The apex of Dansby Swanson’s current run, however temporary or long-lasting it may be, arose with an inside fastball Tuesday night.
The Braves hadn’t done much against Ivan Nova until the fifth. Swanson put the first pitch he saw, a 92-mph fastball that tailed too far in, over the left-field wall in the Braves’ 6-1 win over the Pirates.
Undeterred by his first serving, Swanson liked the first pitch he saw from reliever Michael Feliz in the seventh. He planted a slider into the seats for his first multi-homer game. He was responsible for four of the Braves’ six runs.
“We always talk about in the past, you’re not really looking at the results, but the progress and process,” Swanson said. “But it’s always nice to get the reassurance from the work that’s being put in, that you do get results from what you’ve been working on. It’s definitely a good thing moving forward.”
It secured the Braves’ second series win in Pittsburgh since 2011. It further distanced the Braves from being swept by the Rockies just two days ago. It gave Swanson more reason to breathe after spending most of the season looking for solutions.
The shortstop entered the night with a hit in six consecutive games, registering a .333 (7-for-21) average in that span. He’d hit .300 with two homers, two doubles, eight RBIs and six runs in his past nine games.
Swanson delivered when the Braves needed offense. Nova was sailing. He permitted back-to-back hits from Ender Inciarte and Freddie Freeman in the fourth but left unscathed. He hadn’t allowed a baserunner prior.
Nick Markakis and Freeman delivered the only run Monday, resulting in a 1-0 win. They can’t do it every night. The Braves have done well to spread the wealth, arguably the most impressive trait of their newfound winning ways.
Tuesday was Swanson’s turn. The 24-year-old, almost a veteran in this clubhouse, has been overshadowed by Ronald Acuna’s star power, Freeman’s MVP run; even uber productive utilityman Charlie Culberson garnered more attention.
He wasn’t forgotten in the most recent victory. The former first overall pick looked true to form, reminding he still has more to offer than defense and speed.
That isn’t to say Swanson’s bat is here to stay. He was making his value with superb defense and spurts of offensive contributions. But the Braves are getting Swanson’s best at an acceptable time.
“Whenever you aren’t going as good, you’re obviously thinking a little bit,” Swanson said. “But at the end of the day, when you start trusting in what you’re doing, it allows you to go compete. The biggest thing we lose sight of sometimes in this game is that at the end of the day it’s about competing and giving your best effort. Whatever happens happens.”
His work could’ve been meaningless if not for Kevin Gausman’s brilliance. He pitched eight scoreless innings, including working his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to go an additional two frames. He scattered four hits, striking out five and walking two.
The Braves reworked Gausman’s mechanics. They saw more than his results showed in Baltimore. Thus far, they’re right: They acquired a pitcher who’s better than he was three weeks ago.
“He’s pitching exactly how we’d hoped when we got him,” manager Brian Snitker said. “And it was really, really good tonight. ... He’s been a great guy in the clubhouse, teammate, he’s exceeded all that. It’s always a really good thing when you get a guy who fits in like he has.”
Josh Bell singled and Francisco Cervelli singled to start the second. Gausman remained collected, inducing a grounder from Colin Moran and coaxing a double-play ball from Adeiny Hechavarria. Minimizing damage in troublesome circumstance has already become a trademark for the Braves’ version of Gausman.
He had two middling – but good enough – starts surrounding an eight-inning gem against the Brewers. His fourth start with the Braves was one which illustrated confidence, ‘stuff’ and potential realized.
Perhaps it also showed the shrewdness of general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who opted to acquire Gausman at a modest price rather than pay the premium these Pirates did for Chris Archer.
Gausman has accumulated a 2.00 ERA with 17 strikeouts and six walks through his first four starts (27 innings) with his new franchise.
“This is a fun team to play for, especially right now,” Gausman said. “We’re playing well and it’s a fun place to come to work every day. A little different from where I’ve been this season. It was frustrating being over there (in Baltimore). The season that they’re having over there was tough. Coming to a contending team is great but also a team full of really quality people.”
In the only downside of the night, Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki exited in the ninth after getting hit by a pitch in his left elbow. He underwent x-rays Tuesday night and will undergo a CT scan Wednesday morning.
A fearsome September stretch awaits the first-place club. An uptick in Swanson’s offensive value, along with more of the usual for Gausman, would be a coup down the stretch.
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