If Touki Toussaint pitches like that, he might carve out a role on these contending Braves before the regular season concludes.
The 22-year-old made his major-league debut Monday in game one of a doubleheader against the Marlins. He threw steered through six innings, permitting just a run in the Braves’ 9-1 win.
“It was surreal going out there,” Toussaint said. “You throw that first pitch, get that out of the way and it’s a game. You’ve got to have fun.”
The circumstances were in Toussaint’s favor: There was a low-pressured light mid-afternoon SunTrust Park crowd, and he faced what amounts to a quad-A lineup for the rebuilding Marlins. He made the most of it, dazzling at times while his offense went to work.
The Braves plated five runs in the sixth, ballooning a 3-1 lead into a seven-run advantage.
Ronald Acuna’s two-RBI double was the highlight. Acuna scored on Ozzie Albies’ ensuing hit. Freddie Freeman and Charlie Culberson added RBIs courtesy a sacrifice fly and double, respectively.
Acuna opened the game with a home run, his 16th of the year and third since moving to leadoff. He’s been a revelation at the spot, engineering his best performances of the season and energizing an offense that had tailed off around the All-Star break.
“It feels good,” Acuna said through an interpreter. “It feels good to support (Toussaint) offensively and defensively.”
Similar can be said of Johan Camargo since he secured regular time at third base. His RBI-double gave the Braves their first lead in the fourth.
But it was Toussaint’s day. He showcased his already-venerable curveball along with a fastball that touched 96 mph. He visible expressed emotion and excitement, illustrating the charisma teammates and opponents have repeatedly described.
After an easy 12-pitch first, Toussaint allowed the first three Marlins to reach base in the second. Isaac Galloway’s double plated a run, but Toussaint settled in to dispose of the next three, two via strikeout.
“It was really good,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Just in control of himself. I didn’t really he’s such an athlete. The kid’s live body, looks like he knows what he’s doing. Controls the running game, fields his position. ... I really like the assortment he has.”
Toussaint set down nine of the next 10, his only mistake hitting J.T. Realmuto. He had retired eight in a row before walking Realmuto in the sixth, but induced a 3-6-1 double play to complete the inning.
