Tag: Freeman

Braves vs. Marlins Series Wrap

For the past few years, almost every time the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins face off, there is bound to be some sparks between the two teams. That did not fail in this series, and we’ll get to that in further detail later. Atlanta did, however, take two out of three games in this series.

Game One: Drew Smyly vs. Pablo López, Braves won 1-0

Woah. This game started with some MAJOR sparks. To start off the bottom of the first inning, Pablo López hit Ronald Acuña Jr. with the FIRST pitch he threw. Acuña was not happy, and Braves manager, Brian Snitker wasn’t happy at all. Immediately after Acuña was plunked with the pitch, the home plate umpire issued warnings. But Snitker wasn’t satisfied with that. He came out on the field saying he’d had enough of the Marlins “shenanigans” with his young stud, Ronald Acuña Jr. The umpires got together and after discussion, threw López out of the game. He only threw one pitch. Miami’s manager, Don Mattingly AND their pitching coach (Mel Stottlemyre Jr.) were thrown out of the game defending their pitcher, Pablo López. In my opinion, and I think a lot of other people’s, Pablo López DID NOT mean to hit Acuña. You could tell by his reaction after his pitch hit Acuña…he grimaced. If a pitcher means to his a player, they don’t have an apologetic reaction. Instead, they stare at the player they hit without feeling any type of regret.

After all that drama, the game went on. Miami had to go to their bullpen, and the Braves had to focus on scoring, and they did just that. Because he was hit with a pitch, Acuña was on first base. Freeman followed Acuña with a single that advanced Ronald to third. That made it to where there were runners on the corners and no one out. My man, Ozzie Albies was up to bat. He hit a sac fly to right field, that allowed Acuña to score and it gave the Braves a 1-0 lead. That was the ONLY run scored in the entire game…wow!

Drew Smyly pitched fantastic for the Braves. He went 5.2 innings, allowed three hits, ZERO runs, two walks and he had seven strikeouts. His impressive outing on the mound was very key in this Braves win. Atlanta’s bullpen followed Smyly’s start, with good relief pitching.

Braves closer, Will Smith tried to blow the game for us in the top of the ninth inning when he had the bases loaded with one out. But somehow he got out of the mess he made, and preserved a Braves win with a final score of 1-0.

Game Two: Kyle Muller vs. Sandy Alcantara, Braves lost 3-2

Kyle Muller did not have a bad outing. He went 5.2 innings, allowed four hits, three runs, four walks, and he had seven strikeouts. Ultimately, with a lack of Braves offense, Marlins pitcher, Sandy Alcantara out-dueled Muller and got the win.

Miami got the lead at 2-0 in the top of the third inning. Coming into the fifth inning, that was still the score of the game. Kyle Muller started the bottom of the fifth inning with a strikeout for Atlanta. Acuña reached base on a fielding error by Miami’s third baseman, John Berti. Freeman followed him with a first pitch single, which advanced Acuña to third. Then my man Ozzie, had a first pitch RBI single that scored Acuña and got the Braves on the board making it a 2-1 game. Ozzie knows how to do his job!

The Marlins came right back to score one more in the top of the sixth inning, extending their lead to 3-1. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Atlanta got one run closer when Freddie Freeman had an RBI single that scored Ehire Adrianza, who reached base on a fielding error. That made the score 3-2. Which was the final score of the game. Overall pitching wasn’t bad for the Braves – it was just a lack of offense that made the biggest difference.

Game Three: Charlie Morton vs. Zach Thompson, Braves won 8-7

What a game! It seemed like the Braves were behind the Marlins almost the entire game. But somehow – someway – they came back and WON!

Charlie Morton had a rougher outing than we are accustomed to seeing from him. He went 5.1 innings, allowed five hits, four runs, two walks, and he had five strikeouts. So overall it wasn’t a horrible start, it just wasn’t what the type of start that Morton has had for the Braves.

Atlanta had the lead in the beginning of the game. In the bottom of the second inning, Ronald Acuña Jr.u hit a two-run bomb to give them the lead at 2-0. After his home run, Miami came back to score four runs; one in the top of the third, and the other three in the top of the sixth. That gave them the lead at 4-2. Atlanta made it a 4-3 game in the bottom of the sixth when Dansby Swanson had an RBI double that scored Freeman.

In the top of the ninth inning, Miami added on to their lead big time. Shane Greene came on to pitch for Atlanta. He gave up a solo home run to Sandy Leon, their catcher, and a two-run homer to Jesus Aguilar, their first baseman. That made it a 7-3 Marlins lead.

Going into the bottom of the ninth inning, things did not look good at all for the Atlanta Braves. However, they changed that! To lead off the bottom of the ninth inning, Austin Riley had a single. Dansby Swanson followed him with a forecourt which got Riley out at second but allowed Swanson to be safe at first. Heredia reached base on a single. So there were two Braves on the bases and one man out. Orlando Arcia had an RBI single that scored Swanson making it a 7-4 game. Pinch-hitter, Pablo Sandoval reached base on a walk, and then he was replaced with a pinch-runner, Ender Inciarte. Abraham Almonte had a two-RBI double that made it a 7-6 game. And then, to tie the game, Ronald Acuña Jr. had a sac fly that scored Inciarte from third base. It was a 7-7 game!

Going into the tenth inning, both teams were looking to end the game right then and there. The Miami Marlins were sent down in order by Braves closer, Will Smith. It was now up to the Braves offense.

Because of the extra inning rule, a runner is automatically placed on second base. Austin Riley was that guy for Atlanta. To start off the bottom of the tenth, Dansby Swanson was intentionally walked. Guillermo Heredia had a fly out to make the first out of the inning. Miami also intentionally walked Orlando Arcia to load the bases with Braves. Marlins pitcher, Anthony Bass, threw a wild pitch. Austin Riley streaked for home plate and he…scored??? The home-plate umpire called Austin Riley safe, but the Miami Marlins challenged the play at the plate, and the call was overturned. Riley was out. On the wild pitch Dansby Swanson advanced to third base.

Miami intentionally walked another Braves batter, their catcher, Kevan Smith to reload the bases. Because Atlanta has a short bench to begin with, they brought Max Fried, who is one of their starting pitchers, to come in and hit. Guess what he did?! After working a 3-1 count, Fried sent a line drive single into center field that scored Swanson and walked the game off for the Atlanta Braves with a final score of 8-7. Yes, that was his first walk-off!

What a great way for the Braves to end off the series with Miami, a walk-off win. After EVERYTHING that these two teams have gone through, at the end of the day, it’s still baseball.

Braves vs. Mets Series Wrap

What a series! What should have been a sweep of the New York Mets turned into an exciting, stress-filled series! The Atlanta Braves won the series, winning two out of three. Atlanta’s offense really came to life in these three games… but it was an especially good series for their second baseman- my man Ozzie Albies. He had a total of seven hits in these three games against division rivals, the New York Mets. Most of his hits were HUGE for the Braves, not to mention he had an OUTSTANDING game at the plate in game two of this series.

Game One: Tylor Megill vs. Charlie Morton, Braves lost 4-3

The Braves did not have a “bad game” they just had one pitching slip-up, that ended up costing them game one of this series.

Charlie Morton went six innings for the Braves. He gave up five hits, three runs, one walk and he had seven strikeouts. The seventh inning was where Charlie struggled a little bit. He started the inning with a lead off single, followed by a walk and then he gave up the game tying home run to James McCann. Morton was taken out of the game after he surrendered the home run. He didn’t pitch a bad game at all; he just hung a pitch, and McCann didn’t miss it.

The game was a scoreless tie going into the bottom of the fifth inning. After Contreras and Morton both got out to start the inning, Acuña and Freeman both reached base via a single. My Ozzie was up to bat. On the very FIRST PITCH he saw, he CRUSHED it out of the ballpark into straightaway center. He was pumped, the ballpark was ecstatic…it was a HUGE hit for him AND the Braves!!

After Charlie Morton gave up the home run in the top of the seventh to tie the game at three, A.J. Minter was brought on to pitch. He got an out, gave up a double, got another out, and then gave up an RBI single to Fransisco Lindor to break the tie and give the Mets the lead 4-3. In my personal opinion, Minter needs to be sent down to Triple-A. In almost every single appearance from the bullpen, he gives up at least one run. Not to mention, a lot of those runs he gives up are in close games, or tied games like this one.

That seventh inning blew the game for Atlanta, and they couldn’t get anymore offense together to attempt to win.

Game Tw0: Max Fried vs. David Peterson, Braves won 20-2

What a game for Ozzie Albies! He was 5-for-7 at the plate, with TWO home runs, THREE singles, and SEVEN runs batted in. Not to mention… this was his first career five hit game!!

Things got off to a shaky start for Max Fried and the Braves. Fried gave up a two-run homer to Pete Alonso in the top of the first to start the game…but it was ALL Braves after that.

Bottom of the first: Ronald Acuña Jr. leads off with a home run, making it a 2-1 game. Freeman follows his homer with a one-pitch single. He advanced to second base (which got him into scoring position) on a wild pitch. My man, Ozzie Albies took advantage of New York’s pitchers slip-up, and had an RBI single that tied the game at two a piece. They scored two more runs in the bottom of the third when Austin Riley had a line drive single, scoring Freeman and Ozzie, and making it 4-2 Atlanta.

Bottom of the fourth: Abraham Almonte led off the inning with a one-pitch double. Braves catcher, Kevan Smith had an RBI single that scored Almonte. That made the score 5-2, Braves on top. Max Fried was batting… he hit into a fielders choice. However, Mets pitcher Sean Reid-Foley, who was fresh outta the bullpen, had a throwing error that allowed Smith to advance to third base and for Fried to advance to second. Ronald Acuña Jr. made the first out of the inning with a groundout.

Even though there was one out, the Braves weren’t done yet! Freddie Freeman had an RBI single to score Kevan Smith, and then Ozzie followed him with his second RBI single of the night to score Fried. Austin Riley followed those two singles with yet another RBI single! Those three singles once again extended Atlanta’s lead, it was now an 8-2 game. Dansby Swanson reached base on a walk to load the bases with Braves. Guillermo Heredia had a two-RBI double to extend the Braves lead even more. Almonte had the final offensive blow (of that inning) with an RBI groundout to score Dansby Swanson. Making it 11-2… ALL Atlanta!

After two quick outs of Fried and Acuña to start the fifth inning, Freeman kept it alive with a double. So, with one on and two out, my Ozzie was up to bat. He absolutely SMOKED a ball into the seats in left field for a two-run BOMB!! That was his third hit of the night…he was 3-for-3. Ehire Adrianza, who came into the game to replace Acuña, hit a home run in his first plate-appearance of the night! It was a first-pitch bomb, once again extending the Braves lead, 14-2.

Bottom of the eighth inning: Heredia led off the inning with a ground-rule double. He was followed by two back-to-back walks – one to Kevan Smith and the other to Abraham Almonte. Ender Inciarte, who was pinch-hitting, walked with the bases loaded to score another Atlanta run. Then, with the bases still loaded, Panda was up to bat. He was hit with a pitch (non-intentional, of course), but it scored another Braves run, making it 16-2. Adrianza had an RBI groundout to score the Braves catcher (Kevan Smith), and then my Ozzie CRUSHED and absolute NO DOUBTER into right center field for his SECOND home run of the night, his FIFTH hit, and it made the Braves lead a whopping 20-2. Wooohooo!!

This was an extremely exciting game! Especially for me since I am a die-hard Ozzie Albies fan.

Game Three: Ian Anderson vs. Jacob deGrom, Braves won 4-3

What a great way for the Atlanta Braves to end the series with the Mets. They not only won the series, but also scored three runs off of Jacob deGrom – the most runs he has given up all year!

Ian Anderson did not pitch bad for the Braves. He got off to a shaky start – giving up one run in the top of the first – but after that he was pretty much able to dial it in. He pitched seven innings, gave up a total of two runs, allowed three hits, two walks, and had two strikeouts.

After the Mets got the lead 1-0 in the top of the first inning, the Braves came right back in the bottom of the first. Ehire Adrianza led off the game with a triple. Freddie Freeman struck out, and then my Ozzie had an RBI single that scored Adrianza and tied the game 1-1. Austin Riley followed Ozzie’s RBI single with a line drive, two-run home run to give Atlanta the lead at 3-1. The Braves were able to score three runs off of Jacob deGrom in the first inning…that is highly impressive!

In the top of the seventh inning, Dominic Smith hit a solo homer off of Ian Anderson to make it a 3-2 game. The Braves were still on top. However, in the top of the ninth inning, Brian Snitker brought Braves closer Will Smith on to pitch. He had ONE job…to preserve a Braves win. He did not do that. He gave up another solo home run to Dominic Smith to tie the game at three. He not only blew the save, but took a well-earned win away from Ian Anderson, AND a rare loss from Jacob deGrom. The Braves now had to come up with an offensive spark.

To lead off the bottom of the ninth inning, Heredia had a single for the Braves. He was followed by two quick outs. One was a groundout by Sandoval (his groundout advanced Heredia to third), and the other was a strikeout by Kevin Smith. Ronald Acuña Jr. was intentionally walked by the Mets, and then Ender Inciarte reached base on a walk. The Braves had bases loaded with two out. Freddie Freeman was up to bat. He was 0-for-4 in this game…he struck out in all four at-bats. But that strikeout, hitless streak didn’t continue. On the very first pitch he saw, he had an infield single that scored Heredia and allowed the Braves to win 4-3!!

This was a HUGE series win for Atlanta – they showed that they can take on the best and come out on top!

Braves vs. Dodgers Series Wrap

It’s not every day that the Atlanta Braves take two out of three games in a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the reigning World Series Champions. It’s always great to see the Braves beat such a good team like the Dodgers, but it was also great to see that Atlanta’s offense was able to hit and score off of two very good, well-known pitchers in games two and three of this series. The Braves’ bullpen pitching was SO MUCH better in games two and three… they started to look more like the Braves bullpen we are used too. The Braves lineup was electric in this series! The ENITRE lineup was able to get on base, score runs and keep that flowing. Overall it was a great series for the Braves in so many ways… maybe facing a “harder” team like the Dodgers was just what the doctor ordered for them!

Game One: Ian Anderson vs. Julio Urías, Braves lost 9-5

The main problem for the Braves in this games was walks. Walks will always, ALWAYS come back to haunt a pitcher. The Braves pitching staff gave up a total of eight walks in this game. Two of them were with the bases loaded, so runners scored.

Freddie Freeman started the game off with a BANG for the Braves! He had been in a major slump, walking more than he was hitting, and taking last minute swing on balls in the dirt at the plate. He hit a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the first inning to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.

Overall Ian Anderson did not have a bad start for the Braves, he just got into some fifth inning trouble which allowed LA to score and got Anderson out of the game. He pitched 4.1 innings, gave up one hit, four runs, and three walks. Ian also struck out six Dodger batters.

Following Ian Anderson, Sean Newcomb came on to pitch. He did not do well. He only retired one LA batter and gave up three runs. He didn’t give up any hits, because all of the runs he allowed came via walks. Grant Dayton came on and got the final out of the fifth inning for the Braves, but it didn’t do too much good because the Dodgers had already scored EIGHT runs on only three hits to make the score 8-1.

Like the Braves broadcaster Chip Carey says about the Braves , “They may not always win, but they always give you a finish.” That statement was very true for this game.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Ender Inciarte led off with a single, which was followed by a four pitch walk to Ronald Acuña Jr. Freddie Freeman made the first out of the inning on a forceout which advanced Ender to third, but got Acuña out at second and left Freddie on first. Then, on the first pitch he saw, my man Ozzie Albies split the gap in center field for an two-RBI double and made the score 8-3. Ozzie has had so many of these doubles in the past couple of series for the Braves… he’s just that good! 😉 Austin Riley followed Ozzie’s double with a single and then after Pablo Sandoval struck out, Ehire Adrianza reached on a two base error that allowed both Ozzie and Riley to score, making it 8-5 Dodgers still on top.

The Dodgers scored one more run in the top of the ninth inning on a wild pitch by Tyler Matzek to make the final score of the game 9-5 Dodgers.

Game Two: Charlie Morton vs. Clayton Kershaw, Braves won 6-4

For Charlie Morton, this start started off sketchy. In the top of the first inning, after he hit Mookie Betts, Justin Turner reached base on an error by Austin Riley. Cody Bellinger advanced Betts on a force-out and then he scored on a pick-off error by Charlie Morton when he attempted to catch Bellinger too far off of first base. After that first inning he gave up three more runs, allowed one walk, four hits and had five strikeouts over a total of five innings. This wasn’t his best start, but did better than I expected he would after how his outing started.

The Braves took full advantage of Kershaw and it paid off. In the bottom of the third inning, Guillermo Heredia started the inning with a single. He was followed with two quick outs: one by the Braves catcher Kevin Smith, and the other by Charlie Morton. Acuña kept the inning alive with a rare walk from Clayton Kershaw. Freddie Freeman tied the game with an RBI single that scored Heredia, making it a 1-1 game. My man, Ozzie Albies extended the Braves lead with a two-RBI double giving the Braves the lead at 3-1. Dansby Swanson hit the final blow of that inning with another two-RBI double off Kershaw to make it 5-1 Braves!

The Dodgers made a game of it when they scored three right back in the top of the fourth making it a 5-4 game. That score was too close for comfort, and the Braves knew that. Abraham Almonte gave Atlanta a little more breathing room when he hit his first home run as a Brave in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was a solo shot, but when you’re in a close game against a good team like the Dodgers, every run you can get is huge. That homer gave the Braves a lead of 6-4.

The Braves’ bullpen was able to continue to hold the lead and carry them to a win to tie the series a one game a piece.

Game Three: Max Fried vs. Trevor Bauer, Braves won 4-2

It’s not every day a team scores a bunch of runs off of a well-known pitcher like Kershaw, but it’s even better when your team can go and beat two good pitchers in back to back games to win the series.

Max Fried pitched quite well for the Braves. He went six innings, gave up six hits but only allowed one run, had ZERO walks and four strikeouts. Fried had good control over the baseball and his balls-to-strikes ratio was great. He did work a few deep counts but nothing like he normally does.

The Braves started off the scoring in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Abraham Almonte that scored Dansby Swanson and gave them a 1-0 lead. They extended their lead in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI double by Ozzie Albies that scored Freddie Freeman, making it 2-0.

The Dodgers scored one in the top of the fourth, which was the only run Fried gave them to make it 2-1 Braves still on top.

Once again, the Braves extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth on a single by Ender Inciarte and they scored again in the bottom of the eighth inning on a sac fly by Inciarte to make it 4-1 Braves.

The Dodgers got one run closer in the top of the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough and the Braves held on to the win and won the series against their National League rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

—

Sorry for the late re-cap. I was out of town without cell service for the past 6 days.

Braves vs. Nationals Series Wrap

Overall it wasn’t a bad series. Both teams each one two games… the Braves had a very good chance of winning game three, but the bullpen blew that. Ozzie Albies had a great series. His bat is hot, and he is providing some big hits for the Atlanta Braves. Also, in game four of this series, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson both reached a career milestone of 500 hits!

Game One: Charlie Morton vs. Joe Ross, Braves won 5-3

The Braves pitching staff did very well in this game. Charlie Morton gave up the only three runs that the Washington Nationals scored, and the bullpen was lights out. Morton went five innings, allowed six hits, three runs, three walks, and had six strikeouts.

The Braves had a very productive first inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a single, followed by another walk by Freeman, and then Ozzie Albies followed Freeman with a walk. So the Braves had the bases loaded and no one out. Austin Riley lined out to make the first out of the inning, and then Dansby Swanson had a sac fly that allowed Acuña to score from third and give the Braves a 1-0 lead. Then, Abraham Almonte walked to once again reload the bases. Almonte was called up by the Braves to play left field. William Contreras had an RBI single that scored Freeman and Ozzie, making it 3-0 Braves.

The Braves scored again in the bottom of the second when Acuña hit his 16th home run of the season, making it 4-0 Braves. He crushed it into right center field, it was a no-doubter. After the Nationals scored their three runs in the top of the fourth inning, the Braves scored for the last time in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Guillermo Heredia that allowed Dansby Swanson to score, making it 5-3 Braves.

Game Two: Max Fried vs. Stephen Strasburg, Braves lost 11-6

Pitching was a problem for both teams throughout this game, but the Nationals bullpen was, in the end, better than the Braves’, which allowed them to ultimately win the game.

This was the first start since his return from the IL that Max Fried didn’t do very well. He only went 3.2 innings, allowed six hits, five runs, two walks, and he surprisingly had seven strikeouts. Over those 3.2 innings, Fried threw a total of 92 pitches- 64 of them were strikes. That proves his ball-to-strike ratio wasn’t bad, Max just didn’t have his best stuff and he never looked comfortable on the mound.

The Braves scored six runs. My man, Ozzie Albies had an RBI double in the bottom of the first that scored Ronald Acuña Jr. and tied the game at 1 a piece. Acuña hit his 17th home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, which allowed Johan Camargo to score making the game 6-3, Nats on top.

The Braves had three more runs scattered around in this game, but the Nationals offense was more productive against Atlanta’s sketchy bullpen, which allowed them to win 11-6.

Game Three: Drew Smyly vs. Jon Lester, Braves lost 5-3… I was at this game!!

What a game this was for Ozzie Albies! Both offensively and defensively he was so impressive and he carried the team. Yes, the Braves lost, but it was still a good game… just would’ve been even better if the Braves could’ve held on and won.

Drew Smyly went 4.2 innings for the Braves. He gave up seven hits, three runs, two walks and he had six strikeouts. I wouldn’t say Smyly had a bad start, he just had some high-stress innings which drove his pitch count up and that’s what ultimately ended his night on the mound.

The Nationals started the scoring on an RBI single by their third baseman, Starlin Castro. The Braves came right back and tied the game in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by Dansby Swanson. Swanson absolutely crushed this baseball to right center field… it was fun to watch!

In the top of the fifth inning, Juan Soto hit a two-run homer giving the Nationals the lead back at 3-1. That score remained until the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Abraham Almonte led off with a ground rule double. After Pablo Sandoval and Ronald Acuña Jr. both struck out, Freeman walked and then it was all up to my Ozzie Albies. Before this at-bat, Albies was 1-3 and he’d reached on an error. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Ozzie drove a pitch into the gap in center field for a two-RBI double making the score 3-3.

After Ozzie’s amazing, game-tying double in the bottom of the seventh, A.J. Minter came on to pitch the eighth inning for the Braves. He has struggled in his appearances from the bullpen over the last month, and that continued in this pitching appearance. He got the first two National batters out without any trouble at all, but after those two outs he gave up a solo home run to Washington’s catcher, Yan Gomes making it a 4-3 game late with the Nats on top.

Chris Martin came on to pitch the top of the ninth inning for the Braves. He is normally lights out, but he got into a little bit of trouble. Once again, the Braves bullpen pitcher got the first two batters no problem, but then Martin hit Victor Robles and then Robles stole second base to get into scoring position. Then, Trea Turner had an RBI single that scored Robles and made the score 5-3. The Nationals were able to hang on to that score and win the game.

One thing that I NEED to point out about this game is who provided most of the offense for the Braves. It wasn’t Ronald Acuña Jr, and it was not Freddie Freeman. Yes, Swanson hit a home run… but in the end it was Ozzie Albies. Ozzie was 2-4 and he reached on an error. His seventh inning hit was the biggest hit of the ENTIRE game. Acuña was 0-4 with two strikeouts, and Freeman was 0-3 with one strikeout. Ozzie is so underrated and deserves SO MUCH more credit than he gets. My man (Ozzie) was also very good defensively and made two great plays in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Another great thing about this game is that I was there in person! Cheering for Ozzie is my favorite pastime!

Game Four: Tucker Davidson vs. Patrick Corbin, Braves won 5-1

This was a monumental game for both Dansby Swanson, and Ozzie Albies who both reached 500 career hits in this series finale against the Washington Nationals.

Tucker Davidson came up from Triple-A Gwinnett for his second pitching appearance of the season and pitched very well once again. He allowed only one hit, zero runs, five walks, and five strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Five walks is a lot, but he was able to get out of any trouble that he had created himself.

Neither team scored through the first five innings of this game. The Braves however, got on the board first with a four-run frame in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ozzie Albies started the scoring of that inning with an RBI single that scored Acuña Jr., making it 1-0 Braves on top. Ozzie also advanced to second on a throwing error by the Nationals left fielder Josh Harrison. Austin Riley followed Ozzie with a first pitch double that allowed Ozzie to score making it 2-0 Atlanta. Then, Dansby Swanson was up to bat. After working a full count, Swanson launched a home run into left center field. That home run not only gave the Braves a 4-0 lead, but it was also Dansby’s 500th hit of his career!

The Atlanta Braves scored their fifth and final run on an RBI double by Ozzie in the bottom of the seventh inning making it 5-0 Braves. That double was Ozzie’s 500th career hit! He and Dansby both reached a very big mark in their career… and they did it in the same game!!

The Nationals scored their one and only run in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI single by their catcher, Alex Avila, to make the final score 5-1 Braves!