Atlanta rookie SS Dansby Swanson hit an inside-the-park homer Tuesday, his first career homer and the first inside-the-park homer by a Braves player since Wes Helms in 2001.3.
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He is the first Atlanta player to have two streaks of at least 17 games in the same season.
“We were going to take him out after the sixth because they had some risky hitters coming up and they were starting to hit the ball pretty well and Scherzer said, ‘Hey, man, I want to go back out there, ‘ and he had a great short inning”. Turner then smacked a two-run homer to left with an out in the third to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead.
The Braves let Perez off the hook quickly in the fourth, as Swanson grounded out and Joel De La Cruz stroked a single to tie the game at 6-6 after just four innings of play. The ball caromed toward the infield, and Swanson slid home headfirst, easily beating the throw by Bryce Harper. “I’d like to get him back out there, obviously”, Snitker said. “It was kind of Baseball 101: Hit it and run until it’s caught or until they stop you”.
Swanson – who was the centerpiece of the highly scrutinized, mostly disastrous Shelby Miller trade between Arizona and Atlanta – hit an inside-the-park home run in the second inning against the Nationals. Weber put the next two men on and, after a pop out, Heisey blasted his ninth home run to left to make it 5-1.
“We just sometimes can’t stay away from that crooked number in one inning”, Atlanta interim manager Brian Snitker said.
A cool trivia moment for casuals in itself, but it gains steam for the hardcore crowd when the following information is added to the mix: Swanson also raced around the bases for an inside-the-park sequence for his first home run as part of the Braves’ organization – with the High-A Carolina Mudcats earlier this year.
Ender Inciarte led off the game by extending his hitting streak to 17 games. He entered the night with a.236 with four RBIs in 55 at-bats. The Nationals starter, Gio Gonzalez, also allowed six runs (in three innings) and did not figure in the decision.
Strasburg started out 13-0 this season, and went into this game with a 15-4 record. The blast gave Washington a 5-4 lead and a sense of relief to teammate Trea Turner, whose misplay in center field in the second inning cost the Nationals a run. Snitker said Wisler would likely need a couple of side sessions before returning to the rotation.
Giolito joined infielder Wilmer Difo as today’s call-ups, giving the Nationals 35 active players for tonight’s game.
Strasburg is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts against Atlanta this season.
Atlanta pitcher Mike Foltynewicz remains a bright spot for the Braves.
“He’s full of determination”, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.
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Strasburg appeared lined up to make that start, his first since landing on the DL with a sore elbow on August 21.
