The Atlanta Braves inch closer to the division title
By James Kunkle
All that starts well ends well for the Atlanta Braves… kind of.
The Atlanta Braves started a huge series with the Miami Marlins on Monday in what is really a series for the 2020 NL East division crown. In round one, the Atlanta Braves won 5-4.
Things did not start well as the Marlins jumped all over Atlanta Braves starter Huascar Ynoa by getting three runs before the Atlanta Braves offense even grabbed a bat.
However, the Braves got right to work and scored four right back in the bottom of the first with the major blow coming off the bat of Austin Riley when he knocked an opposite-field, two-run double.
Both team’s pitching staffs would settle down and the game came closer to what one would expect before the first pitch was thrown in the game as the game would stay 5-3 for a good while before the Marlins scored a run in the 8th to make it the 5-4 score.
The biggest at-bat of the night was no doubt when Will Smith faced the best hitter from the Marlins lineup in Starling Marte. Marte absolutely clobbered a ball, but luckily it was right at third baseman Austin Riley.
The biggest play of the game came in the ninth inning. After a leadoff single, the Marlins chopped a ball in the infield and got the runner to second but their pinch-runner tried to take third base on the Atlanta Braves who had a shift on, but Freddie Freeman threw a laser and Dansby Swanson applied the tag for the 1-3-6 double play.
No, it was not a home run or big at-bat but it was the kind of play by Freddie Freeman which should earn him the NL MVP this year. It was a heads-up play that probably saved the day for the Atlanta Braves and earned them the win.
With the win, the magic number to clinch the division is now down to 3 and with the Philadelphia Phillies also losing Monday, the Atlanta Braves have four and five game leads over the Marlins and Phillies, respectively. The magic number to clinch a postseason spot is now down to 1.
The same two teams play again on Tuesday where with a win the Atlanta Braves can clinch at worst a tie in the division.
Ironically the Miami Marlins will throw old pal Jose Urena at us. Hopefully Ronald Acuna can do the usual against him. Bryse Wilson has been named as the Braves starter in lieu of injured-again Cole Hamels.