PITTSBURGH _ The apex of Dansby Swanson's current run, however temporary or long-lasting it may be, arose with an inside fastball Tuesday night.
The Braves hadn't done much against Ivan Nova until the fifth. Swanson put the first pitch he saw, a 92-mph fastball that tailed too far in, over the left-field wall in his Braves' 6-1 win over the Pirates.
Undeterred by his first serving, Swanson liked the first pitch he saw from reliever Michael Feliz in the seventh. He planted a slider into the seats for his first multi-homer game. He was responsible for four of the Braves' five runs.
It secured the Braves' second series win in Pittsburgh since 2011. It further distanced the Braves from being swept by the Rockies just two days ago. It gave Swanson more reason to breathe after spending most of the season looking for solutions.
The shortstop entered the night with a hit in six consecutive games, registering a .333 (7-for-21) average in that span. He'd hit .300 with two homers, two doubles, eight RBIs and six runs in his past nine games.
Swanson delivered when the Braves needed offense. Nova was sailing. He permitted back-to-back hits from Ender Inciarte and Freddie Freeman in the fourth but left unscathed. He hadn't allowed a baserunner prior.
Nick Markakis and Freeman delivered the only run Monday, resulting in a 1-0 win. They can't do it every night. The Braves have done well to spread the wealth, arguably the most impressive trait of their newfound winning ways.
Tuesday was Swanson's turn. The 24-year-old, almost a veteran in this clubhouse, has been overshadowed by Ronald Acuna's star power, Freeman's MVP run; even uber productive utilityman Charlie Culberson garnered more attention.
He wasn't forgotten in the most recent victory. The former first overall pick looked true to form, reminding he still has more to offer than defense and speed.
That isn't to say Swanson's bat is here to stay. He was making his value with superb defense and spurts of offensive contributions. But the Braves are getting Swanson's best at an acceptable time.
His work could've been meaningless if not for Kevin Gausman's brilliance. He pitched eight scoreless innings, including working his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to go an additional two frames. He scattered four hits, striking out five and walking two.
The Braves reworked Gausman's mechanics. They saw more than his results showed in Baltimore. Thus far, they're right: They acquired a pitcher who's better than he was three weeks ago.
Josh Bell singled and Francisco Cervelli singled to start the second. Gausman remained collected, inducing a grounder from Colin Moran and coaxing a double play ball from Adeiny Hechavarria. Minimizing damage in troublesome circumstance has already become a trademark for the Braves' version of Gausman.
He had two middling _ but good enough _ starts surrounding an eight-inning gem against the Brewers. His fourth start with the Braves was one which illustrated confidence, 'stuff' and potential realized.
Perhaps it also showed the shrewdness of general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who opted to acquire Gausman at a modest price rather than pay the premium these Pirates did for Chris Archer.
Gausman has accumulated a 2.00 ERA with 17 strikeouts and six walks through his first four starts (27 innings) with his new franchise.
In the only downside of the night, Kurt Suzuki exited in the ninth after getting hit by a pitch in his elbow and back. Tyler Flowers entered as a pinch-runner.
A fearsome September stretch awaits the first-place club. An uptick in Swanson's offensive value, along with more of the usual for Gausman, would be a coup down the stretch. The Braves' division lead could be stretched to two games by the end of the night, with the Phillies trailing in Washington 1-0 during a rain delay.
