The Atlanta Braves have already dealt starter Derek Lowe(notes) to the Cleveland Indians this offseason and now they are looking to unload starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens(notes) and perhaps left fielder/third baseman Martin Prado(notes), according to MLBlogs.com.

“Both players could see their respective salaries rise from the $3 million range to the $5 million range through arbitration this offseason,” the site points out, and the team would rather have that cash to spend on a shortstop or on adding “some more power to his outfield,” the site reports.

One of the teams that the Braves have talked to about taking on Jurrjens is the Kansas City Royals, the site reports, and the Braves are interested in such players as center fielder Lorenzo Cain(notes) and outfield prospect Wil Myers(notes).

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Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Related: Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals

Lowe pounded again, Braves routed by Phillies

By PAUL NEWBERRY/AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves are doing their best to give away what looked like a certain playoff berth just a few weeks ago.

Derek Lowe had another miserable outing, surrendering five runs in four-plus innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies romped to a 7-1 victory Tuesday night that left the Braves on the brink going to the final day of the regular season.

Chase Utley, Hunter Pence and Jimmy Rollins homered to back a three-hit outing by Roy Oswalt (9-10), who tuned up for the playoffs with a strong performance in a largely disappointing season.

The Braves lost their fourth in a row and eighth in 11 games, sending them to the final day of the regular season assured of no more than a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, who were at Houston.

Atlanta had an 8-game lead just three weeks ago, but it will be no more than one going to the final game

by

The Associated Press

Atlanta Braves

Atlanta’s Dan Uggla (The Associated Press)

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CHICAGO — Derek Lowe had a strong outing, and Chipper Jones hit a home run, which might normally be enough to translate into a victory for the Braves.

But on this cool night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs reminded their fans that they have some stars, too.

Alfonso Soriano homered and Randy Wells pitched effectively into the seventh innings as the Cubs beat the Braves, 3-2, and snapped Atlanta’s six-game winning streak.

Wells (5-4) held the Braves to one run and two hits over 6 2-3 innings, striking out six and improving to 4-1 in his career against Atlanta.

Carlos Marmol got the last three outs and joined Lee Smith as the only Cubs relievers to post consecutive 30-save seasons.

Soriano’s two-run shot fueled Chicago’s three-run rally in the second. He also walked and was hit by a pitch. Aramis Ramirez added a single and two walks, extending his hitting streak to 13 games.

Chipper Jones and Alex Gonzalez hit a solo homers for Atlanta, which managed just three hits in the game.

Derek Lowe (8-12) took the loss, allowing four hits and two earned runs over seven solid innings.

Lowe threw a season-high 119 pitches.

Wells has struggled this season, going 3-4 with a 6.16 ERA since coming off a seven-week stay on the disabled list on May 28. On Wednesday, he flashed the form that gave him the NL’s 10th-best ERA as a rookie in 2009.

He got off to a fast start, setting down the first 10 Braves and striking out four. The only hit he allowed through the first six innings was Martin Prado’s infield single in the fourth.

Wells appeared to tire in the seventh, giving up Freddie Freeman’s flyout to the wall and Jones’ home run into the batter’s eye in center field. Wells threw 109 pitches and departed after Jones’ blast, which moved him into a tie with Jeff Bagwell for 34th on the career list with 449.

Gonzalez homered off reliever Kerry Wood in the eighth.

Soriano gave the Cubs their first lead of the series in the second with his 22nd homer.

It was a mammoth two-run shot to center field well over the 400-foot sign.

The Cubs added a run later in the inning thanks to the speed of Tony Campana, who reached on an error when Dan Uggla tried to hurry on a slow roller to second. Campana stole second, went to third on a balk and scored on Wells’ swinging bunt.

Ramirez didn’t figure in the scoring, but remained hot. He walked twice and reached on an infield single, extending his streak of reaching base to a career-high nine plate appearances before grounding out in the seventh.

Ramirez is hitting .560 (28 for 50) during his 13-game hitting streak and has reached base in 30 of his last 45 plate appearances.

BRAVES NOTES

l Outfielder Jose Constanza was out of the lineup for the second straight day because of a mild sprain of his right ankle, though manager Fredi Gonzalez said Constanza was available to pinch-hit. He expect him to return to the lineup today. …

l The Braves will send rookie Brandon Beachy (6-2) to the mound for this afternoon’s series finale against Chicago’s Matt Garza (6-9), who has posted a 1.47 ERA over his last nine home starts.

Read More: Dan Uggla (2B – ATL), Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies are well on their way to taking a crucial series at home against the Atlanta Braves, posting a 4-1 advantage through the fifth inning. The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a Ryan Howard error sent Dan Uggla home, but that edge was short-lived.

Derek Lowe has given up all four runs, all of them earned, though Chase Utley scored in the third thanks to a turnabout error by Uggla. Atlanta may elect to let Lowe work through the tough start, since Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel have been kept mighty busy as of late.

With Cole Hamels having given up only three hits through five, the Braves are going to need an outburst if they’re going to get the franchise’s 10,000th all-time win before the All-Star break. If they don’t get it today, it might never happen. That’s probably not true.

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