No relief
Smith hit hard in ninth as Blue Jays sweep by Braves
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves might be seeing birds in their nightmares.
In their final scheduled meeting of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Braves again, 8-4 on Thursday afternoon at Truist Park. It was a hardfought, up-and-down affair decided in the ninth inning when the Blue Jays scored four runs, sweeping Atlanta for the second time this season.
“They’re an aggressive group, and we didn’t match up real well against them,” said Braves manager
Brian Snitker, whose team dropped to 0-6 against Toronto and 17-20 overall this season.
Atlanta’s loss came at an additional cost with two outfielders injured in the process. Rookie center fielder Cristian Pache left with tightness in his right hamstring in the third inning and will go on the injured list. Right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. hurt his left ankle on first base in the seventh but walked off the field on his own with a small limp. X-rays were negative, and Acuña’s status is day to day.
In the first inning, Acuña launched a leadoff homer to left field off Ross Stripling — his 12th
this season, the most in the majors — and Ehire Adrianza’s RBI single made it 2-0. It was the first time in the series the Braves scored multiple runs in an inning.
Braves starter Charlie Morton, who failed to escape the first inning in his previous outing, pitched into the fifth, allowing three runs on seven hits. Morton departed with two outs and the bases loaded, and righthander Jacob Webb ended
the threat by striking out Lourdes Gurriel.
It’s been an underwhelming start to Morton’s return to Atlanta, where he began his MLB career in 2008. He has a 5.08 ERA in eight starts, has been undone by big innings and two-out damage, and efficiency has been a problem: Morton has reached the six-inning mark in only three of his outings.
“It’s about building on
the good things you’ve done and trying to learn from the bad things,” the 37-year-old right-hander said. “So that’s where I’m at. I’m trying to be objective about my outings. I’m trying to learn from my mistakes. But I guess that’s the silver lining, that my stuff is still there.
“There’s a pitch mix element to it. There’s a mechanical element to it. Just an overall approach. But I feel like there’s no reason why I can’t get those things squared away and go out there and do a good job for this team.”
The Blue Jays (20-16) scored their first run in the second and two more in the fifth, but Dansby Swanson put the Braves ahead again with a two-run homer in the sixth. Toronto tied the score with only two at-bats against A.J. Minter in the eighth after Teoscar Hernandez walked and Cavan Biggio doubled into the gap.
Toronto attacked closer Will Smith (0-3) in the ninth. The first two hitters singled, setting up Bo Bichette’s two-RBI double that snapped a 4-all tie — Bichette was one of several Blue Jays who tormented the Braves in the series — and Biggio’s double off the wall drove home the third run and chased Smith. It was the first time since April 21 that Smith allowed an earned run — he was charged with all four scored in the ninth — ending a six-outing scoreless streak.
“Sometimes it happens.
Balls find holes then the inning keeps rolling,” said Smith, who added he feels the much-maligned bullpen will be OK with the recent incoming help.
Chris Martin, who had been out since April 4, returned and pitched a scoreless seventh. Sean Newcomb, a high-leverage left-hander, is back and logged his own clean inning Wednesday. Veteran Shane Greene signed last weekend and eventually will join the big league club.
After Acuña’s injury, the Braves were stuck with an unconventional outfield: Marcell Ozuna in left, Adrianza in center and Austin Riley in right. Riley, who initially was set for a rest day, played third base and the outfield because of injuries. He had logged only 14 innings in right field before Thursday. Adrianza, as versatile as he is, had never handled center. Veteran Ender Inciarte will return from his rehab assignment in Triple-A and handle that spot in Pache’s absence.
Toronto’s Travis Bergen (1-0) worked around a one-out walk in the eighth, his lone inning, to earn the win.
The Braves, the threetime reigning National League East Division champions, were swept in a season matchup for the since the Houston Astros went 4-0 against them in 2017. The last time the Braves had gone 0-6 against an opponent was against the Chicago Cubs in 2008.
It also was the third time the Braves have been swept in a threegame series this season, with the first coming in the opening set against the Philadelphia Phillies, their division rivals. Atlanta took two of three from the Phillies this past weekend, moving within a win of .500 — a hump they’ve yet to get over this year.