Atlanta Braves news: Chop, Box, Dansby Swanson’s remarkable plays

Baseball Reference

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Braves picked up the win on Friday night after some solid pitching from Mike Foltynewicz and some timely hits from the lineup.  Folty threw five innings, gave up four hits, one run, three walks and had nine strikeouts…he also hit one batter.  The only run he gave up was a solo homer to Keon Broxton in the 4th inning.  He was removed after the 5th inning because he had already thrown 104 pitches.

Jason Motte came into the game in the 6th inning and pitched really well.  He got two Brewers hitters to groundout and he struck out the other batter he faced.  Motte has lowered his ERA to 1.96…trade candidate right here.

After Motte, the bullpen tried to blow the game.  Sam Freeman gave up a run in the 7th, Jose Ramirez gave up two runs in the 8th and Arodys Vizcaino gave up a leadoff double in the 9th…luckily the Braves were able to get out of that jam.  Jim Johnson was unavailable to pitch last night because of an extended inning Thursday (and a blown save).  Vizzy should be given more opportunities to close games…that’s just my opinion though.

One thing I will point out that I didn’t like last night…Brian Snitker decided to pinch hit Julio Teheran in the 6th inning instead of Jace Peterson, Lane Adams, or Kurt Suzuki.  Yeah, it wasn’t a big spot to use one of your bench bats — the bench was slim because of Matt Kemp being injured — but with one out and the top of your lineup coming to the plate, why not try and get something going…the top of the lineup has been on fire recently.  Again, just my 2 cents.

Braves WIN 5-4

Atlanta Braves

Swanson, Camargo save game with gloves

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: I believe every Braves fan did the exact same thing as Swanson did when he caught that ball…did a huge fist pump.  Another nailbiter at the end of that game, but the Braves pulled off another win.  We improved to 35-38 on the 2017 season and now nine games back of first place in the NL East.  If the Braves can continue to hover around the .500 record range, this team can be dangerous when Freddie Freeman returns to the lineup.  It just sucks that the Diamondbacks and the Rockies have such a stranglehold over the two Wild Card spots right now.  Both teams will have to come back to earth eventually, right?

Swanson’s plays in the 9th definitely helped the Braves pull off that victory on Friday night.  His heads-up throw to third was amazing…not to mention, what the heck was Eric Thames doing?  Never make the first or third out of an inning at third base…that’s what my coaches always told me.  Also, don’t run to third when the ball is hit to the shortstop.  I get it, the ball was hit sharply kinda up the middle and maybe he figured he would have been out at second, but still, I don’t think he should have ran to third.  Oh well, good for us.  Now we get to enjoy some Dansby highlights.

"As Braves manager Brian Snitker digested Friday night’s 5-4 win over the Brewers at SunTrust Park, he marveled at the athleticism and instincts his two rookie infielders — Dansby Swanson and Johan Camargo — displayed while making game-saving defensive plays in the final two innings.“That play Dansby made, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like that,” Snitker said. “To have the guts to make that play is the biggest thing to me.”“It kind of went through my head before it happened,” Swanson said. “I was just thinking about a play like that and trying to be aggressive. It just so happened to happen right after that. It’s so crazy how you can process something before it happens and then when it does happen, it’s just reaction.”"

Next: Could Freeman move to 3B? Starting to Accept This

AJC

Freeman cleared to swing bat, could start rehab stint in 7-10 days

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Are you kidding me right now?! Freddie could return to the field in 7-10 days!! Wow, that’s awesome and incredible at the same time.  Freeman was having an MVP-type season prior to getting hit in the wrist by a pitch.  To add him to this lineup will be fun to see…especially if we continue to hover around the .500 mark and still have half the season left.  The Braves could catch fire in the second half and go on a run…watch out!  Better jump on the bandwagon if you haven’t already!

Some don’t like the move to put Freeman at third base, others seem to want to give it a shot.  I’m in that boat…what’s the worst thing that can happen (well, maybe catching a ball in the eye or something like that).  I really do think Freddie can do this.  He wants to do it and everyone wants him and Matt Adams in the lineup somehow.  This looks to be the answer.  Hey, he can’t be worse than Adonis Garcia at third.  Though, it will suck to sit Johan Camargo, he’s turning into one of my favorite players.

"After having his left wrist examined again Friday, Braves slugger Freddie Freeman was cleared to start swinging a bat and hopes to begin a rehab assignment in seven to 10 days, reiterating his intention of playing in a July 6-9 road series against the Nationals leading into All-Star break."

"That’s three weeks ahead of an original 10-week estimate for Freeman’s recovery following his left-wrist fracture May 17, a speedy return despite the surprising announcement this week of his position switch to third base, which Freeman last played for five games in rookie ball a decade ago."

"“Everybody’s been saying that they really didn’t think I was going to be back until eight to 10 weeks; obviously I had a different mindset going into it,” Freeman said, smiling. “But we’re just at two days over five weeks now, so I’m pretty ecstatic over how the recovery has gone.”"