Starter Kevin Gausman and third baseman Josh Donaldson made their spring debuts Friday night in the Braves’ 5-4 win over the Phillies.
Gausman, whose spring has been stalled by shoulder soreness, pitched 1-1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. But the righty made it through pain-free and remains on track to pitch within the first week of the regular season.
“I felt good for the first outing, getting back out there and getting used to sitting down and getting back up,” Guasman said. “Nothing emulates a game like a game. No matter how many sim games you do or live (batting practices), you know you’ll always be a little bit rusty.”
Gausman allowed a single and double to open the night. He induced a pair of outs before former Brave Sean Rodriguez knocked in the Phillies’ second run. Gausman faced two hitters in the second and left responsible for a runner at first who went on to score.
“I was a little quick to the plate today,” he said. “That’s why I was a little sporadic. I definitely could throw more strikes in the future, and hope to, but I’ll take it right now. The ball was coming out really good. One thing I’m trying to focus on is driving through my legs and I feel like I’m doing that now”
On the offensive end, Josh Donaldson took two enormous hacks at the first pitches he saw from Zach Eflin. He drew a 3-2 count and popped out to short to finish his first at-bat.
In Donaldson’s second chance, he exuded more patience and walked on four pitches. He also made a nice defensive play, snagging a liner at third.
“Today I wanted to be aggressive,” he said. “I hadn’t seen live pitching in about a week or so. … I wanted to see my timing, see some pitches. I felt like I saw the ball well. Probably moved a little quicker than normal just because of a little excitement and adrenaline.”
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