The Atlanta Braves lost 7-4 to the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park yesterday afternoon. Cy Young winner Chris Sale struck out seven Padres in a strong opening-day effort. This effort was thwarted by shaky relief pitching that allowed four runs in the seventh inning.
A loss on opening day is not the end of the world. There were many bright spots to give Braves fans hope over the next 161 games. The performance of Chris Sale (18-3, 225 K, 2.38 ERA last season) was one of those bright spots. Once or twice a week, the Braves can count on a solid starter. His batterymate, rookie catcher Drake Baldwin also flashed potential with a powerful hit that almost left the yard. The velocity was clocked at 103.7 mph.
The Braves also showed scoring firepower at the plate. Second baseman Ozzie Albies and third baseman Austin Riley both popped homers in this opening stint. This is encouraging because Albies missed nearly half of last year’s season due to injuries and was never 100% healthy.
1. From 1887 to 1896, the Boston Beaneaters prevailed on Opening Day for ten consecutive years.
2. On Opening Day in 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 714th homerun, tying Babe Ruth’s record.
3. Yesterday, rookie Drake Baldwin became the first Atlanta Braves player to make his MLB debut starting as a catcher.
Despite the loss, the future looks bright for the Atlanta Braves. In a few weeks, both catcher Sean Murphy and star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. should be back on the field. They will still have to address the bullpen issues. Yesterday was more a glitch than an indicator, but shopping for an expensive middleman may be a good idea. The Braves continue their series with the Padres tonight.
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