This was another good series for our Atlanta Braves. They won two out of three games against the Washington Nationals. They should have won all three games and swept the Nats, but a blown save by Will Smith in game two of the series didn’t allow that to happen. Other than Smith’s slip-up, the Braves played great baseball throughout this entire series.
Game One: Kyle Muller vs. Erick Fedde, Braves won 8-4
Kyle Muller didn’t have his strongest outing for Atlanta. He only pitched 4.2 innings, and over that stretch of innings he allowed two hits, three runs, two walks, and he had three strikeouts.
Even though Atlanta didn’t get a strong outing from Muller, they still produced a lot of offense and ultimately won the ballgame.
In bottom of the first inning, the Braves started the scoring. Adam Duvall had a two-RBI single that scored Jorge Soler and Freddie Freeman, who both reached base via a single. That gave them a 2-0 lead early.
The Nationals scored one run in the top of the third inning on a wild pitch to make it a 2-1 game, and then they tied the game at two on an RBI-single by their third baseman Carter Kieboom. And then, to give Washington a 3-2 lead, the pitcher Erick Fedde had a sac fly that scored Gerardo Para from third base.
Atlanta regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. To make the first two outs of the inning, Abraham Almonte grounded out and Ozzie Albies had a lineout. To keep the inning alive, Soler reached base on catcher’s interference. Freeman followed him with a first pitch single. With two on and two out, Austin Riley was up to bat. He hit an RBI-single that scored Soler and made it a 3-3 game. Dansby Swanson broke the 3-3 tie with another RBI single that scored Freddie and made the score 4-3 Atlanta. Adam Duvall added the final knock of the inning with an RBI-double that scored Riley, making it 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth inning Stephen Vogt led off with a walk. Ehire Adrianza followed him with a single, and then my man, Ozzie Albies, walked to load the bases. Jorge Soler struck out to make out number one. And then Freddie Freeman hit a two-RBI single that extended Atlanta’s lead to 7-3. Austin Riley made it an 8-3 game when he hit a sac fly that scored Ozzie From third.
Washington got one run closer in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI double by Luis Garcia to make it 8-4. But they couldn’t make anymore offense, and the Braves held on to take game one!
Game Two: Charlie Morton vs. Josiah Gray, Braves lost 3-2
It’s games like these that are the most frustrating. Your team has a lead the entire game until the top of the ninth inning. And then your “closer” comes on, and instead of preserving a shutout…he blows the game and your team loses. That is exactly what happened to Atlanta.
Charlie Morton produced another great outing for Atlanta. He went six innings, allowed three hits, ZERO runs, two walks, and he had seven strikeouts. Everything seemed to go right for Morton. He had good command over his pitches, the strike zone, and his pitch count. He did not throw many full-counts to batters.
Jorge Soler started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. He hit a no-doubt, solo home run to make it a 1-0 game. Soler has some serious power…and he just keeps hitting!
The Braves extended their lead in the bottom of the third inning when Ozzie Albies hit an RBI-single that scored Stephen Vogt, who reached base on a wild-pitch strikeout. Ozzie’s run-scoring single made it a 2-0 game, all Atlanta.
Coming into the top of the ninth inning, the Atlanta Braves were still up 2-0. Will Smith came onto pitch the ninth inning and preserve a two-run shutout. He failed at that. Smith started the inning with a walk to Josh Bell. Then he gave up a first pitch double to Ryan Zimmerman. He got Kieboom to flyout to make the first out of the inning. But then Luis Garcia had an RBI-groundout to make it a 2-1 game. There were now two outs- but that didn’t really matter. On the very next pitch Will Smith threw, Riley Adams hit out of the ballpark for a two-run homer making it 3-2 Washington on top. Not only did that give the Nationals the lead, but it had to be embarrassing for Smith. After all, Adams only had an average of .086.
Atlanta couldn’t come up with any offense in the bottom of the ninth inning to try and come back from a blown save by Will Smith.
Game Three: Max Fried vs. Patrick Corbin, Braves won 5-4
Max Fried pitched well for Atlanta. He went six innings, allowed seven hits, only one run, one walk, and he had five strikeouts. Despite how many hits he allowed, Fried was able to stay calm in those high-stress innings and limit the damage to only one run.
The one run that Max Fried surrendered came in the top of the third inning. Alcides Escobar, the Nats’ shortstop, hit an RBI-single that scored Luis Garcia and made it a 1-0 game.
However, the Braves came right back and took the lead in the bottom of the third. After two quick outs, one by Joc Pederson and the other by Kevan Smith, Max Fried had a single. And then, my man Ozzie Albies hit a two-run bomb making it a 2-1 game, Atlanta on top!
The Braves added onto their lead again in the bottom of the sixth inning. Austin Riley had an RBI-double that scored Dansby Swanson making it 3-1. And then Adam Duvall came up clutch once again with a two-run homer that scored Austin and made it a 5-1 game. Duvey is such a welcomed-back addition to our lineup!
The Nationals made it a 5-3 game in the top of the seventh inning on two RBI-singles. One was by Victor Robles and the other by Ryan Zimmerman. They also scored another run in the top of the ninth inning. It came on an RBI-double by Ryan Zimmerman. That made it a 5-4 game.
Luckily, Atlanta was able to hold onto that 5-4 lead and win the series.
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Atlanta is finally starting to get into a winning groove. Our team looks great, and they are finally working together. Yes, it took them a LONG time…but it was SO worth the wait!
Braves Chop Chat 