Walt Weiss Sees Braves Getting Contributions From Players They Need Most

The Atlanta Braves needed Wednesday to go a little differently.

They had dropped two games they felt they should have won, and another frustrating loss would have sent them into Philadelphia carrying even more questions. Instead, Atlanta got the kind of all-around performance Walt Weiss has been waiting to see, particularly from a few players who have spent parts of the season trying to get back to where they were supposed to be.

"It was a good game all around," Weiss said postgame via Braves Vision. "We needed that."

There was plenty for him to like.

Grant Holmes gave Atlanta three scoreless innings before the rain delay ended his afternoon. Dylan Dodd came in and handled the top of Washington's order in the fourth, and Elieser Hernández followed with three more scoreless innings. The Nationals managed only two hits all game.

Hernández has become especially valuable in games like this.

Weiss has called on him several times when the Braves needed someone to cover innings, and he has continued to give Atlanta a chance to get through those spots without turning them into a problem.

"He's saved us a couple, three times in a big way," Weiss said. "And he's pitched just like that every time he's gotten on the mound for us."

Hernández allowed only one hit over his three innings Wednesday, with a walk and a strikeout. Weiss also pointed to the way he has been throwing the ball lately, mentioning the increased velocity, his breaking ball and the fact that he doesn't seem to get rattled.

"He’s a really slow heartbeat," Weiss said. "I really like him."

That kind of outing mattered even more because Atlanta's offense was beginning to give its pitching staff some room to work.

Sean Murphy broke the scoreless tie in the sixth with a three-run homer, then added another RBI later in the game. Murphy has started to look more comfortable at the plate after a season that hasn't gone the way he would have liked, and Weiss wasn't the only person noticing it.

He also brought up Ha-Seong Kim.

Both players have had interruptions to their seasons, and neither has consistently looked like the hitter Atlanta expected to get when the Braves brought them in. Lately, though, Weiss has seen some of that familiar version beginning to show up.

"Looks like they're playing like themselves, more like themselves with Murph and Kim," Weiss said. "This is what they've been in their careers. They've been really good players and really good hitters."

For a lineup that has needed more consistency, that could become important quickly.

Ronald Acuña Jr. supplied the game's biggest moment, hitting his 200th career home run and becoming the fastest player in MLB history to reach 200 homers and 200 stolen bases. But when Weiss talked about the swing afterward, he was less interested in the milestone than he was in what Acuña did to the pitch.

Acuña has had some trouble with elevated fastballs this season. On Wednesday, he hit one of them out of the park.

"When he's getting to heaters, that's a good sign," Weiss said.

Now the Braves get a much different test, heading to Philadelphia for a series against the Phillies in an environment Weiss knows will be loud and unforgiving. He mentioned Atlanta's experiences in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Boston when discussing the kind of atmosphere his players have already dealt with.

He wasn't worried about them being overwhelmed.

"Our guys are used to it," Weiss said.

For Weiss, this is also the part of the season he enjoys most. His first year managing Atlanta has reached the stretch run, and now the games are beginning to carry the kind of atmosphere that makes every road series feel a little different.

"Going into hostile environments and testing yourself," he said. "That's what sport is all about."

Wednesday gave the Braves a much-needed win before that test. More importantly, it gave Weiss a look at several players beginning to resemble the versions of themselves Atlanta has been waiting for.

Whether that carries over against Philadelphia is the next question.