Uncle Charlie Morton versus Cristopher Sanchez. As this blog post goes to press, the Braves are up 3-0! Bizarrely, braves.com thought the best photo for this game is a photo of Adam Duvall, who had three hits against the Phils a week ago, on August 22, but who’s out of the lineup today due to Ramon Laureano’s hot hand.
The Braves are riding a three-game win streak; the Phillies are coming off a 10-0 loss to the Astros. More of that, please!
As Stampton suggested in the last thread, Olson’s timing in finally finding his timing could not be any better. And Charlie likewise has put together four solid starts at just the right time.
Yes! Demoralize the Phils!
Or leave Morton in until he can give them some confidence
All you have to do is wait, but Charlie gonna Charlie eventually.
And Aaron Bummer warming up? Yikes.
Walks the lead off man in front of Harper (rofl)
Last few nights was the A bullpen.
This is the B bullpen. The result was predictable. Give Castellanos a batting-practice pitch and that’s what happens.
Would have been nice if you’d used Lee a little longer two nights ago, Snit. Might have made things easier tonight.
Awesome bullpen strategy tonight, nice squandering of the lead and the division.
Morton should never have been left in after the two singles, and Bummer should have continued, handedness be damned.
I know I’m not the first to say this, but I don’t think it was the best idea to use Jiménez and Iggy last night in a 5-1 game.
In Snitker’s defense, a linchpin of the B bullpen lit the fuse that led to blowing an 6-run eighth-inning lead in Colorado.
Idiotic bullpen management.
There hasn’t been a more true statement ever made and it gets said a lot on here. Nothing kills the momentum of the Braves quicker than Snitker’s bullpen usage.
I don’t actually like picking apart every bullpen decision, but Bummer was already loose and you got a 40 year old on the mound who’s over 100 pitches and has been walking a tightrope all night, facing a lefty. Come on.
It’s really not surprising. Snit is a ride or die guy and more often than not this year it’s cost him.
The biggest problem was thinking Morton was cool to go through the order a 3rd time in a must-win game for the division title. He had been all over the place, even though he hadn’t given up many hits. But if you’re going to let him go, he needs to be out after the leadoff walk or at least after the 2nd baserunner. And if you’re going to use Holmes anyway in this game, why not just piggyback him on Morton after 5?
And Gaudin pulls a Chip Caray.
Well it was hit harder and went farther than the 3run hr earlier…
That’s been our luck this year
They probably shouldn’t have won Tuesday. But they shouldn’t have lost this one tonight. One was far more important than the other. And that’s why it’s fair to question Snitker’s bullpen management this week. He failed at resource management.
The only thing I can say in his defense is he had already decided to go with certain guys and wanted to push Charlie because it’s a long series with a team that has the starting pitching edge on you given the way things have shaken out. I don’t think he manages like this in a playoff game. And now that I look, Morton actually has given up a .563 OPS the third time through this year. He bizarrely has been significantly better the third time through the order.
If there’s one thing that we know for sure, it’s that when our pitchers give up runs, it’s Snitker’s fault.
https://x.com/destiny_lugardo/status/1829334071828258942
“He [Snitker] liked Morton’s curve on Brandon Marsh.”
Marsh against lefties this year: .200/.270/.262 with zero HR’s and a 42% K rate.
I don’t really judge regular season bullpen management that harshly because it’s a long season but that was absolutely unacceptable.
This probably sums it up better than I can:
https://x.com/scottcoleman55/status/1829319576582299842
I’ll go one step further and say if we have another playoff meltdown because of bullpen management Snitker needs to be fired.
Well that one might haunt us if we don’t make the playoffs. I get the gnashing of teeth about the bullpen decisions. I really do. But our best arms can’t pitch every night. Our lineup is atrocious, the worst we’ve seen in years. Sometimes you have to score 6+ runs to win. We’re not gonna do that very often. So that puts the pitching in the crosshairs. We’re only in this thing because of the pitching. We have one of the best pens in MLB. Our fate will be decided by the bats. Be better.
Greetings from Atlanta…
Our best relievers were not available last night. There’s your answer. You’re welcome.
There were two lefties in the bullpen that could have faced a hitter that can’t hit lefties and instead the manager left the 40-year-old starter in at 100 pitches.
Even if the entire bullpen was available, does anyone think Snit would bring in Jiménez or Iglesias in the 6th? Of course not.