Tuesday's Braves Report: Braves win pitchers' showdown in nightcap; Fried hurt, pen stumbles; a talk with Markakis; a look at the Braves, Nats and Mets; trade talk; minor-league update
Inciarte late-game heroics save Braves; Fried leaves early, Nats get to the bullpen
Ender Inciarte brought in Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis with a triple to right to lead Atlanta to a 3-1 win over Washington in the second game of a D.C. doubleheader.
Max Fried took a liner off the hip and left after two innings with a groin injury, and the Nationals took advantage with four in the fourth off Kolby Allard for an 8-3 win in the first game.
It was quite a duel in the nightcap between starters Sean Newcomb and Max Scherzer.
Newcomb went six innings, with six strikeouts and two walks with five hits and a run. Scherzer matched him in strikeouts, had one less walk and hit in seven innings, both leaving a 1-1 tie.
Dan Winkler got an out and Jesse Biddle went a nice 1.2 innings – four Ks - before A.J. Minter took over for the ninth.
Ryan Zimmerman led off the bottom half with a double to left, Daniel Murphy popped out but Michael Taylor took a pitch on the first to put two on.
But Matt Wieters lined to Johan Camargo at third, and he doubled up a breaking Zimmerman easily to end the game.
Markakis and Inciarte each had two hits for Atlanta.
In the opener, the Nationals got 12 hits, three from Trea Turner and Ryan Zimmerman and two from Bryce Harper and Juan Soto.
Ozzie Albies and Nick Markakis each had two hits for the Braves, who stranded six, four less than the Nationals.
Braves make moves between games
A conversation with Nick Markakis
How the Braves, Phillies and Nats got here
Next 5
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m., at Washington, FSSE
Thursday, 1:05 p.m., at Washington, MLB/FSSE
10
Friday, 7:35 p.m., vs. Milwaukee, FSSO
Saturday, 7:10 p.m., vs. Milwaukee, FS1
Sunday, 1:35 p.m., vs. Milwaukee, FSSO
From beat writers Gabe Burns/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mark Bowman/MLB.com, and David O’Brien/The Athletic on Twitter (and others when notable)
Bryce Harper .367/.484/.673 w/ 3 HR in 62 PA since the AS break .225/.404/.450 w/ 3 HR in 52 PA vs. ATL this year. .304/.424/.581 w/ 15 HR in 262 PA vs. ATL dating back to 2015 .285/.400/.497 w/ 9 HR in 230 PA vs. ATL pitchers not named Teheran during this span./MB
If Twitter had existed in 1987.... Tom Glavine after first five MLB starts: 1-3, 7.00 ERA, .300 opp. avg, 27 IP, 33 H, 21 ER, 19 BB, 6 K./DOB
With Ronald Acuna Jr. resting during the first game of today's doubleheader, the Braves will fill the leadoff spot with Ender Inciarte, who has slashed .400/.417/.600 vs. RHP since the All-Star break./MB
Before his two-out RBI single in the fourth, Camargo had gone 3-for-27 from the left side dating back to July 24./MB
Harper welcomed Allard to the bigs. It was a home run derby shot. 1-1./GB
Allard: 2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. His first two big league appearances have been an indication he is not yet ready for this level./MB
Ryan Zimmerman goes deep. Allard's allowed b2b homers. 2-1./GB
Fried’s early exit could be felt in today’s second game. Venters, Carle and Jackson will likely be unavailable.
Nationals have five hits and a walk in the fourth. That's translated to four runs off Allard. 4-1./GB
Zimmerman's 2-run double off LF wall gives Nats their 2nd 4-run inning of game and an 8-2 lead. And Acuña did not play that well, to say the least./DOB
Since Braves lost this afternoon, cue the Stopper Sean Newcomb signal light. He owns a 1.84 ERA with a .889 winning percentage in 12 starts following a loss./GB
Snitker on Game 1 debacle inc. early exit by Fried due to injury: "It wasn’t the ideal way that we drew it up, that’s for sure. But we’re going to play the games and we’re going to keep grinding and getting after it, and we’re going to come out there and win the second game.”/DOB
With his first-inning solo shot off Newcomb, Soto is now 10-for-24 with two doubles and three homers against the Braves. The 19-year-old has 14 homers through his first 235 at-bats (16.8 AB/HR)./MB
That's 14 homers for the 19-year-old Soto, as the Nats just announced (they included the age; hey, I don't blame 'em)/DOB
Charlie Culberson homers off Scherzer. His second of the day, and he'll remember that one. 1-1 in the sixth./GB
Scherzer threw 33 of his 71 pitches during the scoreless fourth that began with a Freeman walk and Markakis single./MB
Soto's first-inning solo shot accounted for the only run allowed by Newcomb, who surrendered five hits over six innings (102 pitches). This was his first start since he came within a strike of no-hitting the Dodgers during his 134-pitch outing on July 29.
The reverse splits that Biddle fashioned through the first two months are a thing of the past. Dating back to his three scoreless innings against the Nats on June 2, left-handers are 5-for-37 w/ 2 HR, 12 K, and 4 BB against him. RHHs are 9-for-52 w/ 0 HR, 16 K and 8 BB./MB
Newcomb: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR (65/102)
Scherzer: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR (83-113)/DOB
Through tonight's perfect eighth: LHH are now 5-for-40 with 14 K against Biddle dating back to June 2./MB
Ender Inciarte triples home a pair. It's been an impressive two weeks for him. 3-1./GB
Biddle been used in higher leverage situations more and more, keeps coming through. Entered with one out in 7th and struck out Adams (swinging) and Turner (looking) to preserve the 1-1 tie. To the 8th they go here in Game 2./DOB