Another one-run loss for the Braves, their 34th of the season.  The all time record of 44 one-run losses (1968 White Sox) is still possible.  Something to play for after all.

Chris Sale gave up three runs in five innings.  Not a bad start, and the pen held them scoreless the rest of the way.  The Big Bear had doubles in the 3rd and the 5th and scored each time.  But that was it for the offense.  The rest of the lineup had just 5 hits, and although they threatened a couple of times, they never put another across.

At this point in this season, a few random observations are the best I can do.

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A guy with a bushy red beard came to the plate, and I thought to myself that guy looks a lot like Justin Turner.  Turns out it was Justin Turner.  I had no idea he was still playing, much less that he was with the Cubs.

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The first 8 outs recorded by Chris Sale were strikeouts.  Obviously, he did not maintain that level of dominance.  But after his 8th K in the 3rd inning, Brandon asked Glavine how it feels to be in a groove like that.  Tom replied that he wouldn’t know; it took him a month to strike out eight batters.  But Brandon pressed him—after all Glavine struck out 2600 in his long career.  Glavine did concede that that when he was in a groove, he knew within a millimeter where each pitch was going.  And he admitted that felt really good. 

Glavine was a joy to watch, because at his best he never missed his spots.  That’s not to say that he never walked batters.  Greg Maddux averaged fewer than 40 bases on balls per season in his Braves career; Glav never walked fewer than 65 in a season.  But despite the walks, Glavine had excellent command. At his best he could put each pitch within a couple of inches of the black part of the plate.  He’d rather miss outside by a few inches than throw one down the middle. I’m sure he must have occasionally thrown one that was “center cut” (one of his favorite expressions), but I don’t remember ever seeing it.  And he got more than his share of called strikes that were just a bit outside.  Late in tonight’s game, he noted how difficult it is for most hitters to square up a fastball low and outside.  He had a HOF career by hitting that spot over and over and over, and doing so with the fastball and the changeup.

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The Braves may very well have the best rotation in baseball in 2026.  Chris Sale was the best pitcher in the league in 2024, and for much of 2025.  Spencer Schwellenbach was almost as good as Sale in 24 and 25: his WHIP was right at 1.0 (lower than Sale’s) and his ERA+ was 130.  In 2024, Reynaldo Lopez had an ERA of 1.99 and was 5th among NL pitchers with a bWAR of 5.1 (Sale was 1st at 6.2).  In 2023, Spencer Strider went 20-5 and led the league in K’s and in FIP.  Hurston Waldrep, since his callup in early August of 2025, is 4-0 with an ERA of 1.33.  That’s your top 5, but don’t sleep on Grant Holmes, who was a solid contributor in 2024 and 2025, with an ERA below 4, and Bryce Elder, who was an all star in 2023, and has turned in four excellent outings in his last four starts.

I’m pulling your chain, of course.  Sale, Schwellenbach, Lopez, Strider, and Holmes have indeed been excellent for stretches in the past few years, but injuries have limited each, and none of them can be counted on for sure in 2026.  Waldrep has been great for the last month, but there is a long way to go before he establishes himself as a proven commodity.  And I’ve shamelessly cherry-picked from Elder’s career.  Although he has had some good stretches, he also can be pretty terrible for even longer stretches.

There really is some chance that all or most of these guys are healthy next year, and if so this is a rotation second to none.  But I’m not putting any money on that, and neither should the Braves.

These thoughts prompted me to reflect on the remarkable Braves rotations of the 1990’s. Of course three of them were first ballot HOFers, and a few others were All Star caliber.  Just as noteworthy was their durability.  From 1993 through 2002, Glavine and Maddux basically never missed their turn in the rotation.  Neither went on the IL, and each averaged 33-35 starts per year (or the equivalent in the strike shortened years).  In the 1995 championship season, the top five pitchers (Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, and Mercker) started all but four games that entire season.  Every season from 1991-2005, at least three starters had 30 or more starts, and often four did (again adjusting for the shortened seasons in 94 and 95).

I don’t have any particular insight into the current prevalence of pitcher injuries.  But as a fan, anticipating the next season is very different that that earlier era, when you pretty much knew who your rotation would be.  I have no idea what to expect from the 2026 rotation.  The range of possible outcomes is very wide indeed.  I would imagine that makes the job of the GM a lot tougher than it was in earlier eras.  I will say that if AA asked me, I’d advise signing a few decent starting pitchers this offseason, despite the potential of 7-8 good ones already on the roster.  Which ones, and for how much money?  I’d say ones that don’t get hurt and can give you many quality innings.  Who are those pitchers?  I don’t know—do I look like a GM?  That may be why Alex has yet to call me for advice.

Houston comes to Truist for the weekend. The Astros lead a tight 3-way race in the AL East, so the Braves have a chance to be spoilers, if you care about such things.