The Atlanta Braves dropped the series finale 6-4 against the Minnesota Twins in Target Field on Wednesday afternoon, being swept for onlty the second time this season.
Here is Today’s Three Things from the contest.
The Turning Point
We’re going with the top of the sixth inning here.
After Taj Bradley exited with seven strikeouts and only one run allowed in his five innings, the Braves got to work against the Twins bullpen, attacking lefty Kody Funderburk almost immediately.
Matt Olson led off the frame with a line drive single, coming on a sweeper off the plate that he shot to left. Michael Harris II and pinch-hitter Lane Thomas followed Olson with singles of their own, scoring a run and prompting Minnesota to get the bullpen hot. Ozzie Albies provided the first out of the inning via a sacrifice fly, bringing the game with one and causing the Twins to pull Funderburk for Tommy Nance. The Braves countered by pinch-hitting for Mike Yastrzemski with Mauricio Dubón, who singled to put runners on the corners.
Dubón then got the game-tying run in by dancing off of first base and causing Nance to balk, which sent Thomas home and moved Dubón to second base.
But with a runner in scoring position and only one out, the rally would die here. Austin Riley would strike out looking on a pitch that was clearly off the plate, but that he didn’t challenge, followed by a Jim Jarvis strikeout that ended the inning.
For as bad as the Braves have been at using ABS both on low-probability pitches and in low-leverage situations, this was clearly an important at-bat despite it being only the sixth inning and no one would have begrudged Riley for tapping the helmet there.
Today’s Player of the Game
Matt Olson, I guess?
Look, it wasn’t a very good day for the Braves all around - they had only seven hits, six of them singles, while striking out fourteen times, but Olson made the most of his time on base. The first time, in the 6th inning, he scored from second on Lane Thomas’ ground ball to right field. The second time he was on base came via an A.J. Minter walk in the 7th inning. Olson then, and please make sure you’re sitting down for this, stole second base. Against a lefty.
The throw was a bit high, but it looks like Olson would have had the bag even if the throw was on line.
On a day where no Braves players really stood out that much, why not give it to Olson?
What You’ll Be Talking About
Other than the Braves being swept for the second time all year, let’s talk about Jim Jarvis.
He actually had a productive day (for him) at the plate today, walking twice. He also committed a defensive error at second base, whiffing on the catch during a Royce Lewis stolen base attempt, with Lewis advancing to third as the ball rolled into the outfield.
He had another defensive miscue earlier in this game, trying to get a double play on a slow roller from Byron Buxton with the bases loaded and coming away with nothing.
Both errors were emblematic of a slumping player pressing to try and make something happen, trying to do too much and not getting anything done.
Here’s the thing about Jarvis. If he’s not going to hit - he’s now down to .213/.274/.306 on the season and is 3-35 in the month of August - and if he’s not providing the defensive floor, what exactly is he doing here? At least Nick Allen, for how anemic his bat was last year, finished the season as a Gold Glove finalist. Jarvis is barely grading out positively via Statcast, and that’s before today’s error.
Either play Dubón at shortstop every day or give Ha-Seong Kim a two-week run at shortstop (which they honestly should have done when Kim came back from rehab) to see if he can get going at the plate. Let Jarvis return to Gwinnett with coaching points to work on down the stretch, like pitch recognition against breaking balls (.141 xBA, .172 xSLG) so that he can either regain some confidence before October or prepare to be an option at shortstop again next season.
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?
Atlanta’s flying to Chicago for a makeup of a rained-out game against the White Sox. Grant Holmes (7-5, 3.82) takes on lefty Anthony Kay (9-5, 4.01) at 2:10 PM ET.
A few points.
1. Jim Jarvis and Dom Smith never need to be in the lineup again. Play Dubon at SS. Platoon Yaz and Thomas in LF. Keep Ronny in RF. DH Drake more often with Murphy catching.
2. AJSS flashes but clearly isn’t a playoff caliber starter yet. He may get there, but I doubt it will be this year. It’s truly GM malpractice that they are in a position where he has to be a playoff starter.
3. The lead in the division is down to 4.5 games with Atlanta playing the White Sox, Brewers, and Dodgers coming up.
What a depressing game.
1. Completely agree with you re Jarvis - he's shown some talent but he's certainly not ready to be given the job. I'd be happy to see him sent down, let HSK have a go at it - can't do any worse and he might just figure it out and supply some veteran moxie down the stretch.
2. I'm seriously wondering if Riley is getting close to setting a Braves' season record for strikeouts. He clearly has lost all confidence and looks like a deer in the headlights.
3. How can Weiss let the hitters continue to embarrass themselves and hurt the team with their atrocious ABS fear of challenging. Riley, again, is the worst.