Freddy Garcia knows his past couple of starts haven’t exactly been confidence-boosters for Braves fans, but the veteran pitcher wasn’t worried after giving up six hits and four runs (three earned) in four innings of Thursday’s 11-0 Grapefruit League loss to the Cardinals.
“I give up a lot of runs lately, but I’m fine,” said Garcia, 37, who has allowed 12 hits and 10 runs (nine earned) in 6 2/3 innings over his past two starts. “It’s different when the bell rings (for the regular season). Spring-training games are different. I just need to pitch better in my next couple of starts.”
Garcia came to camp as a candidate for the fifth-starter job, along with talented young left-hander Alex Wood. But because of injuries to other starters, now both will be needed in the rotation at the start of the season.
After pitching five perfect innings in his first two starts, Garcia was charged with six hits, six runs and four walks in 2 2/3 innings of his third start Saturday against the Astros. He was told just before that game that his wife, Glendys, had gone into labor and was taken to a Miami-area hospital, and Garcia said he rushed to get through his outing so he could drive to Miami to be with her.
Glendys and baby Sebastian — Garcia’s third child — were doing well and attended Thursday’s game on a windy day in Jupiter.
“I felt better, but it’s hard to pitch in this kind of weather,” Garcia said. “No excuse, but my ball is moving all over the place. For me, I have to throw first-pitch strikes. The last couple of innings I wasn’t able to do that.”
Once a hard-throwing ace, Garcia has lost about 10 mph on his fastball and must rely on finesse, change of speeds and location. With the wind gusting from 20-30 mph throughout the game, Garcia said his less-than-overpowering pitches were affected, and he couldn’t get ahead in counts the way he needs to to be successful.
When told what Garcia said about the wind, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, “I tend to agree with him. … It was a tough day to evaluate anything really.”
Bad day for Gearrin: Bullpen candidate Cory Gearrin was charged with five hits and six runs (five earned) while recording one out in the seven-run sixth inning.
He gave up a one-out single before first baseman Ernesto Mejia made an errant throw to second on a fielder’s choice. Gearrin gave up hits to the next four batters, including Xavier Scrubbs’ three-run double.
Gonzalez was asked about not getting at least one out on the Mejia misplay.
“The good (pitchers) get out of the inning and help themselves and the club along the way,” he said, “not put a big number up.”
Gearrin allowed six total hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings in six appearances before Thursday, with two walks and seven strikeouts. He’s competing for one of the final bullpen spots and is out of minor-league options, meaning he can’t be sent to the minor leagues without first clearing waivers.
Bullpen certainties are Craig Kimbrel, left-hander Luis Avilan, and right-handers Jordan Walden, David Carpenter and Anthony Varvaro.
Would-be opening-day starter Kris Medlen is expected to have season-ending elbow surgery, and starters Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor are questionable for the first week or two of the season. The Braves expect to avoid rushing newly signed Ervin Santana into the rotation before the second week.
As things stand, the rotation initially would include rookie David Hale, who could move to the bullpen as a long reliever/spot starter after other starters return.
The Braves could pick a second lefty reliever from among Ryan Buchter, Ian Thomas, Daniel Rodriguez and Atahualpo Severino. Among the other right-handers in the mix: sidearmers Luis Vasquez and Gus Schlosser.
Because of off days, Atlanta can get by with four starters until April 12 against the Nationals, the 11th game.
Lot of whiffs: Braves hitters have set a franchise record for strikeouts in three consecutive seasons, and if spring training is an indication they might make it four.
Lance Lynn struck out 10 in four innings Thursday, including the last eight he faced. Braves hitters have struck out 138 times in 19 games, the most in the Grapefruit League.
The Braves and Mets tied for the NL lead with 1,384 whiffs in 2013, partially explaining how the Braves led the league in homers (181) and ranked second in walks (542), but fourth in runs (688) with almost 100 fewer than St. Louis (783).
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