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12	Januar 2019

After signing Zack Greinke in late 2015

PHOENIX � http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-hank-aaron-jersey , the Arizona Diamondbacks made a trade designed to turn them into an instant contender. It did not work as intended, but Atlanta is not complaining. The Braves acquired Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson, adding them to a group of veterans and up-and-coming young players who helped make the Braves relevant again.Article continues below ...After finishing a combined 71 games below .500 in the previous three seasons, the Braves have a 3 1/2-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East entering the final game of a four-game series on Sunday in Arizona.Inciarte and Swanson � the principles sent from Arizona to Atlanta for right-hander Shelby Miller in a deal that was widely panned at the time � have helped. Inciarte leads the Braves and is fifth in the NL with 25 stolen bases. Swanson has 55 RBIs for a team that is second in the NL in runs.Miller has missed most of the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery.Swanson threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the Braves� 5-4, 10-inning victory on Saturday. �Everybody knows the last couple of years have not been the best around here, but to be in this situation now is great,� first baseman Freddie Freeman said. �I�ve been through it all, so this is great when you start winning again. It is kind of like when I just got called up. We were winning all the time. We have the right group of people in this clubhouse to hopefully carry us into the postseason.�Another former Diamondbacks prospect, right-hander Touki Toussaint (1-1), is scheduled to make his third career start Sunday opposite Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (5-2) as the teams shoot for a series split.Toussaint, like Swanson a Diamondbacks first-round draft pick Deion Sanders Jersey , was traded to Atlanta in mid-2015 along with veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo and his $9.5 million contract when management ordered a payroll cut.�It feels great to be a part of this,� Enciarte said. �The goal is to play meaningful games in September. You see new guys, but you see everybody developing quick. It wasn�t bad years at all.�I know the Diamondbacks are in a great position. We are in a good position, too. Both teams are winning, and I know we are happy with what we have. We don�t look back on what happened because we believe everything happens for a reason. We�re here where we want to be, and we want to be a part of this for a long time.�The Diamondbacks begin a seven-game road trip with the opener of a four-game series in Colorado on Monday, part of a schedule that could include a major league-record 17 straight games against division leaders. They play Colorado twice, Houston and the Chicago Cubs in the next two weeks.�September baseball, when you are in a pennant race is pressure enough,� Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.�So I don�t want any situation to override how they perform. How do I do that? Different ways with different guys. Distract them. Make them smile. Make them laugh. Make them remember how good they are and how fun the game is when you are doing your job.�Atlanta has seven games remaining against Philadelphia and three against St. Louis.Ray, who has a 4.25 ERA in 19 starts http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-julio-teheran-jersey , gets the start after his most effective outing of the season, a 6-0 victory in which he struck out 10 and gave up two singles in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.�My last two starts are about as mechanically sound as I�ve felt all year,� Ray said. �It�s a combination of my direction to the plate and my tempo. Just getting the ball back, getting back on the mound and going. I think that�s the biggest thing, not too much time between pitches.� Ray, who missed two months because of an oblique injury, is 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA in his last three starts. He had a good feel for his curveball in the victory over the Padres.�I think I have thrown it more often lately because it is a pitch I feel I can also land (in the strike zone) but also bounce,� Ray said.Ray has lost both of his career starts against Atlanta with a 4.82 ERA.Toussaint beat Miami in his first major league start on Aug. 13 and lost his most recent, an 8-2 defeat to Boston last Sunday in which gave up three runs and struck out six in 4 2/3 innings. He threw four scoreless innings before the Red Sox knocked him out in the fifth.�I haven�t liked him, I�ve loved him,� Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.�He�s very impressive young man. Very impressive player. Carries himself very well. Love his assortment. His arsenal is very good. He�s a very athletic kid. He�s handled himself tremendous in the two starts he�s hard here.� Toussaint was 9-6 in 24 minor league starts this season Greg Maddux Jersey , going 5-0 with a 1.43 ERA in eight starts with Triple-A Gwinnett.He has not appeared fazed by being thrust into a pennant race.�He faced the best team in baseball the other day and did a really good job,� Snitker said. �The maturity, the game awareness, how he�s handled himself. The whole thing has been very impressive.� TORONTO � The Toronto Blue Jays have been playing several of their September call-ups while the Cleveland Indians try to close in on their inevitable clinching of a division title in the American League Central.The teams have split the first two games of a four-game series at the Rogers Centre after the Blue Jays won in 11 innings Friday night on the second walk-off home run of Kevin Pillar�s career.The Blue Jays (64-77) will continue to run out players recently called up from the minors when right-hander Sean Reid-Foley (1-2, 5.51 ERA) makes his fourth career major-league start on Saturday.Article continues below ...The Indians (80-61) will start right-hander Adam Plutko (4-5, 5.04), who will be making his 14th appearance (11th start) of the season Saturday.In Plutko�s Monday start against the Kansas City Royals, he took the loss after allowing four runs and seven hits in six innings despite a career-best eight strikeouts.The 26-year-old will be making his second career start against Toronto. He made his first career major-league start on May 3 against the Blue Jays in the second game of a doubleheader. He allowed six hits and three runs while striking out six in 7 1/3 innings for his first major-league win.Reid-Foley had 10 strikeouts Sunday in his first major-league win at Miami. He held the Marlins to one run, four hits and one walk in seven innings of Toronto�s 6-1 victory.He made his major-league debut on Aug. 13 but was returned to Triple-A Buffalo after his second big-league start.�He was fantastic,� Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after the start on Sunday. �He was popping the ball. That�s the best we�ve seen it.�I think those first two starts and then he went back down, I think he had a lot of confidence coming into today.�One of the call-ups who has become a big fan favorite is first baseman Rowdy Tellez http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-david-justice-jersey , who had two more doubles Friday and an RBI. He has six doubles since making his big-league debut Tuesday.Tellez is the first player since 1913 to hit six doubles in his first three major-league games and tied the record of six extra-base hits in his first three games set in 2008 by Chris Dickerson.�He�s the new cult hero in town,� Gibbons said.In delivering their eighth walk-off win of the season on Friday, the Blue Jays overcame a strong pitching performance by Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco, who matched his season high with 14 strikeouts.The Blue Jays struck out 20 times in all, but it did not stop them from improving to 10-6 in extra-inning games and 20-12 in games decided by one run this season.Outfielder Michael Brantley, who missed the Indians� 9-4 victory on Thursday, was used only as a pinch hitter Friday and grounded out in the 10th inning. He suffered a bruised left foot on a foul ball Wednesday in the 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals.With the Indians� magic number to clinch the AL Central down to seven, they are going to be extra cautious with Brantley, who was out of the lineup Friday night against the Blue Jays.�I�m probably being a little overprotective,� Indians manager Terry Francona said. �I think it�s probably the prudent thing to do.�The 31-year-old Brantley is hitting .303 with an .819 OPS and 14 home runs in 125 games this season.The Indians� clinching number in the AL Central remained at seven after the second-place Minnesota Twins beat the Royals 10-6 on Friday.