Braves hitters pummel Tigers and lefty Daniel Norris
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Grapefruit League results will be forgotten a week from now, but Braves manager Brian Snitker was nonetheless pleased to see his squad finally break out the bats in a big way Monday night against the Tigers.
The Braves had their best offensive night of the spring, piling up 19 hits in an 11-3 rout against the Tigers at Champion Stadium. That included 13 hits and nine runs in three innings against left-handed starter Daniel Norris.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was 3-for-4 with three singles and three RBIs, raising his average to .500 (20-for-40) with 10 RBIs in 15 games.
Rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and three runs scored in four plate appearances, his first hits in six games since returning from a two-week absence for a strained side. He’s hit .313 with a .421 OBP and .500 slugging percentage in 12 games.
Norris left the game after giving up hits to the first four batters in the fourth inning. The lefty entered with a 3.00 ERA in five spring starts and had not allowed more than two runs in a game until Monday.
