PHOENIX — Those that understood the unavoidable cruelty a protracted baseball season can create have been ready for what occurred to the Braves of their 7-5 loss to the D-backs on Wednesday night time at Chase Discipline.
One other productive night for a previously-slumbering offense was tarnished by the struggles of what has been a rock-solid bullpen. Marcell Ozuna took one other step towards a second straight 40-homer season with a game-tying blast within the eighth, however relievers Joe Jiménez and Pierce Johnson each proved to be mortal.
“These guys have been so rock strong,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker stated. “It’s going to occur. [The D-backs] are actually good. So, you flip the web page hopefully you get a lead tomorrow and get them again in there.”
Ozuna has been the crew’s solely constant offensive risk all through the season, however as Jarred Kelenic and Austin Riley have began to assist carry the load, the Braves’ underachieving offense has discovered life.
Atlanta has scored five-plus runs in every of the previous six video games. This wasn’t out of the abnormal final yr, after they had 4 streaks of at the least six video games, together with one which spanned 10 video games. However this marked their first six-game streak because the one they produced April 14-20.
Sadly, this newest productive night time on the plate coincided with Johnson permitting a run for simply the second time within the 14 appearances he’s made going again to Could 31. This additionally marked the second time he allowed a number of hits in an look throughout that span.
Johnson entered with a runner on first and two outs within the seventh and promptly allowed a double to Eugenio Suárez, who had drilled a protracted homer off Charlie Morton within the second inning. Jose Herrera added a two-out single off Johnson to provide the D-backs a 5-3 lead.
Ozuna’s two-run homer within the eighth tied the sport. However the D-backs tallied two hits, drew a stroll and scored two runs off Jiménez within the backside half of the inning.
Jiménez entered having allowed simply two hits whereas preserving opponents scoreless over his previous 9 innings. He had allowed simply two runs over his previous 17 innings. However this wasn’t his night time.
“It’s going to occur,” Morton stated. “It’s exhausting to be pretty much as good as they’ve been.”
The identical will be stated of Ozuna, who tied the sport with a Statcast-projected 441-foot blast in opposition to Ryan Thompson. He ranks fourth within the Majors with 24 homers and third with 75 RBIs. His .942 OPS ranks ninth.
Ozuna, who will take part in Monday’s Residence Run Derby, is on tempo to hit 42 homers. He has an opportunity to affix Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Andruw Jones and Ronald Acuña Jr. as the one gamers to assemble a number of 40-homer seasons for the Braves. Jones (2005-06) is the newest to hit 40-plus residence runs in consecutive seasons.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Snitker stated. “It’s simply huge hits. He’s coming via within the clutch at all times. It’s fairly outstanding what he has carried out.”
Ozuna’s manufacturing this yr earned him his third profession All-Star choice and first since 2017. It regarded like he is perhaps nearing the tip of his profession as his struggles from 2021 and ‘22 carried via the primary month of final season. However he has since been one of many recreation’s finest gamers.
Going again to Could 1, 2023, Ozuna ranks third amongst all MLB gamers with 62 residence runs. The one gamers with extra are Shohei Ohtani (63) and Aaron Choose (63).
He leads all MLB gamers with 173 RBIs throughout that very same span, whereas his .957 OPS ranks seventh.
“I believe it’s superior,” Morton stated. “I’ve identified he was a very good hitter. I’m actually pleased for him. The best way he has hit the ball for over a yr now has been spectacular.”
