Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker had three options for his starting pitcher for Wednesday’s Game 3 of the National League Divisional Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Snitker could’ve gone with an “opener” and then used relievers to get through the innings in what is affectionately known as a “bullpen game.” Or he could’ve picked a traditional route with either 2023 All-Star Bryce Elder or rookie AJ Smith-Shawver.
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Snitker chose Elder in a move the team announced about six hours before the scheduled first pitch. In his pre-game press conference, he hinted that the Braves had an idea that it would be Elder a bit earlier than the release of the lineups.
“We talked to him before we got on the plane yesterday,” Snitker told reporters before Wednesday’s 5:07 p.m. first pitch. “I think we just felt like after the way he threw at the inter-squad and with the layoff, that he was the guy.”
An All-Star hurler would seem like the obvious choice over a rookie in a pivotal game. Through the first half of the season, Elder was one of the better pitchers in baseball with a 7-2 record with a 2.97 ERA. But in the second half of the season, his ERA ballooned to over five, and in his last three outings, he allowed 13 runs with nine walks in 12 1/3 innings.
Snitker acknowledged fatigue as a factor for Elder’s swoon having pitched 174 2/3 innings this season. The Braves manager said he believed that Elder not throwing in a game in over two weeks would be suitable for him to recover from a long season.
Elder reportedly threw five innings in the simulation game against the Braves’ best lineup, including Ronald Acuna Jr, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley. The Braves used the sim games in an attempt to stay sharp while awaiting their divisional-round opponent.
“I think we just kind of felt like after the way he threw at the intrasquad and with the layoff, he was the guy. He’s been a starter for us all year,” Snitker said. “It was a big reason why we won the division. We liked what we saw.”
Elder won 12 games this season with a 3.81 ERA bolstered by his hot start. He’ll face Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who enters the game with a 12-9 record and a 4.46 ERA.
The Braves hope Elder’s performance is more like his June 22 outing at Citizen’s Bank Park when he shut out the Phillies for seven innings than his September 20th start at Truist Park, where he lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs in defeat.
“I feel good about this, the decision that we made,” Snitker told reporters. “There is a guy that laid it on the line for you for however many starts all year, fought through some adversities as they all do. So I’m happy that he’s having this opportunity.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.