Freddie Freeman News

Albert Pujols hit a home run in his third straight game and pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo came through with a grand slam in the sixth inning to give the Los Angeles Angels a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

Bryce Harper homered and Danny Espinosa added a three-run shot to help Washington strengthen its hold on first place in the NL East by beating the reeling Atlanta Braves 8-4 on Saturday.

Bryce Harper homered and Danny Espinosa added a three-run shot to help Washington strengthen its hold on first place in the NL East by beating the reeling Atlanta Braves 8-4 on Saturday.

Bryce Harper homered and Danny Espinosa added a three-run shot to help Washington strengthen its hold on first place in the NL East by beating the reeling Atlanta Braves 8-4 on Saturday.

Much has been made here and elsewhere about the Braves' record with and without Chipper Jones in the lineup, and more will be now that he's on the 15-day disabled list due to the slow healing process of his nasty lower-leg contusion.

Rick Ankiel hit a two-run triple in Washington's four-run first inning, Ryan Zimmerman padded the lead with a three-run double in the seventh and the first-place Nationals beat the slumping Atlanta Braves 7-4 Friday night.

He hit 39 home runs and drove in 111 runs, but he hit just .248 with a .341 on-base percentage.

The two teams are jockeying back and forth for first place in the National League East, and Friday will be the first clash of the clubs this season.

The Braves have spent much of the last three weeks away from Turner Field. The last four days here must have felt like an eternity.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman flinched before catching a throw from shortstop Tyler Pastornicky on Wednesday, and after the game told manager Fredi Gonzalez he couldn't see the ball because of his ongoing problems with dry eyes while wearing his contact lenses.

When : 7:35 p.m. Friday ; 4:05 p.m. Saturday ; 8:05 p.m. Sunday Batting: Entering Thursday, the Braves had hit only .158 while averaging 1.8 runs per game during a 1-4 stretch.

Since we've bombarded you with almost exclusively bad news here from the Queen City these past few days, let's start with a bit of good news: Martin Prado 's bat is blazing.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Cincinnati.

Sitting in the Braves dugout during batting practice, manager Fredi Gonzalez marveled at how many fly balls land in the first row of seats at Great American Ball Park.

Bronson Arroyo went 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out seven.

Day 3 in the Queen City, and the Braves are still looking for their first win in this four-game series against the Reds, who've played ball the last two nights as if someone left the ballpark in a dryer too long and shrunk it.

Indiana forward Danny Granger sprained his left ankle after missing a shot late in the first half of Game 5 of the Pacers' Eastern Conference semifinal series in Miami on Tuesday night.

Granted, all of the pitchers seem to love McCann calling the game behind the plate, and his offense at that particular position is a plus, but as he ages, the position will wear on his knees more than most.

The Atlanta Braves are going through a bit of an offensive slump, and plated just one run in losing their series opener with the Cincinnati Reds .

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Freddie Freeman spent part of his weekend switching between glasses and various contact lenses and trying out assorted eye drops in a somewhat successful effort to alleviate his dry eyes.