Atlanta Braves blow game as old problems keep popping up
By Fred Owens
The Atlanta Braves should have won game one of the 2019 NLDS, but the same issues that challenged the team all season caused Thursday’s late inning collapse.
The Atlanta Braves expected a fight to win this series, but the Cards had serious flaws the Braves felt could provide an edge, specifically an awful defense and a not so deep pitching staff. It nearly worked, but everyone wasn’t concentrating on the team first, and the Braves bullpen collapsed under the weight of something unexpected.
Miles Mikolas pitched well early, but the Braves got a break with things went Wong with Kolten Wong, and the Braves took the lead. In the fifth, Dallas Keuchel allowed a run, and Darren O’Day put out the fire.
Shane Greene pitching in the sixth (mistake one) held the line; Max Fried did the same in the seventh, then the opportunity to get a run failed to materialize.
Ronald Auna Jr. pimped a long fly ball, to the right-field corner, loafed halfway to first carrying his bat and preparing for his chest pounding home run trot. The ball hit high off the wall instead and bounced right Dexter Fowler, who turned expecting to throw to third to prevent Acuna, making it three bases instead of two. He didn’t have to worry; by the time Acuna saw the ball hit the wall and reacted, he could advance no farther than first base.
The last time this happened, Manager Brian Snitker benched him. He couldn’t do that in this; Acuna provided the chance to get the run back, and he hit a tremendous homer in the ninth to do that, but his lack of hustle proved the kick that sent the snowball rolling downhill.
Instead of a runner at second (or third) for Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman to drive home, Albies ground out merely push Acuna to second, where the Cards doubled him off when a Paul DeJong nabbed Josh Donaldson line drive.