Atlanta Braves Fall In Nail Bitter To The Minnesota Twins, 4-2

The Battle Of The Uglies, Braves Go Down 4-2

The National League worst took on the American League worst on Tuesday night for game one of this two game series. The Atlanta Braves (44-74 heading into tonight) hosted the Minnesota Twins (47-71 heading into tonight) and it was actually a decent ball game to watch.

Why the nail bitter headline? Why not?

Who said just because two teams have an awful record means that they can’t play a good ball game? This game was a battle, as the Braves fought back late, but the Twins came out on top 4-2.

Caps off to Braves starter Joel De La Cruz as he pitched a fantastic ball game. The right-hander allowed only one run on four hits, two walks in his 5.2 innings pitched. This was only his sixth career start, but he will continue to stay winless. He is now 0-6 for the season, but keep throwing like he was on Tuesday and the wins will come.

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Since rejoining the rotation on July 31, De La Cruz has surrendered one run or less in three of his four starts for Atlanta. I think we should continue to keep this 27-year-old in the rotation for now.

“He was good tonight, he just had to work really hard to get it done,” Snitker said about De La Cruz. “He kept the game in check, he gave us a chance and that’s all you can ask. He didn’t show any effects from getting hit in the knee. It was a solid outing, just wish he had gone a little deeper in the game.”

Twins Be Scorin’

The only run he allowed came in the 1st inning when he gave up a two-out walk to Joe Mauer and then Trevor Plouffe hit a ball deep to left-center field that hit the bottom of the wall for a doubled. I’m still questioning how a former catcher scored from first base…maybe Ender Inciarte was playing too shallow and towards right field or maybe it was the terrible rely throw from Chase D’Arnaud. Anyhow, Twins go up 1-0.

The game stayed like this until the Twins piled on two more runs in the top of the 8th inning. Mauer hit a solo homer and Kurt Suzuki singled in Plouffe. Braves down 3-0.

How About Some For The Good Guys?

The Braves struggled against the Twins starting pitcher, Ervin Santana. Yep, the former Braves shut us down as he gave up four hits, no runs, two walks and had six strikeouts in seven innings pitched.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Braves woke up a little. With one out, D’Arnaud got to first base after getting hit by a pitch. Freddie Freeman then walked and then Matt Kemp doubled! Braves score!! Second and third, one out, all right here we go! Nick Markakis then hit a grounded to second which scores Freeman, but two outs.

Adonis Garcia was up next. What a hell of at-bat he had right here. He tomahawked a ball to right-field that went about a foot from tying the game. It was foul, but his next cut was a rope to left field but right to Danny Santana for out number three.

Twins tack on one more run in the 9th after Mauricio Cabrera walked the leadoff man and then allowed three straight singles. Madison Younginer was able to bail Cabrera out of a jam, but the Twins took at 4-2 lead and didn’t give it back up.

BTW, did you see the throw by Inciarte to save another run in the 8th? Wow. Take a look…

Thanks ump! We owe you one! pic.twitter.com/DmZVDnFYSz
— TomahawkTake (@TomahawkTakeFS) August 17, 2016

Thanks blue! I’m glad that the Twins didn’t challenge this play because it was probably going to the other way. We’ll take it though, it kept us in the game.

Braves go kinda quiet in the 9th inning — AJ Pierzynski hit a double, but we weren’t able to do anything with it. He got to third base, but Inciarte flew out to center field to end the game.

Braves fall 4-2, lost five or their last six and fall to 44 and 75 for the 2016 season. This was the Twins first win against the Braves since 2010 snapping a seven game losing streak.

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