Sean Newcomb was on top of his game for the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon, which was much-needed for a team that has struggled to score runs all weekend long. Newcomb was one out away from completing his no-hit bid, in fact, one strike away, before Chris Taylor broke it up with a two-out single in the ninth inning. The Dodgers would score once in the final inning off of reliever Dan Winkler, but the Braves avoided the sweep with a 4-1 victory at SunTrust Park.
Newcomb walked just one and struck out eight, but fell short of what would've been the first Braves no-hitter since 1994. Taylor's single came on a 2-2 pitch and was on the starter's career-high 135th pitch of the day, which was also his final pitch of the afternoon. He still earned his 10th win of the season, as the 25-year-old left to a standing ovation.
He was then met with controversy in the locker room during the postgame, when offensive anti-gay and racial tweets surfaced on his social media page from 2011 and 2012. As soon as the Braves' hurler heard this news, he faced the media and answered questions, showing remorse for these tweets that had offensive song lyrics and more. This is the second such incident in the past two weeks, as Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader had the same thing happen to him, and he has since apologized and was forced to take sensitivity training. There has not been any type of action taken toward Newcomb yet.
Before all of that, the right-hander retired the first 15 batters he faced on Sunday, and nearly completed the no-hit bid against the team that drafted him in 2014. He was traded to the Braves last season, and has seem to have found a good home for his major league career. He is now 8-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 73.1 innings following an Atlanta loss this season.
He received enough run support as well, as Nick Markakis went deep and drove in three, helping Atlanta snap a four-game losing streak. With the Philadelphia Phillies' 4-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, the Braves now sit just two games back in the NL East. They will stay home to host the Miami Marlins on Monday night. The Dodgers return home for the first time with Manny Machado to battle the Milwaukee Brewers beginning on Monday.
Newcomb walked just one and struck out eight, but fell short of what would've been the first Braves no-hitter since 1994. Taylor's single came on a 2-2 pitch and was on the starter's career-high 135th pitch of the day, which was also his final pitch of the afternoon. He still earned his 10th win of the season, as the 25-year-old left to a standing ovation.
He was then met with controversy in the locker room during the postgame, when offensive anti-gay and racial tweets surfaced on his social media page from 2011 and 2012. As soon as the Braves' hurler heard this news, he faced the media and answered questions, showing remorse for these tweets that had offensive song lyrics and more. This is the second such incident in the past two weeks, as Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader had the same thing happen to him, and he has since apologized and was forced to take sensitivity training. There has not been any type of action taken toward Newcomb yet.
Before all of that, the right-hander retired the first 15 batters he faced on Sunday, and nearly completed the no-hit bid against the team that drafted him in 2014. He was traded to the Braves last season, and has seem to have found a good home for his major league career. He is now 8-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 73.1 innings following an Atlanta loss this season.
He received enough run support as well, as Nick Markakis went deep and drove in three, helping Atlanta snap a four-game losing streak. With the Philadelphia Phillies' 4-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, the Braves now sit just two games back in the NL East. They will stay home to host the Miami Marlins on Monday night. The Dodgers return home for the first time with Manny Machado to battle the Milwaukee Brewers beginning on Monday.
