Bobby Cox played for the Yankees and got his start as a manager in their organization, but the venerable Braves manager laughed when asked if he had any loyalty to the pinstripes when facing his old team.
"No, no loyalty," he said before Tuesday night's series opener against the Yankees at Turner Field. "Not even split loyalty."
But, he added, "You've got to respect their tradition and the Steinbrenner family."
The Yankees are playing in Atlanta for the first time since 2000.
"Why does everyone get their panties in a wad when the Yankees are in town?" asked Braves pitcher Derek Lowe.
Lowe pitched for the Boston Red Sox from 1997-2004, so he knows all about the passion that overflows in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.
He seemed a bit surprised by how much attention was being paid to this Yankees visit to Atlanta. Lowe is scheduled to start Thursday in the series finale against veteran lefty Andy Pettitte.
Considering where the Braves rank in home attendance — 13th out of 16 teams in the National League before Monday — their PR blitz leading to back-to-back series against the Yankees and Boston Red Sox was understandable.
McLouth streak ends
Nate McLouth had his streak of 31 consecutive stolen-base attempts snapped Monday when he was thrown out at third by Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, completing a double play after Chipper Jones struck out against Ryan Dempster.
"That was my fault," said Cox, who called for the steal. "I would have bet my life Dempster was going to throw the change-up. He threw him a high split."
It was only the second time in McLouth's major-league career that he was thrown out by a catcher (he has been picked off four times by pitchers). The last time he had been caught by anyone was April 22, 2008.
McLouth leads the majors in stolen-base percentage (91.8) since the start of the 2005 season, having been caught only six times in 73 attempts. He's 10-for-11 this season, including 3-for-4 since being traded to the Braves.
"It's amazing," Cox said of McLouth's stolen-base prowess. "Even if he doesn't get a great jump, he can accelerate and he's gone."
Medlen sits, waits. ...
Entering Tuesday's game, rookie pitcher Kris Medlen had made only two relief appearances since being bumped from the rotation to the bullpen after a May 31 start.
The right-hander pitched three scoreless innings against Pittsburgh on June 8, and gave up six hits, four runs and five walks in a four-inning stint June 14 at Baltimore. And that was it.
"We haven't forgotten him," Cox said.
He said there was nothing wrong with Medlen, and that the right situation to use him just "hasn't arisen" since Baltimore because Braves starters have been pitching deep into games.
"Our starters are throwing so well," Cox said. "I can't wait to get him back in a game, even in a tight game. But nothing's come up."
Etc.
Shortstop Yunel Escobar was back in the lineup Tuesday, after being scratched Monday for a recurrence of a hip-flexor strain that forced him to miss six games in late May. ... Four Braves pitchers combined on a 10-hit shutout Monday against the Cubs, whose hits were all singles. The Elias Sports Bureau said it was the second time in the past 50 seasons that the Braves threw a shutout while allowing at least 10 hits that were all singles. ... Derek Jeter's third-inning double Tuesday was his 425th, moving him past Babe Ruth into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time Yankees list.
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