LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Mike Minor never had the sinker as part of his pitch repertoire, and based on results of the past two starts it might be some time before he uses it in a game that counts.
The Braves left-hander allowed five runs and three homers in five innings of a 7-4 spring-training loss to the New York Mets on Monday, the second start in a row in which he’s given up that many runs. He’s allowed 16 hits and five walks in nine innings of those games, including six hits and two walks Monday.
Besides the run totals, what the two starts had in common was the sinker, the first times he’s thrown it in games.
“I think today was a lot better, besides the first inning,” said Minor, who was charged with three runs in that inning on three wild pitches, a leadoff walk and a mammoth two-run homer Andrew Brown. “I was trying to throw a bunch of two-seamers again and (pitching coach) Roger (McDowell) finally just told me, ‘Don’t do that again.’”
He also gave up a homer to Jamie Hoffman in the second inning, which bounced high off the batter’s-eye screen above the center-field fence, just as Brown’s did. Both Hoffman and Brown had been dropped from the Mets’ major-league roster on Sunday.
Collin Cowgill hit the Mets’ third homer in the third inning, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Minor, whose spring ERA climbed to 6.26 in six starts, said he wanted to add the sinker to have something other than a straight fastball he could go to when behind in counts, such as 2-0 and 3-1.
“I need to work on it more in the bullpen and pick my spots to throw it,” he said. “I wanted to see it against hitters. It was a lot better today, but I had a couple that were straight — and they went straight out of the ballpark. But overall I felt a lot better. Started throwing in, started jamming a lot of guys and throwing some curveballs and sliders.”
Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he didn’t know Minor was working on the sinker in the early innings.
“He fell behind in the count,” Gonzalez said. “Then he tried to throw fastballs behind in the count. It isn’t going to happen. He came back after the first couple of innings, starting mixing in his curveball.
“For me, I thought he just had trouble getting his command. In this league if you get behind hitters, you pay for it.”
Minor threw 53 strikes and 87 pitches. Despite giving up 14 runs in 14 innings over his past three starts, he was upbeat with the season one week away. His last spring start is Saturday’s exhibition against Braves prospects in Jackson, Miss.
“I feel real good,” Minor said. “I feel like I’ve grown up from last year. If that happened last year I’d feel pretty (ticked) off, head down and thinking it was over, that I suck. But no, I have a lot of confidence and feel good going into the season.”
Neither Minor nor Kris Medlen, who has a 7.23 ERA in six starts, has pitched more than five innings this spring because of planned six-inning outings cut short by rising pitch counts. Gonzalez said he wasn’t concerned.
“I would have liked to have seen a couple of the guys go seven innings of one-hit shutout,” he said. “But their pitch counts are right where they want to be. I think Minor’s got another start. Get him going. Then the season starts.”
Back-to-back jacks: Jason Heyward and Justin Upton hit back-to-back homers for the Braves in the seventh inning. It was Heyward's fourth homer and first since March 1, while Upton has six homers including four in 19 at-bats over his past six games. He has a team-high 19 RBIs.
“There’s going to be times during the course of the year where we’re capable of guys going back-to-back-to-back-to-back,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody that’s in the lineup has a chance to do that. I know when you bring in the lefty to try to get through Heyward and (Freddie) Freeman you’re going to have to go through Upton. Hopefully that makes them pay every time that happens.”
Pitching plans: Tim Hudson starts Tuesday against Detroit in a final tune-up before his opening-day start against Philadelphia on Monday at Turner Field.
The Braves will start minor leaguer Daniel Rodriguez on Wednesday against Washington, and lefty Paul Maholm starts Thursday’s Grapefruit League finale against Houston.
No. 5 starter Julio Teheran and Medlen will stay in Florida to make their final spring starts in minor-league games, Medlen on Friday and Teheran on Saturday. Reliever Cory Gearrin will also pitch in the Friday game with Medlen.
