The Atlanta Braves dropped game two of their four-game set ot the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night.
Here is Today’s Three Things from the contest.
The Turning Point
Believe it or not, it was the top of the first inning.
As we discussed in The Scouting Report, Zack Wheeler’s been shaky of late (6.27 ERA post-ASB), but after Philadelphia adjusted his mechanics, his last start was tentatively back to Wheeler’s normally high standards.
He was tested immediately. Atlanta’s first three batters all reached base, with Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuña Jr. singling and Matt Olson drawing a walk.
But after that? Bupkis.
Michael Harris II somrhow hit a pop-up on a curveball that was nearly on the dirt, followed by Mauricio Dubòn striking out looking and then Ozzie Albies hitting a lazy flyout to center.
From this point on, Atlanta would register just three more hits and one walk, ultimately scoring two runs on solo shots from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley.
Hanging a crooked number on a scuffling Zack Wheeler would have changed the dynamic of this game, especially after Martín Pérez stumbled in the bottom of the first, walking four and allowing two runs.
Today’s Player of the Game
Ronald Acuña Jr. had two of the team’s five hits and one of their two runs tonight, but I’m giving the award to the bullpen duo of Ray Kerr and Brent Suter.
The lefties combined for four and a third scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three. The bulk of the innings were covered by Kerr, who cleaned up Pérez’s mess in the fourth (on one pitch) and then covered the fifth through seventh innings.
I’m not saying that I’m ready to give either man high-leverage innings, but holding a more than capable Philadelphia offense to no runs the rest of the way gave the Atlanta offense an opening to rally and maybe find a way to steal game two. (They didn’t do it, of course, but the opening technically was there.)
What You’ll Be Talking About
With all due respect to the struggles of Matt Olson (who was hitless tonight and is now carrying a .150 average and .436 OPS across the last fifteen games), let’s talk about Martín Pérez’s outing.
The veteran lefty very clearly did not have his control tonight, walking the first two batters he faced and ending the 1st inning with two runs on four walks and only one hit, a Luis Arraez single. He needed 35 pitches to get through the inning, although he was able to rebound for decent second and third innings before getting in trouble again in the 4th.
Pérez talked to the media after the game and, essentially, told them that he was rusty because this was his first start in a week…which doesn’t really track, because he had a full week of rest last time out and struck out six Rockies in a one-run effort over 5.2 innings.
That being said, though, it also presents an interesting conundrum for next weekend, when the Phillies come to Truist Park for a rematch with Atlanta. With the team’s current six-man rotation, Pérez would line up to face Philly next Friday at home. Does Atlanta need to either move him up earlier in the week, perhaps swapping him with Chris Sale (who would currently get Tampa Bay in next Thursday’s finale). And does the expected activation of Reynaldo López next week mean that Pérez needs to be the sacrificial lamb to the bullpen for at least a week?
Jake and I discussed this on the Postcast, and I’m guessing the decision won’t be made until after this series is decided - if Atlanta rebounds to go 2-2 or 3-1, you likely don’t worry about moving Sale to the weekend (which would be his 4th start of the season against Philly) and instead let Pérez go on Friday. But if Atlanta drops this series and needs to ensure a win next weekend to keep the NL East, Pérez might need to either move up to Tampa or get temporarily moved to the bullpen until after the Phillies have left Atlanta.
Looking for more discussion about this game?
Here’s tonight’s Postcast, with me and Locked On Braves host Jake Mastroianni, as we went live to break down the contest.
What’s Next for the Braves?
The Braves are back at it on Sunday afternoon, with Tyler Mahle (5-10, 4.25 ERA but 2-1, 1.48 with Atlanta) taking on Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.93) at 1:10 PM on NBC/Peacock.
Any article that starts with a quote from the late great Dennis Green is gonna be a good one! "They are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!"
For me this game was lost in the 1st inning when we loaded the bases with NOBODY out and got nothing! Nada! Zero! Squadoosh!
Could Perez have pitched a little better? Sure! But the problem with this team continues to be lack of a consistent offense. And since we're 140+ games into the season and it hasn't gotten fixed, its reasonable to assume that it isn't going to get fixed.
We have spent months debating who the playoff starters are going to be... When the Braves are eliminated from the playoffs (and all but one team eventually is) it is most likely going to be because of the offense...not the pitching.
Pedro Martinez once said that the older he became, the more he experienced those "I-ain't-got-my-best-stuff-tonight". Perez has been a critical asset to the Braves this year when I thought he and Jose Suarez only made the team to be our sacrificial lamb in games like yesterday.
But it is the offense that should be bothering all. Championships are won by the teams with momentum. And although two of the ones I have previously claimed as "walking dead" (Acuna, Murphy) are actually coming up big, there must be others. Riley can't even tag out a runner sliding into 3rd when he has the ball BEFORE THE GUY EVER HITS THE DIRT FOR A SLIDE. And - except for when a blind sow finds an acorn - strikes out over and over again. Now Olsen is doing the same thing. The Braves cannot win in October if Riley and Olsen strike out 41% and 31% of the time, respectively. Honestly, I wish the Braves would have gone after Arraez like the Phillies. With him at 3rd or 1st base every game, the Braves would have a shot.