Three takeaways as Atlanta Braves blast Giants behind Max Fried and homers

The Atlanta Braves played like a team with a chip on its shoulder Wednesday night, blasting the Giants in a 9-2 victory by the Bay – a win headlined by big performances from Atlanta’s young stars once again.

It certainly got rid of the bad taste of Tuesday night’s heartbreaking defeat, as the Atlanta Braves now improve to 27-23 on the year, and just 1.5 games out of first place in the National League East.

The Braves sent a loud-and-clear message early with a six-run second inning against San Fransico Giants starter Jeff Samardzija, while left-hander Max Fried made sure that the lead remained safely intact in his solid six-inning start.

Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley each clubbed a three-run homer, with Freddie Freeman chipping in a solo shot of his own.

The defense also joined in on the party on Wednesday, with Riley snagging a couple of rockets at third base and Ronald Acuna, Jr. looking Andruw Jones-like in deep centerfield.

It was the kind of all-around performance that gives fans lots of promise for not only the future of this 2019 season, but the future of the Atlanta Braves in the years to come, thanks to the performances of the young stars.

Anthony Swarzak also made his Braves debut in this game and looked solid in an inning of work. The bullpen covered the last three innings of the game and didn’t allow a run or a walk, while striking out four batters.

For the Braves, there’s a lot to digest after a thorough beatdown like what was handed to the Giants on Wednesday, but here’s three of our biggest takeaways.