Series 15: at Arizona

May 18
Brooks Conrad was DFA'd and Willy Aybar was added to the roster. Sadly, OOTP doesn't allow for a player without options to go to the minors just to get into shape.

Julio Teheran vs. Daniel Hudson

Two things that were at least supposed to be strengths were on display as true weaknesses today. Offense and the bullpen. Atlanta put their rookie pitcher Julio Teheran in a bind, giving him one run to work with. He went six and allowed two runs which should be enough for a win. Eric O'Flaherty followed by allowing a run in his two innings.

However, in the ninth, the Braves offense woke up briefly. Jason Heyward walked against J.J. Putz and Alex Gonzalez took Putz deep to put the Braves in a tie. Atlanta would threaten to score again, but failed.

That proved costly after Scott Linebrink, who tossed a perfect ninth inning, ran into quick tenth inning trouble in allowing a leadoff double to Collin Cowgill. After a groundout got Cowgill to third, Jonny Venters got the call to face Russ Branyan, but the Diamondbacks countered with Chris B. Young. He singled past Dan Uggla at second to send the Braves to the showers with yet another frustrating loss.

4-3 LOSS - 10 INNINGS (24-21, L1)
W - J.J. Putz (2-2)
L - S. Linebrink (0-1)

May 19
The day after DFAing Brooks Conrad, the Braves traded him to Boston in exchange for minor league pitcher Anthony Ranaudo. The 21 year old righty started the year at low-A ball, but has started the last three games for Salem in the Carolina League. He hasn't been quite as successful there after posting a 2.53 ERA in six starts before the promotion. He will head to Lynchburg. Our scouts love him and project him to be a middle-of-the-staff guy.

Meanwhile, Jair Jurrjens suffered some elbow inflammation in his second start and will probably miss two months. When it rains...

Mike Minor vs. Armando Galarraga

With the news that Jair Jurrjens will probably be out until mid-July at best, Mike Minor's performance was under the radar against the Diamondbacks. He allowed a host of runners throughout the game before retiring the last seven he faced. More important than that, Minor allowed no runs over seven innings and Atlanta scored early and late to help split the two-game set, 6-0.

Nate McLouth was hit by a 0-2 pitch by Armando Galarraga and Martin Prado hit his sixth homer on the very next pitch to make it 2-0. Brian McCann would follow with his third moonshot and despite allowing five hits, walking three, and working around an error, the Diamondbacks could not break through against Minor. With runners on second-and-third and no outs in the second, they couldn't score. With runners on the corners and two outs in the third, they couldn't score. With runners on the corners and NO outs in the fourth, they couldn't score. Minor kept eluding the big inning.

It remained 3-0 until the sixth when Alex Gonzalez, who had a game-high three hits, sent his sixth homer to the left field bleachers. Willy Aybar got into his first game, pinch hitting for Freddie Freeman against a lefty and singled in the 8th. However, Jason Heyward was thrown out at the plate to keep Aybar from his first RBI. McLouth ended up forcing a run with the bases loaded to make it 5-0. Dan Uggla added a homer in the ninth.

6-0 WIN (25-21, W1)
W - M. Minor (2-0)
L - A. Galarraga (4-2)