Postseason roster has 7 rookies, but no Saito
SAN FRANCISCO --- The Braves' 25-man roster Thursday for the National League Division Series included a franchise postseason-record seven rookies. What it doesn't include is top setup man Takashi Saito.
Saito, recovering from a sore shoulder, was left off along with injured pitchers Jair Jurrjens (knee) and left-hander Eric O'Flaherty (illness) for the series that started Thursday night against San Francisco at AT&T Park.
It was previously known that Jurrjens and O'Flaherty would be left off the roster announced Thursday, but the Braves had held out hope Saito might be ready after feeling better in a Wednesday bullpen session in San Francisco.
Team officials and coaches decided not to risk having the 40-year-old pitch in the NLDS after Saito pitched in just one game in the past three weeks. Rookie right-hander Cristhian Martinez got the final bullpen spot.
"He was a little rusty in the bullpen [Wednesday]," manager Bobby Cox said of Saito. "The ball wasn't going exactly where he wanted it to on every pitch. He is a strikeout pitcher, and he's got great control. He's got to have that control. He's going to go down and pitch Saturday in the Instructional League.
"If things keep going the way they are, I think Saito could be available the next round. We came real close to putting him on, but just not quite. Putting him in a one-run game right now ... we're just not sure."
Any or all three of the injured pitchers would be possibilities for the NL championship series if the Braves beat San Francisco in the division series.
Hard-throwing Craig Kimbrel has helped pick up some slack from Saito's absence, but Saito helped make the Braves' bullpen one of the two or three best in the majors for most of the season.
Hanson hit in eye
Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson was hit in the eye by a batted ball that caromed off the ground during batting practice, but was expected to make his scheduled Game 2 start today.
Hanson was hitting in the batting cage before Thursday's opener at AT&T Park when he hit a ball that caromed off a pad on the ground and back into his face. He left the field immediately to be checked out, and was expected to see an eye doctor as a precaution.
Braves' NLDS roster
Pitchers: Right-handers Brandon Beachy, Kyle Farnsworth, Hanson, Tim Hudson, Kimbrel, Derek Lowe, Martinez, Peter Moylan; lefties Mike Dunn, Jonny Venters, Billy Wagner.
Catchers: Brian McCann and David Ross.
Infielders: Brooks Conrad, Troy Glaus, Alex Gonzalez, Diory Hernandez, Eric Hinske, Omar Infante and Derrek Lee.
Outfielders: Rick Ankiel, Melky Cabrera, Matt Diaz, Jason Heyward and Nate McLouth.
Rife with rookies
The roster included seven rookies: Conrad, Heyward, Martinez, Dunn, Venters, Beachy and Kimbrel.
Hernandez technically is not a rookie because of time accrued while on the 60-day disabled list, though he has only 103 major league plate appearances.
Cox was asked if he even considered Heyward and Venters to be rookies, given how much they played or pitched this season.
"I'll take 25 rookies if they can all play like those guys," Cox said. "That [high number of rookies] is not a big deal. We've got plenty of guys that are veterans that have been to the playoffs, things that can help them."
Twelve Braves on the NLDS roster had previous postseason experience, including seven who have played in at least one World Series.
Aiming to win for Cox
When Braves players entered the visitor's clubhouse Thursday, then found T-shirts emblazoned with a simple slogan: 11 for 6. It meant 11 postseason wins for a World Series title for Cox (No. 6) in his final postseason as manager.
"We've had some awesome T-shirts this year," Conrad said.
Conrad said he didn't know who had the shirts made, and backup catcher Ross, frequent ringleader in such matters, said he wasn't responsible this time.
"I think this whole season has been special, to be able to play for him, especially in his last year," Hanson said. "I don't think we're thinking about that too much. We obviously want to take it one step at a time. But that would be awesome to be able to do that [for Cox]."
Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO AVG.
O.Infante 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250
Heyward rf 3 0 0 0 1 2 .000
D.Lee 1b 4 0 0 0 0 3 .000
McCann c 3 0 1 0 0 1 .333
Ale.Gonzalez ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
M.Diaz lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Conrad 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Ankiel cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
D.Lowe p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Venters p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Hinske ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Moylan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
M.Dunn p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Kimbrel p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Totals 29 0 2 0 1 14
San Francisco AB R H BI BB SO AVG.
A.Torres cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .250
F.Sanchez 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000
A.Huff 1b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .333
Posey c 4 1 2 0 0 1 .500
Burrell lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Schierholtz rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Uribe ss 2 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Sandoval 3b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .000
C.Ross rf-lf 2 0 1 1 1 0 .500
Lincecum p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Totals 26 1 5 1 4 9
Atlanta 000 000 000 --- 0 2 2
San Fran. 000 100 00x --- 1 5 0
E: Ankiel (1), Conrad (1). LOB: Atlanta 3, San Fran. 6. 2B: O.Infante (1), McCann (1), Posey (1). RBIs: C.Ross (1). SB: Posey (1). CS: A.Huff (1). S: Lincecum.
DP: Atlanta 2.
Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO ERA
D.Lowe L, 0-1 5 fl 4 1 1 4 6 1.69
Venters 1 (TM) 0 0 0 0 2 0.00
Moylan fl 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
M.Dunn 0 1 0 0 0 0 -
Kimbrel (TM) 0 0 0 0 1 0.00
San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Lincecum W, 1-0 9 2 0 0 1 14 0.00
M.Dunn pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.
T: 2:26. A: 43,936 (41,915).