Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos, take a bow.
Three of his trade-deadline acquisitions, sluggers Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler and Joc Pederson, combined to produce five runs in the Braves’ 7-4 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis on Wednesday night.
“They all had a big part of a big win today,” manager Brian Snitker said. “All of them. It’s very encouraging. It’s good for those guys to step in, be a part and help us win a tough game. That’s a really good win for us.”
Here are five takeaways from Wednesday:
1. The Braves fell behind 3-0 in the first inning due to Nolan Arenado’s homer off starter Drew Smyly. The hole didn’t seem as challenging to overcome with the Braves’ new-look, power-laden lineup.
Soler mashed a solo shot that pulled the Braves within a run before Duvall’s two-run blast in the sixth put the Braves ahead, 4-3. After the Cardinals tied it in the seventh, the Braves put the game away with a masterfully executed eighth.
Third baseman Austin Riley and shortstop Dansby Swanson greeted Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos with singles. It was the final hit of Swanson’s four-hit night. Outfielder Guillermo Heredia then battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a seven-pitch walk, loading the bases with none out.
Catcher Stephen Vogt, acquired in mid-July, had a sacrifice fly to put the Braves ahead. Pinch-hitter Pederson, who’s been stellar since joining the team at the All-Star break, drove in two insurance runs with a double.
2. Soler’s fifth-inning homer was his sixth home run in nine games. The 29-year-old had six homers and 29 RBIs in his first 80 games this season. He has nine homers and 12 RBIs in his past 18.
“Obviously the home runs, but even the balls he’s just missing, he’s been putting the barrel to the ball,” Duvall said. “He’s been impressive to watch. He’s been great. Just putting the barrel on the ball is important for a guy like him, because anytime he does that he can do damage.
In four games with his new team, Soler has homered twice and had a three-hit performance. The Braves’ revamped outfield has impressed. And because of it, the season feels like it’s trending in a positive direction for the first time in quite a while.
“A guy like that, he’s such a threat when he comes up,” Snitker said. “I like having him in there. When he hit that homer that cut the score to 3-2, it’s early in the game where you’re like, ‘OK. This is doable. We have a good chance right here of pulling this out.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
3. Soler, Duvall, Pederson and Vogt each joined the team last month. They had six of the Braves’ seven RBIs.
“You want to come in and do well right when you get here,” Duvall said. “Just settling in, the comfort level, you’re wanting to get in and get working. Guys here have routines. You’re just trying to fit in without messing anyone else’s routine up, but being able to contribute is huge.”
4. The Braves’ bullpen, after notching three scoreless frames Tuesday, held the Cardinals to one run over five innings. Newcomer Richard Rodriguez was among the five relievers, logging his third scoreless innings with the team.
Over the past four games, the bullpen has surrendered two runs over 15 innings. The Braves are 3-1 in that time.
5. The Braves’ remarkable run of alternating wins and losses finally ended with their second consecutive victory.
The streak was snapped at 17 games. How incomprehensible was the run? From the Braves’ media relations: The probably of flipping a coin 17 times and alternating heads and tails is 1 in 65,574. The odds of finding a four-leaf clover is 1 in 10,000 and the probability of being struck by lighting is 1 in 15,300.
Stat to know
2-12 (The Braves moved to 2-12 in their last 14 attempts at reaching the .500 mark.)
Quotable
“The guys we acquired were all instrumental in making (the win) happen.” – Snitker
Perfectly balanced
The Braves are 27-27 at home. They’re 27-27 on the road. They’re 54-54 overall with 54 games remaining.
Up next
The Braves and Cardinals finish their series Thursday when Touki Toussaint (1-2, 4.76) faces lefty Wade LeBlanc (0-2, 4.17).
