Elder, Elledge have 2023 debuts to forget as Braves fall 7-0 to Yankees

Yesterday’s Braves Spring Training opener was very eventful, ending in a never-before-seen way. Today’s Braves Spring Training game was, well... a lot more forgettable.

Bryce Elder drew the start, and gave up a grand slam to Jose Trevino before recording an out. Three not-particularly-well-hit grounders loaded the bases for the Yankees to start the bottom of the first, and Trevino promptly unloaded them on a 2-0 get-me-over sinker. Elder didn’t yield any more runs after that, but it was an outing to forget for sure, as he managed just an 0/1 K/BB ratio and couldn’t get through his scheduled two innings, departing after getting the first two outs of the second.

The rest of the Braves’ pitching slate mostly did okay. Matt “Heart of the” Swarmer (I have no idea who this is) allowed a couple of baserunners after Elder left, but then got out of the inning. Dylan Lee, Yacksel Rios, and Brian “Get a Brain” Moran were perfect for the next three frames. But, Seth Elledge, who came on for the sixth, gave up back-to-back RBI doubles with two outs to make it a 7-0 deficit. He didn’t walk anyone, though — unlike Roddery Munoz andBlake Burkhalter, who each walked a guy in their scoreless frames.

Offensively, the Braves put up a goose egg, and even that belies how little they did. The team, as a whole, got one hit — courtesy of Sam Hilliard, with two outs in the seventh. They actually put two on to start the fourth, as Kevin Pillar reached on an error (that probably could’ve been a hit) to third, and Orlando Arcia walked. But, Marcell Ozuna struck out looking, Hilliard flew out to right, and then Pillar got picked off of second. Hilliard was actually thrown out after his single, so the only guys to reach base in this game and not get retired on the bases were Arcia, Forrest Wall, and Carlos Sanchez, each of whom walked.

The Braves will host the Blue Jays in North Port tomorrow afternoon.