With the way B.J. Upton has been scuffling any signs of improvement, no matter how small, are a good thing for the Braves.
But they didn’t have to settle for anything incremental from Upton on Wednesday. Upton hit a lead-off home run in the fourth inning of Atlanta’s 8-3 route of the Twins at Turner Field.
The home run was Upton’s first since April 23 and followed his two-hit outing in a victory against the Twins on Tuesday. It’s the first time Upton has hit in consecutive games since May 7 and May 9; he’s yet to hit in three straight games.
“I’ve still got some work to do but I think overall it’s definitely getting a lot better,” Upton said. “Hopefully it can continue to go the way it’s going right now.”
Upton lately appears to be using a stance that’s wider and more open. He’s also been working on the timing of his left foot tap.
“They’ve been tinkering,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Upton and coaches Scott Walker and Greg Fletcher. “It’s probably got a lot more to do with his leg kick, try to get his foot down quicker and get in hitting position. It’s little by little.
“When you try to make changes with major-league hitters, it takes a little patience. It takes a little time for them to get it. And then you’ve got to ask them to produce a in the major leagues. So it’s tough at times.”
Upton, who also made a nice running catch for the second out in the ninth inning Tuesday, said the improvements in his swing came after he “cleaned up a couple of things” that he didn’t specify.
“It wasn’t really necessarily that (leg kick),” he said. “I made a couple of other adjustments. Things are coming along pretty well right now and hopefully I can keep it going.”
Upton still isn’t producing at near the level expected when the Braves signed him during the offseason. He’s yet to record hits in three straight games this season and his batting average of .155 and on-base percentage of .246 are both worst among Braves regulars.
But the production could follow if Upton keeps taking good swings. His first at-bat Wednesday was a hard-hit fly out to left field and his two singles on Tuesday were sharply hit balls.
“You see those at-bats get better and better and the swings are getting better,” Gonzalez said. “’Walk’ and ‘Fletch’ are working real hard with him and B.J. is working—you’ve got to give him some credit, too. He’s in there not getting frustrated.”
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