Mahle making Braves look wise with latest stellar start for Atlanta

ATLANTA -- The Braves didn’t get a frontline starter before the Trade Deadline. But the starter they got has thus far performed like a frontline guy.

Tyler Mahle further endeared himself to his new teammates and fan base while guiding the Braves to a 6-3 win over the Mets on Wednesday night at Truist Park. The right-hander has allowed just one run over the two starts he has made since being acquired from the Giants.

“He’s pitching like a frontline starter,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “He was on a pretty tough stage that first time out [at Yankee Stadium on Friday]. He looks very much in control of his outings when he's on the mound. He has a slow heartbeat and an ability to execute pitches. I really like what I see.”

Mahle limited the Mets to one run and recorded seven strikeouts over six innings. He has 16 strikeouts over the 12 innings he has completed in his first two Atlanta starts.

“He’s done an unbelievable job, and I'm glad I'm playing defense behind him and not having to face him,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley said. “He's been unbelievable and it's going to continue.”

The Braves were unsuccessful with their attempt to get Jacob deGrom to waive his no-trade clause with the Rangers. They couldn’t get the Giants to make Logan Webb available. And like a couple other teams, they were frustrated with their attempt to prevent the Tigers from trading Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers.

Maybe not adding one of these frontline guys will prove to be a problem in the postseason. But for now, the Braves are happy with the results of a Trade Deadline that also netted them Lane Thomas from the Royals.

“[Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos] and his team do an unbelievable job at identifying guys that fit into what we have here,” Weiss said. “It's not just about chasing talent. The pieces have to fit. They have to complement each other. They do an outstanding job of identifying those pieces.”

Thomas, a lifetime Braves fan from Knoxville, Tenn., experienced the thrill of hitting his first homer for Atlanta. His two-out solo shot in the second was one of three homers that backed Mahle’s effort. Mike Yastrzemski and Riley hit back-to-back homers in a three-run seventh.

The Braves have won 18 of 28 and now own a 9 1/2-game lead over the second place Phillies in the NL East race. A popular question among their fans over the past couple months has been, who will be the Game 2 starter?

Time will tell how Mahle fares over the remainder of the season. But the 31-year-old righty has certainly made himself a strong candidate to follow projected Game 1 starter Chris Sale.

Mahle posted a 6.04 ERA over his first 11 starts for San Francisco and then missed a month with a left hamstring strain. He has posted a 3.06 ERA over the nine starts he has made since returning from the injured list.

“It's been a tough year up to this point, but I feel like I'm starting to have a little bit more luck on my side,” Mahle said.

When Anthopoulos acquired Mahle, he said he believed some pitch-selection adjustments might make the veteran hurler more effective against right-handed hitters.

Righties produced a .963 OPS against Mahle in the 11 starts he made before going on the IL and a .667 OPS against him in the seven starts he made between coming off the IL and being traded. They have gone 2-for-13 with a double and a homer against him in his first two starts for Atlanta.

Mahle’s splitter usage has increased. He used the pitch 33.7 percent of the time during his Atlanta debut at Yankee Stadium and 40 percent of the time on Wednesday. Those are two of his top three usages of the season. The offspeed delivery also accounted for 40 percent of the pitches he threw during his March 28 season debut.

The splitter has been a pitch Mahle has relied upon over the past few years. Right-handed hitters batted .195 with a .295 SLG against it last year. But they batted .259 with a .384 SLG against it during this year’s starts for San Francisco.

Having confidence in this pitch will help Mahle in his attempt to continue pitching like the frontline starter Braves fans were hoping to land.