For all the uncertainty surrounding center fielder Nate McLouth this spring, one thing was clear on Monday: He came up with just the kind of game he needed to jumpstart his spring training.
McLouth went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs, two walks, three runs and a stolen base to lead the Braves to a 13-3 win over the Astros. It set the tone for a big offensive day for the Braves, which also included two doubles from Eric Hinske, Dan Uggla's first hit as a Brave and a six-run second inning fueled by two Brian McCann hits.
In the Braves' first win of spring training, McLouth got his first hit of spring on a flare to left center off left-hander Wandy Rodriguez.
“My first hit was a bloop hit, but at least it didn’t take me nine games to get it,” McLouth said.
McLouth has reached base as many times in the first two games as he did for much of spring training last year. He’s been on base six times in his first two games, beginning with a walk and hit by pitch on Saturday in Port St. Lucie. He went 6-for-51 (.118) last spring training with 16 strikeouts.
This is a pivotal time for McLouth to build confidence if he’s to rebound from last season, when he hit .190 in 85 games and lost his center field job for much of the second half. Early results only help.
“I’m really going up to the plate trying to be aggressive, and be aggressive on every pitch,” McLouth said. “It’s amazing how much better you see offspeed pitches, when you’re really, really aggressive on the fastball.”
The left-handed hitting McLouth got a base hit and two walks off left-handers on Monday. He doubled to the opposite field gap off the only right-hander he faced.
“When I’m seeing lefties well, I’m laying off close pitches and swinging at good pitches,” he said. “That’s how I can gauge my progress at the plate.”
Braves' bullpen shaky
It's been an unsettling start to camp for the Braves bullpen, with both Craig Kimbrel and veteran Scott Proctor struggling in the Braves' first two games. On Monday,a pair of veteran newcomers had shaky outings.
Scott Linebrink gave up three hits and hit a batter in a two-run third inning. George Sherrill followed by loading the bases in the fourth inning before escaping on a double-play groundball.
Both relievers are trying to rebound from off years with their respective former teams -- Linebrink, who had a 4.40 ERA last year with the White Sox, and Sherrill, who had a 6.69 ERA with the Dodgers.
Linebrink's damage came with two outs after he got two strikes on Michael Bourn. Linebrink lost a pitch for a ball, albeit a 95 mph one, and then hit Bourn trying to come inside.
Brett Wallace followed with a run-scoring single off Uggla's glove and Carlos Lee came up with an RBI single on a pop-up in the infield. Shortstop Brandon Hicks tripped on the mound trying to make the play.
"The linescore doesn't dictate the way he pitched," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We had a knuckleball that Danny jumped for, a line drive by Wallace, and at the end it dropped out on him. And we messed up a fly ball on the infield. I thought he pitched well. Same thing with Sherrill."
Sherrill gave up two singles and a walk but managed to escape any damage by getting Michael Bourn to hit into a double play. The left-handed Sherrill, who struggled last season against right-handers, ran into the same issue on Monday, allowing two singles and a four-pitch walk to right-handed batters, but he got the left-handed Bourn to end the inning.
That was one of five double plays turned by the Braves, including a nifty turn in the ninth by minor league prospect Tyler Pastornicky.
Jones at DH again
Chipper Jones was in the lineup on Monday as the Braves designated hitter for the second straight day. He went 1-for-2 with an RBI single and a walk.
“It’s a little sore, but it’s good enough,” Jones said of his surgically repaired left knee. “I don’t have as much pep in my step as [Sunday] but I did enough to get my work in.”
He plans to DH again Tuesday against the Astros in Kissimmee and take Wednesday off, when the Braves make a three-hour trip to Fort Myers.
Jones said he wants another game or two at DH before he’s ready to test the knee at third base. It might be the weekend or first of next week, barring setbacks.
“I told Fredi I’d like to get some ABs under my belt, see how it is running the bases and sliding and stuff before I eased into the defense,” Jones said.
