It seemed last night had the chance to be a bit better for the Braves early on when compared to their loss Monday against the Dodgers.
A “how the heck did he hit that” home run from Joc Pederson and an RBI Double from Travis d’Arnaud gave the Braves a early 2-0 lead, and that seemed like it was enough support for how dominant Charlie Morton looked at times during his outing. However, in the second half of the game, the tide turned a bit against the Braves. The injury scare to Ozzie Albies after a foul ball to his knee and the Atlanta offense going silent allowed the Dodgers to come back and win the game, 3-2.
Obviously, it was a bit disappointing to see a chance slip away from Atlanta. However, Morton’s start was certainly a positive sign for the stretch run and as a clear indicator he will be able to step up in a playoff setting. Furthermore, though the injury did look scary, X-rays were negative for Albies. While the Braves have struggled over the past week on the field, getting positive injury news on Albies has to feel like a small victory considering many of the unfortunate developments the Braves experienced earlier this season.
Braves News
- While Albies will likely miss a few days, the overall expectation is certainly encouraging for when he could return:
#Braves' Snitker said Ozzie Albies is day-to-day, hopes he'll only miss a day or two, but they won't know more until they see how he responds to treatment. For now, it's not an IL situation.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) September 1, 2021
Though the Braves are struggling a bit at the moment, Atlanta certainly would rather have Albies take the time he needs to get fully healthy than rush him back.
- Once again, Austin Riley had multiple hits in a big game for the Braves. As consistent as he has been, Riley’s MVP case seems to be growing by the day. Talking Chop’s Stephen Tolbert dived into the validity of Riley’s chances at the award.
- With much of the South dealing with rain from what is left of Hurricane Ida, it was a night off for many of the Braves’ minor league teams:
The Augusta GreenJackets are the lone Braves MiLB team that has not postponed their game for tonight so far.
— Gaurav (@gvedak) August 31, 2021
It will be interesting to see how these games will be made up in the near future.
- Josh Tomlin was placed on the 10-day IL due to a strained neck on late Tuesday afternoon. The Braves recalled Edgar Santana to rejoin the bullpen in a corresponding move.
MLB NEWS
- As the Braves have struggled a bit recently with a tough turn in their schedule, the Phillies earned their fifth straight win on Tuesday. The Phillies’ offense has been highly productive, and they have gained three games on the Braves in the NL East since last Thursday, now sitting just 2 1⁄2 games back in the division race.
- Shohei Ohtani once again proved how many different ways he can highly impact the game:
This pitcher, who also leads the majors in home runs, stole home last night...
— MLB Europe (@MLBEurope) September 1, 2021
Confused? Don't be, because: Shohei Ohtani #MLB #WeBelieve #MLBEurope #Ohtani pic.twitter.com/PEQe7ytLMz
Ohtani how sits at 42 home run and 22 steals on the season. He truly is on how pace to have one of the most productive individual seasons in MLB history.
- Blake Snell looked spectacular for the Padres, as he did not allow a hit for seven innings in a shutout victory. Though he was removed before having the chance to complete the no-hitter, his reemergence as an ace in August is a needed development for San Diego.
- Speaking of late season surges, the Mariners feel they certainly have a few left in them. Former Astro Abraham Toro made sure to remind his former team of who he was with a Grand Slam that earned a needed victory for the Mariners against Houston.