Looking to rebound after the bullpen crumbled the night before, the Braves put on a dominant performance Saturday to defeat the Rays 9-0 and improve to 45-46 on the season.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
1. In a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth, Freddie Freeman hit a first-pitch single to lead off the inning. Ozzie Albies hit an RBI double to score Freeman and advanced on an error. A few batters and an Austin Riley sacrifice fly later, the Rays decided to intentionally walk Kevan Smith to bring up pitcher Max Fried with two outs and two on.
Fried hit a two-RBI double to extend the Braves’ lead to 4-0. Then Joc Pederson hit his first homer as a Brave to make it 6-0.
It’s the Braves’ 19th game in which they’ve scored at least seven runs and they’re 15-4 in those games.
2. Pederson’s Braves debut resulted in a game-ending groundout in the 10th inning Friday. Saturday went much better for the former All-Star, with two hits and a two-run homer.
“Awesome fans, awesome atmosphere and I’m just happy I was able to help out to a win,” Pederson said.
Welcome to Atlanta, @yungjoc650!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/Z7LFkR2y9X
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 18, 2021
He led off for the Braves in an unconventional lineup that had Dansby Swanson and Freeman follow Pederson. Manager Brian Snitker has said multiple times in recent weeks that he’s going to go with the hottest bats at the top of the lineup.
That paid off Saturday with Pederson getting an eighth-inning single too.
3. Fried had one of the best starts in his career, going seven innings, allowing just four hits, one walk and finishing with seven strikeouts. Perhaps more impressive was Fried’s night at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
“I’m going to go up there and take my best at-bat every time,” Fried said. “When the opportunity arises, I just go up there and try to make it a tough at-bat. You know you’re not going to be successful a lot. Hitting is extremely hard.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
4. Freeman and Swanson continue to be great in July. Freeman hit his 21st homer of the season, as well as the single to lead off the six-run fourth inning. He’s hitting .285 with a .901 OPS.
“We talked about it early in the year and just wait somebody’s going to pay,” Snitker said. “The dude is an elite player. The back of that baseball card doesn’t lie.”
Swanson extended his hit streak to six games with an RBI double in the sixth inning to make it an 8-0 game. The shortstop also made several impressive stops on defense.
5. The bullpen rebounded as relievers Tyler Matzek and Edgar Santana combined to allow just one walk and no hits in two innings of work. It’s the pitching staff’s sixth straight game with at least eight strikeouts.
Stat to know
10 (The Braves are 10-1 in games where the starting pitcher goes at least seven innings)
Quotable
“The dude rakes. He’s going to be Shohei Ohtani soon.” (Joc Pederson on Fried’s performance as a hitter)
Up next
The Braves will look to win their first series after the All-Star break with left-hander Drew Smyly (7-3, 4.48) facing off with lefty Rich Hill (6-4, 3.74) at 1:20 p.m. Sunday.
