Atlanta Braves Julio Teheran Dominant Once More – But So Was Jacob deGrom
Atlanta Braves best pitcher faced off with Jacob deGrom again last night in a rematch of last Sunday’s game in New York. Teheran continued to mesmerize the Mets but this time deGrom was on his game as well. The Result was an old fashioned pitchers duel.
The face of failed former general manager now minor league coordinator for the Red Sox Frank Wren in the crowd last night stirred the trade rumor pot to boiling on Twitter but last night all most could talk about was the two men on the mound.
This was a game where two pitchers decided they would not be beaten and both were right.
The Combatants – Jacob deGrom
Last Sunday deGrom was just ordinary but last night he was once again one of the Mets big three. The velocity is down a tick from last season and he wasn’t the ‘strikeout and inning what’s a walk guy’ from 2015 but he was nonetheless in charge.
He swept through the Braves with minimal disruption in the first three innings giving up a walk in the first and a singles in the second and third that were erased with a two quick double plays.
In the fourth Ender Inciarte led off with a single and stole second when Freddie Freeman struck out. Mets manager Terry Collins remembering what Teheran did to them last Sunday elected to challenge the call at second but lost his challenge as the call was upheld. At least twice later in the game Collins would wish he had that challenge back, not that either play ended up changing the end result.
Nick Markakis singled into left field moving to Inciarte to third with one out but Adonis Garcia his a sharp ground ball to third that the Mets turned into their third double play of the game.
The sixth looked like trouble for deGrom as Teheran led off with a single and after Jace Peterson struck out Inciarte singled moving Teheran to second. Freeman struck out but Nick Markakis hit a line drive single to short left that might have scored Teheran. Indeed Julio rounded third like he had decided to score come hell or high water but third base coach Bo Porter threw up the stop sign unwilling to risk his pitcher on a ball that was hit hard but not deep.
That would be the closest the Braves came to solving deGrom who was lifted after eight innings where he threw 100 pitches gave up 7 hits, walked 1 and struck out 6.
Next: Teheran dominates