Atlanta Braves midday chop: Newcomb and Foltynewicz most improved
By Fred Owens
The Atlanta Braves Tuesday turned out pretty well. Sean Newcomb and Mike Foltynewicz appeared on the most improved list while Freeman and Soroka dominated the Mets again.
In case you missed yesterday’s game, Mike Soroka once again owned the Mets. On the Mets list of Braves they don’t want to see in the lineup, Soroka’s performance moved him right behind Freddie Freeman.
In two starts Soroka’s thrown 12 1/3 innings at an 0.73 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, striking out nine and walking one. The Mets are hitting .167/.186/.262/.448 with a puny .195 wOBA against him.
Mark Bowman tells us Soroka’s the youngest Braves pitcher to allow one hit or less in a start in the live ball era. He’s also just the 18th pitcher 20-years old or under to allow one hit or less in a start of at least 6 1/3 innings.
Speaking of. . .
Freeman
Speaking of Freeman, he and Dansby Swanson had very good day as well and there are signs of Ender Inciarte waking up.
Yesterday marked the 18th anniversary of the passing Freddie’s mother. After the game he told Mark Bowman that day is always hard on him.
"“I don’t know if I’ve ever done well on this day,” Freeman said. “It’s hard to keep my emotions in check. We lost her way too young.”"
Yesterday Freddie had a day, driving in Dansby Swanson with the Braves first run. In the eighth he an exclamation point on the day with a towering home run.
"I hit that one kinda high, toward the sky. That one was for my mom today."
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 13, 2018
As he tells @KelsWingert, today's home run carried extra significance for @Braves star Freddie Freeman. pic.twitter.com/E34KAwQ0Vy
In case you’re wondering, on June 13th Freddie’s 7 – 20, a .350/.434/.850/1.284 line that includes three homers
- 2015 – off Jacob deGrom to give the Braves a 1-0
- 2016 – off J.C. Ramirez to tie the game
- 2018 – off Jerry Blevins to extend the lead
He didn’t get a hit in 2011, play in 2012 or 2017 and the Braves didn’t play in 2013.
Swanson
Dansby turned in two superb defensive playing yesterday to maintain the no-hitter and flashed a lot of leather in other games as well.
Last year Swanson finished with –7 DRS and a – 2.7 UZR. This season he has 8 DRS and a 4.2 UZR. Fangraphs ranks him fourth for SS in their combined Def stat.
For those who like counting stats, he has five errors, Brandon Crawford and Andrelton Simmons have four while Francisco Lindor has eight.
In six games since moving to the two slot he’s smacked four doubles and scored six runs.
Inciarte
Ender Inciarte’s last five games seem to indicate he’s waking up. He’s 5-19 with a stolen base. Yesterday he saw Jay Bruce slow to react to a seeing eye single and turned it into a double,
Johan Camargo crushed a ball to right that Bruce played very badly. Ender would have scored had he been on second, but he wasn’t. He tried to steal third immediately played resumed after his hit and deGrom picked him off; he was out by 20 feet.
Will someone please tell him everyone knows he’ll try to steal third immediately after reaching second? It’s no longer a secret and yesterday; stop it or at least wait until the pitcher starts his motion.