Today's Three Things: Braves embarrassed by Arizona in loss on Wednesday
The Atlanta Braves continue to allow struggling starters and teams to 'get right' when facing them
The Atlanta Braves loss a close one 2-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Truist Park on Wednesday night.
Here’s Today’s Three Things from the contest.
The Turning Point
The final two innings.
Atlanta finally broke Merrill Kelly’s perfect game with Marcell Ozuna’s walk to open the fifth and broke the no-hitter with two outs in the 6th on a Ronald Acuña Jr. single.
After Kelly left the game for the start of the 8th, that’s when the Braves’ offense finally got to work. Alex Verdugo singled and, with Eli White pinch-running, was advanced to third on a Sean Murphy single (Luke Williams came in to run for him). But after Williams stole 2nd base to put two in scoring position with no outs, Atlanta went strikeouts (Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris II), an intentional walk of Ronald Acuña Jr., and then another strikeout, this one of Austin Riley. The final two strikeouts were done by closer Justin Martinez, who came in for a five-out save.
Those strikeouts were frustrating for familiar reasons - Baldwin got three sliders in the zone among his four pitches and, firing off ‘A’ swings, was only able to foul two of them off. Harris, by contrast, struck out in three pitches despite only one being in the zone and the others being at least a foot off the plate and either high or low. Riley’s first strike, putting him behind in the count, was a foul ball on a center-cut, attack zone 5 sinker that he couldn’t catch up to before he took a 3-1 elevated sinker for a strike and then swung through a splitter that was dotted down and in.
More frustration came for Atlanta in the 9th. After Raisel Iglesias allowed a second run to Arizona with a walk and multiple hits, the Braves started another rally. Matt Olson walked and after Ozuna struck out (taking two sinkers for strikes and swinging at a splitter below the zone), Ozzie Albies walked. Eli White almost grounded into a game-ending double play on the first pitch of his at-bat, but hustled up the line to beat the throw and keep the game going. After a pitch hit Luke Williams to load the bases and Baldwin drew a walk to get Atlanta on the board, Harris once again had a chance to get an RBI but struck out. The Harris at-bat was four pitches, only one in the zone, and just like the last one, the two out-of-zone swings were at balls well below the zone.
Today’s Player of the Game
On a day when he didn’t have his best control, walking four batters and hitting another, he battled through six innings with only one run allowed on three hits. Sale struck out ten for the contest with his significantly reduced arsenal - once again, he threw just four-seam fastballs and sliders, eschewing changeups or sinkers. He got 16 total whiffs, 11 on the slider, and finished with a 31% CSW. Arizona took a lot of swings but fouled off 25 baseballs and only had ten put into play with just two having exit velocities over 95 mph.
In an era of wide arsenals - opposing starter Merrill Kelly threw six different pitches tonight - Sale continues to dominate with a reliever’s mix, but if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
What You’ll Be Talking About (besides the offense)
The burly flanethrower came in with one out in the 8th with Atlanta attempting to hold a 1-0 deficit. He showed some early wildness, walking Lourdes Gurriel Jr., before striking out Eugenio Suárez. After a Pavin Smith walk, though, he grimaced and flexed his hand on a 1-2 101 mph heater to Josh Naylor that he pulled inside to the lefty.
Ozzie Albies was the first to notice the body language and called for the trainers, who ultimately removed Daysbel from the game. Many assumed the worst in the wake of AJ Smith-Shawver’s season-ending UCL tear last week, but manager Brian Sniker said after the game that the numbness stemmed from a “cramp in his pinky”, which is something I’ve admittedly never seen happen but I guess makes sense.
We’ll be watching to see if Daysbel is available out of the pen tomorrow or Friday on Atlanta’s road trip to San Francisco to take on the Giants. If he requires an injured list stint, this might be the runway needed for Atlanta to call up Craig Kimbrel out of Gwinnett.
What’s Next for the Braves?
The Braves are looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks. Atlanta’s sending out Grant Holmes (3-4, 3.78 ERA) opposite Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt (7-4, 5.05). First pitch is a getaway day special, set for 12:15 PM ET.
There has been four (4) different times in this short season that I was convinced the Braves had hit the absolute rock bottom....4. Then last night's game started and it didn't take very long to conclude this team continues to find new ways to look horrible. Being a baseball person for 60 years, there will always be a player, maybe two, who will experience slumps along the way as it is part of the game. One or two.......NOT 12 OR 13! What the hell is going on? It's like the food and/or water supply has been tainted. I have never seen this in my 60 years of following baseball. AA has failed. It is time for him to go...now! Snitker..gone, now! Harris, send him down and if the team can't do that, then SIT HIM DOWN. Continuing to play him is approving his level of play. The other players see this treatment, and as a result it changes their performance. Verdugo, release him...now! Riley, bring him in and issue him a PIP letter, do the same with Olson and Albies. What is a PIP letter you ask? Something the real world uses with a questionable or problematic employee. In writing, tell the player what is wrong, what needs to be improved, the timeframe it needs to occur in, and what happens if they don't meet the improvements. That is exactly what is wrong with this team. A player strikes out for the umpteenth time, and he skips back to the bench and continues in counting his money. "Yeah, I struck out numerous times tonight, and the game before, and the game before that. So what!" It is time someone in baseball opens a new door. This is madness.
Pitiful, unfortunately. Maybe the money got to Michael Harris. Sad to see someone's career go downhill so fast after such a great rookie season.