2023 #10: Kyle Wright Returns, Tonkin & Offense Shine
Kyle Wright made his season debut in the second game of the Reds series, but that ended up being lost in the box score.
On a much anticipated night thanks to Kyle’s 2022 & the continued revolving door of Braves rotation issues, it was the offense that stole the show.
Speaking of rotation issues, Ian Anderson is possibly headed toward Tommy John, according to Mark Bowman.
It was evident from the jump that Kyle didn’t have the control he enjoyed last season. In his three innings of work, he walked four batters. Of course he’s coming back from injury, but walks were Kyle’s most persistent enemy prior to his breakout season a year ago.
No I’m not suggesting Kyle has regressed to the days where I consistently advocated for the notification telling me he’d been traded. But yes, it worries me. Surrendering four earned runs to a bottom-10 lineup in just three innings of work isn’t exactly the awe-inspiring outing many across Braves Country were anticipating.
But if I were to fashion tonight’s story around the mound, I’d start with Michael Tonkin. Tonkin Truck tossed three scoreless with three strikeouts on 43 pitches while only allowing one hit, earning his first win of the young season.
Luckily, the Braves have a top-3 offense. The Atlanta lineup plated seven runs against Cincinnati, the fifth time this season they’ve eclipsed the 7-run mark. They’re 5-0 in such games.
Going yard for Atlanta was Matt Olson in the 1st inning with the bases empty, his 4th home run of the season. Ozzie Albies notched his second home run of 2023 in the 4th with one man on. Ozzie also found himself in the perfect position all night at 2nd base, retiring multiple Reds batters on balls destined for the outfield, without moving more than two steps.