Braves beat the Orioles 5-1
The Braves didn't know what they would get from Huascar Ynoa. It was hopefully the last start from a reliever who is having to be a starter with the troubles in the rotation.
Ynoa went out and again showed he can pitch. He's been better as a reliever this season, but Ynoa picked the Braves up with a solid four innings.
Yes, four innings. Ynoa pitched four shutout innings and allowed just two his, with no walks and four strikeouts. He came out of the game, even after having just 49 pitches through four innings, after holding his side like he had pulled an oblique muscle.
And then the Braves bullpen took over. Five relievers came in and pitched one inning each. Mark Melancon gave up a run in the ninth to give the Orioles their only run in a 5-1 Atlanta win.
The Braves' offense got another home run from Adam Duvall, his 15th of the season. Duvall joined Chipper Jones and Dale Murphy as Braves players with 10 home runs in the month of September. Duvall has 11 games left to break that record.
Freddie Freeman was 3-5 with a RBI double in the third inning and another RBI double in the ninth inning.
Atlanta padded its lead in the ninth inning, as after Freeman's double Marcell Ozuna singled in a run and then another run scored on a sac fly by Dansby Swanson.
The Braves improved to 29-20 on the season. Miami lost to Boston Tuesday night, so the Braves' lead in the NL East is now 3.5 games. They have 11 games left, and the Braves' magic number to clinch the division is nine.
Cole Hamels will make his 2020 debut for the Braves Wednesday in the rubber game of the three-game set at Camden Yards.
For more coverage of the Braves, listen to The Bill Shanks Show on SportsRadio 93-1 WXKO TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.