New York, New York, the team so nice we beat them twice. There will come a day our mockery of the New York Mets will come back to bite us, but today was not that day.
In game 1, Matt Olson homered twice and Ozzie Albies and Sean Murphy added a homer each to lead the Braves to a 13 – 0 advantage going into the bottom of the 8th. It got way out of hand after that, as the Braves put up 8 in the 9th off of position player Danny Mendick. Ozzie finished the game with 6 RBIs, and Nicky Lopez took advantage of a his first start to go 4 – 6 with 5 RBIs, including a 3 run homer off of Mendick in the 9th. Ronald Acuna Jr. scored 3 runs and stole his 54th base of the season, and Olson also scored 3 times while driving in 4. Forrest Wall got his first Major League hit off of Mendick, a grounder that kicked off the 1st base bag. I hope he’s able to get a hit off of a real pitcher someday, but it’s good to be in the books.
The game was almost never in doubt, but Allan Winans did get into some trouble in the first, loading the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch. At that point he got a visit from Rick Kranitz, who probably told him something to the effect of:
After understanding It Was Only The Mets, things went pretty smoothly – 7 IP, 4H, 0 R, 2W and 9K’s. Winans threw 80 strikes out of 111 pitches, and gave the bullpen some much needed rest. Winans, Winans, Winans.
Michael Tonkin allowed the 3 Mets runs in the 8th on a 3 run homer from Daniel Vogelbach. I don’t know if Vogelbach’s trip around the bases ever reached the threshold of what qualifies as a “trot.” I am genuinely concerned that he is not a healthy man.
The Braves won the battle of the position players pitching as well, as Lopez pitched a scoreless bottom of the 9th to complete what is likely his greatest Major League inning to date. Since joining the Braves, Nicky is batting .667 with a 0.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.
The Mets put a more respectable team on the field for game 2, adding Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Alvarez, and Jose Quintana on the mound to face Spencer Strider. Quintana kept it close during his 6 innings, allowing a single run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.
The Braves got on the board in the 5th with a Marcell Ozuna double and Kevin Pillar single, and busted it open in the 7th. Ozzie opened the fun by scoring from first on a one hopper to 2nd. I’ll elaborate: Mendick was eaten up by a rocket off the bat of Austin Riley and the ball skipped into center field. Tim Locastro booted the ball in center field, then slipped when he went after it. Wash did Wash things; 2 – 0. After an Olson walk, Marcell’s 2nd double scored Riley and Olson to make it 4 – 0. Ozzie blasted an upper deck 2 run homer in the 9th to close the scoring.
Strider, like Winans, also went 7 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 4 and striking out 6. He threw 105 pitches, going over 100 pitches for the 13th time this season. A.J. Minter and Raisel Iglesias finished up.
The Braves go for the sweep on Sunday at 7:10 on ESPN; Yonny Chirinos vs. Kodai Senga scheduled.
Mets, lol.
Ozzie was 5-9 with four runs and eight RBIs today.
I’m tickled that the Braves Expected Win-Loss and Actual Win-Loss are the same. They really are this good!
What a pleasant performance.
For good measure Soroka had a 7-inning shutout as well – 7IP 3H 0R 1BB 8K.
I think Chirinos will need to throw a no hitter tonight to stay on the roster going forward. My guess is Chirinos will be dfad for Lee after the game (barring the unexpected), and Soroka will join the team in time to replace Yonny on his next start. I don’t know who they will send down. I guess they could do a phantom IL stint until rosters expand by 2 in September.
I agree that Yonny will go out for Lee but I think they will try to keep him on an option and hope he doesn’t reject. I also think the next 5th start will be a bullpen game with either Lee or McHugh starting. When Sept 1st rolls around, both Yonny and Hilliard will come back until Wright is ready then Yonny will be DFA’d (or a second option attempt).. Grissom may replace Wall after the AAA season ends.
Soroka might be an option if Yonny rejects the option. But not until after Sept 1st.
Oh, and Daysbel will go to the 60-day IL.
Falcons 27 Jets 3 wouldn’t be out of place in preseason play
Great (great) job (job), Rusty.
Sunday Night Yonny, WHO’S EXCITED???
Local NY sports radio talking about a toxic clubhouse and why Alonso needs to go. It’s nonsense, but it’s the sort of nonsense that has haunted this franchise. How many Travis d’Arnauds and Kevin Pillars and Brad Hands have to be juxtaposed with Abraham Almontes anď Ender Inciartes before you understand that the problem is management: who do they retain and who do they let go? What do they do to make the player better?
This is more or less what I was saying in my comment yesterday. They have to figure out how to break a vicious cycle, and it’s not going to be easy.
Frankly, it’s pretty much the same as back when fans on the call-in shows would complain that David Wright wasn’t doing enough for the team.
Looks like Jason Heyward has found a home in Los Angeles.
Good for Jason! I’m so glad he and Freddie are back together and happy again.
I missed the final two innings of last night’s game and just saw the highlight of Ozzie’s homer in the 9th. That thing was crushed. Great doubleheader for Ozzie.