PHILADELPHIA — The Braves’ lineup for the season finale Sunday against the Phillies resembled one they might use in a spring-training road game, with backups filling half of the positions including the entire outfield.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez said wanted to give Joey Terdoslavich his first start of the season, and left fielder Justin Upton didn’t object to being out of the lineup Sunday despite being only one homer shy of a potential career-first 30-homer, 100-RBI season. Upton had a two-run homer Saturday to give him 29 homers and 102 RBIs.
Terdoslavich started in right field in place of Jason Heyward, and Ryan Doumit made his eight start in left field. Emilio Bonifacio made his 17th start in center in place of B.J. Upton — which wasn’t so unusual, as it was his Bonifacio’s ninth start at the position in September.
Both Uptons homered in the Braves’ 4-2 win Saturday. They each also had an outfield assist, the first time in major league history that two brothers both homered and had outfield assists in the same game.
Phil Gosselin was at shortstop Sunday in place of Andrelton Simmons, who has been slowed by a sore ankle and was nearly removed during Saturday’s game before telling Gonzalez that he was OK to continue playing.
Also playing into a couple of the lineup decisions: B.J. Upton was 0-for-17 and Simmons was 1-for-16 against Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels, who started Sunday’s season finale.
Heyward was 7-for-32 with eight strikeouts against Hamels, while Justin Upton was a solid 9-for-32 (.281) with a home run against the lefty, albeit with 11 strikeouts.
B.J. Upton set Braves single-season strikeout record with 173, and Justin Upton tied the previous mark of 171 set by Dan Uggla in 2013.
