Atlanta, GA
Reynaldo López pitches six more shutout innings in 6-2 Braves win over Astros
Reynaldo López continued to be the most consistent starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves here in the early going of the season. His six shutout innings helped keep the Braves in control as they rode another late wave of offense to a 6-2 series win at Minute Maid Park over the Houston Astros.
Once the schedule made it apparent that the pitching matchup for tonight’s game was going to be Reynaldo López going for the Braves against Hunter Brown starting for the Astros, I’d imagine that people would’ve been more-than-willing to bet against a pitching duel breaking out. This is the sport of baseball where anything can happen, though, so naturally we ended up witnessing a pitching duel for the first two-thirds of this contest.
At first, it seemed as if Ronald Acuña Jr. was going to create another run by himself as he led off the game with a single and then stole second. He then went for third and while he was initially ruled safe, he ended up being called out on review and the scoring chance for Atlanta evaporated from there. Fortunately, the Braves wouldn’t have to wait long to get on the board in this one. Orlando Arcia returned to the lineup after starting last night on the bench and he responded to that by winning an eight-pitch battle and lifting the ball up and into the area adjacent to the Crawford Boxes for what was ruled as a home run. Arcia’s first dinger of the season was of the solo variety so the Braves had a razor-thin 1-0 lead to hang onto at that point.
As it turned out, that ended up being all Reynaldo López needed in order to exert control over the game. While López wasn’t exactly perfect (he had to deal with at least one runner in scoring position for each of the second, third and fourth innings), he continued to stay positively consistent and proved to be extremely tough for the Astros to crack while he was out there.
Once Reynaldo López was done for the night, his line went along to the tune of six innings pitched, four hits allowed, one walk, seven strikeouts and zero runs allowed. López has now gone six innings in each of his three starts so far and he still hasn’t given up a run since his first start of the season. Needless to say, he’s provided the consistency that this rotation has needed in a bumpy start to the season and here’s hoping that he can keep this going into a renaissance season of sorts.
It also has to be mentioned that Hunter Brown ended up getting the bounce-back game that he had been desperately looking for after a dismal start to his season. Atlanta was unable to really hit Brown hard while he was out there and this ended up being Brown’s best start of the season by a country mile. He finished the game with six innings under his belt and five hits and three walks to his name with three strikeouts. He was unable to keep that one run on his record, though, as he did leave the game in the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and nobody out after the Braves led off that frame with a double from Michael Harris II and two walks immediately afterwards.
This was a golden opportunity for the Braves to crack the game wide open and put some distance between them and the Astros and things got off to a well-enough start when Orlando Arcia hit a deep sacrifice fly ball to right-center that moved all the runners up a base and plated Atlanta’s second run of the game. The good times ended right then and there, though, as Shawn Dubin struck out Jarred Kelenic and got Luis Guillorme to ground out to end the scoring threat and keep it at just 2-0 in favor of the Braves.
Reynaldo López set the tone for the night and the Braves bullpen kept it going in the right direction once they entered the game in relief. Tyler Matzek sat down the Astros in order in the seventh inning and then Joe Jiménez came in and followed suit in the eighth inning as well, ensuring that the Braves would be heading into the ninth inning with at least a two-run lead intact.
The hope was that the Braves would get back to their current ways in the ninth inning — meaning that the ninth inning was scoring time for Atlanta. Sure enough, the Braves got a rally going in the ninth which saw Marcell Ozuna extend his hitting streak to 15 games. Ozuna’s single was followed by a single from Orlando Arcia and then another single for Jarred Kelenic loaded the bases with one out for Luis Guillorme. Guillorme then proceeded to hit a blooper the other way that bounced right off the chalk foul line and into the seats for a ground rule double that plated two and put the Braves ahead in a comfortable 4-0 lead.
Chadwick Tromp then proceeded to put the game to bed with a perfectly-placed gapper in left center that plated two more runs and made it 6-0 in favor of the Braves. The ninth inning was once again very, very good to the Atlanta Braves.
Aaron Bummer got the nod for the ninth inning and immediately fumbled the shutout, as Kyle Tucker led off the ninth with a no-doubter that put the Astros on the board for the first time since the first inning of Monday night’s game. Bummer got the next two outs but then ran into some more trouble as he gave up a double, an RBI single and a walk to his next three hitters. Just like that, it was 6-2 and Aaron Bummer was pulled from the game in favor of Raisel Iglesias being placed into a one-out save situation. Fortunately, Iglesias induced a ground ball out of pinch hitter Victor Caratini to end the game and give the Braves the series victory.
The Braves will be heading back to the Atlanta metro area tomorrow evening but before then, they’ll have a getaway day matinee matchup against the Astros at 2:10 P.M. E.T. Max Fried will be getting the ball for tomorrow afternoon’s matchup and here’s hoping that Fried can follow López’s act with a vintage performance of his own as the Braves attempt to sweep Houston on their way out of town.
Atlanta hosts its final FIFA World Cup match today as England and Argentina face off in a highly anticipated semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
While thousands of fans are expected to pack the stadium in downtown Atlanta once again, local leaders say the tournament’s impact is already being felt far beyond the pitch.
Before the World Cup began, the Metro Atlanta Chamber projected the tournament could generate more than $503 million in economic activity across Georgia. An Emory University study also estimated Decatur’s month-long WatchFest could contribute up to $142 million to the local economy.
Officials across metro Atlanta are still compiling final attendance and economic data, but early signs point to a busy tournament.
Visitors from around the world have spent weeks exploring Atlanta attractions, dining at local restaurants and attending the FIFA Fan Festival.
“It’s better than I anticipated,” said one visitor from Lagos, Nigeria. “Everyone is super nice, very friendly. The energy is … I feel like I could bottle it. I don’t want it to end.”
The tournament has also created lasting memories for local families.
Former professional baseball player Paul Byrd attended the World Cup with his son, Colby, whose passion for soccer inspired the outing.
“First of all, I’m a baseball player,” Byrd said. “Put my son in left field, he’s talking to the rabbits. He said baseball’s boring. He loves soccer. That’s why we’re here. The World Cup in Atlanta, we’re showing out. It feels like a World Series for me.”
While today’s semifinal marks Atlanta’s final match of the tournament, local leaders say the World Cup’s full impact will take time to measure as communities continue calculating attendance, tourism, and business activity generated over the past several weeks.
England and Argentina kick off Wednesday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the winner advancing to the FIFA World Cup.
Atlanta, GA
Messi vs. Bellingham: All eyes on stars as England and Argentina clash in Atlanta’s World Cup semifinals
It’s England vs. Argentina in the World Cup semifinals. It’s also Lionel Messi vs. Jude Bellingham.
The battle of the two No. 10s could be pivotal to deciding Wednesday’s match in Atlanta.
“We know how good Messi is,” England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said of the Argentina great, whose enduring brilliance has been on show again even at the age of 39.
Messi and Bellingham have been inspirational in their teams’ respective runs to the final four. And Wednesday’s match may well be determined by which one has the biggest say on the day.
Messi is playing England for the first time in his storied career.
“He’s scored so many goals and contributed to so many goals as well throughout his career, it’s great to finally go up against him,” Pickford said.
Messi is already considered by many to the be greatest soccer player of all time and he seems to be on a mission to settle the debate about where he stands in the history of the sport.
Already the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 21 goals, he could surpass Argentina icon Diego Maradona by leading his country to back-to-back world titles.
His eight goals in the tournament so far have been pivotal to Argentina’s run and his moments of magic have dragged his team through big scares against Cape Verde and Egypt.
With Maradona as captain, Argentina won the World Cup in 1986 and was runner-up four years later when it lost to West Germany in the final.
“Trying to draw inspiration from what Diego did is difficult. Only Leo can do that,” said Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. “Diego is a national icon for us, and hopefully, we can achieve something similar to what that team did.”
England has a talisman of its own in the form of Bellingham, who is at the opposite end of his career to Messi.
At the age of 23, Bellingham is already playing in his second World Cup and his fourth major tournament for England. He has six goals, including two each in the last two rounds against Mexico and Norway.
Not bad for a player who was dropped by coach Thomas Tuchel in the lead-up to the World Cup, prompting debate about whether he’d even be in England’s starting XI.
For a long time Bellingham has not only been considered one of English soccer’s brightest talents, but one of the global game’s biggest names.
Yet his relationship with Tuchel cast doubt over his role in the England team, with Morgan Rogers threatening to take his place.
There is no doubt anymore about a player who Tuchel described as “world class” after his double against Norway in the quarterfinals.
Bellingham is different type of No. 10 to Messi, relying on his athleticism, power and speed when running beyond defenders. He is also technically gifted with his touch and range of passing, but arguably no one can rival Messi’s individual control of the ball, his dribbling ability or vision.
Bellingham’s maturity always stood out. He made his debut for second-division Birmingham at 16 and despite many of England’s top teams wanting to sign him, he resisted the likes of Manchester United and moved to Borussia Dortmund in Germany instead.
Birmingham knew it had lost a special talent and said it was retiring his No. 22 jersey despite him playing less than 50 games for the club.
After starring for Dortmund, Bellingham joined Real Madrid, wore the great Zinedine Zidane’s No. 5 and helped the Spanish giant to the Champions League and Spanish title in his first season in 2024. That same year he was part of England’s team that reached the final of the European Championship, scoring an overhead kick in stoppage time to save his country from elimination earlier in the tournament.
With a record like that, it should come as little surprise that Bellingham, along with captain Harry Kane, who also has six goals, has been such an inspiration at this World Cup.
“Everyone talks about Messi because he’s one of the GOATs of the game, but you can’t look past the ability and talent we have in the squad,” Pickford said.
England vs. Argentina is a fierce rivalry that goes beyond the soccer field, with tensions also relating to the 1982 conflict over the Falklands Islands.
There have been numerous clashes at the World Cup.
Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, whose death was announced on Saturday, was sent off in a bad-tempered quarterfinal match against winner England in 1966.
Maradona scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal in 1986 – and England also felt aggrieved when David Beckham was sent off for kicking out against Diego Simeone in 1998 and losing in a penalty shootout.
Most recently England beat Argentina in the group phase in 2002, with Beckham scoring from the penalty spot.
Rather than being weighed down by the disappointments of previous clashes, Kane said it was that win that stood out in his mind.
“We all knew what Beckham went through previously against Argentina and that kind of redemption story of scoring that penalty, his celebration, he’s pulling the shirt and his face.
“I think that’s one of my favourite England memories,” Kane told ITV. “That was always one of my favourite memories, Beckham being a big idol of mine, so that one stands out for sure.”
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Sen. Raphael Warnock and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens celebrated the 21st Century Road to Housing Act on Monday. The new law aims to make housing construction easier and to prevent corporations from buying large amounts of single-family homes.
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