August 31, 2020

G35: Atlanta 6, Red Sox 3

Atlanta - 100 131 000 - 6 12  0
Red Sox - 101 000 010 - 3  8  0
In a 2-2 game, Colten Brewer's fifth inning began: walk, double, walk. Austin Riley's triple off reliever Phillips Valdez's 1-0 pitch cleared the bases. Valdez struck out the next three batters, but the damage was already done. (Brewer: 4-8-5-2-4, 76)

Alex Verdugo went 3-for-4 (all doubles) (upping his average to .306) and scored two of Boston's three runs. Rafael Devers went 2-for-4.

The two teams traded runs in the first, with Devers's single to center driving in Verdugo for Boston's tally.

The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in the third. Verdugo doubled, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a balk.

Atlanta tied it as soon as possible, as Adam Duvall led off the fourth with a dong.

Trailing 5-2 in the fifth, the Red Sox put runners on first and second with one out, but Devers GIDP. Boston went in order in the sixth and seventh.

Three consecutive one-out singles by Christian Vázquez, Devers, and Xander Bogaerts resulted in a run, but that was it, as Michael Chavis and Bobby Dalbec both struck out.

Mark Melancon did his former team no favours in the ninth, retiring the bottom third of the lineup in order. Atlanta improved to 20-14 and leads the NL East by three games.

Max Fried (5-5-2-2-5, 93) allowed two runs, something he had not done since Opening Day. RA in eight starts: 2, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 2. His ERA ballooned to 1.60.
Max Fried / Colten Brewer
Verdugo, RF
Vázquez, C
Devers, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Chavis, 1B
Dalbec, DH
Bradley, CF
Araúz, 2B
Peraza, LF
The Red Sox have won six of their last 10 games, but still lost 1.5 games in the standings during that time. ... Their home and road records are identical: 6-11.

Max Fried is a 26-year-old lefty with a 1.35 ERA in seven starts (40 innings). In his last four starts, his ERA is 0.81. None of the 153 batters he has faced this season has hit a home run.

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