Battery Power - July 3: Marlins 3, Braves 2Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2021-07-03T19:27:53-04:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/223259782021-07-03T19:27:53-04:002021-07-03T19:27:53-04:00Braves’ offense continues to scuffle in 3-2 loss
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<p id="jjzY6B">Kyle Muller started the game as well as you could want, by striking out the side in the top of the first. Acuna led off the home first with a walk, although the more traditional way this time. Alcantara was clearly not sharp, as he then walked Freddie. Unfortunately, Ozzie, Austin, and Dansby all went down in order, stranding Ronald and Freddie. Muller and Alcantara each cruised through the second inning without much trouble, but Muller blinked first in the third inning, as a single from Berti and a sac bunt from Alcantara set up Berti on second before Jazz Chisholm brought him home with a single of his own. To be fair, Berti and Chisholm’s singles each had an xBA of less than .500. Kyle lost his command at this point, walking Marte, and requiring a mound visit from Kranitz after going 2-0 down to Cooper. Muller started throwing strikes again, but Cooper took one at the bottom of the zone and turned on it for an RBI single, before he was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double on a nice relay by Dansby. Muller got a quick lineout from Aguilar to stop the bleeding there. </p>
<p id="lDC6Tg">Acuna led off the bottom of the third with another walk, but was caught trying to steal second. This particularly hurt because Freddie then singled and Ozzie had a single of his own, that would have scored Ronald. Austin Riley grounded out to end the inning without the Braves having anything to show on the scoreboard for a walk and two hits. Muller walked another Marlin in the fourth, but that was the only baserunner he allowed in a scoreless inning. An error put Dansby on first to lead off the home fourth, but a double play erased that runner. Abraham Almonte singled with two outs, but Kevan Smith was unable to do anything to elongate the threat, as he grounded out to end the inning. Muller breezed through the Marlins in the fifth, striking out two. A fielding error let Ronald reach first and Freeman singled to set up runners on first and third with one out. Ozzie delivered with an RBI single. Austin Riley grounded a 100 MPH fastball right up the middle to a perfectly positioned Chisholm, who turned it for an inning-ending double play.</p>
<p id="bRDusq">Muller returned in the sixth, facing the third time through the order and immediately gave up a homer on the first pitch to Garrett Cooper. Kyle battled to get two outs but walked Sanchez and was pulled from the game. Jesse Chavez came into the game and got an Alfaro groundout in two pitches to end the game. Dansby led off the bottom of the frame with a single and stole second later in the inning. The rest of the Braves offense went down softly, without scoring him, however. Jesse Chavez worked around a walk for a scoreless seventh. An extremely lucky bloop double for Ehire Adrianza led off the bottom of the seventh and a wild pitch moved him over to third with Ronald Acuna at bat. Acuna struck out on a full count to a perfect pitchers pitch on the upper inside corner of the zone. Freddie Freeman singled to bring home Adrianza. Ozzie popped out for the second out, handing the fate of the inning over to Austin Riley, who passed the baton to Dansby with a walk. Dansby worked a long at-bat, but ultimately grounded out to third, leaving the Braves down by one run. </p>
<p id="MfzmQa">Edgar Santana came into a one run game in the eighth after a taxing Friday game for the bullpen and he...worked an easy 1-2-3 inning. Guillermo Heredia led the inning off with a single, but two groundouts ended the inning without any more threat from Atlanta. Tyler Matzek came in for the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff single before getting a groundout and a lineout on a really nice play by Acuna. Matzek struck out the final batter to hand the fate of the game to the top of the lineup of the scuffling Braves offense. Panda and Acuna went down before Freddie Freeman hit a single. Ozzie smoked a ball right at the right-fielder to end the game. </p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/3/22562259/atlanta-braves-recap-offense-continues-to-scuffle-in-3-2-lossDaniel Hutchinson-Kausch2021-07-03T16:55:21-04:002021-07-03T16:55:21-04:00Game Thread, 7/3/2021: Braves vs Marlins
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<p id="qEVsnQ">The Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins will continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon at Truist Park. Atlanta took Friday’s opener 1-0 as controversy flamed up again when Ronald Acuña Jr. was hit with the first pitch of the game by Pablo Lopez. Lopez was ejected and Don Mattingly soon followed which all but guarantees this story isn’t going away anytime soon. Kyle Muller will make his third start of the season for the Braves Saturday while the Marlins will counter with Sandy Alcantara. </p>
<p id="i7r0q2">First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports Southeast. </p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/3/22561787/game-thread-7-3-2021-braves-vs-marlinsDaniel Hutchinson-Kausch2021-07-03T15:32:10-04:002021-07-03T15:32:10-04:00Braves roll with the regulars with the opportunity to get back to .500
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<p id="5UoTwo">The Braves will roll out the regulars, with Kevan Smith at catcher for the Saturday game against Miami. The preview for this game is well worth reading, given the shenanigans from Friday's game that may spill into Saturday, and that can be found <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/7/3/22561763/braves-vs-marlins-preview-kyle-muller-sandy-alcantara-ronald-acuna-jr-time-tv-radio">here</a>.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">First pitch at 4:10 today at Truist 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/34X0QFnHAX">pic.twitter.com/34X0QFnHAX</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1411366697504739330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a>
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<p id="j7TEZx">Meanwhile, the Marlins will run with the regulars of their own, with Jazz leading off and Alfaro behind the plate.</p>
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<p lang="es" dir="ltr">Marlins Lineup vs. Braves (4:10 ET)<br><br>2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.<br>CF Starling Marte<br>RF Garrett Cooper<br>1B Jesús Aguilar<br>SS Miguel Rojas<br>LF Jesús Sánchez<br>C Jorge Alfaro<br>3B Jon Berti<br>P Sandy Alcantara <a href="https://t.co/12ipu1Vkkt">pic.twitter.com/12ipu1Vkkt</a></p>— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) <a href="https://twitter.com/fishstripes/status/1411393687330959364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a>
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<p id="oRfgUS">The Braves hope to win this game for a shot at breaking the glass ceiling of a .500 win percentage tomorrow, as they currently sit at 40-41, but only 3 games out of the division leaders, the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a>. If Atlanta is able to capitalize on this stretch of games against weaker opponants, they could find themselves in a good position in the division going into the all-star break, despite the excess of injuries, underperformance, and generally bad luck this season.</p>
<p id="sO9m5d">Amidst this significant moment in the Braves season, the potential for controversy surrounding the longtime tension between the two teams cast a shadow over this game after a fiery Friday.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/3/22562104/atlanta-braves-lineups-roll-with-the-regulars-with-the-opportunity-to-get-back-to-500Daniel Hutchinson-Kausch2021-07-03T12:00:00-04:002021-07-03T12:00:00-04:00Kyle Muller and the Braves look to get back to .500 mark against Marlins
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<p>Will there be more fireworks?</p> <p id="COHYNN">The Atlanta Braves have won three straight and need only one win to get back to the .500 mark for the season. They enter play on Saturday only 3.0 games back from the divisional lead behind the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> but are five games back in the loss column. They also have a relatively easy bunch of games heading into the All-Star break against last-place teams. This is clearly a huge opportunity from a baseball perspective, but yet another incident of the Marlins being a bush-league franchise led by a bush-lead manager and some cowardly pitchers willing to follow him into the abyss of stupidity at the risk of player safety, their own reputations, and general civility provides a backdrop for Saturday’s game. The Marlins once again began a game by hitting Ronald Acuña Jr. which has reignited a feud that has been simmering since Acuña’s arrival in the Major Leagues. The game recap including a recap of the incident itself can be found <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/7/2/22561718/atlanta-braves-miami-marlins-recap-final-score-july-2-2021-1-0-win-pablo-lopez-ronald-acuna-jr">here</a>, and a summary of the postgame comments from Snitker, Acuna, and Mattingly can be found <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/7/2/22561729/don-mattingly-comments-ronald-acuna-pablo-lopez-ejection-video">here</a>. </p>
<p id="jFNxVV">Due to this general nonsense, there very well may be some fireworks on the field that are completely unrelated to Independence Day in today’s game, especially given that the Marlins send out Sandy Alcantara to the mound, who has played a role of his own in this moronic series of incidents. Acuña led off Game 1 of the NLDS last season with a home run off of Alcantara only to be plunked later in the game with a 97.5 MPH fastball. Alcantara followed this game up with a <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/10/ronald-acuna-braves-marlins-pitcher-sandy-alcantara-fight-nlds">postgame comment</a> saying that he was “ready to fight” Acuna. The tension between these two teams has existed ever since Jose Urena put an end to an unbelievable streak of leadoff home runs from Acuna by hitting Ronald on the first pitch of the game in 2018 and it is sure to be there for the rest of this series. </p>
<p id="usJ3ZA">Setting aside the nonsense for now, Kyle Muller has put together two very good starts for the Braves this season, totaling 9 innings with 12 strikeouts, four walks, and only one run allowed. The big lefty did have a disastrous relief appearance, but the two starts have been fantastic and he will look to continue that Saturday. Alcantara is putting together a strong season, with a 3.12 ERA and peripherals that are slightly worse, but still quite good. He is also eating a lot of innings, averaging over six innings per appearance, somewhat rare in today’s game, as he is tied for second in total innings pitched across MLB this season. </p>
<h3 id="GZT8C6"><strong>Game Info</strong></h3>
<p id="Eiim9k"><strong>Game Date/Time:</strong> Saturday, July 3, 2021, 4:10 pm EDT</p>
<p id="a6rbX6"><strong>Location:</strong> Truist Park, Atlanta, GA</p>
<p id="EU914V"><strong>TV:</strong> Bally Sports Southeast</p>
<p id="RzbmS3"><strong>Radio:</strong> 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, WNNX 100.5, Braves Radio Network, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM</p>
<p id="FSX2hG"><strong>XM Radio:</strong> Ch. 187</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/3/22561763/braves-vs-marlins-preview-kyle-muller-sandy-alcantara-ronald-acuna-jr-time-tv-radioDaniel Hutchinson-Kausch2021-07-02T23:32:36-04:002021-07-02T23:32:36-04:00Don Mattingly, Brian Snitker comment on Pablo Lopez’s ejection following Acuña HBP
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<figcaption>Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In which Don Mattingly accuses Mike Soroka of throwing at a Marlins player more than three years ago...</p> <p id="uQdr8O">Things escalated quickly between the Braves and Marlins on Friday evening as Miami starter Pablo Lopez was ejected after just one pitch. Lopez drilled Ronald Acuña Jr. in the arm — the sixth time Miami’s pitching staff has hit Acuña Jr. with a pitch in his short career — and after a discussion among the umpires, Lopez was ejected.</p>
<p id="PVjqoY">If you missed the show on Friday night, here’s the aftermath of Lopez’s ejection.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pablo López has been ejected after hitting Ronald Acuña Jr. with his very first pitch of the game. <a href="https://t.co/vIEddH2KJm">pic.twitter.com/vIEddH2KJm</a></p>— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSO/status/1411106276290011136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a>
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<p id="UhPUdf">Fittingly, Acuña scored the only run on Friday night as Atlanta won by a score of 1-0.</p>
<p id="WRd79I">After the game, Don Mattingly voiced his displeasure with the umpire’s quick ejection of Lopez and called it “disappointing.” He also accused Mike Soroka of “100%” intentionally throwing at and breaking Peter O’Brien’s ribs during the 2018 season. (The HBP in question actually happened in 2019).</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don Mattingly breaks down everything the umpires told him after the Pablo López ejection in the first inning after the Ronald Acuña Jr. HBP<br><br>Mattingly explains how the umpires said the "history" played a factor in the decision to eject López<a href="https://twitter.com/Marlins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Marlins</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JuntosMiami?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JuntosMiami</a> <a href="https://t.co/TlVuvrMsX3">pic.twitter.com/TlVuvrMsX3</a></p>— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsFL/status/1411160395734208513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a>
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<p id="60GzCv">Mattingly’s pointed accusation at Soroka does not compute at all. It sounds like a pathetic attempt to try and shift some blame. Why on earth would Mike Soroka go head-hunting after Peter O’Brien, a 28-year-old journeyman who he had never faced in the big leagues before? And why, more than three years later, is this the first time Mattingly has made the accusation? It’s a bush league comment from a bush league manager. </p>
<p id="p2lsNV">And by the way, the Braves signed O’Brien as a free agent six months after the incident in question. Clearly, O’Brien was very distressed by the incident that Mattingly claims was an intentional effort to injure. </p>
<p id="UOE2AF">Brian Snitker voiced his displeasure for the continued throwing at Acuña (intentional or not) during his post game press conference.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brian Snitker's comments on tonight's HBP against Ronald Acuña Jr. ⤵️<br><br>"I'm kinda upset it's the first time they've hit him with the first pitch of the game. ... I've watched it too much." <a href="https://t.co/4CXSi1Tlio">pic.twitter.com/4CXSi1Tlio</a></p>— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/BravesOnBally/status/1411160099389857794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a>
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<p id="dUDIdF">The Braves and Marlins will continue their series on Saturday afternoon with Kyle Muller and Sandy Alcantara — who hit Acuña with a pitch during last year’s NLDS — on the mound at 4:05 p.m. ET.</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/2/22561729/don-mattingly-comments-ronald-acuna-pablo-lopez-ejection-videoScott Coleman