Three Cuts: Braves' 7-run spurt in the 1st fuels road rout of Marlins
Here are three things we gleaned from the Braves' 12-2 thumping of the disheveled Miami Marlins on Tuesday -- putting Atlanta just 11 consecutive victories away from the franchise record of 13 straight to open a season (circa 1982).
We're kidding, of course. For now.
Sure, Atlanta (14 hits overall) went full circle for the evening, sending all nine hitters to the plate in its first and last at-bats.
But this game had become academic long before the 9th, when Atlanta tacked on four meaningless runs against the leaky Miami bullpen.
In fact, the outcome had been determined before Marlins starter Mat Latos swiftly jogged off the mound in the opening frame -- amid a chorus of boos from the home fans -- after surrendering six hits and seven runs in just 2/3 innings of work.
It wasn't an ideal Welcome Wagon experience for Latos, a South Florida native.
Which brings us to this: No one should be shocked to see the Braves open the season at 2-0. Quick starts are typically more random than predictive over a six- month span.
But there's a certain surprise factor in how Atlanta notched the back-to-back victories.
Monday's triumph involved great pitching, clutch defense, cutting down on strikeouts early, overcoming the dearth of extra-base hits (just one for the offense) and, quite frankly, passing the initial acid test of closing things out without Craig Kimbrel in the bullpen.
Tuesday's win, in turn, was all about a juggernaut offense -- for one day, at least -- taking advantage of the attractive power allies at Marlins Park.
After an Eric Young Jr. walk and Jace Peterson flyout, the sparks began to fly. Nick Markakis, batting in the 3-hole, tallied an RBI single. Freddie Freeman (two runs, three hits) raked an RBI double. Christian Bethancourt (two runs) laced an RBI double and then advanced to third base after a wild pitch.
Kelly Johnson walked ... setting the table for a Chris Johnson RBI double (scoring Bethancourt), Andrelton Simmons' two-run single and Young's RBI single (bringing home Simmons).
By then, the Marlins Park faithful were alternating audible boos with mock cheers, whenever Miami converted a sac-bunt putout or simply tossed back-to-back strikes.
The one-inning damage: Atlanta 7, Miami 0.
No doubt, it was ugly for the Marlins ... and uplifting for the Braves, who according to FOX Sports South writer Cory McCartney, did not score seven runs in 141 games last year.
That's the beauty of starting anew: The Braves may be devoid of household names (Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, Evan Gattis, the Upton brothers, etc.), or consistent home-run power throughout the lineup.
But the willingness to push the envelope, in terms of putting the ball in play and being aggressive on the base paths, has substantially increased.
For what it's worth ... Latos had a lifetime ERA of 3.28 against the Braves (eight outings), prior to Tuesday's debacle.
The kid had a touchdown lead before taking the mound. That's quite rare. Of equal relevance, unlike Julio Teheran from Monday, Wood didn't have to worry about a rain delay breaking out at a retractable-roof stadium, either.
Everything was smooth and mundane against the Marlins -- in a good way. In his five-inning stint, Wood yielded just two runs, three walks and four hits, while economizing the pitches at 85 (52 strikes).
As an educated guess, Wood will surely incur a boost in workload -- and intensity -- in his next start, either Sunday against the Mets or Monday vs. the Marlins (both outings at Turner Field).
Educated guess No. 2: Wood will recapture the form of his final 11 starts from last season (July 30 to Sept 23), when the southpaw had a cumulative ERA of 1.92 during that span.
This is the problem of being too dominant in a first-time setting:
By mowing down four Marlins hitters in the 7th and 8th (Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Adeiny Hechavarria, Dee Gordon, Mike Morse), Martin (one hit allowed) burned through his likely allottment of 25 pitches (19 strikes) in the two innings ... and didn't get the call for the 9th.
In case you're wondering, Martin's only save at the Triple-A level last year ... involved a three-inning cameo.
It also came in his 2014 debut.
