It’s April 9, and this is the first newsletter I’ve gotten to write immediately following a Braves win. (The first win was on a Friday night, and we only bless your inbox on weekdays.)
Wild times.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Let’s make it two in a row against the Phils, eh?
📺 Where to watch: First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. on FanDuel Sports. And MLB Network, if you’re not in the Atlanta market.
⚾ The starters: Grant Holmes (0-1, 7.20 ERA) goes for the Braves. Taijuan Walker (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the mound for Philadelphia.
- Most Phillies hitters only have one or two at-bats against Holmes.
- The Braves beat Walker up pretty good in his one start against them last season.
🚨 Bobblehead alert: It’s Chris Sale bobblehead night at Truist Park. If you snag one, send me a picture!
SPEAKING OF SALE …
How worried are we about last year’s Cy Young winner?
The bats and bullpen came through strong in last night’s 7-5 win. But Sale struggled again, surrendering five runs and nine hits in just 4 2/3 innings.
He’s yet to last more than five innings in any of his starts and sports an ugly 6.75 ERA.
🗣️ The man himself said this: “I just have to find the groove. It’s not clicked yet. It’s not all put together, which is frustrating because I felt like I was kind of there in spring training.”
A return to form would be much appreciated by Atlanta, especially with Reynaldo Lopez now officially on the shelf for 12-plus weeks.
THAT’S THE STUFF
Say hello to Sean Murphy, everybody. His ribs seem OK.
Murphy kicked off his season debut with a three-run shot in the second inning, then added an RBI single in the sixth.
“That was a nice little shot in the arm overall for us with the way we’ve been struggling,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We have to make it happen and we did.”
☀️ More positive signs: Everyone in the Braves lineup got a hit. And third baseman Austin Riley, who has looked utterly lost at the plate at times, delivered two doubles — including one that drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.
BULLPEN BREAKDOWN
As referenced earlier, the Braves bullpen came through in a big way Tuesday night, piecing together 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
But with all the early-season movement, you’d be forgiven for wondering … who, exactly, is in the Braves bullpen these days.
Here’s a quick look at the current roster — but know that the team also acquired righty Rafael Montero from the Astros on Tuesday.
- Aaron Bummer
- Enyel De Los Santos (signed minor league deal in offseason)
- Daysbel Hernandez
- Raisel Iglesias
- Pierce Johnson
- Dylan Lee
- Jose Suarez (acquired in Ian Anderson trade)
- Zach Thompson (added last week when Jesse Chavez was designated for assignment)
We’re still waiting to see if old friend Craig Kimbrel makes his way back to the majors, too.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Billye Suber Aaron, widow of Braves legend Hank Aaron, made an appearance at Truist Park on Tuesday, as the team commemorated the 51st anniversary of Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run.
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Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
