JR Ritchie Debuts Strongly in Braves 7-2 Win Over Nationals

In Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Atlanta Braves prospect JR Ritchie made his major league debut against the Washington Nationals, only to see his first pitch sail over the right-field fence for a home run by James Wood. The 22-year-old right-hander quickly recovered, however, pitching seven strong innings and allowing just two runs as the Braves secured a 7-2 victory, their eighth win in nine games.

Ritchie, selected 35th overall in the 2022 amateur draft, received word of his promotion from Triple-A Gwinnett around 8 p.m. Wednesday and arrived in the nation's capital shortly after midnight. He took the mound in the fourth inning, replacing starter Cade Cavalli, who had struck out a career-high 10 batters over five innings while allowing two runs.

The debut got off to a rocky start when Wood, leading the National League with 10 home runs this season, crushed Ritchie's 93.5 mph fastball down the middle for a solo shot. In the fourth, CJ Abrams added a solo homer on a changeup below the strike zone, tying the game at 2-2. Ritchie settled in from there, permitting only five hits overall, striking out seven, walking two and throwing 54 of 89 pitches for strikes. He averaged 94.4...