First series loss of the year: Brandon McCarthy allowed eight runs while the Atlanta Braves scored only two runs.
Coming off a big loss on Friday, the Atlanta Braves were hoping to get back on track with Brandon McCarthy taking the mound. McCarthy came into the game with a 4-0 record. However, the game more-or-less went like according to the same script from Friday.
McCarthy started the game looking quite well. He got Gregor Blanco to line out for the first out. He allowed a hit to Andrew McCutchen but followed suit with a double play to Buster Posey to end the threat.
The Braves would score first in the bottom of inning one. Ozzie Albies led off with a double to center and came home two hitters later when Freddie Freeman grounded to first. Nick Markakis and Kurt Suzuki followed with singles, but Jose Bautista flied out for the third out.
.@albiesozzie97 is hitting a MLB-best .484 with a 1.097 slugging percentage in the first inning this season. He also leads the majors with 15 hits and eight extra-base hits in the first, while he is tied for the major-league lead with 11 runs and five home runs.#ChopOn pic.twitter.com/1P52z5GXi2
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 5, 2018
Like Folty on Friday, the second inning was where McCarthy had trouble, but unlike Friday, McCarthy seemed to contain the damage at that point.
The inning started with a walk—it took eight pitches—to Brandon Belt. You may recall that he’s the batter who recently had an epic 21-pitch at bat against the Angels.
After striking out Longoria, he allowed a single to Crawford, a RBI double to Alen Hanson and then a single to Gorkys Hernandez. The Giants took the lead 2-1.
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However, a lot more happened in the third inning as McCarthy allowed six hits including a home run by Hanson. The baysiders’ lead rose to 6-1.
The Braves got back a run at the bottom of the inning—sadly it would be their last one for the game. Albies got on base by an error from Crawford. A fielder’s choice on Ronald Acuna Jr. put the youngster on base, later coming around on a Markakis double.
Bautista did get another hit on Saturday, dropping a single to center in the 4th – he also had good contact on a later plate appearance, plus a walk in the 9th.
The Braves made a pitching change, tasking Lucas Sims in the middle of the 4th inning. Sims was called up earlier in the day after the Braves optioned Max Fried to the minors. He pitched 3.2 innings and did…. let’s say “all right”… after getting his feet under him. He allowed two more runs (actually lowering his ERA) but did strike out a six batters.
Ty Blach, the Giants starter, pitched into the eighth inning. Though he only struck out two batters, he kept the Braves offense quiet. Atlanta got seven hits total on the night and this series has not been a good one.
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The final score is Giants win 11-2. On Sunday, the Braves will try to avoid getting swept by the Giants when Mike Soroka faces off against Andrew Suarez at 1:35 pm.