Atlanta Braves swat Nats take game two

Oops a base runner

Mike took the mound in the eighth having thrown just 84 pitches and sitting through a long Braves bottom the seventh . Clearly sitting so long interrupted his rhythm as he issued a walk to Juan Soto.

The walk caused the bullpen to stir and Dan Winkler began to get loose as Mike faced Wilmer Difo; Dan needn’t have bothered.

Difo grounded into force play erasing Soto then wandered too far off first and Mike picked him off. The pickoff seemed to give Mike a boost and he struck out Pedro Severino on two sliders and a 98 mph letter high fastball.

Michael Taylor opened the ninth by becoming Mike’s tenth strikeout victim, unable to pull the trigger on 98 mph heat. After Wilmer Difo grounded out to Folty. the always annoying Turner got the Nationals second and last hit on a protection swing bringing Harper to the plate.

Three fastballs of increasing velocity put Harper in the hole 1-2 before the Coup de grâce, a  back foot slider ended Harper’s at bat and the game.

You should know

Foltynewicz joins Greg Maddux as the only Atlanta Braves pitchers to throw a two hit shutout with 10 or more strikeouts this century. he’s also just the eighth Braves pitcher in franchise history to do that. The others are:

• Greg Maddux – 2001 against the Brewers 109 pitches
• Kevin Millwood – 1998  against the Pirates 131 pitches
• John Smoltz – 1996 against the Marlins 115 pitches and 1992 against the Giants 113 pitches
• Kent Merker – 1994 against the Dodgers 131 pitches
• Phil Niekro – 1980 against the Astros
• Warren Spahn – 1960 against the Phillies
• Juan Pizzaro – 1959 against the Pirates

(Pitch counts not available for the last thee games listed)

Mike became the first stating pitcher to record an out in the eighth inning this season.

Mike’s complete game was the first by a Braves starter since Julio Teheran shutout the Mets on June 19, 2016 and the 14th since 2010. Twelve of those games were shutouts, the other two blowouts.

That’s A Wrap

This is the pitcher I’ve expected to see since Mike arrived. I lost faith earlier this year when in spite of winning, he looked like the same emotional mess on the mound. If I’d known all it would take was me questioning his future in Atlanta I’d have done it sooner. Friday’s game confirmed what we saw in the Boston game; Mike’s a TOR starter with ace potential.

Tonight Mike pitched instead of threw. He didn’t let anything bother him and he displayed three plus pitches for strikes. Anthony Rendon is a fine hitter ad Mike made him look awful last night.

Next: You're a star, you're an All Star if we vote

Perhaps Sean Newcomb’s success pushed Mike to emulate him. Maybe the switch just clicked to always on. Whatever the case the Braves one-two is now a formidable weapon and other teams are on notice that the Braves are here to stay. Watching Newcomb and Folty battle over the number one starter job should be fun.