DETROIT — It didn't make things any easier for Braves fans frustrated by Dan Uggla's slow start to see second baseman Omar Infante do considerable damage against Atlanta on Saturday. Infante was traded to the Marlins with reliever Mike Dunn in the November 2010 deal for Uggla.
Infante went 3-for-4 with an RBI double, a two-run homer and a stolen base Saturday for Detroit, and also had a double in Friday’s series opener.
“Infante’s done a good job against us,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He’s gotten three or four hits and some big RBIs, like the one in the eighth inning. He seems to be a thorn in our side, even when he was playing with the Marlins.”
After going 2-for-29 in his first seven games against the Braves after they traded him, Infante is 21-for-64 (.328) with six extra-base hits, two homers and seven RBIs in his past 15 games against Atlanta.
The Marlins traded Infante and Anibal Sanchez to the Tigers on July 23, 2012, in exchange for minor leaguer Brian Flynn, Rob Brantly and Jacob Turner. Sanchez had a Tigers franchise-record 17 strikeouts in Friday’s 10-0 rout of the Braves.
Infante has hit .307 with eight RBIs in 19 games this season, including .457 (16-for-35) at Comerica Park.
Uggla had a bases-loaded walk in the Braves’ three-run third inning Saturday, but the second baseman is batting just .167 with four homers, seven RBIs, 30 strikeouts and a .294 on-base percentage. He’s 0-for-7 with six strikeouts in the first two games of the Detroit series and has 18 strikeouts in 39 at-bats over his past 11 games.
