The Braves’ Brandon McCarthy faced major league hitters for the first time in more than two weeks Wednesday and looked (and sounded) like a veteran ready to begin the regular season.
In his penultimate spring start, McCarthy was charged with five hits, two runs (one earned) and no walks and had four strikeouts in six innings of a 3-2 Grapefruit League win against the Tigers, leaving him with a 1.42 ERA in three official starts.
“I was (already) where I wanted to be, so that was just kind of a game where you try to execute as many pitches as you can,” McCarthy said after firing 60 strikes in 86 pitches. “Other than being emotionless and being a spring game, it felt like a regular-season start.”
The 6-foot-7 right-hander with a dry sense of humor came to the Braves from the Dodgers in the financially driven December salary-swap deal that sent Matt Kemp to Los Angeles, clearing the final two years of Kemp’s onerous contract for the Braves while adding about $30 million in payroll this season, including McCarthy’s $11.5 million salary and the $16 million owed to left-hander Scott Kazmir.
If McCarthy, 34, stays as healthy and effective as he’s been this spring, he’ll be a relative bargain for the Braves, both as a steady veteran on the field and a good example for their young pitchers to follow in terms of game preparation and work habits.
Since his March 5 start against the Pirates, McCarthy pitched two times in a minor league game and a simulated game against Braves minor leaguers, opting to get his work in on the back fields to hone his slider and prepare for the season in a low-key setting that some veterans prefer, rather than pitching every fifth day in exhibition games that don’t count, but are attended by thousands and broadcast on radio and TV.
In three Grapefruit League starts, McCarthy has allowed nine hits, two earned runs and one walk with eight strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings.
His last spring start will come Monday against the Yankees in an exhibition game at SunTrust Park, then he’ll start the third game of the season in a series finale March 31 against the Phillies at SunTrust.
“I’m stretched out now; on the back fields I got that done,” said McCarthy, who probably will pitch only about two innings against the Yankees as a final tune-up for the season.
Asked if he were excited about being healthy and ready for the season, he said, “I’m excited to end the spring. Yeah, it all feels like it’s in a place where I’d like it to be, and then now you just have to deal with the leaks that pop up in the season and the little things and how to incorporate them into the game plans. Just that constant nip/tuck here and there and then being fully competitive again where outs and run prevention are the only things that matter.”
The four starters who’ll open the season for the Braves have all had impressive springs, including opening-day starter Julio Teheran (0.87 ERA in five starts), No. 2 starter Mike Foltynewicz (three hits, no runs in 14 innings in four Grapefruit League starts) and second-year lefty Sean Newcomb (2.35 ERA in five starts).
McCarthy was asked if he had been impressed by the starters this spring.
“Yeah. Nobody cares about spring stats, but you’d still rather them be good than bad,” he said. “You don’t see anybody with any issues popping up. You feel like they’re full of confidence, myself included. All the rest of the guys are so young and there’s so much promise there that as they start to really unlock their potential, good springs won’t even be noticed, they’re just going to be guys that do this and take it into the season.
“I kind of start to expect that from them this season. I think guys like Folty, Newcomb – their stuff is just so good, so strong, that as they really develop, I think they’ll get into the season and it’s going to be different guys than we’ve seen before.”
Foltynewicz pitched in a Triple-A game Wednesday after the Braves were off Tuesday. He’ll start Sunday on short rest, but will keep the outing brief, then have four days’ rest before starting the second game of the season March 30 against the Phillies.
GAME NOTES: Preston Tucker was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for the Braves, raising his average to .386 and OPS to 1.051 as the corner outfielder competes for an opening-day roster spot. ... Third baseman Rio Ruiz had an RBI double for the Braves on the same day that manager Brian Snitker said the planned starting third baseman Johan Camargo would begin the season on the disabled list with a strained side. Ruiz is a top candidate to replace him, though Camargo could be back as soon as the second week of the season.
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