If it feels like Bryce Elder and Julio Teheran just pitched against each other, it’s because they did. When the Braves take the field in a couple of hours, it will be Elder, Teheran – Game 2 – a rematch of last Sunday’s pitching matchup.
Baseball wonks would say neither of these starting pitchers factored in the decision last Sunday afternoon at American Family Field. Atlanta won the game, 4-2, winning their eighth rubber game in nine chances this season. But to Elder didn’t factor in the decision is a serious misnomer. The 24 year-old righty coulda/woulda/shoulda be about 11-2 by now. He factored big-time in last Sunday’s decision by throwing six innings of two run ball. He seemed to right the ship and caused the opponent, and Braves Country, to once again respect their elder.
Old friend proved effective
Old friend Teheran was pretty darn good, too. He threw six innings of 1-run ball before giving way to the ‘pen. The Braves got to Elvis Peguero for three runs in the eighth, capped by Ozzie Albies‘ decisive, 407 foot, 3-run HR.
Hopefully the bats will do damage tonight, and Elder can keep the ball in the yard. It would also help to keep future Hall-of-Famer Sal Frelick off the bases and to only hit the ball to left and centerfields in this one.
Braves manager, Brian Snitker, is running out the same lineup he does virtually every night – only substituting Travis d’Arnaud in the five-hole.
Elder, Teheran – Game 2 coming up shortly. First pitch at Truist Park is set for 7:20 ET/6:20 CT. Let’s get it!
All’s quiet on the trading front
No surprise here, but all is quiet on the trading front with AA and the Braves. I’m hoping and trusting in the best executive in the game.
The Atlanta area, and the Atlanta Braves, are leading the way in bringing a new generation of African-American ballplayers into the game. Love it.
https://theathletic.com/4727947/2023/07/28/braves-draft-pick-isaiah-drake-other-atlanta-area-black-players-part-of-mlbs-encouraging-trend/
And the Mutts traded Scherzer. Golly, that’s just too bad.
Scherzer…You hate to see it…but more than that, you love to see it.
And I believe they are hoping to lover Verlander! The Mets are gonna met…
does anyone know why Ron Washington isn’t coaching third base tonight?
He’s being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this weekend.
Taylor Hearn was quite capable of giving up the entire 10-run lead had he remained on the mound for the entire inning. Yikes. The early returns on these dumpster dives aren’t great.
Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns used to make a punching bag of many brave opponents. Tyler “Hit Man” Hearn is the punching bag for Braves opponents.
Well, Julio Teheran may be available soon.
Nah. Heller and Hearn have not endeared themselves this weekend. They will almost certainly be gone when Fried and Minter come back. After that, we have to see how Daysbel and Tonkin do.
Elder with a strong outing again tonight. The kid just keeps pitching. It’s Strider and Elder for me right now. Fried will be in the mix when he returns and, unless something drastically changes, Charlie should head to the pen in the postseason.
Barring any injuries I think all 4 of them will make up the postseason rotation.
With respect, I think that would be a huge mistake. I trust Morton a lot more than Elder against a playoff-caliber lineup.
AJSS will be called up for tomorrow’s spot start. No word on who is being optioned but Hearn seems like a good guess.
DOB said earlier that Minter should be activated Monday.
Well, that was easy to check. One of the announcers mentioned that Victor Caratini had caught a no-hitter for the Cubs in late 2020 and one for the Padres in early 2021, with no other no-hitters caught by non-Caratini catchers in between, which made him the only catcher in MLB history to catch consecutive no-hitters. He must have meant consecutive no-hitters with different teams, because Ernie Lombardi caught both of Johnny Van dermeer’s in 1938, and there were no others between June 11 and June 15 of that year.
I thought it was interesting that Van dermeer allowed 8 (!) walks in his second no-hitter. The walks record is 10 and a HBP in a 10-inning game by Jim Maloney and 9 and a HBP in a 9-inning game by AJ Burnett. Dock Ellis had 8 and a HBP in his LSD game. Also, it looks like a Federal League pitcher is the only major leaguer to give up even two runs in a no-hitter, which seems surprising. You’d think that with 12 other pitchers walking 7 or more in their no-hitters, there’d be some combination of leadoff walks, wild pitches/PBs, errors, steals, and productive outs that would have resulted in 2 or more runs.
Recapped.