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It's not your fault, Ryan Weber.
The 25-year-old right-hander performed quite well in his MLB debut on Tuesday evening, but the offense for the Atlanta Braves let him down in a big way. Phillies youngster Aaron Nola blanked the visiting Braves over seven innings, and that performance was enough to claim a 5-0 win and return the favor from Monday night's Atlanta victory.
Very little was expected from Weber on this night, but he passed his first test with flying colors. Despite boasting an unimpressive 4.30 K/9 at AAA in 73.1 innings, Weber managed to allow just two runs in six innings on this night, and while he only struck out two (true to form), he issued only four hits and one walk. In a "normal" circumstance, that would be enough for a win, but this Braves team generally exists in circumstances that are anything but normal.
In the defense of the Atlanta offense, Nola was electric. He struck out seven while issuing only one walk, and the Braves never seriously threatened against him. A.J. Pierzynski finished the evening with two hits, but the Braves failed to generate even one extra-base knock throughout the night, and that won't get it done against any team in any venue.
Of course, there had to be a late-inning tease for the precious few who are sweating games to the wire at this point, and that came in the eighth inning. A single by Nick Markakis and walks from Hector Olivera and Nick Swisher loaded the bases with two outs for Jace Peterson, but after Philadelphia inserted closer Ken Giles into the game, Atlanta's second baseman was retired via line out to end the biggest (and only) real threat of the evening.
The score then got out of hand in the bottom half of the frame, as Danny Burawa went to work. The 26-year-old reliever allowed a three-run home run to Odubel Herrera that basically placed the game out of reach, and the 5-0 final margin was achieved at that point.
Tuesday night was very much "business as usual" for the Atlanta Braves in that it was an ugly offensive display and another ho-hum defeat. The Phillies now hold a one-game edge in the pursuit of the number one overall pick, and the rubber match on Wednesday evening will prove vital in that pursuit for Atlanta. Stay tuned.