Braves Today

Takeaways from Atlanta's 2-1 series opening win over Tampa Bay on Friday night

The Braves got a clutch homerun from Sean Murphy and lockdown defense to win this one

Lindsay Crosby

The NL-leading Atlanta Braves opened the first game of their much-anticipated series against the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays with a close 2-1 victory in Tropicana Field on Friday night. Here's what you need to know from the contest: 

Sean Murphy is the Mayor of St. Petersburg

Dave Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Marcell Ozuna had the series of his life in Miami in early June, and Sean Murphy apparently saved his for St. Pete. 

The NL All-Star starter at catcher handled all the scoring for Atlanta, with his two-run homer in the 4th ultimately standing up in this one. On a night where the Braves collected only two hits, Murphy making his a homer right after after Matt Olson singled to get on was great timing on the backstop's part. 

Murphy's 16 homeruns this season are tied for most of any catcher in baseball, and his 52 RBIs ranks second amongst all catchers.  

But he's not a one-trick pony - no, he made his presence felt on the defensive end in this one as well, throwing out would-be base stealers in both the 3rd (Yandy Diaz) and 7th innings (Harold Ramirez). 

Atlanta got beat from the mound and were lucky to escape with this one

Dave Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

As we mentioned earlier, Atlanta was held to only two hits in this game, with Murphy's homer staking the Braves to a 2-1 lead. 

Rays starter Tyler Glasnow, now recovered from his Tommy John surgery and working to get back into form from an early-season oblique injury, was humming along before injury forced him out of the game. He pitched 5.2 innings with two hits and two runs, walking one and striking out eight, before being forced from the game with what the team would later describe as "cramping" of his glove hand. 

Reliever Elvin Rodriguez was even more impressive than Glasnow, entering on short notice and throwing 3.1 hitless innings with five strikeouts. He kept Atlanta from having a baserunner during the end of the game and forced the Braves bullpen into high-leverage innings to maintain the lead. 

...but the Braves pitching was lights out tonight

Dave Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta's pitchers answered the call. Charlie Morton, facing his former team for only the 2nd time since signing with Atlanta for the 2021 season, went 6.1 innings with four hits, one run, and six strikeouts, walking two. Six baserunners proved manageable for Morton to work around, especially with a double play and two caught stealings lightening the load. 

The Braves bullpen combined for a scoreless two and two-thirds innings, with both AJ Minter and Nick Anderson registering holds and Raisel Iglesias picking up his sixteenth save of the year with a scoreless ninth. 

For the game, Atlanta pitchers allowed six hits, three walks, and struck out nine. 

Atlanta Braves fans travel well

Dave Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

It's a side effect of The Superstation (TBS) covering the entire Southeast in the 80s and 90s, but Tropicana Field officially "*sold out" for tonight's game and reportedly, over half those in attendance were actually Braves fans.  

If you closed your eyes and just listened on the radio broadcast (this is an option for Apple TV+ games, and it's recommended to go with Ben Ingram over Apple TV's native production), it was hard at times to know that this was actually an away game for the Braves. 

* It's "technically" a sellout because they sold all the available tickets, but Tropicana Field also has tarps covering the upper deck so it's not really a sellout - there's more seats, they just aren't making them available. It's "technically" a sellout like the Mets can "technically" still win the NL East this season. 

What's next for the Atlanta Braves? 

Tomorrow's game two is scheduled for a 7:15 PM ET first pitch, with MLB's strikeout leader Spencer Strider taking on one of MLB's top pitching prospects in Taj Bradley. Because MLB likes to make consuming their product as difficult as possible, this game is on a different network, with Fox carrying the broadcast (and Sunday's game three is on yet another network). The radio call, with Ben Ingram, is available locally on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan or outside the Atlanta market on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network or MLB.com.

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Lindsay Crosby
LINDSAY CROSBY

Managing Editor for Braves Today and the 2023 IBWAA Prospects/Minors Writer of the Year. You can reach him at contact@bravestoday.com

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