Early explosion and efficient Elder expedite 11-5 Braves win

With a pitching rematch of last Sunday’s game between Elder and Teheran, the Braves looked to secure another series win over Milwaukee.

After Elder worked around a leadoff single for a scoreless inning, Ronald Acuna did Ronald Acuna things to lead off the bottom of the first, with a first pitch flare single and his 50th stolen base to take second. He ran through a stop sign to score on an Ozzie single, for the first run of the game. Singles from Austin Riley and Matt Olson followed Ozzie and brought the diminutive second baseman home. Travis d’Arnaud nearly hit a double of his own, but Sal Frelick (again) made a great diving catch (again), forcing Travis to settle for an RBI sac fly. Marcell Ozuna nearly hit a homer that hit the wall for an RBI double and Eddie Rosario followed him with a homer (although a bit of a cheap shot), setting the score at 6-0, where it would settle for the inning after contact outs from Arcia and Harris. There is that production from the struggling Ozuna and Rosario that Atlanta has been looking for.

Elder silenced the Brewers in the second and Ronald again hit a single, but was picked off by Teheran’s spectacular pickoff move. Austin Riley doubled, but no runs were scored in the inning. Both pitchers worked 1-2-3 third innings, as Travis d’Arnaud was robbed of another hit by another diving catch. William Contreras smoked a double to the left-center gap to lead off the fourth, was moved over by a groundout, and brought home by a sac fly from Frelick. Elder struck out Adames to end the inning.

Orlando led off the home fourth with a single and after a sac bunt (shameful) from Michael Harris, Ronald Acuna hit a frozen rope of a homer to take back Milwaukee’s run and add another for good measure.

Bryce Elder worked around another single to hold the Brewers scoreless in the fifth. Marcell Ozuna got his homer that he just missed earlier in the game, bopping a solo shot over the center field wall with two outs. Elder got through his sixth on three groundouts, two of which were fairly hard hit. Trevor Megill worked around two singles for a scoreless sixth, but after a 1-2-3 seventh from Elder, the Braves got to Megill with a d’Arnaud double (off the wall so the Milwaukee outfielders couldn’t rob him this time) and another Ozuna bomb. Elder ended the game with 7.0 innings of 1 run ball.

Newly acquired Taylor Hearn got the eighth and gave up two walks and a single to start the inning, allowing the Brewers to grab a run before recording an out. He did induce a pop-up, but gave up a homer to William Contreras, ending his night. Daysbel Hernandez entered the game and allowed a single but got out of the inning with no further damage. Orlando led off the bottom eighth with a ball that bounced off the top of the wall back into play and was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple (not an advisable decision for a player with his speed) Ronald walked with two outs and was thrown out by a great throw from Frelick and great tag trying to reach third on an Ozzie single, ending the inning.

Michael Tonkin got the ninth and finished the game off with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning.

Join us as the Braves go for the sweep tomorrow at 1:35 PM ET.