Ryan Doumit has had about as big an impact as any pinch hitter can have over the course of the past week for the Braves.
He hit a two-out double to keep a ninth-inning rally going Sunday in St. Louis and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. He started a five-run rally in the eighth inning on Monday night against the Brewers with a pinch hit home run – the 100th home run of his career. He supplied the game-winning hit Thursday night in that series finale, a two-run single in a 5-4 come-from-behind win.
Entering the weekend series against the Rockies, Doumit had four hits in his previous five pinch-hit at-bats to make him 7-for-21 (.333) as a pinch hitter on the season. He was tied for the major-league lead with seven pinch hits, along with former Brave Reed Johnson, now with the Marlins.
Doumit is doing pretty well at a job he didn’t envision for himself. Doumit was acquired in a trade this winter to serve as a third catcher and a power bat off the bench for the Braves. At 33 years old, he still thinks he can supply more than that.
“I think that I still have some left in the tank,” said Doumit, who is in the final year of a three-year $10 million contract. “I think at this point in time, this is my role and I’m going to try to do it the best I can, but I still perceive myself as an everyday guy, and I still think that I can play and produce.”
The Braves are happy to benefit from the fruits of that motivation, and Doumit is happy to have a chance to play for a team with a shot at the postseason. Doumit has never been to the playoffs, after playing the first nine years of his career with the Pirates and Twins.
“This is an extremely talented team,” Doumit said. “I’m happy right now to be a part of it. I think that we have a chance to go far, and this is the first time that I’ve been on a team where we’re expected to go far. Not to jinx it – but that would be the first time in my career that I’ve been on a playoff team, so I’m very excited about the prospect of that. Just trying to help any way I can.”
Uggla back in lineup: Dan Uggla remained in the Braves lineup for the second straight game Friday night, giving him back-to-back starts for the first time since May 3-4. This time it wasn't to fill in for Tyler Pastornicky. Pastornicky is healthy and ready to go, having recovered from the strained his left calf he injured last Saturday in St. Louis.
Uggla, who had been on the bench 11 of the previous 15 games before Thursday, went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored on Thursday night against the Brewers. Uggla was also 2-for-3 against Rockies right-hander Jordan Lyles, entering the matchup Friday night.
“Just play them as I see (fit),” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
