Braves win in grand fashion against the Angels

Matt Olson hit a grand slam and the Braves scored seven runs with two outs in the sixth inning. Profar also hit his first HR as a Brave.

The Atlanta Braves faced the Angels in game two of the series in hopes of picking up a win and ending a sixteen inning scoreless streak.

The Braves faced formerly highly touted international signee Yusei Kikuchi who is having the best season of his career in terms of ERA with a 2.79.

Rookie Didier Fuentes took the mound for the Braves and started the game with a strikeout to Zach Neto. He issued a walk to Nolan Schanuel, but then struck out future Hall of Famer Mike Trout. Unfortunately, the inning got out of hand after that. Taylor Ward singled and then both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Jo Addell then singled scoring both runners to make the score 0-2. Former Braves postseason legend Jorge Soler then flied out to end the top of the first.

It has been very clear that Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr. have been the heart of the offense as of late and they each had a single to lead of the game to put runners on the corners with no outs. Riley struck out but then Ozuna walked to load the bases. The Braves could not break through as newly returned Jurickson Profar struck out followed by Ozzie Albies hitting a fly out to the defensively limited Jorge Soler.

Didier looked much better in the second inning. He led off the second with back-to-back strikeouts to Braves’ legend Travis d’Arnaud and Luis Rengifo. He walked Christian Moore but then got Neto to pop up.

The Braves could not get anyting going in the second. Sean Murphy struck out followed by a groundout from Harris. Nick Allen had a hard hit ball down the line but Rengifo made a stellar play to record the out.

The Angels made Didier Fuentes work for it, but he was able to prevent any runs in the third. He gave up a single to Schanuel, who led off the inning. He struck out Mike Trout for a second time but then Ward hit another single off of him to put two on with one out. After a well timed mound visit, Fuentes calmed down and Adell to line out and then struck out Jorge Soler swinging on four pitches.

Ronald Acuña Jr. struck out to lead off the bottom half of the third but then Olson hit his twenty second double of the season. Nothing was to come of it though. Ozuna was able to draw his second walk, but that was after Riley struck out and then Profar flied out. To Profar’s credit, he just missed a HR with it going 380 ft to LF.

Fuentes got d’Arnaud grounded out and then Rengifo had a hard line out. He then walked Moore. This put Fuentes at a staggering ninety-two pitches and he was pulled for Aaron Bummer. Fuentes ended his night with 3.2 IP allowing four hits, two earned runs, and three walks while recording six strikeouts. This was by far his best outing yet, although it was a short one. Bummer got Neto to ground out to end the half inning.

Ozzie Albies finally was able to get on base when he singled, but then Murphy struck out and then Harris grounded into a double play. Bummer stayed in to pitch the fifth and retired the side record two groundouts and getting red hot Ward to strike out on three pitches.

The bottom of the fifth was not promising as Allen struck out, Ronald Acuña Jr. grounded out, and Olson struck out. Bummer continued his arguably best outing of the season by staying in the six and sitting down all three hitters again. This time he recorded a ground out and then struck out both former Braves.

The Braves entered the sixth inning on a twenty-one inning scoreless streak, but that ended in grand fashion. Riley and Ozuna grounded out but then Profar singled. Albies then got a single off of a deflected play by second baseman Christian Moore. This ended up injuring Moore, who was removed from the game. Kikuchi was then replaced by Ryan Zeferjahn. This was the wrong choice. Sean Murphy hit the first pitch he saw for his third HR in three games to make the score 3-2 for the Braves.

The offense did not stop there. Harris singled and then stole second off of his former teammate. Allen and Acuña then walked back-to-back to bring up Matt Olson. Olson wasted no time. On the second pitch he saw, which was inside, he launched just over the wall for a grand slam that bounced into the chop house to give the Braves a 7-2 lead.

Austin RIley singled which then brought in Hunter Strickland. Ozuna then popped up, but the damage had been done. The Braves had scored seven runs with two outs.

Daysbel Hernández made his first appearance since returning to the MLB club. He gave up a single, but otherwise looked fine recording a strikeout and two fly outs.

Jurickson Profar led off the bottom of the seventh with a bang. After going to an 0-2 count and fouling off two pitches he hit a changeup 105.1 MPH off the bat for his first HR in a Braves uniform to make the score 8-2.

After the HR, Harris was able to record a multi-hit night by hitting another single. This was the rest of the offense in the inning.

Rafael Montero came in to pitch the eighth. We can all agree that this is the right spot for him to pitch with the lead that the Braves had. Trout singled to lead off the inning, but then Ward struck out and then Adell grounded into a double play.

The Braves’ top of the order all sat down with no base runners in the eighth inning. Dylan Dodd came in to pitch the ninth and was met with a mammoth HR from former Braves slugger Soler. The ball went 448 ft and came off the bat 111.5 MPH. For reference, the hardest hit HR by a Brave tonight was 105.1 MPH. Dodd settled down and got d’Arnaud to strikeout, Renfigo to fly out and then ended the game with a Kevin Newman pop up.

The Braves looked sluggish at the start of the game but settled in and came through with a homer happy performance.

Didier Fuentes also showed some promise tonight with six strikeouts and only four hits. He may have earned more time in the rotation, especially with the news of Schwellenbach hitting the IL.

The Braves look to hit some more HRs in their next game which will be against the Angels again at the same time and same place. Struggling Bryce Elder is projected to start.