Braves Strikeouts, Padres Singles Power San Diego to Series Opening Win Over Braves

The San Diego Padres took down the Atlanta Braves in game one, getting to Braves starter Max Fried in the 5th.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker removes starting pitcher Max Fried in the 5th inning of Atlanta's game one loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday night. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves dropped their series opener to the San Diego Padres, 3-1, in Truist Park on Friday night.

Here’s what you need to know about from the contest.

Max Fried got nicked

Max Fried entered tonight’s game with a 1.79 ERA and only a .134 batting average allowed over his last six starts. 

Both of those are going up. 

The Braves ace was pegged for three runs on nine hits, all singles, in just 4.1 innings. He walked three and struck only two. Fried struggled to miss Padres bats, getting only four whiffs on his 88 pitches (54 strikes) and finished with just a 24% CSW.  

The Braves lefty was heater-heavy tonight, with 31 fastballs and another 18 sinkers in this one. His usually reliable curveball was thrown only 16 times, getting a grand total of one whiff, and Padres hitters swung only twice (and connected both times) at the eleven combined sliders and cutters from Fried.

The Braves offense couldn’t break through

Braves hitters had to deal with Padres starter Matt Waldron, the only full-time pitcher that throws a knuckleball in MLB. 

And let me tell you, they were not comfortable at the plate tonight. 

Brave hitters struck out eighteen times, with Waldron getting ten of them in his 5.2 innings. The knuckleballer allowed only one run on five hits, with the Braves getting only two hard-hit balls off of him. Atlanta hitters got only one extra-base hit off of Waldron, courtesy of an Ozzie Albies 1st-inning double. 

Matt Waldron, Vicious Knuckleball. 🦋 pic.twitter.com/sjSbUMswTo

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 18, 2024

For the game, Atlanta struck out eighteen times while finishing with only seven hits. The Braves went only 1-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight baserunners.  

Questions about Travis d’Arnaud

The Braves catcher was removed for the top of the 6th inning with what the team called “dizziness” after taking a foul ball off the face mask in the 5th inning. Per manager Brian Snitker after the game, d’Arnaud passed a concussion test and was officially diagnosed with a “head contusion”  

With Sean Murphy set to go out on a rehab assignment next week and still presumably at least a week away from returning, if d’Arnaud requires an injured list stint it’ll leave Atlanta in a bit of a bind. There are no other catchers on the 40-man roster, although veteran Sandy Leon in Triple-A Gwinnett can be added if Spender Strider, who is out for the season after April elbow surgery, is moved to the 60-Day IL.  

UPDATE: Per manager Brian Snitker after the game, d’Arnaud passed a concussion test and was officially diagnosed with a “head contusion”. He’ll be re-evaluated tomorrow morning before the team considers making any sort of final decision on whether an injured list stint is necessary. 

Chadwick Tromp, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson all expressed optimism about Travis d'Arnaud (head contusion). They didn't seem too worried about him, based on talking to him. His situation was scary, but this doesn't seem as bad as last year, when he suffered a concussion.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) May 18, 2024

Heavy bullpen usage tonight

Owing to Fried’s abbreviated outing - he was lifted with two on and only one out in the 5th inning - the bullpen had to eat a lot of innings tonight, with four relievers combining to cover 4.2 innings on 70 pitches. Aaron Bummer took the first 1.2, while Joe Jiménez, Jesse Chavez, and Raisel Iglesias all pitched a full inning. 

The issue here is that the team’s now one game into a stretch of seventeen straight games before the next day off, which comes on June 3rd. There are also relievers missing right now, with both Tyler Matzek and Pierce Johnson still on the injured list (although Johnson is expected to return this weekend). Snitker indicated that waiting at least one more day from Johnson’s Wednesday bullpen would allow the team to throw him two consecutive days in this series. We broke down the logistics and possibilities earlier today.

READ MORE: Austin Riley, Pierce Johnson Not Ready to Return for Braves 

What’s next for the Atlanta Braves?

Atlanta’s going to be looking to even the series tomorrow night on a national Fox broadcast - sinkerballer Bryce Elder is taking the mound for the Braves, opposed by veteran Yu Darvish. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM from Truist Park.