Asked how the Atlanta Braves have surprised many experts by establishing a three-game lead in the National League East at the season’s halfway point Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey , catcher Kurt Suzuki didn’t hesitate.
“This team has no fear,” he said Saturday night after an 11-4 victory in St. Louis. “We have a lot of young guys but we also have some veterans. We approach every game the same way.”
Atlanta’s consistency has been too much for the Cardinals this weekend. Behind solid starting pitching and an explosive offense, the Braves (47-34) have outscored St. Louis 16-5 in winning the series’ first two games. They go for a sweep on Sunday at Busch Stadium.
Right-hander Mike Foltynewicz (5-4, 2.14 ERA) will try to match what Julio Teheran and Max Fried have done in the series. Neither allowed a run in a combined 12 2/3 innings, with Fried enjoying the best outing of his short big league career Saturday night.
The former first-round pick of the San Diego Padres allowed only four hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings, recording 11 strikeouts against the whiff-prone Cardinals. The hard-throwing Foltynewicz made his return from the 10-day disabled list Monday night, allowing one hit and one run in five innings while walking four and fanning four against Cincinnati in a no-decision.
“The arm was just kind of heavy,” he said to mlb.com. “You can’t really practice these situations when you’re out there with your adrenaline running, but just a couple of times I just couldn’t really extend too far. But adrenaline pushed me through.”
Foltynewicz has faced St. Louis three times in his career, going 1-2 with a 9.95 ERA and yielding a whopping 22 hits over 12 2/3 innings.
In an attempt to avoid a fourth straight loss Mason Cole Jersey Elite , the Cardinals (42-39) will turn to former Atlanta prospect John Gant (2-2, 3.48). Gant, replacing the disabled Michael Wacha in the rotation, pitched the best game of his career Monday night, limiting Cleveland to an infield single by Yan Gomes over seven innings in a 5-0 victory.
Gant walked five and fanned four, but his off-speed pitches kept the Indians off-balance all game and enabled him to post his first win as a starter.
“We’re lucky the third base bag got in the way of Gomes’ (grounder) or we wouldn’t have had anything,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said to mlb.com of Gant’s performance.
Before plating four runs in the ninth inning Saturday night, St. Louis managed two runs in its previous 26 innings. Its offense has been primarily singles and homers, as it’s on pace for the fewest doubles and triples in the majors.
Help may be on the way when the Cardinals start a nine-game road trip Monday night against Arizona. Shortstop Paul DeJong may be activated off the disabled list after a weekend rehab stint for Triple-A Memphis.
That could result in the move of first baseman Jose Martinez, who’s on a 100-RBI pace but has been poor afield Derrius Guice Jersey , to his natural outfield position. In fact, Martinez played the last three innings Saturday night in right field.
“Jose Martinez has earned a spot in the lineup every day, so we have to figure out a spot to play him,” general manager Michael Girsch said to mlb.com.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his country’s diplomats to seek changes to international doping rules in the wake of the nation’s drug scandals.A month after the Winter Olympics took place without a full Russian team, part of the country’s punishment for past doping offenses, Putin said the Foreign Ministry should try to alter the key treaty underpinning anti-doping work worldwide.
He said Russian diplomats working with UNESCO should aim to ”refine” the existing International Convention against Doping in Sport so that ”the rules are fair and absolutely transparent.”
In his first comments on sports matters since winning a fourth term in Sunday’s election, Putin said the government would continue to ”defend the sporting honor of our country and its clean athletes, (and) stand up for sport without politics or double standards.”
Putin, in comments reported by state news agencies, didn’t say exactly what changes should be made or how they could be achieved. Short-term results are unlikely since the next conference on the convention isn’t due until next year.
BASKETBALL
CLEVELAND (AP) – Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver has been excused from the team to be with family following the death of a younger brother.
The team issued a statement late saying Korver’s brother Frank Ragnow Jersey , Kirk, died earlier in the day.
”We extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt best to Kyle and his entire family as they go through this very difficult time,” the Cavs said.
Korver is expected to miss Wednesday’s home game against Toronto.
Kyle Korver, who is in his second season with Cleveland, left the Cavs last week after his 27-year-old brother became seriously ill in Iowa. Korver played in Monday night’s home win over Milwaukee, scoring 12 points.
Korver’s personal situation comes one day after Cavs coach Tyronn Lue stepped away from the team for health reasons. The Cavs have also been dealing with an assortment of injuries as Rodney Hood, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman have been sidelined.
HOCKEY
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – The Ottawa Senators say the son of captain Erik Karlsson has died.
Erik and Melinda Karlsson were married last year and announced in November they were expecting their first child in the spring. Karlsson had been posting on social media about his son’s upcoming birth, most recently sharing a photo of he and Melinda on Feb. 19 with the caption ”just me and my little family.”
Karlsson sat out Ottawa’s 7-2 loss to Florida on Tuesday night. The team released a statement saying the Karlssons had ”the collective thoughts and prayers of the Ottawa Senators organization Authentic Kevin Long Jersey , the city of Ottawa and entire hockey community.” The team requested privacy for the family.
PRO FOOTBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Buffalo Bills receiver Zay Jones has been arrested in Los Angeles following a naked, bloody argument with his brother, Vikings receiver Cayleb Jones.
A police spokesman says the player, whose legal name is Isaiah Avery Jones, was arrested Monday night after officers responded to a disturbance in downtown Los Angeles.
Officer Luis Garcia says Jones was breaking glass doors and windows when officers arrived and was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism.
The arrest was first reported by TMZ, which posted video of a nude Zay Jones pushing his brother in what appeared to be the hallway of an apartment building.
Jail records showed Jones was being held Tuesday on $20,000 bail.
The Bills said in a statement they were still gathering information about the incident and declined further comment.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin was charged Tuesday with threatening two former teammates who had harassed him in the NFL and with threatening his former prep school classmates, Los Angeles County prosecutors said.
Martin pleaded not guilty to four felony counts of making criminal threats and a misdemeanor charge of carrying a loaded firearm, district attorney’s office spokesman Greg Risling said.
A post on Martin’s Instagram page last month showed a shotgun and referred by name to the private Harvard-Westlake prep school in Los Angeles that he once attended.
The post also included mentions of the Instagram usernames of former Miami Dolphins players Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey and said suicide and revenge were the only options for a victim of bullying.
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