The Braves barely had time to walk dogs, tuck in kids or make a dent in DVR recordings during their only previous trip home since mid-February. They didn’t unpack their suitcases so much as replenish them with clean underwear for the trip that began a day later in New York.
But now they’re home for a week, and they want to take advantage of six games at Turner Field, beginning with Friday night’s home opener against Milwaukee. They flew home after midnight following Wednesday’s 6-3 win at Houston.
“Hopefully this puts us on a little roll,” veteran backup catcher David Ross said after hitting a two-run double that helped the Braves win their second in a row against the Astros to finish a 2-4 trip that began with a sweep by the Mets.
“Win a series. Go into your home opener winning two games in a row — it’s a good feeling for us,” said Jason Heyward, who had three hits that included a homer Wednesday. “We haven’t played at home in a long time, haven’t been home and sat down at home for a long time either. So that’ll be pretty nice.”
The Braves played their last spring-training game in Florida on April 2, flew to Atlanta for an exhibition game against their prospects April 3 at Triple-A Gwinnett’s Coolray Field, then flew to New York on April 4 and opened the season April 5.
“We went straight from spring training with just a little pit stop in Gwinnett,” second baseman Dan Uggla said. “I’m excited to go home, that’s for sure. Sleep in our own beds, play in front of our own crowd, our own stadium.”
Said Ross: “It feels like we’ve been on the road for a long time.”
They’ll play in front of a standing-room-only crowd Friday, with Braves pitcher Jair Jurrjens (0-1) facing Brewers veteran left-hander Randy Wolf (0-1).
“It’s nice to pitch opening day somewhere,” said Jurrjens, who gave up seven hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings at New York in the second game, after Tommy Hanson pitched opening day. “It’s a special moment, a special feeling. Hope to have a good opening day at home and build for that series.”
The Braves had a 47-34 home record in 2011, with a 37-18 tear in the middle sandwiched between a 4-7 start and a 6-9 finish. They were a blistering 56-25 at home in 2010 in manager Bobby Cox’s final season, when they won the wild card and lost in the division series against San Francisco.
Most of the Braves had spent only two nights in Atlanta since reporting to spring training in the third week of February, and some were away even longer after reporting to camp a week or two early. For those who live elsewhere and rent in Atlanta during the season, Thursday’s off day was a chance to get settled into apartments or condominiums.
“[Opening on the road] stinks because these guys haven’t been home except for 36 hours in the last 2 1/2 months,” said Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who smiled before adding: “It’s a little different for me because I got a little extra vacation in” [he had March 26 knee surgery in Atlanta].
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had spent two nights at home in more than eight weeks before flying home in the wee hours Thursday. The flight was probably more relaxing after the Braves snapped out of their season-opening funk — 10 runs in the 0-4 start — to score six runs in each of two wins.
The wins came just as speculation began to pick up nationally that Gonzalez’s job could be jeopardy if the team didn’t get things turned around soon, the slow start magnified by losing 20 of the last 30 in 2011 to blow an 8 1/2-game wild-card lead.
