Atlanta Braves face 1-5 defeat against Detroit Tigers in Spring Training - MLB Update
Atlanta Braves’ starter Brandon Beachy struggled as he gave up multiple hits and a two-run triple off Ryan Raburn as the club lost to the Detroit Tigers 1-5 in their Grapefruit League encounter at Joker Merchant Stadium, Florida on March 7, 2012.
While Braves’ pitching woes continue, Beachy was happy the way he held the mound and threw freely even if results were not great. He is among those players that are part of Braves’ rotation.
"At this point last year, if I go out and do this, I'm at a totally different place in my mind," said Beachy. "But today I felt good, and that's always the No. 1 thing when you go out there for the first time."
Inability to score a run through the sixth tells something of the Braves’ batters and the way Tigers’ pitcher Andy Oliver and Luis Marte constrained them throughout the play.
Sole run came when J.C Boscan struck a single in seventh to complement triple Drew Sutton had accumulated earlier.
Third baseman, Miguel Cabrera hit his first Spring Training homer for Tigers and while he did not see many groundballs coming at him, he collected well the one that did. When Tyler Pastornicky flew a chopper, he jumped on the ball quickly, grabbed and hurled
it back.
Impressed by his swift response to a runner who is known for making it to base easily, manager Jim Leyland was all-praise.
"He made a good play on a guy that can run," Tigers’ manager Leyland said.
Cabrera did a great service to rookie right-hander Jacob Turner by coming down to first-base, helping Prince Fielder and in turn saving Turner from enduring a long inning.
Four walks given by young Turner led him to end the second inning on a low, something for which he was extremely disappointed with himself. He wanted to start the season with a great performance and get fifth spot on Tigers’ rotation, but that did not happen.
For Braves, facing another defeat is a nightmarish scenario as they prepared hard during the off-season. Their biggest problem of pitching in the right areas remains and almost all pitchers tested so far in the training has proven just ordinary. Their next
game against Baltimore Orioles is on March 8. If they learn from their mistakes, they will surely put up an improved show.
Tags: