Atlanta Braves news: the morning chop, box scores, players want Brian Snitker back in 2018

Baseball Reference

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets faced off in a doubleheader on Monday with both teams taking one game.  The Braves are now 71-85 and the Mets are now 67-90 in 2017.  Mets’ pitcher Seth Lugo pitched a really good game on Monday night while Braves starting pitcher Lucas Sims pitched a really good game on Monday afternoon.

Braves scored nine runs in the afternoon game, but were only able to put up two runs — both runs came in the 9th inning — in the night game.  Atlanta’s lineup during the night game may have been the issue…missing from the lineup was Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp, Tyler Flowers, Matt Adams and Dansby Swanson.

Ender Inciarte picked up hits number 198 and 199 for the 2017 season…he’s got six more games to pick up his 200th hit!

Tyler Flowers blasted another homer giving the Braves catching duo 30 home runs for the 2017 season.

For a full recap of yesterday’s doubleheader, check ours out here

Braves WIN 9-2

Braves lsoe 3-2

GAME 2

FOX Sports

Lugo sharp, Mets set team HR record in split with Braves

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: I’ll tell you what…I’m pretty impressed with these late season performances by Lucas Sims.  On Monday afternoon, he went 6.2 innings, giving up five hits, two runs, two walks and had six strikeouts.  

The two runs came in the top of the 7th inning.  Sims walked the leadoff guy, but then got two quick flyball outs.  The last batter he faced was Juan Lagares, who singled to center field.  The Braves put in Dan Winkler to get that third out.  But he couldn’t.  Winkler gave up a double to Tomas Nido and those two runs were charged to Sims.

Sims has started two games since his short stint in the bullpen.  11.2 innings pitched, three runs, eight hits, four walks and 12 strikeouts.  I don’t know about you, but I’d take that all year long.  The 23-year-old is competing for a starting role in 2018.

"In the first game, Lucas Sims (3-5) turned in his second strong performance since returning to Atlanta’s rotation, allowing two runs and five hits over a career-high 6 2/3 innings.”He’s pitching with a lot of confidence,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. ”He’s pitching like he’s trying to get you out.”"

Next: Braves add catcher Tony Sanchez to active roster

NBC Sports

The Braves are leaning toward keeping Brian Snitker as manager

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note:  Here we go again…the players are telling the front office what to do.  We ran into this before with Fredi Gonzalez and Brian Snitker last year.  I guess when the front office can’t make up their minds, they go to the players.  Yes, players opinions are very important, but should that type of decision come from them?

Because now what does the front office do?  If guys like Freddie Freeman go to them and say “we want Snitker back” how does the FO go in the opposite direction?  They can’t IMO.  A few days ago,  I didn’t think Snitker had a chance to return to the Atlanta Braves manager role in 2018, now I think it’s almost a shoe-in that he does return.

It goes back to what Alan wrote about last week…the front office should have already made this decision and it shouldn’t have come to this.  Now it has and the players pretty much decided what’s going to happen.  Just my opinion, but I think Snit returns in 2018.

"These moves were not damaging, ultimately, to the 2017 Braves on the field — they were going to be under .500 regardless — but it was the sort of short-term thinking that a manager for a rebuilding team should not be employing. Part of the blame for this, by the way, can be put on the front office, who only gave Snitker a one-year contract when they made him the permanent manager last year, creating an incentive for him to win in 2017 rather than manage the club the way a guy who knows when the team will truly be competitive should manage it. Then again, if Snitker was so great a candidate in the front office’s mind, why did they only give him a one-year contract?I suspect a lot of it has to do with loyalty. Snitker has been an admirable Braves company man for decades, and that was certainly worthy of respect by the club. That he got the gig was likewise due in part to the players liking him — the veteran players — and they now are weighing in with their support once again. At some point, however, loyalty and respect of veterans has to take a back seat to a determination of who is the best person to bring the team from rebuilding to competitiveness, and Snitker has not made the case why he is that man."