Birthday Brilliance: Spencer Schwellenbach Racks Up 11 Strikeouts in Statement Win
Spencer Schwellenbach and the Braves Dominate
The Braves came in today searching for something good. That is where I will leave the opening statement because this team needs a lot of good, especially in the batter’s box. Last night’s 6-for-33 effort was draining and frustrating. Thankfully today would be much different, and the Birthday man, Spencer Schwellenbach would deal and deal some more.
Today started with a little offense, after Spencer Schwellenbach retired the Red Sox in order to start things off, including a strikeout of Wilyer Abreu to end the opening side. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin got things going with back-to-back singles to put the Braves in scoring position. After a Marcell Ozuna double play that moved Acuña Jr. to third, Matt Olson cashed him in for the game’s first run. Just like yesterday, Atlanta opened with a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Spencer Schwellenbach came out pumping gas, touching 100 mph often in the early going. Through two innings, he had retired six straight and struck out three along the way. The birthday magic seemed real, and the Red Sox couldn’t catch up.
Starting pitching hasn’t been the issue for the Braves, and seeing Schwellenbach cruise early wasn’t surprising. What would have been a surprise was seeing the Braves’ bats finally get going and build a lead.
Walker Buehler returned to the mound after a frustrating first inning. He looked like he might settle in after two quick outs in the second, but Michael Harris II reached safely after Buehler dropped the ball covering first. While Buehler finished the inning by getting Luke Williams to ground out, his frustration was clear. If the Braves could put pressure on him in the third, you just had the feeling he might break.
Schwellenbach continued his dominance, retiring the Red Sox in order through three. Michael Harris II made another highlight-reel catch on a deep fly ball from Trevor Story to lead off the third. Schwellenbach followed with back-to-back strikeouts of Kristian Campbell and Ceddanne Rafaela, pushing his total to five through three innings without a hit or baserunner allowed.
The Braves bats stayed quiet for a bit, but Marcell Ozuna did manage a single. It’s almost a surprise these days to see Ozuna get a base hit and not a walk, but all that matters is getting on base. That’s baseball. Take what you’re given.
Schwellenbach’s perfect start ended with a two-out single by Wilyer Abreu in the fourth, followed by a Carlos Narváez single. Luke Williams couldn’t handle the ball cleanly for a possible out, but Schwellenbach shut down the threat with a strikeout of Marcelo Mayer on an 84.6 mph splitter, marking his sixth punchout through four innings.
Buehler came back for the fifth with 49 pitches already thrown. On his 55th pitch, Austin Riley blasted a 400-foot solo homer to center to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. Buehler looked frustrated, and you could sense he didn’t have much left.
Ozzie Albies worked a walk before Verdugo struck out for the second time, dropping to 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. His early spark in Atlanta has cooled off a bit. Michael Harris II took advantage of the opportunity and brought Albies in with an RBI single to make it 3-0. After a Luke Williams out, Ronald Acuña Jr. then jumped on the first pitch and sent it over the fence for a two-run home run, pushing the lead to 5-0. This is what Braves fans have been wanting to see, and today the team delivered.
Schwellenbach kept pumping gas. Whether it was birthday magic or just sheer dominance, Boston couldn’t do anything with him. After striking out 11 in his last start, Schwellenbach matched that total again today, striking out Story and Campbell in the fifth, then Devers and Narváez in the sixth. His velocity and movement were locked in.
The Braves chased Buehler in the sixth after Michael Harris II singled and Acuña Jr. worked a two-out walk. Buehler finished with 5.2 innings pitched, allowing five runs on 10 hits, two walks, six strikeouts, and two homers. It wasn’t a good day for him, and that was a good thing for the Braves.
Schwellenbach capped off his day in the seventh, tying his career high of 11 strikeouts for the second time this season with an Abraham Toro fan. His final line would be 6.1 innings pitched, no runs on 5 hits, no walks and 11 strikeouts. Today is Spencer Scwhwellenbach’s second straight 11 strikeout outing.
Daysbel Hernández took over for the Braves and looked sharp, striking out Trevor Story and Kristian Campbell. That’s a big lift for a guy who has struggled with command lately.
Dylan Lee handled the eighth inning and made it look easy, retiring the side in order, including a strikeout of Rafael Devers. Devers, who has been a problem for many teams, wasn’t much of a threat today.
Rafael Montero finished the deal in the ninth, retiring the Red Sox in order, and the Braves took a 5-0 win in game two of the series. Spencer Schwellenbach had a great day, and the Braves’ offense had his back. The team as a whole struck out 14 batters and gave up no walks, while the Red Sox went just 5-for-32 on the day.
This is the kind of win the Braves needed to hopefully get some momentum rolling. Spencer Schwellenbach was the star of the day, setting the tone from the first pitch and giving Atlanta a much-needed boost. The offense backed him up, finally showing some life with timely hits and big swings. If the Braves can build on this and find some consistency in the batter’s box, they’ll start to turn things around in a hurry. For now, they’ll take this one, enjoy it, and get ready to finish the series strong tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s rubber match will have a 1:35 PM EDT first pitch as Bryce Elder will take the hill for the home team and Boston will send Garrett Crochet to the mound. Braves have a shot to break their series slump, and win one tomorrow. FanDuel Sports Network is the place to watch and as always, 680 The Fan is where you can listen. Good evening and Go Braves!
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