Atlanta Braves Open SunTrust Park With A Win Over The Padres
The Atlanta Braves’ historic first game in the new SunTrust Park results in a win as Julio Teheran, Ender Inciarte, and Freddie Freeman all stay hot and defeat San Diego 5-2.
Before the players took the field, the Atlanta Braves honored team history by bringing out former players who had their numbers retired by the club and had one of the most memorable first-pitches in team history. Here’s a timeline, courtesy of Twitter.com:
Pregame
The @Braves' historic first pitch at SunTrust Park: Hank Aaron to Bobby Cox. #WelcomeHome pic.twitter.com/ZsavJOGUhx
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) April 14, 2017
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A lineup of #Braves legends: Murphy, Smoltz, Glavine, Niekro, Chipper, Hank, and Bobby. WOW. #BravesWSBTV pic.twitter.com/rvH9VPeUWE
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) April 14, 2017
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Ummmm did the @Braves just have the coolest #OpeningDay entrance in all @MLB? Think so! #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/iEOfhJrQzy
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) April 14, 2017
Game Action
It didn’t take long for the Braves to get Julio Teheran run support in this game, as they put two up in the bottom of the first inning. It started off with the first hit ever in the new park: an infield single legged out by Ender Inciarte.
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After a flyout by Dansby Swanson, Freddie lined a ball right to where the shift wasn’t, resulting in a double that moved Inciarte to third. Nick Markakis then doubled a ball over Padres’ right fielder Hunter Renfroe‘s head, bringing in the historic first runs in SunTrust Park history.
Teheran only had the luxury of pitching with the lead for a short time, though, because the Padres tied the game up in the top of the second.
After a walk then a double play, the Padres weren’t threatening with their 7-hole, former Brave Erick Aybar, at bat.
What happened next wasn’t pretty. Erick Aybar was hit-by-pitch (more on that later…), Austin Hedges, who was hitting .037 coming in, line-hit into center, then the stinger: Jhoulys Chacin brought in a run on a swinging-bunt that Teheran couldn’t gather in time to get the out at first.
The first run by an opponent in STP history, summed up perfectly by @BravesAmerica on Twitter:
Jhoulys Chacin drives in Erick Aybar on a 10 foot roller in the first Official Barve Moment of @SunTrustPark
— Dayton from Nebraska (@BravesAmerica) April 15, 2017
Back to Aybar. Was the HBP intentional? The majority on Twitter say yes, but why would that be the case? I wouldn’t have thought there would be any bad blood with a guy like Aybar, but when the first pitch of an at-bat is a fastball that hits square in the middle of the batters leg, it’s hard to believe that it was unintentional.
Both pitchers appeared to have settled in after the early action, until Jhoulys Chacin followed Teheran’s lead and gave up a run on a single to Teheran in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Tyler Flowers. Braves lead 3-2 after that score.
There wasn’t another score until the bullpens were called on to decide the game. Craig Stammen, who was called on to relieve Chacin in the 6th, gave up a two-run homer to Inciarte, widening the gap to 5-2. This, of course, was notable for being the first dinger in the new stadium.
If somebody asks you, "Hey, who hit the first ________ at @SunTrustPark?"
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 15, 2017
The answer is probably Ender Inciarte. #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/ImNjtVZ9Jj
To summarize Ender Inciarte’s night:
- First hit in SunTrust Park history
- First run scored in SunTrust Park history
- First home run in SunTrust Park history
Actually, it was even better than that:
Ender Inciarte's helmet & Julio Teheran's hat are going to Hall of Fame. Inciarte will send his bat to Cooperstown after it breaks. #Braves
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) April 15, 2017
As Joe Simpson pointed out on the broadcast, this was Ender’s third home run in his last seven at-bats. After struggling mightily through the Braves’ first seven games of the year, Inciarte has begun to heat up in a big way as he’s already matched his 2016 home run total with three.
Outside of Stammen, both bullpens did their jobs for the rest of the game and the contest ended 5-2 in favor of the Braves, the first win in SunTrust Park history. Thankfully, Teheran got credited with his first win of the season as his ERA is still very low at 0.95 through three starts.
Notable Stat Lines:
- Julio Teheran (1-0): 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 5 K / H, RBI and the first win for a Braves starting pitcher this year.
- Jhoulys Chacin (1-2): 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 3 K / 2 H, RBI
- Ender Inciarte: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
- Freddie Freeman: 2-3, 2B, BB
- Tyler Flowers: 2-3, BB
Braves Bullpen (Jose Ramirez, Arodys Vizcaino, Jim Johnson): 3 IP, H, 0 ER, 3 K
Next: ”We Talking About Parking”
Next Game: Tomorrow, April 15th vs. Padres at 7:10 ET.