The fourth place in the NLE Atlanta Braves took on the third place in the NLW San Francisco Giants in a matchup that looked like it would be an offensive shootout. Bryce Elder has been struggling for the Braves and Hayden Birdsong has been struggling for the Giants.
As advertised, it did not take long for the scoring to begin. Bryce Elder got Jung Hoo Lee to fly out, but then gave up a walk to Heliot Ramos followed by a single to Rafael Devers. Adames flied out but moved the runner to third. Matt Chapman singled and the Giants struck first to make the score 0-1. Yastrzemski then grounded out to kill the momentum.
The Braves’ key to success was to get to Hayden Birdsong early, and that is exactly what they did. Profar walked and then advanced on a wild pitch. Olson also drew a walk to follow. Acuña also walked to load the based with no outs. Drake Baldwin then came through in a huge way with a bases clearing double on a high fastball to make the score 3-1.
Albies then walked and Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. This led to Birdsong being removed for Matt Gage. Gage was able to strikeout both Alvarez and Harris. Nick Allen then hit a single to score two and make the score 5-1 on a play that Chapman clearly just misread. It shows more evidence to the theory that maybe Truist Park has a bad infield that makes it harder to field. Profar then flew out in his second at-bat of the inning to end the first.
Elder got into trouble again in the second by double and then a single followed by a sac fly to make the score 5-2. Fortunately he was able to get Jung Hoo Lee to fly out and then Ramos to groundout to end the top of the second.
The Braves could not get anything going in the second. Olson flied out followed by an Acuña strikeout from Gage. Baldwin reached on a throwing error from Gage but when he tried to stretch it to second he got thrown out.
Elder again struggled in the third. He walked Devers and then allowed a single from Devers. He was able to get Chapman to ground into a double play, which moved Devers to third. There was no further damage as Elder got Yaz to fly out to left.
Spencer Bivens replaced Gage in the top of the third and proceeded to walk Albies. If Albies walks twice in a game, it is safe to say the pitching staff is struggling. Murphy struck out but then Nacho came through with a single to put runners on the corners with one out. It looked like more runs were possible, but then Harris ended the inning by grounding into a double play.
Elder gave up a leadoff single in the fourth, but sat down the rest of the hitters. For the Braves Allen struck out followed by Profar being retired via ground out, but then Olson doubled and Acuña walked. This led for another big moment for Baldwin who collected his fourth and fifth RBI of the game on a chopper single up the middle to make the score 7-2.
Baldwin moved to second on the throw and then Albies singled to score him to make the score 8-2. This resulted in a pitching change and then Murphy grounded out.
In the fifth Elder was able to get Ramos to strikeout, but then he gave up a single to Ramos followed by a double to Adames to make the score 8-3. He walked Chapman, but after a mound visit he settled in and got Yaz to ground out and Flores to pop up.
The Braves were sat down in order in the bottom of the fifth. In the sixth Aaron Bummer relieved Elder. Elder finished his night with 5.0 innings of work where he gave up eight hits, three walks to only one strikeout while giving up three earned runs. Bummer struggled a bit. After recording two outs he gave up a single and then hit Ramos with a pitch. However, he was able to retire Devers to prevent any damage.
The Braves did not slow down, and by Braves we mean Baldwin. After the Braves had two outs there were back-to-back doubled from Acuña and Baldwin to make the score 9-3. Albies struck out to end the scoring.
Rafael Montero came in to relief Bummer in the seventh and struggled. On his third pitch he gave up a HR to Adames to make the score 9-4. Fortunately, he sat down the next three hitters. It looked like the Braves may score even more when Murphy led off with a walk, but then Alvarez struck out and Harris lined into a double play to third baseman Matt Chapman who made up for his blunder from earlier.
Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch the eighth. He proceeded to see the minimum hitters. Ryan Walker was replaced by Camilo Doval. Allen struck out, but then Profar walked and then stole his first base of the year. Acuña then walked. Both runners were able to advance via a balk. Baldwin could not accumilate anymore RBIs and the inning was ended on a short fly out to the second baseman.
De Los Santos stayed in the game to pitch the ninth. He got into trouble, but it was no big deal. He recorded two outs, but then gave up back-to-back double to Ramos and Chapman to make the score 9-5. Yaz then popped up on the second pitch to Matt Olson on a routine play to end the game.
Drake Baldwin came up clutch with six RBI, and the pitching did just well enough.
The Braves face the Giants tomorrow. Same time, same place.
