Three Cuts: Foltynewicz a two-way hero in Braves' rally win over Reds
ATLANTA -- Here are three detailed takes from the Braves' 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday -- a slide-busting win that helped young Mike Foltynewicz achieve five firsts at the highest level:
First start in the majors. First appearance with the Braves. First MLB victory. First base hit. First RBI.
It's weird. Foltynewicz (two earned runs allowed, two strikeouts, three walks over five innings) pitched very well for three frames and flourished under pressure for the other two -- forsaking the so-called big inning.
But I never had the sense he would come away from Friday's outing victorious ... let alone with a lead before exiting the mound.
And that's the inherent problem of watching games played in National League parks. You always assume the pitcher-turned-batter will never help his own cause.
Big mistake on my part. Bigger gaffe for Reds pitcher Anthony DeScalfani, who -- while staked to a 3-0 lead in the 4th -- grooved a two-out fastball to Foltynewicz, who turned on the meatball and laced a line-drive double to left-center, easily scoring Andrelton Simmons and Eric Young Jr.
Foltynewicz's two-RBI swing was so smooth, so prolific, that it's easy to forget three interesting factoids:
a) Folty (might as well get in the habit of shortening the name) didn't log a single at-bat in the minor leagues (2010-14), or with the major-league Astros last season.
b) Counting the groundout in the second inning, Foltynewicz's heroic RBI double represented his second official at-bat since high school. High school!
c) According to Grant McAuley of 92.9 FM in Atlanta (The Game), Foltynewicz's last live at-bat came in June 2010 -- in a high school playoff game.
Think about that for a second.
"I was a little late on the first (at-bat), so i told myself I'd let it go (on the next at-bat)," beamed Foltynewicz in his postgame media session. "I really didn't feel anything ... but it was pretty cool."
Adding to the coolness of the night, in the next inning, teammate Kelly Johnson rewarded Foltynewicz with a go-ahead (and eventual game-winning) homer to right field (more on that later) -- giving Atlanta its first lead.
"Nobody knew (Foltynewicz could hit like that). Not even Coach (Brian) Snitker," said Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez, referencing the organization's Triple-A manager who had Foltynewicz for the first month of the regular season. "But (Folty's) an athlete."
Gonzalez added: "Obviously, you didn't know (Folty) would split the gap, knock in a couple of runs and help himself get the first victory of his career."
Of equal relevance, Foltynewicz's breakout night wasn't a one-shot deal, for he'll be back in the Braves' rotation in five short days (against the Phillies).
"Good for him, good for us," said Gonzalez, before adding, "It was a nice first outing for him."
It was an eerie setting in the Atlanta locker room on Tuesday night, just minutes after the club squandered a pair of early eight-run leads and eventually fell to the Nationals, 13-12 (courtesy of Dan Uggla's three-run blast in the 9th).
The clubhouse atmosphere was more shock and disbelief than resignation after the come-from-ahead defeat; but at the same time, the players (and Gonzalez) were quick to dismiss the long-term ramifications of a single loss, saying they'd be similarly focused on bouncing back the next day.
Well, Wednesday ended up a blowout loss to the suddenly surging Nationals. And on Thursday, the Reds (11-12) rolled to a 5-1 win in the series opener at Turner Field.
At this point in the season, a three-game losing slide amounts to nothing more than sand off a beach. But given the oddity of Tuesday's setback, the Braves players had to know any sustained negative streak would be directly tied to the 13-12 loss.
(The media tends to fixate on stuff like that.)
But none of that matters now, with the Braves (11-12) back on track and only concerned with a variety of questions involving Foltynewicz -- in the realms of his hitting prowess, the blazing fastball (touching the mid-to-upper 90s on Friday), the shortened pitching delivery with runners on base ... and maybe the second-year player's rockin' blond mustache in the postgame address.
Perhaps it was a direct result of A.J. Pierzynski (Braves) and Brayan Pena (Reds) holding court as the starting catchers, compared to Christian Bethancourt and Devin Mesoraco.
Perhaps Foltynewicz's high leg kick -- even from the stretch -- was an engraved invitation for the Reds runners to advance to second and third base, whenever plausible.
Whatever the case, the Cincinnati and Atlanta runners were aggressive on the base paths from the get-go, with Brandon Phillips (two steals), Joey Votto (two steals) and Zack Cosart (one) accounting for the Reds' thefts ... and Freddie Freeman -- yes, Freddie Freeman -- notching the Braves' solo steal.
And Freeman's theft wasn't some throwaway moment, or a simple bout of catcher indifference. With the Braves trailing by one in the 5th, Freeman and Pierzynski (the batter) attempted a "run-and-hit" situation -- but the latter missed the pitch on strike-3, leaving Freeman exposed while heading for second.
The tall, lanky Freeman (11 career steals) beat the throw anyway, eliciting a hearty applause from the Turner Field faithful. A few seconds later, Kelly Johnson launched an inside fastball to the right-field stands, vaulting Atlanta into the lead and giving Foltynewicz the chance to earn a victory in his Braves debut.
"I'm just glad to get that one out of the way," said Foltynewicz, wearing a wide smile and palpable look of relief. "It could have been better, it could have been a little worse."
Regarding the from-the-stretch deliveries to the plate, Gonzalez attributed it to nerves and Folty needing a full inning find his bearings. The manager opined that 1.1 seconds to the plate is too fast ... and 1.8 seconds would be too slow for the major leagues.
"We don't want a track meet (out on the base paths)," said Gonzalez. He then added: "The Billy Hamiltons of the world, they're going to run." (His team) wants to stop "the below-average runners."
Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell warranted an assist in Friday's victory, helping Foltynewicz take a breath and collect his thoughts during the opening inning.
"(McDowell's mound visit) calmed (Foltynewicz) down a bit ... kind of put the hamster back on the wheel," quipped Gonzalez.
As for Hamilton (the MLB leader in steals) and Young (arguably the Braves' fastest player), they collectively reached base four times on Friday ... but zero thefts.
Perhaps it would have made more sense to bet on a 35-1 long shot in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.
