WASHINGTON – Even a bear wasn't impervious to the nasty bug that's bit a few Braves on this trip.
Hours after Evan Gattis hit a home run in Friday’s 2-1 win against the Nationals, the Braves catcher – whose nickname is El Oso Blanco, aka “the White Bear” – was reduced to a weakened, sickened state by the stomach virus that previously affected starting pitchers Alex Wood and David Hale.
“I felt like Hale looked on the plane,” Gattis said, referring to the team’s charter flight from Milwaukee on Wednesday, when Hale had his face in a sick bag a couple of times.
Ryan Doumit started Saturday at catcher, and manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would probably have veteran backup Gerald Laird start Sunday’s game to give Gattis time to fully recover. Gattis was available to pinch-hit Saturday.
It was the first time behind the plate this season for Doumit, who was expected to play only a limited number of games behind the plate as the team’s third catcher. He’s primarily a pinch-hitter and can also play right field or first base if needed, but Gonzalez decided to play the switch-hitter Friday to get another left-handed bat in the lineup against Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg.
Before Saturday, Strasburg had a .236 opponents’ average and .304 opponents’ on-base percentage in his career against left-handed batters, compared to a .199/.254 vs. right-handed batters. Doumit had never faced Strasburg before Saturday, and Laird was 1-for-2 against him.
Gattis’ homer Friday was his third in eight career games at Nationals Park — half of total hits hits at the ballpark.
Hale was sick for about 36 hours but recovered in time to pitch five scoreless innings Friday against the Nationals. Wood won his start Tuesday at Milwaukee, then got sick and didn’t feel good again until Saturday.
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