In an attempt to get better protection for hot-hitting Freddie Freeman, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez flip-flopped Freeman and Justin Upton in the third and fourth spots in the lineup Wednesday.
Freeman was moved from the fourth spot to No. 3 for only the second time this season, and Upton was moved from third to cleanup, also just the second time he’s hit in the fourth position – or anywhere but third, for that matter.
Freeman hit cleanup Tuesday and was walked four times in the doubleheader losses to the Mets, including three times in the nightcap, each time with a runner in scoring position and two outs. B.J. Upton batted fifth in that game and made the last out in the inning after all three of those walks.
Gonzalez doesn’t like to have left-handed batters in consecutive spots in the lineup, which is why he didn’t hit catcher Brian McCann behind Freeman.
“We’ve been thinking about it a little bit (for a while),” Gonzalez said. We saw it yesterday; obviously it was blatant. But it’s been prior to that. Even in the road trip a little bit, in San Diego, if you go back and look at it, you see some times where he doesn’t get a pitch to hit. So we did that.
“You’ve got McCann in the lineup and you’ve got your best hitter right now, Freeman. You’d like for (Freeman) to hit in the first inning. And he’s swinging hard. I think having Justin behind him, and McCann behind him, gives him a little protection.”
Freeman went 0-for-5 with four walks and three strikeouts in the doubleheader, his first consecutive hitless games all season. He batted .331 with 18 extra-base hits and 36 RBIs in his past 43 games before Wednesday, including 39-for-110 (.355) with five homers and 24 RBIs in his past 28 games.
Freeman was hitting .320 overall, including .448 (26-for-58) with runners in scoring position, second-highest in the National League behind Carlos Beltran (.460) before Wednesday.
Justin Upton had a majors-best 12 homers in April, his first month with the Braves. He was hitting .210 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 43 games during May and June, including 15-for-82 (.183) with two extra-base hits, four RBIs and 29 strikeouts in his past 23 games before Wednesday.
Etc. Triple-A Gwinnett pitching prospect Sean Gilmartin was placed on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. He's 3-7 with a 5.83 ERA in 13 starts…. Infielder Ramiro Pena has been dealing with a sore throwing shoulder for the past week, and Gonzalez said the Braves hoped to rest him for a few days, although he would be available as a late-innings substitute…. Right fielder Jason Heyward was out of the lineup for a rest after playing all three games the Braves completed in a 24-hour period Monday and Tuesday. Gonzalez decided to rest him Wednesday since Heyward was 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts against Shaun Marcum, the Mets' Wednesday starter, while he's 8-for-20 with two homers against lefty Jonathon Niese, the Mets' Thursday starter…. Braves rookie lefty Alex Wood should be available to pitch again out of the bullpen by Friday or Saturday, after throwing 73 pitches in three innings Tuesday in his first major league start.
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