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Evan Gattis inadvertently tosses Cory Rasmus’ first career strikeout ball into stands (Big League Stew)

If you thought homering off Roy Halladay in his major league debut — while his father was being interviewed on the television broadcast, no less — would be the highlight of Evan Gattis' rookie season, you were mistaken. The improbable rise of the 26-year-old catcher hasn't been slowed down since, and many more highlights have followed. The past week, especially, has been remarkable for Gattis. On Saturday, his two-run pitch-hit home run in the eighth inning helped the Braves rally past for the Dodgers for a 3-1 win . On Tuesday night, Gattis did it again, hitting a two-out, pinch-hit homer in the ninth to tie the game. Atlanta then won 5-4 in 10 on Freddie Freeman's walkoff single. How could he possibly top either of those big moments while starting for Brian McCann on Wednesday afternoon? Simple. He connected for his first career grand slam — 10th homer overall — to break the game open as the Braves completed their three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with an 8-3 win. That's about as good a five game stretch as a now part-time rookie can have. Unfortunately, though, it won't go down as a perfect stretch. He did commit one relatively large, but easily corrected mental blunder on Wednesday.

 

MLB Roundup: Plouffe on 7-day DL, Canseco probed in sex assault (The SportsXchange)

The Minnesota Twins placed third baseman Trevor Plouffe on the seven-day concussion disabled list Wednesday after a collision in Tuesday night's game against Atlanta.

 

Minnesota Twins Haven’t Done Enough to Improve Starting Pitching (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

COMMENTARY | Two starters down, three more to go.

 

Gattis grand slam leads Braves past Twins 8-3 (The Associated Press)

ATLANTA (AP) -- Evan Gattis no longer seems amazed by his improbable rookie season.

 

Gattis powers Braves; Twins' Opening Day starter sent to minors (The SportsXchange)

ATLANTA -- Evan Gattis sent Tuesday night's game into extra innings with a two-out pinch-homer in the ninth inning. On Wednesday, Atlanta's improbable rookie slugger made sure that no late-game dramatics would be needed.

 

Turner Field: A local’s guide to enjoying a road trip to the home of the Atlanta Braves (Big League Stew)

Have a baseball road trip coming up? Well, in a bid to help you with your upcoming journeys, Big League Stew has solicited the help of the locals. Over the next month or so, we'll be hitting up our usual guest blogger crew to feature 10 tips for enjoying each of the 30 ballparks like the locals do. Have a suggestion in addition to the ones listed here? Make sure to list it in the comments below. First off, welcome to Atlanta! Or at least, to a writeup about Atlanta. We’re glad you’re here. This is that Southern hospitality you’ve heard so much about. Also, reading these words has just added to your cholesterol count; we deep-fry everything here, even our verbiage. Now, to business: You’re looking to know more about Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves. You’ve come to the right place, sugar. Pull up a chair and sit a spell. Turner Field began life as the stadium for the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996, and if you squint, you can imagine how the oval used to run. The seats that enclosed what is now the Fan Plaza beyond center field were temporary, and you can still find them in restaurants all over Atlanta. In the near distance, you can still see the Olympic torch that Muhammad Ali lit in one of the most dramatic moments in sports history; fittingly for Atlanta, it now adorns a highway overpass. Turner Field itself is one hell of a ballpark, a more-real-than-real Disneyfied version of the retro-classic Camden Yards style. Your every need is provided for here, your every wish can come true … except in October, of course. Turner Field is the ideal spot for hookups of both the business and personal variety. Families love it, and baseball aficionados can get close enough to the action to smell the seams of the ball. If it was even the slightest bit easier to access, this place would be sold out 81 games a season. So join us on our tour of Turner Field. For the truest fan experience, put this article aside and go sit in your car for 90 minutes before reading it. If you must go on now, though, let’s start right there… 1. Get in the car, Junior: One of the most wonderful things about Turner Field is its easy access from anywhere in Atlanta, as well as the bountiful offerings of bars, shops and nightlife that ring the stadium, creating a destination that’s — HA! Kidding. Turner Field, like its predecessor Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, is in a cultural and transportation dead zone, somehow simultaneously in the middle of everything and yet completely inaccessible. True mass transit doesn’t come within a mile of the stadium, meaning you’re going to be driving. And if you’re looking to make an evening game, you’d better leave now to catch a 7:35 first pitch in September. Pro tip: Don’t take any of the “designated” stadium exits. Drive south past the stadium and double back, or get off early on I-20 and take the back roads past Grant Park.

 

Braves 8, Twins 3 (The SportsXchange)

ATLANTA -- Evan Gattis sent Tuesday night's game into extra innings with a two-out pinch-homer in the ninth inning. On Wednesday, Atlanta's improbable rookie slugger made sure that no late-game dramatics would be needed.

 

Twins' Plouffe has concussion, on 7-day DL (The Associated Press)

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Minnesota Twins placed third baseman Trevor Plouffe on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion Wednesday after he was struck in the head by Dan Uggla's shin while breaking up an attempted double play.

 

Cycling Through the Closers (Rotoworld)

On the heels of a cycle, Saves and Steals burns through the closer rankings.

 

Twins put Plouffe on concussion DL (The SportsXchange)

The Minnesota Twins placed third baseman Trevor Plouffe on the seven-day concussion disabled list Wednesday after a collision the night before in a game against Atlanta, the team announced.