The Braves put on a show for the 40,731 in attendance on Alumni Day.
Defeating the Marlins 7-2 on Saturday night, the Braves clinched their first series win since sweeping the Diamondbacks on July 14-16. It’s their second series win since the All-Star break.
Mike Foltynewicz pitched 6 1/3 innings, setting a new career-high with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
“Everything felt good today,” Foltynewicz said. “… I kept the team in it and I knew they’d break out in the end like that always do. It was overall a great team win and I’m very excited for it.”
“He was really good tonight,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “Everything was hitting. I thought the breaking ball was really good. Fastball, he was locating good … There’s a lot that’s really good to watch in him, how he’s matured, and had the confidence in himself and just even pitch to pitch and how he’s regrouping … That was really good to see tonight.”
Snitker said Foltynewicz’s performance was in line with his near-no-hitter in Oakland last month. Foltynewicz’s lone mistake was a high 96-mph fastball that Giancarlo Stanton planted in the seats. Snitker was surprised Stanton even hit it, and Foltynewicz tipped his cap, saying he missed his spot and the slugger made him pay.
“I think on the plate appearance before I got him up there a little bit … he must’ve been waiting for it or something,” Foltynewicz said.
The game initially moved at a rapid pace, with Marlins starter Dan Straily matching Foltynewicz pitch-by-pitch. Before the Braves broke through in the sixth, there had been 15 strikeouts, one walk and five base runners.
“He’s been pitching great and he attacked the zones,” said Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who’s hitting .333 on the homestand. “Every pitch he threw was a strike. He was getting ahead of hitters, throwing mid-90s, upper 90s … He’s grown up … He’s not letting one little pitch, one call that doesn’t go his way affect his whole start. So it’s been big for us, been big for him.”
Freeman had four RBIs, including a three-run homer, improving his season average with runners in scoring position to .415. He has 20 homers for sixth time in his career despite missing 44 games with a broken wrist.
“It feels good,” Freeman said. “I’m just trying to be more consistent … Starting to feel a little bit better. Multi-hit games in three of the last four, so hopefully I can keep that up.”
After Stanton’s homer, the Braves struck for two runs courtesy Freeman and Nick Markakis.
“It shows you’re never out of a game,” Snitker said. “Because that guy (Straily) was strapping us. He was throwing really well. The way they were both throwing it looked like we were going to get done before dark starting out.”
The Braves pulled away with a five-run seventh. Foltynewicz said SunTrust Park may have been the loudest it’s been this season on Freeman’s homer.
“It’s really cool,” Snitker said of the crowd support. “The last two nights have been awesome. The place has been packed. There’s been a lot of energy. Fans were really into it, and the guys feed off that. That energizes them too. When it gets like that, this place is fun.”
The fans used their phone lights on the chop chant, and the stadium lights were dimmed as they illuminated the stands.
“That was cool, with the lights and all that stuff,” Freeman said. “It’s something that’s new. The crowd was really into it and Brandon (Phillips) got the big hit right there to get us a bigger lead and I was able to tack on some insurance. But having a crowd like that and into it, a weekend series, you know we fed off that.”
Sam Freeman, Jason Motte, Luke Jackson and Arodys Vizcaino finished the game for the Braves. Snitker said he considered using the newly promoted Max Fried before the game, but the in-game situation didn’t dictate it. He wanted Fried to absorb the major league scene from the sidelines first.
Foltynewicz was dinged for five runs in four innings in Philadelphia July 31. He prides himself on bouncing back.
“That’s the big key, you don’t really want to keep going downhill after a bad start,” Foltynewicz said. “I make it a goal of mine after every rough outing to go back out there better than ever the next time and I take pride on that coming out, being consistent. It’s very cool to see that and all your hard work pay off.”
The Braves go for the sweep Sunday with rookie Lucas Sims making his second career start.
