It’s really hard to win a baseball game when you commit four errors, but I almost can’t even get mad about it. Not only was it a mostly inconsequential post-clinch game, the weather was brutal.

There was enough rain to build an ark and the field was still clearly taking punishment all night. Guys were falling all over the place, it was impossible to get a grip on the ball and even routine outs felt like major accomplishments.

But enough about the New York Mets, let’s get into the game.

Positives:

  • Forget the three (unearned) runs on the final line, Ian Anderson was great. The biggest difference between tonight and his last two starts was his command right from the start. He had his changeup working right from the jump, and it showed. The six strikeouts and zero walks on his line were a much more accurate reflection of how he pitched than the trio of runs that crossed the plate. He also pitched well in tight spots, of which there were a few because of the four errors behind him.

He’ll take the ball next Thursday in game two of the Wild Card round, and it will be more than deserved.

  • Josh Tomlin’s mustache looks immaculate. Better than any postseason beard you’ll see all October.
  • Nobody picked up an injury for either team. That’s really all that matters from a game essentially played on a slip-and-slide.

Negatives:

  • Of course it was pouring, but four errors is still four errors. The Braves haven’t done that since April 24th, 2015 in a loss to the Phillies. Hopefully it’s another half-decade before it happens again.
  • Between not scoring after the first two hitters reached in the seventh and stranding runners on second and third in the eighth, there were a few chances to turn a sloppy loss into another comeback win. The final tally for the evening was 1-for-10 with RISP and 11 men left on base.
  • There was a chance for some serious #BravesAfterDark fun tonight in a season where every game has started by 7:30 PM, but it ended up being a pretty routine 4–2 game. We’ll have to wait for the first west coast road trip of 2021 to get back to some post-midnight madness.
  • The Braves are still in really good shape in the race for the â„–2 seed, but a win would’ve made the last weekend completely irrelevant. It will only take one more win (or Cubs loss) to lock it up, but there is still a little bit of work to do over the final weekend.

Former Brave Of The Day:

Rio Ruiz picked up three hits and two RBIs for the Orioles in a 13–1 win at Fenway Park. Rio evolving into a solid everyday starter has been one of my favorite under the radar feel-good stories of the 2020 baseball season.

Quote Of The Game:

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.”

— Nuke LaLoosh

Tomorrow’s Goal:

Lock up that second seed and make the final two games irrelevant.