3 Braves weaknesses that reared ugly heads in Phillies series
By Josh Wilson
Left field was a huge issue for the Braves
I understand the groans from fans after seeing Kevin Pillar starting in Game 4. He boofed it at the plate and his lack of aggression on the base paths may have been the moment any possible momentum disintegrated from the Braves hands entirely.
Brian Snitker will take the blame for this one, but truly, what was the man to do?
Eddie Rosario had been the de facto starter in left field the last few games. Rosario's bat was as bad, arguably worse than Pillar's in the postseason, and his hustle in left field was worthy of a benching.
This has nothing to do with Snitker being a bad manager making poor choices and everything to do with one of the few weaknesses this Braves roster had on the offensive side of things.
Ultimately, the entire offense failed so badly that it's not even fair to hone in on this and say it lost the Braves the game. If you're relying on Eddie Rosario or Kevin Pillar to get your hits, something has gone drastically wrong.
It's not the Braves' fault that Rosario didn't prove to have the longevity they hoped for, and that he couldn't recapture some 2021 magic in 2022 or 2023. But it is the team's fault for not contingency planning. In the postseason, a minor foundational crack can become a gash if other key pieces fail. That's exactly what happened to the Braves on this one.