Atlanta Braves: Jason Hursh 3-Start Review

May 16 vs. Pensacola: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K

First Inning

Jason Hursh opened by missing twice against Beau Amaral before coming back to strike him out. Top prospect Jesse Winker came up second and Hursh pounded the low zone with his sinker early before getting Winker to pop out weakly to center.

First baseman Marquez Smith stepped in, and Hursh showed a bit of where his struggles have been as he missed high on 3 sliders, but outside with those three, so they weren’t the drivable pitches he’s been offering up so far this year. He got Smith to roll over a sinker to shortstop to end the inning.

Second Inning

Hursh started with a called sinker for a strike against Kyle Waldrop before Waldrop chased a slider outside. Waldrop then watched two pitches that were close before chasing a low slider for the strike out.

Third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean laid off of three outside pitches to go 3-0 before an outside fastball got a called first strike. Mejias-Brean was then sawed off inside and grounded out to first base.

Hursh went right at Kyle Skipworth with a low and in sinker for a called strike before Skipworth broke his bat on a single to right field. Shortstop Juan Perez followed and Hursh got him to roll over a sinker to second base for the third out.

Third Inning

Second baseman Zach Vincej led off the third and Hursh was right around the plate, pitching low in the zone. Vincej rolled over the 5th pitch of the at bat to second base.

Opposing pitcher Keyvius Sampson put a couple good swings on sinkers before Hursh struck him out looking at a slider with really good movement. Amaral looked at a pair of inside fastballs, and Hursh came back with a solid changeup for a called strike. Amaral was able to pull a sinker perfectly between the second baseman and first baseman for a grounded single.

Winker laid off a changeup on 3-1 that was a very hittable pitch high in the zone before rolling over a sinker to shortstop for the third out.

Fourth Inning

Smith led off with a smash down the first base line that an excellent play by Seth Loman turned into an out rather than extra bases. Waldrop popped out to Rio Ruiz in foul territory on the second pitch of the at bat. Mejias-Brean then jumped on the first pitch and grounded to third base.

Fifth Inning

In the top of the fifth, there was quite a theatrical display by the Blue Wahoos manager after he was thrown out for arguing balls and strikes. This was not relevant to Hursh’s start, but it was very funny to watch!

Hursh came out and missed a couple of calls against Kyle Skipworth before Skipworth doubled on a low slider, which was a good pitch that Skipworth just made excellent contact on. Perez followed with a groundout to second on the first pitch for a swinging sacrifice with Skipworth going to third.

Vincej followed with a four pitch walk, although it looked as if Hursh was giving him nothing to hit with the pitcher Sampson coming up. Sampson chopped two fouls before being called out on strikes.

That brought up leadoff hitter Amaral, who coasted a 1-0 pitch to left field to end the inning.

Sixth Inning

Winker rolled over a ball to shortstop to lead off the sixth inning. Hursh got Smith to chase an inside slider to pop out to right field just behind first base. On a 1-2 pitch, Waldrop grounded out to first. That left Hursh at 83 pitches, but the Braves chose to go to the bullpen at that time.