|
 Olivera, a 31-year-old rookie from Cuba playing his sixth game for
Atlanta, supported the strong seven-inning effort of Williams Perez
with a two-run double and a two-run homer, and the Braves beat the
Philadelphia Phillies 7-2.
First baseman Freddie Freeman added a two-run homer for the Braves,
who ended their longest skid since a 17-gamer in 1977. They also
halted a 13-game road losing streak, their longest since a 15-gamer
in 1935.
"It's been a tough time getting W's," manager Fredi Gonzalez said,
"and today I think everybody contributed."
Especially Olivera, who played in Cuba for more than a decade, then
defected and signed a six-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
in March. Atlanta acquired him in a three-team trade on July 30.
"It's going to be tough for a young man," Gonzalez said. "This guy
not only traded teams in the middle of the season, he came from a
different country and is trying to do the whole language (thing).
It's going to take a while."
Philadelphia starter Aaron Harang (5-15) fanned him with sliders out
of the strike zone his first two times up. Olivera faced Harang
again in the fourth, after an RBI double by shortstop Andrelton
Simmons gave the Braves a 3-1 lead. Harang also issued a two-out
intentional walk to right fielder Nick Markakis, the man batting
immediately in front of Olivera.
Olivera foiled the strategy by ripping a 1-1 fastball into the gap
in left-center field for a double, driving in two runs and putting
Atlanta ahead 5-1.
"Yeah, I made an adjustment," Olivera said through an interpreter.
"Let's be honest, those pitches weren't very good pitches at all
(the first two times up). They were horrible pitches to swing at. I
wasn't focused. I focused a little better on the next few at-bats
after that and looked for a pitch I could drive, and I got them and
put good swings on them."
Harang had a different view.
"I felt like that was the only real mistake I made," Harang said.
Olivera added his first major league homer, a two-run shot off
reliever Colton Murray, in the ninth.
Perez (5-6) put an end to a personal six-game losing streak,
allowing two runs and six hits while striking out seven. He didn't
walk a batter, just the second time he avoided doing that in 16
starts this season.
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Philadelphia dropped its fifth straight.
The game, featuring the teams with the two worst records in the
major leagues, drew just 15,125 fans, the smallest crowd in the
12-year history of Citizens Bank Park.
Harang lost for the 12th time in his past 13 decisions and became
the first major league pitcher to drop 15 games this season. He went
five innings and yielded five runs and eight hits while striking out
six and walking three.
"They came out swinging," Harang said. "They know I'm going to throw
strikes. That's what I do. They came out swinging."
Markakis led off the first inning with a double, and one out later,
Freeman lined Harang's 1-0 fastball into the seats in left field,
his 16th home run of the season.
The Phillies cut the gap to 2-1 on a sacrifice fly by right fielder
Aaron Altherr in the third, but in the fourth, the doubles by
Simmons and Olivera produced three runs and gave the Braves a 5-1
lead.
Philadelphia pinch hitter Brian Bogusevic hit a solo homer in the
bottom of the fifth, in his first at-bat since his contract was
selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday. It was the fourth
pinch-hit homer of his career.
NOTES: Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said before the game
that OF Domonic Brown, who sustained a concussion when he flipped
over a retaining wall in Citi Field on Wednesday, was still feeling
the effects. "I'd be surprised if he even came back the rest of the
year," Mackanin said. ... Philadelphia will use a six-man rotation
the rest of the way, to limit the workload of its young pitchers. It
is not clear, however, who will start Wednesday's game against
Atlanta. Mackanin said a decision probably would be made Tuesday.
... The Braves turned another double play Monday, giving them 151
this season, second in the major leagues to Pittsburgh (153).
Andrelton Simmons has been involved in 100 of those, tops among
major league shortstops.
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