3 grave mistakes the Braves cannot afford to repeat in NLDS
By Mark Powell
Braves should leave Travis d'Arnaud in the lineup
Brian Snitker went back to a more traditional starting lineup for Game 2, and it worked. As capable as Sean Murphy has been behind the plate, d'Arnaud proved himself more than capable, leading the Braves pitching staff and hitting a home run to get his team back in the game when it seemed all hope was lost. As FanSided's Kevin Henry wrote prior to the start of Game 2, Snitker's change sent a message:
"Murphy, however, struggled in Game 1 to keep Philadelphia from running wild on the bases, throwing out just one of the five Phillies who tried to swipe a bag on Saturday. He also went 0-for-3 at the plate, striking out once...Snitker's choice at catcher, however, may be more about past history than the present. d'Arnaud is 7-for-18 lifetime against Wheeler, including 0-for-3 this season when he and Max Fried were the battery on September 12 in a 7-6, 10-inning road win."
Even if Snitker wishes to play Murphy behind the plate in Philly -- and it would make sense given Murphy is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball at his best -- taking d'Arnaud out of the lineup would be a mistake. He's seeing the ball well right now. Don't mess with what's working.