Folty tosses five hitless, Acuña homers as Braves tame Tigers, 8-1

Mike Foltynewicz was outstanding for the Braves and has looked great so far this spring. After throwing five no-hit innings in this game while walking one and striking out five, he has yet to give up an earned run this spring while only allowing three hits and four walks in his 14 innings of work overall.

The Braves jumped all over the Tigers’ Mike Fiers in this game. Tyler Flowers walked to force in a run in the bottom of the first, followed by an Acuña HBP (more on him in a second) that drove in another run. Charlie Culberson completed the Braves’ scoring in the opening frame with a sac fly that scored Freddie Freeman and just like that, the Braves had a 3-0 lead.

Also, I know many of you will be shocked, but Ronald Acuña Jr. did another thing today. He was hit by a pitch for a fourth time this spring to force one run in and then in the bottom of the third inning, he cracked a two-run home run to left field (his third this spring), scoring Freddie Freeman and extending the Braves’ lead to 5-0.

Freeman reached base twice in the game as he walked and singled in his two at-bats while Dansby Swanson continued his tough spring with an 0-3 day with a walk.

As Folty and the rest of the Braves pitching staff continued to stifle the Tigers’ offense, the Braves’ offense kept churning as Danny Santana connected for his second home run this spring that was long gone, scoring Lane Adams who reached via a double. That made the lead 7-0. Santana has had a nice spring as he is batting .371 after going 2-4 today while stealing his fourth base this spring. Lane Adams went 2-for-3 in the contest, showing some signs of life in what’s been a dismal Spring Training for him so far. Dylan Moore added a homer in the eighth.

Atlanta relief was pretty effective after Folty departed. Arodys Vizcaino did immediately ruin the combined no-hitter bid by allowing a hit, but tossed a scoreless frame with two strikeouts. A.J. Minter followed with a scoreless inning of his own, and Daniel Winkler let a leadoff walk score by allowing back-to-back singles, but got two punchouts of his own. Josh Ravin finished off the game.

The Braves are off to Brandenton for a date with the Pirates tomorrow afternoon. Aaron Blair will be making his first Spring Training start of 2018, with Brandon McCarthy staying back in Orlando to pitch in a minor league game.