NEW YORK – A day after a game that Nick Markakis would just as soon forget about, the Braves right fielder remained in the cleanup position in the lineup Saturday against the Mets.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was asked before batting practice Saturday about keeping Markakis in the fourth spot following his 0-for-5 game Friday that included three RBI-less at-bats with bases loaded.
“Why wouldn’t you?” Gonzalez said. “This guy’s been one of our best hitters, consistently. I’m looking forward to him batting with the bases loaded again. This guy puts the ball in play, gives you professional at-bats.”
Markakis had a .305 average before leaving nine runners on base in Friday’s 5-3 loss, when he grounded into two bases-loaded double plays and hit a two-out, inning-ending comebacker to the pitcher in another bases-loaded situation. He grounded into a game-ending double play after Freddie Freeman walked to load the bases against closer Jeurys Familia.
The Braves were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position Friday, but still had the National League’s second-best average (.292) and OBP (.364) with runners in scoring position before Saturday.
“And that’s all you can ask for, just get the opportunities,” Freeman said Saturday. “Keep getting the opportunities, we’re going to come through. We have Nick up in those opportunities all game, and that’s exactly the person you want up in those situations. That’s the game of baseball, some days you’re going to get it done, some days you’re not. All you can ask for is to get those opportunities for him again today, and he’ll come through.”
Markakis has hit cleanup in 12 consecutive games and 27 of the past 28, and had a .309 average (30-for-97) with 10 doubles, a .402 OBP and .412 slugging percentage in that position. What’s so unusual about him in the cleanup spot is that Markakis, who had neck surgery in December and couldn’t work out all winter, was still homerless in 228 at-bats before Saturday.
Only three NL hitters had more at-bats without a homer: Dee Gordon (251 at-bats), Ben Revere (239) and Angel Pagan (230).
Markakis averaged 15.7 home runs per season during his nine years with the Orioles before coming to the Braves as a free agent.
“I don’t even worry about the power stuff, because he hits so darn many doubles,” Gonzalez said. “We play in a little different ballpark. Off the top of my head, he’s hit three or four balls that would have easily been home runs in (Baltimore).”
Before his 0-for-Friday, Markakis had batted .313 in his previous 35 games with 12 doubles, 12 RBIs and a .403 OBP, with more walks (19) than strikeouts (18). Rather remarkably, however, he’s not 0-for-7 with bases loaded this season, and hasn’t picked up a single RBI in those spots.
The Braves were fifth in the NL with a .348 average (23-for-66) with bases loaded, which included a combined 0-for-12 with no RBIs by two of their best hitters, Markakis and Freeman. The rest of the Braves had a .456 average and 48 RBIs in 54 at-bats with bases loaded, including Cameron Maybin’s 6-for-8 with nine RBIs and Jace Peterson’s 5-for-8 with a triple, a grand slam and 14 RBIs.
Freeman was 20-for-44 (.455) with 12 walks in all other situations runners in scoring position.
