Braves vs. Phillies Simulation _ 3_15_26 Spring Training _ MLB The Show 26 PS5 Gameplay

Welcome in to Date Palm Field. We've got a perfect day for baseball. The Atlanta Braves taking on the Philadelphia Phillies. First pitch coming your way next. Towing the slab in today's game, Tywon Walker. Chris, how about a scouting report? Anytime you have five pitches to work with on the mound, that repertoire can be a real weapon in terms of keeping hitters off balance, man. It's one of those things that I'm going to be looking for in this one. Does he have a feel for all of those pitches? Or is he just able to get one or two over in the strike zone where he wants? Now, it's tough to do, to be able to command all those pitches. But if he can, he is going to be very tough for the opponent today. Rumble Lacuna Jr., the leadoff batter, as he looks at ball one. Walker, a former All-Star, 33 years old. A former first round pick back in 2010. There's a swing and a drive. Going back, leaping, and it's gone. The first batter of the game leaves the yard, and the Braves have the lead now. It's one zip. Here's the catcher, Drake Baldwin. Line drive, speared it first. Tosses to the pitcher covering the bag. One pitch and one out. Here is Matt Olsen. Nice grab. Throw to first. Nicely done for the out. Two outs, base is empty. Austin Reilly, next up for the Braves. Ball, that's out. The 1-0. That's a bullet, but it goes foul. The 1-1. Swing and a miss, and that's strike two. Keeps the at-bat going with a foul ball. On the ground to third. A sliding stop to first. It's there, and that's a great play. We go to the bottom of the first, and going for Atlanta, number 92. What should we keep an eye on here? He may not dominate, but he always keeps the club in the game. If you can score runs, you have a really good chance to win with him on the mound today. Trey Turner stands in for the Phillies. Obviously a guy who makes good contact, hits for average, but one of the things in today's game, the value in the fact that he hits both righties and lefties. They're so reliant on the matchups nowadays, Chris, and it's huge when you don't have to center guy or platoon him. When you can hit both sides in terms of pitchers' arms, you're a guy that it's hard to take out of the light-up, and I think it's very important today when everything is under the microscope. The 1-2. Fights it off, he'll see another. The shortstop takes the ball. This guy's a fun guy to watch taking it bad. He just battles up there. He doesn't take a pitch off at all. Oh, and that deflects off his glove. The throw is still in time, so they get the first out of the inning. Kyle Schwarber comes up to hit here. First-round pick out of Indiana back in 2014. Ball one. One down, Phillies down a run. Foul ball. And there, got him looking, and that one split the plate. Here comes Bryce Harper. The first overall pick back in 2010. Swing and a foul back, and that's out of play. Two down, nobody on. Way inside. Ball. This one in the air, center field. Harris under this one. And that is that. Top of the second, so now to the plate for Atlanta, Mike Yastrzemski. Ball inside. And that's ripped into left. Could be extra bases. Around first and hustling for second. The relay, not in time. That's a leadoff double. Seems like he got exactly what he was looking for right there. When you connect and it jumps off your bat like that, you're thinking double at the very least. What a great swing on it, and man, he wasn't fooled at all. Harper. He'll do it himself. One pitch and one out. Here's the center fielder, Michael Harris II. This is all about situational hitting. It's crucial in this spot. Do whatever it takes to put the ball in play, and hopefully you find a gap in the defense. One away with a runner at third. Here at the top of the second. Strike two. From a pitcher's perspective, that's a beautiful splitter right there. As a hitter, you don't like it, but he's commanded his fastball, and out of that same tunnel, that splitter comes, and the bottom just falls out of it. Battling here as he fouls it away. Almost got him. Straighten him up a little bit. That's a ball. And the count's full. Fouls it back with two strikes. Three-two on the way. And a foul ball. He stays alive. Now he breaks his back. To the play. Saved. And they lead by two. Showed a lot of fight with two strikes in that A.B. Tied him up really well with that pitch inside. Couldn't get it out of the infield, but somehow turns it into a nog. That's a thing. Runner on the move. Swing and a miss. Real mutual throws. Not in time. It's a stolen base. That one finds the zone. With two now. Got him swinging. Here's Mauricio Dubon. Right there for a strike. Strike two. I know they've gotten out to an early lead, but you don't want to take these opportunities for granted. With two outs, still lock in with a quality at bat. Drive in that run. Cuts on it and misses. That's a strikeout. That ends the inning, and they limit the damage. We head to the bottom of the second. So, digging in now for Philadelphia, Alec Bohm. Not sure if he was expected for the pitcher to come right at him, but he got a nice cookie there and just watched it the entire way. Ball! That pitch is out. On the ground, Dubon. Fires over to first. And quickly one away in the second. Brandon Marsh steps to the plate. He's someone that really beats up on right-handed pitching. The lefties, however, give him a little bit more trouble. On the outside corner for a strike. 0-1. Backed Ordem with a breaking ball. Just got the corner. There's nothing you can really do with that. Hammered down the right side, but foul. Next one misses, and it's 1-2. Really good take, especially with two strikes. In the air, right field. Acuna gets under it, and there's two away. In steps Adolis Garcia, also known as El Bombi. Ball. That's inside. Yeah! That's outside. That one way inside. In the air, left field. And that is that. Top half of the third inning. Now in for the Braves. Ronald Acuna, Jr. Lined into right. And base hit. And the leadoff man aboard. Now it's the Atlanta catcher, Drake Baldwin. 0-1 so far. Quick toss first. Acuna dives back in. In there for strike one. Just missed. Working down to the zone to start the at-bat. Looking for that double playground ball. Yeah, back-to-back sinkers there. He's looking for some weak contact or to get this hitter to roll over. Now, as a hitter, you have to be really disciplined. Don't look down because you'll end up chasing the ball down. Set your sights high. Maybe you get a mistake. Ball two. That one ran inside. Almost got him. Foul ball left side. He'll see another. Here's a 2-2. And that one. Ball three. Cutting but missing down low. On the ground, the third. Might be two. Ball. Over to second. And they get him easily at first. It's a double play. Base is empty after the double play. Matt Olson up to the plate. Grounded out. His first time up. No question about this one. It's out of here. Monster shot to right. And they add a run. It's 3-0. So, two down. Here comes Austin Riley. And first offering is fouled off. Ball. That's low. Ball. That one missed. A rare three-ball count here. He's been throwing strikes all day. Gotta be ready to hit if you're in the box. And a strike in there. Got it. That K is his third of the game. Ready to go for the last half of the inning. And now for the Phillies, JT RealMuto. The 0-1. Comes up empty. That's strike two. Another 0-2 count right here. Pitcher just in the driver's seat. He can go anywhere he wants to go right here. Riley. Slings to first. One gone. Bottom of the third inning. This is Bryson Stock. Ripped to short. Snagged on a bounce. Gets it to first. And two straight set down to begin the bottom of the third. Two down. Base is empty. So, digging in now for Philadelphia, Otto Kemp. Inside corner. That's a strike. 0-2. Kemp wants another look at the called strike. It's a challenge. And it's going to stay a strike. That knocks them down to one challenge left. Two down. Nobody on. And there's a ball. That's on the ball. Ball two. Great job of laying off those pitches down in the zone to even the count up at 2-2. A swing and a miss. That retires the side. And that'll do it. All set for the start of the inning. So, now to the plate for Atlanta, Mike Yastrzemski. The 0-1. And there's a strike in the outside corner. That's out to center field. Marsh on the move. Going up one down. Here is Ozzie Albee's up to hit. He's 0-1. Base knock center field. And that should be extra bases. Around first, heading for two. And that's a two-bagger. All over that one right there. Loud contact. Leads to the double. I mean, you could tell it had extra bases written all over it as it jumped off of his stick. And the batter now, Michael Harris II. Inside. Almost got him. That's ball two. One out and a runner at second. Top half of inning number four. That's ball three. Three balls, no strikes. And that's in at the knees for a strike. And ball four to a board. First and second. One out. Eli White, the next to hit. Struck out on just three pitches last time. Ball. Could use a ground ball here. Something in the infield. Runner at first base. Get two. Get out of this. Swings through that. That misses the zone. And a count two and one. Good spot for the hitter. Definitely has the advantage in this count with runners on. Look for him to be aggressive on this next hit. That went outside. Ball three. Next offering popped in the air. Right field. And there's two down. Here's a new pitcher from the pen, Zach McCambly. Pretty tight game, so they're looking for quality pitches out of him right here. Got to do his best to keep the score right where it is. Dubon. At the ball. Stands in with two away as he takes a ball. Liner snagged at first. Bottom four. And here's the Phillies leadoff man, Trey Turner. Yep, that ball went out. Way inside. Gets out of the way. Well, usually a high level of confidence when you're facing a young pitcher out there on the mound. Oh, this one high and deep. Way back there. See you later. He'll circle the bases. And an inch closer. It's three-one. Here comes Schwartz to the plate. He was a strikeout victim his first time. Hit hard, but foul off to the left. Off the plate, ball one. You give up that leadoff home run, go back to work, focus on this next batter. Pitch in the dirt. And that's ball two. Towards first. And it goes just foul. Keeps the at-bat going with a foul ball. This one popped up. Foul ground, first base side. And there's one down. So here is Bryce Harper. Flied to center his first time. He's 0-for-1. Ball one. Sliced hard, but foul down the left side. Ball to strike. That one to first. Nope, that's foul. And that goes foul. He was a little out front, but did a good job keeping the hands back long enough to foul that pitch off. Ball, that's just out. Guy looking for the strikeout. Clipped the bottom of the zone with a curve for strike three. Harper wants to challenge this. Thought it was a ball. Good eye at the plate. They'll overturn the call. They'll keep their remaining challenge. On the ground right side. And there are two down. And now it's Alec Bohm. Grounded out to short in his first trip. He's pitching well, but not throwing a ton of first pitch strikes. Usually doesn't work out for success, but you can never predict baseball. And that one fouled off. Two down, base is empty, but one run across. We're here in the bottom of the fourth. That missed by a lot. And that is ball one. Rarely will you see a pitcher just waste a pitch like that. The batter wasn't even tempted to swing. Every pitch needs to have a purpose so that it can set up. And that's the inning. We go to the top of the fifth. Now the leadoff spot for the Braves. Ronald Acuna Jr. Here comes the 0-1. And that skips in the dirt. On the ground out to short. Tosses the first one away here in the fifth. Drake Baldwin. Next up for the Braves. That one ripped right center field. And the automatic double as it hops the fence. One out, runner at second. Here's Matt Olsen down. He's already homered here in this one. That one catches the zone, and it's 0-1. Ball, that's outside. Now it bounces away, can't squeeze it. And the runner holds. One out, the runner at second. And we're at the top of the fifth. Strike two. That one back up the middle, and it gets through. Baldwin around third. The throw's off line, he's safe. And they're up by three. One down. Now it's going to be Austin Riley. And that drops in for a strike. Ball, ball two. He's getting frustrated out there on the mound, getting hit around a little bit. Let's see if he can settle himself down. Swings and misses. And a countdown even up. Baldwin, those hitters' counts sometimes can be a little too aggressive, and a good pitcher will play off of that. He's got to get a better pitch to hit. This one in the air right field, and no one can get there. Olsen around second, headed for third. Now he launches a throw over his head. He scores all the way from first. So just a brutal throwing error that time. Mike Yastrzemski up here, one for two. Yeah! That one lifted to left. Kim, moving under this one. Two down. Zach Popp into the game. And we all know about his slider. It's just filthy, man. And one of the better ones in the game, I'd say. Spin rate's very high, and it just breaks a ton. Foul ball there. Man on second, two down. Pitch misses, and it's one and one. Hard on the ground to first. Takes it himself. That ends the inning and stops things from getting out of hand. We head to the bottom of the fifth. So digging in now for Philadelphia, Brandon Marsh. You know, these Phil's, they're not going to be happy with the at-bats they've been having so far. Just one base runner to this point, and it's not exactly early anymore. They have guys in this lineup capable of sparking something, but it just hasn't happened for them yet. That misses the zone. Three balls, no strikes. And a strike to the outside corner at 95. That catches the zone for a strike. Full countdown. Stay down on strikes. And he's registered three K's in this one. Adolis Garcia stands in for the Phillies. Popped out to left his first time. The Braves leading by four, last half of inning number five. That one hammered, but pulled foul. Oh, I think the key, I mean, if he can get through one more inning, anything after that, a hitter or two, is bonus, but they should be lined up good enough to get to the finish line. Acuna takes it in for the out. Two away. JT Real Mutil steps in. Grounded out his first time up. That one finds the zone. Strike one. And it's in there at the knees. Quickly into an 0-2 count. Both pitches were down in the zone. I think you set your sights a little bit higher because you'll have a tendency to chase if you look down in that area. That one laced to center and a base hit. And that keeps the inning going. Really nice job, a two-strike hit and an added bat. Just a cookie down the middle. I mean, those are the ones you dream about. The ones in the cage you're just hoping you get in the ball game. Right down the middle, not a whole lot of velocity. Right on top of it. It's out. Stop. The next to hit. Takes ball one. Fastball. He gets out of the way. Hey! The 2-1. And that is out of play. Well, you can't really adjust your game plan for that last pitch. Guy hasn't thrown it very much. You've got to focus on the stuff that he's throwing up there most of the time. In the air, right field. Acuna on his way over. Pulls it down and he makes the catch. Top six. Now in for the Braves. Michael Harris, the second. You know, these Braves, simply put, are producing a lot of quality swings. Everything seems to be clicking. And the six extra base hits in the game kind of tells you everything you need to know. They're not getting fooled up there at all. The 0-2. Ground ball right side. And foul ball. The 0-2. Swing and a ball lifted left field. One down. And here is Eli White. Nope, outside. Slider right there. Jackknife's out of the way. Foul ball, another 2-2 upcoming. On the ground, right side. He takes it on his own. Two quick outs to open the top of the sixth. Two outs, base is empty. Now here is Mauricio Dubon. Just missed. Bounced to third. Boom. On the run, throw to first. And that's a nice play to end the inning. Back now for the bottom of the sixth. And there's a new pitcher on the mound. Yoel Payams. He has a great slider with tons of movement. Leading off, Otto Kemp. 0-1, he struck out swinging last time. And there's a breaking ball that drops in there. Nope, that's a ball. Ball one. Challenge from behind the dish here. Just caught the zone by a whisker. And the call is overturned. So they get to hang on to their second challenge. Hit on the ground to the right side. Olsen steps on the bag. And that's one out as they get the leadoff hitter in the sixth. So the Philly batting order turns over. Now it's the shortstop, Trey Turner. Some hitters are just more confident. They can track that first pitch out of the hand of the pitcher. They don't care if they fall behind 0-1. There's a swing and a miss. On the mound, you take a note. You see the hitter's willingness to chase that pitch upstairs. Get deeper in the count. Try to climb the ladder. Hangs on to the foul tip. That's a strikeout. Two down, base is empty. And Kyle Schwertmer will come up. He has, as they like to say. Let me guess, Boog. Light tower power. That's right. Swing and a ground ball up the middle. Oh, great stop. On the money. Nice play. Welcome back. We're in the seventh. We have a new pitcher on the mound, Jonathan Bolan. Well, they need someone to stop the bleed and keep the score right where it is. Seems like a tough task today with the way this lineup is swinging it. Acuna, the leadoff batter, as he looks at ball one. That's a ball. Bolan, 29 years old. And he was a second-round pick back in 2018. Fastball for a strike at 95. Way out front for strike two. Sold it really well with the arm speed. Swung underneath it, so a changeup that stayed a little bit more on plane than what he was anticipating. That one, 95 to finish him off. Now it's the Atlanta catcher, Drake Baldwin. One for three. Ball one. Sliced hard but fouled. And that's through there for a strike. And a count one and two. Out to short. Gloves it on the dive. Over to first. And it beats it. What a play. Here's Matt Olson. He's already homered in this game. And the first pitch fastball is in for a strike. Definitely a swing and miss slider down and in. He finished that really well. Just couldn't get him to offer at it. That one ripped but fouled. Two down, nobody on. Here are the top half of inning number seven. Breaking ball misses down and away. And that's awfully close. I don't know how you take that. He's seeing the ball out of the pitcher's hand really well right now. That's the third. Boom. Tosses across to first. That's the third out. Bottom of the seventh. And digging in for Philadelphia. Bryce Harper. Just a beautiful backdoor slider right there. If you've got any chance of hitting that pitch, you have to wait until the absolutely last millisecond. Just a tough pitch to hit and not an easy one to throw either. Good job to fight that one off. Going two down. That one almost got him. A little roller up a little first. But it kicks foul. One-two now. Fouled off. And they'll do it again. Goes down looking. And here comes Alec Baum. A guy that features an absolute power slider. Throws that pitch a lot. He throws it hard and gets a ton of swings and misses. Check swing at the 1-1. Look down to first. Yes, he did. That's a swing. And a ball and two strikes. That one missed. And I think being able to expand with that pitch, as you start to offer at it, that he can move it just a little bit further away. Before you know it, you're trying to hit a pitch that's off the plate. Ground ball up the middle. That's a base hit. So a man aboard now with one away. Got to love the resiliency he showed in that at bat. Battling with two strikes. Timing on the swing was good. Able to shoot the ball up the middle. Didn't square it up as much as he probably would have liked, but that's a good approach paying off. And now here is Brandon March. Breaking ball. And that got him. That ball got him right there. First base. First and second. One out. Adolis Garcia stands in for the Phillies. Right there for a strike. Well, we call that keyholing. Even though it's right there and looks pretty good, if he doesn't love it, he's not going to swing that early in the count. Swings through that one for strike two. Breaking ball misses down and away. On the ground to the left. No, that's a foul ball. And it's just foul. Two on, one out. And that's a strikeout looking. Went back to the slider, and it was a good idea. So out of the pen comes the right-hander, Ian Hamilton. And he's got a nice lead to work with, so he should come in throwing strikes, attacking these hitters. Here's JT Realmuto. Really nice swing in his last at-bat. Shot a line drive into center field. Fast ball for a strike. It's 0-1. So important to get ahead of these hitters. You don't want to issue a free pass and allow that tying run to come to the plate. Always want to keep that other team in a position where if they're going to beat you, they're going to have to do it with multiple hits. Two on, two outs. Swings and misses. Struck him out. We're at the top of the eighth. Now the Atlanta cleanup hitter, Austin Riley. When you throw a fastball by a guy like that, I imagine it's got to feel incredible. Look for him to throw it again at some point. On the ground to third. Boom. Throws on to first. Leadoff man is out here in the eighth. Here comes Mike Jastrzemski to the plate. Oh, that's off the plate. Swing and a foul straight back. The 1-1. Oh, that's too high. Lifted in the air. Left field. Pretty well struck. Two way down. Ozzie Albee's up to the plate. And first offering is fouled off. Two down, nobody on. Popped in the air. Left field. Kemp has a beat on it. And that is that. Bottom of the eighth. So digging in now for Philadelphia, Bryson Stock. This is just par for the course these days. Huge fastballs coming out of the bullpen. Whoa, that's down. Next pitch misses. And it's 2-1. Drilled out towards left center field. That's well struck. Hops over the wall. And that's an automatic double. Patience and discipline paid off right there as he got into an advantage count. Really good swing right there. He got a pitch that he knew he could handle. Allowed himself to stay back just a tad bit longer. And he hit the ball on the screws. Man at second. If you're going to get something going, this is the time to do it. You get the leadoff man on. Everybody's got to look over the shoulder and say, I'm just going to keep the line moving. Don't try to do too much. The 1-2. Swing and a high fly ball. Left field. Ustrensky settles under this one. Makes the grab. Back to the top of the order now. And here's the Phillies leadoff man, Trey Turner. Three-pitch strikeout last time up. Got to put up more of a fight in this one. Swings and misses. Strike one. Right there for a strike. Swing and a miss. Struck him out. Kyle Schwarber stands in for the Phillies. 0-3 in this one. Runner at second. Two down. Here's the bottom half of the eighth inning. Next pitch is outside. No need to go right at this guy. First base is open. He can hurt you, so make him expand his zone. If he doesn't, give him away. There's the strike. That one almost got him. Swing and a miss, and he got him. Third out, and that ends the frame. We're back. It's the top of the ninth. And there's a new pitcher on the mound. Orion Kirkering. Michael Harris, the second. Getting ready to hit. Fastball is outside. Bounced up the middle. Tries the bare hand, and it gets by him. Safe at first. No play. We'll see how they score this. So a man aboard. Eli White digs in now. 0-3. A fly out of ground out and a strikeout. That one fouled off. Foul ball. It stays nothing in two. This one in the air right field. Garcia heads after it. Pulls it down, and he makes the catch. One out man at first. Here's the shortstop at the play. Mauricio Dubon. Kirkering thought that was a strike, and here's the challenge. Not far out of the zone, but it was a ball. No challenges left for them now. Quick move to first, and he dives back in safely. Right side. Stop. Won at second. Got him. Safe at first. It's a fielder's choice. So back to the top of the order. And next for Atlanta, Ronald Acuna Jr. Not your prototypical leadoff guy. Gets on base, yes, but also some power. Ball. That's inside. Edge of the zone. Called a strike. And the count even 1-1. Now he's challenging the called strike, and that one just barely missed the call is overturned. They'll keep their remaining challenge. Dubon off of first with two away. That misses, and that's ball three. In the air, right side of the infield. Garcia coming on. Pulls it down, and he makes the catch. And that is that. Back now as they hand the ball to a fresh arm to start the bottom of the ninth, Aaron Bummer bringing in the lefty with a left-handed hitter coming up to hit. Classic bullpen move right here, so we'll see how it works out. What do you got? Checks his swing. Appeal down to third. He did not go around. And that is downstairs. And the count is 2-0. No need to offer that pitch until you get to two strikes. It's just a low percentage of success when you want to try to go after that down-and-away pitch. Strike two. And there's a ball. That one misses. So a lead-off walk. Alec Bohlm now at the plate. Well, the lead-off man gets on. You want to minimize the threat by playing sound defense. Hopefully the pitcher can get a ball on the ground, and they can roll them up for two. Ball one. Ball. That one misses. That's five straight. So a walk puts runners at first and second. First and second. No outs. Brandon March stands in for the Phillies. That's off the inside corner. Ball one. And an ABS challenge coming from behind the dish. So the call stands. So that removes their last challenge. As a hitter, you got to learn something from that pitch. You clearly wasn't timed up on the fastball. In a 2-0 count, you have to be ready to do damage. This one smoked on its way out of here. And just like that, they're within a run. So the closer summon from the bullpen, Raycel Iglesias. And I can't imagine any save is an easy one. You're holding a small lead on the scoreboard, and you know those hitters are going to give you the best of bats they can. So it's always high stress. Let's see what he's got here to try and close it out. And that puts the tying run on base. Well, that started and ended pretty quickly. No messing around right there. Fastball pretty much middle, middle, and that's what you fall asleep dreaming about as a hitter. So no surprise, he put a great swing on it. Here comes Real Muto. Lined, and that's a base hit. Throwback in quickly. First and second now with nobody out. Back-to-back singles, anytime you rip a line drive the other way, you feel really good about what you did at the plate. You trusted your hands. You let the ball travel, and you took the barrel straight to it. That's great work right there. Stop. In the box now. Take strike one. Well, comfortable or not, these are the situations, closers they seem to live for. I mean, you get into some hot water, a jam, tough spot, whatever you want to call it, but this is where they earn their keep. Got him swinging for the K. And that is a big first out. Two aboard with one out. Otto Kemp will hit next. Third baseman playing on the edge of the grass looking for the sack bun. Yeah, that's fouled off. The 0-1. Swing and a ball lifted in the air. Brings it in. So it's their last chance in this one. And the batter will be the shortstop. Trey Turner trying to deliver as the hero. That's a strike across the top of the zone. Well, in an 0-0 count, not every strike is a good strike for a hitter. I like the play discipline. Swing and a drive. Deep right field. Little tarny on that fastball. He's going to have to get it going a little quicker. Get that front foot down. This could end it. In the dirt. Well done behind the dish. The shortstop takes the ball. This is the guy they turn to to get the most important outs of the ball game. But they're going to make him work to get this save. And that one almost hit him. And that will load the bases. Big spot here. Bottom of the ninth. Down to their final out. Next is the designated hitter, Kyle Schwarber. This guy with light tower power. That one's in their own one. Well, at that velocity, if that's all you're seeing, 88, you can handle that all day long. That's what you get in batting practice. But off the velocity of the fastball, that is a very tough pitch to adjust to. All loaded up. Dangerous hitter at the plate. That's a strike and he inches closer to getting out of the jam. Oh, look at the stop. And that's the ball game. What a play to finish it. Well, this was a pressure-packed finish. Tying run at third. The winning run at second base. Somehow he found a way to make his pitches. Got his team out of the jam. Got the win. Everybody's happy. Close one here today. And your final 5-4. For Chris Singleton and our entire crew, I'm John Shomby saying so long.