Mallex Smith hit a bases-loaded triple in the second inning from the 9-hole in the lineup to lead the Braves to a win over a sleep-deprived Giants team. Key Lines:
Brandon Belt- 2 for 4, HR(5). BA= .294. Belt stayed hot with a long HR leading off the second inning and scoring a run later in the game after a single.
Jeff Samardzija- 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 2.84. Samardzija was not as sharp as he's been, but really, it came down to one pitch and one hit by Mallex Smith to be the difference in this game. Of course, Samardzija would tell you he should not have been in that situation, but other Giants pitchers have found themselves in bases-loaded situations in recent games and have gotten out of them. Smith's hit only cleared Brandon Crawford's glove by an inch or two, an inch or two that made the difference between giving up 3 runs and getting out of the jam.
Derek Law- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 2.25. Law is quickly becoming a mainstay in the Giants bullpen. I think he's here to stay.
Chris Stratton- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Stratton makes a successful MLB debut in relief. His FB was reportedly up to 94 MPH and he made quick work of the Braves in the 8'th inning.
Mallex Smith(Braves)- 1 for 3, 3B. BA= .242. I profiled Smith in the offseason in my Impact Prospects series. I don't have him on my fantasy baseball roster, but I might have to consider it because I think he is here to stay. The slash line doesn't look like much, but his 3 HR and 6 SB project to 15 and 30 over a 600 AB season, and the slash line is only going to get better as he shakes off the rookie jitters.
Mike Foltynewicz(Braves)- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 3.51. Gotta say, I was quite impressed by Folty in this game. He looks like he's come a long ways from previous looks. He's been around seemingly forever since he was drafted in 2010 by the Astros, but he's still just 25 years old. He is big, rawboned and throws haaaard! Easy looking heat at 96-97 MPH with great command after the first couple of batters. His stat line shows a BB/9 of under 2 so far this season, which is excellent. I think the Braves made themselves a very nice long term deal when they traded away Evan Gattis for this kid. Now, he just needs to stay healthy!
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The best part of today's game is every other team in the NL West also lost so the First Place Giants maintain their 4.5 game lead over the Dodgers.
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Jake Peavy takes the mound tomorrow evening against Matt Wisler.
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Pretty impressive Debut for Stratton lets hope he can build on this.
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