The Atlanta Braves were riding high after a road trip out west that saw them win a series with the Dodgers. They were faced with a new test when the Chicago Cubs came to town. It just so happens that MLB ranked the Cubs as number one in the power rankings over the Braves even though the Braves just beat the Dodgers.
Power rankings don’t mean anything, but it was a fun coincidence.
The biggest question mark was if Grant Holmes was going to be able to bounce back after his five earned runs appearance
his last start. Holmes did just that. He did not pitch a perfect game, but we saw a huge improvement. Holmes sat down the first five hitters he faced before finally giving up a walk to Michael Busch, but then quickly ended the second inning. Holmes then sat down five in a row again, but then Bregman, who was only one of two Cubs to face him before took him deep. That is when things got shaky. Holmes has struggled with walks all year and tonight was no different. He walked three hitters in a row to load the bases. He was able to induce a groundout, but a run score to give the Cubs a two to one lead and then he struck out old friend Dansby Swanson.
Walt Weiss made the wise decision to replace Holmes in the fifth with Didier Fuentes. Holmes finished the night going 4.0 innings with only the HR to Bregman as his lone hit, but gave up four walks which was enough to end his night. The rest of the night was all bullpen. Fuentes, Lee, and Iglesias combined for 5.0 innings of no hit ball allowing zero walks and accumulating four strikeouts. Fuentes was the MVP for the pitching side of things tonight with three of those innings.
On the offensive side of things, Mike Yastremski finally came through. With Dominic Smith on second in the third inning, Yastrzemski knocked him in to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. After the Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the fourth, Austin Riley continued his much needed surge with a solo shot to tie the game in the fifth.
Not to be outdone, Yastrzemski decided he wanted to get hot too, and once again knocked in Smith, but this time it was a two run show to give the Braves a 4-2 lead. The scoring did not stop in the fifth inning. Matt Olson had a bit of fortune when a ball he hit was deflected by Busch, albeit hit very hard to put the Braves up 5-2, which would be the final score.
All in all the Braves won in demanding fashion. Not only did the pitching only allow five baserunners, but the Braves had eleven hits of their own to go along with two walks.
Yastrzemski was the star with three RBI tonight, in a time when we were wondering if he would ever hit again. However, the unsung hero was Dominic Smith. In a game that he may not have gotten the start if Murphy had not been injured, Smith went 4-4 and showed he very much is worth staying in the DH rotation.
Ha-Seong Kim made his return, but he will have to wait for his first hit of the season, although he did have a walk.
The Braves proved yet again tonight that they are for real. They have now won a series against the Dodgers and took game one against a Cubs team that has two separate ten game win streaks all within a week.
The Braves look to win this series tomorrow night at the same time and same place.
