Gonzalez looking for consistency from starting rotation
Vivlamore reporting from Turner Field.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is looking for consistency out of his starting rotation with 13 games remaining before the All-Star break. It has been an issue for the Braves this season, including their last two starts prior to Tuesday’s series-opener against the Diamondbacks. Randall Delgado lasted only 1-1/3 innings and Mike Minor lasted only 4-2/3 innings in losses to the Red Sox Saturday and Sunday.
“We need to get our rotation consistent,” Gonzalez said Tuesday. “We need to get through the rotation a few times, three or four times in a row. From here to the All-Star break and go out there and rattle of six, seven, eight innings at a time. That’s the only thing, for me, that has been missing the whole time. We’ll go through the rotation one time and then the next time we have a couple of bleeps and we can’t get through the fourth.”
Gonzalez said the team is not planning any changes to the starting rotation. Jair Jurrjens, back after two months at Triple-A Gwinnett, will remain as the replacement for Brandon Beachy. Gonzalez said the team has considered putting Kris Medlen in the rotation. There were discussions about the matter as late as Tuesday but the right-hander will continue to pitch out of the bullpen.
Jurrjens, back in his old locker, will pitch again Thursday in the series-finale against the D’Backs. He allowed three hits and one earned run in 7-2/3 innings in a win over the Red Sox Friday in his return.
The right-hander said his is not fully recovered from a right knee injury suffered last season.
“I’m way better than I was in spring training. I will put it like that,” Jurrjens said. “There are still some things I need to work on to keep getting stronger. There are a lot of things I wasn’t able to do in spring training that I’m able to do now.”
Jurrjens said he is continuing a weight-training program, which includes squat exercises, to strengthen his leg.
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25 comments Add your comment
Ralph
June 26th, 2012
6:53 pm
Keep running them out there Fruti, thats his definition of Consistency
richy
June 26th, 2012
7:07 pm
Ya want consistency? Well, Minor is not your best bet in that department.
BravesWin
June 26th, 2012
7:20 pm
We can count on Fredi to consistently repeat the same mistakes, over and over. Cox on steroids.
tvsportscaster
June 26th, 2012
8:17 pm
I guess they like seing Mike “Gopher Ball” Minor get shelled every fifth day. I can’t believe they are keeping this guy in the rotation, how much more garbage do they need to see.
Ralph
June 26th, 2012
8:39 pm
Simmons for team MVP
MikeY
June 26th, 2012
9:47 pm
Why wasn’t doing these exercises all off-season??
MikeY
June 26th, 2012
9:47 pm
Why wasn’t doing these exercises all off-season??
MikeY
June 26th, 2012
9:48 pm
*&^$! slow website. Why wasn’t Jair doing these excercises all off-season?
Mark (another one)
June 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
Who says he wasn’t? JJ wants to be productive more than any fan wishes it for him. It is odd to assume he’s lazy. Just like Jason needing a few weeks to become productive. Let’s hope JJ can turn the corner as well.
Dianne
June 26th, 2012
10:21 pm
Mike Minor is bringing the team down…I’m wondering if players in the back of their minds say to themselves…oh no here we go again. Baseball is as mental as it is physical!
JWOOD
June 27th, 2012
3:18 am
What really hurts is having these two guys pitch back to back in the rotation. Split them up so the Braves have a chance to win more series. A team comes in and gets to play Minor and Delgado 2 out of 3? Teams crave such opportunities.
JWOOD
June 27th, 2012
3:20 am
Also, I suppose they trade for an starting pitcher and put Medlen in the 5th spot, the rotation has a completely different look.
Hugh Folie
June 27th, 2012
7:17 am
duh. Sky Blue. Sunset West.
Jborodawg
June 27th, 2012
10:41 am
Blaming Fredi for starting pitcher woes is fruitless. Start of the season, on paper, our starting five looked pretty good. Not Fredi’s fault they have one of the highest ERAs in MLB. It’s like when we picked up Lowe. On paper a good move. Not Bobby’s fault Lowe didn’t produce as expected.
We ‘knew’ coming in that Huddy and Hanson would be awesome. We hoped JJ would return to all-star-form. We thought Minor would be pretty good, along with Beachy. Just didn’t work out that way. IF the starting five had lived up to expectations, the Braves would undoubtedly be in first place in the East. Blaming Fredi is not the answer; it’s the cards he’s been dealt. Fairly young staff; hopefully they’ll all get better.
Tamacun el vengador errante
June 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
Como siempre hablando mal de Fredi, hasta cuando.
bruce
June 27th, 2012
12:48 pm
Great news on JJ, that he is this good now and he’s not completely healed yet. Glad also to have explanation of why things were so bad in spring training.
Gulf Coast
June 27th, 2012
12:52 pm
Been a strong supporter of Fredi, but if he leaves Minor out there to go 0-2 in Minor’s next two starts, then Fredi should be terminated Samson/Luria style. Sad, but true.
Playoffs!!!
June 27th, 2012
1:21 pm
What are you talking about?? Mike Minor is consistent—-consistently BAD I guess why they contiinue to let him pitch. His consistency!!
Flyin South
June 27th, 2012
2:50 pm
Tommy John is not the ONLY ortho surgery that takes “14 months i.e 24 MONTHS” to recoup from. ANY orthopedic procedure TRULY takes 24 months recoup/rehab time – especially ligament/tendon repair. If the player does not allow for not only healing time but also rehab time, the injury WILL revisit and WILL take even longer to heal. (poppin the injury with cortizone and “running him out there” is the reason Moylan is floating face first in the mud)
Flyin South
June 27th, 2012
2:51 pm
PS…I think there is something physically wrong with Minor AND Venters as we speak.
Steven Buster
June 27th, 2012
3:23 pm
Send Minor down, bring up Sean Gilmantin.
Dorothy Davis
June 27th, 2012
6:07 pm
I repeat again: Mike Minor was never ready for the majors. Who does not get that?
Bravesfans
June 27th, 2012
10:53 pm
STOP BLAMING FREDI !! It’s not his fault the pitching staff is under performing. He is just your easy go to guy to blame. All coaches are. Can you imagine how bad we would be if we got rid of every coach who lost less games the they won????
Dianne
June 29th, 2012
10:30 pm
AMEN…Dorothy.
Dianne
June 29th, 2012
10:34 pm
Fredi can only work with what he has…right now , Minor is not ready for the big leagues.