Fried shuts Toronto down while Acuna and Riley key Braves’ 10-1 win

Ronald Acuna reached base four times, Austin Riley hit a three run bomb to blow the game open, and Max Fried pitched six strong innings as the Braves routed the Blue Jays by the score of 10-1.

Max Fried got the start for the Braves on Tuesday and he was quite good. After a strong first couple of innings with only a couple of baserunners, Fried was somehow even better through the next two scoreless frames which combined took maybe 10 minutes total and I might take the under on that. The fifth inning was less kind as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off with a double and eventually came around to score on an Anthony Alford single to get the Blue Jays on the board, but that is all that Fried would give up in that inning. Fried would then make short work of the Blue Jays in the sixth inning thanks to a double play and that was it for his night with a final line of 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 3 K.

It was the Braves that got the scoring started in the second inning thanks to a pair of solo home runs. Matt Adams hit a lead off homer to start the inning and then Tyler Flowers, who has seen scant time on the field due to being ill for the few week or so of the season, connected for a two out solo shot and just like that, the Braves were up 2-0. Seeing those two guys going deep in the same inning also felt a little like getting in a time machine.

Ronald Acuna continued his strong push of late. He walked and stole a base in the first inning and in the fifth, he roped a double to left to lead things off. A Dansby Swanson ground out moved him over to third and thanks to some hustle and a nice slide, he scored on a Freddie Freeman fielder’s choice to give the Braves a 3-1 lead. After Johan Camargo gave the Braves another baserunner with a single. Austin Riley connected for his second home run of the year. The three-run shot to left gave the Braves a commanding 6-1 lead.

Riley’s home chased Matt Shoemaker from the game and the Blue Jays brought in Jacob Waguespack who proceeded to walk Ozzie Albies on four pitches before Tyler Flowers lined out to end the inning.

However, the Braves would keep threatening and after another Acuna walk and a pair of singles from Ender Inciarte(!) and Dansby Swanson loaded the bases with none out for Freddie Freeman in the sixth inning although Freddie would ground into a double play with one of the outs coming at home which was less than ideal. Marcell Ozuna was intentionally walked and Camargo struck out with no runs scoring which was, well, not good.

Darren O’Day came on in relief of Fried in the seventh inning and immediately gave up another double off the bat of Vladdy Jr. O’Day would escape the seventh and in came Josh Tomlin has honestly been consistently good while in a Braves uniform and tonight was no different as he made quick work of Toronto in the eighth inning.

The Braves, however, would not go quietly in the eighth when, after Ender reached base and Ronnies singled for his fourth trip on the basepaths on the evening, Dansby Swanson would drive both of them home with a two run double to make it an 8-1 lead for the Braves. The Braves were not done there, however, as Adam Duvall would drive in Dansby with an RBI single to increase the lead to 9-1. After that, Johan Camargo doubled to bring in Duvall and the rout was on with the score at 10-1 by the end of the inning.