Bryce Elder, three Braves relievers combine to blank Athletics
Bryce Elder threw six scoreless innings and Mauricio Dubon drove in three runs to help the Atlanta Braves keep the visiting Athletics winless with a 4-0 victory on Monday in the opening game of a three-game series.
Elder (1-0) allowed five hits and one walk, struck out five and picked off a batter. Over his last eight starts, Elder is 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA and seven quality starts.
Aaron Bummer pitched around Max Muncy's long double to work a scoreless seventh. Robert Suarez worked around a pair of baserunners in the eighth, and Raisel Iglesias made his season debut with a scoreless ninth aided by a double play.
Atlanta pitchers have allowed only six runs through their first four games with two shutouts. The Athletics fell to 0-4 for the first time since 2023.
Dubon, acquired in an offseason trade with Houston, went 3-for-4 and upped his batting average to .400.
A's starter Jacob Lopez (0-1) threw 91 pitches -- only 46 strikes -- and was removed after four innings. He allowed three runs on five hits and five walks with no strikeouts.
The Braves opened the game by taking advantage of three walks and scored three times in the first inning. Matt Olson doubled in a run and Dubon drove in two runs by muscling an opposite-field single over the head of first baseman Nick Kurtz.
Atlanta added an insurance run in the eighth. Mike Yastrzemski led off with a triple and scored on Dubon's single to left.
The Braves didn't help themselves on the basepaths. Ronald Acuna Jr. was picked off in the fourth inning and Ozzie Albies was caught leaning in the seventh. But Atlanta made good ABS challenge decisions, twice turning a called ball into a third strike.
The A's had a scoring opportunity in the eighth with runners on first and second and one out when Brent Rooker grounded into an inning-ending double play.
--Field Level Media