In a performance that had Mariners fans on their feet, Bryan Woo tied his season high with nine strikeouts over six scoreless innings, leading Seattle to a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. The win handed Atlanta their first series loss of the season, snapping an impressive run that had seen them win eight consecutive series and go 10-0-1 overall.
The Braves had been nearly untouchable to start the year, becoming just the fifth team in the Wild Card era (since 1995) to go unbeaten in at least 11 straight series to open a season. They join an elite club that includes the 2020 LA Dodgers, 2018 Arizona Diamondbacks, 1997 Baltimore Orioles, and 1995 Philadelphia Phillies.
Woo (1-2) was in command from the first pitch, allowing just one hit and two walks while throwing a season-high 98 pitches—66 of them for strikes. His performance set the tone for a Mariners team looking to build momentum. José A. Ferrer closed the door with a perfect ninth inning to earn his second save of the year.
Offensively, Cole Young was the catalyst, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Jhonny Pereda also contributed, finishing 2-for-2 at the plate. The scoring started in the third inning when Pereda led off with a single, followed by a Leo Rivas double and a J.P. Crawford walk to load the bases. Pereda came home on a Cal Raleigh groundout that turned into a double play, giving Seattle an early 1-0 lead.
Julio Rodríguez provided the fireworks in the sixth, crushing a 436-foot home run to center field that extended the lead to 2-0. It was the kind of blast that reminds everyone why he's one of the most exciting young stars in the game.
Braves starter Martín Pérez (2-2) battled through 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts, but it wasn't enough to slow down the Mariners' attack.
The Braves made things interesting in the eighth when reliever Eduard Bazardo allowed back-to-back singles to Mike Yastrzemski and Sean Murphy. Yastrzemski scored on a sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Dominic Smith, cutting the lead to 2-1. But Seattle's defense came up big—after a successful challenge and replay review, Bazardo picked off pinch-runner Jorge Mateo at first base, snuffing out any momentum. Drake Baldwin followed with a single, but Ozzie Albies struck out to end the inning.
Both teams get a breather on Thursday before returning to action. The Braves travel to Los Angeles for a three-game series against the Dodgers, with left-hander Chris Sale (6-1, 2.14 ERA) taking the mound against right-hander Emmet Sheehan (2-1, 5.23 ERA). The Mariners head to Chicago to face the White Sox, where right-hander Emerson Hancock (2-1, 2.59 ERA) will duel with righty Sean Burke (2-2, 2.72 ERA).