Call-up a treat for Venezuelan Avilan
Left-hander Luis Avilan had quite the surprise in store this week, when what started out as a call-up to Triple-A Gwinnett turned into his first major league call-up. The Braves needed another left-hander in their bullpen with Jonny Venters’ placement on the disabled list with an elbow impingement.
So Avilan got to join the team he grew up rooting for in Cabudare, Venezuela. Avilan said about the time he started following baseball, his favorite player Andres Galarraga played for the Braves. Avilan and his father attended one of the exhibition games the Braves played against Tampa during spring training of 2000 as a 10-year-old.
“When you sign you’re waiting all your career to be here some day,” Avilan said. “But when you finally make it, it’s like a dream and you don’t want to wake up.”
He had a 3.23 ERA in 16 games (12 starts) in Mississippi, with 55 strikeouts and 31 walks in 61 1/3 innings. Left-handers were hitting just .189 against him.
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17 comments Add your comment
screwball2
July 6th, 2012
7:34 pm
Maybe we’ll get lucky and he get’s somebody out
BravesfaninWis
July 6th, 2012
7:37 pm
The Braves are in trouble in this game. With Hudson hurt, their is not a bullpen pitcher capable of pitching the rest of this game and getting a win.
smithyred
July 6th, 2012
8:27 pm
Hudson hurt? Does not look like he is hurt to me. Great game.
Yogi Berra
July 6th, 2012
8:35 pm
Get so runs Braves…
BravesfaninWis
July 6th, 2012
8:47 pm
Looks like the Braves are blowing it against the 2nd pitcher in a week who lost their last 4 games before playing the Braves, and will lose to another bad team. This team is just not good enough to figure it out.
BravesfaninWis
July 6th, 2012
8:51 pm
How many times have we seen this before? The Braves have a golden opportunity to score some runs, they screw it up, then the other team scores in their next at bat? I am expecting that here again, its just what the Braves are all about.
ole dawg
July 6th, 2012
9:00 pm
Thought the score was 10-0 Phillies based on Wis comments. Just heard 0-0. Apparently the Phillies didn’t score last inning. If Hudson is hurt I hope he stays hurt. He’s pitching his a** off!
screwball2
July 6th, 2012
9:11 pm
Walkbi
ole dawg
July 6th, 2012
9:14 pm
Did that grand salami make you happy Wis? I was expecting that….. not. Enjoy the good games and take em one at a time.
Eddie57
July 6th, 2012
9:21 pm
Did anyone think that Ugglier would do anything but strikeout after the grannie? Ugglier needs to be batting 8th if Fredi the Freeloader insists on playing him.
Columbus
July 6th, 2012
9:56 pm
Bravesd fan is a complainer. He should be a Philadelphia fan. Root for the Eagles and Phillies. You will fit right in! I see his comments stopped when the Braves did something good. I think he should go and try to hit for the Braves….I mean the Phillies. Uggla will come around just like last year. His slump has only been going on for a week. No need to freak out before the all-star break.
DOB Needs To Ask Tougher Questions!
July 6th, 2012
10:04 pm
You have to tip your cap to McCann today. But you have to really tip your cap to Howard for playing so well after such a devastating injury.
Farnsworthy
July 6th, 2012
10:21 pm
Why, why, oh why does Fredi keep playing Dan Uggla? I don’t care if it embarrasses Uggla to get benched right before the all star game–do the right thing Fredi and bench him for the team. Anyone with any brains knows that Uggla being an all star is a farce anyway.
DetroitBraves
July 6th, 2012
10:25 pm
Strange game. A win is a win but not one single K for Hudson. I know he’s not a big time strikeout guy but that much contact is a tough way to win consistently. Hopefully he’s not hurt, as someone on here suggested.
Hat tipping
July 6th, 2012
10:54 pm
Prado still should have bunted. We won but still not fundamental baseball.
Whiskey River
July 7th, 2012
9:39 am
The Phillies knew that Hudson had a bad ankle. Purposely over wet the mound where he would slip and get hurt. Typical Phillies.
Angel
July 7th, 2012
12:35 pm
completely agree, whiskey. They even steal signs from the bullpen with binoculars. They can’t be trusted to play the game with integrity.