The Braves snag a sweep in the series finale against the Minnesota Twins, making that their first of the season and 11th straight win against the Twins.
A trip back home to face the Twins woke the Braves’ bats up as the team that held high hopes for fans going into the season went from not being able to get two consecutive wins to clenching a sweep in their homestand, gaining another series win.
First baseman Matt Olson kicked off the lead in the game early, going yard in his first at-bat on a full count, bringing in Ozuna in his third homer of the season.
“I think it’s more so just seeing the results, you know, being able to trust our preparation,” Olson said.
The infielder also achieved his 1,000th career hit last night in game two against the Twins after hitting an RBI double against the wall in the bottom of the first, to which he didn’t realize was a thing until hitting coach Tim Hyers announced the accomplishment in the dugout
A single from third baseman Austin Riley drove in right fielder Jarred Kelenic in the second to lengthen the lead (3-0).
Following a double from Michael Harris II in the bottom of the third with two outs, catching prospect Drake Baldwin hit a foul ball on his first swing, but his second swing resulted in a home run to left field to bring Harris II in, extending the lead against the Twins by five.
Braves’ pitcher Grant Holmes delivered well in the course of his mound appearances (5.2 IP/ 4 H/ 1 ER/ 4 BB/ 7 K), resulting in a standing ovation before getting switched with reliever Enyel De Los Santos.
Though not pitching as deep into the game as his last appearance and having a few shaky innings in the middle, Holmes successfully held off the lineup and limited them to one run, holding the team’s lead by six after another homer by Marcell Ozuna in the fifth.
Manager Brian Snitker expressed how impressive Holmes had become over his last few starts. After communication on the mound, along with play calling between him and Baldwin, he started making adjustments in the duration of his appearance.
“He’s battled, he had to work today, like I say, he had a lot of traffic,” Snitker said. “And it was a solid outing. You know, this is his first year being an everyday big league starter. So he’s going through some newness, new things also, as far as the preparation in between all that kind of stuff.”
With the team making improvements throughout the series, Snitker also communicated the positives that the guys have all shown in their performances.
“There are a lot of good things that I’m seeing right now, especially offensively and hitting with guys on, and getting multiple guys going,” Snitker said. “I think it shows more what we’re capable of. And you know the bullpen for these three games has just been outstanding. All the guys have done a really, really nice job.”
The sweep in this series is not the only accomplishment that the team has taken with them, but the meaning behind it all after a rough start to the season. Working daily to improve while celebrating the progress is at the forefront of the team’s mind going into their next series.
“I think it’s more so just seeing the results,” Olson said. “Being able to trust our preparation. Everybody shows up and continues to feel like they’re working on the right path every day. Play 162 games, you want to get better every day, so get a sweep like this…we keep building on it.”
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