Michael Wacha was dominant in his 6 innings, allowing only 2 hits and a walk while striking out 10, and the Padres got 3 runs early off Charlie Morton to take a 2 – 1 series lead.
Juan Soto hit a solo homer in the top of the 3rd, and the Pads tacked on 2 more runs in the 4th. With temperatures in the 40s, Morton needed 104 pitches to get through 5 innings, giving up 6 hits and walking 3; he also struck out 6. It could have been a lot worse without a 1 out, bases loaded double play in the 1st, a diving stop by Austin Riley with 2 out and 2 on in the 5th, and some adventurous Padre baserunning in the 4th.
Kim passing Odor at the plate sounds more like a Thanksgiving faux pas than something that happened in a baseball game, but here we are.
The Braves got a break in the aforementioned 4th when Rougned Odor missed home plate while colliding with Travis d’Arnaud who was trying to field a throw from Matt Olson. Odor went back to touch the plate, but Ha-Seong Kim crossed the plate first and was ruled out on appeal for passing the runner. TOOTBLAN indeed.
Dylan Lee threw 2 perfect innings in relief of Morton. Danny Young added a perfect 8th, but was charged with the 4th run in the 9th on the first of 2 Kirby Yates wild pitches. It’s early, but it seems so far as if Yates is having trouble with the throwing baseballs aspect of the game.
The Braves got the first 2 runners on in the 9th against Josh Hader, but Hader struck out the potential tying run 3 times, getting Kevin Pillar, Marcell Ozuna, and Orlando Arcia.
Olson had 3 of the Braves 5 hits and the RBI. d’Arnaud took a shot to the head on the Odor collision, and Sean Murphy came on in the 6th inning. From the post game news conference, Travis appears to be headed for the 7 day concussion IL.
The series concludes Sunday at 7:00 Eastern on ESPN; Dylan Dodd and Seth Lugo scheduled.
Clarification on the play at the plate from Mark Bowman.
“Plate umpire Chad Fairchild said once Kim touched the plate, Odor couldn’t come back to touch the plate and also score. So, passing the runner didn’t come into play here. The run was erased after the Braves appealed Odor didn’t touch the plate.”
Thanks, Rusty. Your line about Thanksgiving is an all time classic!