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It looked like the Shu dropped in the first inning of Sunday’s contest between the Braves and Nationals.

It was not the debut inning that the 24-year-old lefty Jared Shuster was looking for. He surrendered a single on the first pitch of his MLB career and did not record an out until the seventh batter of the game.

All Shuster had done in spring training to earn a spot in the Braves rotation vanished on Sunday. The rookie southpaw walked in two runs as a part of a four run bottom of the first. He threw non-competitive pitches and missed up in the zone, both of which he avoided in spring training.

It was not until the Nationals ninth batter of the inning that Shuster looked like the poised and polished southpaw that excited Braves management, as he induced an inning-ending ground out from Nationals outfielder Victor Robles. The Braves were lucky that the damage was limited to four runs.

24-year old Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore had an opposite start compared to Shuster. He dispatched the first six Braves that he faced, and was strong all afternoon.

Shuster bounced back in the second inning, keeping his fastballs down and inducing a few swings-and-misses with his changeup.

The 4-0 score was broken in the top of the fourth via a Travis d’Arnaud RBI single. It looked like a big inning for the Braves was imminent until Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz took a well-timed mound visit. Gore’s command slipped, but he struck out Matt Olson and Austin Riley back-to-back immediately following the visit.

Larger bases did not help Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia, as he was thrown out while attempting to steal second base. It was Sean Murphy’s first base runner thrown out with the Braves, reminding fans of his value despite his initial struggles at the plate.

Shuster’s day ended after 4.2 innings after issuing his fifth walk of the day. He looked better after the first inning, which should give the Braves confidence that he can help the team in pursuit of their sixth-straight NL East title.

The Braves chased Gore after 5.1 innings, who left two runners on base as he exited. Washington’s flame-throwing reliever Hunter Harvey induced a double play off the bat of Ozzie Albies to end the threat and preserve Gore’s line.

Gore issued four walks, but induced two double plays to negate two of the free passes. His fastball command was sharp, and he located his secondary pitches well. Braves hitters struggled to time his 96 MPH fastball all day.

Both bullpens held the score at 4-1, as both offenses put up little fight as the game progressed. Taking advantage of Shuster’s shaky first inning was all the Nationals needed to win.

Looking Ahead

The Braves head to St. Louis for a three game set with the Cardinals. Atlanta took four out of six games played against St. Louis last year.

The Cardinals pitching has had a shaky start to 2023, but boast an imposing lineup featuring 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt, perennial all star Nolan Arenado, and top MLB prospect Jordan Walker, who debuted on opening day of 2023.

Pitching for the Braves in this series is Charlie Morton, who had a strong second half in 2022 after a rough start to the season. We will also see the debut of Dylan Dodd, who competed with Shuster for the last rotation spot in spring training. Both players made the roster after it was announced that 2022 NL wins leader Kyle Wright would begin the season on the IL. Wright’s throwing shoulder is still recovering from a cortisone shot he received in January.

It has not been announced who will take Max Fried’s spot pitching game three of the series for Atlanta, but expect Ian Anderson or Bryce Elder to be recalled from AAA. Both right-handers pitched for Atlanta in 2022, but are currently with the Braves AAA affiliate in Gwinnett after struggling in spring training.

It is also possible, albeit unlikely, that the Braves will attempt a bullpen game on April 5. They do not have a day off following their series in St. Louis, which is often a requisite for any team attempting to play without a starting pitcher. Overtaxing the bullpen this early in the season is not wise, even as deep as the Braves’ pen is.