Braves pitcher Huascar Ynoa hits grand slam vs. Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Giving up a grand slam to the opposing team to break open a ballgame always stings. Giving up a grand slam to the opposing team's pitcher to break open a ballgame stings, burns and brings about all the other negative descriptions possible.
The Nationals experienced the latter on Tuesday night, as Braves starting pitcherΒ Huascar Ynoa launched a grand slam off reliever Tanner Rainey to deep center to give Atlanta a 6-0 lead in the sixth inning.
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Ynoa might be a pitcher, but that swing shows he's clearly capable of handling a bat. Launching a ball 427 feet is no easy feat for the best batters in the game, nevertheless for someone who focuses on limiting hits rather than getting them.
This was actually Ynoa's second home run on the season as he also went yard in his last outing against the Chicago Cubs. Back-to-back games with a homer might be more impressive than his strong showing on the mound against the Nationals.
As for Rainey, the grand slam surrendered to the pitcher is just the latest struggle he's faced in 2021. The four earned runs on Tuesday night pushed his ERA to 10.00 on the young season.