Braves: 3 mistakes Brian Snitker must avoid to clinch spot in NLCS
By John Buhler
The Atlanta Braves can get back to the NLCS if Brian Snitker does not outthink the room here.
With one swing of the bat from Joc Pederson, the Atlanta Braves are now one win away from returning the NLCS.
After dropping Game 1 on the road to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Braves have pitched back-to-back shutouts and gotten some timely hitting to take full control of this best-of-five series up 2-1. With Game 4 at Truist Park on Tuesday evening, Atlanta is in prime position to bring the Brew Crew’s season to an end. Of course, Braves skipper Brian Snitker cannot go galaxy brain on us.
Here are three managerial mistakes Snitker must avoid to get his team back to the NLCS.
Atlanta Braves: 3 mistakes Brian Snitker must avoid to clinch NLCS berth
3. Braves Country is rabid. Use the home crowd to your advantage in Game 4
Besides having all the momentum in this series, the best thing Atlanta has going for it in Game 4 is that it will be in front of Braves Country. While Atlanta did advance twice in last year’s postseason, the 2020 Braves did not play in front of their fanbase at home at all. So with all of Braves Country wanting to see their favorite boys get it done, Snitker needs to let the crowd be a factor in Game 4.
What this means is do not pull any shenanigans to take the crowd out of it. Snitker does not need any more acts of desperation on the basepath, whether his coaching staff gives the green light or not. If a pitcher is in the zone, maybe don’t pull him prematurely like his counterpart Craig Counsell did with Freddy Peralta? If a position player is 2-for-2 at the plate, just keep him in the ballgame.
The pressure is all on the Brewers to stave off elimination, so let the home crowd make it hard.