The Atlanta Braves faced off against the Washington Nationals badly needing a win after dropping two in a row in games they should have won on paper with the Phillies trailing close behind.
Today, Grant Holmes made the start looking to cross the 130.0 innings pitched threshold. His opponent was Brad Lord, who has only made four starts. However, Lord has been an opener in all four.
The game did not start well for the Braves. Lord was able to retire the side picking up strikeouts of both Baldwin and
Olson. Grant Holmes struck back in the bottom of the first. He was able to get newly returned James Wood to ground out, followed by two more to Ortiz and Crews.
Lord continued his dominance of the Braves by striking out the side in the second. At this point he struck out five of six batters he faced. To not be outdone, Holmes retired the side as well picking up a strikeout. The top of the third finally saw a baserunner when Yastrzemski singled. Riley almost moved him over, but Crews made a sliding catch for the out. Kim grounded out, followed by a Baldwin deep fly that he just missed. Holmes retired his ninth straight hitter in the third.
The top of the fourth is where things got crazy. Acuña singled followed by an Olson strikeout, but then Keibert Ruiz had to be replaced at catcher due to injury. Albies then walked and Harris reached on an error to load the bases for Sean Murphy. With the bases loaded and the second hottest hitter on the Braves the last two weeks up to bat, there was a weather delay.
After about an hour, Riley Cornelio came in to pitch for the Nationals. Murphy smoked the ball, but it was right at Abrams. Yastrzemski just missed a grand slam with a deep fly ball to RF, but the top of the inning ended with the bases loaded.
Dylan Dodd is who came in to replace Holmes in the fourth. He struck out Wood and got Ortiz to ground out. He walked Crews but got Abrams to fly out on a hard hit ball. The fifth started well for the Braves with a Riley singled, but then Kim popped up, Baldwin lined out, and then Riley was caught stealing.
Newly promoted Elieser Hernández came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth. He retired the side to include a strikeout. To start the sixth Acuña singled and stole second, but Olson struck out on a full count. It was his third strikeout of the day. Albies then followed up with a strikeout of his own. In an interesting move, Michael Harris was intentionally walked. Sean Murphy then made up for his bases loaded out and smacked a three-run HR over the left field wall to give the Braves a three run lead. Yastrzemski then struck out, but massive damage had been done.
Hernández stayed in to pitch, and it was clearly the right decision. He gave up a single to Wood, but that was the only baserunner he surrendered. Max Kranick came in to pitch for the Nationals and the Braves took full advantage. Riley popped up, but then Kim doubled. Drake Baldwin walked and then superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. made history as the fastest player in MLB history to have 200 career HRs and 200 career steals to make the score 6-0.
Olson struck out for the fourth time today, and Albies grounded out, but the game was blown open. Hernández continued to prove the front office right by pitching his third inning in the seventh. He surrendered a walk, but that was the only baserunner. Hernández finished his return with 3.0 innings of zero earned runs, one hit, one strikeout, and one walk.
The Braves continued to pile it on in the eighth. Harris lined out, but Murphy walked. Yastrzemski then double to put two on. Austin Riley then came in clutch with a two run single to ice the game.
The Braves almost got more too. Riley moved over on a wild pitch and Kim walked. This led to a pitching change where Matt Waldron came in. Waldren then retired the next two hitters. Didier Fuentes then came in to pitch the eighth. He gave up a singled, but then followed that up with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout.
José Tena came in to pitch for the Nationals in the ninth. Olson finally did not strike out, but he did line out. Ozzie Albies walked, and then Brewer Hicklen came in to hit for Harris and walked. Sean Murphy then came in clutch yet again with a single that scored Albies. The scoring ended when Yastrzemski hit into a double play.
Victor Mederos then came in to pitch the ninth and retired the side.
The story today was how Grant Holmes looked fantastic and even though he was cut short due to rain, newly promoted Elieser Hernández took over and got the job done. The pitching as a unit only gave up two hits against one of the top scoring offenses this season.
The offense finally broke out of their shell as well, led by by Sean Murphy who had a HR and four RBI and Ronald Acuña had three hits to include a history making HR to make him the fastest player to record 200 career HRs and 200 steals.
The Braves are off tomorrow before their much looked forward to series against the Phillies on Friday.
