Battery Power - July 6: Pirates 2, Braves 1Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2021-07-06T22:50:00-04:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/223289512021-07-06T22:50:00-04:002021-07-06T22:50:00-04:00Atlanta offense silenced again as lowly Pirates draw walk-off walk for 2-1 win
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<figcaption>Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>There are no words.</p> <p id="dz4cDV">As has been the recent trend, the Braves struggled to score runs in this game. They were shut down by Chad Kuhl, who entered play as the proud owner of a 5.16 ERA. Atlanta has struggled at various times throughout the season, but losing back-to-back games against the Pirates at this point of the season may be the lowest point. The silenced offense put the club in a tough situation late, and the Pirates eventually walked off against Tyler Matzek without recording an out, earning a 2-1 victory.</p>
<p id="XH0Wd3">The Braves managed just five hits in this game, with their only run coming courtesy of a mammoth blast off the bat of Orlando Arcia. He continues to impress during a limited sample, finishing with two hits while representing the lone bright spot for an otherwise anemic offense. </p>
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<p id="dhz9mW">As poorly as the offense performed, the pitching was only marginally better for the Braves. Ian Anderson drew the start and allowed eight baserunners in only five innings while striking out four batters. His command was lacking and the Pirates made him labor, much like the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> did in his last outing. The only run to score against Anderson came courtesy of a Bryan Reynolds sac fly in the third inning, but he was hardly the best version of himself.</p>
<p id="EQAImv">Meanwhile, the Pirates got another solid outing from a starting pitcher. Kuhl worked six innings, allowing just four hits with seven strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 4.73 following what was undoubtedly his best performance of the season. </p>
<p id="0xgklu">The Braves never really threatened in the late innings, but did manage to wiggle out of trouble in the eighth inning. AJ Minter allowed a deep flyout to open the frame, struck out the next batter, then allowed a line drive single to right field that caromed in and out of Ronald Acuna’s glove. The next two batters singled and walked, loading the bases with two outs. Minter was able to induce a weak groundout from Jared Oliva to escape the inning.</p>
<p id="O4yya6">The Braves offense went down in order in the ninth, then sent Tyler Matzek to the hill for the bottom-half of the inning. Things went downhill almost immediately. After getting ahead of the leadoff hitter, Matzek managed to walk him to put the winning run on base. Adam Frazier followed with a single to left field, the Ke’Bryan Hayes walked to load the bases. Bryan Reynolds came to the plate with an opportunity to win the game and did so without ever having to swing the bat. Matzek missed wildly with all four pitches to Reynolds, walking in the winning run to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 win.</p>
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<p id="Sc618v">The Braves will look to salvage the finale before leaving town on Wednesday. Again, this was just a complete meltdown by the offense and perpetuates a season-long issue that has plagued the club. Losing multiple middle-of-the-order bats is tough, but this team has three All-Stars at the top of the order. Someone has to figure it out and get the wheel turning for this team. As it stands, the reigning NL East champs sit five games out of the division lead and things look especially bleak after this showing in Pittsburgh.</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/6/22566178/braves-vs-pirates-final-score-tyler-matzek-mlb-atlanta-pittsburghDillon Cloud2021-07-06T18:30:00-04:002021-07-06T18:30:00-04:00Braves vs Pirates 7/6 Game Thread
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<figcaption>Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Beat the Bucs.</p> <p id="qifrPY">Can the Braves bounce back from an embarrassing start to the series? Ian Anderson looks to sink the Pirates as he continues his push for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. </p>
<p id="kJaKFX">Join us in the comments for discussion in what will hopefully be a more enjoyable experience than last night.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/6/22565824/braves-vs-pirates-game-thread-atlanta-pittsburghDillon Cloud2021-07-06T18:02:00-04:002021-07-06T18:02:00-04:00Dansby Swanson drops to sixth spot as Braves look for offensive spark
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<figcaption>Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Brian Snitker is making some slight changes to his lineup, trying to find a combination that fits.</p> <p id="4eobRR">The Braves are desperate for offense and made a slight change to their daily lineup on Tuesday, moving Dansby Swanson down one spot to sixth in favor of Guillermo Heredia. While the latter may not possess the ceiling that Swanson appears to have, his offensive contributions in 2021 have far outweighed those of the Atlanta shortstop. Ideally, having Swanson healthy and productive would keep him in the middle of the lineup, but as his struggles become more and more prolonged, a change becomes necessary. Orlando Arcia remains in seventh spot, playing left field. His resurgence could also figure into the Swanson situation at some point, but that may not be imminent. William Contreras is out of the lineup in favor of Kevan Smith Tuesday. </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 in Pittsburgh.<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/BFHvzdA83F">pic.twitter.com/BFHvzdA83F</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1412485707755573256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a>
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<p id="9o8PyC">The Pirates will counter with the following:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight's lineup.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoBucs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoBucs</a> <a href="https://t.co/iUyI7KCzbC">pic.twitter.com/iUyI7KCzbC</a></p>— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1412525608559693829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a>
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<p id="XjaUzn">First pitch from PNC Park is set for 7:05 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports South. </p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/6/22565570/braves-vs-pirates-lineups-dansby-swanson-drops-sixthDillon Cloud2021-07-06T17:06:21-04:002021-07-06T17:06:21-04:00Braves place Pablo Sandoval on the restricted list, recall Jacob Webb
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<figcaption>Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="3Pos7M">The <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> announced a roster move prior to Tuesday’s matchup against the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pittsburgh Pirates</a>. Reliever Jacob Webb is rejoining the active roster while bench bat Pablo Sandoval is headed to the restricted list. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braves</a> today recalled RHP Jacob Webb to Atlanta and placed INF Pablo Sandoval on the restricted list.</p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1412514196114247684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a>
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<p id="zbaBju">Brian Snitker said that Sandoval is away from the team and is dealing with a personal matter. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brian Snitker says that Pablo Sandoval is dealing with a personal matter. <br><br>Says the term “restricted list” makes it sound negative. Says this situation isn't</p>— Kris Willis (@Kris_Willis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kris_Willis/status/1412517147935338497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a>
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<p id="P8Uvbj">Since an early season surge, Sandoval has struggled in a bench role. He is currently in a stretch where he has just one hit in his last 27 plate appearances and is hitting .203/.329/.391 with four homers in 76 plate appearances. </p>
<p id="Da4va1">Webb will provide a fresh arm for the bullpen but has had limited success at the Major League level this season posting a 5.29 ERA and a 4.86 FIP in 17 innings. He has put up good numbers at Gwinnett averaging over 12 strikeouts per nine to go along with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.81 FIP in 10 1/3 innings. </p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/6/22565778/atlanta-braves-roster-move-pablo-sandoval-restricted-list-recall-jacob-webbKris Willis2021-07-06T14:00:00-04:002021-07-06T14:00:00-04:00Braves turn to Ian Anderson as they look to rebound against Pirates
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<figcaption>Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Atlanta needs a better showing than they put forth on Monday.</p> <p id="hdPswe">The Braves were embarrassed by the Pirates on Monday. The pitching was bad, the offense was worse, and the hypothetical momentum of a thrilling Sunday victory quickly evaporated with every run the lowly Pittsburgh offense pushed across. Meanwhile, the Atlanta offense had baserunners all night and still managed to score only one run. It was among the most excruciating viewer experiences you will find in baseball: watching your team get smoked by a bottom dweller. Luckily, the Braves have two more opportunities to right the ship.</p>
<p id="i1oGvN">Ian Anderson will draw the start for Atlanta, looking to build upon his last start against the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> that saw the right-hander battle through seven innings against Jacob deGrom. Anderson was clearly laboring, but managed to keep the Braves in front with the help of some batted ball luck and solid defense. The Pirates pose a similar challenge: they put the ball in play. Pittsburgh has the fifth-lowest strikeout total in baseball this season, but their BABIP ranks just 24th, which may explain their run-scoring conundrum. Quality of contact has been an issue, which opens the door to a much larger debate about the modern game, but we’ll table that discussion for another day.</p>
<p id="0GCWjt">Back to Anderson, who enters play with a 5-4 record, 3.35 ERA, and 91 strikeouts in 88.2 innings. He also owns a 1.9 fWAR, along with 3.38 FIP and 3.51 xFIP. The numbers say that Anderson has been legitimately effective this season, and that his success should be sustainable. The right-hander has been outstanding for Atlanta since his call-up last season, and continues to serve as a very reliable mid-rotation starter. </p>
<p id="qEZMGN">Taking the mound for the Pirates will be Chad Kuhl, whose 2021 season has been much less impressive than that of Anderson. Kuhl enters play with a 2-5 record, 5.16 ERA, and 35 strikeouts in 45.1 innings. His underlying metrics are just as bad, with the right-hander producing a -0.2 fWAR, 5.65 FIP, and 5.61 xFIP. The culprit, or at least the main culprit, for Kuhl’s struggle has to be the walk rate. He is averaging 5.56 BB/9 this season. If the Braves can be patient and make Kuhl throw strikes, they can find success and hopefully rejuvenate an offense that sorely needs a breakout.</p>
<h3 id="dnaYhL"><strong>Game Info</strong></h3>
<p id="W8D1EQ"><strong>Game Date/Time:</strong> Tuesday, July 6, 7:05 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="o8bFhi"><strong>Location:</strong> PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA</p>
<p id="O5AAEL"><strong>TV:</strong> Bally Sports Southeast</p>
<p id="E9134N"><strong>Streaming:</strong> MLB.tv</p>
<p id="mqbubX"><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/2021/7/6/22565181/braves-vs-pirates-preview-time-tv-streaming-radio-ian-anderson-chad-kuhlDillon Cloud