<img alt="Atlanta Braves v Washington Nationals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rI4MsWunVKXlq4o_i-bCIOQrilY=/0x0:4806x3204/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73577787/2171244394.0.jpg">
Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images
I don’t think pyrrhic victories are supposed to deliver your biggest single-game run differential of the season, but here we are Tuesday night’s win over the Nationals was a good news, bad news thing for the Atlanta Braves. The good news? The bats busted out of a funk and finally got to MacKenzie Gore, who had stymied them in three prior meetings this season. The bad news? Reynaldo Lopez exited after a single inning with shoulder tightness — to the extent the move was truly not precautionary but indicative of a real problem with Lopez’ ability to pitch going forward, it’s going to be another gigantic blow to the team in a season that’s been full of them. So, the hits just keep on comin’.
Which, really, is an apt descriptor of the in-game action in this one, too. The Braves plated 12 runs, hitting four homers and earning their biggest win differential of the season. (They scored 13 runs against the Giants, but yielded two in that game.) After a dumb first inning where the Braves had two hard-hit lineouts and Jorge Soler was called out on a pitch that was so far away from the zone that MLB.com has a video of it as though it were an important play, they rolled right over Gore.
Luke Williams started stuff off by reaching on a misplay by third baseman Jose Tena, and stole second. After Michael Harris II had a hard groundout that was turned into an out via a diving stop, Jorge Soler hit what felt like another wet sock ball — hard swing, weak contact — but blooped it into the left-field corner for an RBI double. And from there, the Braves just kept chugging along. After Soler’s double, it was walk-double-double to make it a 4-0 game. Harris crushed a homer off Gore with two outs in the fourth, and then a walk-catcher’s interference-single-single sequence made it 7-0 in favor of the Braves.
That was it for Gore, who suffered a terrible outing against the Braves for the first time in four tries, managing just a 3/3 K/BB ratio and giving up a longball in 3 2⁄3 innings. Out from the bullpen came Jacob Barnes, and he ended up getting popped for a homer by Orlando Arcia. Sean Murphy later hit a dinger of his own off Joe La Sorsa, and then drove in another run against Tanner Rainey. Harris capped the scoring with his second homer off pitching position player Ildemaro Vargas.
Lopez departed after a scoreless bottom of the first where he gave up a bloop double (especially grating after the aforementioned top of the first) and hit a batter before escaping the jam with a called strike three. His plunking of Andres Chaparro prompted a mound visit by the training and coaching staffs, but he stayed in, only to exit with shoulder tightness before the second. Jesse Chavez took over and dazzled in a bulk role, throwing three innings with a 3/0 K/BB ratio. John Brebbia then also threw three frames in less impressive fashion (2/2 K/BB ratio), but the game was definitely a laugher by that point. Luke Jackson wrapped things up with two innings and a 3/1 K/BB ratio of his own; a double, a groundout, and what could’ve been a wild pitch nearly ruined the shutout, but the runner didn’t bother advancing with that big of a deficit, and Jackson struck out Dylan Crews looking to end the game.
Overall, the Braves definitely put the wet socks in the dryer and let that thing run, having one of their better offensive games of the year. But, it remains to be seen whether Lopez will now join the overly-long list of Atlanta baseballers that are toast for the 2024 season. If so, while this game is likely to put the Braves back into playoff position for the time being, it could end up being one of their more costly wins of the year.
<img alt="Atlanta Braves v Washington Nationals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rI4MsWunVKXlq4o_i-bCIOQrilY=/0x0:4806x3204/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73577787/2171244394.0.jpg">
Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images
I don’t think pyrrhic victories are supposed to deliver your biggest single-game run differential of the season, but here we are Tuesday night’s win over the Nationals was a good news, bad news thing for the Atlanta Braves. The good news? The bats busted out of a funk and finally got to MacKenzie Gore, who had stymied them in three prior meetings this season. The bad news? Reynaldo Lopez exited after a single inning with shoulder tightness — to the extent the move was truly not precautionary but indicative of a real problem with Lopez’ ability to pitch going forward, it’s going to be another gigantic blow to the team in a season that’s been full of them. So, the hits just keep on comin’.
Which, really, is an apt descriptor of the in-game action in this one, too. The Braves plated 12 runs, hitting four homers and earning their biggest win differential of the season. (They scored 13 runs against the Giants, but yielded two in that game.) After a dumb first inning where the Braves had two hard-hit lineouts and Jorge Soler was called out on a pitch that was so far away from the zone that MLB.com has a video of it as though it were an important play, they rolled right over Gore.
Luke Williams started stuff off by reaching on a misplay by third baseman Jose Tena, and stole second. After Michael Harris II had a hard groundout that was turned into an out via a diving stop, Jorge Soler hit what felt like another wet sock ball — hard swing, weak contact — but blooped it into the left-field corner for an RBI double. And from there, the Braves just kept chugging along. After Soler’s double, it was walk-double-double to make it a 4-0 game. Harris crushed a homer off Gore with two outs in the fourth, and then a walk-catcher’s interference-single-single sequence made it 7-0 in favor of the Braves.
That was it for Gore, who suffered a terrible outing against the Braves for the first time in four tries, managing just a 3/3 K/BB ratio and giving up a longball in 3 2⁄3 innings. Out from the bullpen came Jacob Barnes, and he ended up getting popped for a homer by Orlando Arcia. Sean Murphy later hit a dinger of his own off Joe La Sorsa, and then drove in another run against Tanner Rainey. Harris capped the scoring with his second homer off pitching position player Ildemaro Vargas.
Lopez departed after a scoreless bottom of the first where he gave up a bloop double (especially grating after the aforementioned top of the first) and hit a batter before escaping the jam with a called strike three. His plunking of Andres Chaparro prompted a mound visit by the training and coaching staffs, but he stayed in, only to exit with shoulder tightness before the second. Jesse Chavez took over and dazzled in a bulk role, throwing three innings with a 3/0 K/BB ratio. John Brebbia then also threw three frames in less impressive fashion (2/2 K/BB ratio), but the game was definitely a laugher by that point. Luke Jackson wrapped things up with two innings and a 3/1 K/BB ratio of his own; a double, a groundout, and what could’ve been a wild pitch nearly ruined the shutout, but the runner didn’t bother advancing with that big of a deficit, and Jackson struck out Dylan Crews looking to end the game.
Overall, the Braves definitely put the wet socks in the dryer and let that thing run, having one of their better offensive games of the year. But, it remains to be seen whether Lopez will now join the overly-long list of Atlanta baseballers that are toast for the 2024 season. If so, while this game is likely to put the Braves back into playoff position for the time being, it could end up being one of their more costly wins of the year.
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