Even with 'a lot of moving parts,' Braves rue key missed chance for ABS challenge

ATLANTA -- As Bryce Elder walked away from his first rough start since the All-Star break, he was among the many wondering how different his outing might have been had his attempt to challenge a pitch been seen by home-plate umpire Cory Blaser.

“I think if I would have really stood my ground and tapped my hat longer, then maybe he would have seen me,” Elder said. “But, I didn't. So, we’ve got to make better pitches.”

Elder surrendered Brett Baty’s grand slam during a five-run first inning that doomed the Braves in an 8-5 loss to the Mets on Monday night at Truist Park. Baty’s big blast came three batters after the Atlanta starter’s attempt to challenge was not granted, negating what would have been an inning-ending double play.

While Elder thought he should have been more demonstrative, Braves catcher Sean Murphy said he’s the one that should have challenged the pitch, despite the fact that his primary focus after catching the borderline 3-2 pitch was to throw to second base to deny Bo Bichette’s stolen-base attempt.

“I didn’t see Bryce signaling in the moment,” Murphy said. “But I should have challenged. In the moment, I didn’t think it was a strike. But when I watched the video, it was 100 percent a strike. I feel bad for Bryce because that’s my responsibility and I didn’t challenge it.”

The Braves have lost three of four since claiming a season-best eighth straight win on Thursday. Their bid to bounce back from this past weekend’s series loss at Yankee Stadium was stymied by an eventful first inning that began with a long replay review after A.J. Ewing’s leadoff double went under the right-field wall’s padding.

Did the long delay adversely affect Elder, who ended up allowing five runs and six hits in the first? Maybe. But he could have escaped having allowed just one run had his challenge been granted.

Bichette scored Ewing on a one-out single and then became part of the inning’s key play. Bichette then ran on a 3-2 pitch to Carson Benge and was initially called out when shortstop Jim Jarvis snared catcher Murphy’s throw and applied the tag in front of second base.

What could have been a key strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play instead became a key moment for the Mets. The pitch appeared to clip the upper inside corner, but Blaser called the pitch a ball, resulting in a walk that erased Murphy’s caught stealing of Bichette.

As Murphy was making the throw to second base, Elder tapped his hat once and pointed toward the plate. Had he tapped his hat multiple times or in a more authoritative manner, he might have been seen. But he wasn’t, and Baty hit his two-out slam moments later.

“I didn't see Bryce do it, but I think he kind of half-heartedly did it and was motioning toward Murph,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I don't think the umpire's attention goes to the pitcher. They're looking at the catcher to challenge, because 99 percent of the time that's where the challenge is coming from.”

Looking just at the Braves, their pitchers have issued three challenges this year and each has been unsuccessful. Atlanta’s catchers entered Monday having issued 121 challenges.

Crew chief Andy Fletcher told a pool reporter that the umpires didn’t see Elder tap his hat and point toward the plate because the focus was on an attempted steal of second base and any potential batter’s interference that could have occurred while Murphy was making his throw to second base.

“It was an action play,” Weiss said. “So, there’s a lot going on. You’re watching the throw down to second to see if he was going to be out. There were just a lot of moving parts.”

Catchers have a much better perspective than pitchers. But in similar situations where an opponent is trying to steal a base, would it be best for the pitcher to issue the challenge? Or should it still be the responsibility of a catcher, who can request a challenge after making the throw to a base?

“It's not an impossible ask,” Murphy said.

Elder entered this series opener having posted a 1.88 ERA over his first four starts since the All-Star break. To his credit, he endured this rough first inning and aided the Braves’ bullpen by lasting five innings. He allowed just two more runs over his final four innings.