Game Recap: Ozzie’s late home run flips the game as the Braves take the series

The Atlanta Braves took down the Milwaukee Brewers in the rubber match of their series by a final score of 4-2. Former Brave, Julio Teheran had the Braves offense sputtering as he worked six innings of one-run ball. However, Ozzie Albies had the deciding blow, as he hit a go-ahead three run homer off Elvis Peguero to put Atlanta ahead for good.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the game with a single and stole second base (his 46th of the season). However, Teheran showed off that brilliant pickoff move we saw so much in his time in Atlanta and caught Ronald at second base to end the inning.

Bryce Elder got off to a great start as he got two groundouts in his first inning of work. Better yet he became the first MLB pitcher to retire Sal Frelick, as we found out the exciting Brewers’ prospect can indeed make outs.

Travis d’Arnaud hit his first home run since signing an extension with the Braves earlier this week. It was an opposite solo shot that just got over the wall and gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead entering the bottom of the second.

Elder worked his first 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the inning and struck out Owen Miller for his first of the afternoon.

Michael Harris II hit a one-out double down the left field line in the top of the third. With two outs Ozzie reached first on a HBP that may not have even clipped his shirt. That brought up the Braves hottest hitter, Austin Riley. However, Teheran threw a perfect backdoor 3-2 sinker to strike out Riley looking.

In the first battle of the Bryce/Brice’s it was the Brewers’ Brice Turang who was victorious. Turang turned on an inside pitch from Elder and hit his fourth homer of the season. Thankfully, Elder was able to get through the rest of the inning unscathed as after three innings the game was tied at one.

Julio Teheran kept dealing in the fourth inning as he struck out Olson, d’Arnaud, and Ozuna in order. Although, the last on Ozuna was on a generous strike three call that was off the plate. Regardless that made it four straight strikeouts for Teheran.

Sam Frelick walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. As it often does that leadoff walk came back to bite. Frelick got to third on a Victor Caratini hard-hit single. The Brewers then took the lead on a Miller sac fly.

Teheran didn’t strike out anyone in the fifth inning, but he did keep pitching well. He worked another 1-2-3 scoreless frame against the bottom of the Braves lineup that kept the score at 2-1 entering the bottom of the fifth.

Blake Perkins started the bottom half of the inning with a bloop single to set the table for the top of the Brewers lineup. Thankfully, Elder immediately got a double play ball off the bat of Yelich to erase that potential scoring chance.

It was almost an absolute certainty Julio Teheran was going to deal against his former team. These things always seem to happen in baseball. And sure enough Teheran continued to deal in the sixth as he sat down Atlanta in order to make it ten consecutive hitters retired.

Bryce Elder concluded his bounce back day by working a scoreless frame in the bottom of the sixth. It was a much needed outing from Elder who’s final line was: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 2 Ks.

The Brewers went to their bullpen to start the seventh in the form of side-tossing lefty Hoby Milner. After Milner got Olson to groundout, Travis d’Arnaud got his second hit of the day (and just the fourth for the Braves) a opposite double. Next up was Ozuna, who struck out against Milner.

With the left-handed hitting Rosario due up, Snit went to his bench to get a better matchup. Kevin Pillar was called on to pinch-hit, however that move brought out Brerers manager Craig Cousell to lift Milner from the game.

Out came hard-throwing righty Abner Uribe to face Pillar. The count got to 2-0 then Pillar blooped one to right field. The play almost ended in disaster for Milwaukee as Turang and Frelick collided in the outfield, however Turang was able to hold on to the pop up for the final out of the inning.

After the stretch it was time for Daysbel Hernandez to make his major league debut. Atlanta called him up from Gwinnett this morning and he immediately saw action. We had an idea of his electric arm per our scouting report, but he still exceeded any expectations one can have for their first cup of coffee at the major league level.

Hernandez stuck out the first batter he saw, Caratini, looking with a 96 mph fastball. He did surrender a single to Miller, but Hernandez quickly bounced back to register two additional strikeouts with his electric fastball.

The Braves took that momentum and flipped the game in the top of the eighth. The party got started via an Orlando Arcia single that just dropped in front of Perkins in center. After a fielders choice from MH2, we got to the top of the Braves order.

Ronald laced an 0-2 pitch from Elvis Peguero up the middle to put multiple runners on for Albies. Ozzie wasted no time as he ambushed a first pitch fastball from Elvis and hit an three-run oppo taco. That shot flipped the game and the score giving the Braves a 4-2 lead, and had Brewers fans feeling awfully blue after Elvis surrendered the lead.

Milwaukee had a chance to answer back in the bottom of the eighth with the top of the lineup facing Ben Heller. Yelich was able give the Brewers faithful a promising start by lacing a single up the middle. Thankfully, Heller threw a great first pitch to “Wild Bill” William Contreras and got a huge double play.

The Brew Crew tried to put together a two-out rally via a Adames walk and Frelick single, but Heller shut that down by striking out Andruw Monasterio swinging to end the inning. J. C. Mejia got the Braves in order to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Out came Braves closer, Raisel Iglesias, for the chance at his 18th save on the season. He looked as impressive as we have seen all season as punched out the Brewers in order to put the finishing touches on the Braves first series win after the All-Star break. The late comeback also made Daysbel Hernandez the winning pitcher in his big league debut.