Today’s Three Things: Mike Yastrzemski Walks Off Red Sox in Extras
The Atlanta Braves came through in extras after some role players stepped up in the clutch
The Atlanta Braves walked off the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in ten innings in Truist Park on Friday night.
Here is Today’s Three Things from the contest.
The Turning Point
We’re going to go to the 10th, but start in the top of the inning.
Didier Fuentes entered for extras, after the Braves went through the entire high-leverage group to get through regulation. Fuentes was immediately put to the test, with speedy shortstop Andruw Monasterio on second base.
Fuentes got through it, striking out catcher Carlos Narváez and then getting a groundout of Isiah Kiner-Falefa. It was close, though - Jarren Duran wore a four-seamer to put runners on first and third, but Mickey Gasper lined out to short to end the threat and keep Boston off the board.
In the home half of the inning, Boston went with lefty Tyler Samaniego to face platoon outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, but the veteran outfielder wasn’t phased. After trying and failing to bunt the runner to third, something he took a bit of grief about from manager Walt Weiss after the game, Yaz squared up a 1-2 four-seamer and shot it into the left-center gap. Kim scored easily from second and the celebration began.
Today’s Player of the Game
The postcast went with Yastrzemski, who got 76% of the vote.
After an incredibly slow start, Yaz is 4-12 in his last seven games, a .333/.429/.750 line with five RBI and three runs scored. Other than a few notable misplays in the outfield, he’s been defensively sound in the outfield corners, as well.
Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II deserve honorable mentions for their offensive performances tonight, with both men hitting solo shots. Veteran catcher Sandy León also had two caught stealings today, getting catcher Mickey Gasper at second base and centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela at third.
What You’ll Be Talking About
Atlanta’s pitching, both tonight and tomorrow.
Spencer Strider got the start and looked dominant, allowing just three hits in 5.1 innings, walking three and striking out four. While he didn’t have the normal amount of strikeouts we expect from a Spencer Strider start, he also allowed only two hard-hit balls, the hardest of which was 96.0 mph, and allowed an average exit velocity of just 80.8 mph. His 16 whiffs and 36% CSW were more of what we’re accustomed to seeing, as well as his max velo of 97.7 mph and the 17 inches of IVB on his fastball.
Behind Strider, it was a mixed bag. Dylan Lee came through in the 6th, getting the ground ball needed to end the frame with a clean sheet for Strider, but the ball just made it through the infield and the inherited runner scored from second base to hang a single earned run on Strider.
Tyler Kinley continued his struggles, allowing a homer on a hanging slider and a double off of a hanging curveball. Kinley’s now allowed four home runs and seven extra-base hits in the last two weeks, after allowing just one homer in the previous 154 batters he faced with the Braves. Robert Suarez came out to finish Kinley’s frame and then took the eighth, as well. Raiseol Iglesias retired the Red Sox in the ninth, although he did allow one walk and a base hit.
Which meant that as the game went to extras, the Braves needed length. They went with Didier Fuentes. The youngster earned his third win of the season after his two strikeouts and keeping Boston off the board in the frame. With the temporary struggles of Kinley, similar to how Iglesias struggled last year and was temporarily bumped down in the hierarchy, Fuentes might be in line for higher-leverage moments in the next few weeks while Kinley works on his locations.
But also, there’s an issue for the Braves for tomorrow, and it’s the excess workload the pen’s picked up over the last few games. Everyone in the bullpen has pitched in the last two days, wth Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias having thrown three of the last four and Robert Suarez having thrown 42 pitches in the last three days. Reynaldo López may have to come back with only one day of rest after throwing 32 pitches on Thursday, while Aaron Bummer may be needed to cover meaningful innings tomorrow if it’s a close game late.
That is, unless the Braves either make a roster move or scrub the plan of starting Martín Pérez on Monday in Miami and make him available out of the pen tomorrow night.
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 win the series early, with Bryce Elder (4-1, 1.81) on the mound opposite lefty Payton Tolle (1-2, 2.78) at 7:15 PM ET.