Battery Power - May 25: Braves 3, Red Sox 1Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2021-05-25T22:33:18-04:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/222174132021-05-25T22:33:18-04:002021-05-25T22:33:18-04:00Charlie Morton cruises as Braves shut down Red Sox, 3-1
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<p>Charlie Morton returned to the AL East to once again torment his former divisional rivals. This time, he did it for the Braves</p> <p id="ooBo9u">Three runs for the Braves ended up being more than enough tonight, as Charlie Morton’s seven strong innings and some solid bullpen work helped to preserve a 3-1 win for Atlanta over the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>. </p>
<p id="zJdHqg">Tonight ended up being a really good night for Charlie Morton on the mound, but the signs were not encouraging in the early going. Indeed, each of the first three runners that Morton faced tonight all reached base and Boston’s first run of the game was scored when Morton hit Rafael Devers on his foot. It was looking like the start of another disastrous night for Morton until Christian Vazquez hit a liner directly into Dansby Swanson’s glove, who proceeded to flip the ball to Ozzie Albies to double off J.D. Martinez to end the inning. Morton was very fortunate to get out of that inning with just one run allowed, and he ended up getting on a roll from that point forward. </p>
<p id="aqz7bZ">After escaping from a dangerous situation in the bottom of the second inning with another double play, the Braves found themselves with an opportunity of their own in the top of the third. The first five at-bats of that frame were all eventful — William Contreras led off with a walk, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit one near to the deepest part of the field for a fly out, Freddie Freeman singled, then Marcell Ozuna finished the job that Acuña started as he actually did succeed in hitting it to the deepest part of the ballpark for an RBI double. </p>
<p id="QKZLvN">Unfortunately, the fifth at-bat would be a bittersweet one for the Braves. Ozzie Albies hit a grounder into the shift in shallow right field and the Red Sox decided to trade an out for conceding a run. The runner thrown out was Ozuna heading to third and when Ozuna slid into the bag, his finger got all of Rafael Devers’ foot and his finger got mangled. <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/5/25/22453970/marcell-ozuna-injury-finger-leaves-game-atlanta-braves">Ozuna ended up leaving the game</a> and hopefully the diagnosis is not as bad as what it looked like on the field, because it looked <em>bad</em>.</p>
<p id="TeQPWQ">Lost in the drama was the fact that the Braves took the lead and that Charlie Morton was really starting to get into a groove after those first two shaky innings. As a matter of fact, from the last out of the third inning until the final out of his night in the seventh inning, Morton retired 13 consecutive Red Sox batters and struck out six of them, to boot. This now marks the second good start in a row for Charlie Morton — an elusive mark for him since arriving in Atlanta. Additionally, I’d say that this start topped the one that he had against the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> last week. The Braves have really needed their starters to get on a good run like this, and having Charlie Morton get things rolling could be really big for them going forward. </p>
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<p lang="fi" dir="ltr">Charlie Morton curve had Christian Vazquez baffled. <a href="https://t.co/8KKdFaut4h">pic.twitter.com/8KKdFaut4h</a></p>— Baseball GIFs (@gifs_baseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/gifs_baseball/status/1397348966363242499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2021</a>
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<p id="cZY8x1">Before Morton left following the seventh inning, the Braves gave him an extra run of insurance to play with in the sixth inning. Pablo Sandoval picked up a one-out single to get things rolling for the Braves in this frame, which was also his third hit of the night in what was surely a feel-good moment for him after how his stint in Boston went. After a William Contreras walk moved the Panda to second base, Ronald Acuña Jr. eventually brought him home with a double into the left field corner to make it 3-1 Atlanta at that point. For Acuña, this was just another night of coming up big in big situations and for Pablo Sandoval, it was a night that he won’t forget for a while.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ronnie sends home!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForTheA</a> <a href="https://t.co/OHJj904CFs">pic.twitter.com/OHJj904CFs</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1397358277571211269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2021</a>
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<p id="h6Wi9J">The bullpen portion of the game for the Braves was quite interesting, as Edgar Santana got the ball for the eighth inning. Thanks to some questionable umpiring that Santana took full advantage of, he was able to get out of the eighth with just a walk. The inning also included a really nifty fielding play on the part of William Contreras, who deftly fielded a bunt attempt from Marwin Gonzalez for the first out of the inning. Then Will Smith got the ball for the ninth and retired the side in order to bring the Braves to the .500 mark. </p>
<p id="WNXfGv">Holding this Red Sox lineup to just one run is no mean feat, but Charlie Morton, Edgar Santana, and Will Smith managed to do it — along with some good defense throughout the game as well. The Braves have now picked up four straight wins and five out of their last six and suddenly the team finds themselves in the midst of a pretty good run. Long may it continue!</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/5/25/22454079/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-final-score-game-recap-charlie-morton-pablo-sandoval-ronald-acunaDemetrius Bell2021-05-25T20:11:19-04:002021-05-25T20:11:19-04:00Marcell Ozuna leaves game with finger injury (UPDATED)
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<figcaption>Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Ozuna exits in the third inning of Tuesday’s game. </p> <p id="2bqjj9">The <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> took the lead in the third inning of Tuesday’s game against the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a> but lost a key player in the process. Marcell Ozuna left the game after suffering what appeared to be a dislocated finger on an attempted slide into third base. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marcell Ozuna leaves the game after suffering a hand/finger injury while sliding into third base.<br><br>Stay tuned. <a href="https://t.co/8YJyF4fGSJ">pic.twitter.com/8YJyF4fGSJ</a></p>— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/BravesOnBally/status/1397342812560150530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2021</a>
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<p id="22CR9L">Ozuna tied the game in the third on a rocket double to center that scored William Contreras. Ozzie Albies then pulled a sharply hit ball to Kiki Hernandez at second who threw to Rafael Devers at third. Ozuna’s finger appeared to jam into Devers’ foot. Ehire Adrianza replaced Ozuna in left field in the top of the inning. </p>
<p id="R7DO73">Ozuna has yet to get into the groove at the plate in 2021 but the Braves can ill-afford to have his bat out of the lineup for long. Hopefully the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked. We will pass along an update as soon as one is available. </p>
<p id="v09CXw"><strong>UPDATE</strong> - Brian Snitker said following the game that Ozuna dislocated his middle and ring fingers. He will travel back to Atlanta to be examined by team doctors. No decision has been made on whether he will need a stint on the injured list.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No decision yet on whether he will need a stint on the injured list. Off day Thursday gives the Braves a little extra time</p>— Kris Willis (@Kris_Willis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kris_Willis/status/1397379749887057921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2021</a>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/5/25/22453970/marcell-ozuna-injury-finger-leaves-game-atlanta-bravesKris Willis2021-05-25T18:00:00-04:002021-05-25T18:00:00-04:00Braves vs. Red Sox 5/25/2021 Game Thread
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<figcaption>Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="UvU6gm">The game’s about to get started in a little bit, and we should be in for a good one. The Braves are coming off of a big weekend that saw their offense hit a huge power surge and the Red Sox are one of the hottest teams in baseball over these first two months. It’ll be interesting to see if the Braves can keep the good times rolling as they take on a pretty tough opponent. Hopefully it ends with a W for the Braves!</p>
<p id="9KbOSF"><a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/5/25/22452605/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-preview-game-time-tv-channel-radio-streaming-charlie-morton">PREVIEW</a> | <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/5/25/22453572/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-lineups-pablo-sandoval-designated-hitter">LINEUPS</a></p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/5/25/22453779/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-game-thread-and-discussion-chatDemetrius Bell2021-05-25T16:05:12-04:002021-05-25T16:05:12-04:00Pablo Sandoval gets nod as DH for first game of Braves series vs. Red Sox
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<figcaption>Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Braves are in an American League ballpark, so now is Pablo Sandoval’s chance to shine again.</p> <p id="XVvCET">The lineups for tonight’s game between the Braves and the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> have been released and if you like seeing Pablo Sandoval swing the bat, then you’re gonna be in a treat for the next couple of days. As is now usual for this current incarnation of the Braves and their trips to American League ballparks, the Kung-Fu Panda is getting the nod as the DH.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s how the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braves</a> will line up tonight at Fenway Park!<br><br>Presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/TruistNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TruistNews</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForTheA</a> <a href="https://t.co/6SfzL9HS2s">pic.twitter.com/6SfzL9HS2s</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1397273865437564928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2021</a>
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<p id="xc0rvi">Also, it shows you the state of the team at the moment where Marcell Ozuna is playing in left field both out of necessity and because he actually hasn’t been all that bad in the field this season. Anyways, the usual faces are in their usual places with the eighth and ninth spots in the lineup belonging to Guillermo Heredia and William Contreras, respectively. </p>
<p id="AUvY2q">On the other side of things, here’s how the Red Sox will line up:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today's Red Sox Lineup against the Atlanta Braves:<br><br>Hernandez 2B<br>Verdugo LF<br>Martinez DH<br>Bogaerts SS<br>Devers 3B<br>Vazquez C<br>Santana CF<br>Renfroe RF<br>Dalbec 1B<br><br>Richards (4-2, 3.72)</p>— Red Sox Watcher (@WatcherSox) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatcherSox/status/1397266630384750597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2021</a>
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<p id="OGT1lb">Alex Verdugo and Xander Bogaerts didn’t play in Boston’s most recent game before this, but they’re both back in the lineup tonight. As a result, this is the lineup that we’d expect to see out of the Red Sox at the moment and it’s a pretty good lineup, at that.</p>
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<cite>baseballsavant.com</cite>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/5/25/22453572/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-lineups-pablo-sandoval-designated-hitterDemetrius Bell2021-05-25T14:00:00-04:002021-05-25T14:00:00-04:00Braves make return to Fenway Park for start of two-game series against Red Sox
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<figcaption>Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>After picking up three-straight comfortable wins against the Pirates, the difficulty is going to be raised as the Braves head to Boston</p> <p id="Jx4yHE">After taking a day off following a successful weekend against the Pirates, the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> are back in business and back on the road as well. They’re in Boston to renew something that feels like an annual interleague rivalry with the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>. </p>
<p id="kjGtH8">The last time the Braves were in Fenway Park, they caught the Red Sox at a really good time. 2020 was a down year for Boston and the Braves took full advantage of a Red Sox team that was just happy to get to the final month of the season. Here in 2021, things have changed dramatically as far as the Red Sox are concerned. The Red Sox currently have the fourth-best record in baseball and it’s a real testament to the quality of the AL East that they’re still half-a-game out of first place and only a game ahead of third place at the moment. So I would imagine that a repeat sweep in Fenway for the Braves would be a massive achievement this time around. </p>
<p id="mWBIWr">The man getting the ball to start the game for Boston will be Garrett Richards, who is in a pretty familiar position when it comes to his individual performance. Last season, Richards tossed 51.1 innings, had an xERA of 4.58, an xFIP of 4.46, an 8.06 K/9 and 0.7 fWAR. This season, Richards has thrown 48.1 innings, has an xERA of 4.37, an xFIP of 4.31, an 8.01 K/9 and 0.7 fWAR. Basically, what you see is currently what you get with Garrett Richards, but he’s also had to do some heavy lifting in his past five starts in order to get to that point of relative consistency. Aside from a seven inning stint where the Orioles dinged him for eight hits and four runs, Richards has been pretty solid for the Red Sox over that span of five appearances and the Red Sox have come away with the win in four of those starts — including the four-run appearance for Richards. </p>
<p id="8lGZes">Something that’s happened for Garrett Richards over those five starts is that his velocity has gone up a tick. During his first three starts, his fastball was sitting in the 93 mph range. Ever since his start on April 27 against the Mets, his fastball velocity has gone up to 94 mph and it was even averaging 95 mph back on May 13. He clearly took a few starts to ramp things up and now that he’s there, he figures to be a bit of a formidable opponent for Braves batters tonight. </p>
<p id="lpqcDV">Meanwhile, Charlie Morton will be heading back to the mound for the Braves after what was a pretty successful start for him during his last time out. I’d argue that his start against the Mets last week was his best start of the season, and it came at a time when the Braves really needed something good to happen for their pitching staff. Granted, all of that hard work was almost immediately nullified thanks to the bullpen having another adventure after Morton left that game, but that’s another story for another time. The point is that Morton is hopefully starting to get back on track, here. He has yet to string together two really good starts, and now would be a great time for him to do so. Morton did okay against the Red Sox last season but again, this current Red Sox team figures to be quite different from the one that roamed Fenway Park last season. </p>
<p id="oHfq8Z">With all that being said about the pitching, I would not be shocked if this game turned into a slugfest. The Braves are currently leading baseball in Isolated Power as a team (.206), while the Red Sox aren’t that far behind in third place (.186). Boston is fourth in wRC+ with a mark of 111, which is seven points ahead of where the tenth-place Braves are in that category. The Braves have five batters who have a Barrel% that is in Statcast’s red range (Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Dansby Swanson), and so do the Red Sox (Rafael Devers, Bobby Dalbec, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Hunter Renfroe). Both of these teams have some strong potential to mash and again, it wouldn’t be shocking if this did end up being a high-scoring affair tonight. </p>
<p id="JM6Jpy">It should be really intriguing to see exactly where the Braves are at right now as they begin play in this final full week of May. Was the Pirates series just an example of a decent team beating up on a really bad team? Or was it the spark that will boost the Braves as they look to compete against a good team in the form of the Red Sox? It’s an intriguing set of questions and hopefully we’ll have some good answers once the night is said and done. </p>
<h3 id="QnWcrx"><strong>Game Info</strong></h3>
<p id="SPGAUy"><strong>Game Date/Time:</strong> Tuesday, May 25, 7:10 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="zcDJGW"><strong>Location:</strong> Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts</p>
<p id="nYwc0l"><strong>TV:</strong> Bally Sports Southeast</p>
<p id="5n8ulX"><strong>Streaming:</strong> MLB.tv</p>
<p id="esMEf2"><strong>Radio:</strong> 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, WNNX 100.5, Braves Radio Network</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/5/25/22452605/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-preview-game-time-tv-channel-radio-streaming-charlie-mortonDemetrius Bell