Austin Riley’s recent offensive progression has created reason to believe Atlanta may indeed have its first longstanding third baseman since Chipper Jones.
OK, maybe it’s ridiculous to make this assessment based on a few weeks of production. But what Riley did over the final couple of weeks of August enhanced excitement for the Braves, who used their third baseman’s bases-loaded triple to claim a 6-3 win over the Red Sox on Monday night at Fenway Park.
“That overall presence in the batter’s box, he looks like a confident hitter right now,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “There’s just an air about him or confidence that he is going to do some damage.”
Riley’s second career triple backed another strong effort from Max Fried, who allowed two runs, including one tallied via a balk, over five innings. The lefty entered with an MLB-best 1.35 ERA and exited with a 1.60 ERA through eight starts. He is the first Braves starter to begin a season 6-0 since Denny Neagle in 1997.
Continue reading here
