ATLANTA —
Fredi Gonzalez would like to think his Atlanta Braves will be more productive when they’re at full strength.
The problem is they keep losing players.
The Braves were handed consecutive shutout losses for the first time in three years when Wei-Yin Chen combined with four relievers on a seven-hitter and the Baltimore Orioles continued their success in interleague play by beating Atlanta 2-0 on Sunday.
First baseman Freddie Freeman missed his fourth straight game, including all three against the Orioles, with a sore finger.
“When the guy that’s hit third for most of the year is sitting next to you for the last three or four games and he’s not healthy, it hurts,” Gonzalez said.
The Braves lost another key player when they placed starting pitcher Brandon Beachy on the 15-day disabled list before the game. Beachy, who leads the major leagues with his 2.00 ERA, left Saturday night’s loss with a sore elbow and will have an MRI on Monday.
Jason Hammel threw a one-hitter in a 5-0 victory for the Orioles on Saturday night.
The Braves, who have lost six of seven, had not been shut out in back-to-back games since June 5-6, 2009, when Milwaukee won two straight in Atlanta.
“The only thing we need to avoid is pressing,” said Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who was 0 for 3 with a walk.
Jones missed Saturday’s game with swelling in his left knee. He was on the disabled list from May 26 to June 10 with a bruised calf and said “it seems we can’t fire on all cylinders at once” due to illnesses and injuries.
Even so, Jones said the Braves should be more productive.
“You’d still like to think you can go out there and score three runs no matter who’s in the ballgame,” he said.
The Orioles, who remained 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East, have won seven of eight.
They are 9-3 in interleague play with series wins over Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
Chen (7-2) gave up six hits and one walk in seven innings to outpitch Randall Delgado (4-7), who allowed only two runs and three hits in eight innings.
Delgado’s eight innings matched his longest start. He walked one batter and struck out six.
Despite the loss, Gonzalez called Delgado’s strong start “a big step forward” for the team and the right-hander.
Jim Johnson pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save. Darren O’Day, Troy Patton and Pedro Strop combined for a scoreless eighth.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter applauded Chen’s ability to successfully bunt and field bunts — no small feat for an American League pitcher from Taiwan.
Chen’s sacrifice helped the Orioles score a run in the sixth.
“It’s something you work on in spring training and it could be a difference-maker in the game, and I think it was today,” Showalter said.
Chen fielded a poor bunt by Delgado in the third to start a double play that helped spoil a scoring opportunity for Atlanta.
Adam Jones led off the second with a ground-rule double to right field. After moving to third on Wilson Betemit’s fly ball, he scored on Mark Reynolds’ sacrifice fly.
“They did a good job of executing small ball,” Braves catcher David Ross said. “They played the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
A misplay by Matt Diaz helped Baltimore stretch the lead in the sixth. Diaz ran in before stopping too late and watching a line drive by Steve Pearce sail over his head for a double to the left-field wall. Pearce advanced on the sacrifice by Chen and scored when Delgado balked with Robert Andino at the plate.
The Braves hit into double plays in each of the first three innings.
Ross and Andrelton Simmons led off the third with singles before Delgado bounced a bunt too hard toward Chen, who threw to third to start a double play. Simmons advanced to third on a throwing error by Andino at second base, but Michael Bourn ended the inning on a groundout.
The third was the only inning in which the Braves managed more than one hit.
Showalter said he was impressed by the play of Simmons, the rookie shortstop who in the fourth inning made a tough grab of a sharply hit grounder by Jones and bounced up to make a strong throw to first to end the inning.
Atlanta’s Eric O’Flaherty, who had been out with a sore left elbow, got one out in the ninth in his first appearance since June 8.
NOTES: Freeman said the swollen knuckle on his left index finger has improved “a lot” after two cortisone shots Saturday. ... Delgado also lasted eight innings on May 3, giving up two runs in a loss to Philadelphia. ... The Braves head to New York to play the Yankees, who swept three games in Atlanta last week. Mike Minor faces CC Sabathia on Monday night.
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Randall Delgado reacts after giving up a run off a balk to Baltimore Orioles' Steve Pearce in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game at Turner Field. The Associated Press
Discussion
Orioles shut out Braves again
- Local Sports
-
-
VSU softball wins South Region, headed to nationals
For the third time in four years, and second in a row, Valdosta State’s softball team will play in the national championship tournament.
The Blazers won their third South Region championship Saturday, beating Alabama-Huntsville 8-3 in game three of the best-of-three series at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park. -
VSU baseball season comes to an end
Delta State scored seven unanswered runs to defeat Valdosta State 7-2 in an elimination game of the NCAA South Region Tournament at the UT Baseball Field Saturday afternoon.
-
Blazers take 1-0 series lead
Angela O’Connor launched a pinch-hit two-run home run over the left-field fence, tying the game against Alabama-Huntsville in the bottom of the sixth inning, and sparking the Blazers and their fans along the way.
-
Blazer baseball stays alive, beats Stillman
Valdosta State scored five runs in the first inning to defeat Stillman 6-2 in an elimination game of the NCAA South Region Tournament at UT Baseball Field Friday morning.
-
Lowndes’ Harwell, Wortham sign with Valdosta State
Lowndes’ Ty Harwell and David Wortham won’t have to go far to play college baseball.
-
Blazers host respected rival UAH in Super Regional
One would expect a matchup featuring two of the top softball programs in Division II to come in the national championship game.
Unfortunately for Valdosta State and Alabama-Huntsville, who have combined to appear in four straight national championship games, they won’t be meeting in title game on Memorial Day in Salem, Va. -
Pop Warner Football coming to Valdosta
Pop Warner Football is coming to Valdosta.
The nationally known organization that puts an emphasis on education and developing American youth has been established in the Valdosta area and will begin playing football this August. -
Blazers lose to Delta State, fall to loser’s bracket
If the Valdosta State baseball team is going to win the South Region Tournament, the Blazers going to have to do it from the loser’s bracket.
The Blazers (33-17) dropped their first game of the tournament Thursday, falling to Delta State 4-2 at UT Baseball Stadium.
VSU will face Stillman College, which lost to No. 1 seed and tournament host Tampa Thursday, Friday at 11 a.m. to advance to the weekend portion of the tournament. The loser will be eliminated. -
Lowndes’ Willis, Breit named Region 1 Coaches of the Year
The All-Region 1-AAAAAA soccer teams were announced Wednesday and Lowndes was well represented.
Lowndes coaches Chris Willis (girls) and Jordan Breit (boys) were named the Region Coaches of the Year, after leading the Lowndes teams to region championships and going undefeated in region play. -
Vikings commit 4 errors, fall to Roswell, 5-2
The small things matter in baseball, especially in a winner-take-all game three.
On Wednesday, Lowndes’ baseball team made too many mistakes on the little things. The Vikings committed four errors that led to five Roswell runs and were eliminated in the Class AAAAAA state playoffs with a 5-2 loss to the Hornets. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
