Minor strikes out side, but Braves get 1 hit in loss
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Mike Minor struck out all three Detroit batters in the first inning, but that was the highlight of the day for the Braves in their Grapefruit League opener at Champion Stadium.
The Braves didn’t have a hit until the eighth inning and lost 2-0 to the Tigers before a large crowd that included plenty of Detroit fans in Prince Fielder’s Tigers debut.
The former Brewers star went 2-for-2 with a walk and Detroit out-hit the Braves 10-1.
Minor league outfielder Jordan Parazz had a leadoff single in the Braves’ eighth. Most Atlanta lineup regulars were replaced after two at-bats, as planned.
“We hit some balls hard at people and we lost 2-nothing, but that’s a good outing overall,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “I thought it was a pretty good baseball game.”
An incumbent in the battle for the No. 5 starter job, Minor gave up one hit, one walk and had three strikeouts. He threw 21 strikes in 37 pitches, including a change-up that Miguel Cabrera swung at and missed to end the first inning.
“I didn’t feel like I pitched that great to strike out the side,” Minor said. “They were swinging a lot. In midseason form they’re letting those balls go, a couple of inches outside.”
Minor threw nine strikes in 14 pitches in the first inning and struck out Austin Jackson (looking), Brennan Boesch (swinging) and Cabrera.
“He struck out the side in the first inning,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, “but [beyond] that his fastball command was good, good changeups. It was a good outing for the young man for the first one.
“I think for the most part everybody had a good outing, pitching-wise.”
Fielder led off the second inning with a bounced single to the right of second base, with second baseman Dan Uggla playing 20 feet in shallow right field in a gimmick defense against the left-handed slugger.
Minor retired the next two batters on a fly ball and pop-up before a two-out walk to Brandon Inge. Gerard Laird flied out to end the inning and Minor’s outing.
“That was a pretty good outing, just because my arm felt good,” Minor said. “I didn’t feel any fatigue really in the two innings I threw. I threw a lot of strikes in the first inning, but the second inning I struggled a little bit. Still, it feels good to get out of it with no runs. Those guys are really good.”
Reliever Anthony Varvaro gave up a leadoff homer to Detroit No. 9 hitter Jerad Head in the third inning.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
104 comments Add your comment
bruce
March 3rd, 2012
6:44 pm
So glad games have started
Mr. Enigma
March 3rd, 2012
6:44 pm
Larry Parrish was somewhere in the Tigers dugout, proud to see his boys from last year continuing to do his work.
Ralph
March 3rd, 2012
7:00 pm
Same ole Fredi, same old team!
Ryan
March 3rd, 2012
7:01 pm
Way to come out and show the fans that last year’s anemic offense was just a fluke. Have a feeling we are going to be seeing lots of 2-0, 2-1 games this year.
Yup
March 3rd, 2012
7:01 pm
Braves all ready in late season form.
kevkat
March 3rd, 2012
7:02 pm
At least the “cap tipping” hasn’t started yet
kevkat
March 3rd, 2012
7:03 pm
Just a spring training game, the first at that…no worries…yet
Ralph
March 3rd, 2012
7:05 pm
kevkat – I was worried before the first spring training game.
Biff pocoroba
March 3rd, 2012
7:06 pm
Let the excuse making begin Fredi. “We did some thing well”. 60 win season unless Fredi is dumped now.
wins-by-a-link
March 3rd, 2012
7:06 pm
Out hit 10-1 and it was a good outing? FG is in mid season form.
The Mask
March 3rd, 2012
7:09 pm
Just had to bring up the cap tipping thing didn’t you? I personally could have done without it considering we’ll all hear more than our fair share of it during the season instead of holding people accountable to poor performances.
Nelson
March 3rd, 2012
7:12 pm
NO COMMENT!!!!
H-Vegas Brave
March 3rd, 2012
7:20 pm
Repeat after me:
It’s the first spring training game
It’s the first spring training game
It’s the first spring training game
Freddie Freeman
March 3rd, 2012
7:31 pm
Any negative comments on here about this “game” are from the under forty crowd of fagtard fans of other clubs. Those of us in camp know better. Why even respond ???
reckingball
March 3rd, 2012
7:33 pm
They lost the 1st game of the Grape Fruit League. They should just go ahead and give up.
What’s the use of playing the 2012 season, now?
Liberty Media can go straight to hades!
March 3rd, 2012
7:37 pm
You know what they say about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
The only reason why we arent the worst team in our division is the farm system. The Braves wont be a serious contender this year and you can thank Liberty Media for that.
tim
March 3rd, 2012
7:39 pm
I know its the first game of spring but really only one hit. Seems like we are picking up just where we left off. Way to early to panic but it does make one stop and think.
reckingball
March 3rd, 2012
7:45 pm
It’s beyond terrible, what are we to do now, where will we go?
All hope is gone.
Should we now become Phillies fans?
Wait a minute, they lost in the playoffs, how about Card fans?
Rufio
March 3rd, 2012
7:50 pm
The hit wasn’t even by a major league Brave………
Mitchell
March 3rd, 2012
7:53 pm
Good to be back Braves.
Hey, we hardly got more than one or two hits in the last ten innings of Game 162.
What’s the difference?
1eyedJack
March 3rd, 2012
7:58 pm
We must be short on bats.
Larry
March 3rd, 2012
8:06 pm
Name one other major league manager that would put Matt Diaz in the starting lineup?
When will you pork rind goobers stir up the few remaining live cognitive cells in your miniature brains and realize our manager should have never ascended past the responsibility of waiving a runner around third to score?
tiptoe
March 3rd, 2012
8:06 pm
Fire Greg Walker…………
hombre
March 3rd, 2012
8:09 pm
Hitting? We don’t need no stinkin hitting. We pitch them to death.
BIOMASS
March 3rd, 2012
8:10 pm
Good to hear Dale Murphy on the radio. I so wish he would take Sutton’s place.
While chatting about the game, Murph said he saw some good ab’s. No hits at the time, but some good ab’s.
Sounds like a typical Brave year ahead. No hitting, and excuses stacked to the moon.
Laughing out Loud
March 3rd, 2012
8:14 pm
No shortage of bats, just bats that are to short! HA!HA!HA! Really now, wish you posters would get a different message. I’m hearing the same old crap you posted last year. Come on now! It’s just the first game of the Grapefruit League. I’m glad to have the spring season open for it means a great summer of baseball ahead! Go Braves!
Dwayne C
March 3rd, 2012
8:17 pm
“We hit some balls hard at people and we lost 2-nothing, but that’s a good outing overall”. If a 2-0 loss in ANY game is a “good outing” to Fredi Gonzalez I’d sure like to know what he considers a “bad outing”? Perhaps a shutout loss by ten runs or more?
lil david
March 3rd, 2012
8:24 pm
go braves myself and The big guy ( Earnie Johnson) luv ya
BRAVESFAN
March 3rd, 2012
8:29 pm
I think Venters needs to give Prince a new tattoo tomorrow. A nice purple round design in the middle of the back. Thanks for the game updates DOB!
Kwajbraves
March 3rd, 2012
8:31 pm
The Dodgers are giving their batboy a chance maybe we can tryout our waterboy. That’s some quality H2O.
BamaMan
March 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
Don Sutton is awesome. Chip Caray is the person that sucks balls.
Don
March 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
Pick up where they left off……shutout!
Bravos
March 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
To all the haters…you are not true braves fans!! None of you have a clue! Go Braves!!
It's over now
March 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
60 win season? Someone is felling pretty optimistic.
Biff pocoroba
March 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
At least the assistant hitting coach is paying off. Should have used that money on a decent hitter instead. We weren’t just named worst sports city in America for nothing. Lousy team with no changes = lousy team. I miss the days of having team owners who cared about the teams they owned.
Jerry
March 3rd, 2012
8:49 pm
Jesus! Is it September already? I, for one, absolutely ex
Jerry
March 3rd, 2012
8:54 pm
As I was saying, I expect absolutely nothing outta this team. And I believe that is exactly what I’ll get.
Norris
March 3rd, 2012
9:07 pm
whats sad is that was their triple A pitchers and double A pitchers and we still couldnt buy a hit. Here we go again guys. How about management do something cause we dont have anybody who can hit.
same song verse 2
duronimo
March 3rd, 2012
9:13 pm
I just don’t care anymore. The money is so out of whack it doesn’t feel right anymore.
double
March 3rd, 2012
9:27 pm
no excuses-no errors.no hitting.
Fred
March 3rd, 2012
9:36 pm
It’s the beginning of many more games to be lost, by this same old tired team. Chipper will be on the bench by june. Why don’t the owners of this team get off of there butts, and spend some money.
brave braverson
March 3rd, 2012
9:53 pm
no hitting worked fine. until september. ease up and give them half a chance. they missed the playoffs by one game. and now we get all of them healthy. and bourne all year and good uggla all year. world series team if they stay healthy. im tellin ya
Rilo
March 3rd, 2012
10:21 pm
Before all of you hang yourselves let me just throw this out. Last year, we out hit almost every other team in the pre-season….and we saw what the result was with that.
Biff Pocoroba
March 3rd, 2012
10:43 pm
Braverson, why do you think that the team will be healthy this year? One guy got hurt before even getting to spring training. Another guy got hurt stretching. There was talk about the team getting to camp early to get in shape, but it isn’t working out. Look for Chipper to pull something by Wednesday and be out a while.
Idiotic Fans
March 3rd, 2012
10:55 pm
Definition of idiotic fans: Acting like trolls on an internet blog and complaining about the 1st spring training game of the season
Tim
March 3rd, 2012
10:57 pm
Boy I just love coming on here and reading all the positivity! Oh wait….
(Philly)Hater
March 3rd, 2012
11:00 pm
When does football start???
(Philly)Hater
March 3rd, 2012
11:02 pm
Baseball…..America’s Pastime
Yup….baseball has past it’s time in America
football rules!
(Philly)Hater
March 3rd, 2012
11:03 pm
oops…it’s should be its
Joe 12-Pack
March 3rd, 2012
11:26 pm
Looks like the Braves have picked up right where they left off in 2011. Good pitching, no hitting.
Good job, Mr. Wren.
Wade Blassingame's Ghost
March 3rd, 2012
11:33 pm
GREAT TOP SEE THE BRAVES OFFENSE IN MID-SEASON FORM!!! I KNEW this bunch was going to suck. NOW they PROVED it the very first game. ONE stinking hit. Man, football season is so far off. I guess I am off to Bass Pro Shop for new gear and hit the water fishing this summer. Ain’t wasting my time watching the bunch of LOSERS lose ever stinking night!!! Goodbye sorry Braves. Only the Mutts keep you out of last place!
choozer
March 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
Looks like this board picked up where it left off, too
Reid in EAV
March 3rd, 2012
11:47 pm
Good Lord, people. Chill.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 4th, 2012
12:05 am
It must be spring training……..all the childish whiners are back.
Greg Mendel
March 4th, 2012
12:07 am
Hey, it’s just a spring training game. No reason for doom and gloom. Except that, last year, the same 1- run losses were dismissed for… how many weeks into the regular season? Sorry, but the Braves couldn’t hit in 2011. I hope they will this season, but there’s no logical reason to expect improvement.
AussieBrave
March 4th, 2012
12:23 am
It’s worth noting that the ‘regulars’ only had 1 or 2 at bats each. I’m not sure we’ll win 100 games, but I’m confident we’ll get 90+, key players staying healthy. Once again – please ESPN play some games so I can watch too! (Preferably Sunday or Monday games so it’s on the weekend here!!)
ohhhhYEAH
March 4th, 2012
12:28 am
To the cry babies and the infantile woe-is-me gloom and doom crowd after THE VERY FIRST SPRING TRAINING GAME…..please go root for another team. you make yourselves look like pure idiots and douche bags who need their pacifiers. If your highlight of the day is bashing on the Braves, then go root for the Phillthies or the Metrosexuals or someone else. We don’t need you. No fan base needs you, honestly. You want to cry about losing the very first spring training game? Go do it to someone who actually cares how sad you are that your happiness depends on a baseball game. As for the rest of us, we will talk about how happy it is to finally have baseball back in fashion. Have a great one!
least of the east
March 4th, 2012
1:25 am
things could be worse and they could be better; the truth is that the 1st spring training outing isn’t important.
but if people want to vent, that’s their right. if some prefer to look through rose colored glasses, that’s their right also.
but, by June we may see that there is a big problem on offense. but it’s too early to get nervous.
I think there will be a problem vs left handed pitchers, but I’ll wait to find out definitely.
rc35
March 4th, 2012
3:14 am
One hit, no runs…the results of a profitable offseason improvement of the team.
BravesAC
March 4th, 2012
5:32 am
Jerry – I bet you can still make your point w/o making a very special name an expletive.
Whitey
March 4th, 2012
7:20 am
Sure, it”s the first game played, but I don’t think we are out of line to expect at least
a few hits, and maybe a run, in every game. These guys are pros.
The Duke of Flatbush
March 4th, 2012
7:42 am
I think we all agree the team needed to add a bat in the off season, which they did not do. My real concern with the club is the lack of position talent in the system pushing the vets on the big club. You want a motivator? Have a young kid tearing it up on the farm in your position, that will get you going and keep you going.
I agree it is only the first game but I am concerned the lack of pop may continue into the regular season. This division is too good to spot the other clubs a 3-4 week head start.
larry
March 4th, 2012
7:43 am
Hey whiners, Tampa lost, the Phils lost should they call it a season also? Any knowledgeable fan does not concern themselves with st games but pays attention to individual performances. If we score ten runs today would you now say we are a great hitting team, I don’t think so. Relax and remember the Cards were 10/12 games out in mid August.
freddie
March 4th, 2012
8:07 am
GO GET ‘EM, TIGERS!
CCA
March 4th, 2012
8:16 am
No compassion, no hunger, no kick butt and take note. Same old crap.
Maybe the Braves should hire some cheerleaders that could bring some energy
to the games. As a team, they are sleep walking.
Loosing Managar = Loosing Record
March 4th, 2012
8:23 am
1 loussy hit? Seems like olde times!
Loosing Managar = Loosing Record
March 4th, 2012
8:27 am
At this rate the Braves will win exattly NO games! LOLOLO!!
Jesus died laughing for your sins...
March 4th, 2012
8:29 am
Epic
Rebel Brave
March 4th, 2012
8:34 am
Just one game! Yes, one hit looks and feels bad but there is no time to panic… Unless we get one hit or less today
But what if explode with double digits hits today? What are you fair weather fans are going to gripe about them?
Donovan
March 4th, 2012
8:45 am
How’s that off-season do nothing working out? Out hit 10-1, yet all the regulars indicated that they were ready to get after them and that last season’s fall from grace was a mere fluke.
Strap yourselves in fans…here we go again.
Wade Blassingame's Ghost
March 4th, 2012
8:47 am
79-83 record is going to look might good by the end of the season. This team could easily lose 90 games with this mob trying to hit. You cannot win by pitching alone. You cannot win every game 1-0. But you sure as heck can lose it by that score because you cannot hit. I fully expect a lousy year. A dud of a year. Freddie G. is going to be on the hot seat with a losing record. The GM also. But, then both will get contract extensions because they kept team payroll down. The stupid owners and GM do not get WHY their attendance is down. People around the south are not going to drive, at these prices for gas, game prices, food prices, hotel prices, all the way to Atlanta to watch a bunch of deadbeats LOSE!!! You can do that at home and turn off the beating in the 5th inning and go do something else. Stupid is stupid.
Loosing Managar = Loosing Record
March 4th, 2012
8:53 am
Who showed up yesteryday? The speshull olympics team? LOLOLO!
parabrave
March 4th, 2012
9:05 am
Just a fore bearing for the upcoming season.
reckingball
March 4th, 2012
10:12 am
It is a low down dirty crying shame.
They lost the 1st game of spring training.
What in the heck are we suppose to do now?
I need a kleenix.
oldone42
March 4th, 2012
10:24 am
Just a thought the Braves have the 15th highest salary and are 13th in revenues. Just about the same. They are in a group of teams that made between 190 and 210 million and spent between 85 and 92 million on salaries. If the Braves want to compete with Philadelphia and the Mets over a long period of time they need to come up with a way to bring in at least 15% more revenue.
How long had it been since the Philies did not sell out? How many sellouts did the Braves have?
The Duke of Flatbush
March 4th, 2012
10:35 am
Teams get what they pay for. Soooo tired of hearing how the Phillies sell out-they didn’t when they were bad or at least on par with where the Braves are today. Philadelphis fans should never be the measurement for anything good.
This sounds so much like the Thrashers’ situation last year-it’s the fans fault for not showing up, not paying for a bad or mediocre (at best) product. You want fannies in the seats? Show a commitment to the fans and face of the current Braves’ ownership group. Sitting in the mountains of Colorado with your heads in the clouds (or somewhere else) is not good enough.
A total collaspe at the end of 2011 and no change? Yeah, I am real motivated to open my wallet and get overly enthused to pay for this product. Philly and Met fans won’t.
Realist Fan
March 4th, 2012
10:39 am
The Braves have been built on solid starting pitching which should keep you competitive most of the season, and keep the fans interested.
Unfortunately, offense has taken a backseat over the years, especially in the outfield, where the Braves have gone on the cheap.
If offense means lots of meaningless solo homeruns, I’ll be spending fewer dollars at Turner Field this season.
psychologist
March 4th, 2012
10:43 am
Enter your comments here
psychologist
March 4th, 2012
10:43 am
People show their mental outlook on life by how they interpret meaningless stimuli. I could make a lot of money on this blog.
flagger
March 4th, 2012
10:45 am
Some of u gloomers and doomers should have been around in the early years the braves played here,
u would have slashed ure wrists and be dead by now and the rest of the fans that appreciate having a pro team like the Braves to enjoy and be entertained by could live life with a smile and realize that its impossible to win all the time but u can still enjoy the game……so there!!!!
Braves are Cheap
March 4th, 2012
10:45 am
After the 2012 and 2013 seasons, I fully expect Chipper to be retired, Hudson off the books, Bourn gone via free agency and McCann to be gone because the Braves will not pay him a competitive, longterm contract.
Hopefully by then Frank Wren will have traded off some of the young pitching he’s been hoarding for some much younger position players that will contribute to longterm success.
Beck
March 4th, 2012
11:05 am
Wouldn’t it be great if those people who say that they are never going to waste their time watching the Braves the rest of the year would apply that to commenting on the blog as well? Oh well, a man can always dream, can’t he?
TOMY FOURNIER
March 4th, 2012
11:10 am
SAME PICTURE…SAME ACTORS…SAME “TRASH”…LASTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!
ab initio
March 4th, 2012
11:11 am
“To all the haters…you are not true braves fans!! None of you have a clue! Go Braves!!”
Hey, loser, only “true Braves fans” would even care to check up on this team that is basically the same team that had one of the most epic collapses in baseball history last year.
Get over yourself.
TOMY FOURNIER
March 4th, 2012
11:15 am
WELL THE EXCUSES BEGENNING…EXCUSES AND MORE EXCUSES…TIPS YOUR AS-HO!!!!!
64 year Braves fan
March 4th, 2012
11:47 am
Bring back Gregg Norton !!
pat
March 4th, 2012
11:50 am
Sounds like the bats are picking up where they left off from last year….
GOP Cannon
March 4th, 2012
12:55 pm
Well, looks like the offense picked up right where we left off last season!
Mister Frisky
March 4th, 2012
1:00 pm
The definition of insanity.Putting the same light hitting hacks out there and expecting a different result.I almost forgot 4th place.
Paul In Richmond
March 4th, 2012
1:04 pm
Reasons to be concerned: a) Braves are notorious for doing nothing significant for at least a month into the season and this looks like that same theme; b) the regulars said they were “ready” and we hear incessently about hitters being ahead of pitchers though we looked anemic even after two hitting coaches and c) the coach called it “good baseball”
Reasons to be optimistic? (crickets) ….well, its not fall yet….
Mister Frisky
March 4th, 2012
1:11 pm
First pre season or last regular season game it doesn’t matter.This offense doesn’t have a legit 3 hole hitter.I.e 300/30/100.Every serious contender has at least two of these guys,Braves have no one that can come close.That’s the bottom line.4th place.
phil
March 4th, 2012
1:32 pm
Fire FG!!
And fire some others too!!
Tom
March 4th, 2012
3:41 pm
this is s good sign for things to some this season offense wise
count_schemula
March 4th, 2012
4:30 pm
One hit and then they give up 28 HRs. What collapse?
Who is accountable for this mess?
March 4th, 2012
4:47 pm
Frank Wren gave us Derek Lowe only because he couldn’t get us A.J. Burnett, another very average, but overpaid pitcher.
Frank Wren gave us Kawakami, who by his second season was in the bullpen and by the third season was in the minors.
Nate McLouth? Another brilliant acquisition and waste of money.
Dan Uggla? .232 average and a bunch of solo home runs.
If Atlanta had a critical sports media and fans still not reveling in the 90s, Frank Wren would have been fired a long time ago.
UhOhBravos
March 4th, 2012
5:26 pm
Well…….the only positive comment I can make is that maybe the Braves are easing into the season instead of going hard and eventually burning out again in October? Our first 2 starting pitchers today looked terrible, and got smashed around like little league batting practice. We’re in some serious trouble pitching wise, which I never thought I’d be saying with all the “depth” and “elite young arms” in our minors system.
Looks like everyone on the Tigers figured out Tehran and Delgado right off the bat, can’t be a good sign. Our offense is looking exactly how it did in Sept/Oct last season and I’m nervous about this season already even though on paper we have a heck of a team. For some reason our offense is still sleeping just as it was at the end of last season, and we had to rely on guys fighting for a position to drive in our runs today as the regulars couldn’t get it done AGAIN!
Where was Jason Heyward today? He needs as many at bats as he can get this pre-season to break out of his funk Frodo Fredi should’ve had him in there to start today but he didn’t even get in the game at all today. I hope they don’t start benching Heyward and damage his confidence already this season like they did last season. Heyward has unlimited potential I just think its ironic that as soon as Bobby Cox leaves Heyward started having problems.. makes you think about if Mr. Fredi G is the right choice for manager thats for sure..
Fats OMalley
March 4th, 2012
5:46 pm
Anything is possible now. Think this will be the year Bones Jones,Dan Uggla and McCain kicks axx all the way to the World Series and tells the baseball world to eat their dust. This will be the year that they systematically destroy their division.
UhOhBravos
March 4th, 2012
5:55 pm
One can only hope that will be the case Fats… like I said maybe they’re not even playing hard until April so they don’t run out of gas in the middle of a playoff run again. Still, that was scary today what Detroit did to our pitchers all day long. It was like homerun derby!
UhOhBravos
March 4th, 2012
5:56 pm
One can only hope that will be the case Fats… like I said maybe they’re not even playing hard until April so they don’t run out of gas right at the end of a playoff run again. Still, that was scary today what Detroit did to our pitchers all day long. It was like homerun derby!
Felix
March 4th, 2012
6:58 pm
One hit? In a Spring training game?
Sure glad we fired our old hitting coach and got a new one.