Remember what I said about this team yesterday? Unpredictable. They win, they lose, they score a ton of runs, they score none. I don’t get it. I don’t think I’ll ever it get it. All that matters is the Braves put a beat-down on the Astros and get to close out their season tomorrow.
So, let’s start off with Parr. He kind of got beat up today. 4.1 innings, 8 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and a pair of walks. Not the best stuff we’ve seen from him. Nunez relieved him and picked up the win, with 1.2 innings pitched, perfectly, striking out 1. Acosta, Julio, and Gonzo followed with an inning each, and all were phenomenal. The only hit that was let up came off of Julio. He had a strikeout, Gonzo had a pair, and Acosta struck out the side. Where has this bullpen been the entire season?
Combining with the very good bullpen appearances was the hit parade. 18 total hits, accounting for 11 runs. Josh Anderson, a guy who apparently wants a job next year, hit the second pitch of the game out of the park. He went 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and 3 RBIs. Next leading the offensive charge was Frenchy, who had 3 hits and doubled home 3 runs. Brandon Jones had two hits, doubling and singling in 3 runs. Lillibridge had his first career triple, which brought home another 2 runs. Every single starting player for the Braves had a hit in Saturday night’s game. With the exception of Sammons and Parr, everyone else had at least two hits. Now that’s pretty damn impressive.
Braves win big, 11 - 5.
Tomorrow’s game, the last one of the season, is at 2:05 PM EST.
One more thing, as much as this team has played horrendously this year and been incredibly frustrating to watch, it has been an absolute pleasure to write about them. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t enjoy it, and I’ve come to accept that they can’t win every single game. Hell, if they only win 73 this year, I’ll be ecstatic. Call it delusional, but these are still the Braves that I know and have come to love and respect for the majority of my lifetime. I wish them all the best next year, and wait in anticipation to see how the next season will unfold.
- Ben Murphy. Out.