The reality is that the Braves are over matched most games. They have several inexperienced players in major roles and, well, it shows.
“Sometimes you take your hat off and scratch your head,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said before playing the Phillies on Saturday at Turner Field. “But for the most part they’ve done a nice job and you’ve got to let them play and let them develop. We are trying to win ballgames at the same time.”
But for much of their game Saturday, it wasn’t about young Braves players making mistakes. This was a game in which rookie pitcher Ryan Weber gave the Braves a chance to win but squandered opportunities by veterans cost them—until first baseman Freddie Freeman came through with a big hit.
Freeman’s two-run double in the eighth inning lifted the Braves to a 2-1 victory. The Braves (59-90) won consecutive games for the first time since they won three in a row against the Marlins Aug. 6-8. They also won their third series in their last 12, with two of those coming against the Phillies (56-93).
“We’ve got the first two games out of the way and hopefully we can go out there and get the sweep tomorrow,” Freeman said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve done that. A lot of good things happened tonight and the last two games.”
The Phillies tried to rally in the ninth inning when Andres Blanco hit a one-out double against relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaino. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons saved a run with a diving catch for the second out. A wild pitch advanced Blanco to third before Vizcaino struck out Odubel Herrera to save the victory.
Weber’s third start in the majors was impressive. He held the Phillies to a run and two singles over seven innings.
“He moves the ball, he follows the glove, he fields his position,” Gonzalez said. “He does a lot of good stuff. I say let’s slow play it because he’s a young kid, you don’t want to all of a sudden make him Greg Maddux. But you know what? He competes.”
It looked as if Weber’s strong start wouldn’t be good enough with Braves hitters unable to generate any offense against Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff. Freeman finally broke through against relief pitcher Jerome Williams.
Nick Markakis led off the eighth with a single and Hector Olivera followed with a walk. Freeman had a full count when he smashed Williams’ pitch to deep left field, where Darnell Sweeney made a leaping attempt to catch the ball but couldn’t handle it as it caromed off of the wall.
“I knew he wasn’t going to try to walk bases loaded,” Freeman said. “I was looking backdoor cutter and he threw a two-seamer out where I was looking. I was just able to get a good part of the bat on it and hit it over the guy’s head.”
Freeman’s double salvaged what had been a frustrating offensive night for the Braves. They stranded three base runners in the second, when Simmons also made an unforced out at the plate, and left two runners on base in the third. A botched sacrifice bunt by Michael Bourn also hurt them in the seventh.
Weber couldn’t get any run support but had the best outing of his young career. In his debut Weber limited the Phillies to four hits and two runs over six innings. In his next start Weber was charged with two of his four runs allowed when Matt Marksberry gave up a single that scored two inherited runners.
In the rematch with the Phillies, Weber faced two more than the minimum 21 batters through seven innings. He walked two batters and stuck out five while throwing 61 strikes on 98 pitches.
“I knew I had to be a little more fine because they’d already seen me, and just mix my pitches more than I did last time,” Weber said.
The Phillies scored their one run against Weber in the second inning.
Brian Bogusevic led off with a hit and Carlos Ruiz followed with a single. Weber got Cody Asche to ground into a double play but Bogusevic scored. Freddy Galvis followed with a drive deep to right field that Markakis caught at the wall.
That’s all the Phillies could get against Weber. He was perfect in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Weber walked Darin Ruf with one out in the fourth inning but started a double play on Bogusevic’s ground ball back to him.
“He pitched awesome,” Freeman said. “He’s been doing that since he came up. He pounds the zone, he keeps the ball down and he keeps the defense in it.”
The Braves had a chance to get to Eickhoff in the second and third innings but couldn’t convert.
Back-to-back one out singles by Simmons and Jace Peterson put base runners at the corners for Bourn. He hit a ground ball to first baseman Ruf and Simmons made a break for home plate, where he was out on the throw. Weber struck out to end the inning.
Olivera knocked a one-out triple in the third. Right fielder Bogusevic gave chase but the drive sailed over his head and out of reach and hit the wall. It was the first triple for Olivera since he made his big-league debut on Sept. 1.
Freeman followed with a walk. But the rally fizzled when A.J. Pierzynski lined out softly to second base and Cameron Maybin popped out to foul territory in right field.
Peterson led off the seventh with a single. Bourn tried to move him with a bunt but the ball bounced just in front of the plate, making an easy play for catcher Ruiz to start a double play with a throw to second. Pinch hitter Nick Swisher grounded out to end the inning.
