LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Kris Medlen won consecutive National League Pitcher of the Month awards in August and September and started the Braves' Wild Card game in October. Yet he still felt familiar butterflies before an exhibition game Monday against the Marlins.
“I was nervous, but I did my whole routine -- peanut butter and honey (sandwich) relaxed me,” he said. “First time every spring, you just get the nerves, like, baseball’s back. Throwing bullpens and live (batting practice) is not really the same.”
Medlen was charged with two groundball hits in two scoreless innings of the Braves’ 7-6 win in his spring debut. He had two strikeouts with no walks and threw 19 strikes in 31 pitches.
Chris Coghlan started the game with a single through the right side of the infield. After Donovan Solano struck out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a hard grounder that bounced off second baseman Dan Uggla’s glove. That turned a potential double play into one out at second, and Joe Mahoney followed with a hit on a grounder that shortstop Tyler Pastornicky tried to bare-hand but didn’t pick cleanly.
Joe Mahoney followed with a hit on a bouncer that shortstop Tyler Pastornicky tried to bare-hand but didn’t pick cleanly.
Medlen faced four batters in the second, with Adeiny Hechavarria reaching base on Uggla’s second error in three games.
“Solano, the last time I faced him he took me deep twice,” Medlen said. “And last time I faced Stanton he took me to right field, hardest ball I’ve ever given up in my life, in 2010. That’s the last time I faced him, so seeing those guys in the box again, it kind of brings it out of you. You want to compete and hit your spots because if you don’t, they’ll let you know.”
If the Braves keep their starters on an every-fifth-day schedule between now and the regular season, Medlen would be in line to pitch Opening Day against Philadelphia on April 1. Manager Fredi Gonzalez hasn’t named an Opening Day starter or given any other indication who it’ll be, though Medlen and veteran Tim Hudson are the obvious options.
There are two off-days in the Grapefruit League schedule and two more off-days between the last exhibition game and Opening Day, sandwiched around a Braves vs. prospects game March 30 at Double-A Mississippi. Gonzalez hasn’t said if he plans to have pitchers stay on schedule or use one or more of those off-days for extra rest.
"I’m not worried about (Opening Day) at all," Medlen said. "I’ve said a couple of times, I think Huddy deserves it. He’s our leader, he’s our guy. I don’t think there’s any question about that. But I’m also not worried about it either.”
Not yet Kimbrel-ing: The Marlins got a run and two hits in the third inning off closer Craig Kimbrel, who is scheduled to make two more appearances before leaving this weekend to join Team USA in Phoenix for a brief training camp prior to pool play in the World Baseball Classic.
Coghlan bounced a double over the right-field fence and scored on Stanton’s sacrifice fly. Joe Mahoney also had a two-out single off Kimbrel, who got his outs on a grounder and two flyballs.
Short hops: The Braves face division rival Washington Tuesday at Champion Stadium, with left-hander Mike Minor making his spring debut against Nationals lefty Ross Detwiler. The 1:05 p.m. game will not be televised and can be heard in the Atlanta area on 1230 or 1340 AM…. Catcher Matt Pagnozzi had a three-run double in the sixth inning Monday, and third baseman Chris Johnson added two hits for the Braves in their first win in four spring games. Pagnozzi is a candidate to back up Gerald Laird for the first two or three weeks of the season while Brian McCann completes rehab for shoulder surgery… The Braves led 7-1 until reliever Yohan Flande gave up six hits and five runs in the eighth inning. The lefty gave up a homer in his first appearance and has allowed seven hits and six runs in two innings. "You don't worry about that," Gonzalez said. "I think they scored five runs on 18 pitches. It wasn't like he was struggling. He was throwing the ball over the plate. His breaking ball wasn't as good as we've seen it."
