The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kazmir's velocity down, but veteran lefty sees progress
Two-time All-Star pleased with ability to throw strikes.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. —
Scott Kazmir glanced at the scoreboard radar gun a cou
ple of times Thursday and saw 88 mph.
And those were fastballs. “But I feel like with my delivery and everything, it’s just not completely in synch,” the veteran lefthander said. “That’s more the concern I’m working towards. I know the velo’s going to be there once that’s kind of synched up.”
Kazmir gave up four hits, two runs and a walk with two strikeouts in three innings in his third Grapefruit League start for the Braves, after working a combined three scoreless innings over his first two outings.
He threw 32 strikes in 48
pitches and got knocked around some by an Astros lineup that featured only a couple of regular starters, Alex Bregman and Evan Gattis.
There was a homer by the second batter he faced, Derek Fisher, and Kazmir also allowed a run in the
third inning after a pair of no-out singles by Tony Kemp and Jake Marisnick.
His fastball velocity hovered mostly in the 88-90 mph range, about where
it’s been all spring. That’s well below the three-time All-Star’s velocity during his prime and several ticks off what he featured in 2016, when he went 10-6 with a 4.56 ERA in 26 starts for the Dodgers and had 134 strikeouts in 136 1/3 innings.
“Progressing, that’s how I’m looking at it,” said Kazmir, who missed the entire 2017 season with the Dodgers because of injuries, primarily a left-hip issue. “My cutter-slash-slider wasn’t working too well with lefties, as you can see on those two balls that were hit. Both of them were cutters that
didn’t really do much, they kind of backed up on me. Pretty good action to right-
ies, but lefties I kind of left it arm-side for the most part.
“But still going, still progressing. I was pleased how I attacked the strike zone a little better, but still a lot of work to be done. I was a cou
ple of misses glove-side with my fastball that I was pleased with, just to be able to get it in that area and establish that part of the plate. Just keep going.”
Acuna flashes form
in outfield: After ascendant Braves prospect Ronald Acuna made a splendid catch to prevent at least one run in the top of the fourth inning, the Braves scored three runs to tie in the bottom of the inning.
So even without a hit, the five-tool phenom had a profound impact on Thursday’s game against the World Series champion Astros.
The Astros increased their lead to 3-0 on Tyler White’s one-out homer in the fourth against Lucas Sims, who had entered to start the inning after starter Scott Kazmir gave up two runs and four hits in three innings.
Sims was having a rough go of it, allowing an A.J. Reed double to the base of the right-center wall after the homer, then hitting a batter with a pitch before No. 9 hitter Kemp singled to load the bases.
After striking out Marisnick, Sims gave up a flare to Fisher that looked like it would fall for a single in front of left fielder Acuna. But the 20-year-old prospect charged in to make a diving catch before he slammed into the ground and retained control of the ball. If it had gotten past him, the bases likely would have been cleared.
Acuna always plays an aggressive style in the outfield, unafraid to make diving catches regardless of the situation. He did it throughout a 2017 season that he started at high Single-A and finished at Triple-A, and kept doing it in the Arizona Fall League, where he was the youngest MVP in the history of that
prospect-laden league.
Acuna had a seven-game hitting streak snapped when he went 0 for 2 in two plate appearances Thursday, after entering with a .423 average (11 for 26) and .500 on-base percentage in his first nine games.
Etc.: The Braves won’t need a fifth starter until the 11th game of the season and might carry an extra bench player instead of a ninth reliever until then. Since they’re already planning to use an eight-man bullpen — up from what had been their standard seven relievers before last season — the Braves might opt to have an extra position player, which could be a catcher. ...
Charlie Culberson’s first home run as a Brave was a lined shot to the grass berm beyond left field at Champion Stadium in Thursday’s 6-4 loss to the Astros. ...
Before going 0-for-2 Thursday, Acuna had led the Grapefruit League in average (.423) and hits (11, tied with teammate Danny Santana). ... Julio Teheran faces the Yankees’ Sonny Gray today at 6:05 p.m. at Champion Stadium, the Braves’ first night game of the spring.