Braves' trio of journeymen thrives again in win over Nationals

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves won their third consecutive game, defeating the Washington Nationals 4-2 at Truist Park to clinch their fourth consecutive series win.

Here are five takeaways from Saturday:

1. Once again, the trio of castoffs – second baseman Whit Merrifield, third baseman Gio Urshela and outfielder Ramon Laureano – contributed to a win. One night after they went a combined 5 for 12 with two doubles and a run scored, they went 6 for 10 with a homer, two walks and two runs scored.

“They’ve all made an impact, obviously,” manager Brian Snitker said of the three veterans who were released by other clubs before joining the depleted Braves.

Starter Charlie Morton competed against each of those players while in the American League.

“I was really excited to see all of them were coming. I played against Ramon. I played against Whit. And Gio, I got to pitch against him quite a bit when he was with the Yankees (while Morton was with Tampa Bay),” he said. “I thought he was one of the tougher right-handed at-bats that I faced in that time. They’re just good dudes. They’re guys I’ve been a fan of from across the way watching them play. So you hear they’re coming in the clubhouse, you get kind of excited about it. They’re really nice, good dudes.

“(President of baseball operations) Alex (Anthopoulos) has done a great job. He’s got guys who fit and produce. They’re guys you get excited to see. Bringing (outfielder Jorge Soler) back, it’s nice. I think it just speaks to Alex’s ability to target guys, do his homework and make sure they’re good dudes and good fits. And he’s done that.”

2. Urshela has two multi-hit performances in just five games with his new team. He’s been stellar at third base. It was tough for the Braves to lose Austin Riley for a significant time, but the timing of Urshela’s release made it a perfect fit of player and team.

“He’s a good player,” Merrifield said. “He’s been playing in this league a long time. What he’s done (this season before arriving in Atlanta) isn’t who he is. It’s just how he’s played this year. It’s not the kind of player he is. So he’s a really good player. I’ve played against him for a long time. He can do a lot of things. Defensively, he’s always been super, super solid. But offensively he’s been good too across the course of his career. So I’m really not surprised.”

3. Merrifield, meanwhile, is beginning to thrive in his everyday role. He reached base four times Saturday with two hits and two walks. He’s continued to be reliable defensively. The Phillies’ loss – and it’s understandable why they released him given his poor performance – has turned into a great Braves’ gain.

Saturday marked his third multi-hit game with the Braves in 24 games. He had five in 53 games with the Phillies. He didn’t have a contest in which he reached four times with the Phillies.

“I’m starting to do some stuff that I do,” Merrifield said. “Like I was talking about with Gio, just because I had 150 at-bats and that was the kind of year I’d had doesn’t mean that’s the kind of player I am. It’s just how I’d been playing. I feel like I’m pretty close to kind of getting hot. Hopefully when I get hot, I can start doing some things I know I can do.”

4. What better way to return from a weeklong absence than deliver the go-ahead hit? Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who hadn’t played since Aug. 17 after getting hit on the wrist by a pitch, came through with an RBI single that capped a two-run sixth inning to secure the lead.

“It was nice to get out there and be able to play with the guys and come up in a moment where the hit helped us out,” d’Arnaud said. “Just to keep going and get the win is the most important thing, and winning the series is the biggest thing.”

5. The Braves climbed to 70-59. They’re 11 games over .500 for the first time since Aug. 2. They’d dipped as low as five games over .500 on Aug. 9 following their sixth straight loss. The Braves are 10-4 since then.

“Cautiously optimistic,” Snitker said. “We just have to keep fighting. This is probably what I envision the rest of the way, these close games; a pitch here or there, a big hit, a play. The infield defense we’ve been doing … there’s a lot of little things. It’s going to be the little things. Hopefully we can overcome because you’re not going to be perfect all the time. It’s not a game of perfection.”

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