Takeaways from the Atlanta Braves game two win vs the Washington Nationals
The Atlanta Braves improve to 2-0 on the season after the second win over the Washington Nationals 7-1.
Spencer Strider is Locked In
Spencer Strider was locked in for his first start today. It took 10 pitches to retire Luis Garcia, the first batter he faced, but once he did, he made quick work of the next two batters to end the first inning. He cruised through the next five and finished the day with six innings of shutout ball. Strider ended the day with nine strikeouts and three walks in his six innings. It is good to see Strider begin this season in the same way he dominated much of the season last year. Fittingly, Strider is sporting the number 99 this season in honor of his scorching fastball. A healthy Fried + Strider is a dominant duo at the top of the Braves starting rotation.
The Braves Lineup is as Deep as Advertised
Game one did not feature any home runs, but the Braves quickly jumped on the scoreboard today with back-to-back deep shots from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson in the first two at-bats of the game. They got two more home runs later in the game, one from Marcell Ozuna and a second one from Matt Olson. As demonstrated in the first two games this season, this Braves team can win with home runs or by stringing together multiple hits. There are not any easy outs, and the runs can come quickly for this team. The team had eleven hits today and put seven runs on the board.
Arcia Looks Comfortable
Shortstop has been the biggest question mark all offseason for the Braves. Orlando Arcia won the starting job and has looked solid in the field and at the plate in the first two games. Today he was three for four with an RBI. The best-case scenario for the Braves is for Arcia to continue to play well and allow Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake extended playing time at AAA Gwinnett.
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