Somewhere on his alpaca farm in Charlottesville, Va., former Braves closer Billy Wagner is saying he knew there’d be days like this for Craig Kimbrel.
The young Braves closer is experiencing some of his first major league strife since taking over for the retired Wagner. He has blown two saves and taken a loss in his past six outings.
Kimbrel blew his second save in his past four chances Friday night in an eventual 5-3 loss to the Cardinals, only to follow that by allowing a run in the ninth Saturday afternoon to take his first major league loss, 3-2.
In each of those three outings, Kimbrel committed the cardinal sin of allowing the leadoff man aboard. He put Jamey Carroll on with a leadoff walk April 21 in Los Angeles. Yadier Molina led off with a single Friday night and Matt Holliday on Saturday.
Carroll took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single. Molina took third on a hit-and-run and scored on a sacrifice fly. Holliday advanced on a passed ball and scored on Gerald Laird’s triple.
“Got to keep the leadoff runner off base, get that first out,” Kimbrel said. “It’s big.”
Kimbrel has been walking the fine line of not trying to walk the first hitter and not giving him anything to hit. After 33 appearances in the majors by Kimbrel — including 21 last year during four call-ups — veteran Chipper Jones thinks hitters are adjusting to him and look for the fastball early in counts.
“They know he’s predominantly fastball, and you’re seeing guys jump on it,” Jones said. “They know he’s going to be around the strike zone. He’s got to make the adjustment. He’s got to be able to keep guys off-balance [with sliders] because major league hitters can time a jet plane.”
It might not be that simple for Kimbrel, who knows his fastball — which reaches the mid to upper 90s — is his strength.
Smooth transition for Wallace
Braves minor league pitching coordinator Dave Wallace was working with pitchers in Single-A Rome when he got the call the Braves needed him to serve as interim pitching coach.
It’s not the most comfortable situation for Wallace, a mentor and close friend to Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell, who is on administrative leave while the Braves investigate allegations he made anti-gay slurs to fans in San Francisco. But Wallace is trying to make the best of it and staying in close contact with McDowell.
“I talk to him daily,” Wallace said. “We keep updated on what’s going on and some of the things he thinks I need to keep an eye on.”
Wallace is a 30-year veteran of the coaching and front-office ranks. He has coached in the major leagues for the Astros, Red Sox, Mets, and Dodgers. He’s in his second year with the Braves and got to know the staff during major league stints last year as well as spring training. He coached Derek Lowe for two years with the Boston Red Sox.
“Knowing Roger, knowing the players,” Wallace said. “It’s a pretty easy transition as far as knowing the parameters within which you have to work.”
Chipper starts 25th game
Even on a day game after a late night game (11 innings at that), Jones was back in the lineup Saturday at third base. That has been the trend this year, for the recently turned 39-year-old who’s in the lineup as often as a 20-something.
Jones made his 25th start in 28 games this season Saturday. He has missed only one start with a nagging injury — a sore right knee last weekend in San Francisco, the opposite one from his surgically repaired left knee.
“It’s early, and I’m fresh,” Jones said. “I want to take advantage of it while I got it.”
