The Braves front office is still in turmoil - MLB

In Atlanta, general manager John Coppolella has resigned in disgrace and old hands — and old friends — John Hart and John Schuerholz are running things at the moment. But if you think that’s providing any stability for the organization, think again. Jon Heyman says that’s not the case at all:

Former best friends John Schuerholz and John Hart, who run the Atlanta Braves now, are said to be at odds over things related to the team and currently having a tough time getting along, so there could be more upheaval in the organization.

People with ties to the team say they believe Schuerholz would love to bring in Dayton Moore, and have Moore, a longtime Braves executive before he went to Kansas City, groom Schuerholz’s son Jonathan, who runs the farm system for the Braves.

First off, can we talk about Jonathan Schuerholz? I know very little about him, but boy, how lucky is it for the Braves that the guy who happens to be John Schuerholz’s son is best guy to run the Braves in the future? It’s very similar to how, apparently, Jonathan Schuerholz was the best player available for the Braves when his father selected him in the eighth round of the 2002 draft. His ascendance must be a function of cosmic forces, beyond the Braves’ control, willing the most qualified guy for various jobs to the forefront, over and over again!

That aside, why on earth would Dayton Moore want this job? While, yes, the Braves system is quite talented and while Moore has ties to the Braves, he has won two pennants and a World Series with the Royals. Also: the GM job would be a lateral move at best and, practically speaking, a demotion given that the Braves keep Schuerholz, Hart and advisors like Bobby Cox around, all who seemed to have influence or veto power over Coppolella. In Kansas City Moore answers to the owner. The only way he’d probably take the Braves job would if he were to be named President of Baseball Operations with no one between him and team CEO Terry McGuirk, which would mean shoving out the two men bickering at the top right now. And the boy wonder who Moore wold supposedly groom to be his own replacement.

The only winner in all of this mess in Atlanta seems to be Brian Snitker, the manager who would’ve probably been fired if it wasn’t for the Copolella scandal but who keeps his job because, hey, you gotta stop the upheaval at some point. Good for him, but it’s saying something about an organization when that’s your basis of job security.

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CHICAGO (AP) Shohei Ohtani homered in consecutive innings, including a 459-foot drive that was the longest of his Major League Baseball career, and drove in four runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels over the Chicago White Sox 12-5 Wednesday.

Mike Trout put the Angels ahead 2-0 with a 476-foot home run in the first that was four rows shy of clearing the left field bleachers. Taylor Ward also went deep as the Angels hit four two-run homers plus a solo shot.

“Those are the guys you lean on,” manager Phil Nevin said. “They can certainly put the team on their backs and carry us and that’s what they did today.”

Ohtani drove a first-pitch fastball from Lance Lynn (4-6) just to left of straightaway center in the third, where the ball was dropped by a fan who tried to glove it. That 425-foot drive put the Angels ahead 4-1.

Lynn didn’t even bother to turn and look when Ohtani hit a full count fastball more than a dozen rows over the bullpen in right-center in the fourth. The two-way Japanese star is batting .269 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs to go along with a 5-1 record and 2.91 ERA.

“I’m feeling good right now,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I’m putting good swings on pitches I should be hitting hard.”

Ohtani increased his career total to 13 multihomer games with his first this season.

Trout pulled a hanging curve for his 13th home run. Ward hit a two-run homer against Jesse Scholtens in the seventh and Chad Wallach, pinch hitting for Ohtani, had a solo homer in the ninth off Garrett Crochet.

“Usually when that happens, we’re in a good spot to win,” Trout said.

Trout and Ohtani have homered in the same game for the fifth time this season. The Angels hit a pair of 450-foot or more home runs in the same game for the first time since Statcast started tracking in 2015.

Lynn allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks while hitting two batters in four innings, raising his ERA to 6.55. He has given up 15 home runs, one short of the major league high of Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles. Lynn had won his previous three starts.

“It seemed like he didn’t get away with any today,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Just one of those days, man.”

Jaime Barria (2-2) gave up one run and four hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Los Angeles won two of three from the White Sox after being swept by Miami last weekend.

Jake Burger homered for Chicago, which has lost four of five. Burger hit his 11th homer in the ninth and Hanser Alberto had a two run double off Tucker Davidson.

Chicago’s Romy Gonzalez, who’d homered in three straight games, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

THE NATURALS

Twenty-three people became naturalized U.S. citizens during a pregame swearing-in behind home plate.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Trout fouled a pitch off his right leg in the fourth but remained in the game.

White Sox: INF Elvis Andrus (strained left oblique) and RHP Mike Clevinger (right wrist inflammation) are close to returning but Grifol wouldn’t elaborate on either player’s status.

UP NEXT

Angels: Reid Detmers (0-4, 4.93) starts Thursday’s series opener at Houston against fellow LHP Framber Valdez (5-4, 2.38).

White Sox: Have not announced a starter for Friday’s series opener against visiting Detroit, which starts RHP Reese Olson in his major league debut. Olson is 2-3 with a 6.38 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A Toledo.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports