Let’s play a game. Which of the following did Atlanta Braves rookie Aaron Blair do for the first time on Monday?
- Get engaged to his college girlfriend
- Be involved in a lopsided blockbuster trade
- Allow nine earned runs in one and a third innings
- Earn a Major League win
If you guessed number 4, then congratulations! You either follow baseball, read the title, or knew that Blair had already accomplished the other three long ago.
Returning to the mound for just his second start since June 24 (and first since Aug. 28), Blair drew a tough match-up. Not only did he have to face a New York Mets team desperately clinging to a Wild Card spot and fighting for their playoff lives, the opposing pitcher was none other than NL Cy Young candidate and suspected demigod Noah Syndergaard.
Fortunately for Blair, he was able to pitch well while the Atlanta offense was able to make Thor look like a mere mortal.
After going quietly in the first (three up, three down), Atlanta sent eight men to the plate in the second inning. Two walks and three singles later, they had jumped ahead to a 2-0 lead, and (perhaps more importantly) driven up Syndergaard’s pitch count.
Freddie Freeman, the only batter not to receive a plate appearance in the second, extended the Braves’ lead with a solo home run in the third (his 31st of the year) and a two-run double in the fourth.
Atlanta was able to chase Syndergaard after just three and two-thirds innings (99 pitches).
His final line: 3.2 IP, 8 hits, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.
Blair, meanwhile, had one of the better outings in his young career. He held the Mets hitless through three and a third and only really made one mistake (a two-run home run to New York second baseman T.J. Rivera). He would finish with just his third quality start of the season.
His final line: 6.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
For Blair, Monday’s performance has to be a relief. The 24-year-old entered 2016 with considerable prospect hype (Baseball America – No. 60; MLB.com – No. 54; Baseball Prospectus – No. 43), though that hasn’t yet translated into success at the major league.
Having another solid outing (and his first career win) under his belt will help ease the sting of his rough MLB transition.
Blair is expected to compete for a rotation spot in 2017. Hopefully, he can string together a few quality appearances and carry that success into next year’s Spring Training.
Scott Ferris covers the Braves as a Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottHFerris
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