The Braves will give us a show, that’s for sure. Down 6 – 4, Atlanta loaded the bases in the 8th but could not score. Ronald Acuna Jr. led off the 9th with his 2nd homer of the game, and the Braves got runners to 1st and 3rd with one out, but Sean Murphy got his bat sawed off and the result was a game ending ground ball double play.
The White Sox touched Spencer Strider for 5 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings, despite 10 more strikeouts. The Braves lead Major League Baseball in ERA, but it doesn’t feel like it sometimes, does it? Maybe that’s partly because in 2022, 8 teams had lower ERAs than Atlanta’s current 3.62. Strider’s ERA of 3.66 stands as a proxy for the team.
One difference in the game was that Andrew Benintendi chest-blocked Matt Olson‘s one out line drive single to left in the 9th, stopping Ozzie Albies at 3rd with the tying run, while Eddie Rosario whiffed on two different line drives bouncing in front, resulting in most likely a run apiece. However, Eddie did get the Braves on the board with his 15th homer of the season. His up and down night was concluded when he left in the top of the 6th with reported hamstring tightness. At least he didn’t spike himself.
Ronald’s homers were his 22nd and 23rd, and he ended up 3 – 5 with 3 RBIs and stole his 47th base of the season. Ozzie Albies had 2 hits, including a triple that just missed clearing the right field wall. Michael Tonkin pitched 2 scoreless innings after Joe Jimenez allowed the final Chicago run in the 7th. The Braves did not walk a batter all night.
Mounting injuries remind us that there is half a season remaining with a lot to unfold before us, and a crapshoot following that. It’s sure been fun so far, though.
Atlanta goes for the series victory Sunday at 1:30. The Braves will try to sneak Kolby Allard past the previously punchless White Sox, who are scheduled to counter with Dylan Cease.
Sunday Lineup
With Eddie Rosario on the shelf, Sam Hilliard gets his first look at in-game pitching for the first time this decade. I’m sure he’ll be fine…
Charlie Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
We can argue that Spencer Strider is the Braves most dominant starting pitcher, but Charlie Morton has been dominant and according to Statcast, had the most effective pitch in all of MLB in the first half. AA’s going to be picking up that option!
LOL Mets
Let’s not deny it. This season has been so much fun because our team is the best team in the Majors, but it’s also been fun because the Mets, who’s owner tried to buy a title, are LOL’ing on a regular basis.
Sure looked to me like the Sox were trying to hit to LF until Rosario left.
Sam Hilliard getting the start today. I don’t think he’s had a PA in 2 months or so.
This will be Hilliard’s first start since May 23. I think Snit just forgot he existed.
You could make the argument of almost having anyone else hit third right now instead of Riley. Most of his at bats are darn right ugly right now. Absolute batting practice
Interesting, Putter. I’d say they are anything BUT BP since he isn’t making much contact. At least in BP most hitters make contact.
He’s on an epic bad-streak.
How much more of the Allard experience are we going to be subjected to? I am guessing at least 2 or 3 more starts until Max returns but he has zero margin for error when he pitches. Absolutely throwing batting practice
90 MPH fastballs ain’t gonna cut it, Allard. If Cease keeps up what he did in the first, the lowly White Sox are going to break that impressive series win streak. Hurry back, Max—we need you!
Allard and his 6.57 era has not been impressive
Allard is not the answer.
My piece on Allard a few weeks back pointed to location. Fastball up, curve below the zone, cutter and change mirroring one another. He HAS to be able to follow that formula to be successful. He didn’t today.
Touché. I am inert how the shoulder tightness played into his lack of locating today? Likely not much…
This seems like a replay of the A’s series. Maybe we need another wake-up call.
DOOOMED!!!
Oh boy…hahah
Sorry to see the shoulder tightness for Allard but this exposes Allard for what he is regardless. We need to just punt this one
I also hate this for Allard, but given his lack of success at the big league level, there was never good reason to think he could be a valuable contributor to our rotation (the anomalous start in Minneapolis last month notwithstanding). I suggested a week or two ago that AA may wish to add a starter at the deadline. Until Max and Wright return, and Soroka establishes that he’s back, we just have three starters that you would trust with an October start. Now, Fried hopefully will return good as new, and I’m optimistic about Soroka (not so much about Wright) but I wouldn’t mind having another dependable starter.
There are two wolves inside me. One whispers, “It’s not like winning an online argument means the Braves are going to do what you want before the trade deadline, so just be quiet.” The other screams, “How is this not obvious to people who’ve watched season after season of baseball and have seen what works and what doesn’t in the playoffs?”
I’m less optimistic than you are, re: crapshoot. I’m Charlie Morton’s biggest fan, and I don’t trust him. And frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised by any outcome Elder produces. High-wire acts like his tend not to fare well. Or he might find an extra gear. I would happily forgo the opportunity to see how he might do until we have a 3-0 or 3-1 series lead.
I can’t bring myself to concoct trades when real world GMs are about to do that work for us all. I’m not going to speculate as to who’s available. We could use a top-of-the-rotation rental and a couple relievers. It’s not an either/or for me.
Man…Riley seems to find himself in a lot of big situations lately and he just can’t catch the fastball right now. He looks overmatched
I suggested moving Riley out of the third position in the order a while ago.
This is a game for the memory hole.
Riley now has the 2nd lowest OPS among regulars, slightly ahead of Harris who is still working his way back from his slow start. At what point is this more than “Riley is streaky”?
That might have been the most overall meh performance of the season. Makes sense when your starter isn’t competitive and you are chasing almost off the jump
When the Braves started Allard against the Twins, it was because the Twins have a particular vulnerability. It was the merely the latest thing to happen that showed that our front office and entire franchise plays chess while theirs plays checkers (and this is not to mention the people who were butthurt online because we didn’t start Soroka).
I guess once Allard’s up and the situation is such that Allard/Soroka/Shuster/Dodd are gonna give you similar enough crap, then might as well go with what you’ve got. We were playing to win the first two games of the series. The stars weren’t going to align for Allard again.
Austin Riley is probably the worst all-star on the team.
He has certainly been terrible with men in scoring position this year. I wonder if he needs the eye doctor as frequently as he WHIFFs.
I have been adamant that we don’t need another starting pitcher, but I don’t know now. With Fried coming back, we should have 4 good starters. However, my confidence in major contributions from Soroka this year is waning along with my confidence in Wright coming back effectively. I guess our best hope as someone mentioned is for Dylan Lee to come back as a starter.
Recapped: https://bravesjournal.com/2023/07/16/braves-drop-first-series-since-late-may-lose-8-1-to-white-sox/