Freeman, pitching move backfire as LA tech opener
LOS ANGELES – Braves manager Brian Snyder has repeatedly said he would be cautious with his pitching staff as he works early in the season ahead of a short spring training session. But it was not clear why Sean Newcomb was the first option from Bullpen in the fourth inning of a 7-4 defeat at Dodgers Stadium on Monday night.
When asked by a reporter why he used Newcomb, Sneitker replied, “Against whom?”
A.J. With the Braves trailing by just three runs, Minter had a choice and Freddie Freeman was fourth. Instead, Freeman walked in and Trey Turner hit a three-run double on Newcomb’s ball.
“If I started doing that with [A.J.] Minter and Will Smith and [Tyler] Matzek … if I used those people in that position, they wouldn’t be with us until the All-Star break,” Snyder said.
There is no doubt that Snyder’s top relievers have a responsibility to make sure they stay fresh throughout the season. But no primary reliever was used on Sunday and the team’s Thursday is off-day. Moreover, with 28 players on the active roster as of May 1, the Braves are currently carrying 16 pitchers.
The decision to go with Newcomb became even more dubious when the Braves reduced their deficit to 6-4 and chased Clayton Kershaw for the sixth time in three overs.
Minter or Darren Ode, who made a scoreless appearance Monday, had other options to use in the fourth. But the cautious approach gave Newcomb another chance to prove itself. This time it was the challenge of Freeman, who led his new fans to a home run in the first innings against Huascar Ynoa.
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“We feel like we’re in Hollywood and you can’t write a better script for him,” Snyder said of Freeman Homering in the first bat of his career against the Braves, who had previously served as the sole previous employer of the first baseman. Season
One of the best players in the history of the Braves, this was one of the club’s most humiliating pitchers in recent years. The result was a four-pitch walk, followed by Trey Turner’s three-run double.
Snyder said, “It’s difficult when you come in and do a four-pitch walk. “It simply came to our notice then. Its content can match anyone. He just has to throw it away. “
No one questioned Newcomb’s content. After the 2015 season, the Braves persuaded him to trade Andrelton Simmons for him. This gave him a highly respected opportunity until his 2017 MLB debut.
But five years later, lacking a successful 2019 season, the 28-year-old Dakshin Punja has been battling with a 6.71 ERA and 1.80 WHIP since 2020. And he found himself on the mound for a crucial game against the Dodgers.
“It’s an April game,” Snyder said. “They can’t play every day. We must be careful. The next couple of days we will have the lead and we will use them. If we did and we used them in that situation tonight and it doesn’t work, you don’t have [potential] victory. Then you will ask me the same question. “
