The Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins in the series opener as they continue their hot streak, tallying their fourth win in a row.
Wow, it has been 3 weeks since my last recap and it’s funny how much has changed within this team in that time. The Atlanta Braves have managed to be 14-6 since that time and added some great talent to the team shortly after (being that the trade deadline was 3 days away at the time).
Could the Braves add their fourth win in a row Monday in Miami?
The Braves would enter this game with a record of 6-7 against the Marlins, who were a tough matchup in the first half of the season, thanks in part to pieces who have since been traded by the Marlins.
Similar to how the season has out up until now, the game was pretty close for the first three innings.
The Braves would jump out in front in the 1st thanks to a bases loaded ground out by Dansby Swanson, but unfortunately, the Braves were the Braves of old in that inning, having loaded the bases with no outs but only walking away with one run.
At one point in the game, the team was 1-10 with RISP… but the difference between this team and the team we all saw a mere three weeks ago is that the confidence within the players seems to have been reinvigorated.
That confidence was put on display in the 4th as the Braves tacked on seven runs. These seven runs would come from an Ozzie Albies one run single, a Freddie Freeman three-run homerun, a Swanson RBI single, and finally an Adam Duvall two-run slam.
Albies would gain another two RBIs in the 6th on a single to center, earning his 82nd and 83rd RBIs on the season.
Even Travis d’Arnaud would get in on the action with a 2-run double in the 7th, which gave the Braves a 12-2 lead.
Of course, the Braves have been showing some great offensive numbers consistently over the past few weeks since the trade deadline, but this is the first time I’m able to recap it and it feels really nice.
The offense finished this game with 12 runs and 14 hits… let’s keep this up!
The team managed to change things around in an incredible way and there’s no telling what they can accomplish if the offense keeps this tear up!
Meanwhile, Touki Toussaint took the mound today. He started off a bit rocky as his first pitch of the game was crushed by Jazz Chisholm to tie the game at 1. In the 2nd, Toussaint would give up a solo homerun to Isan Diaz… but then he locked in.
Toussaint finished with 6.1 innings pitched, giving up 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and tallying 7 strikeouts. Although it seemed rocky at the start, Toussaint really bared down and got the job done, which earned him his second win of the season.
Edgar Santana would enter the game in the 7th and go on to pitch the 8th as well, ending with 1.2 innings pitched, allowing 1 hit and tallying 2 strikeouts.
Finally, Jacob Webb would enter in the 9th, finishing the Marlins off 1-2-3, tallying a strikeout in there, ending the game with a 12-2 Braves win.
Overall, the team looks a lot more complete than they did just a few weeks ago. Additions at the deadline, return of injured players, and even better performances by players who were already here has allowed them to jump the standings and be where they are today.
There is still a pretty good amount of the season left and with other teams in the division hanging around, this is sure to make for an entertaining last stretch.
But if the Braves can continue just SOME of the production they’ve shown of late, good luck everybody else!