Atlanta Braves news: mornin’ chop, box, Rio Ruiz improving, beat dem Marlins
By Jeff Schafer
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Braves defeated the Miami Marlins on Saturday as they came back again late in the game and won on a walk off! The Braves continue to be exciting to watch in 2017 as they win in the bottom of the 9th inning on an Ender Inciarte walk.
Max Fried started the game on the hill for the Braves, but only lasted 3.2 innings giving up six hits, four runs (three earned), one walk and had three strikeouts. He said after the game that he just didn’t have his curveball working.
It was kinda fun watching all the young guys in the game for the Braves. Not only did Fried start, but Lucas Sims came in for relief and pitched pretty well. Going 2.1 innings, giving up two hits, one run, and one walk. Of course, we also saw Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, and Johan Camargo all in the lineup. Camargo went 2-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. I think Brian Snitker has to keep his bat in the lineup somehow.
Since returning from the DL, the 23-year-old is 4-10 at the plate with one homer, and a double.
Braves and Marlins finish off this series on Sunday afternoon. R.A. Dickey takes the mound as the Braves try to win the series!
Braves win 6-5
| Batting | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | PA | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ender Inciarte CF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | .309 | .354 | .413 | .767 |
| Ozzie Albies 2B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .275 | .333 | .442 | .775 |
| Freddie Freeman 1B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .321 | .418 | .614 | 1.032 |
| Matt Kemp LF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .282 | .324 | .471 | .795 |
| Arodys Vizcaino P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Kurt Suzuki C | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .266 | .344 | .507 | .850 |
| Micah Johnson PR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Dansby Swanson SS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | .238 | .324 | .340 | .664 |
| Johan Camargo 3B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .297 | .330 | .472 | .802 |
| Lane Adams RF-LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .274 | .357 | .419 | .776 |
| Max Fried P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .250 | .000 | .250 |
| Lucas Sims P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jace Peterson PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .291 | .290 | .582 |
| Jose Ramirez P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Matt Adams PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .272 | .315 | .529 | .845 |
| Sam Freeman P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Nick Markakis RF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .283 | .365 | .402 | .766 |
| Team Totals | 35 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 46 | .371 | .488 | .486 | .974 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Fried | 3.2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4.70 |
| Lucas Sims | 2.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5.49 |
| Jose Ramirez | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.16 |
| Sam Freeman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.89 |
| Arodys Vizcaino, W (4-3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.63 |
| Team Totals | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 4.00 |
Giancarlo Stanton hits 54th home run, but Marlins fall to Braves 6-5
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Miami Marlins pulled a men’s adult softball trick on Saturday night against the Braves…they brought in outfielder Marcell Ozuna into the infield. Though it looked strange, it really didn’t matter at the end. Miami’s relief pitcher Barraclough walked Ender Inciarte and the winning run scored.
Stanton smashed another homer against the Braves. Three of the longest four home runs ever to be hit in Atlanta has come off the bat of Stanton.
The Braves are now 63-78 in 2017. The Marlins are 68-74. With 20 days remaining in the 2017 season, will the Braves continue to slip in the standings and get a better draft pick or will they finish off the season well and in 2nd or 3rd in the NL East. Both options are very possible.
"For the second time in three games, the Braves defeated them with a walk-off run in the ninth. Only this time, it took four pitches — none of them thrown for strikes — by Kyle Barraclough for the winning run to score.The Braves prevailed 6-5 on Barraclough’s four-pitch, bases-loaded walk to Ender Inciarte with two outs in the ninth. Of the Braves’ eight walk-off wins this season, four have come against the Marlins.Saturday’s loss was a tough pill to swallow for the Marlins. Giancarlo Stanton crushed his 54th home run, a solo shot in the first inning, and the Marlins scored three more runs in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.Next: Braves Ronald Acuna is next big thing in Atlanta"
Braves rookie Ruiz shows improvement at plate and in the field
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: It’s going to be interesting to see what the Braves do this offseason for the third base position. Will they be satisfied with Johan Camargo and/or Rio Ruiz or will they go out and sign someone? At this point, I have no idea what they’ll do or what I want them to do. I’m a huge fan of Camargo and Ruiz seems to be turning the corner.
Todd Frazier, Mike Moustakas, Danny Valencia, Trevor Plouffe will all be free agents at the end of this season. Do these guys entice the Braves enough to sign or do they stick with the two they currently have. Just looking at that list, I’d be kinda interested in Frazier. Though his average is way down this year, he’s still only 31-years-old and has hit 23 homers this year. Could be that big bat the Braves need behind Freddie Freeman.
What do you think? Do the Braves sign a third baseman this offseason?
"Since he was recalled Sept. 1 after the Braves traded Brandon Phillips, Ruiz was 8-for-27 (.296) with a double, a home run, five RBIs and a .766 OPS in seven games before Saturday, including at least one hit in each game until an 0-for-4 against the Marlins on Friday (the Braves had only five hits in that loss)."
"In addition to solid production at the plate, Ruiz has showed significant improvement in the field since being recalled, making several reaction plays and strong throws that have surprised observers who remember him being little more than serviceable on defense in the past."
"“From a year ago, Rio’s a lot better player,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, who had Ruiz at Triple-A Gwinnett early in the 2016 season when Snitker was manager there, and again during a brief September call-up. “He’s getting better. The more he’s maturing and playing, he’s getting better. It’s just neat to see from a young guy."