Today's Three Things: Atlanta's Offense Can't Manufacture a Run in Padres Opener
The Atlanta offense once again allows a struggling starter to "get right" in a low-scoring loss
The Atlanta Braves dropped game one of their series against the San Diego Padres in Petco Park by the score of 1-0, the sixth time this season they’ve been shut out.
Here is Today’s Three Things from the contest.
The Turning Point
The win expectancy chart was a very gradual climb for the Padres, but let’s go to the top of the 2nd inning.
After getting the leadoff runner on in the first and being unable to bring them in, Atlanta went right back to pressuring opposing starter Michael King. Michael Harris II and Austin Riley led off the frame with back-to-back singles off of King, but then everything fell apart rapidly for the Braves.
Dominic Smith awkwardly chopped at a 2-0 sinker well off the plate away, with Xander Bogaerts forcing Austin Riley out at second base, before Yastrzemski grounded out softly to King and Jorge Mateo sent one to the centerfield wall, but not out of the reach of Gold Glove-caliber centerfielder Jackson Merrill.
The Braves wouldn’t get another runner in scoring position until the 6th inning, stranding him at third, and then stranding the tying run at second base in the 9th.
Today’s Player of the Game
Atlanta’s pitching staff gets the group award for this one.
It wasn’t very efficient, mind you - Grant Holmes needed nearly 100 pitches and still didn’t make it out of the 5th inning - but they collectively allowed just one Padres run in this game, which came on a bad pitch call by Drake Baldwin in the 4th inning.
After Didier Fuentes used four fastballs to record a strikeout and strand Holmes’ two runners, James Karinchak came out and gave Atlanta 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball, walking one and striking out one. He wasn’t the best version of himself, throwing more fastballs (14) than curveballs (8) tonight, but kept San Diego off the board and showed that the coaching staff’s trust in him is warranted. With Tyler Kinley set to return from the IL this week, Karinchak’s earned a chance to keep pitching in Atlanta, jettisoning one of the longmen (likely Carlos Carrasco) instead of optioning Karinchak back to Gwinnett.
Dylan Dodd came into the game for the final four outs and got them with only one hit and one walk allowed while striking out three. San Diego made it easier when they pinch-hit righty Miguel Andujar for lefty Gavin Sheets, not realizing that Dodd’s reverse splits meant this was an easier matchup.
(In San Diego’s defense, ESPN also apparently didn’t know about this, just like they didn’t know in the second inning that Dominic Smith has not played outfield for us this year.)
In a quiet night without much to talk about or appreciate, the work of the pitching staff in general (and the bullpen in particular) was noteworthy.
What You’ll Be Talking About
Atlanta’s offense, or more accurately, lack thereof.
Michael King entered this game on a severe skid, having a 6.41 ERA in his last five starts, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way this one unfolded.
The Braves challenged King early, getting the leadoff runner on in the first and two on to open the second. But Atlanta could never bring them in to score, with King quickly getting out of the jams thanks to groundballs and early outs. The second inning scoring opportunity saw King record all three outs in the span of seven pitches, getting two groundouts and a lineout, following that with easy 10- and 6-pitch innings. Atlanta went on to get single runners on in the 5th, 6th and 7th innings, but could never figure out how to manufacture the tying run in any of those situations. King finished the seven innings with six hits but no runs or walks, striking out five.
The Braves had one last rally in them, getting two on in the 9th against all-everything closer Mason Miller, but a non-competitive at-bat from Mike Yastrzemski ended the game with the tying run on second base and the winning run on first.
Atlanta finished the loss with seven hits, but was 0-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight on base. Drake Baldwin, in particular, extended his post-injury struggles. He hit a homer in his first AB off the IL, but since then, he’s 0-24 with 15 strikeouts, including a Golden Sombrero tonight.
Looking for more discussion about this game?
Here’s tonight’s Postcast, with me and Locked On Braves host Jake Mastroianni, as we went live to break down the contest.
What’s Next for the Braves?
Atlanta’s looking to even up the series with JR Ritchie (1-2, 4.54) on the mound at 9:40 PM ET. San Diego has yet to announce a starter, although old friend Griffin Canning is lined up to take the ball.