If someone had predicted that the Braves would open the season with four consecutive losses, that person probably would not have imagined Huascar Ynoa and Pablo Sandoval being the guys who will create the first series of victories for the team.
The most productive day of what had so far been a frustrating season ended with Ynoa producing the best start to the year and Sean Newcomb looking like a closer potential. Meanwhile, Sandoval drilled a two-, two-round shot that gave the Braves a 2-0 victory over the Nationals in the second double-header game Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park.
All doubles games will be scheduled again for seven innings this year.
“It’s been an agonizing week,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “We only played four games, but we felt we had two weeks under our belt. This is a great way to end your journey. ”
After squandering the four rounds on their own field, they hit Max Scherzer in Tuesday’s loss. The early exit of the ace charged a bullpen that was ready to be stressed in the halter.
But Ynoa erased any persistent worries, scoring five shots and allowing just two shots over five innings without a score. The 22-year-old right-back made five starts last year, but had never thrown more than four innings. This start marked only the second time he had ever completed more than three innings.
Ynoa’s fast four-stitch ball reached 99 mph and averaged 96 mph at the exit. His slider accounted for 50 percent of his 68 pitches and took a breather on 12 of the 23 pitch-induced changes.
“I don’t know that he touched 98 of everything he did during spring training,” Snitker said. “The slide was very, very good. That [pitch] it was an important reason he started. But yes, he was pretty nice there. ”
Ynoa’s effort was rewarded when Dansby Swanson’s single out of two expanded to seventh. Snitker responded by replacing captivating rookie Alex Jackson with Sandoval, who hit a homer that tied the game with two runs and pinched during the 10-inning loss in the opening day in the Phillies.
Sandoval worked the full number and then placed Tanner Rainey’s fast ball over the center fence. Shooting in two runs makes the 34-year-old veteran the first player in Braves history to explain all of his team’s races with a homer hit twice in a single season.
Less than two weeks ago, there were doubts about whether Sandoval would win a place on the opening day as a guest without a list. But so far, the 2012 World Series MVP proves that he can still be quite valuable.
“It was one of those moments when you have goosebumps when you hit the ball,” Sandoval said. “You just have to keep working to do everything you can to get those opportunities.”