ATLANTA – Drew Smyly knows his first season with the Atlanta Braves hasn’t gone as smoothly as he thought it would.
After shutting down the St. Louis Cardinals, the 32-year-old left-hander believes he’s on the right track to better consistency on the mound.
“I guess pretty up and down, you know?” he said. “I didn’t have the April I would like, but there’s five more months of the season, and I know it only takes one game to turn it around and start getting on a roll. I think I’ve battled every start and kept our team in the game most starts. I think I could’ve pitched a whole lot better.”
Smyly didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit the 100th homer of his young MLB career and Atlanta earned a split of a day-night doubleheader with a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday night.
In the first game, Adam Wainwright struck out 11 batters and pitched a three-hitter, sending the Cardinals to a 9-1 victory.