Instant Analysis: Braves 5, Nats 4 (11)
CJ Abrams' late-game heroics weren't enough for the Nationals, which saw their bullpen take the loss in extra innings
ATLANTA – Just when it looked like CJ Abrams was going be the hometown hero for the visiting team, the Braves struck back to deal the Nationals an agonizing loss in extra innings.
After Abrams tied the game with a solo homer in the eighth and then gave the Nats the lead with a two-run triple in the top of the 10th, Orlando Ribalta and Paxton Schultz combined to give up three runs across the bottom of the 10th and 11th innings to hand Atlanta a 5-4 victory before an ecstatic crowd at Truist Park.
Schultz nearly got out of the 11th unscathed, but Chadwick Tromp’s two-out, two-strike single to center brought home automatic runner Eli White ahead of Dylan Crews’ skipped throw from center field to the plate.
An unexpected pitchers’ duel between two of baseball’s most-productive lineups saw the action finally heat up late. The Braves took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the seventh off Mitchell Parker, but the Nats immediately respond with Abrams’ game-tying homer off a 3-0 fastball from Robert Suarez in the eighth.
The suburban Atlanta native then came up again with two on and one out in the 10th and promptly drilled a two-run triple down the right-field line off left-hander Dylan Lee to complete his big night in front of friends and family.
The Nationals got a scoreless inning a piece from Clayton Beeter and Gus Varland to send them to extras for the ninth time in 52 games. But Ribalta, who escaped a bases-loaded jam Thursday afternoon in Washington, could not shut the door tonight in Atlanta. The right-hander gave up a quick RBI single to Tromp, then walked Ronald Acuña Jr. before giving up a seeing-eye, groundball single to the left side of the infield to Mauricio Dubón, which tied the game. He did manage to escape without further damage, but that only sent this one to the 11th.
After getting a scoreless first inning on 12 pitches from Richard Lovelady, Miles Mikolas took over for his bulk appearance. The veteran right-hander proceeded to pitch as well as he has all season, tossing five scoreless innings with three singles and zero walks on a mere 66 pitches before exiting with a wide smile on his face at the end of the sixth inning.
The Nationals struggled plenty at the plate themselves, held scoreless by Bryce Elder through five innings while going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Curtis Mead, though, finally put a dent in the Braves starter with a leadoff homer in the sixth to give his team a tenuous 1-0 lead.
Near-perfect relief was required to protect that slimmest of leads, and the Nats didn’t get that. Parker replaced Mikolas in the bottom of the seventh and quickly gave up the tying and go-ahead runs despite plenty of weak contact (a slow roller to short for an infield single, a successful safety squeeze for another single) by Atlanta’s hitters.
HITTING HIGHLIGHT: Blake Butera has been praising Mead’s ability to hit right-handers as well as lefties, and he rewarded the infielder with a start tonight against the right-handed Elder. Mead responded by going 2-for-3 against Elder, capped off by his sixth-inning leadoff homer to left. That actually gives him a higher OPS vs. right-handers (.866) than left-handers (.767) for the season. With Brady House demoted and Jorbit Vivas not producing much at the plate, don’t be surprised if Mead starts becoming something more resembling the everyday third baseman.
PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: Guess who has legitimately pitched well over an extended stretch? Yep, it’s Mikolas. Tonight’s five scoreless innings of bulk work behind Lovelady might have been his best work yet, considering the lineup he was facing and the fact he allowed only three batters to reach base while throwing only 66 pitches. But it was merely a continuation of what the wily veteran has been doing for a while now. Mikolas’ stats through his first four outings of the season (11.49 ERA, 2.170 WHIP) were hideous. But his stats over his last seven outings (3.48 ERA, 1.000 WHIP) have been really good. It’s perhaps not enough of a sample to declare him “fixed” for sure, but he’s certainly heading in that general direction.
NOTABLE: Cole Henry is scheduled to make another rehab appearance at Triple-A Rochester over the weekend after tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings on 22 pitches Wednesday. Butera suggested the team won’t feel rushed to activate Henry from the 15-day IL until it’s clear he’s ready to go. The bullpen’s recent improved performance helps make that patient approach possible.
UP NEXT: The series continues Saturday at 4:05 p.m. with Jake Irvin on the mound for the Nats against right-hander Grant Holmes. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM
I don't know. Battling the best team in baseball in their home park all the way to the 11th inning seems pretty good to me. Could the Nats have done some things better? Of course. Could Atlanta had done some things better - well, yes, they could have, too. In the end, they did one more thing better than the Nats to win. Given the raw talent disparity between the teams, I can't get too upset about this loss.
Not sure what will make Paul Toboni quit Jorbit Vivas but you would hope being 0-20 with RISP would do it. Can’t have Vivas and Millas batting back to back in an inning. Two automatic outs.