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ATLANTA -- Mike Foltynewicz stood as the great unknown, who occasionally displayed limitless potential, as the Braves spent the past three seasons going through a massive rebuild. But everything changed this year for him and this team that confidently enters the postseason with what appears to be a possible ace. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker did not surprise anyone when he announced Foltynewicz will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Dodgers on Thursday. Los Angeles will counter with Hyun-Jin Ryu.

ATLANTA -- Left-hander Sean Newcomb apologized to his Atlanta Braves teammates on Monday for a series of offensive tweets he sent as a teenager. Newcomb's apology was delivered in a meeting attended by players, coaches, manager Brian Snitker and Atlanta staff. Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson said players accepted the apology. Each said tweets made public on Sunday did not represent Newcomb's actions on the team.

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb apologized Sunday for a series of offensive tweets he sent as a teenager, calling them "some stupid stuff.'' The 25-year-old Newcomb spoke less than an hour after he nearly pitched a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The tweets were sent in 2011 and 2012, when Newcomb was a senior in high school. One tweet included a racial epithet that was part of a rap lyric, and several others contained gay slurs. "I just wanted to apologize for any insensitive material,'' Newcomb said. "It was a long time ago, six or seven years...

Another day, another athlete exposed for terrible behavior on social media. Atlanta Braves left-hander Sean Newcomb apologized on Sunday after a series of his homophobic and racist tweets were found. The tweets in question were made in 2011 and 2012 when Newcomb was a freshman at the University of Hartford.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Police in Cobb County are working to determine how a person died and their body ended up in a beer cooler. A co-worker made the grisly discovery hours before the first pitch at the Braves home game Tuesday afternoon at SunTrust Park. Cobb County Police said the worker was employed by a third-party contractor. The worker’s body was found in one of the vendor areas. Police said they responded to the stadium around 3:30 p.m. to investigate after receiving a 911. Investigators are working to determine the nature of the person's death. Detectives would not release...

Chipper Jones will be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in July, but he’s not keeping his public statements to just baseball. The former Atlanta Braves third baseman and avid hunter shared his thoughts on gun control with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday and it won’t surprise you to find out that he has some strong opinions — but not the one you might think.

I am a Braves fan and can't believe that the Braves beat the Cubs (well, in one game only) 5 to 1. The Cubs are tough and have incredible pitching, a great batting line up, and a solid defense. About dam time. Go Braves!

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action news has learned former Altanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson, 29, has died. Multiple sources told Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein earlier in the day Monday that Hanson was in a coma after being moved to Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital late Monday morning due to catastrophic organ failure. Hanson was moved to Piedmont so doctors could run a variety of tests to determine why his organs failed. The source said Hanson's problems started early Sunday morning and Hanson was then rushed to a nearby hospital after he started having trouble breathing.

Frank Torre, older brother of Yankees Hall of Fame skipper Joe and former Milwaukee Braves first baseman, dead at 82 Though he was nine years older, Frank Torre, who broke into the majors with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956, served as a mentor to his younger brother growing up on Avenue T in Brooklyn, and later as a father figure after their parents split up.

1 out vs. Braves 2 outs

As a scheduled part of their home opener, the Atlanta Braves set off fireworks before their game against the New York Mets on Tuesday. As an unscheduled part of their home opener, the fireworks set fire to the American flag that flies above the Braves Vision video screen in center field. "It happened because of new pyrotechnics," Braves spokesperson Beth Marshall said. "For the first time, they put pyrotechnics on Braves Vision. One of the pyrotechnics flew at the flag and lit it on fire." Marshall added that the material of the flag is flame retardant, so it went out...

Former Cubs star Andy Pafko had a good bat, a memorable nickname and a reputation as one of the friendliest players in the game. Pafko, 92, died Tuesday in a nursing home in Stevensville, Mich., the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. A popular five-time All-Star who played 17 seasons and appeared in 24 World Series games — including the Cubs' last visit to the Series in 1945 — Pafko had a lifetime .285 average with 213 home runs and 976 RBIs playing for the Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves.

Earl Williams, a slugging if ambivalent catcher and infielder — “My favorite position is batter,” he once said — who won the National League rookie of the year award in 1971 but whose promise went unfulfilled amid a welter of minor controversies, died early Tuesday at his home in Somerset, N.J. He was 64.

On Wednesday night, in the midst of a presidential debate, the baseball season came to a close. Although the season didn’t close with as many fireworks as last season, it did have something just as special; something that hasn’t happened in 45 years. Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers won baseball’s Triple Crown. For those who don’t know, the Triple Crown is only achieved when a batter leads the league in home runs, runs batted in (RBIs), and batting average. The fact that it hasn’t been done since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967 speaks to how extraordinarily difficult it...

In a scene that seemed like it came right out of Hollywood script, pitcher Ben Sheets left the Little League field where he was coaching and made his debut for the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. He had been out of baseball for two years following a career that had flashes of brilliance, but ultimately, was overshadowed by injuries. It was a shame that such a bright star was extinguished so quickly, but like in the movies, sometimes, there are fairy tale endings.

Drama all around.

Playoff odds for BOSTON and ATLANTA are still near or over 80% despite the tightening wildcard races. Boston 88 68 .564 WC probability: 84.2% Atlanta 88 68 .564 WC probability: 86.2% Using simple 'dumb' stats (assume every team has a 50% chance of winning every game), the Red Sox face the following odds: eliminate Tampa before WED 9-28: 53% eliminate Tampa & LAA before WED 9-28: 45% clinch on WED 9-28: 31% clinch in playoff game(s) on TH and/or FRI: 8% Sox eliminated before WED: 1% Sox eliminated on WED: 5% eliminated in playoff game(s) on TH and/or FRI: 10%...

A day meant to celebrate Bobby Cox’s induction into the Braves Hall of Fame, turned bittersweet on Friday evening when word came that legendary Braves broadcaster and fellow Braves Hall of Famer Ernie Johnson Sr. died. He was 87. His son Ernie Johnson Jr, also a sports broadcaster for Turner Sports, confirmed the news to Braves broadcasters Joe Simpson and Chip Caray, who began spreading the word during Friday’s broadcast of the Braves-Cubs games. The gentle-voiced and kind-hearted Johnson spent 35 years broadcasting Braves games, beginning in 1962 when he was hired as the color commentator for the Milwaukee Braves....

The New York Yankees this year had a payroll of $206 million. The San Diego Padres had a payroll of $37 million — and neither team won its division. So who had the better year? I think it was Paul McCartney who once said, “I don’t care too much for money ‘cause money can’t buy you a World Series championship, although it can pretty consistently get you into the playoffs.” He’s right. Lance Berkman is making $14.5 million this year. That’s more than the combined salaries of the Indians’ entire starting lineup in their last game of the season —...

 East W L Pct GB Home Road East Cent West Streak L10 New York Yankees 50 31 .617 -- 28-13 22-18 20-11 10-7 9-6 Won 2 6-4 Boston Red Sox 49 33 .598 1.5 29-17 20-16 18-17 10-9 8-2 Lost 1 6-4 Tampa Bay Rays 48 33 .593 2.0 20-19 28-14 19-10 11-6 11-6 Won 2 6-4 Toronto Blue Jays 41 42 .494 10.0 21-19 20-23 13-14 11-9 10-8 Lost 2 2-8 Baltimore Orioles 25 57 .305 25.5 16-25 9-32 9-27 4-6 5-13 Lost 1 5-5  Central W L Pct GB Home Road East Cent West Streak L10 Detroit...