Atlanta Braves Take Series From Nationals in a Downpour

The Middle Three

Jason Werth started the Nats fourth by hitting a high hopper to short but Dansby Swanson was made a nice play to retire him

Wisler made quick work of Bryce Harper and Robinson and was through four with just 41 pitches thrown.

Reynaldo Lopez took over for Ross bottom in the bottom of the fourth and immediately walked Jace. Lopez moved Swanson away from the dish with a high and tight 96 MPH and coaxed a foul on a low heater at 95. The next pitch was another high heater that Swanson somehow took to right, over Harper’s head for a double. Peterson was off with the pitch and scored easily.

Wisler helped his cause by executing a perfect sac bunt moving Swanson to third, Inciarte struck out but Garcia hit a pitch up around his shoulders through the 5.5 hole to bring him in.

A Lopez wild pitch moved Garcia to second so the Nationals decided to walk Freeman. The strategy worked as Kemp popped up to right to end the inning.

It seemed like Wisler might have rested a bit rested too long as the first pitches were either way up or way down. Ramos took the third pitch the then but Wilmer Difo hit into a 4-6-3 double play and Danny Espinoza struck out to end the inning.

The Braves went quietly in the home half and Wisler quickly got two outs in the top of the sixth. However Braves nemesis Trea Turner double with two out and as rain descended on Turner field Werth double to score him.

At that point Joe West called for the tarp and the game went into a one hour rain delay.

Now, where were we. . .

Ian Krol came on for Wisler after the restart and Harper hit a bloop single that Inciarte couldn’t quite get to scoring Werth. Krol’s 2-2 pitch to Robinson hit him on the wrist putting runners at first and second and ending Krol’s day.

Chaz Roe entered and struck out Ramos on three pitches to end the threat with the Braves leading 3-2.

On the day Wisler threw 66 pitches – 40 for strikes – in his 5 2/3 innings of five hit, two run ball striking out two without a walk,  He retired 15 of the 18 batters faced before Turners double in the sixth.

Rafael martin entered to pitch the home sixth for the Nationals and promptly walked Swanson.  The idiocy of modern-day baseball reared it’s head at this point as Nats manager Dusty Baker decided to make a pitching change rather than let Martin face Emilio Bonifacio.

Ryan Zimmerman entered to play first and lefty Marc Rzepczynski to pitch to the switch hitting Bonifacio.  Proving that managers think too much Bonifacio took his second pitch into  the mud swimming pool that was once left field.

Inciarte put down a perfect sac bunt moving the runners to second and third with one out and Garcia slapped a single into left scoring both runners.

Freeman stroked a low middle fastball to left field and it rolled to the wall for a run scoring double. Baker told Rzepczynski to walk Kemp in order to face Markakis. His 1-1 pitch bounced away from Ramos and Freeman advanced to third but Ramos got to the ball quickly and threw Kemp out at second.  Markakis hit a slow grounder to second ending the inning with the Braves up 6-2.