Braves pitcher Teheran continues torrid spring

“Outstanding,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “The first inning he got the first guy out and then had a little adversity. But he came right back and got himself back on track. Again, he mixed all his pitches and I thought Gatty (catcher Evan Gattis) did a nice job for the first time catching him. Did a nice job handling him.”

Teheran gave up two walks in the first inning and only one more baserunner the rest of the way. The right-hander faced five batters in the first inning, recording a strikeout, a walk, a strikeout, another walk, then his third strikeout of the inning to get out of it unscathed.

“The first inning I was trying to be too fine with my fastball,” Teheran said. “But after that I came back and did good. Most of the strikeouts were with the breaking ball… If I don’t have my best fastball command, I just try to use my other pitches. I have confidence with my two-seamer and my slider, too. I feel like I can throw all my pitches in any count.”

That wasn’t the case in the past, and last season Teheran’s ERA doubled (to 5.08) in his second season at Triple-A Gwinnett.

“Two years ago when I first saw the young man, everybody was talking about the big arm,” Gonzalez said, “and he came out and was trying to light up the radar gun every single pitch. I think he’s matured past that now. He had a tough Triple-A season, there’s no ifs, ands or maybes about that. And I think sometime adversity is good. You’ve got to figure it out, that more so than anyone else helping.

“So you’ve got to give him a lot of credit. He’s been terrific. He’s got four quality major league pitches, where a couple of years ago it was one – and barely one, because he couldn’t even command the fastball back then.”

Has Teheran exceeded expectations?

“The expectations for me were for him to make this club, and he made that,” Gonzalez said. “Other than that, I had no other expectations. My expectations through the course of the season are for him to go out and give us a good chance to win the ballgame. If he keeps pitching the way he’s pitching, and mixing his pitches the way he has been, he’s going to be able to do that.”

Though it seemed a given since the first week of camp, Teheran was officially told this week he won the fifth-starter job.

“That was my motivation for today,” the slender Colombian said. “Trying to be ready now for the season, and try to do the same thing during the season that I’ve been doing.”

Etc. Closer Craig Kimbrel gave up a two-run, two-out homer to ex-Brave Rick Ankiel in the ninth inning of the win against Houston, after hitting Chris Carter with a pitch. Kimbrel has allowed six hits, five earned runs and two homers in six innings of six Grapefruit League appearances, with five walks with five strikeouts. He also allowed three hits and two runs in a Team USA loss to the Dominicans in the World Baseball Classic. Gonzalez said he wasn't concerned and noted Ankiel's homer was aided by a stiff breeze….

Jordan Walden had one strikeout and allowed one hit in the seventh inning against Houston in the Braves reliever's second appearance since getting an epidural injection for a herniated disc. Braves GM Frank Wren said he thinks Walden has enough time to get ready for the season and avoid starting out on the DL….

Dan Uggla gave the Braves a 1-0 lead with a second-inning homer against the Astros. It was the second homer of the spring for second baseman, who's batting .215 but does have four hits in 10 at-bats in his past three games….

Minor league third baseman Edward Salcedo drove in four runs with two homers in the last two innings of a 10-5 split-squad win against the Blue Jays. The former elite prospect — the Braves gave him the largest bonus in franchise history for an international signee — has spent three seasons in Class-A and has .240 career average and .694 OPS. Seventeen of his 32 career homers were hit last season at high-A Lynchburg. Salcedo was an extra player brought from minor league camp for Saturday's split-squad game….

Prospect Sean Gilmartin started against the Blue Jays and allowed 10 hits, five runs, three walks and two homers (by Melky Cabrera and Rajai Davis) in five innings, with three strikeouts. Gilmartin has a 7.62 ERA in five Grapefruit League games including three starts….

Kris Medlen makes his sixth spring start Sunday when the Braves play the Nationals again at 1:05 p.m. in Viera. All Braves projected lineup regulars are on the travel list except catcher Gerald Laird and center fielder B.J. Upton. Upton played road games the past two days.