DENVER — Braves center fielder Jordan Schafer hit .220 with a .271 on-base percentage in his past 40 games before Tuesday, and shortstop Alex Gonzalez had the second-lowest on-base percentage (.259) in the National League.
But when manager Fredi Gonzalez looks at them he sees not those ugly numbers, but two players who have had big roles in helping the Braves compile the second-best record in the National League.
First, he addressed a question about Schafer and whether it seemed like the speedy leadoff man had played better than his lackluster-to-bad stats would indicate.
“I looked at it today,” Gonzalez said Monday. “I’m not a big numbers guy, but I looked at [Jason] Heyward, Schafer and [Nate] McLouth’s numbers.
“They’re all about the same [statistically]. But you feel like Schafer’s done so much more. Maybe it’s just us looking, or maybe it’s what he does on the base paths, the defense, but you feel like — and I’m not putting the other guys down — but you feel like Schafer’s one-base percentage is higher. It’s [actually] lower than McLouth’s.
He said of the three outfielders: “They’re [all] hitting three or four points different. But you feel like he’s done something. I don’t know if it’s the stolen-base threat that’s there.”
Schafer had hit .230 with a .311 OBP and 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts in 46 games since arriving from Triple-A. Certainly that’s a bad OBP for a leadoff hitter, or most any hitter. He had 10 extra-base hits, including three triples and one homer, and seven RBIs.
McLouth had a .227 average and .341 OBP in 71 games, with 17 extra-base hits (four homers), 14 RBIs and three steals in five attempts. His walks and OBP climbed considerably since he was dropped from leadoff to eighth in the order.
Heyward had hit .224 with a .319 OBP and 22 extra-base hits (nine homers) in 72 games, with 23 RBIs and five steals in seven attempts. The big right fielder’s stats pale next to his robust production as a rookie in 2010.
Gonzo on Gonzo: Defense enough
Alex Gonzalez’s long slump dropped his to .228 and OBP to .259, second-lowest among NL qualifiers before Tuesday. Dan Uggla (.263) had the third-lowest, having moved from the cellar with a 10-game hitting streak.
Gonzalez hit .213 with three homers in his past 56 games before Tuesday, with eight walks and 60 strikeouts in 221 at-bats. He was 10-for-77 (.130) with just one walk and 20 strikeouts in his past 19 games.
“That’s him, he’s a streaky guy,” Fredi Gonzalez said.
For the guy making out the lineup card, it doesn’t matter that the other Gonzalez isn’t doing much most nights at the plate because his defense has been so strong.
“To tell you the truth, I could give [expletive] what the batting average is or how many home runs,” he said. “Because what he gives you defensively. ... He stops rallies. They’re dead in their tracks if the ball’s hit to him. The routine outs are outs, and then he’ll come up with something spectacular.”
Heyward out again
Heyward was out of the lineup for a second game in a row Tuesday, after being hit in the left foot by a pitch Sunday.
“I let [Fredi Gonzalez] know before we got here that I wanted to play,” Heyward said. “He said he’d like for me to take another day, just to make sure. So I’m going to do everything today and run around on it, and play [Wednesday].”
On Monday, Heyward was in the lineup until he went to the manager after batting practice to tell him he couldn’t push off properly when running in the outfield.
McLouth started in right field Monday and again Tuesday. Eric Hinske got consecutive starts in left field, where McLouth has played in recent weeks.
