What would be the Atlanta equivalent of Marcell Ozuna’s third home run tonight? Hitting a ball onto the concourse in right center field at Truist Park? Reaching the 755 club at Turner Field? The roof at Fulton-County Stadium?
The idea that the ball only traveled 436 feet is blasphemy. I don’t think there is a ballpark in baseball where the camera well above the batter’s eye is only 436 feet from home plate. It’s possible the numbers got crossed up, and the home run traveled a much more believable 463 feet.
Or 643 feet. I would put that number in the realm of possibility as well.
Positives:
- Ozuna became the first National League player ever to hit three home runs at Fenway Park. Granted interleague play beyond the World Series wasn’t a thing for 85 out of Fenway’s 119 seasons, but it’s still an incredible feat. Interleague play still fell in the Bonds/Sosa/McGwire era and none of those guys ever picked up the hat trick. The only downside is we didn’t get to hear a bunch of Bostonians go “AHHH MAHHHHHCELL HIT ANOTHAAAAAHHHH ONE” after the second and third home runs.
- You know the Parks and Recreation scene where Paunch Burger’s ridiculous soda sizes are revealed?
That was Ozuna tonight. It went from “Huh, that was a pretty long home run.” to “Goodness, he absolutely obliterated that baseball!” to “WHAT THE HELL I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE TO HIT IT THAT FAR!!!” in order. Oh, and the little cup represents Ender Inciarte’s exit velocities.
- In fairness to Ender, he did pick up two hits and an RBI tonight. His RBI came in quintessential Inciarte fashion, as he beat out a slow chopper to second base. If you hit the ball slowly to the right side enough times, eventually something good will happen. It’s the law of (low batting) averages.
- It’s easy to forget because of the offensive onslaught in the late innings, but the story of the night for six innings was Ian Anderson. There are a lot of possible directions to take his performance, but two things stood out. His changeup is clearly his best pitch and did a great job of maneuvering the lineup. Anderson got 19 swings and misses tonight, and eight of them were on his changeup. Four of his eight strikeouts came with that wipeout changeup, and he throws it in every count. Like Max Fried with his curveball and Mike Soroka with his singer, that is a weapon.
As for the second point, the hardest hit ball of the night for the Red Sox was a 114 MPH rip from Rafael Devers on a 3–0 count in the third inning. Devers found himself with a 3–0 count and a base open his next time up, and Anderson learned from his mistake with a non-competitive pitch for the walk. He also changed up his approach on Alex Verdugo the third time through the order after allowing two hits. Anderson threw five fastballs and four changeups to Verdugo in the first two at-bats with nothing else sprinkled in. The third time? Fastball-curveball-fastball-curveball for the out.
Verdugo never even saw a curveball the first two trips to the plate, let alone two wrapped around fastballs. That’s how you effectively navigate a big league lineup.
- A huge amount of credit should go to Travis d’Arnaud in that regard. He called a beautiful game behind the plate and added three hits with the bat. He is proving to be worth every single penny so far.
- On the 10-year anniversary of his Major League debut — yes, you are actually 100 years old now and just don’t know it — Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 15 with an RBI hit.
I feel like we take him for granted, but today is as good a time as any for a reminder that #5 will be retired in Truist Park whenever he decides to call it a career. He has amassed 233 home runs, 827 RBIs and 1,489 hits and will surpass 1,400 games in an Atlanta uniform by the end of this season. He really is that guy for an entire generation of Braves fans.
In the 60s and 70s it was Hank Aaron, the 80s had Generation Murph, Chipper took the mantle in the 90s and 2000s and Freeman has now assumed the role of the franchise mainstay. Freddie Freeman catching the final out of a World Series win — maybe on a pop-up in foul territory or something — would be the most satisfying moment in franchise history.
Will it ever happen? I don’t know. Ernie Banks never played in a playoff game. Ted Williams was in only seven his entire career. Don Mattingly only appeared in five. Franchise defining players don’t always become championship-winning players. But even if it never happens, it’s hard not to just marvel at Freeman’s career after a decade.
- Austin Riley. I’ve run out of ways to say he is on fire in this section every night, so I’ll just type his name again. Austin Riley.
- Between Dansby’s photogenic slide and Paul Byrd’s excursion in the trees, it was a golden night for memes.
Negatives:
- You just knew Ryan Weber was going to find a way to pitch well. Death, taxes, and former players haunting the Braves.
- Riley has missed two home runs by maybe a combined 10 inches in the last two days. If he eats exactly one extra Wheatie tomorrow morning, I think tomorrow’s long drive will clear the wall
Former Brave Of The Day:
- Weber did pitch pretty well before his bullpen took a tire iron to what was once a competitive ballgame, but he is not the 2015–2016 Brave highlighting this section tonight. Matt Wisler only had one career save entering tonight; April 17th, 2016 for the Braves in Miami. He doubled his tally in a much higher leverage spot tonight by retiring Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert and Nomar Mazara to close out a 3–2 win for the Twins over Dallas Keuchel and the White Sox.
Quote Of The Game:
“Three is a magic number.”
— Bob Dorough
Tomorrow’s Goal:
Tomorrow might be the only time all season where Robbie Erlin is pitching and the Braves clearly have the advantage in the starting pitching matchup. That’s what happens when the opposing starter hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2014. Don’t waste it.
