Today's Three Things: Braves split doubleheader with Phils, but at great cost
The Atlanta Braves salvaged the series with a win on Thursday, but may have lost several contributors in the process.
The Atlanta Braves dropped the series but avoided a sweep in Thursday’s doubleheader, losing game one to the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 but winning the nightcap 9-3 in Citizens Bank Park.
Here’s Today’s Three Things from the doubleheader.
The Turning Point
Game one was a back-and-forth affair, with the Phillies getting out to an early lead and Atlanta tying it up late. Some shaky bullpen work gave Philly a one-run lead heading into the 9th, and the Braves looked to tie it up once again.
With the sheriff J.T. Realmuto getting game one off, Ozzie Albies followed up his leadoff walk with a stolen base attempt. Despite manager Brian Snitker’s comments after the game, I thought the jump was good, but backup catcher Rafael Marchán (who also homered in this game) made a great throw to 2nd for the first out of the inning.
That would be costly.
Atlanta promptly loaded the bases on two walks and a single, so Ozzie would have scored to tie the game up at five. Instead, down one, Eli White struck out to seal the loss in a pitch that was below the zone, but still too close to take with two strikes and two outs in the 9th inning.
Whether or not Atlanta could have held the lead in the bottom half of the inning, I don’t know, but it was a great opportunity to tie the game up once again and Atlanta just got beat by a good play on the stolen base attempt.
Today’s Player of the Game
In a rematch of last year’s Cy Young race, the winner in Sale took on the runner-up in Zack Wheeler. Sale definitely won the rematch.
Atlanta’s veteran lefty went six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and no runs while walking three and striking out eight. Sale continued to dominate while essentially being a two-pitch guy - he threw no sinkers and just one changeup, instead leaning on his slider (seven whiffs) and four-seam fastball (14 called strikes) to flummox Phillies hitters.
So it’s said, Wheeler allowed six runs on four hits in 5.1 innings, walking four and striking out six. In two starts against the Braves this year, he’s given up twelve hits and eleven earned runs in 10.2 innings, good for a 9.28 ERA. Against everyone else in the league, ten starts worth of action, a combined fourteen runs, good for a 1.93 ERA.
That’s baseball. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What You’ll Be Talking About
The injuries.
Atlanta had three different contributors leave their respective starts with injuries. AJ Smith-Shawver left game one in the 3rd inning and was placed on the IL with what the team called a “right elbow strain”. He’s already been sent back to Atlanta for imaging. More on this injury tomorrow.
Also in game one, Stuart Fairchild (who started in right field in place of a resting Ronald Acuña Jr.) left the game after dislocating his pinky finger on a stolen base attempt. Thankfully, the team confirmed after game one that he avoided a fracture and was available to pinch-run if needed in game two, hopefully with an oven mitt-style slide guard.
Starting shortstop Nick Allen left game two after being hit by a pitch in the hand while batting, right on the knuckles. X-rays after the game were negative and he’s day-to-day for now - the team will undoubtedly evaluate him tomorrow morning and he may sit out one more day if needed, but it’s believed that he’s avoided serious injury and shouldn’t need an injured list stint.
What’s Next for the Braves?
Atlanta’s heading home for a weekend set against the Boston Red Sox. Here’s the announced rotations for the series:
Friday: Grant Holmes (3-3, 3.68) versus Lucas Giolito (1-1, 5.27) on Apple TV+
Saturday: Spencer Schwellenbach (3-4, 3.42) versus Walker Buehler (4-2, 3.95)
Sunday: Spencer Strider (0-3, 4.50) versus Garrett Crochet (4-4, 2.04)
Concerning the Eli White strikeout, we'll have to agree to disagree. In the inning the plate umpire had already called two walks, so Eli White had a reasonable expectation the plate umpire could actually see and had basic umpiring skills and would call a pitch that was completely out of the strike zone, what it was, which was a ball. This is the continued arrogance of MLB and the Umpires, and makes a mockery of the game of baseball. For the distance the Eli White ball was out of the strike zone, had the first baseman's foot been off the bag that exact distance on a ground ball play, it would be quickly overturned on review, if even called an out at all. If that is the case, it is a total disregard for fair play, to shrug your shoulders and say, well, ain't it awful, can't review or appeal strike and ball calls though. This was a game outcome play, a robbery from the home plate umpire, even the pitcher turned away and smiled, and there will be no review, no ownership taken, and the only outcome was the Atlanta Braves fall a little bit further into the black hole. Not asking for a favor here, just an honest result. And you said that even though the ball was out of the strike zone, it was probably too close to take. With White being one of the mid level players, had he swung and missed that specific pitch, he would have been criticized for swinging at a pitch out of the strike zone, so that is not fairness at all. We should start telling the truth about why we don't already have a tried and true system in place in regards to balls and strikes. The umpires union has fought long and hard to keep a new system from being implemented, even though the actual record shows umpires miss calls all the time, with their error rate being quite high. At all costs they are trying to maintain relevance, whether they are right or wrong. This is being done at the cost to whatever team is being wronged, and in this case, it was the Braves. Oh ain't it awful. In reality it is hypocracy at the highest level. Everyone knows, but it continues on. Some will even say, a change is coming. Heard that four, five years ago. It is overdue, past due, something needs to be done now. Can't review balls and strikes? Ok. Just make one exception, that when the game is on the line, teams should have the opportunity to expose the incorrect call, and have it corrected just as it is done today on "reviewable" plays. It is overdue. Why should any team have to endure a loss due to an incorrect call from the home plate umpire. Thats crazy.