SAN FRANCISCO – Ahead of the series opener between the Braves and Giants, baseball fans salivated: Chris Sale and Blake Snell, two aces, were set to face one another at Oracle Park.
And, wow, the matchup lived up to the hype, as neither starter surrendered a run. The teams were scoreless through nine innings.
The Braves grinded through it for a 1-0 win in 10 innings. And this victory meant a little more because of what they endured 24 hours before it.
This was quite the way to bounce back. The Braves could’ve been demoralized, but they quickly put the brutal loss behind them and didn’t flinch.
“It just speaks to everybody’s maturity in here,” Sean Murphy said. “Those losses are kind of baked into it, right? You’re gonna have bad losses and disappointing days over the course of 162, and it’s just the ability to come back out and kind of forget about that – because yesterday was tough. But today makes up for that. I think we’re all pretty happy with that one.”
The victory was ...
- The Braves’ first after being held hitless through six innings since April 2, 2014, at Milwaukee
- The first time Atlanta won after being held scoreless through nine innings since June 22, 2023, in Philadelphia
Five observations:
1. They were no-hit through six innings. They had three hits in nine innings. They were locked in a scoreless tie until the 10th inning.
And yet, they pulled it out.
It had the makings of one of those sleepy offensive nights that leads to a loss. But the pitching stepped up. And when it mattered most, the bats found a way.
“Just grit, honestly,” Sale said of what it took. “We all knew yesterday was a tough one. We had to get over that one quick. And coming in here, obviously we needed to win this one. It was a grind from the start. Snell, that’s about as good as you’re gonna see out there. Just to be able to grind through that and overcome that, that was big time and it kind of shows what this group is about. Being able to do that after a tough night, and the start to a tough night tonight, was impressive.”
There were multiple heroes.
Pitching opposite Snell, Sale matched the effort and kept it scoreless.
Closer Raisel Iglesias sent the game to extra innings with a scoreless ninth, then slammed the door with a scoreless 10th.
Sean Murphy led off the top of the 10th with a single and Travis d’Arnaud lifted the sacrifice fly that scored the game’s only run.
“That’s just a good ballgame, man,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Especially how we lost that one (Sunday), for guys to bounce back and fight their way through this, it’s really a big win.”
2. Snitker’s praise for Iglesias tells you a lot about how much the Braves value their elite closer, who also happens to be selfless.
“He’s unbelievable,” Snitker said. “He might be the greatest teammate I’ve ever been around. I always say: It doesn’t matter if he gets a save (or) if he gets the last out of the game, there’s nobody happier on that field than he is if we win a game. And he came back in after that (ninth) inning, he just ran right over. When I said, ‘Well, if we go ahead, you’re gonna pitch,’ he was really in for doing that, too.”
Iglesias relishes these moments. And for a second time this season, he pitched two innings.
The Braves needed this. Their bullpen has sprung a few leaks recently. On Monday, they placed A.J. Minter on the 15-day injured list. Iglesias stepped up for them.
“I feel like any time there’s a big game or an important game on the line like that, I feel like I always make it a point to go check in with Snit and see if he’ll give me the chance to go back out there and get the save,” Iglesias said through interpreter Franco García. “Fortunately, he let me go back out.”
On July 8 in Arizona, Iglesias pitched two innings against the Diamondbacks – the ninth and 10th. The situation was similar. He sent the game to extras. But in the 10th, he allowed an unearned run as the runner who started at second base came around to score.
This time, he stranded the runner and the Braves won in 10 innings.
“He doesn’t flinch in those situations,” Sale said. “That’s why everyone in here trusts him, that’s why we love him. Any time he’s got the ball, you can’t have much more confidence in a closer than we have in him. He’s been running out there a lot and tonight, coming out here, two innings is big. We don’t win that game without him and everyone else, so it was big.”
3. After the first two batters reached against him – one on an error – Sale retried 20 of the next 21 (!!) before giving up a two-out single in his seventh and final inning. He stranded that runner to keep the game scoreless.
Snell stole the attention because of his no-hit bid, but Sale dominated almost as much. He struck out a season-high 12 and didn’t walk any. He gave up only three hits. He even made a beautiful snag on 104 mph liner hit right back at him.
“He’s probably been the hottest starter in the league for a handful of starts now,” Sale said of Snell. “I just kind of needed to buckle down there. Luckily, we got through that first inning, and after that, (I) was efficient and was able to get kind of deeper into the game. But tonight was about the offense just grinding it out. Finding a way – that’s what it was.”
Had he even allowed two runs, the Braves might’ve had a steep climb to come back. But he dueled Snell until the end.
By the time he recorded the third out of the bottom of the seventh inning, he’d thrown a season-high 107 pitches. (He’d hurled 105 in two starts prior to this, and 103 in three others.)
On Monday, Sale tallied at least 12 strikeouts without issuing a walk in a start for the 13th time in his career – the first time since 2019. This is the latest statistic that tells you he’s back to his old self.
In the 10th inning, d’Arnaud came off the bench and worked a six-pitch at-bat that ended with a lineout to right field that scored the game’s only run.
“He’s gonna give you about as professional of an at-bat as anybody I’ve ever seen,” Sale said of d’Arnaud. “He loves those moments. He never really looks overmatched. He’s very laid-back, even-keeled.”
4. At around 11:20 p.m. ET, the Braves and their fans could breathe. Before that, the Braves were in moderate danger of falling victim to a rare baseball feat.
And then Marcell Ozuna led off the seventh inning with a double over the third baseman’s head for Atlanta’s first hit of the night versus Snell. Yes, the Braves had nine outs with which to play, but they weren’t safe until Ozuna’s ball landed in fair territory – after all, Snell threw a no-hitter two starts before this in Cincinnati, which is a hitter-friendly ballpark.
After Ozuna’s hit, Matt Olson rolled a dribbler for an infield single. At that moment, it seemed San Francisco manager Bob Melvin might pull Snell, who was over 100 pitches after beginning the inning at 98.
But Melvin left Snell in the game to face Arcia, who worked a full count before striking out swinging. Snell departed the game after 114 pitches.
The Braves couldn’t score Ozuna from second base as the game remained scoreless. Luckily, Atlanta had Sale on the mound – and he dealt.
5. In the first inning, Ramón Laureano ran up to a fly ball in shallow center field – but overran it. It fell for a two-base error.
It seemed as fitting a time as any to note that the Braves plan to activate Michael Harris II on Wednesday. He’ll travel to San Francisco on Tuesday.
Not only will Harris give Atlanta’s batting order another regular, but he’ll immensely improve the defense in center field. Harris is among the game’s best defensive center fielders, and his instincts and glove will greatly benefit the Braves.
After the error, Sale gave up a single. Then he retired three straight Giants – two via the strikeout – as he began rolling.
He set the tone for the massive 1-0 victory.
“I mean, they’re fun, right?” Murphy said of games like this. “They’re tense, they’re tight. I like those 1-0 wins. I have a good seat (as a catcher).”
Stat to know
11 - Sale has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last 11 starts, dating to June 7. This is the longest run of starts with no more than two runs in baseball this season.
Quotable
“It’s no secret that they’re both excellent pitchers. They’re the best in the league. As far as Chris, he was tremendous out there. His effort deserved an excellent effort and outing from the bullpen as well for him.”-Iglesias on Sale, Snell and the victory
Up next
Charlie Morton will start for the Braves on Tuesday. The Giants will send left-hander Kyle Harrison to the mound. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m.
