In today’s entertainment hot topic, the Atlanta Braves experienced their first sweep of the 2023 season courtesy of the defending World Series Champions, the Houston Astros. After losing the first two games of the series, the Braves were hoping to avoid the sweep and salvage a win on Sunday, April 23.
However, Houston’s offense had an explosive performance towards the end of all three games, putting up twelve runs in the 7th inning or later throughout the weekend, resulting in victories in all three matches. The Astros proved to be too powerful and closed out the three-game series held at Truist Park with a 5-2 win.
Here is everything you need to know about the decisive Game Three.
Key Moments and Takeaways
Being an excellent pitcher is not just about being unbeatable and dominating when everything is going well but also about performing well enough to make it through a game when things are not going as planned. This was the case for Max Fried during his game against the Astros on Sunday.
The left-handed pitcher managed to play for 6.2 innings, allowing only three hits and no runs, with three walks and five strikeouts. Though his pitch mix was not as sharp as usual, resulting in only nine swings and misses from his 107 pitches, Fried’s four-seam fastball remained strong at 95-97 mph, accounting for six of the nine swings and misses.
His overall Called Strikes + Whiffs (CSW) rate was below average at 18%, with none of his individual pitches reaching the MLB average of 30%. The four-seam fastball was the highest at 23%, followed by the slider at 21%, and both the changeup and curveball at 17%. The sinker, which he used 12% of the time, did not result in any called strikes or swings and misses, with all five strikes being contacted – three fouled off and two put into play.
Astros’ Offense Comes Alive
Nick Anderson and AJ Minter were the unfortunate victims today, as they pitched two full innings together, resulting in five hits, five runs, and two walks to five strikeouts. This changed the game from the Braves leading 2-0 to the Astros winning 5-2.
Overall, Houston has been performing exceptionally well in the late innings of this series, accumulating twelve runs in the final three innings of the three games. In contrast, Atlanta has not scored any runs after the 7th inning in the series. This seems to be more of a testament to Houston’s strong offense rather than a problem with Atlanta’s bullpen, which has generally performed well this season.
Yordan Alvarez, who was the AL Silver Slugger as a designated hitter in 2021 and a 2023 All-Star, is considered the most formidable batter in the Astros lineup. Unfortunately for Atlanta’s pitchers, they had a hard time keeping the ball away from his bat this weekend. Throughout the series, Alvarez managed to get only three hits, but two of those were home runs on Friday and Saturday, while the third was a single that brought in two runs on Sunday. In total, Alvarez scored twice and contributed six out of the seventeen runs that Houston amassed during the series.
Throughout the series, Ronald Acuña Jr. successfully hit five out of twelve pitches, including three doubles, and managed to steal four bases, bringing his MLB lead to twelve. He started each of the three games by getting on base: a double on Friday, a single on Saturday, and a walk on Sunday.
What’s Next for the Braves
For fans, this series was a tough pill to swallow. And the team’s resilience and determination will be put to the test as they continue through the season. As the Braves take on the Marlins in their upcoming series, they will undoubtedly be looking to put the disappointment of this sweep behind them and focus on the task at hand.
According to Atlanta news networks, Atlanta begins a four-game series at home on Monday night, facing the increasingly intense Miami Marlins. Spencer Strider will be pitching for Atlanta, while Edward Cabrera will be on the mound for Miami.
Final Thoughts
The Atlanta Braves’ first sweep of the season at the hands of the Houston Astros is undoubtedly a disappointing outcome for the team and its fans. However, with a long season ahead, the Braves have ample time to learn from this experience and make the necessary adjustments to continue their quest for success.
As the Braves face their upcoming opponents, Atlanta news networks and fans will be sure to keep an eye on how they respond to this setback and what changes they implement to improve their performance on the field.
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