Atlanta Braves Quick Stats:

• Bryce Elder(ATL): 6.2 IP, 8 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 Walk, 7 Strikeouts (Win)
• Mitch Spence(ATH): 6.0 IP, 9 Hits, 8 Runs, 1 Walk, 3 Strikeouts (Loss)
• Matt Olson(ATL): 2-4
• Ronald Acuna Jr.(ATL): 2-4, 2 Home Runs
• Drake Baldwin(ATL): 2-5, Home Run
• Austin Riley(ATL): 2-5, Home Run
• Marcell Ozuna(ATL): 1-3, Home Run

ATL: 11 Hits, 9 Runs, 4 Walks, 4 Strikeouts

ATH: 9 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 Walk, 10 Strikeouts

Hardest Hit Ball: Acuña Jr.’s leadoff homer was rocketed at 110.0 mph.

Fastest Bat Speed: Austin Riley’s second-inning homer clocked in at 83.3 mph.

Longest Home Run: Drake Baldwin’s first-inning blast traveled 431 feet.

The Game Story:

1^st Inning: Ronald Acuna Jr. leads the game with a home run to left, and the Braves lead 1-0. Matt Olson singles to left. Austin Riley hits a double to left, putting runners on first and third with nobody out. Drake Baldwin hits a home run to center field, and the Braves go up 4-0. Jurickson Profar strikes out looking. Marcell Ozuna lines out to the pitcher for the second out. Ozzie Albies draws a walk. Michael Harris II flies out to left to end the top half of the inning. Lawrence Butler strikes out looking. Brent Rooker strikes out looking for the second out. Nick Kurtz grounds out to first to end the inning.

2^nd Inning: Nick Allen strikes out swinging. Ronald Acuna Jr. flies out to left for the second out. Matt Olson singles down the third base line. Austin Riley hits a home run to left to extend the Braves’ lead to 6-0. Drake Baldwin grounds out to first to end the top half of the inning. Shea Langeliers singles to center. Tyler Soderstrom grounds out to short, moving the runner to second. Max Muncy grounds out to third for the second out. Gio Urshela grounds out to second to end the inning.

3^rd Inning: Jurickson Profar strikes out swinging. Marcell Ozuna flies out to right for the second out. Ozzie Albies grounds out to short to end the top half of the inning. Zack Gelof strikes out swinging. Denzel Clarke grounds out to second base for the second out. Lawrence Butler walks. Brent Rooker strikes out swinging to end the inning.

4^th Inning: Michael Harris II grounds out to second. Nick Allen grounds out to third for the second out. Ronald Acuna Jr. hits his second home run of the game to right center field, and the Braves go up 7-0. Matt Olson pops out to short to end the top half of the inning. Nick Kurtz flies out to left. Shea Langeliers lines out to the right for the second out. Tyler Soderstrom doubles to left. Max Muncy grounds out softly to the catcher and is thrown out at first to end the inning.

5^th Inning: Austin Riley flies out to right. Drake Baldwin grounds out to second. Jurickson Profar flies out to center. Gio Urshela strikes out swinging. Zack Gelof singles to center. Denzel Clarke doubles to second, putting runners on second and third with one out. Lawrence Butler grounds out to first while the run scores to make it 7-1. Brent Rooker grounds out to first to end the inning.

6^th Inning: Marcell Ozuna hits a home run to center, and the score is 8-1. Ozzie Albies pops out to third. Michael Harris II grounds out to first for the second out. Nick Allen singles to right. Ronald Acuna Jr. grounds into a force out to end the top half of the inning. Nick Kurtz strikes out swinging. Shea Langeliers flies out to left for the second out. Tyler Soderstrom singles to left center. Max Muncy singles to left, and there are runners at first and third with two outs. Gio Urshela singles to center, driving in the run, and the score is 8-2. Flies out to left to end the inning.

7^th Inning: Athletics bring in Hogan Harris to relieve Spence. Matt Olson walks. Austin Riley flies out to right. Drake Baldwin comes up to the plate. Olson advances to second on a wild pitch. Baldwin strikes out on a foul tip for the second out. Jurickson Profar doubles to left, scoring Olson, and the score is 9-2. Marcell Ozuna draws a walk. Ozzie Albies flies out to right to end the top half of the inning. Denzel Clarke strikes out swinging. Lawrence Butler flies out to center for the second out. Brent Rooker reaches first on an error by the pitcher. The Braves bring in Dylan Lee to relieve Elder. Nick Kurtz strikes out swinging to end the inning.

8^th Inning: Michael Harris II grounds out to second. Nick Allen grounds out to short for the second out. Ronald Acuna Jr. draws a walk. Matt Olson grounds out to second to end the top half of the inning. The Braves bring in Daysbel Hernandez to relieve Lee. Shea Langeliers grounds out to short. Tyler Soderstrom strikes out swinging for the second out. Max Muncy flies out to right to end the inning.

9^th Inning: Athletics bring in Elvis Alvarado to relieve Harris. Austin Riley flies out to center. Drake Baldwin singles to right. Jurickson Profar grounds into a double play to end the top half of the inning. The Braves bring in Rafael Montero to relieve Hernandez. Urshela flies out to center. Zack Gelof lines out to center for the second out. Denzel Clarke singles on a soft hit ball to the pitcher. Lawrence Butler strikes out swinging to end the game.

Final Score: Atlanta Braves-9, Athletics-2

Braves Player of the Game

Bryce Elder gets the nod for giving the Braves a solid start and getting a much-needed win, snapping their five-game losing streak.

My Thoughts: What a difference a day can make. The offense went lifeless in the first game of this series, then turned it around and clubbed five home runs, two of them coming from a returning Ronald Acuna Jr. From Acuna’s first at-bat in the first, the Braves never looked back and kept adding to the scoreboard.

What might be even more impressive than the offense would be the outing for Bryce Elder, who, in his last four starts, has to be frank, has been horrible.

This type of outing can build momentum for the Braves’ rotation moving forward, with Spencer Strider going to the bump for the series finale. Didier Fuentes was sent back down to the minors to gain more seasoning and experience while working out his issues in a less pressurized environment than the Major Leagues.

If the Braves can win the next game and secure the series victory, they will face a Cardinals team that defied all expectations this year. Let’s see if the Braves’ offense can maintain a higher scoring pace. If the pitching continues to hold up, this could lead to a run that the Braves have hoped for all year.

Next Up:

Game three of the series will be Thursday night, with the Braves sending Spencer Strider to the bump to face off with the Athletics’ JP Spears. The first pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. EST.