Braves Weekly Wrap-Up

This week for the Braves started out with another loss to the New York Yankees on Monday.  Mike Minor, coming off one of his best starts of the season, pitched well in the first four innings of the game before struggling in the fifth.  The final score of the game was 6-2, with CC Sabathia getting the win and Minor taking the loss.  On Tuesday, the Braves finally were able to put up a win against the Yankees, the hottest team in the majors right now.  This win was all about Jason Heyward.  Not only did he help the Braves with his efforts at the plate, going 2-3 with an RBI and a walk, he kept the go-ahead run from scoring in the fifth inning by throwing out Mark Teixeira on a Nick Swisher single.  In the top half of the sixth, Heyward roped a line drive that was hit so hard, Teixeira, a perennial gold-glover, didn’t have time to react to it.  The ball hit him in the ankle and bounced into center field, allowing Brian McCann to score the winning run.  The final game of the series with the Yankees was a home run derby.  While the Yankees belted 4 solo home runs, the Braves were able to hit 5 on the game.  Prado, Freeman, Heyward, and Ross all went deep for the Braves, with Heyward homering twice.

Heyward watches a home run in the win over the Yankees on Wednesday

The Braves carried the momentum from the Yankees series into the Red Sox series.  On Friday, Jair Jurrjens returned to the major league club in extraordinary fashion.  After struggling mightily all year in the majors and the minors, Jurrjens pitched a gem on Friday.  Behind the efforts of Jurrjens, the Braves were able to beat the Sox 4-1.  If Jurrjens continues to pitch well, it could pose some interesting scenarios for the Braves around the trade deadline.  The next game with the Red Sox did not go quite as well.  Braves starter Randall Delgado got hit around, and the offense never strung anything major together.  Delgado wasn’t even able to pitch 2 full innings before being pulled from the game.  The game Sunday was started by Mike Minor, who again looked good for a few innings before giving up some runs.  The loss Sunday finished the series with the Red Sox with the Sox taking two out of three.  If Delgado and Minor don’t pitch well in the coming weeks, look for the Braves to be buyers in the pitching market around the trade deadline.

If Jurrens pitches well, the trade deadline could be an interesting time.

    

One major storyline over the past few weeks has been the resurgence of Jason Heyward at the plate.  After struggling ever since his impressive rookie season two years ago, Heyward is finally starting to show flashes of his talent that led him to be one of the most hyped prospects in the past decade.  He now has his batting average over .270, and his power numbers have increased over the past few weeks.  He has also stepped up his running game this season.  While the number of steals is not eye-popping, the timing of his steals has helped the Braves win games more than once this year.  He also has great instincts on the base paths, often taking an extra base when the defense is sleeping.