Atlanta Braves Sunday Chop: Vizcaino injured Phillips up

The Atlanta Braves begin Sunday attempting to prevent a sweep by the Orioles. Close rArodys Vizcaino goes to the DL and Evan Phillips gets the call at last. Happy Sunday morning.

On Thursday the Atlanta Braves looked favorites to take another series but Friday things started to go south. Mike Soroka resumed his seat on the DL, replaced on the roster by outfielder Danny Santana; presumably because Santana looked like a hot bat at Gwinnett.

The baseball gods snickered and gave the Braves a 15-inning, all-hands-on-deck heartbreaking loss with Arodys Vizcaino mysteriously absent from the bullpen. After the game, we learned that Vizzy had a cortisone shot Thursday on a shoulder that’s been bothering him all year. All year. . . alrighty then.

Atlanta Braves sink on Saturday

After the 15 inning loss, the Braves needed bullpen help. Available at Gwinnett and on the 40-man roster were Chad Bell, Lucas Sims, Matt Wisler and Jason Hursh. They chose Sims.

Righty Dylan Bundy started for the Orioles so the Braves sent left hand hitting Preston Tucker to Gwinnett instead of DFAing Peter Bourjos.

Manager Brian Snitker told us before the game Vizcaino should be ready. Later we saw he wasn’t.

In the interim Julio Teheran gave up a grand slam home run before he recorded the first out of the game and the lineup waited to mount a serious challenge until the seventh.

Snitker sought to restore Peter Moylan’s confidence after Friday’s loss, sending him out in the bottom of the eighth. Petey struck out two hitters (Caleb Joseph – .177/.202/.313/.515 – and Craig Gentry –.244/.306/.301/.307) and coaxed Colby Rasmus (.161/.235/.290/.525) to ground out. I hope it works but Pete is really a ROOGY these days and the skipper keeps sending him out with lefties coming up.

We need some levity. Yes, this really happened.

Sunday game info

Brandon McCarthy (5-3, 4.89 ERA, 4.05 SIERA in 17 games started) takes the ball today due to Soroka’s visit to the DL. The Orioles counter with rookie David Hess (2 3, 4.82 ERA, 5.80 SIERA, 6.45 FIP in seven starts).

Hess’ been beaten up severely in his last two starts (eight innings total, 3 1/3 in Boston and 4 2/3 in DC) and has a tendency to give up the long ball. However, his two starts prior to that (Nationals and Jays), he went six innings each time allowing one run.

The Braves should win this but a) they should have won at least one of the first two and b) we know the Braves history against pitchers they’ve never faced.