FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jason Heyward had two of the Braves' four hits in Friday's loss including a sixth-inning home run off Red Sox right-hander Junichi Tazawa, Heyward's second homer of the spring.
“He’s swinging it right now,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of his big right fielder, who has three hits in his past four at-bats after starting out 2-for-15. “He’s getting his foot down, he’s getting his timing down, he’s progressing really well.”
While two of Heyward’s five hits in 20 at-bats this spring have been home runs, Todd Cunningham has the only other Braves homer in the team’s 102 non-Heyward hits through 11 games.
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The Braves have two wins, seven losses and two ties this spring, and six of the seven losses have gone to pitchers not projected to be on the opening-day roster. That included Friday, when minor league pitcher Cody Martin gave up three runs, three hits and a walk while recording two outs in the seventh inning of what had been a 1-1 tie after six.
Martin has allowed eight hits, five runs and two walks in 2-2/3 innings over three relief appearances….
Prospect J.R. Graham gave up consecutive one-out singles in the eighth inning before Mark Lamm replaced him and induced a double-play grounder to get out of the jam.
Gonzalez said Graham was only replaced because he had thrown a lot of pitches and the Braves are being careful with him in his first games back since missing most of last season with a strained shoulder.
The right-hander has made three relief appearances and allowed five hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks in two innings.
