Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would mix-and-match catchers Gerald Laird and Evan Gattis without any set pattern for the time being, other than Laird being used for each of rookie Julio Teheran's starts. Gattis homered in his major league debut Wednesday, and Laird was back in the lineup Thursday with Kris Medlen pitching.
Gonzalez mentioned that rookie Gattis and veteran starter Tim Hudson would probably make a good pairing. Teheran makes his season debut Saturday and Hudson makes his second start Sunday. Mike Minor starts Friday's series opener against the Cubs.
It’s unlikely Gonzalez would use Gattis to pinch-hit while there are only two catchers on the roster, unless it were in a rare instance that he’d “roll the dice” in the eighth or ninth inning. Even then, Gonzalez said he’d be hesitant, since he doesn’t have a specific emergency catcher on the current roster to get through an inning if he were to pinch-hit with one catcher and the other catcher got hurt later in the same game….
Jason Heyward received his Gold Glove during a pregame presentation Thursday. It's the first Gold Glove for Heyward, recognizing him as the best defensive right fielder in the National League in 2012. No other current Brave has won a Gold Glove. Justin Upton won the Fielding Bible Award as the top defensive right fielder in the majors in 2011….
Roy Halladay has allowed four or more runs in five or fewer innings in just four starts for the Phillies, three of which have been against the Braves. He gave up five runs in 3-1/3 innings of Wednesday's 9-2 Braves win….
Freddie Freeman was 5-for-7 with an NL-leading six RBIs in two games before Thursday.
