The Atlanta Braves were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. Losers are four in a row, who’s to blame?
At 25-15, the Braves still have plenty of breathing room in the NL East. Atlanta have a five-game lead over the second-place Phillies, and a 5.5-game lead over the third-place New York Mets.
Still, that gap is closing some thanks to Atlanta’s recent play. Add in injuries to the pitching staff — namely Max Fried and Kyle Wright being out until late July at the earliest — and it’s easy to see why fans might panic.
In the long run, the Braves should be fine. There are bound to be some bumps in the road, and Alex Anthopoulos has plenty of weapons at his disposal should this squad need an upgrade by the trade deadline. For now, though, they’ll try to ride it out with what they have, including some intriguing starting pitchers at the minor-league level.
Atlanta Braves to blame: Brian Snitker
When any team is in the midst of a losing skid, it’s often on the manager to pull the right strings and get them out of it. Brian Snitker, as far as we can see, has not made the right calls.
Bullpen and lineup management are essential to this Atlanta team, especially without their usual starting pitching depth. The Braves wasted an electric start from Spencer Strider over the weekend, who is on pace for a record 15.9 K/9. No pitcher has ever averaged over 15 strikeouts per nine innings.
Yet, the Braves lineup has been top-heavy, or the wrong mix of players needed to drive runs home. Atlanta’s RISP problems have been well-documented, and it reared its ugly head against a good Blue Jays team.
Snitker’s patience has paid off in the past, but this team needs to make wholesale changes before a short skid turns into a tailspin. When discussing A.J. Minter’s struggles, for example, Snitker opted for the wait-and-see approach.
“He’s a year removed from being one of the most effective relievers in baseball. This game’s cruel. It just keeps testing you,” Snitker said. “He’s just gonna have to keep getting after it and competing…and not be careful.”
Minter’s ERA is over eight. The time to act was yesterday.
This has been a theme for Snitker, with varying levels of success. For example, his choice to stick with Marcell Ozuna has paid off in recent weeks. Sometimes, though, urgency is needed.
That time is now for Atlanta.