Mark WiedmerA few minutes after new Atlanta Braves pitcher and former Tennessee Volunteer R.A. Dickey wrapped up his relief work in Friday night’s exhibition win over the New York Yankees, the 42-year-old knuckleballer said of this upcoming season: “Tonight you’re seeing our lineup the way it’s going to play in the regular season. And it’s exciting.”
The 8-5 victory over the Yankees – even if it doesn’t count for anything more than pride and a happy unofficial opening night for stunning SunTrust Park – indeed was exciting.
There was the three-run homer off the bat of Freddie Freeman, who exits spring training having batted .500. There was Jace Peterson’s three-run double that basically locked up the win. Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner, looked strong. So, too, relievers Arodys Vizcaino and Jim Johnson, who got the save.
But all that good work before the home folks only improved the Braves to a final mark 9-22-2 for the exhibition season. The real season begins at 1:10 p.m. Monday in New York against the Mets. The official home opener at SunTrust doesn’t arrive until Friday night, April 14.
Even now, one day from their opening day, Braves officials still are trying to decide who will make their regular-season roster. Will the Braves elect to go with a seven-man bullpen as it appeared they were leaning on Friday? Or will they up that to eight, as they did at times a year ago?