The Braves clinched the series win and won their fourteenth consecutive game at Nationals Park.
Before the game, news broke that Austin Riley was added to the All-Star team, as Nolan Arenado decided to sit out with a minor injury. Riley is now the sixth Braves player on the team.
The Braves jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 3rd, as Robinson Cano led off with a double. After a Harris groundout, Dansby reached on a Josh Bell error as his foot came off the base. Matt Olson followed with an opposite field 3 run homer that carried over the left field wall, his 17th. Austin Riley made it back to back as he lined a homer to center, his 27th homer, and is one shy of Andres Gallarraga’s franchise record of 28 before the All-Star Break.
In the 4th, Washington cut the lead in half. Soto singled, and Bell followed with a triple to score Soto. Bell scored on a groundout from Keibert Ruiz. In the 6th, that same part of the order struck again. Cesar Hernadez, Soto, and Bell hit 3 consecutive singles to make it 4-3.
Max Fried finished with another strong start, as he went seven innings allowing the three runs on no walks and four strikeouts. He did not allow a homer.
With a narrow lead, the Braves added some insurance in the 7th. Harris led off with a walk, and stole second. Dansby doubled to right center, just missing a home run, but Harris easily scored from second. 2 batters later, D’Arnaud knocked in Dansby with a single to center for the 2nd run of the inning, making it 6-3.
After around a two hour rain delay, Jesse Chavez and Kenley Jansen made short work of the Nationals in the 8th and 9th to finish the game.
The Mets swept the Cubs in a doubleheader today, so the Braves actually lost half a game in the standings, now trailing by 2.5. The Braves go for the four game sweep of the Nationals tomorrow afternoon in the final game before the All-Star break. Spencer Strider will get the start for Atlanta at 1:35, and it looks like Washington will do a bullpen game. The MLB draft is also tomorrow night.
Six friggin’ players .. and the manager. For the first time I get people to agree with me, simultaneous with my worst-ever result
It’s draft day! Under new regime, the Braves have had a clear strategy: Draft under slot in early rounds to spread the wealth to later rounds. With last week’s trade, the Braves have a ton of wiggle room and they have 5 picks in the top 100! Should be a fun week
Note that the Mets won both games in extras by scoring more Manfred-men than the Cubs. With the Cubs at home no less. Ugh.
Not only that but Langeliers homered off Shuster in the Futures Game.
Alright, I’ve figured out how to fix the Manfred-man. First two innings of extra innings, you put a runner on first. Next two innings, put the runner on second. Next two innings, put the runner on third. If no winner emerges, we conduct a sack race with the two slowest runners per team per Statcast to crown the winner.
Vote Rob Copenhaver for Commissioner. Or President. #Cope4Commish #Cope2024
@4 great ideas, Rob, but you know they’ll decide games by Home Run Derby first.
Sack races > HRD
I don’t disagree. 😀
How to fix the Manfred Man? Wrap him up like a douche and send him roamin in the night.
Fried opts for rest, pulls out of ASG.
@9 glad to hear that.
Seems like the Braves rarely do well when the opponent has a bullpen game. Oh well, it’s early.
Spencer Strider start – Must-See-TV!
Consider the common re-lyricing of that song is “get a boner in the night”, I prefer your outcome.
Rosario hasn’t given us much since he came back from the IL.
@13 Considering*
Atlanta just won the World Series last year, which means it’s almost impossible to clean up in the draft the next year, but that’s exactly what Atlanta is going to do tonight.
I did not know that your draft position is based on your regular season win total, so that just further adds to the incentive in a weak division of winning 92 games, sneaking into the playoffs, and reaping the benefits of that the next year at draft time. Could you imagine being an AL East team? Baltimore is like, “I have to sell my soul to win 87 games, finish 4th in the division, and draft 16th the next year. Shoot me now.”
Happy Birthday, Rob. I’ve had Old Fashioned’s. I told my buddies that this SOB is watching the Braves on his birthday at the one bar in St. Pete that has the Braves. They’re good sports.
Ugh, Spencer, bad time for a bad pitch.
(And another one. Woof. This is like his first start at Arizona — bad defense and the floodgates open.)
Harris needs to come get that. Love his defense but I thought he could have come and got that.
And now is 4-0 because we didn’t make two tough plays
This isn’t ideal.
Rosario is hitting .211/205/395 (not a single walk!) since returning on July 4. This is only good in comparison to his pre-IL stint.
This would be a tremendous day to control Spencer’s inning total.
still think Strider is a 8th inning a potential closer next year type guy … i think he is more valuable out of late inning BP situations than as a starter every 5th day … under untilized IMO
Robinson Cano, one of those players who don’t look quite right in a Braves uniform.
I wish Cano a prosperous journey to baseball heaven. Dude’s done.
@21 those innings would have to be pretty damn important to justify having him pitch 60 instead of 180
I have no idea how anyone could look at what Strider is doing and say he’d be more valuable in the pen. He’s likely a top 10 starting pitcher in the NL.
@25 agreed. While we need a rh power bullpen arm, Strider is establishing himself as a top flight starter. His innings may need to be managed but the best way to manage arm strength is to throw. Just ask Leo… we rarely had arm injuries when he was on the staff
Cano looks completely washed. Offensively and defensively
I have seen more than enough of Cano’s defense. He is hurting the team.
The first pitch of the inning was a clear strike, and it was called a ball. Between moments like that and how he struggles after defensive lapses, it seems that Spencer’s primary issue is that he struggles to get back in a rhythm when he’s knocked — pardon the pun — off-stride. His stuff is good enough and one expects he’ll figure this out with time and patience.
@28 his inability to move cost Strider the leadoff single and cost us a run. I don’t care if he is left handed…he can’t hit or field
@30. Agreed. I don’t see him returning after the All-Star-Break.
Did Eric Gregg rise from the grave?
Robo-Umps please.
Somebody needs to wake Snit up to argue the crappy called strike three
That 3rd strike call on Olson was stunning.
Jose Navas called an obvious strike thrown by Strider a ball and two obvious Cishek balls as strikes. He has decreed that the Nationals will win this game. Related item: bring on the robo umps.
It was four inches outside, at least.
Strider can probably use the extra rest during and after the break.
what the hell this umpire
Cano is the infield version of Heredia but unfortunately he actually gets playing time. Today has to be it, right?
@39 – I feel a lot better knowing he is simply incompetent.
Lol.. that damn shift that takes the double play out of the mix again…sigh
Cano has been washed up .. he has cost us on defense .. Arcia has made some great plays in field .. its a no brainer .if Cano is still with team after break then id be shocker .. why Snit keeps putting him out there ..who the hell knows … also if somebody dont take Soto head off … how many times Acuna need to get hit before he thinks tean doesnt have his back .. ridiculuous .. gets some balls Braves pitchers
Moylan must have a really thick skin with those two guys with him. in the booth.
Another tip of the cap to Cano’s inability to move that cost us a run
Jose Navas and Robinson Canó should probably never be on a major-league field again except for an old-timers game.
More evidence of that RAJ clutch tendency…
Where is Acuña’s power this season?
Moylan is getting increasingly annoyed with BJ.
Cano cannot
Rosario earned his rose in a once in a lifetime performance
Left field and DH are pathetic
The only one whom might contribute is Duval. The other two are full of double bogeys.
At least one Smith do more than great. He will probably do it more than once. Rory you are a true gentleman. I must add the UK and European fans embarrass the moronic fans that attend the U S Open.
Twice we had the pleasure of witnessing their respect for the players and the game.
Back to England next year.
I’m not ever going to make fun of Rosario after what he did last year, but he is hurting the team right now.
Geez Rosario…swing at the fifth straight ball and then yet another weak fly ball.
@51 we miked all we could out of both he and Hancock last October. There isn’t anything useful left
Acuna in the HR hitting contest. Not a smart thing. In my humble opinion.
We need better than a 260 lead off hitter.
Can’t wait for AA to pull off a sweet trade for Druw Jones.
DJones is a Dback at #2. Be nice to Dansby him on over. If only DStewart was still GM.
I’d also be fine with McClouthing over Termarr Johnson, the other top Atlanta kid so far.
Hmm, I could tell we were losing this game, because there were 50+ comments in this thread when I woke up to check how we were going. There’s never that many when we’re winning.
At least the Cubs won a game, so no loss in the standings. Have a good break lads, 2.5 games back isn’t much but I doubt the Mets will fold this year. I’m looking forward to the 2nd half.
The Fathers took the Lesko kid.
Ack! Just two more for Collier.
Outstanding first half – – I’ll take it. Looking forward to an exceptional 2nd half & run to the playoffs.
It’ll be interesting to see what moves, if any, AA makes too.
Hope the entire roster gets some rest via the All-Star Break…even the All-Stars.
We will probably have to live with a platoon in LF or DH with Rosario and Ozuna .. but we need a hitter in lf .. betenenni from kc would be ideal ..
I was hoping John Rocker’s son could have stayed on the board until #20.
Braves could have gotten Jordan Beck ….great arm and tons of power at 35 .. and they go hs pitcher again .. no wonder our farm is trashed .. Beck has potential to hit 40 bombs a year in Colorado .. Braves blow it again … reminds me of passing on Judge …..
Remember Braves drafted that stud pitcher @32 Jason Hurch right before Yankees took a tall kid with unlimited power named Aaron Judge @33. ….. wow … I hated to look back on that embarrassing .
2013 and 2022 have a Erie feel to it … could be dejavu…
@64
I know. If only we’d have drafted Judge, we could’ve won the World Series, and…oh, wait.
In other news, Recapped.