ST. LOUIS — Braves players and manager Fredi Gonzalez were still talking Friday about the play that backup shortstop Jack Wilson made late Thursday at New York, which helped the Braves sweep a doubleheader from the Mets.
With the Braves up 3-1 and two Mets on base in the eighth inning of the nightcap, Wilson darted over to field a hard-hit grounder up the middle while sliding, then popped up and threw out Nick Evans at first base.
Braves players stood on the field looking confused for a moment, none more so than pitcher Eric O’Flaherty, who had a look of disbelief.
“I was impressed that he just kept the ball in the infield,” O’Flaherty said. “Then he got up and threw to first, and he got the guy by two steps. I was like, no way. I couldn’t believe it. I thought there was no play to be made there. I was just stunned. I was like, we’re out of this?”
Gonzalez said, “Everybody was like, what just happened? Everybody thought [the best he could do] was keep the ball in the infield and we’d end up with bases loaded, two outs.”
Wilson quashed the Mets’ rally hopes, after consecutive two-out hits against O’Flaherty.
“It was good to get in there and be able to make something happen,” said Wilson, who had played sparingly since coming to the Braves from Seattle in an Aug. 31 trade.
Gonzalez not punished
Fredi Gonzalez was surprised Friday when asked by two reporters, in separate interviews, whether he benched Alex Gonzalez late in Thursday’s doubleheader for lack of hustle.
The question arose after fans speculated on the Internet during and after the game that Gonzalez was pulled and replaced by Wilson as a disciplinary measure.
“No, we double-switched,” said Fredi Gonzalez, who brought in Wilson to replace No. 7 hitter Gonzalez in the sixth inning, when reliever Cristhian Martinez replaced Julio Teheran.
Backup catcher David Ross, batting eighth, struck out to end the previous inning. Gonzalez didn’t want to replace the catcher, since Brian McCann caught the first game Thursday.
As for Alex Gonzalez, the manager said he already had planned to give the veteran some rest in the weekend series against the Cardinals. He probably won’t play until Sunday, which the Braves hope will help calm down a chronic back that has flared a bit recently.
“That’s why I’m here, to give guys a break, a double-switch or whatever,” Wilson said. “I can give Gonzo a little breather for his back. I’m just trying to do the best I can to help the team.”
Hanson on mound
The Braves still hope to have Tommy Hanson (shoulder) or Jair Jurrjens (knee) back to make a start before the regular season ends Sept. 28, so one of them can be ready for a spot in the possible postseason rotation.
“The thing we’re running up against with both of them is, we’re running out of time,” said Gonzalez, adding that it “wouldn’t be fair” to either of the pitchers or the team to have them make their first post-injury start in a playoff game.
Hanson is ahead of Jurrjens in the race to return, by virtue of two pain-free long-toss sessions this week and being set to throw a bullpen session Sunday. Jurrjens has only played catch in the past week and won’t throw off a mound until at least next week.
Gonzalez said if Hanson’s Sunday session goes well, he could go to the Braves’ Instructional League next week in Florida and face hitters. He has been recovering from a small tear beneath his rotator cuff and hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 6.
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