Probable Braves starting center fielder Cristian Pache seems to provide daily reminders of why he’s compared with franchise legend Andruw Jones.
In the second inning of the Braves’ 4-2 loss to the Twins Monday, Pache fielded a liner by Ryan Jeffers and immediately fired to third base to get baserunner Jake Cave and end the Twins’ inning. It was a brief sequence that showed Pache at his best: instincts, fielding ability and arm strength are Gold Glove-caliber at age 22.
“He’s fun to watch throw, I’ll tell you that,” manager Brian Snitker said. “I’ve liked it from the beginning. He’s accurate, he gets rid of it. He has a prototypical outfield arm, really. It’s pretty good. You team that with (Ronald) Acuna, that’s two guys with weapons as arms.”
The Braves haven’t named Pache their starting center fielder yet, but it’s the overwhelmingly likely outcome. Pache has continued showing growth at the plate while routinely exhibiting his renowned defense. When he’s officially added to the Braves’ lineup, they’ll be that much more exciting.
“I haven’t gotten to play with Pache too much, which I’m glad I get to now because he’s so fun to watch,” starter Kyle Wright said. “Just watching him play the outfield, his routes, his reads. The thing I like about him most is he’s 100 mph. He’s going to do everything he can to make the catch. That’s something you can’t teach, it’s just something you do. And he’s trying to catch every ball that’s in the air. It really is fun to watch.”
Notes from Monday:
- Wright made his fifth spring start, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits across five innings. He served up a mammoth homer to the ageless Nelson Cruz (40) that resulted in two of those runs. Wright will have another appearance before spring concludes. He and Bryse Wilson are competing for the lone rotation opening.
“We’re going to need everybody (for the full season), and that’s the honest truth, so you have to stay present,” Wright said. “You can’t overwhelm yourself with trying to make the roster. Obviously we all want to but you have to stay the course, get better and hopefully help this team whenever the time comes.”
- When Jake Lamb signed at the beginning of spring, he was considered a frontrunner for one of the bench spots. He might still be, as he presents upside and power the Braves’ in-house alternatives don’t possess, but he hasn’t done anything to inspire confidence in the past month.
Lamb went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and committed an error at first base Monday, which squandered a day of opportunity. He’s 4-for-28 with nine strikeouts in the exhibition season. He might make the opening-day roster anyway, but a solid final eight spring games would go a long way.
- Another appearance, another clean inning for righty Nate Jones. He’s pitched in six games this spring and hasn’t allowed a run. The 35-year-old non-roster invitee has done everything in his power to snag a roster spot.
“He’s looking really, really good,” Snitker said. “He’s getting results. He’s making a really strong case, I’ll tell you that.”
- The Braves’ offense – which featured Austin Riley and Pache as its only regulars – had five hits against six Twins pitchers. Pache, Ender Inciarte, Phillip Ervin and Guillermo Heredia had hits. Catcher Jonathan Morales doubled in the ninth to score Heredia. Morales scored the Braves’ second run on Trey Harris’ groundout.
- Right-hander Huascar Ynoa will make his third start (fifth appearance) Tuesday against Boston. Ynoa is competing for a spot in the Braves’ opening-day bullpen. He’ll need a solid performance after struggling his last time out against the Orioles (Ynoa allowed four runs on five hits in three innings).
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