CHICAGO — A day after giving utility infielder Ramiro Pena his second start in 21 games, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez started Jordan Schafer in center field in Friday's series opener against the Cubs.
It was the second start in the Braves’ past 20 games for the team’s fourth outfielder.
“I haven’t done a real good job playing my bench,” Gonzalez said in New York Thursday, when he gave Pena a start at third base in the series finale against the Mets and said Schafer would start a game in the Cubs series.
He made it the series opener, giving the speedy Schafer a start in center in place of B.J. Upton against Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, who was 4-0 with a 0.99 ERA and .161 opponents’ average in his past seven starts before Friday. Arrieta had 53 strikeouts, nine walks and only one homer allowed in 45 1/3 innings in that span.
Schafer reached on an error in the first inning and drew a leadoff walk to start a two-run fourth inning for the Braves. He stole second and was caught trying to steal third base with left-handed hitting Freddie Freeman batting and one out in the first inning.
Schafer stole second again in the fourth, when he scored the Braves’ first run on a Freeman groundout.
Pena was 2-for-16 in the past month in scant playing time before his start Thursday, when he went 2-for-3 with a walk.
Schafer went 6-for-16 with three stolen bases in six games (four starts) from June 6 to June 14. He had played in only 11 games (one start) since then, going 2-for-20 with a double and four stolen bases during that period before Friday.
