The Braves lost to the Cubs 9-3 Thursday night at Truist Park.
Here are five observations from the game:
1. The Braves were hoping to squeeze a start out of Bryse Wilson on three days of rest. It didn’t work. Wilson worked three innings and left with a 4-0 deficit. The Cubs started right away with two first-inning runs. Ronald Acuna robbed Anthony Rizzo of a hit with a catch at the wall to start the game. However, the Cubs followed with three straight singles, including Kris Bryant’s run-scoring hit. The Cubs plated another run when Wilson slipped on the delivery of a pitch, which he never released, and was called for a balk.
Wilson allowed seven hits and two walks. He struck out one. As manager Brian Snitker said before the game, Josh Tomlin was the first reliever. He was followed by Nate Jones, Grant Dayton and Jesse Biddle.
The Cubs scored two runs each in the first, third, fifth and seventh and a single run in the ninth. They totaled 16 hits. They also left 12 men on base.
“Not as sharp, not as consistent,” Snitker said of Wilson. “That’s the biggest thing. It’s one of the things a young pitcher has to work on. You repeat your delivery. Your consistency. Making pitches. Things he’ll learn.”
2. The Braves managed single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Marcell Ozuna homered in the sixth, blasting a 1-0 pitch 479 feet over the left-field fence. It was his third of the season, and second in as many days. The Braves scored one in the seventh on an RBI single from Acuna and had a chance for more but Freddie Freeman grounded into a 1-6-3 double play to end the threat.
3. Austin Riley continued his hot streak at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Over the past four games, the third baseman is 8-for-15 with three RBIs.
“I’m putting good swings together,” Riley said of his recent streak. “It’s only nine or 10 days. I have to continue to put it all together.”
In 10 games since April 18, he is hitting .483. His batting average has risen 100 points to .301 during the span.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
4. The Braves finished the seven-game homestand with a 4-3 record. Snitker declared the stint a success, even as it included a doubleheader sweep, where they totaled just one hit, against the Diamondbacks. Several Braves players, such as Ozzie Albies (2-for-4 with a double Thursday), Freeman, Ozuna and Riley, began to find success at the plate. For Albies, it was his third straight multi-hit game. He leads the National League with nine doubles.
“We saw some life with the offense,” Snitker said.
5. The Braves could not complete a four-game sweep of the Cubs after winning the first three of the series. They dropped to 12-13, failing to go over .500 for the first time this season. They remained tied atop the N.L. East standings with the Phillies, who lost to the Cardinals in 10 innings. The idle Mets remain a half-game back at 9-10.
Quote of the game
“Hitting everything really. Staying behind the ball. Staying inside the ball. Where it’s pitched. It’s been pretty good.” – Brian Snitker on Austin Riley
Stat of the game
6-for-18: The Cubs totals with runners in scoring position
Fact of the game
The Braves announced an attendance of 19,661 for the last home game before the stadium opens to 100% capacity on May 7 when the team returns from a six-game road trip.
