Julio Teheran continued his amazing run, tossing 6 shutout innings with only 2 hits and 1 walk. In Teheran’s last seven starts, he has a 0.68 ERA. How many of us predicted that?
Trevor Richards was just as impressive for the Marlins, shutting the Braves out on only one hit through 6. But in the top of the 7th, the Braves broke through to break the scoreless tie. Austin Riley led off with a ground ball single to left that he hustled into a double. Ozzie advanced him to third on a deep fly to center, and Tyler Flowers brought him home on a medium range fly ball to right (on an 0-2 count). When I saw the depth of that fly ball, I assumed it would be a close play at the plate, but Riley hustled home and beat the throw easily.
The bullpen held the line for the final 3 innings, and the Braves came away with a 1-0 victory. Anthony Swarzak continued his fine work as a Brave, retiring 5 straight in the 8th and 9th. After Newki gave up a double, Snit called on Luki the Slider Man for the 4 out save. Once again, Jackson delivered. The play of the game, though, came with two outs in the bottom of the 8th. With the tying run on third, Anderson hit a tapper to third. It looked for all the world that the Fish had tied it up. But Donaldson made one of the best defensive plays of the season and threw the runner out by a split second. Jackson then struck out the side in the ninth (around a Prado single) to secure the win. Luke is for real. As long as he can throw that slider as he has, and pump in the 96 mph heater, he’s as good as anyone.
Teheran, the bullpen, and great defense won the game—but it was Austin Riley’s hustle on the and bases that provided the only offense they needed. Riley has of course been phenomenal since his call-up, but this is the first game he has won with his baserunning.
Riley’s success has prompted me to reflect on the great Bob Horner, another big third baseman who made a splash in his first few games with Atlanta. Exactly 41 years ago, on June 8, 1978, the Braves had the overall number one pick in the draft. They chose Bob Horner out of Arizona State, fresh off a season in which he hit 25 homers and 100 RBIs (in 60 games!). As you may know, Horner never played a game in the minors. And in his first game for the Braves, he homered. By season’s end, he had 23 home runs in 89 games and was named the NL Rookie of the Year. And Horner was just 20 years old in 1978, more than a full year younger than Riley is now.
But Horner did not have nearly the immediate impact that Riley has had. It took Horner 41 games to hit his ninth home run; Riley did so in 18 games. And Horner’s Braves in 1978 were not in the thick of a pennant race.
Horner had one of the best and quickest swings you’ll ever want to see. If he had stayed healthy, he was a Hall of Fame caliber hitter. But of course the main thing you probably know about Horner is that he could not stay healthy. That, and that he once hit four home runs in a game—but since that was the 1986 Braves, they lost the game.
One thing I can guarantee you without looking it up. I’m sure Horner never legged out a double on a routine ground ball and then scored on consecutive sac flies.
By the way, the Braves have had one other overall number one pick, in addition to Horner: one Larry Wayne Jones who held down third base for a couple of decades. That one definitely worked out.
Braves go for the sweep on Sunday behind Max “Varsity†Fried.
Fried fish tomorrow?
Thanks for the stellar recap, tfloyd.
Horner didn’t strike out much. He had an incredibly short swing.
Dans is a 1:1. Besides Horner and Chipper. Do the Braves have any other 1:1?
@3 Are we counting Dansby because he came over as a pre-debut minor leaguer so he /feels/ like a Braves product? Or are we counting all 1-1’s that played for the Braves? Because Justin Upton comes to mind. And BJ Surhoff. Jeff Burroughs. Braves legend Adrian Gonzalez.
I mean, there’s only been 50-something guys ever go 1-1. Not a ton to choose from.
I meant guys actually drafted by the Braves 1:1. It’s kind of striking that as bad as the team was in the late 70’s and late 80’s they didn’t get that pick more often.
Dallas Keuchel
has never allowed anyone to hit for the sykle
but must now need adjust
occasional pass balls emmeshed in the dust.
Dominic Thiem
you will never have seen
skilled athleticism more manifest
a young phenom battering the best.
Roland Garros today…CBS/Tennis Channel…have your perception of tennis changed forever. Javy Baez plus plus.
All Braves 1st round picks in the June draft:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=ATL&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_round
1978 and 1990 are the only times they picked first overall.
I wish we could get the future 1:1 that threw a dandy for Vandy last night. Wow. What a performance.
That draft history ignores their supplemental first round pick in 1966… a guy named Seaver, who, if Commissioner Eckert had any cojones, would have changed the Braves franchise history quite a bit.
Joyce starts in right. Johan Camargo is still invisible.
June Secondary draft: https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=ATL&draft_round=1&draft_type=junsec&query_type=franch_round
January: https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=ATL&draft_round=1&draft_type=janreg&query_type=franch_round
January Secondary: https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=ATL&draft_round=1&draft_type=janreg&query_type=franch_round
Simply
Soroka ERA = 1.38
Julio ERA = 3.03
Fried ERA = 3.68
Keuchel ERA = ???
Ryu ERA = 1.35
Kershaw ERA = 3.14
Maeda ERA = 3.48
Buehler ERA = 3.69
(Note: Hill ERA = 2.40 non qualifier)
If Keuchel performs to his norm then we are ready to hang with the Dodgers from a starter standpoint.
If my numbers are correct, Soroka and Teheran have combined for 87 and 1/3 innings and 14 starts since the 4th of May. They’ve allowed 10 total runs and their combined ERA is 1.03. They’ve averaged 6.24 innings per start. A few more innings would be nice, but wow, that is an amazing 1/2 combo. Unfortunately, running the same numbers for Folty and Gausman would be pretty ugly.
Alex, can you please dumb down what you just posted? I’m obviously spreadsheet challenged.
Thanks.
Why can’t Fried throw to first base?
Yips?
Terrific defense, Freddie
Freddie Freeman is pretty good.
He’s safe.
Terrible call.
Bullshit call. Bullshit review. I thought tie goes to the runner doesn’t it?
@20. “Tie” goes to the initial call on the field.
Freddie is the best.
It’s been years since review was implemented, and I still don’t think there’s been a single review during a Braves game where Caray didn’t say “remember, there must be clear and convincing evidence to overturn.”
I know it’s moot now, but I know in some balk cases, you can take the result of the play if it benefits you. Could the Braves not have accepted the HBP on Fried instead of the balk?
@24. I had to look it up. It’s a dead ball unless the batter reaches first and all other runners advance a base. In this case, a HBP would have only resulted in Fried reaching base but not the runner, who was on second, advancing. So dead ball.
Thanks Grst, makes perfect sense.
@20: About that “tie goes to the runner”: http://www.umpirebible.com/ubBlog/archives/359
Ozzie can pick ’em too. He and Freddie are a strong right side of the infield.
A few runs would be nice.
Ozzie saves the day!!
Another offensive exhibition today
Thought we had them there.
Flowers isn’t swinging it real well right now
Why Markakis pinch hitting? Why not Camargo? Or Culby?
That’s three, Tyler. At least you haven’t let one get to the screen today, but the game’s not over. You still have a chance.
Woohoo, Matt Joyce!
Snit got Neck in the game. I worried he might not play today. Johan is still invisible.
I will henceforth refer to Johan as Claude Rains.
Great stroke, Dansby. You wuz robbed.
Two innings in a row they get the rally going with two outs. Please do it with 0-1 outs.
They should’ve let Max hit. At least he got a hit with a runner in scoring position today.
Boo! Ban shifts!
Dansby got robbed.
PURE EVIL.
Nice. Perhaps Joyce should get more playing time.
Tyler! What just happened!
Claude sighting.
Once a week Camargo delivered.
ACUNA MATATA!!!!
YEAAAAAHHH!!
If only Fried had scored…….
Dansby should’ve taken a pitch or two.
Wow.
so happy I didn’t give up on watching this one…need one more run
I have to admit that Swarzak has been a darn good addition. Who’da thunk it.
I’m not sure we can yet appreciate how special Ronald is. I suspect we’ll look back at this one for a long time.
Swarzak has been excellent so far.
He is a special player, and I’m gonna be rooting for him till I get my AARP card.
Yea, I was just looking up Swarzak’s stats since the trade. One run in 10 innings. Still too many walks, but a very good surprise so far.
AAR, you’re squashing toes, whippersnapper.
6 more walks and the Marlins will take over the NL lead from the Braves…. LOL
BTW, the Braves no longer lead the majors in walks. Getting better…….
Don Mattingly is not exactly looking like a Manager of the Year candidate out there.
lousy defensive positioning
Terrible pitch to Prado
damn. if he’s gonna throw that FB, he should have thrown it up at the top of the zone.
Prado, that’s not sweet. Hold them, Luke.
We use old Luke every day, it seems. He may need a breather himself.
I guess Kimbrel’s no longer available, huh.
Too many pitches for Jackson. Just not his day.
I forgot we have Blevins.
I tried to forget we have Winkler. Come on, Dan. Show me how wrong I am.
I would have thought Newcomb would take priority over Blevins in this highly leveraged situation.
Remember the reliever flow chart for Fredi several years ago? Someone should make one for Snit.
To Snit’s credit, he just used Blevins as a loogy–which is precisely what he should be.
Well done, Daniel.
Matt Joyce can get some more starts in RF.
Ozzie!
Matt Joyce, woohoo!
Great series. Easily could’ve lost 2 of 3 but we found way. Holding serve against the Marlins is going to be key for winning this division.
More Joyce, less Neck
Tomlin’s first career save!
Couldn’t they put Kakes on the IL with “exhaustion”? Call up Duvall and platoon Joyce and Duvall. I’d give Nick a month off and see if he can come back like it’s the beginning of the year.
Free Matt Joyce!
What a game!
If I remember correctly, when the Braves overcame a 3 run deficit in the 9th a couple of weeks ago, that was only the third time it had been done in mlb this year—and the Braves had two of those. Now they’ve come from 4 down in the ninth. Without looking it up, I’ll assume that has not happened this year. And so 3 of the 4 times that a 3 run plus deficit was erased in the ninth, the Braves did it.
Braves signed Langeliers. No repeat of last year. Woohoo!
Good day to be a Braves fan.
How sweet it is that all these good happenings at the end today soften the truly dreadful memory of Riley’s last at bat.
It wasn’t just a strike out, one of many recently including three today. It was as though he knew it was going to happen, again,and all he wanted to do was get it over with SAP.
Culminating in strike three where, i swear, he started his cyclone style swing with the pitch still 30 feet away.
Does this diminish in any way my belief in him as the natural successor to the Babe. Certainly not. Look at all the things he doesn’t do.
Recapped. (sorry, blazon.)