Braves manager Brian Snitker gave most of his everyday players some time off a day after Atlanta clinched the NL East.Lane
Adams took advantage of a rare opportunity.“You see the fun the starters have
day in and day out
Roberto Alomar Jersey ,” Adams said. “When I saw my name in the lineup I just wanted to go out, have fun, enjoy it and take it in because this is a
special group, a special crowd and a special time for this organization.”Adams
homered and drove in two runs, Anibal Sanchez won for the first time in nine
starts and the Atlanta Braves used a lineup of reserves to win their fifth
straight game, 2-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.The loss dropped
Philadelphia from postseason contention. Atlanta, the first NL team to qualify
for the playoffs, eliminated the Phillies from the division race on Saturday.
The Braves have the second-best record among NL division leaders at 88-68 and
could earn home-field advantage in the NL Division Series with a strong
performance during the final week of the regular season.The Braves mostly rested
their regulars against ace Aaron Nola (16-6). Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis
each had one at-bat in Atlanta’s final home game before walking off the field to
standing ovations before the start of the second.“Everybody deserved it, but
they’re the two guys that have posted up every day,” Snitker said. “They’re on a
162-game pace and kind of our guts. So I thought that was pretty cool they got
to get recognized. It was very well deserved.”Among the other regulars to make
an appearance, Ozzie Albies grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the fifth and
Ronald Acuna Jr. flew out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.Adams, filling in for
center fielder Ender Inciarte, had an RBI double in the second and hit his
second homer in the fifth.Sanchez (7-6) further secured his role as Atlanta’s
No. 3 starter for the division series behind Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman,
allowing four hits, one run and one walk in five innings. Sanchez won for the
first time since Aug. 3 and has a 3.09 ERA over that span.“He’s been
huge
http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-molitor-jersey ,” Snitker said. “What a great story that is. As far as being a complete pitcher
and executing pitches, it’s pretty good. There’s a lot of knowledge there. He’s
been doing it a long time and he’s been successful.”Scott Kingery’s eighth homer
for Philadelphia tied it at 1-all in the third. The Phillies were swept in a
four-game series in Atlanta for the first time since 1997.Nola gave up four
hits, two runs and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings. He has
surrendered nine homers in five starts this month and is 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA
over that span.Nola wants to make one final start, giving him 33 for the season,
as Philadelphia tries to finish above .500.“I think just going forward,
everybody has confidence in each other,” he said. “To finish the year out strong
is important to us.”Reliever Max Fried allowed three baseunners in the sixth and
seventh for Atlanta. Sam Freeman faced the minimum in the eighth.Shane Carle
pitched a shaky ninth to earn his first career save in two chances. He walked
two batters and hit Kingery with a pitch before Wilson Ramos grounded out to end
it.LOOKING AHEADPhillies manager Gabe Kapler said the team is committed to
playing young talent like Kingery, J.P. Crawford, Odubel Herrera and Aaron
Altherr in the final week. Veterans like Asdrubal Cabrera and Ramos who were
acquired for the playoff run will be used in reserve roles. Kapler added that
catcher Jorge Alfaro will play every day if his mild right quadriceps strain
isn’t a bother.SOLID YEARNola has fallen off in September, but he’s still having
a career-best season. He avoided injuries to surpass 200 innings for the first
time and ranks second in the NL with a 2.45 ERA.BENCH QUESTIONSAtlanta has been
waiting for Adam Duvall, who went 1-for-3 Sunday, to seize the role as the
team’s primary source of right-handed power off the bench. But he’s been a bust,
hitting .104 with no RBIs in 31 games, a span 48 at-bats, since coming over in a
trade with Cincinnati.DROUGHT ENDSSanchez got his first hit since April
9
Roger Clemens Jersey , 2014, a span of 54 at-bats, with a single in the third. He crossed first base with his arms in the air as the Braves’ dugout
celebrated.ATTENDANCEThe Braves, playing their last regular-season home game,
announced 2,555,782 tickets sold. Their home average of 31,519 fans ranks 12th
in the majors in just the second season at SunTrust Park. The Braves have been
better on the road (45-30) than at home (43-38).UP NEXTPhillies RHP Zach Eflin
(11-7, 4.09 ERA) will try to win his third straight start as Philadelphia opens
a four-game series Monday at Colorado. The Braves are off Monday and begin a
three-game series Tuesday at the New York Mets with RHP Touki Toussaint (2-1,
4.30 ERA) on the mound. MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich beat out a throw at
first to narrowly avoid a double play that allowed the winning run to score in
the ninth.Game over, but the jubilant Yelich kept going — and turned across the
outfield — before the rest of the happy Milwaukee Brewers finally caught up with
him in short left.Yelich’s fielder’s choice with the bases loaded in the ninth
allowed Keon Broxton to score from third, and the Brewers opened an important
three-game series with the Chicago Cubs with a 4-3 win Monday.The .315 hitter
hit a 1-2 fastball from Jesse Chavez at diving third baseman Kris Bryant, who
touched third for the second out of the ninth before firing to first. The speedy
Yelich reached safely just before the throw landed in the glove of the
outstretched Anthony Rizzo.“It’s fun,” manager Craig Counsell said. “They might
not be saying the same thing but it was a game with some great plays and a lot
of individual efforts.”The second-place Brewers, looking to make the playoffs
for the first time since 2011
Justin Smoak Jersey , pulled within four games of the NL Central-leading Cubs.The Brewers took advantage of wildness by Cubs reliever Steve Cishek (4-3),
who loaded the bases with a walk, passed ball and two hit batters. It set up the
game-winning fielder’s choice by Yelich, the reigning National League Player of
the Week.“I saw him catch it and I saw him go to third, so I just started
busting it, man,” Yelich said.And they got to the Cubs’ bullpen for a second
straight inning.Milwaukee tied the score 3-3 after pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas
drew a four-pitch walk with two outs in the eighth from Carl Edwards Jr. during
an at-bat in which home-plate umpire Gabe Morales ejected two Cubs. Manager Joe
Maddon got tossed after the count went to 2-0; Edwards got the boot during a
pitching change in which he was being lifted anyway from the game.“It’s
borderline. Listen, I’m defending my player there. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong as a
manager, but you’ve got to defend your player right there,” Maddon said.Anthony
Rizzo hit a two-out, two-run homer off tough left-hander Josh Hader in the
eighth.Jeremy Jeffress (8-1) got the win after pitching a scoreless top of the
ninth.FIRST OR HOME?Maddon said he was fine with Bryant’s decision to throw to
first to try to get Yelich instead of home to get the equally speedy
Broxton.“But it shouldn’t even get to that point. Listen, we played a wonderful
game. We walked too many people,” Maddon said.Broxton said he was ready for a
play at the plate, even though Bryant had to dive to make the initial stop.“I
guess he thought he had a better chance to turn a double play
http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-marco-estrada-jersey ,” Broxton said. “But, yeah I’m definitely surprised. I would think he would want
to go home with it and try to save the game.”YELICH’S RUNThe outfielder extended
his on-base streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the National
League.RIZZO RULESRizzo finished 3 of 4, including his 24th homer of the year.
It was also the first homer by a left-handed hitter off of Hader.“What is
really? That’s cool. He’s tough, he is the best, one of the best,” Rizzo
said.TRAINER’S ROOMCubs: SS Addison Russell went 1 for 3 in making his first
start since being activated off the disabled list on Saturday for injuries to
his left middle finger and right shoulder. Russell left the game as part of a
double switch in the seventh. While Russell did not have a rehab assignment the
minors, Maddon said he was working him in as if he were on a rehab assignment.
The shortstop entered the previous two games as a pinch-hitter and defensive
replacement.Brewers: The team is practically back to full strength for the first
time in a while with starter Zach Davies back. He allowed four hits and a run in
five strong innings, striking out seven in his first start since late May after
being sidelined with right rotator cuff inflammation.UP NEXTCubs: LHP Mike
Montgomery (4-4) is 1-6 with a 5.24 ERA in 14 career appearances against
Milwaukee, including five starts.Brewers: Opponents are batting just .234 off
LHP Wade Miley (2-2), who is 4-2 with a 4.47 ERA in seven career starts against
the Cubs.
