Braves' pitching is really good when healthy
When Strider went down, and Max Fried struggled early, and Charlie Morton pitched like a fifth starter, Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez said, “We got you.”
Spencer Schwellenbach arrived May 29, had a half dozen difficult starts, then found his footing. Since July 6, his 2.65 ERA is 12th in MLB and 10 in the NL, and he’s proven himself in big-game situations.
The Braves used seven other starters to fill the gaps in the rotation and give Sale and Lopez an extra day of rest. Twitter-critter managers screamed that he was using the wrong starter anytime the game did go well and were particularly offended when Snitker sent Grant Holmes to the bump. They were wrong.
Holmes was more dependable and versatile than any of the Braves' minor league options. Sale is rested, Lopez will return soon, and Schwellenbach is a dude.
A healthy Braves’ bullpen is superb!
The Braves' bullpen is healthy, and keeping them healthy means not using them every day until their arms fall off. There were times I cringed when Jesse Chavez, and particularly Luke Jackson, went into a game and probably tweeted about it.
Maybe a different pitcher creates a different result in one game but isn’t ready in a bigger game against a contender, and the loss creates a one-game swing instead of a half-game. Maybe he goes in tired and hurts his arm or pulls a hammy.
Dylan Lee, Joe Jiménez, Pierce Johnson, and Raisel Iglesias have been nails in September because they’re healthy and rested.
That’s a wrap
No team lost the same quantity and quality of everyday players to injury as the Braves; at least 70 homers were lost, and outfield defense was missing two of the league's best. Injuries forced Brian Snitker to send out four to five role-players in starting lineups that were offensively and defensively challenged for most of the season.
The lineup’s defensive efficiency was tenth in the league, making it harder for ground ball pitchers to get outs. Our pitchers held opposing teams to a league-best 3.78 runs a game, allowing the team to stay in and win games with a lineup that averaged only 4.38 runs a game. They were able to do that because they were healthy and rested.
While armchair managers believe they could do better, unbiased observers understand the job Brian Snitker has done this year.
Frankly, he did so little for so long that he can almost do anything with nothing. Perheps some observers will be right and Snitker will retire after this season. Whatever he decides, he’s given the team a chance at the gold ring again and should be NL Manager of the Year.