Braves Over 500 Thanks to Fantastic Foltynewicz
By Fred Owens
May 24, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Mike Foltynewicz(48) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Brewers 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Foltynewicz started the game looking unhittable and carried that theme through 7 2/3 innings as the Braves climbed above the 500 mark for the first time since April 13th.
Fantastic Foltynewicz
The first hit Foltynewicz allowed was to opposing pitcher Jimmy Nelson. Folty got even on his first at bat and kept the Brewers at bay the rest of the game Through the first five innings he needed just 54 pitches to send the Brew Crew back to the dugout shaking their head but although the Braves had men all over the bases early in the game they didn’t score. Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson was wild early and allowed three hits and the three walks but by the bottom of the fourth Nelson had found his control. For two innings he threw 95 MPH strikes to both sides of the plate as well making life extremely difficult for Braves hitters. Everything changed in the sixth.
Maybin led off the sixth with a 9 pitch at bat that ended in a single. Nelson attempted to pick off Maybin before throwing his first pitch to Freddie Freeman but his throw ended up in the stands. That seemed to unsettle Nelson who suddenly lost any idea where the strike zone was located.
Freeman walked on five pitches bringing Nick Markakis to the plate and he walked on five pitches to load the bases with no one out. Todd Cunningham who doubled in his first at bat hit a soft humpback liner to the shortstop Luis Sardinas for the first out but AJ Pierzynski followed with a scorching line shot that tipped of the second baseman Elian Herrera’s glove to Sardinas.
Sardinas tagged second but instead of throwing to third to get the lumbering Freeman he tried to double up Pierzynski. The throw was late allowing Maybin to score. It also left Freeman in scoring position on third with less than two out.
Andrelton Simmons send a line drive into left scoring Freeman with what would be the the winning run. That also chased Nelson from the game in favor of Jeremy Jeffress who struck out Pedro Ciriaco to end the inning.
The seventh started badly when Folty’s a 96MPH heater hit Carlos Gomez on the right wrist. Lind followed with a lazy fly to right but Khris Davis singled to left center and suddenly men were on the corners with no one out. Herrera lifted a sac fly to left scoring Carlos Gomez with the Brewers first run. Hector Gomez hit a soft line drive to center to end the inning.
After batting for himself in the bottom of the seventh Foltynewicz started the eighth inning by retiring the first two hitters easily although pinch hitter Ryan Braun turned on a hanging slide and hit a rocket but right at Ciriaco. He hung the first pitch to the next hitter and it was drilled into right ending his day.
Foltynewicz finished with a line of 1 run on 3 hits, 1 walk, I hit batsman and 7 strikeouts to go with his single in the third. In his 8 2/3 IP he threw 98 pitches, 71 for strikes and without allowing an extra base hit. Luis Avilan replaced him and struck our Geraldo Parra to end the eighth and Jason Grilli closed out the ninth by striking out the side.
That’s A Wrap
Over the last two games the Braves saw what their future rotation will look like. Shelby Miller and Foltynewicz bringing easy mid to high 90s gas is a great starting point but they need to find out why both Alex Wood and Julio Teheran have lost velocity while controlling Manny Banuelos rehab and continuing to groom Matt Wisler and Tyrell Jenkins. Also waiting in the wings are Lucas Sims, lefty Max Fried, Daniel Winkler, Garrett Fulenchek and Ricardo Sanchez to name a few.
Today’s win pushes the Braves over the 500 mark for the first time in 40 days and gives them momentum as the head to the west coast to face the Dodgers and Giants. That trip will tell us a lot about where the team stands and what lies ahead.