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Braves Stay Cold at Coors

By Philip Tapley Jr. |
Jul 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz (26) reacts after allowing home run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Braves, 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz (26) reacts after allowing home run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Braves, 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves fell to the Rockies 7-3 in the first of a four game series in Colorado, despite holding the home team scoreless through five innings.

The outing started innocently enough for Mike Foltynewicz. He cruised through the first three innings, picking with a strike out, while issuing a walk and allowing no hits. Meanwhile, the Braves got something going in the 2nd with a Nick Markakis single and an Ender Inciarte walk, but AJ Pierzynski submitted to a twin killing to end the threat.

The Braves found themselves with runners at the corners and one out in a scoreless 4th inning, after Gordon Beckham doubled and advanced on a Freddie Freeman line out, which Nick Markakis followed with a walk. However, Los Bravos managed to come up empty after Beckham failed to tag up on a line out to right field off of the bat of Adonis Garcia, and Inciarte struck out swinging to leave ‘em at the corners.

In the bottom half of the same inning, Inciarte atoned for his inning-ending K with an inning-ending running catch that saved at least one and possibly another run to close the 4th. This helped Folty off the hook after surrendering a lead off single, followed by a wild pitch and then a walk. The thin air of Denver had yet to relinquish a run and the score remained 0-0.

If you’re keeping track, Inciarte is grading out as a top-tier center fielder so far this year by both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating.

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In the 6th, Folty flirted with trouble again, issuing a walk and then DJ LaMahieu’s second hit to begin the half inning. No one saved the day this time around, as Carlos Gonzalez connected for his 20th home run on a fastball with a bit too much plate. After bouncing back with a pair of strike outs, a walk and a single chased Folty in favor of Joel De La Cruz, who got his man to end the 6th at 3-0 in favor of the bad guys.

Atlanta quickly answered back in the top half of the 7th, cutting the lead to 3-1 with a bloop hit from Ender and a ringing double from AJ Pierzynski. Erick Aybar grounded out and that closed the book on Rockies starter Chad Bettis. RHP Adam Ottavino struck out RH pinch hitter Brandon Snyder to end the Braves’ rally. 

The Rox struck again in the bottom of the 7th, as Mark Reynolds led off with a towering homer to left-center off of Hunter Cervenka. The blast was tracked at 484 feet according to Statcast, good for the second longest long ball of the year. Our Indie League darling sat down the next three, but the curtain was beginning to come down on the Braves, trailing 4-1 after seven innings.

The bottom of the 8th was pretty entertaining, particularly if you are not a Braves fan. Braves field reporter/host Kelsey Wingert had the call:

With one out and runners on second and third and Mauricio Cabrera on the hill, Nick Hundley singled to Jace Peterson in LF. Jace appeared to have thrown out Daniel Descalso at home, but lo and behold, Erick Aybar was called for obstructing the runner between second and third base and Descales was granted the run scored anyway. Pierzynski was tossed for arguing the call. Aybar was skewered on Twitter.

Cabrera lasted long enough for pinch hitter Tony Wolters to double in Hundley, then gave way for Eric O’Flaherty to mercifully end the inning with the Braves down 7-1.

The Braves wouldn’t go quietly in the last inning. Adonis doubled with one out, Inciarte followed with a single, and Anthony Recker also doubled to cut the lead to 7-2 and place runners at second and third base. Aybar grounded out to send home Inciarte and bring Jeff Francoeur to the plate down four runs with two outs. He walked, saving the honor of making the final out for Jace. He grounded out on a close play, and to Jace’s credit he managed to abstain from diving head-first into first base and almost killing himself. That was that!

The Numbers

The loss continues a rough patch for the Braves at Coors Field:

Folty limped to a season-high 112 pitches over 5.2 innings, 62 of them for strikes. He battled through erratic command, and looked as if his focus may have been shaken after surrendering the 3-run home run to CarGo.

“He’s aware of his emotions,” Braves Manager Brian Snitker said of Foltynewicz. “He’s gonna be a work in progress.” The skipper praised the young righty’s stuff and cited his still developing command after the game. Here is some of that stuff:

Indeed, Folty showed some flashes of dominance even as he walked a career high 5 batters tonight. Here is his line, followed by some other stats of note:

Mike Foltynewicz: 5.2 IP, 4H, 5BB, 5K, 3R, 3ER, 1HR

Ender Inciarte: 2-3, 1BB, 1K

Nick Markakis: 1-3, 1BB, 1K

Braves: 4 Doubles (Beckham, Pierzynski, Recker, Garcia)

Freddie Freeman: 0-4, 2K

After a torrid June, Freeman has cooled back down. Over the last two weeks and 43 plate appearances, he is slashing .162 / .279 / .459. That slugging percentage is being fueled by three home runs that Freeman has swatted in the last two weeks.

I’ll close with the Fangraphs game leverage index. Just drag your cursor along the graph to trace to probability of our demise tonight, from batter to batter. The Braves and Rockies are back in action tomorrow night at 8:40.

Next: What Can We Expect From Foltynewicz Going Forward?

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