2023-5: Braves Take Game One
The Atlanta Braves turned their attention from the Nationals to the St. Louis Cardinals, the new home of former color analyst Chip Caray. As Chip probably said on his broadcast to all the Cardinals fans not in attendance: “St. Louis is just being outclassed in all phases around the diamond, partner. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The Braves lit up St. Louis starter Jake Woodford -not of the Kentucky Bourbon variety- for six runs (all earned) on seven hits & three walks; including three home runs. One home run in particular came off the bat of Austin Riley:
Riley’s roundtripper was the longest of his career at 473 feet. It was also the 4th-farthest hit ball in the history of the new Busch Stadium.
Acuña hit his second home run of the season in the top of the 2nd, a bomb of the 3-run persuasion.
Arcia
Orlando Arcia has planted his claim on the shortstop job & the cement is drying. That’s not to say he can’t be supplanted later in this campaign. But after just four games, he has shifted the fan narrative on his starting role to an almost exclusively positive tone.
He’s done so by being steady at the plate & sure-handed defensively. I mean, there was one grounder he fielded in this game that was as in-between a hop as a ball can get on a pristine MLB infield. He arrived at the perfect time & scooped the ball up to retire the runner, smoother than any daydream Ron Washington has had in his Braves tenure.
Garnering the support of the Braves fanbase majority is no small feat; seeing as Vaughn Grissom was believed to be the guy & the Spring Training competition was seen as a formality. Even more of an accomplishment given that Braden Shewmake seemingly made the position battle a two-man race.
But four games into this season has already proven that Brian Snitker & Company are to be trusted with personnel decisions (crazy, I know), if you weren’t already aware.
Game Two
Dylan Dodd is scheduled to make his MLB debut in Game Two for the Atlanta Braves. The rookie was the runner-up in the Spring Training 5th-starter battle, but that seems moot with all that’s already happened in the Braves rotation.
St. Louis is scheduled to start left-handed Steven Matz, a career 50-51 record with a 4.30 ERA.