LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Marcell Ozuna hit a home run off Braves pitcher Matt Wisler that sailed over the 60-foot clock-tower scoreboard wall in left-center field at Champion Stadium Friday. Ozuna absolutely crushed it.
But what happened next pleased Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and illustrated the difference he and others have seen in Wisler this spring compared to his rookie season.
Wisler retired the next two Marlins batters in the third inning and all three in the fourth inning, including strikeouts of the final two.
Emilio Bonifacio hit a long home run, John Gant pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, and the Braves pulled out a 6-5 Grapefruit League win on Nate Freiman’s bases-loaded, game-ending hit-by-pitch
“I like what Wis did today,” Gonzalez said. “He gave up a home run, but what I liked was, he got back on the mound and kept pounding the strike zone. I don’t think he ended up walking anybody. His three-ball counts, off the top of my head, might have been zero.
“He got hit, but here’s the difference between this year and when we first saw him last year – it would have been panic, and then walk two guys and all crazy stuff. But I like how he got back on the mound and said, OK, you’re going to have to hit four more, because I’m not coming out of here. I like that from him today.”
In his third spring-training start, Wisler worked four innings – twice as many as each of his other two starts – and was charged with three hits, two runs and one walk with two strikeouts. He has a 3.12 ERA and has given up six hits and three runs in 8 2/3 innings, with three walks and six strikeouts.
“I feel good,” said Wisler, who’ll be in the season-opening rotation with Julio Teheran, Bud Norris and two starters yet to be determined. “I’ve still got two more appearances to kind of get my pitches and innings up, but for where I’m at right now it’ll be nice to have a little six-day break with the off day (Braves are off Wednesday, their only team day off during spring training)
“Looking forward to that, kind of rejuvenate a little bit, then finish strong with my last two outings.”
The change-up that Wisler worked on with Hall of Famer Tom Glavine over the winter has become far more consistent than it felt for Wisler as a rookie, when he’d often abandon it. But it’s the improvement of his slider this spring that’s especially encouraging for the right-hander.
“Fastball command was decent, not great,” he said. “I was missing up a little bit, wasn’t finishing, kind of pulling off a little bit from the stretch…. I was coming along the last inning. My slider was probably the best it’s been all spring, so that’s a good start. The changeup felt really good today, too. So things are starting to come together.”
Asked about the key to the slider improvement, he said, “Today I told myself in the fourth inning, just be aggressive with it. Sometimes I kind of think about it too much instead of just letting it happen. I force the action instead of just throwing it and staying aggressive and trusting the movement and the grip.”
The overall aggressiveness and resolve that Wisler has shown this spring has been noticed.
“He’s a different guy, he’s got a little different look in his eye,” Gonzalez said. “He goes about his business about as good as you’d want (anyone) to. And you see it on the mound.”
