Little League Home Run Proves Costly for Atlanta Braves
By Scott Ferris
Even for a sub-.500 team, sloppiness should not determine the outcome of a game at the big league level.
But it absolutely did for the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
After dropping the first of a two-game set against the woeful Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta called on rookie Sean Newcomb to salvage a series split.
Philadelphia sent Jerad Eickhoff to the hill.
After the teams traded zeros for the first two innings, Philadelphia struck for a pair of runs in the top of the third. With one out and Freddy Galvis on first, former Rule 5 pick Odubel Herrera laced an ankle-high fastball into the right-center gap.
The ball split Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis and rolled all the way to the wall. Galvis scored easily as Herrera raced around for an RBI triple.
The play wasn’t over, though.
When cutoff man Ozzie Albies attempted to gun out Herrera at third, he short-hopped the throw. Third baseman (nee second baseman) Brandon Phillips couldn’t corral the bounce and the ball ricocheted out of play allowing Herrera to walk home for a little league homer. 2-0 PHI.
Two innings later, the Phillies added to their lead courtesy of back-to-back doubles from Cesar Hernandez and Galvis. 3-0 PHI.
Atlanta wouldn’t go quietly, though.
In the bottom of the seventh, catcher Tyler Flowers led off the inning with a single to left. After a Matt Adams strikeout, Albies lined a ball to right. Phillies right fielder Nick Williams appeared to lose the ball in the lights, causing it to hit him in the leg and bounce towards Herrera in center.
The play ended with runners on second and third. Albies was credited with a double.
Three pitches later, struggling shortstop Dansby Swanson squared up a low curveball, which looked destined for a two-run knock down the line. Unfortunately, he hit it directly at Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco for the second out.
Fortunately, Danny Santana wasn’t ready to let this scoring opportunity go to waste. Down in the count 1-2, he managed to pull an outside curveball into right field. Both Flowers and Albies would score. 3-2 PHL.
That would end the scoring, though. A parade of Phillies relievers (Adam Morgan, Edubray Ramos, Hoby Milner, and Hector Neris) would combine to allow just one baserunner over the next 2.1 innings.
Notes:
Herrera hit two triples in the first three innings of the game.
Despite being shouldered with the tough-luck loss, Newcomb pitched well. He struck out six in six innings while issuing just one walk. He did hit a batter but allowed only two earned runs.
Matt Adams ran in circles under a ball then watched as it bounced out of his glove. The gaffe put a runner on third with no outs. Jose Ramirez managed to retire the side while stranding the runner.
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Atlanta will have an off day on Thursday before starting a weekend set in St. Louis.