BRAVES NEWS
Braves defeat Tigers 1-0 in final game at Turner Field
The final season of baseball at Turner Field is in the books, and the Braves closed it out in style. Julio Teheran pitched seven innings, struck out 12, and only gave up three hits and a walk against the Tigers as the Braves made a 1-0 lead stand up for all nine innings. The win means that the Braves will finish the season with a record of 68-93 — exactly one more win than the 2015 team finished with. The victory also means that the Braves will be drafting fifth in next year’s draft. Also, if you want more coverage of the final game at The Ted, check out our stream. Either way, it’s time for a new era in Atlanta Braves baseball.
Jim Johnson signs two-year extension with Braves
Just before the game, the Braves announced that they’d come to an agreement on a contract extension with reliever Jim Johnson. Johnson is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, and he provided plenty of value for the cheap contract that he was signed on. Now, he’ll be staying with the Braves for the next two seasons — barring a trade, of course.
Dansby Swanson gets the approval of Dale Murphy
For starters, check this tweet out:
Dansby Swanson WILL be eligible for ROY award next year. I was curious how many rookies had exactly 129 ABs in divisional era. Pretty rare. pic.twitter.com/1e9YTZhfA0
— Jacob Pomrenke (@buckweaver) October 2, 2016
So, Dansby Swanson will still be considered a rookie for the 2017 season. Rookie or not, Swanson is still a hot commodity for the Braves, and he’s already becoming an extremely popular figure around Braves Country. He even got the seal of approval from Braves legend Dale Murphy, who recently spoke to Adam Sparks of The Tennessean.
If Swanson’s early success is any indication, he could become a mainstay for the team he grew up following. In 34 games, he has a .299 average, six doubles, two home runs, 16 RBIs and 17 runs scored along with a few highlight-reel defensive plays at shortstop.
Braves great Dale Murphy, a two-time National League MVP, thinks Swanson has the right makeup for a long career in Atlanta.
“I just think he’s going to be here for a long time,” Murphy said. “… He is mature, and he comes from a great program at Vandy. He’s been remarkable, and I couldn’t be more excited for Dansby and for the Braves to have him.”
Will the Braves be serious contenders in 2017?
While the Braves will more-than-likely be a better team next season, they’re still probably a couple of years away from being serious contenders in the National League. However, the crew over at Tomahawk Take came up with five reasons to believe that next year could see the Braves make a serious run at October baseball in 2017.
MLB NEWS
Blue Jays clinch final AL Wild Card spot thanks to Braves win
When Jim Johnson recorded the final out at The Ted, a mighty roar went up from the stadium. There was also a big cheer coming from North of the border, as the win helped ensure that the Toronto Blue Jays would live to fight another day. Also, the Blue Jays won their game as well, so they’ll be hosting the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card game on Tuesday night.
Giants will face Mets in NL Wild Card Game
Meanwhile, the Giants picked a good time to finally get their act together. They played some good baseball this week, and were able to overcome an absolutely awful second half of the season in order to make it into the playoffs with a Wild Card berth. They’ll be facing the Mets in New York on Wednesday night, and the winner of that game gets to face the Cubs in the NLDS. Have fun with that!
Now, here’s Vin Scully calling the final out of this game, which is also the final out of his legendary career.