Another week, another strong Bryce Elder effort against the Cubs — and another so-so performance by Shota Imanaga against the Braves. Last week, in Chicago, the Braves won the Bryce Elder start but didn’t come away with a victory despite a couple of homers off Imanaga; this week, the combination of good Elder, meh Imanaga, and a three-run first was enough to give the Braves the victory.
Elder picked up more or less where he left off, striking out two in a perfect first. The Braves then piled on Imanaga with a protracted two-out rally. Ozzie Albies began the fun by obliterating an Imanaga meatball 435 feet to center. After a single from cleanup man (?!) Ha-Seong Kim, Drake Baldwin nearly added another longball, but had to settle for an RBI double. Ronald Acuña Jr. then added another 108 mph contact to match Albies’ homer, but his was just a single through the infield that scored Baldwin, 3-0 Braves.
After that, the game basically raced along, as both Elder and Imanaga were more or less untouchable. A couple of singles were literally the only in-game action until the top of the sixth, when Elder entered the dreaded third time through the order. Thankfully, it happened with two outs. Even more thankfully, after a walk sandwiched by two singles, Pete Crow-Armstrong came up and tried to pull a way-outside slider, hitting it weakly to Matt Olson at first base for an easy out.
Did the Braves think, hey, Bryce Elder had a 6/0 K/BB ratio through 18 batters but an 0/1 K/BB ratio through the first four batters he faced the third time through, so maybe we can yank him? They did not. Who are we kidding, at this point? So, the Cubs collected a double and a single (and another out) in the top of the seventh, and then the Braves yanked Elder for Pierce Johnson, who gave up a sacrifice fly but otherwise ended the inning thanks to a couple of outs on balls in play.
Imanaga departed after six, with a 4/0 K/BB ratio and the dinger yielded to Albies. Aaron Civale worked around a Michael Harris II single and steal in the seventh, but got tagged by Matt Olson for a solo homer in the eighth, which capped the scoring. Tyler Kinley threw a very easy eighth, en route to Raisel Iglesias’ very easy ninth to end the game.
All in all, this was another game where Bryce Elder didn’t get victimized by HR/FB, meaning he’ll end up with a kinder pitching line and more fWAR banked tomorrow. The Braves also hit two dingers (yay) and somehow managed a game without a walk that they still won (also yay). Stay tuned as the series continues tomorrow, or don’t, but the season will roll on to a merciful end anyway in the near future.