Atlanta Braves Morning Chop and Box Score: But if Only!

The Swanson Call

In the top of the 4th inning, there was a close pitch to Dansby Swanson on a 2-2 count.  I don’t have the tracking information on it, but clearly it was close.  It was also called a ball.

The next pitch was clearly lower and further outside.  As Swanson was tossing the bat away to take his base, it was called a strike – making him follow the bat back to the dugout.

Was this a “make-up” call?  Perhaps.  But it changed the inning.

With a hypothetical Swanson occupying first base, Freddie Freeman then came up and ripped a ball off the wall, which Jay Bruce parlayed into a triple for Freeman.

Swanson would have scored easily from first.

That said, both Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis followed with strikeouts – hardly even getting wood on the ball.  Virtually anything in play – anything in the outfield ay least – would have plated Freeman.

So partly from an umpiring error and partly from batting fails, the Braves should have had a 2-0 lead in that inning.

But wait – there’s more.

More Batting Woes

Matt Kemp had a poor Spring.  Hopefully his 9th inning double will give him a bit of confidence for the next game, but it was the first AB this year in which I’ve seen him put a ‘Matt Kemp swing’ on the ball.

But back in the 6th inning, with Noah Syndergaard looking vulnerable, Kemp (and Markakis) once again failed to convert.

Singles by Swanson and Freeman put runners on the corners with just one out.  But Kemp once again K’d with a runner just 90 feet away and less than 2 outs.

Markakis managed to loft a ball to left field, but it was too late for a sacrifice fly at that point and thus endeth the rally.

Certainly one run should have been tallied… it could have been at least 3-0 at this point.  Instead it was still knotted at 0-0.