Elder throws a gem as Braves’ winning streak reaches seven
Bryce Elder spun a gem Wednesday and the Braves ran their winning streak to seven with a 4-1 victory over the Marlins at Truist Park.
Elder threw seven innings of one-hit ball and allowed a single run. Over 84 pitches (53 for strikes) he walked two and struck out three. Elder (8-6) got eight groundouts and three foul-ball outs, and of the 20 balls the Marlins put into play only six were considered hard-hit.
“I was happy with tonight,” Elder said. “I think that’s probably the best command I’ve had in a long time. Changeup was really good. So, yeah, I was pleased with it. I like where I’m at.”
It was Elder’s longest outing since May 16 when he went eight innings against the Red Sox, and just the fourth time this season he has gotten through seven innings out of 22 starts. In his last four appearances, Elder has allowed four earned runs over 24 innings, good for a 1.50 ERA. His ERA for the season dropped from 3.84 to 3.69.
Wednesday also marked the 100th career start for Elder, all of which have been in a Braves’ uniform.
“There’s been a lot of times where I wasn’t very good at all, and even getting sent down to Triple-A, they’d run me back out there eventually,” Elder said. “It means a lot to keep getting opportunities and hopefully (I’ll) keep throwing it well, making it worth their while.”
After Elder’s departure, Dylan Dodd gave up back-to-back singles with one out before getting a fly ball to left for the second out of the eighth. Didier Fuentes got the final out of the inning, on one pitch, a ground ball to third.
Fuentes stayed in for the ninth and sat the Fish (58-57) down in order to earn his second career save.
All that made the Braves 59-1 this season when leading after eight innings. The win also gave them a 25th series victory, 15th series triumph at home and eighth consecutive win at Truist Park.
“We’re not surprised,” Braves utility man Mauricio Dubón, a shortstop on this night, said. “You’re gonna hit some speed bumps. That’s baseball, that’s why you play 162. We had a little down (stretch) but every team goes through that and that’s why we play 162 and that’s the beauty of baseball.”
The Braves (69-45) got something cooking in the second thanks to Dubón who perfectly executed a hit-and-run by sending a single to right with Ozzie Albies stealing second. After newcomer Lane Thomas popped to second, Austin Riley ripped an RBI double into the corner in left.
Marlins starter Eury Pérez nearly got out of the jam by striking out Sean Murphy, but Drake Baldwin rolled a two-run single up the middle making it 3-0.
Dubón made it 4-0 in the third with a two-out knock to right field that scored Michael Harris II from second. It was the 27th RBI of the season for Dubón when batting with two outs and runners in scoring position.
Elder was cruising right along in the fifth having thrown 5 1/3 no-hit innings. But a walk to Owen Caissie was followed by Jakob Marsee’s double (on the eighth pitch of the at-bat) to shallow left. Joe Mack’s grounder to second scored Caissie to end Elder’s shutout bid.
The Marlins wouldn’t threaten Elder the rest of the way.
“I was telling him first thing when I got traded, I’m like, ‘I’m happy I’m not having to face you anymore,’” Dubón said of Elder. “It’s unreal, man, watching that sinker running back, moving changeup, four-seam, everything. Just watching him do his thing today was not surprising because you see him (have success) early in the year. You feel pretty good about the chances when he’s on like that.”
Pérez (5-9) completed five innings and was charged with four earned runs on seven hits. The powerful right-hander struck out nine, but the four runs allowed tie the four he had allowed in his previous three starts combined.