The pessimist or cynic might nitpick the Braves for some of the concerning moments over three games against the Reds, who are expected to be one of baseball’s worst teams.
That would simply take away from this: The Braves swept Cincinnati with a 5-4 victory Wednesday, their third one-run win in as many games versus the Reds.
This was a nice response for a team that lost three of four to the Padres to begin its first homestand. Now it’s off to Kansas City and San Diego.
Here are five observations on the game:
1. In a tie game, Eddie Rosario, who must feel unlucky to this point, picked the perfect spot for his best moment so far.
Facing Buck Farmer, Rosario saw a 94-mph fastball up and away. He deposited it 398 feet over the wall in center field for a go-ahead homer that decided the game.
“I’ve done it all of my career,” he said of catching up to the high fastball. “I have a good swing. I like (the) fastball up. It’s talent. I feel blessed.”
The backstory made this moment even better: The Braves have felt encouraged by Rosario’s at-bats. The expected stats – which try to account for bad luck – say his real numbers should be better. But he entered the game batting .194.
He has waited for the results.
“I’ve just been staying patient,” Rosario said through interpreter Franco García. “I know I’ve been putting some good swings on the ball, I know I’ve been making good contact and have been hitting the ball hard. So, just stayed positive during that whole stretch when I felt like I was just being a little bit unlucky. Just kept being positive and putting good swings on the ball. I knew it would hit and, fortunately, I feel like it kind of hit at the right moment.”
Can this get Rosario going?
“Hope so,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “If not that, I don’t know what. He’s had some good at-bats, good contact, not much to show for it, so that was, I’m sure, a big weight off his shoulders to finally hit that first one.”
2. Until Rosario’s homer, the Braves never led this game. Then again, they experienced nail-biting moments in the first two contests, as they had to put together comeback efforts each night.
Let’s say it together: This team is never out of a game.
“I mean, they keep giving themselves chances. It’s good,” Snitker said. “This series shows (it). When they got behind, we just kind of stayed the course.”
On Wednesday, the Reds jumped out to a two-run lead, then the Braves tied it. Twice, the Reds scored a run in the top half – once in the third inning, and again in the seventh – before the Braves matched it in the bottom half.
At 9-4, the Braves have the National League’s best record.
“I’ve said it multiple times, I feel like the chemistry that we have within this team is really what gives the guys the strength to go out there and perform and compete,” Orlando Arcia said through García. “I think that’s the key to our success.”
3. In the bottom of the second inning, Reds starter Hunter Greene’s 98-mph pitch plunked Arcia on the left wrist. Arcia seemed to be in a lot of pain from the moment the pitch hit him.
He stayed in the game, then played another defensive inning, then eventually departed the game for further evaluation.
X-rays came back negative, so there’s no fracture.
“I think any time you take a 98-mph ball to the wrist, I think everyone’s first notion is that it’s broken,” Arcia said. “Fortunately, that’s not the case and it doesn’t seem to be anything severe, so that’s good.”
Atlanta is already without Max Fried, Michael Harris II, Travis d’Arnaud, Raisel Iglesias and Collin McHugh.
Arcia is day to day.
4. Ronald Acuña Jr., who is back to himself, carried the offense with three RBIs.
In the second inning, he hit a two-run single off Greene to tie the game. In the seventh, he tied the game again with another run-scoring single.
5. Braves starter Spencer Strider allowed three runs over five innings. He didn’t implode, but Strider expects better from himself.
“Not my best effort,” Strider said. “I feel like I sort of put the team in a bad spot. You’ve got to credit them for picking me up and finding a way to win the game. I’ve got to get better. It’s early, there’s a lot of time to do that, but I’m certainly not pleased with my performance.”
Stat to know
4 - The Braves lead the majors with four one-run wins this season. Last year, Atlanta went 26-18 in one-run games, the third-best mark in the National League.
Quotable
“Obviously our offense, you can’t count them out, no matter what. The fight they show all the time is impressive every day.” - Strider
Up next
After Thursday’s off day, Charlie Morton will start Friday’s series opener in Kansas City. The Braves’ lineup will see Royals right-hander Brady Singer. The game begins at 8:10 p.m. ET.
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