The Atlanta Braves earned a much-needed 5-1 win over the Washington Nationals Thursday afternoon thanks to a strong performance by Tucker Davidson and some timely hitting (finally!).
Davidson was in control from the start and was impressive while allowing just one hit over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He did walk five batters but was around the strike zone and a couple of those could be chalked up to just good at-bats by Washington hitters. He would seem to have earned the right to remain in the rotation, but we will have wait and see if the Braves decide to make a roster move in advance of Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers.
Dansby Swanson connected on his 10th home run of the season which extended his hitting streak to 12-games which is a career high. That homer was also the 500th hit of Swanson’s career. Ozzie Albies went 3-for-4 at the plate and also recorded hit No. 500 making it a special day for Atlanta’s middle infield.
More Braves News
To make room on the active roster for Davidson, the Braves optioned infielder Johan Camargo back to Gwinnett. Camargo has appeared in 14 games this season and is 0-for-15 with a pair of walks on the season.
The Braves will continue their homestand Friday when they will begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a rematch from last season’s NLCS. Here is a look at this weekend’s schedule along with the pitching matchups for the series.
An excellent interview by David Laurila for FanGraphs with Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz who discusses a number of topics.
Major League Baseball also began fan voting for the upcoming 2021 All-Star Game Thursday. Here is a breakdown of the ballot.
MLB news
Major League Baseball is planning to give umpires more latitude in an effort to crack down on pitchers who are are using illegal substances to get a better grip on the baseball according to a report by ESPN’s Jesse Sanchez.
The Pittsburgh Pirates activated third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the injured list Thursday and optioned Wil Crowe to Triple-A. Hayes went on the injured list after playing in just two games this season due to a left wrist injury.
The Cardinals activated reliever Andrew Miller from the injured list and designated reliever Tyler Webb for assignment. Miller has been out since April 30 due to a blister on his right foot.
The Chicago White Sox placed rookie Andrew Vaughn on the COVID-19 injured list Thursday. Vaughn is asymptomatic per GM Rick Hahn and the club is hoping that it will be a short stay on the injured list.
Cleveland is in the process of picking a new name and provided fans with an update Thursday morning. The club said that nearly 1,200 names were considered and the team is now in the process of trimming that list down.