up two runs on four hits. He also struck out nine batters in the game and picked up the victory moving his record to 8-7. Luis Avilan and Jordan Walden combined to get the final out of the eighth inning before Luis Ayala came in and pitched a scoreless ninth to finish out the game.
Atlanta is now 57-44 on the year and they will finish their series with the Mets tomorrow afternoon at 12:35 in the afternoon. Alex Wood (0-2) will come up and take Paul Maholm's spot in the rotation while Zach Wheeler (3-1) will start for New York.
Tim Hudson reacts as trainers work on his right ankle, which he broke in the Braves' victory on Wednesday night. It will cause Hudson to miss the rest of the year.
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
