Mike Foltynewicz had runners on second and third in the first inning Saturday and gave up a leadoff double in the fourth, but in each case, the Braves’ No. 2 starter came away clean.
And so it was a productive spring-training day for Foltynewicz, who limited a Pirates split squad to two hits and one walk in four scoreless innings of a 15-1 Braves win at LECOM Park, where Dustin Peterson and Dansby Swanson had two-run homers for the Braves and Peterson added a two-run single.
Foltynewicz recorded only one strikeout and has but two K’s in nine innings this spring. But he’s given up just three hits and three walks over three spring starts while focusing on the Braves’ new pitching mantra – first-pitch strikes are absolutely essential – and also trying to bear down and put away hitters in two-strike situations, something that hurt Foltynewicz badly last season.
“When they got on second and third today, something came over me, and I know they weren’t going to score,” Foltynewicz said. “I know it’s spring training, but it’s awesome to have that confidence and have it just grow. For some reason I was just like, let’s go, these guys aren’t going to score. And they didn’t.
“Just going to take that confidence into the season and into these last few starts before the season starts. It’s cool to have that kind of feeling and just kind of learn from that.”
The Braves have’t announced their rotation order to begin the season, but it’s no secret he’s in line to start the second game, between No. 1 starter Julio Teheran and No. 3 Brandon McCarthy.
“I thought Folty was really good again,” manager Brian Snitker said after his Braves’ sixth win in their past seven games. “A couple of (pitches) with two strikes that he kind of probably left too fat. But overall I thought he was really good. He’s maturing as a pitcher, getting more confidence in what he’s doing, having an idea. Some of the things he’s been approached with all spring he’s trying, he’s open to it.
“It’s not about not having an arsenal because he does. It’s just about putting it together, command and all that kind of stuff. I like where he’s at right now.”
Foltynewicz retired the first two batters of the first inning on a fly out and strikeout, then walked Colin Moran before David Freese doubled. He induced a groundout by Jordan Luplow to end the inning, the first of five consecutive batters retired before Foltynewicz hit Josh Harrison with a pitch in the third.
Mercer grounded out into a double play to end that inning, and after Moran doubled to start the fourth inning Foltynewicz got a pair of groundouts by Freese and Luplow and a fly out by Christopher Bostick to end the inning.
“All my pitches were where I wanted them except to (the third and fourth hitters), the guys who got base hits,” Foltynewicz said. “We were trying to hit the corners, trying to bury the (two-strike) stuff, and it’s just like broken records -- last year they were getting two-strike hits and those were the only hard-hit balls today. Still trying to practice that and get those two-strike pitches where I need to. But other than that we got out of some jams a couple of innings, and we beared down when we needed to, so it’s good to see that….
“I know it’s spring and we’re trying to work on stuff, but at the same time it’s kind of getting close to the season and we’re kind of getting things going and getting ready for the season. The leadoff double, for them not to score it’s good to see. I’ve been kind of working on that the last part of the season, runners on base and getting out of it. It’s just a learning process, and we’re getting better and better with it.”
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