Former Braves player blames media, playoff format for Atlanta's NLDS deficit

Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte was not happy after the team's Game 3 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies. While Atlanta fights for their postseason lives, Inciarte is watching at home, and has plenty of complaints.

First, Inciarte faulted the new MLB Playoff format, suggesting that Atlanta's time off is actually a disadvantage.

"Anyways this new playoffs format doesn’t help the best teams of the season clearly. Sitting for a week to go out and play is like going to the IL and having to get your timing back again. Don’t @ me it’s just my opinion," Inciarte wrote.

That's an intriguing point by Inciarte. While some players and pundits have suggested that the long layoff would make any team rusty, comparing it to an injured list stint is new. The Braves are just one game away from elimination, and the Dodgers were knocked out on Wednesday. Baltimore, the No. 1 seed in the AL, lost in three games to the Texas Rangers. Perhaps Inciarte has a point here.

Braves: Ender Inciarte blames media in Orlando Arcia debate

Inciarte also commented on the Orlando Arcia debate. Arcia, who was quoted mocking Bryce Harper after the Braves Game 2 win, was not speaking with reporters at the time. Harper took the criticism to heart, glaring at Arcia as he hit two home runs during Wednesday night's Game 3. Inciarte agreed with former Braves teammate Travis d'Arnaud, who was the first to suggest Arcia's comment shouldn't have been made public.

"I agreed with Travis 100%. First of all Arcia is a great human being that knows little about the language. He’s joking with his teammates keeping everyone loose in the clubhouse. Then things like that can’t get out from media and make it look like a story because it isn’t," Inciarte wrote.

Atlanta needs to get in the right mindset, and blaming other factors for their NLDS deficit won't help matters.