Sports | Falcons | Ga. State | Ga. Tech | Golf | Hawks | High school | Recruiting | UGA
DEL.ICIO.USSPRING TRAINING
DeSalvo tagged in Braves' Grapefruit openerThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/29/08
Vero Beach, Fla. — Braves starter Tim Hudson cleaned up most of his mess Thursday, but Braves hopeful Matt DeSalvo did not. To say the least.
DeSalvo issued five walks and was charged with four runs in the eighth and ninth innings of a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Braves' Grapefruit League opener at Holman Stadium.
|
Hudson gave up one run on four hits and one walk in two innings, and relievers Chris Resop, Manny Acosta and Blaine Boyer worked a combined five scoreless innings before DeSalvo's wild finish.
He left with bases loaded in the ninth, and minor leaguer Colter Bean hit a batter and gave up a two-run single. The Braves blew a 4-2 lead provided by minor leaguer Tyler Flowers' two-run homer in the ninth.
Hard-throwing DeSalvo drew praise from Braves manager Bobby Cox in the first two weeks of spring training. The non-roster invitee, a New York Yankees castoff, did nothing Thursday to help job security.
Cox still defended him, saying windy, 60-degree weather made the balls slick and probably affected the command of Boyer (two walks, two innings) and DeSalvo.
But the other 12 pitchers for both teams issued a total of two walks.
"I know he's not wild, that's the whole thing," Cox said of DeSalvo, 27. "I have to think it has something to do with how cold it was. He was either way up or down [with his pitches]."
Cox might not have seen poor command before Thursday from DeSalvo, but the Yankees saw plenty. He had 74 walks in 141 innings last season, including 18 in 27-2/3 innings during his first major-league stint.
DeSalvo issued 93 walks (with 82 strikeouts) in 116-2/3 innings in 2006.
Hudson faces Andruw
Hudson's command was lacking, but his sense of humor was sharp afterward.
He gave up a triple by former Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal in the first inning, but it was the five-pitch leadoff walk by former Braves teammate Andruw Jones in the second inning that had Hudson sharpening the needle.
"I threw him some pitches just off the plate that he normally falls down swinging at," Hudson said, grinning slightly. "When he didn't swing at those, I knew he wasn't going to get the bat off his shoulder. He was up there to take."
Jones went 0-for-1 with two walks in three plate appearances in his first game against the team he played for his entire career until leaving as a free agent.
"It was a little strange," Cox said of seeing the 10-time Gold Glove winner in a Dodgers uniform. "But he looks good in any uniform."
Jones is admittedly overweight, but told manager Joe Torre he would work it off. He's listed at 240, and has said he wanted to gain weight in the offseason after hitting just .222 with 26 homers last year with a slimmer physique.
Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton said he misses Jones, even as notoriously stubborn as Jones could be.
"That's my boy," Pendleton said. "I called him after realizing he wasn't going be back with us. No matter how many headaches he caused me, and continues to cause me, he was always one of my favorites.
"I just admired that he was out there every day. He came to play, every day. He was really hurting some days, but he was ready to play."
Pendleton, a Los Angeles native, was asked what he expected from Jones, 30, in his first season of a two-year contract with the Dodgers.
"I don't know," he said. "Dodger Stadium can be tough at times. You can crush a ball there and it doesn't go out. You can pretty darn near put him down for 30 [homers] and 100 [RBIs]; I think he can still do that.
"Whether he has a higher average is up to him, whether he decides to make the adjustments needed at times."
Etc.
Top prospect Jordan Schafer went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. The Braves had only three other hits, including Flowers' wind-blown homer off lefty Brian Shackleford. A 22-year-old Roswell native, Flowers hit .298 with 12 homers and 70 RBIs in 106 games at Class A Rome. ... Rookie Jair Jurrjens is set to start Friday against the Dodgers at Disney's Wide World of Sports in his Braves debut, with scheduled relief from Buddy Carlyle, Tyler Yates, lefty Will Ohman and Peter Moylan. Right-hander Hiroki Kurode is scheduled to start for the Dodgers.
Services »
