The Braves once again made Matthew Liberatore look like Cy Young reincarnated for the second time in the span of two weeks.
Reynaldo López gritted out five innings, but ended his streak of four consecutive starts only giving up an earned run. The first inning has been the challenge in most of his starts since he returned to the rotation, and tonight was no different. After getting two outs, an Iván Herrera slow-roller hit to Jorge Mateo and a single by Jordan Walker set the table for a Lars Nootbar three-run shot to make it 3-0 Cardinals. Ballgame in the first inning? More likely than you’d think, unfortunately.
López bounced back a bit in the second (working around a leadoff triple) and third, but Nootbar’s leadoff walk and stolen base would create another run after a Blaze Jordan single to make it 4-0.
The hope of getting to Liberatore early was mounting with a Ozzie Albies walk and wild pitch to get a runner in scoring position, but it wasn’t to be. Liberatore then held the Braves hitless until a Drake Baldwin single in the fourth. The Braves did not and could not cash in on consecutive innings with leadoff singles in the fifth and sixth by Austin Riley (!) and Michael Harris II, respectively. Matt Olson’s single in the sixth put runners at the corners with one out, but Baldwin grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Liberatore only needed 71 pitches for his six scoreless innings of work, but he did not come back out. Mauricio Dubón greeted new pitcher Luis Gastelum rudely with a first-pitch leadoff homer to finally get the Braves on the board. Thank you, Dubie. A truly awful PA from Riley followed. Eli White doubled, but was stranded after a groundout by Joey Bart and a strikeout by pinch-hitter Jim Jarvis.
Freshly recalled from Gwinnett, Owen Murphy entered to pitch scoreless frames in the sixth, seventh, and eighth.
The Braves went down in order against George Soriano in the eighth and did their patented “false hope finale” in the ninth against reliever Riley O’Brien. A Drake leadoff walk, two quick outs, and Dominic Smith HBP brought Joey Bart up to the plate as the tying run. The pride of Georgia Tech couldn’t muster up a miraculous homer here and stared at strike three to seal this one for the Cardinals.
I don’t know who needs this All-Star break more, us or the team. Either way, some much-needed space and time to reflect is on deck after tomorrow’s series finale at 2:15 pm ET.
