Atlanta Braves Win in Ten to Take Series from Snakes

Aug 16, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher

(17) in the dugout against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Still Miller after all those pitches

After seven innings Miller had thrown 102 pitches under a brilliant afternoon sun in 90 degree heat. Through seven innings he faced 25 hitters, walked four and struck out ten without allowing a hit and he was about to start his fourth time through a very good hitting lineup.  Those conditions and the statistics all say that he should have been taken out of the game but everyone knew skipper Fredi Gonzalez would leave him in.

Gonzalez had the bullpen ready – Ross Detwiler and newly returned Peter Moylan were warm – but Miller was chasing a no hitter and the team wasn’t in a championship chase. Gonzalez did what old baseball guys do and all pitchers want them to do, patted him on the back and said go get ‘em.

The no-no ended on the105th pitch of the game when Ahmed who has looked lost at the plate all day, reached for a pitch just off the plate and hit a dying quail in no man’s land behind Peterson, Markakis and Maybin.  That was the time to go get Miller; the no-no was gone and he was obviously tired.

The D’Backs called on Jarrod Saltalamachia to pinch hit. In his career Salty is a .209 hitter swinging from the right side and a .250 hitter swinging from the left. The obvious choice would have been Detwiler to flip Salty around to his weak side but Gonzalez stayed with Miller. Salty thank him by hitting a screamer off Peterson’s glove sending Ahmed to third.

Detwiler entered to face Ender Inciarte and coaxed a ground ball to second scoring the run and forcing Salty out at  second. Moylan made his return to the Braves official at this point becoming the 33rd pitcher and 56th player used by the Braves this season. For those interested in such things the NL record are 36 and 59 respectively and the MLB record is 37 and 64.

Moylan’s first pitch was a little nervous but he eventually induced two ground balls for outs to end the inning.