Spencer Schwellenbach matches career high in strikeouts as Braves beat Red Sox

“I just woke up on the right side of the bed today, I guess,” he said, all smiles during his post-game press conference. But this was beyond what Schwellenbach usually provides in consistent velocity. He’s already increased his average from a year ago nearly a full mph. Saturday marked his first time hitting triple digits. He was consistently delivering the fastest pitches of his career; his fastest pitch was 98.9 mph entering the day.

“When I try to get on one, I usually get 98 (mph),” he said. “But the ones I was just trying to hit a spot today, it was like 99. It was like, ‘oh boy.’ Then when I struck out (Wilyer Abreu) to end the first inning, I was going for 100 and I did it. The innings after, I was doing the same things I usually do. It was just coming out a little better today.”

In his first full season, Schwellenbach is proving to be a frontline starter, a meteoric rise for the 2021 draftee. His velocity has played up, hitting 100.2 mph, and he’s looked like an All-Star at his best. Schwellenbach had some growing pains earlier in the year, but he’s showing just how much upside he possesses with his rich arsenal, increased velocity and detail-oriented approach.

“I pride myself on throwing strikes,” Schwellenbach said regarding his propensity for attacking the strike zone, a skill that often eludes less experienced pitchers. “I’ve talked about when I was a kid, if I threw too many balls, my dad would be pretty mad at me. So I’ve always understood when I’m on the mound, my job is to throw strikes.”

Schwellenbach was staked an early lead. First baseman Matt Olson said Friday night he felt the team wasn’t far from a breakthrough. The Braves backed up his faith Saturday.

The offense, less than 24 hours after producing one run in nine innings, had five runs through the first four innings off old nemesis Walker Buehler. Olson opened the scoring with a first-inning RBI double.

His All-Star teammates Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr. both homered in a four-run fourth that conjured up memories of past Braves offenses. Acuña homered off Buehler will naturally invoke nostalgia; his grand slam in the 2018 postseason came off the same pitcher while he was with the Dodgers.

Riley had an unspectacular May, though he’s closed it on a high note. He was 7-for-23 (.304) in his past six games before blasting a home run Saturday.

Meanwhile, this was Acuña’s third homer in eight games since he returned from a torn ACL. Even the most bright-eyed Braves optimists should be impressed with how marvelous he’s looked after missing a year. He’s hitting .367, collecting two hits in four of eight games.

While Acuña was working his way back, manager Brian Snitker constantly noted that he was racking up a lot of at-bats from spring training and early in the season.

“That’s really helped him; he was seeing velocity, not machine but arms,” Snitker said. “You can see the result of that. He’s come back and hit the ground running. It’s been really, really good.”

“(Acuña) is in a league of his own with what he does,” Riley added. “The ability to pick it up and go and dominate, it’s impressive. It really is. He’s a special player.”

The Braves’ offense has been a rollercoaster. It ascended Thursday evening in the nightcap of a doubleheader in which the team knocked around Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (nine runs total). It descended Friday with a whimper against the Red Sox. Then Saturday, it began climbing again.

“The potential is there,” Riley said. “It’s just a matter of going out and doing it. We just have to do it on a daily basis, including myself. I had a good game a couple nights ago, and I laid an egg (Friday), had a better one today. The consistency has to be there on a nightly basis.”

Certainly, an offensive uptick would be welcomed during this homestand. The Braves face the Diamondbacks in the middle of the week, a team that’s struggled mightily lately but is expected to be among the chief Wild Card competitors. After going 13-14 in May, the Braves will need a June surge to avoid falling further back in a crowded National League postseason picture.

The Braves and Red Sox conclude their series Sunday when Bryce Elder (2-2, 4.50) opposes Boston ace Garrett Crochet (4-4, 2.04). This will be Elder’s first major-league start since May 14 as he fills the vacancy left by AJ Smith-Shawver, who’s done for the season with a torn UCL.