A.J. Pierzynski was in the middle of some pivotal plays for the Braves Wednesday night, including one that went completely awry and turned the game around.
After his single in the fourth inning gave the Braves a 1-0 lead against the Nationals, Pierzynski’s missed catch on an all-around messy play with two out in the seventh let in the tying run and opened the door to a three-run inning in a 3-1 loss at Turner Field.
The Nationals completed a sweep of the two-game season-opening series and have won 23 of the past 32 games between the teams.
“Our pitching was tremendous and it just seemed like every time we didn’t take care of the baseball they put a crooked number up,” said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose team is 0-2 for the first time since starting 0-4 in 2012, “We weren’t able to match them. We didn’t take care of the baseball. Good teams, you give them extra outs they are going to do that.”
The Braves had runners on first and third in the ninth inning when Pierzynski struck out against Jonathan Papelbon to end the game. Adonis Garcia’s third hit of the game was a ninth-inning single off Papelbon. Nick Markakis followed with another single before Hector Olivera hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out.
The seventh inning spoiled a strong Braves debut for veteran starter Bud Norris, who allowed only one runner to reach base through the first six innings.
Ryan Zimmerman was the second National to make it to second base, getting there after a leadoff single in the seventh. Two outs later he was at second when Wilson Ramos hit a ground ball that shortstop Erick Aybar fielded behind the base before spinning and bounced a throw that pulled Freddie Freeman off first base.
Gonzalez thought Aybar would normally make the play; Aybar said he tried to bounce the throw to Freeman because he was off-balance and didn’t want his throw to sail high and wide.
Regardless, the Braves still had a chance to end the inning because Zimmerman had barreled around third base and was going to try to score. Strong-armed Freeman made a throw that was to the right of Pierzynski, but catchable. Pierzynski turned too soon to attempt a tag, missing the throw entirely as the tying run scored.
One intentional walk later, pinch-hitter Matt den Dekker hit a two-run double off the base of the center-field wall for a 3-1 Nationals lead. The game was turned upside-down quickly and succinctly.
The play that let in the tying run was surprisingly ruled a throwing error on Freeman, and was the second time in as many games that Pierzynski failed to make a catch in a crucial situation. The other was a bounced throw to the plate in the ninth inning Monday, turning a would-be game-ending double play into a tying run.
Norris was charged with six hits, three runs and two walks in seven innings, and Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg gave up six hits, one run and three walks in six innings.
Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte erased Bryce Harper after a leadoff single in the fourth by making a sensational catch on a Ryan Zimmerman fly to the right-center gap, then a strong throw to first to double up Harper.
