JR Ritchie 'deals' solid start in Braves debut
The Atlanta Braves picked up their 18th win of the season after defeating the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Thursday, giving them the best record in Major League Baseball as they improved to 18-8 and sit a top the National League East, with a five and a half game lead over second place Miami Marlins.
And while Thursday’s win has helped the Braves maintain the current largest division lead in MLB, the debut of top pitching prospect, JR Ritchie, may have been even more impressive as he finished his outing on the mound allowing just two runs on five hits, including two solo home runs, while walking two and striking out seven batters through seven innings pitched, earning his first career win.
“Richie really settled into a groove and man was he dealing,” 92-9 The Game’s Mike Bell said as he and cohost Carl Dukes shared thoughts on Ritchie’s performance in which he became the first Braves’ pitcher to allow two runs or less through seven or more innings in his MLB debut since Matt Wisler in 2015.
“Here’s the other thing about Ritchie, and I’ll say this Mike, as much as I know you love [Didier] Fuentes, [JR] Ritchie’s the higher prospect. He’s the number two prospect in the organization,” Dukes said as he explained why he believes the 22-year old pitcher “is showing you he’s ready for the show,” and may find himself inserted into the Braves’ starting rotation at some point this season.JR Ritchie shines in Braves' debut
JR Ritchie shines in Braves' debut
