Game 48 recap - Where is all this garbage coming from?

Mike Minor pitched 7 1/3 innings of three-hit ball against a Mets offense that was rendered inept by his flawless command of his fastball and slider, mixing them up to the tune of ten Ks and two walks, including two swinging Ks of David Wright.  He continues to be Atlanta’s most consistent starter. 

 

Historically, Dillon Gee has pitched very well against the Braves, giving up a total of 16 ER in 46 IP, but tonight was a different story.  The guys worked him for deep counts, fouling off good pitches, and letting him get himself into tough spots.  They were able to capitalize after their first trip through the batting order, and it didn’t come as any surprise, as they made quite a few loud outs leading up to their five-run fifth inning.  Gee hung a lot of offspeed stuff and left his fastball over the plate, but a good offense still has to take advantage of those mistakes, something Atlanta did very well tonight.  Mike Minor in particular, whose night at the plate rivaled his night on the mound.

The biggest variable in tonight’s game was undoubtedly the wind.  An entertaining garbage vortex engulfed the field for most of the game, and players on both sides of the aisle fell victim to the wanton whims of the gale-force gusts that howled in from left field.  Poor Evan Gattis looked completely overmatched in left field, badly misplaying a fly ball off the bat of Lucas Duda, and coming frighteningly close to a collision with Jason Heyward on a Marlon Byrd deep fly.  I’m not sure who thought it would be a good idea to stick El Oso Blanco in the spacious Citi Field outfield on a night like tonight, especially considering the fact that Mike Minor is a fly ball pitcher, but the issue was rectified after the Braves grabbed a big lead and Jordan Schafer came in to play center field, allowing Heyward and Justin Upton to shift back to their respective positions.  It’s not that I am against Gattis playing left field, or Heyward getting the spot start in center field, but the circumstances of tonight’s game seem to go against the idea of giving Gattis the start.  No harm, no foul, but I’m just sayin’.

Since Eric O’Flaherty’s Tommy John surgery, which coincided with the beginning of this eight game win streak on May 17, pitch counts for the starters have risen dramatically.  Minor threw 113 tonight, and as a staff, they have averaged 106 pitches per start over that time (a number that would make Davey Johnson physically ill), with a WHIP of .92 and an xFIP of 3.33.  It’s been a pleasure watching these guys clicking on all cylinders, and while they have been the beneficiaries of some batted ball luck (a collective .252 BABIP, certainly not outrageous), I don't think their recent performance is very far off from their true talent level as a group.

 

David Carpenter came in for 1 2/3 innings worth of work to finish it off, and he did well, pounding the zone with fastball after fastball, touching 95 mph a couple times, throwing only two sliders out of 27 pitches, with two Ks to show for it, including one of David Wright. 

The Phillies beat Dan Haren and the Nationals tonight, and with Atlanta’s two wins this evening, the division lead is up to five and a half games.  With ~30% of the season in the books, you can’t ask for much more. 

(Leverage Index courtesy of FanGraphs)