Atlanta Braves Clippings

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Braves.com

Braves' offense held in check by Marlins

By Mark Bowman and Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | 12:46 AM ET

ATLANTA -- Justin Nicolino completed seven scoreless innings and received some comfort courtesy of a Justin Bour three-run home run that allowed the Marlins to cruise to a 7-1 win over the Braves on Tuesday night at Turner Field.

Nicolino scattered six hits while subduing a Braves club that has tallied just one run through the first 18 innings of this three-game series. The Marlins scored a pair of first-inning runs against spot starter Manny Banuelos and Bour, who was given a rare start against a left-handed pitcher, capped a four-run seventh inning with the three-run shot he hit off right-handed reliever Ryan Kelly.

"I started off a little shaky," Nicolino said. "The command of my fastball wasn't where it needed to be. I made a few pitches where the defense picked me up."

Banuelos was limited to just 52 pitches because he of the limited workload he had compiled since being placed on the disabled list on July 28 with a bone spur in his left elbow. Sugar Ray Marimon entered with two outs in the third inning and kept the Marlins scoreless until the seventh inning began with a Dee Gordon single and Christian Yelich double.

The Braves have lost 14 of their past 15 games and now sit just a half-game in front of the fourth-place Marlins and 1 1/2 games ahead of the last-place Phillies in the National League East standings.

"All you can control is your effort and your intensity and what you bring every day," Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "We're trying to do that. We all know where we stand. It's tough, but we'll be here tomorrow."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Double plays, twice as effective: Nicolino was able to squirm out of trouble courtesy of three double plays over the first five innings. He had two on in the first, but got Nick Swisher to bounce into a 6-4-3 DP. And in the third, after loading the bases with no outs, Bour made one of his best defensive plays of the season. Bour made a diving catch at first base to rob Cameron Maybin. He then sprinted to first to double up Nick Markakis. In the fifth inning, Daniel Castro bounced into a 5-4-3 DP after Jace Peterson's leadoff single.

"That for me is pitching," manager Dan Jennings said. "Executing a pitch to get a ground ball when you need it. J.B.'s play, that was a great play there, the dive. The double plays, we've seen that this year. Our guys have been able to do that, the crucial plays. Knowing the defense is there for you, it gives the pitcher the confidence to go in, make pitches and get the ground balls."

Olivera's debut: Braves third baseman Hector Olivera went hitless while recording four plate appearances in his much-anticipated Major League debut. Olivera grounded out in his first two plate at-bats and then followed A.J. Pierzynski's leadoff single with a strikeout in the seventh inning. The 30-year-old Cuban who was acquired from the Dodgers on July 30 lined out to end the eighth inning after Pierzynski had scoredFreddie Freeman with his second single of the night.

Bour's clinching blast: As part of their evaluation process, the Marlins intend to give Bour starts against lefties. The first baseman was in the lineup again with Banuelos getting the nod. Bour walked in the first inning. But in the seventh inning off Kelly, Bour broke the game open with a three-run homer. The drive was his third homer of the road trip, as he belted two at Washington over the weekend. Statcast™ projected the home run at 450 feet with an exit velocity of 112 mph. Bour has eight RBIs on the road trip.

"He had a nice at-bat, fouled off some pitches, got the fastball and, wow, that ball was crushed," manager Dan Jennings said.

Banuelos' return: Banuelos was forced into this spot start because Shelby Miller was pushed up a day to account for the viral symptoms that prevented Mike Foltynewicz from starting on Monday. Banuelos had made just two, two-inning rehab appearances over the past month. The Braves will likely send him to the mound again on Sunday in Washington, D.C.

"This is just his first start back in the big leagues," Gonzalez said. "We didn't expect anything more. We were hoping for clean innings. We were hoping for three solid innings. But, he's healthy and he'll go on to his next start."

QUOTABLE "This is an audition for the young pitchers. The guys that are stepping up and taking advantage of the opportunities will certainly be the frontrunners going into 2016." --Jennings, on Nicolino making a case for 2016 rotation

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Gordon stole two bases on Tuesday, giving him 47 on the season, which is one shy of matching Luis Castillo (48 in 2002) for the ninth most by a Marlin in a season. The franchise record is 65 by Juan Pierre in 2003.

REPLAY REVIEW The Braves were unsuccessful with the challenge they issued after Cole Gillespie was ruled safe on Marimon's pickoff attempt in the third inning. Though some angles appeared to show Freeman tagged Gillespie before he got back to the bag, the call stood.

WHAT'S NEXT Marlins: The Marlins wrap up their six-game road trip, and three-game set with the Braves, at 12:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday. In the matinee, rookie left-hander Adam Conley (2-1, 4.96) makes his sixth big league start.

Braves: Atlanta will counter with Williams Perez, who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett when Foltynewicz was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday night with costochondritis (an inflamed chest wall). Perez was sent to Gwinnett after Friday's rough outing against the Yankees left him with a 9.87 ERA in his past six starts.

Patience needed as Olivera tries to maximize potential

Third baseman makes debut vs. Marlins; four others promoted Tuesday

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:28 AM ET

ATLANTA -- Instead of rushing their new prized possession to the Major League level, the Braves allowed Hector Olivera to spend all of August recovering from a hamstring strain and indoctrinating himself to professional baseball in the United States. But they are now hoping the 30-year-old Cuban begins showing glimpses of why they paid such a steep price for him.

Olivera got his first taste of the big leagues and began his reign as Atlanta's third baseman of the future during Tuesday night's 7-1 loss to the Marlins at Turner Field. His 0-for-4 debut provided indication that it might take some time for him to live up to the expectations that have been placed on him.

"Today, I reached my dream," Olivera said through an interpreter. "I'm finally here. I finally realized it. If I continue, I'll start getting better. But today, overall, was a good performance and good effort. I want to build on it."

Along with Olivera, the Braves also promoted right-hander Manny Banuelos, shortstop Daniel Castro, and right-handed relievers Brandon Cunniff and Danny Burawa from Triple-A Gwinnett as Major League rosters expanded on Monday.

Though they will have to continue providing him the same patience afforded other rookies, the Braves undoubtedly are feeling some enhanced pressure as they introduced Olivera to their fans. They mortgaged their future by obtaining this unproven talent in a July 30 trade that sent their top prospect Jose Peraza and a controllable, proven starter Alex Wood to the Dodgers.

Just four months earlier, Olivera was a top international free agent who received a six-year, $62.5 million deal from the Dodgers.

"It might take a couple of weeks before we know what this guy is really all about," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "But I do think we'll see something good."

Olivera's debut provided some mixed results. After missing a grounder to his left in Miami's two-run first inning, he made a nice diving grab of Marcell Ozuna's sharp grounder in the seventh inning. Between a weak grounder in the second inning and a seventh-inning strikeout, he sandwiched a hard-hit groundout that at least showed some of the power potential the Braves have advertised. Olivera also flied out to center in the eighth.

"I thought he was fine," Gonzalez said. "I thought he made some nice passes at the ball and I thought he made some nice plays defensively. This is the first time he's ever played in the big leagues, so I think he did a nice job."

Olivera batted just .231 with a .286 on-base percentage and three extra-base hits (all doubles) in the nine Minor League rehab games he played for Triple-A Gwinnett over the past two weeks. His struggles could be attributed to the hamstring strain that limited him to six Rookie Level games from June 21 until Aug. 12.

Or maybe it should just be remembered that he entered Tuesday having totaled just 98 plate appearances above the Class A level. There is a chance that he will not be at peak performance until he has a chance to complete this season and go through a full Spring Training next year.

But that doesn't change the fact that many eyes will be on him over the next few weeks attempting to gain a better sense of why the Braves were willing to give up so much to bring him to Atlanta.

"I don't think I'm 100 percent quite yet, but I'm close," Olivera said. "Within these next few days, I think I'll be where I need to be."

Foltynewicz placed on DL; Perez starts Wednesday

Rookie right-hander out with chest ailment

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | September 1st, 2015

ATLANTA -- The Braves placed Mike Foltynewicz on the 15-day disabled list following Tuesday night's 7-1 loss to the Marlins with costochondritis (inflammation of the chest wall). This move allowed them to recall Williams Perez from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Wednesday afternoon's series finale against the Marlins.

Foltynewicz was scheduled to start on Monday before he arrived at Turner Field with a fever and viral symptoms. After he was further evaluated on Tuesday, the Braves determined that he needed at least another week to rest.

Because Perez had just been optioned to Gwinnett on Saturday, the only way he could have been activated before Sept. 8 was if he was taking the roster spot of a player who was placed on the disabled list.

The Braves had been toying with the idea to send Edwin Jackson to the mound to start Wednesday afternoon's game. But because Jackson's recent workload would have limited him to just three innings, the Braves opted instead to gamble on Perez, who had posted a 9.87 ERA in his past six starts.

Sims among Braves prospects headed to Fall League

Club's No. 7 prospect one of 7 set to play for Peoria Javelinas

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman |

ATLANTA -- Now that Lucas Sims has made the successful jump to the Double-A level, the Braves right-hander will have a chance to compete against some of baseball's other top prospects during this year's Arizona Fall League.

Sims, the Braves' No. 7 prospect according to MLB.com, will be one of seven Braves Minor Leaguers who will play for the Peoria Javelinas when the AFL begins on Oct. 21. Atlanta's other representatives include outfielder Connor Lien, middle infielder Johan Camargo, catcher Joseph Odum and three pitchers -- Mauricio Cabrera, Daniel Winkler and Andrew Thurman.

Before being involved in bus crash with his Class A Carolina teammates in May, Sims was starting to show why the Braves selected him in the first round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. A hip injury suffered in the crash sidelined him for six weeks. But he earned a promotion to Double-A Mississippi in July and quickly made a successful adjustment to the enhanced level.

Sims has produced a 3.54 ERA and recorded 49 strikeouts in the 40 2/3 innings he has completed for Mississippi. During his past five starts, the 21-year-old right-hander posted a 1.55 ERA and limited opponents to a .153 batting average.

Though Mike Foltynewicz and Rio Ruiz were the heralded returns gained from the Astros in exchange for Evan Gattis in January, the Braves were also happy the package included Thurman, 23, the Braves' No. 18th prospect.

Camargo, the Braves' 20th-best prospect, is a slick-fielder shortstop who has shown some offensive improvement while playing for Carolina this season.

Cabrera hasn't garnered as much attention as the Braves have stocked their pipeline with many other highly-regarded young pitchers over the past year. But the 21-year-old right-hander, who ranks as Atlanta's 21st-best prospect, has continued to show he has the potential to be a reliable late-inning reliever.

Winkler missed all of this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he will almost certainly begin next year in Atlanta's bullpen because of the requirements that accompanied him being selected in last year's Rule 5 Draft.

Marlins turn to Conley in finale of road trip in Atlanta

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | September 1st, 2015

A bruised right knee isn't keeping Christian Yelich out of the lineup. A week ago, it didn't seem like the Marlins left fielder would play at all during the six-game road trip. After starting on Tuesday night, the 23-year-old is ready to contribute however possible.

The question on Wednesday will be if Yelich's knee is holding up enough to make a 12:10 p.m. ET start in the series finale with the Braves at Turner Field. Before Tuesday, Yelich hadn't started since Aug. 26.

Both teams are battling for third place in the National League East. While they're aiming to finish strong, each squad is using September to evaluate. Atlanta on Tuesday got its first look at third base prospect Hector Olivera, the Cuban native who was acquired in late July from the Dodgers. Olivera went 0-for-4 in his Major League debut on Tuesday.

The Marlins are sending rookie left-hander Adam Conley (2-1, 4.96 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. Atlanta counters with Williams Perez (4-5, 5.56), who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett after Tuesday's game when Mike Foltynewicz was placed on the disabled list with costochondritis (an inflamed chest wall). Perez was sent to Gwinnett after Friday's rough outing against the Yankees left him with a 9.87 ERA in his past six starts.

Things to know about this game

• With Atlanta's Andrelton Simmons battling some right ankle discomfort, Daniel Castro will likely make his second straight start at shortstop. As Castro has spent most of this season with Triple-A Gwinnett, he has strengthened his reputation as a slick-fielding defender. But he's also had some good at-bats in the big leagues.

• Ichiro Suzuki, who had 24 hits in August, was given a breather from the starting lineup for Miami on Tuesday. Ichiro is one triple shy of tying Yutaka Fukumoto for the career mark for a Japanese player (115).

• Perez, who has lost five consecutive decisions, is winless since picking up the win on June 20 against the Mets.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after loss to Marlins

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after their 7-1 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday at Turner Field.

FREDI GONZALEZ

On trend of falling behind early

“It hurts because you want to score some runs. We had first and second in the first, double-play ball. We had bases loaded in the third and he wiggled out of that one. We couldn’t get anything going.”

On if he got what he expected out of Manny Banuelos

“Yeah, I think so. This was his first start coming back in the major leagues from his injury. We didn’t expect anything more. We were hoping we would get clean innings, but we were hoping we would get three solid innings from him. He’s healthy and we will go on from his next start.”

On Sugar Ray Marimon pitching 3 1/3 innings

“Real big. And I was impressed with Dan Burawa coming in. He threw the ball well. He threw the ball over the plate. I went in to watch it on TV a little bit and the ball had some sink and a pretty good slider. That was a nice couple innings watching that young man pitching.”

On the lineup battling

“It does. We get bases loaded and (Cameron) Maybin hits a rocket down the line there and (Justin) Bour makes a terrific play, really.”

On what he saw from Hector Olivera in debut

“I will answer that today because today was his first day (but) I don’t want it to be the Olivera watch every time he plays. The kid has enough things on his plate without doing that. I thought he was fine. I saw some good passes at the ball. I thought he made a couple nice plays defensively. Remember, this is the first time he’s ever played in the big leagues. I think he did a nice job, he did fine.”

HECTOR OLIVERA (via interpreter)

On what he thought about the pitching

“It looked like big league pitching. It’s the very best pitchers in the world in major league baseball. The pitchers here are not pushovers.”

On his performance

“I felt good during the game. I feel I gave a solid effort. As the days progress, I will get better. It’s just building some confidence as I go forward.”

On his emotions

“Today I reached my dream. I’m here. I finally realized it. As I continue I will start getting better. Overall today was a good effort but I want to build on it, of course.”

A.J. PIERZYNSKI

On Manny Banuelos

“He hadn’t had a bunch of rehab outings. He just looked a little rusty. It’s hard when you are on a limited pitch count and you haven’t been out there to just get thrown in a big league game, it’s not easy. He made some good pitches but he made some mistakes there in the first inning and fell behind some guys. The second inning was good. The third inning I thought he was OK. He was rusty but next time it will be better.”

On having chances against Marlins starter Justin Nicolino

“Cam hits that ball and if it goes down the right-field line it’s 3-3 and here we go. Instead, he hits it right to the first baseman. You can’t control that. All you can do is control your effort and your intensity and what you bring every day. We are trying to do. We all know where we stand. It’s tough. But we’ll be here tomorrow.”

Braves lose seventh straight

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Even as they started making their run at becoming the worst team in the National League, the Braves could count on beating the Marlins.

Check that off the list of things the Braves can’t do anymore.

The Marlins pounded their patchwork pitching and the Braves had no response in a 7-1 loss on Tuesday at Turner Field. The Braves lost their seventh consecutive game and 14th in their past 15.

The Braves are 12-36 since they were 42-42 on July 7. Three of those victories were against the Marlins at Turner Field last month, but this time the visitors secured their first series against the Braves in five tries this season.

The series concludes on Wednesday and the teams will meet later this month in Miami, where the Braves are 6-0 this season. Maybe by then the Braves can figure out a way to end their recent string of all-systems failures.

The Braves couldn’t do anything against Marlins starter Justin Nicolino, who held them to no runs and six hits over seven innings. Their pitchers put them in an early hole. Their fans couldn’t get excited.

At least the Braves had a good explanation for the slipshod pitching this time. Manny Banuelos made a spot start after Mike Foltynewicz missed his turn on Monday and forced Shelby Miller to move up his start a day.

Banuelos (elbow) was activated from the disabled list after he pitched two innings in each of his two starts at Triple-A Gwinnett. In the best-case scenario manager Fredi Gonzalez was hoping to get four innings from Banuelos but that was pretty much was out of the question once he faced seven batters in the first inning.

Singles by Christian Yelich and Martin Prado and Justin Bour’s walk loaded the bases. The Marlins went up 2-0 on Marcell Ozuna’s single and Cole Gillespie’s fielder’s choice ground out.

Banuelos faced four batters in the second inning without allowing a run. Banuelos retired the first two hitters in the third before Ozuna doubled and Gillespie hit an RBI single to chase him.

“He just looked a little rusty,” Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “It’s hard when you are on a limited pitch count and you haven’t been out there. To just get thrown in a big league game, it’s not easy. He made some good pitches but he made some mistakes there in the first inning and fell behind some guys. The second inning was good. The third inning I thought he was OK. He was rusty but next time it will be better.”

Following the game, the Braves placed Foltynewicz on the 15-day disabled list with rib cartilage inflammation. Williams Perez will be called up from Gwinnett to start against the Marlins on Wednesday.

Sugar Ray Marimon replaced Banuelos and made it to the seventh inning without allowing a run before Yelich hit an RBI double. After Marimon walked Prado he gave way to Ryan Kelly, who gave up a three-run homer to Bour that put the Marlins ahead 7-0.

The Braves had a prime chance to trim their 3-0 deficit when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning. But Cameron Maybin smacked a hard line drive that went right at first baseman Bour, who snagged it and doubled Markakis off of first base. Freddie Freeman followed with a ground out to end the inning.

“Cam hits that ball and if it goes down the right-field line it’s 3-3 and here we go,” Pierzynski said. “Instead, he hits it right to the first baseman. You can’t control that. All you can do is control your effort and your intensity and what you bring every day. We are trying to do that. We all know where we stand. It’s tough, but we’ll be here tomorrow.”

Braves third baseman Hector Olivera went 0-for-4 in his first game in the majors. The Braves acquired Olivera in a trade with the Dodgers in a July 30 trade.

“Today I reached my dream,” Olivera said through an interpreter. “I’m here. I finally realized it. As I continue I will start getting better. Overall today was a good effort but I want to build on it, of course.”

Marlins 7, Braves 1

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A recap of the Braves’ loss to the Florida Marlins on Tuesday at Turner Field.

How the game was won: The Braves couldn’t pitch or hit effectively while losing 7-1 to the Marlins.The Braves lost their seventh consecutive game and 14th in their past 15. Manny Banuelos allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings. He made a spot start after Mike Foltynewicz (ill) missed his start on Monday and forced Shelby Miller to move his turn in the rotation up one day. Marlins first baseman Justin Bour smashed a three-run homer against Braves reliever Ryan Kelly in the seventh inning for a 7-0 lead.

Number: 14. Braves players to make their big-league debuts this season after infielder Hector Olivera did so on Tuesday.

Next: The Braves play the Marlins at 12:10 Wednesday on SunSport. Braves TBA vs. Marlins LHP Adam Conley.

Olivera makes anticipated debut with Braves

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Perhaps not since Jason Heyward joined the team to start the 2010 season has a Braves player’s debut been as anticipated as Hector Olivera’s arrival.

The wait is finally over. Olivera was among the players the Braves added when rosters expanded on Tuesday and he arrives with more expectations and scrutiny than the typical prospect making his big-league debut in September.

Olivera, 30, was in the lineup at third base for the game against the Marlins on Tuesday.

“I’m aware of the fans but the fans are coming out to see the whole club, not just me,” Olivera said through an interpreter. “I am going to do everything possible to make everybody happy and help this team win.”

The Braves acquired Olivera as the centerpiece in a July 30 trade in which they sent the Dodgers effective left-handed starter Alex Wood, lefty reliever Luis Avilan and top prospect Jose Peraza. Braves president of baseball operations John Hart touted Olivera as the “first building block” of the team’s retooled offense.

After recovering from a hamstring injury Olivera played 24 games in the Braves’ minor-league system. Manager Fredi Gonzalez expects Olivera to be successful in the final month because he likes his character but cautioned that it may take time.

“You just never know until you run somebody out there and let him play,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully it’s only a couple days and you go, ‘Wow, that’s what we traded for.’ It may take two or three weeks until we start seeing what this guy can really do.”

Gonzalez said the plan is to give Olivera regular playing time over the final 31 games.

Olivera defected from Cuba in September and major league baseball declared him a free agent in March. The Braves are among several teams the Dodgers outbid to sign Olivera. The Braves owe him about $32 million on a contract that runs for five more seasons after 2015.

Injuries have limited Olivera to 35 games this year. In 14 games at Gwinnett he hit .231 (9-for-39) with a .286 on-base percentage and .308 slugging percentage.

Olivera said the hamstring no longer is an issue but he’s “not quite 100 percent” in terms of his timing. He said he’ll be up to speed within the next few days.

“With the injury and being out, it was like I was catching up,” he said. “But now I’m ready to start get going and let it carry on to the off season and then be ready in spring training to start with everybody.”

Gonzalez said Olivera should benefit from having three coaches who speak Spanish on the bench during games: Gonzalez, bench coach Carlos Tosca and assistant hitting coach Jose Castro.

Olivera said it helps that he’ll be teammates with Braves utility player Adonis Garcia, who he’s known since they were about 13-years old. Olivera and Garcia played on the Cuban national team at the Pan-American Games when they were 16.

“It’s a great benefit for me to have Adonis here,” Olivera said. “He’s a very good friend a very good ballplayer with a lot of tools. Since he’s been here first, having Adonis with that experience is only going to help me because we are so close.”

Ex-Yanks pitcher Burawa among Braves call-ups

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Right-hander Dan Burawa was among the players the Braves added to their expanded roster from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. The Braves claimed Burawa off waivers on Aug. 14 after the Yankees had designated him for assignment.

Burawa, 26, made his big-league debut with the Yankees on June 21 and allowed four earned runs in 2/3 innings in what would be his only appearance. Burawa had a 2.08 ERA in 4 1/3 innings pitched for Gwinnett after he’d posted a 2.55 ERA in 49 1/3 innings for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate.

In addition to Burawa, the Braves called up four other players on the first day of expanded rosters: left-hander Manny Banuelos, infielder Daniel Castro, right-hander Brandon Cunniff and infielder Hector Olivera.

Banuelos was activated from the disabled list and started against the Marlins on Tuesday. He made his majors debut with the Braves in July and was 5-4 with a 2.49 ERA before going on the DL with left elbow inflammation.

Castro has had two previous stints with the Braves this season while Cunniff began the season in the Braves’ bullpen before landing on the DL and later heading to Gwinnett.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he didn’t anticipate more call-ups unless there’s an injury.

Fall ball: The Braves assigned seven players to the Arizona Fall League: right-handers Mauricio Cabrera, Lucas Sims, Andrew Thurman, and Daniel Winkler; catcher Joseph Odom; infielder Johan Camargo, and outfielder Connor Lien.

Winkler will make his debut in the Braves’ organization. The team selected the former Rockies prospect in the Rule 5 draft in December and he hasn’t pitched this season while recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery.

Simmons sits: Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons was out of the lineup for a second straight game Tuesday because of a sore right ankle. He was a late scratch for Monday’s game and manager Fredi Gonzalez said his status is day-to-day.

Wednesday’s game: vs. Marlins

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Where: Turner Field

When: 12:10 p.m.

TV; radio: SPSO; 680, 93.7, 106.7

Probable starting pitchers: TBA vs. LH Adam Conley (2-1, 4.96 ERA)

What’s new: Mike Foltynewicz’s illness forced Shelby Miller to pitch a day early in Monday’s spot and Manny Banuelos into Tuesday’s spot against the Marlins. That likely leaves a bullpen approach for the series finale against the Marlins, perhaps with somebody like Edwin Jackson starting it off and Sugar Ray Marimon getting extended innings. It also means extra innings for an already taxed Braves bullpen. The club’s five September call-ups — Hector Olivera, Brandon Cunniff, Daniel Castro, Dan Burawa and Manny Banuelos — bring the number of players used this season for the Braves to 56, well past their franchise record of 50 used in 2007.

-Carroll Rogers Walton

UPCOMING

Thursday: at Nationals, 7:05 p.m.

Friday: at Nationals, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday: at Nationals, 7:05 p.m.

Sunday: at Nationals, 1:35 p.m.

Monday: at Phillies, 7:05 p.m.

Fox Sports South

Expectations remain high as Braves rookie Olivera breaks into majors

Zach Dillard

ATLANTA -- Hector Olivera's first steps on the Turner Field grass were shadowed by a crescent moon of reporters and cameramen, tools of the trade documenting his every movement. Hours before his highly anticipated MLB debut on Tuesday night, the Atlanta Braves' third baseman, a 30-year-old Cuban talent the front office took an expensive gamble on at the trade deadline in July, was the expected center of attention.

He's big news for a franchise searching for answers.

Olivera's opening act, though, was quiet --” forgettable even. He failed to reach base in four plate appearances, rarely making solid contact and striking out in the seventh inning of Atlanta's 7-1 loss to Miami. Mix in a hard-hit grounder and some quality defensive plays and thus started a month-long period of scrutiny, a 31-game glimpse into the team's future production at third. He left ample room for improvement.

It's been a whirlwind experience for Olivera in the U.S. and the weight of expectations placed on his shoulders -- the pending middle-of-the-order protection for Freddie Freeman in the lowest-scoring lineup in baseball over the past two seasons -- only adds pressure to the situation. If Atlanta is going to push toward playoff relevancy in 2016, many pieces, including Olivera, need to fall into place.

"You just never knew how it’s going to play out here in the big leagues. Nobody knows that," said manager Fredi Gonzalez, who helped add a dose of drama to Olivera's debut by leaving him off the initial lineup card only to add him minutes later. "You watch him tryout, you watch him in workouts and you see the swing and you say, ‘OK, the swing is going to work in the big leagues. He’s going to hit.’ But you just never know until you run somebody out here and let him play.

"Shoot, hopefully it’s only a couple days and you watch him and you go, ‘Wow, that’s what we signed him for, that’s what we traded for him for.’ But it may take two, three weeks.”

There are many factors that set Olivera apart from the prototypical September call-up, not the least of which is his age. Though he's signed through the 2020 season, at 30 years old, time may not be on his side.

In a general sense, the longtime Cuban National Series standout is already well into a baseball player's average prime, meaning there's some immediacy to what the Braves need to see out of their biggest deadline acquisition, if not this month then certainly starting in 2016. Then there's the money, a six-year, $62.5 million contract. And though the deep-pocketed Los Angeles Dodgers handled the $28 million signing bonus, money isn't the only cost worth considering for Atlanta: By giving up Alex Wood, one of the most productive young left-handers in baseball, and speedy position prospect Jose Peraza, the Braves bet big on Olivera.

The early minor-league returns were not promising.

After torching opposing prospects in the Dodgers' system, Olivera hasn't hit at rookie ball, Single-A or Triple-A over the past few weeks. He finished his stint with Gwinnett hitting .231/.286/.308 in 42 plate appearances; by comparison, light-hitting catcher Christian Bethancourt roughly doubled that production in his time in Triple-A.

Olivera's 0 for 4 debut continued the trend.

"Every day was a process, but the days I spent in Gwinnett I felt like every day was better than the previous," Olivera said through his translator, Alex Cotto. "I started feeling a lot better. I feel like I’m ready to be here and start contributing to the club."

Two weeks ago, Triple-A Gwinnett hitting coach John Moses was quick to point out that it will take time for the third baseman to find a comfort zone. He's dealt with injuries -- he was sidelined with a hamstring problem earlier this season and rumors of the potential need for Tommy John surgery have followed him since before he signed for a major-league club -- and he hasn't stayed in one place for more than 31 games this year.

The question revolving around this entire process: Will one month, especially the first month of a player's MLB career, offer a fair and accurate evaluation?

The Braves are banking on their personnel to help ease the adjustment period.

As Gonzalez stressed, there are five coaches on staff (Gonzalez, bench coach Carlos Tosca, bullpen coach Eddie Perez, assistant hitting coach Jose Castro and assistant Horacio Ramirez) and nine teammates that speak Spanish, including Olivera's former teammate Adonis Garcia -- the two started playing together at 16 years old as a part of Cuba's Pan American national team. Gonzalez visited with Olivera multiple times while he worked out in the Dominican Republic this offseason, and has remained in touch since the trade was completed. It was clear, from the very beginning, that the Braves coveted his bat.

“I think he feels comfortable here. There’s three guys in the dugout that speak Spanish. Right away that has to feel good for him," Gonzalez said. "His interpreter came in (to my office), and I’m going, ‘Interpreter?’ … I told (Cotto) to take two or three hours off during the game and we’ll take care of him.”

One game into his major-league career, longterm evaluations are tricky. Olivera still remains a bit of a mystery.

Expecting him to pick up where fellow Cuban imports like Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig, Jose Abreu or Jose Fernandez -- instant stars that dominated out of the gate --” left off is farfetched, yet the franchise should want to see results sooner rather than later. The second-guessing will persist regardless of results (the age, the injury history, the cost of acquisition, etc.), but some late-season production from their new third baseman, a position that has witnessed an ongoing carousel of candidates since Chipper Jones' retirement, could give the Braves a better idea of what they have heading into a pivotal offseason.

"I think that we'll see something good," Gonzalez said. "You know what I mean? We'll see something good."

Hector Olivera headlines Braves' September call-ups

Staff

The Atlanta Braves announced their September call-ups on Tuesday afternoon and 30-year-old third baseman Hector Olivera was the obvious headliner.

As the roster expands to close out the season, the franchise promoted Olivera, shortstop Daniel Castro, relievers Daniel Burawa and Brandon Cunniff and reinstated starting pitching Manny Banuelos from the 15-day disabled list.

Olivera, who was recently acquired in a three-team blockbuster trade with the Marlins and Dodgers, is expected to make his MLB debut during the Braves' series with the Marlins. The Cuban prospect bounced around two minor-league systems due to injuries and trades this season, and in his recent stint with Triple-A Gwinnett he hit .231/.286/.308 with five runs scored.

He is expected to handle the lion's share of third-base duties for Atlanta in September.

Banuelos, who was sidelined with elbow inflammation in late July, will immediately start against the Marlins on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old rookie has posted a 2.49 ERA in five appearances in 2015.

The Sports Xchange

Marlins crush Braves 7-1

By Stan Awtrey

ATLANTA — Rookie Justin Nicolino pitched seven scoreless innings, his fourth consecutive quality start, and the Miami Marlins notched a 7-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday at Turner field.

Nicolino (3-2) scattered six hits, walked two and struck out three. It matched the seven scoreless innings he threw in his major league debut against Cincinnati on June 20.

The Marlins played some solid defense behind Nicolino, turning three double plays. Miami turned 13 double plays during the 44 innings thrown by the left-hander this season.

Erik Cordier allowed a run in the eighth to break a 17-inning scoreless streak for Miami pitchers. He allowed three straight hits after retiring the first two outs, with catcher A.J. Pierzynski getting an RBI single.

Andre Rienzo pitched a scoreless ninth for the Marlins.

Manny Banuelos (1-3) was the losing pitcher.

The loss was the seventh straight for Atlanta, which has dropped 14 of its last 15. The Marlins drew to within a half game of the third-place Braves.

The Marlins scored three runs off emergency Atlanta starter Manny Banuelos, who came off the disabled list and worked 2 2/3 innings. Banuelos had pitched only four innings over two rehab assignments and was not expected to work more than three innings. Banuelos (1-3) allowed six hits and one walk.

Miami scored two in the first inning when center fielder Marcell Ozuna lined an RBI single to center field and right fielder Cole Gillespie drove home a run with a fielder’s choice.

The Marlins scored again in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. Ozuna doubled and Gillespie drove him in with a single to center field.

The Marlins put the game away by scoring four times in the seventh inning. Left fielder Christian Yelich doubled home second baseman Dee Gordon, who had opened the inning with a walk. Third baseman Martin Prado walked, which led to the removal of reliever Sugar Ray Marimon.

Atlanta reliever Ryan Kelly entered the game and was greeted by first baseman Justin Bour’s long three-run homer, his 15th. Rookie Dan Burawa pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four, in his Braves debut.

Hector Olivera, the 30-year-old rookie that was the centerpiece of a trade with the Dodgers last month, made his major league debut for the Braves. He started at third base and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

NOTES: The Braves activated LHP Manny Banuelos from the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Dan Burawa, INF Daniel Castro, RHP Brandon Cunniff and 3B Hector Olivera from Triple-A Gwinnett. Olivera, the major piece of the trade that sent LHP Alex Wood and INF Jose Peraza to the Dodgers, has been trying to come back from a hamstring injury and is expected to play third base almost full time for the rest of the year. Castro slid into the lineup to fill in for SS Andrelton Simmons, who missed his second straight game with a sore ankle. … Miami did not add any players when the rosters expanded but sent OF Giancarlo Stanton (broken left hand) and RHP Jose Urena (left knee contusion) to Class A Advanced Jupiter for rehab assignments. … Pitching assignments for the final game of the three-game series are Miami LHP Adam Conley (2-1, 4.96 ERA) against Atlanta RHP Edwin Jackson (2-2, 3.57). Jackson has pitched exclusively in relief this year but is being pressed into duty because RHP Mark Foltynewicz is ill and had to miss his scheduled turn.

Associated Press

Nicolino, Bour lead Marlins to 7-1 win over hapless Braves

By PAUL NEWBERRY (AP Sports Writer)

ATLANTA (AP) -- Justin Nicolino turned in another impressive performance, taking advantage of a team that can't seem to do anything right.

Nicolino pitched seven scoreless innings, Justin Bourhit a three-run homer, and the Miami Marlins beat the hapless Atlanta Braves again, winning 7-1 Tuesday night.

For the rookie left-hander, it was the fourth straight start allowing two runs or less.

''I started off a little shaky,'' said Nicolino (3-2). ''The command of the fastball wasn't where it needed to be. But I made a few pitches where my defense picked me up.''

He shut down the Braves with help from a pair of double plays. Atlanta lost for the 14th time in 15 games, including the last seven in a row, but at least avoided its second straight shutout when A.J. Pierzynski drove in a run with a two-out single in the eighth off Erik Cordier.

''We all know where we stand,'' Pierzynski said. ''It's not fun. But we'll be here tomorrow.''

The Braves have been outscored 110-40 during their most recent skid. Manny Banuelos (1-3) got his first start in more than a month coming off the disabled list. He lasted 2 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and three runs.

Hector Olivera made his major league debut for the Braves. The touted Cuban defector went 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bour came up with a big defensive play and sealed the victory with a towering drive off Ryan Kelly into the Braves' bullpen, capping a four-run seventh that pushed the Marlins to a 7-0 lead. It was the first baseman's 15th homer of the season.

''Wow!'' manager Dan Jennings said. ''That ball was crushed.''

Nicolino surrendered six hits, walked two and struck out three. The Braves squandered a couple of chances to break through.

In the first, Atlanta put runners at first and third before Nick Swisher grounded into an inning-ending double play. The Braves loaded the bases with no outs in the third, only to get burned by Nick Markakis' base-running blunder. He broke for second on a liner down the line, which was snared by a diving Bour. He hopped up and raced to the bag before Markakis had any chance of getting back. Freddie Freeman ended the threat with a groundout.

SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS

In addition to activating Banuelos from the DL and calling up Olivera from Triple-A Gwinnett, the Braves promoted three other players from the top minor-league team: RHP Dan Burawa, RHP Brandon Cunniff and IF Daniel Castro.

All but Cunniff got into the game. Castro started at shortstop and went 1 for 3, doubling in the seventh. Burawa pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts in his second big league appearance.

The Marlins didn't call up anyone from the minors. Jennings noted that his team already had many of its top prospects on the roster.

TRAINERS ROOM

Marlins: LF Christian Yelich returned to the starting lineup for the first time in six games despite a sore right knee. He went 2 for 4 with an RBI. ... RFGiancarlo Stanton, who broke his left hand in late June, was set to make his first rehab appearance in Tuesday's doubleheader for Class A Jupiter.

Braves: SS Andrelton Simmons (sore right ankle) missed his second straight game. Manager Fredi Gonzalez doesn't think the injury is serious, listing Simmons as day to day.

UP NEXT

Marlins: LHP Adam Conley (2-1, 4.96 ERA) will be making his sixth start of his rookie season. In his only other appearance against Atlanta, giving up three runs in three innings of relief.

Braves: RHP Williams Perez (4-5, 5.56) will be looking to bounce back from the worst start of his short career. The rookie lasted just 1 2-3 innings against the New York Yankees, giving up eight earned runs in a 15-4 loss last Friday. He was sent briefly to the minors but will be called back up with the expanded rosters.

Marlins-Braves Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO (STATS Senior Writer)

The Atlanta Braves have no words to describe their lengthy slide.

Instead, they'll press on trying to avoid their first eight-game home skid in 27 years Wednesday against a Miami Marlins team that's looking to sweep its first road series of the season.

Not even the major league debut of touted Cuban Hector Olivera could help Atlanta (54-78) from falling for the 14th time in the last 15 games, 7-1 on Tuesday. After opening their nine-game homestand with a 5-3 win over Colorado, the Braves have been outscored 60-16 in the last seven.

They haven't dropped eight straight at home since opening 0-9 there in 1988. Miami (54-79), which last swept a series anywhere on the road at Houston in July of last season, hasn't done so at Turner Field since April 2009.

"We all know where we stand,'' said Braves catcherA.J. Pierzynski, who has done his part by going 7 for 17 with four RBIs in his last five games. ''It's not fun. But we'll be here (Wednesday).''

Atlanta didn't get much help from third baseman Olivera, who went 0 for 4 with a strikeout but remains optimistic.

"Overall, I thought it was a good performance, a good effort," he said. "I will continue to build on it, of course.

"This is the best pitching in the world. The pitchers here are not pushovers."

That hasn't been the case for Atlanta starters, who have a 7.02 ERA in the last seven contests.

The Braves will turn to rookie Williams Perez (4-5, 5.56 ERA), who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett after Mike Foltynewicz landed on the disabled list Tuesday with a chest issue. Atlanta has dropped the last seven starts made by Perez, who has a 9.08 ERA in those outings.

He was demoted to the minors after allowing eight runs, five hits and walking three in 1 2-3 innings of Friday's 15-4 loss to the New York Yankees. This will be the right-hander's first appearance against the Marlins, who counter with fellow rookie Adam Conley (2-1, 4.96 ERA).

The left-hander makes his first start against a Braves club he allowed three runs to in three innings of relief during a 9-8 loss Aug. 6. Conley yielded the same amount in five-plus innings of a 4-3 victory at Washington on Friday.

Teammate Justin Bour is 6 for 16 with three home runs and eight RBIs in the last four games.

After not making any call ups on the first day of September, the Marlins are expected to do so as the week goes on.

"We'll have some guys coming in starting (Wednesday)," manager Dan Jennings told MLB's official website. "Most of the guys who will be joining us are on rehab assignments now. Having those guys back will be a big boost for us. It will put us closer to full strength."

Though slugger Giancarlo Stanton is one of them, it's unlikely he'll return before Friday.

Dealing with a bruised knee, fellow outfielder Christian Yelich had two hits with a RBI in his first start since Aug. 26. He's batting .458 with five RBIs in his last six games against the Braves.

Cuban defector Hector Olivera joins Braves for final month

By PAUL NEWBERRY (AP Sports Writer)

ATLANTA (AP) -- In what is shaping up as their worst season since 1990, the Atlanta Braves at least have a little something to be excited about in the final month of the season.

Cuban defector Hector Olivera was called up for Tuesday's game against the Miami Marlins, looking to show he was worth the steep price the Braves paid to land him just before the deadline for non-waiver trades. The 30-year-old was batting sixth and playing third base in his major league debut at age 30.

''This is the first step, so there are some nerves,'' Olivera said through a translator, sitting in the dugout at Turner Field during batting practice. ''But I don't feel that nervous. I'm here now. It's time to get started.''

Olivera was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgersin a blockbuster, 13-player deal that also included the Marlins. The Braves showed just how much they valued the infielder, giving up starting pitcher Alex Wood, relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan, and top prospect Jose Peraza.

The Braves, who have focused on acquiring young pitching during a difficult rebuilding year, believe Olivera can eventually be a key offensive contributor. They tried to sign him before the season after he defected from Cuba, but he wound up going to the Dodgers for a six-year, $62.5 million contract that included a $28 million signing bonus.

Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez knows it's a bit of a gamble to give up so much for a player who had never been in the major leagues. Given his age and background, Olivera certainly isn't the typical rookie.

''You see the swing and say, 'That's going to work in the big leagues,''' Gonzalez said. ''But you just never know until you run him out there and he plays.''

Olivera has missed extensive time this season with a hamstring injury. He played only 19 games with three minor league teams while with the Dodgers, and got into 16 games with three more teams in Atlanta's organization after the trade. At Triple-A Gwinnett, he hit .231 with no homers and three RBIs in 10 games before getting the call to the majors.

''Every day felt like part of the process,'' he said. ''I'm not 100 percent quite yet, but I'm very close. I think in the next three days, I will be where I need to be.''

Olivera, who doesn't speak English, should have an easier transition with the Braves. Gonzalez speaks fluent Spanish, as do three of his coaches - Carlos Tosca, Eddie Perez and Jose Castro - and coaching assistant Horacio Ramirez. In addition, Olivera is close to Braves third basemanAdonis Garcia, another former player on the Cuban national team.

''It's only going to make it that much better for me because we are such good friends,'' Olivera said.

Gonzalez hasn't decided how much Olivera will play with the Braves, but he figures to get extensive time in the last 31 games. After all, Atlanta really has nothing to lose, going into Tuesday's contest mired in a six-game losing streak and having lost 13 of 14, dropping to 54-77 for the season.

Olivera said this is an important time to get some confidence and experience heading into 2016.

''A lot of players have already played over 100 games this season,'' he said. ''I'm catching up. I'm ready to get doing, carry that into the offseason, and be ready to go in spring training.''

NOTES: The Braves added four more players to the expanded roster, including LHP Manny Banuelos, who got the start Tuesday night with Mike Foltynewicz still battling a viral infection. Banuelos came off the disabled list after missing more than a month with left elbow inflammation. ... Atlanta called up RHP Dan Burawa, RHP Brandon Cunniff and IF Daniel Castro from Gwinnett, along with Olivera. ... Gonzalez said the only other player the Braves are likely to add over the final month is RHP Williams Perez, who was sent down after a dismal start against the Yankees last Friday.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

At ballparks, danger in the stands

Braves, Falcons refuse to detail safety precautions in new stadiums

By Dan Klepal and Leon Stafford - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A 13-year-old girl hit by a hockey puck in Columbus, Ohio. A firefighter who tumbled over knee-high railing at a baseball game in Arlington, Texas. A Tennessee man who fell over a 33-inch railing during a college football game inside the Georgia Dome.

And now, Greg “Ace” Murrey, a 60-year-old insurance agent who became the latest casualty inside America’s sporting arenas Saturday night, after he plummeted nearly 50 feet onto concrete steps at Turner Field.

The incomplete list of fan deaths doesn’t begin to address the number of people who have left ballparks, football stadiums, hockey arenas or NASCAR race tracks bloodied, bruised – or worse — after being struck by objects catapulted into the stands.

Turner Field, which has had three fatal falls since 2008, including one suicide, is a case study in grave injury. Additionally, a six-year-old girl’s skull was fractured in 30 places and she suffered traumatic brain injury in 2010 after being hit by a foul ball there.

The trail of blood and tears has led into courtrooms from Georgia to California, and has forced a broader conversation about the responsibilities of team ownership in keeping fans safe during one of this country’s most popular leisure activities – attending live sporting events.

Robert M. Gorman, co-author of a book detailing deaths in baseball stadiums, said the incidents of serious injury at ballparks far outnumber those involving death. The biggest danger, he said, are balls or bats flying into the stands.

A batted ball can travel at more than 100 mph, giving fans distracted with cell phones, loud music or mundane conversations little time to react, he said.

“If you look at the millions of people that go to games, the likelihood of a serious injury is limited. But why should anyone be injured?” Gorman said. “It’s like a product defect. If a car has a defect, the company has a recall to fix the problem.

“Baseball’s product defect is people being injured by balls or bats, and nobody is stepping in.”

Both the Braves and Falcons have new stadiums, partially funded with public money, that are under construction and scheduled to open in 2017. Officials from both teams refused to answer questions from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about how the new stadiums will be safer than their current facilities.

The Braves issued a four-paragraph statement Monday night related to Murrey’s death, but did not provide specifics other than to say fan safety is “paramount” and they work to ensure it by “ongoing planning and training” and by “maintaining and updating” safety equipment. The statement also said the team is working with its architects to “ensure SunTrust Park has effective safety protocols in place at the time of opening.”

A Braves spokesman initially told the AJC that team officials would respond to written questions, which were sent Monday. On Tuesday, the spokesman said the team would not comment.

Among the questions submitted to the Braves: what are railing heights planned in the new stadium compared to Turner Field; how far down the baselines will protective netting extend in the new stadium; is the team revisiting either of those issues as a result of the fatalities and injuries at Turner Field; and why the team installed safety netting in dugouts to protect players but not over dugouts to protect fans?

The Falcons also declined to comment about safety measures at their new $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The AJC had previously reported that the railing at the Georgia Dome — where the team currently plays — is 33 inches, or seven inches more than minimum heights dictated in the International Building Code. Minimum railing height on aisles is 42 inches, which the dome matches exactly.

Steven Adelman, a venue safety expert and Arizona attorney , said the code for railing height was set in 1927, and is inadequate for modern fans, who he said are bigger and more likely to stand, yell and react emotionally during games.

Witnesses said Murrey stood and lustily booed Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez before losing his balance in the second row and falling over the rail.

“It’s fair to say a standard that is almost 90 years old may not be enough,” Adelman said.

Questions about railing heights and safety nets are generally left up to stadium owners and can vary based on local or state ordinances, according to Benjamin Flowers, an associate professor in the school of architecture at Georgia Tech.

Some fans are resistant to safety netting because it limits their interactions with players or eliminates their ability to catch a foul ball, Flowers said.

“Every time you remind them of the safety features you remind them of the risk you are protecting them against,” he said.

The National Hockey League in 2003 required all arenas to install netting at either end of rinks, one year after Brittanie Nichole Cecil was hit in the temple by a puck and died.

But Major League Baseball has reacted much more slowly to the issue of fan deaths and injuries, said Nathaniel Grow, an associate professor of legal studies at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. Grow said that’s because courts have not held baseball teams liable for injuries to fans hit by balls or bats since at least 1913, under what is known as the “Baseball Rule.”

“Teams currently have little financial motivation to take greater precautions to avoid fan injuries, as they are not legally responsible for any injuries that do occur,” Grow said. “But they could potentially see the demand for some of their most expensive seats decline should they install an additional barrier between fans and the field.

“Until courts begin to consistently hold teams liable for fan injuries, MLB is unlikely to require that additional netting be installed in its parks.”

The Georgia Court of Appeals took a step in that direction last year, when it refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the Braves after the 2010 incident in which the six-year-old girl’s skull was shattered. The Braves argued that the case should be dismissed because of the Baseball Rule.

The team had “no duty as a matter of law to protect a spectator at a baseball game from being hit by a foul ball,” or if that duty did exist it was “limited to protecting the seats behind home plate and protecting a sufficient number of those seats to accommodate the reasonably anticipated number of requests for protected seats,” legal documents show. The ruling sent the case back to state court for adjudication, where it is pending.

Part of the Baseball Rule also relies on the fact that there is a warning on the back of all major league tickets saying fans assume all risk. Similar warnings are flashed on the scoreboard during games, reminding fans to pay attention.

MLB has filed a brief in support of the Braves in that case. Mike Moran, the attorney representing the girl’s father, declined to comment for this story.

A Bloomberg Business investigation last year found that an average of 1,750 fans are hurt every year by batted balls at Major League Baseball games — about twice every three games, and more often than batters are hit by pitches.

The Bloomberg story, published Sept. 9, 2014, quoted Braves’ third baseman Chris Johnson as saying: “It happens every game — somebody gets hit. Whether it’s a bad one or not, somebody gets hit in the stands every single game.”

A federal class-action lawsuit in California seeks to force baseball to extend protective netting to each foul pole and force the league to study the rate of spectator injuries and where they occur.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league is already performing such a study. During an Aug. 27 press conference, Manfred said the league is studying variations in ballpark design that could affect netting, where balls and bats enter the stands most often and different types of netting materials.

He said the league wants to make a recommendation to team owners in November and “and give people an opportunity to make changes for next year if we decide changes are necessary.”

Reva Ezell doesn’t hold out much hope. Ezell says she was blinded in one eye and has undergone multiple facial surgeries after being struck by a foul ball in 2011 at Turner Field.

“No, the Braves are not focused on fan safety, and I doubt seriously that the new stadium will show changes,” she said in an email to the AJC. She argued teams need to do a better job of educating fans about potential risks.

“If you’re in the flight path and you know you don’t have a chance in hell of catching the ball, duck down. Cover your child’s body with your own. Then duck.”

WSB-TV

Braves call safety top priority following fan's falling death

By Tom Regan

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves says it is "constantly evaluating ways to ensure fan safety while maintaining the game day experience and will continue to do so."

The statement follows the death Saturday of a season ticket holder who fell from an upper deck at Turner Field during the seventh inning of a game against the New York Yankees.

Greg Murrey, 60, of Alpharetta, died after plunging 40 feet. He fell over the rail in section 401. The Fulton County Medical Examiner ruled Murrey's death an accident and the result of blunt force trauma. He had no underlying medical condition, according to the medical examiner.

A lawyer who advises professional sports teams on venue safety told Channel 2's Tom Regan the minimum height requirement for safety rails is 26 inches. That standard was established in 1927.

"Were people the same height now as they were in 1927? Did they do the same things in 1927 that they do in stadiums now? I think a fair reading of that is, no not really," said Steven Adelman.

Adelmansaid he would favor raising the height of safety rails in upper decks of stadiums. He also believes many sports teams don't want to impose safety measures that would adversely affect the game day experience.

"There's always a tension between being able to see, to preserve sight lines, or people won't go to the ball park, versus keeping people safe from themselves in many instances,” said Adelman

Three people have died from falls at Turner Field in the past eight seasons. One death was ruled a suicide.

"When millions and millions of fans go to the ball park without incident every year, at every ball park and then you look at something, like the tragedy Saturday night at Turner Field, it put it into perspective. We are talking about something that is incredibly rare," said Adelman.

Adelman said sports fans should be aware of their surroundings when attending a game.

“Pay attention. Look around you and see the hazards that are there. Take proper precautions in addition to what structural safety benefits there are," said Adelman.

The Braves also said Monday "proper safety protocols" will be in place for the opening of SunTrust Park, the new home of the Braves in 2017.

New York Daily News

Braves fan's death leaves Yankees radio voice Suzyn Waldman shaken

By Bob Raissman

Suzyn Waldman couldn’t forget the sound.

“It was a thump,” she said. “I could not sleep Saturday night. I just kept hearing it.”

That particular slice of noise cut through the audio commotion as Alex Rodriguez stepped up to pinch hit in the seventh inning at Turner Field. Waldman, and play-by-play voice John Sterling, heard the “thump” below them. They didn’t know what caused it. She leaned over as far as she could from the WFAN radio booth to get a look but only saw the crowd of fans below.

Then a friend watching the Yankees-Braves telecast on Fox Sports 1 texted Waldman. On the air the friend had just heard Justin Kutcher, the play-by-play man, in a steady cadence and calm tone say: “Someone just fell over the upper deck right below us, right in front of one of the radio booths.” The fan landed between two field-level sections, about 30 rows behind home plate.

The casual rhythm of a Saturday summer night of Yankees baseball on the air had been disrupted, turned into a nightmare — a catastrophe. Fox’s cameras focused on an area where the body landed. Viewers could barely see a man leaning down, perhaps trying to help whoever fell. “The players on the field don’t see any of this,” Kutcher continued. “Here come the EMTs.”

In less than a minute, the game became secondary for anyone watching or listening. For the broadcasters, it couldn’t be. With a couple of innings left, Waldman was aware something terrible had occurred. In the bottom of the seventh, Kutcher said the fan had been taken away by paramedics. “When we get any more information we will pass that along to you,” he said.

Sunday morning, the Fulton County medical examiner’s office identified the fan as Gregory Murrey, 60, an insurance broker and long-time Braves season ticket holder. He died from the fall.

“It was hard focusing on the game,” Waldman said. “We knew something awful had happened, but didn’t know the exact extent, didn’t have the specifics.”

Or as C.J. Nitkowski, who worked the game with Kutcher on FS1, said on Twitter: “You’re never prepared for this.”

For Waldman, the situation was more than unsettling. Her story revealed how much of a blur that baseball game became. She remembered reporting something more definitive about the incident after the Braves released a statement. Waldman recounted conversations she had with security guards after the game. They provided further details, some very graphic, of what happened.

There is no blueprint for dealing with your own emotions, dealing with what you believed was the end of someone’s life inside a ballpark, while trying to describe what’s happening on a field. The game is the show. That’s what listeners tuned into hear and viewers turned on to watch. Even if it became a reality, no one in the booth could assume anyone tuned out after the grisly incident was first reported.

Your mouth must keep running, running through the uncertainty of the situation, running through the fear, running through the sadness.

“When I got to the ballpark (Sunday) I was told the man fell right in front of the YES booth,” said Michael Kay, the Yankees TV voice. Kay had Saturday night off and wasn’t in the ballpark. “I definitely would have been shaken. I would think I would be able to perform my job, but I would have had my mind on what I just saw.”

Even on the day after, the world he and his colleagues live in became more trivial. Reading out of town scores, batting averages and commercials can’t erase whatever you’re thinking or feeling about a fan falling from the upper deck, landing on a concrete floor 50 feet below.

Someone asked Waldman if the game should have been stopped, if players and fans should have been sent home.

“I just don’t know,” she said. “Obviously this kind of tragedy inside a stadium is unusual. But other things happen when fans get hit and seriously injured by broken bats or balls flying into the stands and they play on.”

Joe Girardi said stopping the game might have been the prudent decision. “I think you have to think about it,” Girardi said Sunday. “Obviously it’s in the hands of baseball and the Braves, but I know some of our guys said it was hard to concentrate. And that’s another thing you worry about.”

Things you never think about when you put on a uniform. Or settle in behind a baseball microphone. Or purchase a ticket.

The hope here is no other team, or baseball executive, will ever again be faced with such a hard decision.

That no other player, like Didi Gregorius, who while standing on second base saw Murrey fall, will ever again have to see such a terrible sight and continue working in the shadow of calamity.

That no baseball voice will ever have to find a way to incorporate instant tragedy into a broadcast.

Or hear the sound of death echoing through her mind.