They overcame another early multi-run deficit Tuesday, as the Braves have done a few times during the first five games of a 10-game trip. And once again the Braves’ comeback only ended in a wrenching loss, spoiling a strong start by rookie pitcher Mike Foltynewicz.
Devin Mesoraco’s pinch-hit double with one out in the ninth inning off Jason Grilli gave the Reds a 4-3 win to even the series at Great American Ball Park. Michael Lorenzen scored from first on the play when cannon-armed shortstop Andrelton Simmons dropped left fielder’s Jonny Gomes’ throw as Simmons was trying to catch and fire to the plate.
“They hit the ball right in the corner over there,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, “and nine times out of 10 Simba (Simmons) makes that exchange and he’s out by 20 feet at the plate. And today we didn’t make that exchange.”
Grilli, who had missed three games with back spasms and not pitched since Wednesday, gave up consecutive hits to former Brave Brayan Pena and Mesoraco. He said he felt fine physically, if a little rusty with his command.
Lorenzen, the second-fastest runner on the Reds, pinch-ran for Pena and rounded third as the ball reached Simmons.
“I thought (Simmons) had a really good chance,” Gomes said. “I think when the ball was in his glove, I don’t even think (Lorenzen) was even at (third) base yet. Just rushed it too much. But just talking about the arm he has, what he showed throwing (Bryce Harper) out at Washington, I thought (Lorenzen) would be out by a mile. I was surprised they actually sent him.”
The Braves trailed 2-0 after Todd Frazier’s first-inning homer off Foltynewicz, who didn’t give up another run until the seventh in his third major league start. The Braves scored two in the third on Kelly Johnson’s RBI double and Alberto Callaspo’s sacrifice fly, and took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on doubles by Jace Peterson and Nick Markakis.
After getting plenty of run support in winning his first two starts, Foltynewicz demonstrated for much of Tuesday’s game that he’s more than just a top prospect with a big arm and a first-round pedigree. Through six innings, the big right-hander showed even more than he had in his previous starts that he belonged in the big leagues.
But in the seventh, he reminded that there is still work to be done. He is a 23-year-old rookie, after all.
With the Braves leading 3-2, he gave up a tying run in the seventh on an unearned run after Foltynewicz’s errant throw to second base on a bunt by Zack Cozart. Pena led off the inning with a single and advanced on Cozart’s bunt and Foltynewicz’s throw to center field.
Billy Hamilton followed with another bunt that advanced the runners to second and third, and Marlon Byrd’s sacrifice fly drove in the tying run and ended Foltynewicz’s night. Luis Avilan was brought in to face Joey Votto and got him on a broken-bat grounder to end the inning with a runner at third and the score tied.
Foltynewicz was charged with six hits, two runs and four walks in 6 2/3 innings, and several of his seven strikeouts came when he needed them most. He gave up a two-run homer to Frazier with two out in the first inning, that coming after a crucial mistake — walking Votto after being ahead 0-2 in the count.
“One bad pitch there in the beginning,” Foltynewicz said. “I really couldn’t find the fastball to Frazier and just let one go over the plate. But other than that I think I pitched well. Just a couple of mistakes there, with the throwing error, too, which I think cost us the game.”
The Braves led the majors with a .318 average with runners in scoring position before the series, but have gone 4-for-25 in those situations the past two nights, including 2-for-13 Tuesday.
Braves 38-year-old catcher A.J. Pierzynski threw out two would-be base stealers and became just the second catcher to throw out Hamilton in 19 stolen-base attempts this season.
Foltynewicz allowed only two more runners to reach second base through six innings, and each time he struck out the next batter to get out of the inning.
“Folty was outstanding,” Gonzalez said. “I think every chance we get to get him in those situations, it’s going to be good for him…. The situation with fielding his position late in the game is a little different that fielding his position early in the game, or in Double-A or Triple-A. So all those situations you can put him in, and the more you can put him in, the better he’s going to be. Two-out walk in the first inning, after two strikes, four straight pitches (to Votto). Then Frazier gets him. That’s a learning point right there.”
