Braves' JR Ritchie rebounds from 1st pitch home run to win major league debut
JR Ritchie was welcomed to the major leagues when Washington's James Wood homered on his first pitch. The 22-year-old right-hander rebounded to win his debut, leading the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Thursday for their eighth win in nine games. “One pitch into it I was like, ‘Oh no,’ but after that I bounced back really well,” Ritchie said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — JR Ritchie was welcomed to the major leagues when Washington's James Wood homered on his first pitch. The 22-year-old right-hander rebounded to win his debut, leading the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Thursday for their eighth win in nine games. “One pitch into it I was like, ‘Oh no,’ but after that I bounced back really well,” Ritchie said.
“Honestly, probably for the next year I will hate it. Then after that it will be like a funny, ‘Hey, first pitch of my big league career I gave up a nuke. ’” Ritchie, who was selected 35th in the 2022 amateur draft, allowed just one more run over seven innings.
He gave up five hits, struck out seven and walked two, throwing 54 of 89 pitches for strikes. Ritchie averaged 94. 4 mph with 24 fastballs and also mixed in 25 curves, 19 changeups, 10 sliders, seven cutters and four sinkers.
Ritchie (1-0) became the first Braves pitcher to allow two runs or fewer over seven-plus innings in his debut since Matt Wisler in 2015. “Kids got a lot of weapons man, for right and left handed hitters,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s in total control out there.