Braves defeat Pirates 6-3 in series opener

The Atlanta Braves opened a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 6-3 victory on Friday night.

The team with the best record in Major League Baseball, the Braves, 43-21 overall, have done everything well this season, but if you have to find something wrong with a team with over 40 wins at the beginning of June, it’s the starting pitching.

Martin Perez had his ninth start of the season and got off to a rough start. He gave up three runs through the first four innings of the game, but finished strong. He kept the Pirates scoreless during the fourth and fifth innings before leaving the game with a line of 5 innings, 3 hits, and 3 earned runs. He also struck out 5 Pirates in the process.

“He finds a way to get through five innings and puts us in position to win,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Perez. “He bends but doesn’t break.”

Former Atlanta Braves outfielder and fan favorite Marcel Ozuna was back in town after having spent years playing at Truist Park. Ozuna received a large ovation from the crowd before his first at-bat. He, in return, tipped his helmet and tapped his chest with his right fist in appreciation. Then he grounded out to Austin Riley.

The game was tied at one in the third inning before Pirates leadoff hitter Nick Gonzales converted what could best be described as a bunt single down the third base line to put Pittsburgh up 2-1. In his second at-bat, Ozuna looped a single between Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II to add another run to Pittsburgh’s lead.

The game was tied again, this time at three, when Mr. Do Everything, Mauricio Dubon, hit a two-run home run over the left field fence off Pirates starter Mitch Keller. It was the first time in Dubon’s career that he homered in three consecutive games.

On his red-hot run of play, Dubon said he’s not surprised because he’s a confident player. All he needed was a chance, and he has one wth the Braves.

“I told Walt that I don’t care where I play as long as I’m in there one through nine,” Dubon, 2-4 with 3 RBI tonight, said. “This is the best baseball team in the world.”

With one out in the fifth inning, Duboin came up to the plate with two runners on and came through again. He singled to right field, and Michael Harris II, who started the inning with a single, came home to put the Braves up 4-3. Dom Smith came to the plate next and hit a sacrifice fly to give Atlanta the lead at 5-3.

Once again, the Braves found a way to pick up runs when they needed them the most. Austin Riley, hitting a tick over .200 at the moment and mired in a season-long slump, chipped in with an RBI double to put Atlanta ahead 6-3 before the inning was over. The fact that the team is playing as well as it has, while Riley isn’t playing well, says a lot about how well Walt Weiss is managing.

An argument can be made that the entire Braves bullpen should be pitching in the All-Star Game in Philadelphia next month. Didier Fuentes came on in place of Perez to pitch a scoreless and hitless sixth, while Dylan Lee, in the seventh, pitched a perfect inning as well. Robert Suraez pitched the eighth inning, and with a three-run advantage, it’s virtually impossible to break him down.

Beginning with Pirates pinch-hitter Endy Rodriguez, and ending with a groundout by second baseman Brandon Lowe, Suarez had a 1-2-3 inning. Suarez’s ERA remains under 1.00.

Braves saves leader, Raisel Iglesias, wasn’t perfect in the ninth. He opened the inning by walking Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds, then gave up a single to Ozuna. He rebounded by striking out Oneil Cruz, then got Ryan O’Hearn to hit into a game-ending double-play.

Related