PHILADELPHIA – Mired in a four-game slump and getting worst production in the majors from the top two positions in their lineup, the Braves moved veteran Nick Markakis to the leadoff spot and Andrelton Simmons to the 2-hole, where each had plenty of previous experience but none this season.
Gonzalez also moved Freddie Freeman from the cleanup position to the No. 3 spot, where Freeman hit on a regular basis in the past but in only one game this season before Saturday. Hot-hitting catcher A.J. Pierzysnki batted cleanup Saturday.
“The manager, he’s the one who makes the lineup,” said Markakis, who had an eight-game hitting streak snapped Friday. “Whether it’s 1, 5 or 9, as long as you’re in there and contributing, you really can’t say anything. So, shake things up and we’ll see how it goes.”
Braves leadoff hitters – primarily Eric Young Jr. and Cameron Maybin – had a collective .194 batting average before Saturday, and a .239 on-base percentage that ranked 29th in the majors, ahead of only Minnesota (.214). Gonzalez plans to use Markakis at the leadoff spot for at least five consecutive games against right-handers, and might keep him there if he likes the results.
“When we first got EY in camp, we were thinking those guys could be prototypical leadoff hitters,” said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose Braves added Cameron Maybin in a trade the night before opening day. “And I think they still can. But right now, we’ve gone 16 games and really it’s just not working.”
Markakis batted in the third spot in 14 of 15 previous starts this season, but the 10-year veteran hit primarily in the leadoff position last season with the Orioles and has more than 1,000 career plate appearances in that spot. Last season he hit .274 with 39 extra-base hits (13 homers) and a .339 OBP in 617 at-bats in the leadoff spot, where Markakis made 148 of his 155 starts.
“Just try to get on base,” Markakis said of his approach, which he doesn’t change when he’s batting leadoff. “You want to get on base regardless. If you have guys in scoring position, you want to try to knock them in. It’s really no different, just you may get that extra at-bat late in the game. After the first inning it really doesn’t matter (who’s batting leadoff).”
The move was made a day after Young made the Braves’ last out in Friday’s 1-0 loss to the Phillies, grounding out to finish an 0-for-4 night that dropped his batting average to .174.
Markakis entered Saturday with a .352 average and .444 OBP, and was 14-for-27 (.519) with seven walks and a .618 OBP during his eight-game streak that ended Friday.
Rookie Jace Peterson made one start in the leadoff position and went 1-for-4. Otherwise, the Braves had used Eric Young (10 starts) or Maybin (five) at leadoff in all the other games before Saturday, with each of the veterans batting just .190 at the position. Maybin was 4-for-21 with three homers and a .261 OBP at leadoff, and Young was 8-for-42 with a .227 OBP.
“Seven months ago when we first signed (Markakis), he’s a guy we talked about being a potential leadoff hitter,” Gonzalez said. “And then we kind of got away from that because EY came on the scene later on. I’m not saying we won’t revisit it in another month or two weeks or whatever it is, but looking at the next five days’ starters — they’ll be all right-handers — give Nicky an opportunity to lead off. And why not put your best hitters right now, put them in order (at the top).”
