Today's Three Things: Braves Can't Finish The Drill in Disappointing Loss to Phillies
The Atlanta Braves somehow scored only one run despite twelve hits, three for extra bases
The Atlanta Braves dropped game two against the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.
Here’s Today’s Three Things from the contest.
The Turning Point
The top of the 5th inning.
As they had done numerous times already, Atlanta strong together multiple hits to put a runner in scoring position. In this case, it was Matt Olson, who singled to open the frame and advanced to third on an Ozzie Albies one-out single. Marcell Ozuna then sent a line drive to outfielder Nick Castellanos, one of MLB’s worst-rated defenders in right field.
Not only did Castellanos make the catch for the 2nd out of the inning, he then uncorked a perfect throw to nail Matt Olson at the plate for the third out of the inning.
It’s a classic ‘stoppable force meets movable object’ scenario - Olson’s average sprint speed is an 8th percentile mark of 25.2 mph per Statcast, while Casty’s average arm strength is a 29th percentile mark of 80.9 mph.
Casty uncorked his third-hardest throw of the year (86.6 mph), while Olson’s run home was only his fourth-quickest speed (26.5 ft/sec), and that was all she wrote.
I’m torn on the decision - I think I send a healthy Olson there if it’s me at third base, but with a toe injury, he clearly was hampered just enough where he was thrown out by a few steps at the plate.
Today’s Player of the Game
Atlanta’s resident sinkerballer went seven innings with just one run allowed on three hits, walking two and striking out three. Elder threw a ton of sinkers today, 55, with thirteen being put into play on 26 swings. He finished with ten whiffs and a 21% CSW, but pitching to contact was a good enough plan since he was able to keep the ball in the yard.
This is the frustrating part of Bryce Elder. That was his sixth start in the month of August and across those, he has four quality starts, one of six innings but five runs allowed, and the blowout eight-run start against the White Sox where he didn’t make it out of the fifth inning. I’m more convinced than ever that he needs to expand from his usual sinker/slider arsenal (combined 88% usage tonight) to add a cutter and another breaking pitch, just to keep opposing hitters off his slider.
What You’ll Be Talking About
The futility of the offense.
Atlanta had twelve hits and two walks but scored just one run, which feels like it shouldn’t be possible. The Braves hit into three separate double plays, ran into an out at home, and overall went just two for twelve with runners in scoring position.
Marcell Ozunz continues to be a problem in the lineup - he hit fifth tonight but was 0-3 with a strikeout and has just two hits (a single and a double) in the last seven games. Drake Baldwin was given a pinch-hit opportunity for Sean Murphy late in this one, but despite a lefty starting on the mound (a situation where the lefty-hitting Baldwin virtually never gets a start), the rookie wasn’t in the lineup to start the game and that clearly needs to change.
Ozuna’s hitting just .197 in the month of August and giving him at-bats at the expense of a Rookie of the Year candidate that could get Atlanta an additional draft pick is just flat out a terrible idea.
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 loss.
What’s Next for the Braves?
Atlanta’s hoping to get back in the win column thanks to an injury activation that we’re expecting tomorrow morning: Chris Sale. The veteran, 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA, is the projected starter opposite lefty Cristopher Sánchez (11-5, 2.66) at 6:05 PM ET.