The Atlanta Braves will look to extend their winning streak to 13 games when they oppose the host Washington Nationals on Tuesday in the middle contest of a three-game series, but the visitors’ jubilant attitude was shaken on Monday night.
All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies broke his left foot while swinging at a fifth-inning pitch and grounding out. He fell to the dirt in the batter’s box, then hopped off the field. The Braves announced his diagnosis later in their 9-5 win.
“I hate it for Ozzie, I hate it for us,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s one of them things. He’ll be fine. He’s young. He’ll heal quick. …
“He loves to play baseball and is such a big part of our club here. It’s just a chance for somebody else to do something good.”
That someone figures to be Orlando Arcia, who replaced Albies on Monday and reached base in both of his plate appearances. He is hitting .313 this year, while Albies is batting .244.
The defending World Series champions have yet to lose in June. They are riding their longest winning streak since taking 14 straight from July 26-Aug. 9, 2013.
“We don’t even worry about the streak,” Snitker said. “It’s about today, preparing for today’s game. It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday. Tomorrow’s a long way away. Every day is a separate entity in this job. It’s a new day, and you have to prepare as such.”
The Braves haven’t just won games this month, they have dominated. Atlanta has outscored the opposition 83-35 and has smacked 27 home runs in 12 games.
Travis d’Arnaud, Ozzie Albies, Adam Duvall, Dansby Swanson and Michael Harris II all went deep for Atlanta on Monday.
Duvall especially has been on a tear.
After leading the National League with 113 RBIs and placing second with 38 home runs last year, he has eight extra-base hits, including five home runs, over the past eight games.
The Braves will turn Tuesday to left-hander Max Fried (6-2, 2.64 ERA), who is coming off two of his best starts of the season. He threw eight shutout innings against the Colorado Rockies on June 3 in Denver, then allowed a run on eight hits with eight strikeouts and no walks over six innings in a 3-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
Atlanta is 8-2 in Fried’s past 10 starts. However, Fried has had mixed success against the Nationals throughout his career. He is 4-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 13 appearances (12 starts) vs. Washington.
In his most recent start against the Nationals, he gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks over 5 1/3 innings in a 3-1 loss on April 13.
Washington will counter with 26-year-old right-hander Jackson Tetreault, who will make his major league debut.
Manager Dave Martinez chose Tetreault over Josiah Gray, who was scratched from his start on Monday after the game’s first pitch was pushed back due to a 93-minute rain delay.
Tetreault is 5-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 12 starts for Triple-A Rochester this year.
“He’s been good and throwing the ball well,” Martinez said. “He throws strikes and he’s been doing well down there, so we will give him an opportunity to pitch here.”
The Nationals have lost five of their past seven games.
–Field Level Media