Atlanta Braves Game Recap w/Morning Chop, Box: Pirates Prevail; White, Banuelos

Jun 26, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) rounds third base on his way to scoring the game winning run against the Atlanta Braves during the tenth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 3-2 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Braves can’t score without Freddie Freeman and Jason Grilli still has a soft spot for Pittsburgh.

2 runs for Atlanta… which was actually an improvement over recent days… by nonetheless led to a fourth straight loss for the visitors as the Pirates mercifully shortened the night by plating a run in the 10th inning for a 3-2 walk-off win.

In the midst of this, Williams Perez, who was sailing along until being struck in the ankle by a liner, could be hurt enough to miss some action:

It was surprise that Perez even stayed in the game, but it was also clearly a mistake. After the 5th inning incident, he walked a batter, balked him to second base, and then hit Andrew McCutchen.  Luis Avilan came in, but was unable to put a halt to the inning:  an infield single (Starling Marte) loaded the bases and then Pedro Alvarez unloaded them with a single that scored 2 crucial runs.

Runs Drought

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The Braves offense – though there are multiple interpretations of that particular word – scored in two very unusual ways:  a bases-loaded walk and a homer by Juan Uribe.  That walk, coming in the second inning, was the only thing to salvage a 1 out run-scoring opportunity as Perez then fouled out (no surprise) and Jace Peterson struck out (surprise) – looking uncharacteristically bad on the AB.  That was the biggest threat of the night for Atlanta.  Three double plays erased later base-runners, and other than Uribe, no one else reached second base.

In the tenth inning, Jason Grilli‘s first pitch was rocketed into the left field stands on one bounce by McCutchen.  From there, it seemed just a matter of time.  After an intentional walk and a strikeout, Jody Mercer ripped one off the right field wall to end the game, spoiling yet another excellent start from Williams Perez (4-0 with 4 N.D.’s).

The Braves managed just 6 hits – 3 of those later DP’d – though walked 4 times are starter Francisco Liriano took a while to settle in.  Perez scattered 4 hits and 2 walks.  He was charged with the runs that Avilan permitted, thus raising his ERA to 2.88.  Nick Masset and Jim Johnson shared 3 solid innings of relief.

But you could almost argue that Grilli saved the rest of the bullpen by ending the game more quickly, for the Braves’ bats were so anemic that they might not have scored had the game continued through another dozen innings.

We’ll see if they can snap out of it this afternoon – they might have to, as Julio Teheran is pitching… and that road ERA of 7.17 is glaring.

Here’s your box score:
 

Next: Good Performances in the Minors

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

White, Braves combine on one-hit shutout

DANNY WILD / MiLB.COM

Alex White‘s comeback from Tommy John surgery hasn’t gone as planned, but the North Carolina native, back home in the south, is finally feeling a little more like his old self.

White allowed one hit over seven innings in his third start for the Braves and Jose Peraza lined a go-ahead RBI double in the ninth as Triple-A Gwinnett blanked Pawtucket, 1-0, on Friday night at McCoy Stadium.

“It felt great,” White said. “[Catcher Jose] Yepez was unbelievable behind the plate. I shook him off twice tonight and both times were bad pitches. After that, I committed to following him.”

White took a no-hitter into the fifth, when veteran catcher Matt Spring blooped a one-out single to left field. He worked around four walks, striking out three, in his fourth outing since signing a Minor League deal with the Braves on June 10.

Peraza, the Braves’ top prospect, extended his hitting streak to four games in the ninth. Daniel Castro lined a leadoff single and came home on Peraza’s bloop double that fell in among three fielders in right.

Peter Moylan (2-0) relieved White and struck out one in a perfect eighth to pick up his second win and David Carpenter fired a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Carlos Peguero to finish off the one-hitter.

[Ed. note – much more was written about White and his comeback – hit the link above to see more of that… it’s a good story.  

Also of note:  Bethancourt wasn’t catching White last night.  Interesting. ]

Next: It looked shaky for a while, but ManBan has emerged