Rowland's Office

Three quality starts in a row — this is what passes for positive news these days.

Interesting possibility raised by Joe on Thursday’s telecast: would Bobby consider moving Chipper to first — once he returns from the DL — and keep Escboar at third? I’m intrigued.

–CB

A month ago, I would’ve said yes. Now I’ve changed my mind. Salty is better than I imagined, and — as much as I like him — Dontrelle has yet to emerge as a solid ace. Since winning 22 games in 2005, Willis is 19-16 with an ERA over 4.00. He’s also allowed more hits than innings pitched.

What do you think?

–CB

Another local kid, Henry County high schooler Jason Heyward, who’s compared physically to Fred McGriff. Steve Phillips went even further, saying Heyward reminds him of Willie McCovey. An added bonus — Heyward loves baseball.

"I even love practice," Heyward said. "I’d rather be playing baseball than just about anything else."

And I love this pick. Heyward was projected to go as high as sixth. Baseball America rated him ninth in the draft.

Heyward isn’t a player who only thrives on teams and pitchers of lesser talent. In last summer’s Aflac All-American game in San Diego, which featured the nation’s top rising senior players, Heyward went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and four stolen bases. He was voted the player of the game for the East, which lost 9-8 to the West.

His intangibles also impress pro teams, according to Heyward’s adviser, Victor Minocal, a former Georgia Tech shortstop.

"Teams really like his work ethic a lot," said Minocal, who works for Career Sports and Entertainment in Marietta. "At the professional level, you’re playing a lot more games than in high school or college, and it can become a grind for some. But Jason loves the game. He loves to play."

(Photo courtesy of AJC)

–CB

The June swoon was in full effect, as the Bravos lost 5-2 at home against the Nats. The defeat dropped the home team’s record to 29-31, seven games behind the Mets. Right now we’re looking at a four-game differential, both in overall records and the standings, from 2006

But I don’t expect another lowly June, despite the difficult schedule. Sure, the Braves might struggle to reach .500, but no way they match last year’s 6-21 record. This team has a bullpen. The ‘06 Bravos did not. Still, I’m concerned we’ll be teetering around .500 once July rolls around. 

–CB

If you’d told me in March that in early June, the Bravos would be six games over .500 and 3.5 games behind the Mets, I would have gladly taken that.

Now that we’re here, I’m not so sure what to make of the ballclub. The record is solid and we are squarely in contention for the division and the wild card. On the other hand, our fourth starter just got pummeled again to push his ERA back above 5. He makes Mitt Romney look consistent. Our third starter is slightly better but rarely lasts past the sixth inning. The fifth spot has been a sucking wound and the lineup is gasping without its best hitter, L.W. Jones, and with its best power hitter, A. Jones, supplying little spark.

Consequently, the home team is 9-15 since winning the first two games of that May series in Pittsburgh. Losing 3 of 4 to the Stan Kastens after that Pittsburgh series started this slide.

So what can be done to stop it? The team clearly needs a starting pitcher, or two. Yet there does not appear to be starting pitching available. Sure there’ll be somebody out there eventually, but do you want to give up players like Escobar or — shudder — Salty for some 33-year-old with a 4.40 ERA?

I don’t think so. My guess is JS will cast around to see if he can bolster the pen and maybe the bench. He will hope like hell Chipper returns sooner rather than later, in time for the 12-game interleague stretch perhaps. He, and we, will also hope — wish might be more like it — that Davies will find some consistency and Chucky some endurance. We’ll also hope Hudson regains his form, and that Escobar and Salty keep hitting and get at-bats, and Andruw finds his power stroke.

That’s a lot of hoping.

–CD

Ken Rosenthal reports the Bravos were one of six teams who attended Troy Percival’s latest workout. The others: Oakland, Philly, San Fran, Tampa Bay and Detroit.

Percival, 37, is expected to take the next step in his comeback and sign with a major-league team by the end of this week.

“I think he could help a club,” one scout said. “Don’t expect the old guy to show up. It’s not there anymore. But what he’s got is probably better than some.”

Percival threw 88 to 90 mph Tuesday, according to two scouts in attendance, and showed no signs of the right-forearm injury that has kept him out of the majors since July 2005.

“He’s always been a high-adrenaline closer,” the second scout said. “For him to be able to go out there in front of a handful of scouts and hit 90 a handful of times, you’ve got to think that if he’s staring at a major-league hitter with 50,000 people watching, he’ll add two miles per hour to his fastball.”

I’m all for it. We need another starter, but a quality arm is a quality arm, and a healthy Percival would be a damn good option for the 7th inning.

Percival has 324 career saves, and he saved seven games in the 2002 postseason. In 611 career innings (all in the AL) the former Angel has struck out 700 while giving up only 412 hits.

Not much to report from Richmond, but Manny Acosta’s numbers sure catch your eye: 5-1-1.11 ERA, five saves. Control is still a problem, though — he’s walked 16 in 32 innings.

At Mississippi, Brandon Jones continues to rake: 9-39-.288. Less heralded prospects J.C. Holt and Carl Loadenthal are also opening eyes — Holt checks in with a .390 BA in 82 AB’s (though only three of his 32 hits have been for extra bases), while Loadenthal, hitting .328, leads the team with 20 steals.

Among pitchers, Joey Devine has 14 saves, while Matt Harrison and Jo-Jo Reyes continue to pitch effectively.

Elvis Andrus and Eric Campbell are still struggling at Myrtle Beach, though Kala Kaaihue is flashing some impressive power, with 10 HR and 32 RBI in a notoriously pitcher-friendly park.

Jordan Schafer, a 2005 fifth round pick, is sizzling at Rome. The second-year outfielder is hitting .372 with a 1.077 OPS in 30 games. Prospects Beau Jones, Thomas Hanson and Jamie Richmond are all pitching well.

–CB

Twenty eight years ago today, the Bravos drafted Bob Horner with the top pick in the amateur draft. He debuted 10 days later against the Pirates, homering off Bert Blyleven. Horns hit seventh that day, right behind catcher Dale Murphy.

Horner finished his rookie season with 23 homers and 63 RBI in only 89 games.

–CB

We have learned that Kyle Davies is a pitcher with a split personality — sometimes good, sometimes awful.

So far, so awful today — 2 runs in the first. If that keeps up, it’ll probably spell a series loss to the Marlins. That is not a good sign for a would-be contender, especially with the season’s roughest stretch coming.

Back to Davies. In 10 starts before today, he allowed 2 or fewer earned runs five times. Good Kyle. In one of those "good starts," he also gave up four unearned runs after failing to pitch around a KJ error against the Stan Kastens. He’s allowed four or more earned runs five times. Bad Kyle. 

–CD