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By The Associated Press

Published: 2:00 AM – 06/06/11

NEW YORK — Mets manager Terry Collins wasn’t in position to see where the foul ball hit Carlos Beltran. What he could see was another of his stars falling to his knees in pain. As Collins raced onto the field, he hoped the ball missed Beltran’s ankle. It did.

Beltran left in the second inning with a bruise to his lower leg, one at-bat after driving in the first run in the Mets’ 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night.

“Anytime you get hit in the muscle it’s going to be sore. It’s going to be bruised, it’s going to swell a little bit, but discomfort, we know it’s going to dissipate in a few days,” Collins said. “Whether it’s two or three, I don’t know.”

The Mets have a day off before starting a 10-game trip in Milwaukee on Tuesday, and a decision on Beltran’s status will be made then.

One New York player thriving with an injury is R.A. Dickey (3-6). He pitched eight baffling innings to win in his second solid start since partially tearing the plantar fascia in his right foot. He allowed a solo shot to Brian McCann in the seventh and three other hits.

“Physically, it’s just an issue we’re going to have to work through for who knows how long,” Dickey said. “But it’s manageable.”

Jose Reyes hit an RBI double and scored twice and Beltran had a run-scoring double off Tim Hudson (4-5). Justin Turner added an RBI single and the banged-up Mets finished 5-5 on a homestand against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

“We had some tough times,” Collins said, “but to come in here and beat the Braves two out of three, leave here on a positive note, win the series, you’ve got to look at it positively.”

McCann’s homer leading off the seventh snapped Atlanta’s scoreless streak at 15 innings. The Braves were shut out 5-0 by rookie Dillon Gee and two relievers Saturday night.

The Mets, with Ike Davis and David Wright already on the disabled list, got another injury scare when Beltran fouled a ball off the inside of his right shin in the second inning. Fans at Citi Field gasped when they saw their most productive hitter this season limp out of the batter’s box and fall to his knees.

After being attended to for several minutes, Beltran struck out to end the inning and was replaced by Willie Harris, who went to left field even though slumping slugger Jason Bay was on the bench.

“Maybe the best thing for me was to strike out because it was painful,” Beltran said.

Bay was given a night off for what Collins called a chance to “take a deep breath.” Jason Pridie switched from left to right.

When Beltran left, the Mets were already ahead 4-0.

Hudson came in 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three starts at Citi Field but didn’t look sharp from the start.

Reyes led off the first with a single, giving him a 10-game hitting streak. An out later, Beltran lined a double to center for the quick lead. Reyes scored a run for the ninth straight game, equaling the longest streak of his career.

Daniel Murphy singled and Angel Pagan followed with a sacrifice fly.

In the second, Turner had an RBI single and Reyes walked and scored on a wild pitch, sliding home just ahead of Hudson’s tag.

Hudson missed a start May 25 with back stiffness and gave up two runs — one earned — in his previous outing. But he gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings against the Mets.

“Physically I felt really good,” Hudson said. “I made some mistakes.”

Dickey’s knuckleball was floating and darting and fooling the Braves. He allowed just three hits through five innings and no runner got past second until McCann homered.

His knuckleball “was dancing all over the place,” McCann said. “We didn’t really string anything together.”

Manny Acosta put two on in the ninth, and closer Francisco Rodriguez came on. He gave up a three-run homer to pinch-hitter Diory Hernandez to cut the lead to 6-4. But Rodriguez struck out Eric Hinske and Joe Mather to end it with Chipper Jones on deck. Jones was given a scheduled night off.

In the fourth inning fans chanted “Don’t trade Reyes!” before the All-Star shortstop, who can become a free agent after the season, hit an RBI double to left-center to make it 5-0.

Ruben Tejada had an RBI single in the fifth.

NOTES: Braves right-hander Kris Medlen (elbow surgery) cut short a bullpen session Tuesday. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said there was no reason to be concerned. … The Mets had 10 hits, only two for extra bases. … The first soccer game at Citi Field will take place Tuesday, with Greece playing Ecuador. … Reyes is batting .465 during his hitting streak.

San Diego Padres Trip Atlanta Braves Tuesday, 5-4
posted June 1, 2011ATLANTA — Even with Chipper Jones producing a pair of two-out RBI singles in the final three innings at Turner Field on Tuesday night, the Braves were unable to overcome the damage Cory Gearrin endured in a three-run seventh that proved decisive for the Padres in a 5-4 victory.

With Jones reminding his teammates that it is possible to produce hits with runners in scoring position, the Braves saw their offense show some life. But with Gearrin enduring the roughest outing of his young career, they were still left with another frustrating conclusion.

While scoring at least four runs for just the fifth time in their past 15 games, Atlanta was unable to overcome the sudden offensive eruption enjoyed by San Diego, which recorded four quick singles off Gearrin in the decisive seventh.

The Braves missed an opportunity to pick up some ground on the division leading Phillies who were crushed 10-2 Tuesday by the Nationals.

After Atlanta starter Mike Minor’s evening concluded with a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Eric Patterson, former Lookout Chris Denorfia welcomed Gearrin with a go-ahead RBI single. One out later, the rookie reliever allowed three consecutive singles by Chase Headley, Ryan Ludwick and Jorge Cantu to give the Padres a three-run advantage.

Gearrin had been perfect in four previous innings against the Padres and he had surrendered a total of six hits in his 12 1/3 Major League innings. But within a span of five batters, the Padres battered him for four hits and created the cushion necessary to overcome Jones’ late-inning contributions.

Jones extended the seventh with an RBI single off Luke Gregerson and then cut the deficit to one run with a two-out RBI single in the ninth off Padres closer Heath Bell. The 39-year-old third baseman is hitting .429 (18-for-42) with runners in scoring position.

Unfortunately for the Braves, they have struggled to produce these clutch hits over the past two weeks. Even while going 3-for-8 in this loss, they have batted just .192 (20-for-104) with runners in scoring position over their past 14 games.

Once again looking more relaxed than he did during his spot start in Milwaukee during the season’s first week, Minor limited San Diego to two runs through the first five innings. Atlanta optioned him back to Triple-A Gwinnett after the game and recalled outfielder Matt Young. Minor will likely return on June 11, when the Braves need a fifth starter again.

After the Braves gained a brief lead courtesy of Freddie Freeman’s opposite-field two-run double in the fourth, Minor allowed the Padres to tie the game the next half-inning.

Matt Latos limited the Braves to two earned runs and five hits over six innings. His roughest inning came after he issued Brian McCann a leadoff walk in the fourth. Eric Hinske followed with a single, and two batters later, Freeman began his three-hit performance with his go-ahead two-run double.

The Braves might have drawn first blood had Jones not tweaked his left groin while going from first to third on McCann’s two-out first-inning double. This combined with his sore right knee prevented Jones from even being in position to attempt to score on the play.

Jones proved healthy enough to allow Atlanta to score more than two runs for just the fourth time in its past 11 games. But his production didn’t alter the mood in the sullen clubhouse.

Box score

Chipper Jones, who tweaked his left groin in the first inning, is in doubt for Wednesday’s series finale.

Braves pitcher Kris Medlen, who has been out since having Tommy John surgery last August, could return to Atlanta as soon as late July, manager Fredi Gonzalez said. After throwing approximately 90 pitches in Tuesday’s bullpen session, Medlen will now head to Orlando, Fla., for extended spring camp, where he’ll throw live batting practice.

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Source: MLB.com

Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 11:49 PM     Updated: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 11:54 PM

 

ATLANTA, Georgia — The Atlanta Braves on Tuesday announced plans to retire former manager Bobby Cox’s number. The Braves will honor Cox’s No. 6 on Aug. 12 before a home game against the Chicago Cubs.

Cox is the first to have his number retired by the Braves only for his accomplishments as a manager.

Cox retired after last season. He is fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, including 2,149 wins in 25 years with the Braves.

The Braves won 14 straight division titles and the 1995 World Series under Cox.

“Bobby Cox exemplifies the Braves organization,” team president John Schuerholz said. “Inducting him into our Hall of Fame and retiring his legendary No. 6 is fitting recognition for a man who has done so much for our organization, our great game and the city of Atlanta.”

Cox’s number will become the third the team has retired in three years, following Tom Glavine (47) last year and Greg Maddux (31) in 2009.

The other Braves players to have their number retired are Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Mathews (41), Dale Murphy (3), Phil Niekro (35) and Warren Spahn (21).

Mathews, the third baseman who hit 512 home runs, was 149-161 as the Braves’ manager from 1972-74.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) – The Atlanta Braves, who are in their 14th spring training season at Champion Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney, began their first week of full-squad workouts.

The team is under new management for the first time since 1990. The Braves added first-year manager Fredi Gonzalez and all-star second baseman Dan Uggla this season. Long-time manager Bobby Cox retired last season, but some regular faces remain, including last years rookie sensation Jason Heyward and 18-year veteran Chipper Jones.

The Braves are holding full-squad workouts each day leading up to the opening of Grapefruit League play this weekend. The Braves first home game at Disney is Sunday, February 27, against the Mets at 1:05 p.m. at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.