LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Braves have an odd 14-9-4 record (four ties) in Grapefruit League play, which isn't as important as something else Chipper Jones says they have.
“We feel like we have confidence that when we walk out there on the field, we expect to win,” Jones said Wednesday after an 11-inning, 4-4 tie with the Florida Marlins. “That’s a good feeling to have. That’s a feeling we had for the first 12 years I was here. Kind of lost it for a couple of years, but that winning mentality is starting to come back.
“It all starts with our pitching. Our pitchers give us quality starts and we play defense behind them, get some timely hits. It’s a good formula for a lot of W’s.”
Nate McLouth had two hits, rookies Freddie Freeman and Brandon Hicks homered, and Tim Hudson pitched six solid innings Wednesday as the Braves moved to within one week of their March 31 season opener at Washington.
They used their projected regular lineup -- Jones called it “Full Metal Jacket” -- for the first time.
"You'd like to win ballgames in spring training because it's fun to win," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "But I think today was a pretty good day."
He praised the play of Hicks, who came off the bench to hit a two-out, tying homer in the ninth inning and turn a couple of nifty defensive plays. Hicks might be the best defensive infielder in the organization, but the Braves have waited years for him to hit better.
Although not likely to win a bench job out of camp, Hicks is hitting .308 with three extra-base hits in 26 at-bats this spring and showing he could be an option if the Braves have an injury that requires a replacement at shortstop for any significant length.
Meanwhile, Jones continues to quell any doubts about his health.
Just over seven months removed from ACL knee surgery, he ranks among National League leaders in batting average (.407), on-base percentage (.448), slugging percentage (.722) and RBIs (12) and leads the Braves with eight doubles and three homers.
Jones agrees that spring-training statistics aren’t important.
“Except for this spring,” he said. “Just because I know that, coming into spring, a lot of people were calling me a question mark. Having to go out and re-prove yourself again, it feels nice to have some stats behind me.”
In his past eight games, he’s 14-for-25 with six doubles and two home runs.
Shaky Sherrill blows lead
George Sherrill blew a 3-1 lead by allowing three runs, four hits and two walks in the seventh inning, the third rough outing in eight for the veteran left-hander.
“Just one of those spring-training outings,” Gonzalez said. “Nothing to over-react over."
Sherrill pitched a scoreless inning in four of his five appearances before Wednesday, when he surrendered a leadoff walk, two double, two singles, and also hit a batter.
After posting a career-worst 6.69 ERA in 65 appearances for the Dodgers last season, Sherrill has allowed 13 hits, seven runs and five walks in eight innings this spring.
Hudson, Hanson results differ
Two of the Braves' top three starting pitchers pitched Wednesday, and Tommy Hanson didn't fare as well against Braves minor leaguers as Hudson did against the Marlins.
Hanson, after having his start delayed days for a sore back, gave up eight hits, five runs and two homers in 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett against Double-A Mississippi on a back field at the Braves’ complex. He had six strikeouts and no walks.
The Braves really cared only about Hanson’s back, which wasn’t a problem.
“Wind was blowing out pretty good in left field over there,” said Gonzalez, who watched five innings of Hanson’s start. “Needless to say, he got through it. His back was fine.”
Minor bumped two days
Fifth-starter candidates Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor will pitch on different days this week, with Minor's start bumped back two days to Sunday against Philadelphia. Beachy will pitch Friday against Detroit.
Gonzalez said the move wasn't made for health reasons nor was any indication of how the fifth-starter competition was progressing.
Rodrigo Lopez, a surplus starter who could be traded, is scheduled to pitch Friday's other split-squad game against Philadelphia in Clearwater, Fla.
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