Braves vs. D-backs Game Highlights (4-4-26) - MLB Highlights

The whole Braves team is really clicking right now, and that offense has been going. This is encouraging, right? Both sides of the ball, offense and the pitching. Remember last year they started out 1-7 on the season? Well, this year a much different story. This looks like the old Braves that we're used to. The Braves have won the first two, and tonight going against them is the former Brave who came up through the Atlanta Braves organization, Michael Cirocco. He's a very different pitcher from when he was in the Atlanta Braves organization. He was a heavy sinker ball pitcher early on with the success he did have with the Braves. Much more expanded arsenal. And he freezes Riley to end the top of the first. Michael Cirocco's good buddy who he opposes tonight, Bryce Elder, gets the strike for the Atlanta Braves. He's looking to get the ball on the ground in this game. The sinker is exceptional, but I think the key for him is going to be the slider. That was pretty nasty there from Bryce Elder. That breaking ball has great depth to it, top to bottom. Swinging at the 3-1 pitch, another opportunity for Jastrzemski. And Cirocco and Elder, strong in the first. We are scoreless after one in Chase Field. So second walk here through five hitters for Cirocco. And two of the best in the game tonight between the Braves and Diamondbacks. Off the glove of Cirocco. He recovers. Jastrzemski gets the second one down. Yeah, probable double play ball if he catches it originally. So a runner in scoring position. Harris gives it a ride out to center field. Thomas is back and making the catch as he crashes into the wall. And that ball had some carry on because Thomas at first did not break back immediately. Perfect route to get to the wall in time. Small sample size, but great numbers so far for Dom Smith. He puts together really good at bats, this Dom Smith. But instead, Smith slaps it through the left side. Jastrzemski is coming home. And the Braves grab the lead. And on the throw, Smith up 90 feet to second base. What an addition Dom Smith has been for the Atlanta Braves in the early part of this season. So the first run that Cirocco has given up. Elder goes back to work against the middle part of the order at the bottom of the second. The catcher Moreno. Elder with a 2-2 pitch. Up the middle. Solid single for Gabriel Moreno to start the bottom of the second. You know, Atlanta has been throwing as early on in the rest of the league. Has a lot of fastballs to Nolan Arenado. Timing not quite there. He was out here early last night working really hard. And he sneaks it up the middle by Ozzie Albies. Yeah, one more fastball and that's a good adjustment. The veteran gets it done right here. Not hit hard, but hey, put it in play. Good things happen. And Jose Fernandez now. Squares to Bunt. Lays down a beauty. Elder. Run is in. They're going to try for two and they get two. All on a bunt by Fernandez. The element of surprise. I mean, you will not often see a bunt in that position. But hey, it was perfectly placed. Great base running, by the way, by Arenado. Ran through a stop sign. JR House had two hands up and Arenado just kept going. He's like, no, I've got this. I've been around long enough. Acuna off to a cold start. So even though the Braves are 6 and 2, everything's been clicking. Their former MVP, their superstar, a little cold to begin the season. This 3-2 pitch misses up and in, so some command issues. Acuna takes off with a strike. And just like that, Acuna is erased. The transfer, the footwork, and the throw right on target. And Tybee, think about Acuna during that MVP season. 73 stolen bases, but then another torn ACL. So now two of those. He says he's fully healthy, but that speed will be something to watch this year. Yeah, definitely. I mean, he's in the MVP year. He's top 80, 90 percentile in terms of speed. He's below average right now. Matt Olsen toward the gap. No one's going to get to this thing. Bouncing up against the 413 marker. What a series it's been for Olsen. He has two homers and now three doubles here in the three games against Arizona. A couple of longtime friends squaring off here in Michael Sirocco and Austin Riley. 2-2 pitch. The double by Olsen, but nothing doing for Atlanta. Now we start the fifth. Sirocco is back out there, but keep an eye on that pitch count because he's now at 80. 9-1-2 for Atlanta starting with Dubon. Liner off the glove. Looked like he had it, but it popped out on him. Yeah, he did have that one lined up, but just didn't stay in the glove. Make sure it's tight. Oh, I guess it did break. It did. Yeah. It went right through. 1-0-5 off the bat. It is a single for Dubon, and it's a new glove. So now the Braves two on with one out. And now you've got a red-hot Olsen coming to the plate. I mean, this is the ultimate test for a pitcher. A third time through the lineup, as you mentioned, pitch count running up. Hot hitter in the box. Two runners on base. You've got to try to get him out in the strike zone. Olsen, ground ball. Taken by Fernandez. The second for one. Glove of Sirocco. They may have had him. And the inning continues. They are at the corners. I think you're right. I think that was the out to get them off the field, the second out. So it's a difficult play for pitchers. He hustles over there in time, but now you have to find base and ball at a similar time. Oh, doesn't look it into the glove. Now you've got the tying run at third in Dubon, and Riley coming to the plate. Sirocco's 0-2. Ground ball to the left side. The glove is clean this time for Perdomo. Sirocco, five innings against his former club, and he exits with a 2-1 lead. And I'll tell you a fascinating story. I'm going to give away a secret. If you're a sinker ball guy, which he probably is, you know, mostly is, and you pitch for the Braves, who would you go talk to if you wanted to learn from the master? Oh, the guy that wore 3-1 back in the day? You got it. Greg Maddux. Greg Maddux taught him that to throw his different pitches, his landing foot actually lands in a different spot. But depending on sinker, cutter, or slider, Bryce Elder will land in a different position. But it's a subtle difference. He doesn't mind me sharing it because a hitter can't see it. But Elder is looking solid tonight. Six strikeouts, even though his team's down 2-1. Elder back to work. His pitch count in a tremendous spot, less than 70. He's been efficient. It was his throwing ear that helped the Diamondbacks score 2 in the second, and that's the difference in the game right now. 2-2 pitch, and he freezes. Can tell Martin. Somewhere in Las Vegas, Greg Maddux is smiling. Two-seamer comeback. I told you he can make that sinker do two different things. That's the comeback one that holds its plane but travels more horizontally. And right now, he's getting out, two down. And he is striking guys out. If he's not striking them out, he's getting ground balls. Another inning in which Bryce Elder, the big Texan, retires them in order. But Elder, outside of that mistake where he had the throwing ear, has been tremendous. Yeah, this has been a well-pitched game on both sides. Really impressed with the efficiency of Elder. Ground ball, Riley backhanding, throwing on the rod. He made it look easy, but I assure you it was not. That was beautiful. I'm sure Aronado in the other dugout gives a tip of the cap. The longest throw you can make as an infielder right here, going away from the bag. The long bounce, not the short bounce, the long bounce also makes it an easier pick. Well, he now has eight strikeouts, speaking of Eder from Decatur right there. Boy, that has been a great pitch for him today. It's now eight of his last nine starts. He's gone at least six innings with three earned runs or fewer. You see no earned runs tonight, but yet again, it's Arizona right now with that two-to-one lead. Off the end of the bat, right back where it came from. And another one-two-three inning for Bryce Elder. He's been superb. Another one-two-three frame would go to the top of the eighth-to-one Arizona. On to the eighth inning, Arizona nursing a two-to-one lead. And the new pitcher is Juan Murillo taking over here in the eighth for Arizona. They got him to reach and slap it right back to the mound. Good pitch by Murillo, one away. Yeah, that was the changeup. Broke his bat. Slow him down like that. Great pitch selection there. Again, pitcher and catcher working in tandem. He got it. Ninety-eight. Dooms Olsen, two away. I just love the way Murillo and Aronado are working together here. So, two down, and here's Riley. In on the hands. Behind home plate. Is there room? There is. Murillo making the grab. And Murillo, just like last night, sets the Braves down in order of the eighth. It's Paul Seawald, and this is the guy who blew the save yesterday. Now he tries to make amends here on this Saturday, here in the ninth. Starts by facing Jastrzemski. You know what he has. He needs to throw strikes. Well, he gets an awkward swing on the sweeper. Down goes Jastrzemski. One away. Well, this bullpen has been tremendous. We mentioned that the Diamondbacks have had trouble in this area, but 10 straight retired by the Diamondback relievers here. That Seawald a pitch away from making an 11th straight. Big pitch. Three-two. Seawald to Albies with one down in the ninth. He struck him out. Had it on the sweeper. Guts. That's what he's got. I'm telling you, folks. The Diamondbacks started the season out in L.A. against the Dodgers. They got swept. They came home, and then they swept the Tigers to get to three and three, and then they lost the last two nights to Atlanta. They're trying to right the ship here on this Saturday night. Another three-two. Out to center. This should do it. Get the win. Two-to-one over the Atlanta A's as Seawald slams the door in the ninth. I'm telling you, folks, they've got something in Mike Sirocco. That's something to build on, the kind of win a manager can look back on and say, that's the one that got us going.