Battery Power - August 27: Braves 6, Giants 5Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2021-08-27T23:25:40-04:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/224085252021-08-27T23:25:40-04:002021-08-27T23:25:40-04:00Outfield thrills again as Braves rally late, beat Giants 6-5
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<p>Duvall, Soler, Pederson, oh my!</p> <p id="uyKLVP">The amazing Friday night contest between the Braves and the Giants went through many iterations on the field... and in my head, when planning this recap. There was time when the recap was going to lament a ridiculous loss where the Giants benefited from one of the cheapest homers in recent memory, while the Braves hit barrel after barrel into gloves. There was a time when calling out some poor defensive play on Atlanta’s part was going to be a theme, an example of how the team’s sacrifice of defense for offense can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Then, Jorge Soler stepped to the plate in the seventh, his team down by a run, and drilled a first-pitch fastball way into the Atlanta night, completely changing, well, everything. Joc Pederson ended the game with an awesome catch, and there you have it: another suddenly can’t-miss paragon of <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> 2021 baseball.</p>
<p id="ypBmuk">Given all of the above, I guess I’ll just proceed sequentially now, but man, what a game. But, it didn’t start that way. Max Fried, coming off his first career complete game shutout, started the game with a hit-by-pitch. He got the next two batters, then fell behind Buster Posey 3-0, and grooved him a get-me-over fastball. To Fried’s useless benefit, Posey didn’t put a good swing on the ball. To everyone’s exasperation, Posey’s routine fly ball to right sailed just out above the brick wall in right field. The hit probability of Posey’s drive? Four percent, give or take. Posey did hit it hard, at 99 mph, but with a launch angle of 44 and an eventual distance of around 341 feet, those usually aren’t homers. This one was. Oof. </p>
<p id="ysO0Zb">The Braves then took aim at old friend Kevin Gausman, and nearly got those runs back. They hit three singles in the frame, but as luck would have it, Travis d’Arnaud came up with the bases loaded and scalded a ball at 105.5 mph... but right to first baseman Darin Ruf, who easily flipped to Gausman for the out. Adding insult to insult in the inning was that Freddie Freeman hit a ball into the left-field corner about as hard (98 mph to 99 mph) and about as far (338 feet to 341 feet) as Posey, but Freeman’s was a fly out and Posey’s gave the Giants their lead. This first inning also featured a random rain delay before the Braves loaded the bases, but not one long enough to knock Fried or Gausman from the game.</p>
<p id="NqDlC5">Bad defense gave the Giants another run in the third. With two on and one out, Gausman’s bunt attempt was fielded by d’Arnaud, who threw to third base but pulled the ball past where Austin Riley could reach it. Now down 3-0, Fried got a first-pitch twin killing to end the inning with men on the corners. </p>
<p id="HO6ZPd">And then, Adam Duvall got one back. Really back. </p>
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<p lang="pt" dir="ltr"> !!!! <a href="https://t.co/9ihTcf7Avp">pic.twitter.com/9ihTcf7Avp</a></p>— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) <a href="https://twitter.com/BravesOnBally/status/1431416705541148676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2021</a>
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<p id="t3Hv20">Pederson followed by also creaming a Gausman offering and hitting it 385 feet (a barrel), but he hit to center, and despite the ball traveling much further than Posey’s, it was just an out. After Fried struck out the side in the top of the third, the Braves crept slightly closer, as Jorge Soler, a wild pitch, a groundout from Freeman into the shift, and Riley’s opposite-field single made it a 3-2 game. But, defense would throw a wrench in Atlanta’s plans yet again. With one out and a man on first, Fried elicited another tailor-made double play ball. But, Ozzie Albies somehow bobbled the ball as he jogged towards first, and Fried had to continue in the frame. Naturally, Tommy La Stella, another former Brave, made the Braves pay by doubling to Albies’ left in the shift — with Jorge Soler not really playing La Stella to pull and slow to get to the ball, the should-have-been-doubled-off runner scored, making it 4-2 in favor of San Francisco.</p>
<p id="EhoYpm">With six runs already scored and the third time through looming for each starter, you’d think we were in for some fireworks, but... nope. After La Stella ended the inning by getting thrown out following his RBI double, Gausman and Fried retired 15 batters in a row; both pitchers were lifted after six. Thing is, that kind of undersells it, at least from the Braves’ perspective. In the fourth, Pederson barreled another ball... that was also an out to center, this time traveling 396 feet. Dansby Swanson followed suit in the sixth. It seemed like it wasn’t going to be the Braves’ night, even after A.J. Minter got through a scoreless seventh despite a hit and the Braves’ only pitching walk of the game. But that was not what happened at all.</p>
<p id="xa1CWq">The Giants summoned Tony Watson to pitch the home seventh. Watson struck out Duvall, but walked Pederson. Pinch-hitter Guillermo Heredia singled, and the Giants elected to let Watson keep pitching to a right-handed Albies. That move backfired terribly, as Albies smoked a double into the gap. Suddenly, it was a one-run game, and the Braves had the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second. With Soler due up, the Giants went to Zack Littell. That also backfired. A lot. </p>
<p id="AYTy2H">Litell’s first pitch was a 94 mph fastball at the top edge of the zone, over the middle of the plate. Soler swung, connected, and turned the game around, completely:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> Everybody let me hear you say, ‘Oh yea-yer’ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATLiens?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATLiens</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForTheA</a> <a href="https://t.co/oQCqc4Hoxy">pic.twitter.com/oQCqc4Hoxy</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1431442993945456641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2021</a>
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<p id="NJAr9I">Ballgame, kinda. Luke Jackson threw a scoreless eighth, and Will Smith gave up a leadoff homer to Wilmer Flores in the ninth. Actually, things would have gone even worse for Smith had not Joc Pederson exacted some revenge for his barrels being caught by making a leaping catch at the fence in right field to end the game. Amusingly, that final play of the game had the same hit probability as Posey’s homer eight innings prior. It’s mostly just amusing because the Braves won. As for Smith, his value continues to tumble, but that’s not really something that I really kicked around as a recap topic — I just hope after 2021, the Braves can put the “should we pay big money to relievers” topic to bed, once and for all. </p>
<p id="JfajCb">With the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> and <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> locked in a see-saw, extra-inning affair at the time of writing, we mostly just know the Braves won’t lose ground. But when you’ve got the right dingers at the right time, who cares? What a game.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/8/27/22645548/atlanta-braves-san-francisco-giants-recap-final-score-6-5-win-adam-duvall-jorge-soler-joc-pedersonIvan the Great2021-08-27T20:04:40-04:002021-08-27T20:04:40-04:00Braves, Giants Rain Delay Updates
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<img alt="MLB: San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/clRRO6iU1ZexHtB0rnLWt7SFRhM=/0x0:5184x3456/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69786370/usa_today_16424954.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Braves-Giants game on Friday evening is in a rain delay</p> <p id="Hx9WHR">The first game of the pivotal Braves-Giants series entered a rain delay in the bottom of the 1st inning with the Braves trailing 2-0 after a Buster Posey home run that had an xBA of .040. Gotta love baseball. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We are currently in a rain delay. We will pass along updates as soon as we have them. <a href="https://t.co/rOQ6tvZxhW">pic.twitter.com/rOQ6tvZxhW</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1431402427836665856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a>
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<p id="YE33Ob">We will keep you updated as we learn about when the game could restart. For now, it looks like it is just scattered storms moving through the area. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BRAVES GAME- few t-storms headed towards Truist Park. May see a brief delay. <a href="https://t.co/mpMXorx0eM">pic.twitter.com/mpMXorx0eM</a></p>— Ella Dorsey (@Ella__Dorsey) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ella__Dorsey/status/1431400883724689408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a>
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<p id="R8AUh2">As it turns out, we won’t be waiting long.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight's game is scheduled to resume at approximately 8:15pm.</p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1431409016635330561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2021</a>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/8/27/22645415/braves-giants-rain-delay-updatesEric Cole2021-08-27T18:50:00-04:002021-08-27T18:50:00-04:00GameThread, 8/27/2021: Giants @ Braves
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<img alt="MLB: San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ld6FzSDgWI2nG1luFBg2042lTC4=/0x0:2745x1830/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69786127/usa_today_13399027.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kevin Gausman (I think!) vs. Max Fried</p> <p id="ffy0m1">The Braves will try to stop a mini-skid (two games) against the Giants, who I guess are super-good now? Will they be able to do it? Will Kevin Gausman actually get activated for tonight’s game? Find out eventually!</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/8/27/22645249/gamethread-8-27-2021-giants-bravesIvan the Great2021-08-27T18:00:42-04:002021-08-27T18:00:42-04:00Braves lineup is what it is for opener with Giants
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<figcaption>Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>No surprises here</p> <p id="CI5y34">The Braves’ Friday night lineup, which will shock no one:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/MaxFried32?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaxFried32</a> takes the mound tonight vs. the Giants!<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/okdqWsr6eU">pic.twitter.com/okdqWsr6eU</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1431332872204558336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a>
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<p id="8Sp9LV">Yes, this is the same lineup as the one that lost a close game on Tuesday, before the two-day layoff. Hopefully things fare better this time around.</p>
<p id="TFWOpm">The Giants haven’t yet announced their lineup. They also haven’t yet made a roster move activating Kevin Gausman from the COVID-19 Injured List, even though the wide presumption is that he’s making tonight’s start. As such, we might have to wait and see exactly what ends up playing out for the Giants, who will be without both Donovan Solano (tested positive for COVID-19) and Brandon Belt (bereavement leave) at a minimum. Wilmer Flores may end up making another start at first base given that a southpaw is on the hill for Atlanta. </p>
<p id="B2f8Of">The Giants have only used their most common lineup three times all season — there are actually three such lineups to which this applies. Talk about keeping things in flux — even the Braves, with all their injuries, managed to use at least one lineup seven times over the course of the season.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/8/27/22645231/atlanta-braves-san-francisco-giants-lineup-august-27-2021Ivan the Great2021-08-27T14:00:00-04:002021-08-27T14:00:00-04:00Max Fried looks for encore as Braves welcome ostensible Giants juggernaut to town
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<figcaption>Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Unless something changes, the Braves will be taking aim at former teammate Kevin Gausman</p> <p id="sUhg0T">After dropping two in a row to the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> to snap their nine-game winning streak, the Braves sat idle for two days. Meanwhile, both the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> and <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> lost their last two games, so the Braves gained a game in the standings, and 8.5 percent in playoff odds, which now sit at 86 percent. It’s an amazing turnaround, given that those same odds sat at just 7.0 percent on July 23, and 9.6 percent a month ago. While the Braves have what is now a fairly comfy 5.5-game cushion in the division, though, this tough stretch of schedule rolls on. The Yankees are done with (that went poorly), but the Braves now have the Giants on tap, before heading out to play the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> in Chavez Ravine, and then the Rockies at Coors Field, before they return home for a relative breather of a homestand (Nationals, Marlins, Rockies).</p>
<p id="Wgj3C0">So, the Giants are coming to town. And boy, there are apparently not the Giants of your slightly younger self. After making the playoffs in 2016 on the back of an 87-win season, the Giants have scuffled in recent history, with four straight sub-.500 campaigns. In 2021, though, they have baseball’s best record and third-best run differential, and a playoff odds chart very reminiscent of the Braves in 2018: starting from basically nothing, and steadily climbing to 100 percent. This turnaround has been led by some unlikely heroes, but isn’t a mirage built off of an egregious record in one-run games or anything similar. The Giants are fourth in position player fWAR and sixth in pitching fWAR (rotation sixth, relief corps ninth). They’ve weathered some injuries and mix-and-matched their way to some incredible production, with 16 (!!) position players with 100+ PAs so far (the Braves have 14), eight of whom already have more than 1.0 fWAR. The team is led by 34-year-olds Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford, who combined have over a third of the Giants’ position player production, which more or less summarizes the bewildering nature of their season.</p>
<p id="WdEyUz">The pitching’s been amazing, too. The Giants have used 10 starters this year, and the only two with an FIP- above 100 are Scott Kazmir and Zack Littell, who’ve pitched a combined seven frames (four starts) when listed on the lineup card. By xFIP-, you have only Aaron Sanchez (seven starts), Sam Long (five starts), and Littell (two starts) of a below-average nature. Meanwhile, Kevin Gausman and Logan Webb have made for a hefty one-two punch (5.9 combined fWAR so far, basically the same as Charlie Morton and Max Fried but in 20 fewer innings), while Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani, and Johnny Cueto have been solid-to-very good as well. The bullpen’s been a work-in-progress, with 27 relievers used so far, but the Giants have done well to devote only about eight percent of its innings to below-replacement performers. (By comparison, the Braves have used 20 relievers, and 20 percent of their relief innings have been pitched by guys with negative fWAR on the season.) So, basically, this should be a pretty good series, and not in the “the Braves are overwhelmingly favored” sense.</p>
<p id="bHtnT1">One last thing about the Giants: they aren’t really riding any kind of banked win wave and just playing out the string. They went 16-10 in April, 18-10 in May, 16-9 in June, 15-10 in July, and are 18-5 so far in August. They’re on a five-game winning streak, haven’t lost a series in over a month (their last series loss was against the Pirates for some reason), just swept the Mets on the road (thanks!), and have held first place alone consistently since May 31.</p>
<p id="9F6eGu">Which means... it’s up to Max Fried to stop ‘em. Fried, of course, is coming off his first-ever complete game shutout, which came against the Orioles a week ago. His seasonal line now sits at 2.5 fWAR in 118 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings of work, with an 83 ERA-/82 FIP-/86 xFIP-. After a lot of inconsistency earlier in the season, Fried’s finally strung together five good starts in a row — he’s allowed five runs (four earned), four walks, and struck out 32 in his last 34 innings.</p>
<p id="1UKDXf">As for the other half of the pitching matchup, it seems like the Braves will be facing old friend Kevin Gausman in this one. That’s perhaps still a little uncertain at the time of writing, as Gausman is currently on the COVID-19 version of the Injured List with post-vaccine side effects. It <em>seems</em> like he’ll be making this start, but we’ll wait and see if there are any announced changes. If he does, the Braves are going to have their hands full, as Gausman’s been a top-10 pitcher in baseball with 3.8 fWAR and a 61/71/81 line. People, especially Braves fans, will ask what he’s doing differently, and the answer is still “not much” — his two-pitch mix is essentially the same as when the Braves jettisoned him due to poor results and fine peripherals (still one of the worst moves made by this current Braves regime), and the real change is that he’s throwing a tick harder while getting some extra vertical separation on his split-change. That’s been enough, apparently, to move him from “decent” to “one of the best in baseball,” and the Giants are reaping the rewards of getting those slight improvements out of him.</p>
<p id="sTmK7k">If not Gausman, I have no idea what the Giants will do here, so stay tuned. </p>
<p id="VHIM5k"><strong>Game Info</strong></p>
<p id="ip7OlB"><a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> @ <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a></p>
<p id="0b22rs">Friday, August 27, 2021</p>
<p id="I2crmR">7:20 pm EDT</p>
<p id="YYLHb4">Truist Park, Atlanta, GA</p>
<p id="hvcLkL">TV: Bally Sports Southeast</p>
<p id="KITBGN">Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, WNNX 100.5, Braves Radio Network, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM</p>
<p id="JdL7vq">XM Radio: Ch. 189</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/8/27/22644209/atlanta-braves-san-francisco-giants-preview-august-27-2021-max-fried-kevin-gausman-probablyIvan the Great2021-08-27T13:28:07-04:002021-08-27T13:28:07-04:00Braves reinstate Eddie Rosario from the injured list
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<p>Abraham Almonte was designated for assignment.</p> <p id="tzzKwH">The <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> announced a roster move prior to Friday’s series opener against the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a>. The team reinstated outfielder Eddie Rosario from the 10-day injured list and designated Abraham Almonte for assignment to clear a roster spot. </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 returned OF Eddie Rosario from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list. To make room on the active roster, the club designated OF Abraham Almonte for assignment.</p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1431304675584888838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a>
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<p id="6P7BRF">The Braves acquired Rosario at the trade deadline from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Pablo Sandoval in what was essentially a salary dump. The team is hoping that he can provide more outfield depth along with some left-handed power. Rosario has been on the injured list since July 5 due to an abdominal strain. He got off to a slow start at the plate during his rehab assignment at Gwinnett but has found his groove totaling nine hits including four homers over his last seven games. </p>
<p id="nIi39v">Almonte helped bridge the gap in the Braves outfield until reinforcements arrived at the trade deadline. He has appeared in 64 games while hitting .216/.331/.399 with a 98 wRC+ in 175 plate appearances. </p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/8/27/22628552/atlanta-braves-roster-move-eddie-rosario-reinstated-injured-list-abraham-almonte-designatedKris Willis