Mike Foltynewicz is relishing a rematch with the Nationals.
The Braves pitcher was obliterated in his last start against Washington, on June 12. He was tagged for 11 hits and eight runs over 3 1/3 innings, the Braves’ lone loss of the series.
Since then, Foltynewicz has allowed four runs over his past 19 innings (three starts). In his last start, Foltynewicz took a no-hitter into the ninth inning Friday in Oakland, but surrendered a homer on a 3-2 pitch to Matt Olson.
“Whatever happened that game happened,” he said. “We’re on a good streak right now and have a couple good teams ahead of us before the break. We’re just worried about getting ready for Washington, watching video on them and seeing how their lineup’s looking now that (shortstop) Trea (Turner) is gone, all that. So we’re just getting ready for them for a good series before the break.”
As Foltynewicz noted, the loss of Turner changes the dynamic of the Nationals’ lineup. Between injuries and Washington’s porous bullpen, the Braves, despite sitting nine games back entering Wednesday’s game, see an opportunity.
The opener of the four-game set falls on Foltynewicz’s shoulders Thursday night. It will be his third start against the Nationals this season. Before the previous disaster, he limited them to two runs in seven innings April 18.
Foltynewicz is curious to see how the Nationals’ lineup looks, but one test remains the same: matching its aggression.
“Just stay aggressive with them,” he said. “I know they’re an aggressive hitting team. There’s nothing soft about that lineup. Everybody can go deep at any given moment. So if you get in trouble, you can’t give those guys any extra outs. It’s just about making quality pitches in those situations and go from there.
“But there’s a couple mechanical things I’ve fixed up, cleaned since then to put together some consistent outings. Hopefully they continue.”
Foltynewicz needed 104 pitches to get through five innings against Milwaukee in his last home start June 23. In his no-hit bid, Foltynewicz threw a career-high 119 pitches. He was still hitting 95 mph in the ninth.
The Braves could’ve considered a “phantom” stint on the disabled list for Foltynewicz, a popular trend since the implementation of the 10-day DL to give pitchers extra rest, but Foltynewicz said a few days clear that he’d recovered.
“A couple days after I felt a little more sore in places I hadn’t really felt before, but they’re all taken care of now,” he said. “But yeah, 119 pitches, I don’t think I’d thrown 105 this year, but my body felt good at that time, that 3-2 pitch with (Matt) Olson, battled him. But a couple quick pitches, other than that, I felt pretty good. I probably would’ve went deeper if other things had happened. But the arm feels good now, and I’m focused on Washington.”
With the trade deadline three weeks away, rumors swirl that the Braves could pursue help for the top of their rotation. But assistance may come internally through Foltynewicz’s development.
The Braves acquired Foltynewicz from Houston in the Evan Gattis trade in 2015, and he was regarded as a hard-throwing, high-upside arm. There have been flashes, and his recent outings might provide more hope than ever.
Since May 12, Foltynewicz has allowed three or less runs in eight of 10 starts. He’s allowed one or less in six of them. He’s collected nine and eight strikeouts in his past two starts, respectively.
Foltynewicz owns a 3.83 ERA with 76 strikeouts over 87 innings in 2017. His fastball has averaged 94.5 mph, and he leads the team in strikeouts (76). Foltynewicz’s control has been a bit sporadic, and his 30 walks rank 34th in the majors. The continued progress of his strikeout and walk rates will determine his ceiling.
But for now, the Braves would take an encore of his previous three outings when they land in D.C.
“It’s a huge series,” Foltynewicz said. “We knew this going out to the west coast, you know, that the week and a half leading up to it was going to be huge. Even if we can split this series, it’s going to be huge. Obviously we want to win all of them, but even to split, stay with them, all the wild-card stuff. … It’s going to be a fun series.”
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