ST. LOUIS – One through nine, the Braves’ lineup is a nightmare for pitchers.
The Braves on Monday entered their first true test: A series with the Cardinals, who should also be National League contenders. St. Louis features a potent lineup with multiple stars.
The Braves walked into Busch Stadium and slugged their way to an 8-4 victory. Atlanta is 3-1.
Here are five observations on Atlanta’s win:
1. The broadcast cameras caught the gentleman who ended up with the ball from Austin Riley’s mammoth home run.
He was not in the seats in left-center field.
He was standing in the concourse above them.
“That was a big man hitting it a long way right there,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
In the first inning, Riley launched a ball 473 feet for the longest home run of his career. It became the third-longest homer in Busch Stadium history, and the longest by a visiting player.
And Riley didn’t even know where it landed.
“I try to just take my jog and come back to the dugout,” said Riley, who never shows up anyone and doesn’t admire his homers.
So he had to watch the film when he returned to the clubhouse after the game.
Did he like what he saw?
“I did,” he said.
Riley said this was the longest homer he remembers hitting since playing in a Triple A game in Charlotte years ago. (“We don’t know how far it went, but it went over that scoreboard,” he said of that blast.)
When Riley connected with Jake Woodford’s 93 mph four-seam fastball, he immediately dropped the bat and began the slow jog out of the batter’s box. He knew it was gone. The broadcast camera focused on the seats beyond the left-center field wall.
Then, at the very end of the ball’s flight, the camera panned toward the top of that section, where the ball landed.
2. This Braves lineup is a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
“It’s fun,” Riley said. “Just one through nine, so deep, so talented. It makes it tough on pitchers because it’s not one through five, it’s that next guy that they’re having to worry about. One through nine can change a game with one swing of a bat, and that’s pretty special and it’s fun to be a part of.”
The Braves hit three homers off St. Louis starter Jake Woodford. They added on runs versus the bullpen. This was another complete performance.
An example of the importance of hitting for power: The Cardinals outhit the Braves, 12-10. But 11 of those 12 hits were singles. The Braves kept them in the ballpark.
3. Ronald Acuña Jr. singled in the first, homered in the second, walked in the fourth and doubled in the seventh. He finished a triple shy of the cycle.
A theme thus far: Acuña looks to be back to normal after a rough 2022.
“I’m 100% healthy this year and it’s just extremely different because I’m not battling any pain and the routine is completely different, and I can focus on that,” he said.
In the second inning, Ozzie Albies blasted a two-run shot. Acuña followed it with a three-run bomb to give the Braves a five-run lead and give himself 300 career RBIs.
“I feel like last year, I would have similar swings and I wouldn’t get the result, whether it be a homer or whatever that wouldn’t go that way,” Acuña said. “Now it feels like I have the strength that if I put one of those swings on it, I get the result that I want.”
4. The Braves’ bullpen deserves credit.
The group combined to hold the Cardinals to one run over 3 2/3 innings to close the game. It began with Nick Anderson and ended with A.J. Minter.
“That bullpen is always kind of a work in progress every year as it kind of settles in, and they define their roles as you have to use them,” Snitker said.
5. Charlie Morton allowed three runs over 5 1/3 frames.
The ironic part: He gave up some hard contact, but it didn’t hurt him. Instead, the Cardinals mostly scored on soft contact, including when they blooped their way to two runs in the fourth inning.
Morton hadn’t pitched since the spring training finale on March 28, so Snitker considered it a positive that he pitched into the sixth and didn’t allow further damage.
Stat to know
3 of 4 - The Braves have scored at least seven runs in three of their four games to start the season.
Quotable
“It’s nice. I’m happy for him that he’s got his legs under him and can use all of his tools and his skills, and play the game the way he’s accustomed to playing it, which is full bore. It’s gotta feel good for him to hit and just have his legs under him.”-Snitker on seeing Acuña fully healthy
Up next
Dylan Dodd makes his MLB debut on Tuesday. His offense will face Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz in a game that begins at 7:45 p.m. ET.
