The Braves’ offense made quick work of Rays starter Yonny Chirinos, tagging him for five runs in a 12-0 win on a cold Saturday evening in Port Charlotte.
Lead-off man Drew Waters drew a walk to open the game and first baseman Austin Riley followed with a hit. Outfielder Adam Duvall just missed a home run at the center-field wall (marked 414 feet) but brought home both runners. Third baseman Johan Camargo singled home Duvall for the third run.
In the second frame, designated hitter Peter O’Brien, a 29-year-old non-roster invitee who was once a prized catching prospect, blasted a home run that exited the stadium and landed in the water beyond the left-field boardwalk. Tyler Flowers capped the Braves’ scoring spree with an RBI-double off reliever Dylan Covey in the third that plated Riley, who became the last charged run to Chirinos.
Most notable from the team’s offensive outbreak was the Camargo-Riley combo. The two, who are competing for the opening-day third baseman job, were in the same lineup for the first time this spring. Their combined output was impressive: They went 4-for-6 with an RBI, each collecting two hits.
“You never know in a situation where Austin may have to play a little first base,” manager Brian Snitker said. “But it was good. I’ll try to get him a DH (designated hitter) and third base (in the coming days). I wanted to get him back-to-back days, that was the biggest thing.”
Other happenings from Saturday:
- Max Fried’s second outing was much better than his first, though still not as clean as he’d prefer. Fried pitched 2-2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and walking two. It was an improvement from his first time out, when he was hit for three runs on three hits while getting only one out against the Blue Jays.
“It’s nice to get some results,” Fried said. “With the more reps I get, I feel like I’m getting back to myself. It seems like a little bit of the downtime (during the game) I felt like I was searching, and that last inning I felt like I was getting back into form.”
Also of note, Fried is happy with how his developing change-up is coming along. He used it a few times Saturday, including his last one generating a swing and miss. Fried will continue working it into his growing repertoire, which also features a fastball, slider and his signature curveball.
“It was better,” Snitker said. “He’s not there yet but I thought overall, he was a little more on the attack and commanding things better, which I figured he would be.”
- Top outfield prospect Cristian Pache pummeled a ball over the left-field wall for his first homer of the spring. The two-run blast came off Colin Poche on a 2-0 count. Pache already projects as a gold-glove caliber defender in center, but his offense has made strides in recent seasons. He’s continued packing on muscle as well, resulting in a steady increase in power.
Greyson Jenista, one of the best power hitters in the system, blasted a homer to center in the ninth inning for the Braves’ 10th run. Jenista’s batting practices are often a sight to behold, but his power hasn’t consistently translated to games. It certainly did with one swing on Saturday.
“There were some balls that were tagged,” Snitker said. “The wind, you could see where they went. That one O’Brien hit, my God, I lost that one. The one Jenista hit, all of them. It was a good offensive day today. That was nice to see.”
- Darren O’Day pitched a perfect fourth inning. The righty struck out sluggers Jose Martinez and Yoshi Tsutugo before retiring Manuel Margot on a soft grounder. It was an encouraging spring debut for the veteran.
“Really good,” Snitker said. “He picked up right where he left off, maybe a little better even. That was really, really good to see. He’s tough on lefties, but man, he’s really got something for righties. That was really crisp today.”
O’Day appeared in eight games (5-1/3 innings) late last season after recovering from a torn hamstring that prevented him from pitching June 26, 2018, until Sept. 7, 2019. The Braves saw enough reason to be encouraged in O’Day, re-signing him this offseason.
The 37-year-old is a former All-Star with closing experience –a more common than usual resume in the Braves bullpen. Will Smith, Mark Melancon and Shane Greene fit the same criteria. Saturday flashed some of O’Day’s past form before injuries derailed his past two seasons.
- A little non-spring training news: Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones will be part of ESPN's Wednesday Night Baseball this season, as the AJC first reported Saturday. He'll work 20 games as a color commentator, replacing friend and former teammate David Ross, who's now managing the Cubs.
- As for what’s next on the field, Mike Foltynewicz will make his second start Sunday in Fort Myers against the Red Sox. Foltynewicz last pitched Tuesday, when he struck out three and allowed one run (a homer) across two innings versus Minnesota.
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