The Atlanta Braves returned home from having won series in New York and Cleveland to lose the first game of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. The loss was credited to the evening’s starter, Spencer Strider, but it also has to belong to Braves manager Brian Snitker.
Let’s start with Snitherm, who made the perplexing decision to pinch-run for the hottest hitter in Major League Baseball, Michael Harris after he started the eighth inning with a single. That hit was Harris’s fourth of the game in four at-bats. Snitker took Harris out of the game, presumably to give him a rest, and the Braves managed to bat around the lineup so long that Harris’s spot came up with the bases loaded and Atlanta in need of runs. Eli White, Harris’s replacement struck out.
That strike out effectively ended the game while simultaneously ending Atlanta’s best chance at cutting the White Sox lead or tying the game.
Now about Strider.
The game began with Strider (now 5-11 overall) digging himself out of ditches. Strider gave up a single to the first batter he faced, Mike Tauchman, on the first pitch he threw (fastball). The White Sox failed to score with a runner on third and two outs as Lenyn Sosa flew out to Jurickson Profar in left field.
There were more White Sox runners on first and second in the second inning when Strider got out of trouble again. This time he got Chicago second baseman Chase Meidroth to hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Strider’s luck ran out in the third inning when Chicago left fielder Brooks Baldwin took him deep for a solo home run to left center to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. A sliding catch near the Braves dugout helped end the inning with another Chicago runner on base.
Things got worse when Luis Robert, Jr. (13 home runs and 49 RBI) hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to put Chicago ahead 3-0. Strider had thrown 55 pitches before pitching coach Rick Kunitz came out to talk to him.
By the end off his time on the mound, Strider had thrown 68 pitches, given up five hits during the fourth inning, and four earned runs. Austin Cox came on to relieve him with one out and runners on second and third base. Strider only managed to strike out two White Sox before being taken out of the game in the fourth inning.
Chicago was ahead 7-0 through four innings. Atlanta had an opportunity to cut into the White Sox lead when a single and a double from Profar and Matt Olson gave Ronald Acuna, Jr. something to shoot for. He grounded out to second while driving in Profar from third base for Atlanta’s first run of the game. Drake Baldwin flew out to center with Olson on third to end the inning.
During the game, Michael Harris II continued his hot run of play, hitting a pit of singles in his first two plate appearances, and a two-run home run in the sixth inning. With a single in the second inning, Harris extended his 11-game hit streak. Over the last seven games, Harris was hitting .438 with a .438 on-base percentage and a .759 slugging percentage. His 15 home runs are third on the team behind Marcell Ozuna (20) and Olson (19).
Cox (58 pitches, three earned runs) was pitching strong in relief, holding Chicago scoreless during the fifth inning before giving up a two-out 3-run home run to White Sox first baseman Lenyn Sosa in the sixth inning.
Harris’s home run was only the second extra-base hit for Atlanta through five innings before Profar hit a two-run home run down the right field line in the sixth inning to make the score 10-5.
Daysbel Hernandez started the seventh inning and immediately gone up a solo home run on his first pitch to White Six shortstop Kyle Teel, who already had two hots in the game. Hernandez gave up another RBI single before he got Sosa to ground out to end the inning.
Fun Fact: The White Sox and the Braves had only played 24 times before Monday night’s game. The White Sox now lead the all-time series 13-12.
What’s Next: The Braves and White Sox will play again on Tuesday and Wednesday before the New York Mets return to Truist Park for a three-game weekend series. The White Sox games have a scheduled 7:15 p.m. first pitch.
