Braves Report: So close to a no-hitter, somewhat close to an Acuña return

The home team’s back within two games of .500 after last night’s 4-0 win over the Reds.

But that’s a pretty boring way to sell a ballgame that had a little bit of everything, isn’t it?

And I haven’t even mentioned the Ronald Acuña update we’ve got coming!

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

What baseball oddity do the Braves and Reds have in store for us tonight?

📺 How to watch: First pitch arrives at 7:15 p.m. on FanDuel Sports. And, of course, at Truist Park.

They’re giving away Braves race cars (the replica kind) to the first 15,000 folks through the gate.

⚾ The starters: Chris Sale (1-3, 4.84) vs. Andrew Abbott (2-0, 2.84).

Sale will try again to regain his Cy Young form. Abbott has struck out 23 batters in 19 innings spread across four starts this year.

THE NEAR NO-NO

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Let’s not read too much into it. Remember: Sean Newcomb once came within one out of a no-hitter. Mike Foltynewicz took one into the ninth, too.

Those guys didn’t exactly pan out.

But what a performance from AJ Smith-Shawver last night.

🤩 You’ve probably heard what happened. But let’s revel in it: The 22-year-old took a no-hitter all the way to the eighth before Cincinnati infielder Santiago Espinal broke things up with a single.

Smith-Shawver responded by closing out the inning — and departing to a boisterous ovation from both the Truist Park crowd and his teammates.

Somehow, the Braves haven’t recorded a no-hitter since Kent Mercker in 1994. That’s the fourth-longest drought in the majors.

History will have to wait — but Smith-Shawver may be making good on the potential we’ve talked about for years now.

🤩 Said first baseman Matt Olson: “A lot of guys have to go through the ups and downs and kind of weather the storm a little bit. He’s always had a good attitude any time he’s gone down or come back up — kind of seamlessly fit back in. Good dude in the clubhouse and a great pitcher, so you get really excited for nights like this.”

After the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker suggested Smith-Shawver had found a footing with his fastball.

That could be good news for the embattled Atlanta rotation — and bad news for the rest of baseball.

🤩 Said Smith-Shawver: “I haven’t really thought about it, but it was just one of those feelings. That’s what you dream about as a kid, going out there and playing the game you love. Just trying to take it all in right now.”

OLSON’S ODD ROUND-TRIP

Fourth inning. Austin Riley on first, Matt Olson at the plate.

Olson drove the ball to left field. A rocket hooking toward the line. Reds rookie Tyler Callihan sprinted, reached out and snagged it and crashed into the wall.

The ball fell from the glove at the end of Callihan’s broken arm — and Olson kept on running (I don’t necessarily recommend watching video of the play, but here it is.)

😬 Not your usual inside-the-park home run, if such a thing exists. Annnd I’m not really sure how it wasn’t ruled a catch. But we’ll take it!

Olson’s was just the second inside-the-parker in Truist Park history, and the first by a Brave. (Yuli Gurriel of the Marlins hit one off Jesse Chavez in 2023.)
Fourteen Braves players have hit inside-the-park home runs in the Atlanta era, but only three have done it at home: Olson, Jeff Blauser (1992) and Wes Helms (2001).

Yes, Wes Helms! Here’s visual proof.

ACUÑA EN ROUTE

The Braves (kinda sorta) provided a clearer picture of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return from knee surgery.

🤔 The basics: Acuña is in Florida completing the final stages of his rehab, running and cutting included.

He doesn’t need to revisit the doctor that did his surgery again.
He’ll begin a rehab assignment (as in, play in real live minor league games) sometime this month.

🤔 The fallout: As our friend Justin Toscano points out, Atlanta‘s developed a bit of a logjam in the outfield in Acuña‘s absence.

Alex Verdugo (who hit two more doubles last night) figures to be the favorite for the third outfield spot when Acuña returns.

But Eli White has earned playing time, too — and Jurickson Profar may also join the mix come the end of June.

Who do you want to see in the outfield moving forward? Let me know!

STRIDER, TOO?

This is, admittedly, not a particularly enlightening update on Spencer Strider’s potential return from a hamstring strain. But it’s what we’ve got.

📱 Via beat writer Justin Toscano’s X account: “Spencer Strider played long toss yesterday, Brian Snitker said. Process is moving along nicely, Snit said.”