MIAMI -- Clinching the National League East with six regular-season games remaining was nice. But after going through this week with nothing left to play for, beyond getting his pitching staff ready for the playoffs, Braves manager Walt Weiss is looking forward to the meaningful games that await.
“I don't enjoy these types of games with the Spring Training feel,” Weiss said. “The way we’ve been running out our pitching and all of that, it’s just very different. Winning is always a priority, but it’s not the same because you’re more concerned with pitchers getting their pitch counts to where you want them.”
This past week allowed Weiss to set Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle up for their starts in the first two games of this week’s NL Wild Card Series. The skipper also got a feel for how a couple relievers might perform as openers and how Robert Suarez might fare after being sidelined the past three months.
As for rookie JR Ritchie, he spent the regular season’s final day doing far more than just trying to leave one last strong impression. The 5 2/3 innings he threw in a 5-3 loss to the Marlins on Sunday prepared him for the potential playoff start he could get at Dodger Stadium next weekend in the NL Division Series.
Will the Braves be heading to Los Angeles for the start of the NLDS later this week? Well, that depends on how they fare during their NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies. The division rivals will begin the best-of-three series on Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta.
Before the playoffs begin, here is what was learned over this past week.
1. Rotation plans
Sale’s final tuneup for Tuesday’s Game 1 start just enhanced excitement about what he could provide as a postseason ace. Mahle’s preparations for Wednesday’s Game 2 start didn’t go as well, as he allowed five earned runs over five innings on Thursday against the Reds.
Mahle had posted a 1.28 ERA in his previous eight starts for the Braves. This latest outing was just a reminder of what can happen when the splitter isn’t working. It worked while he limited the Phillies to one earned run over two September starts (13 innings).
When it came time for Grant Holmes to start on Friday against the Marlins, the Braves instead had him pitch four innings after Ray Kerr served as an opener. This setup is aimed to prevent Holmes from seeing the top of the lineup more than twice, while also pitching through at least the fifth.
With Bryce Elder (arthroscopic right knee surgery), Reynaldo López (right shoulder inflammation) and Martín Pérez (lower back inflammation) all on the injured list, the Braves may need to have Ritchie start Game 1 of the NLDS. Ritchie has a 5.73 ERA in 11 starts. But Sale wouldn’t be available to start before Game 2 on Sunday.
Ritchie limited the Marlins to one run and three hits through Sunday’s first five innings. But he surrendered three runs and four hits, including three with two outs, in the sixth.
2. Suarez will be ready
The Braves’ bullpen was at its best when Suarez spent the season’s first 10 weeks handling any high-leverage situation that developed after the start of the sixth. Suarez missed the past three months recovering from right elbow discomfort. He returned to make two appearances this week. Will that be enough for him to be an effective reliever during the playoffs?
Suarez’s four-seamer averaged 98.6 mph against the Reds on Wednesday and 97.2 mph against the Marlins on Saturday. The pitch averaged 98.8 mph while the reliever posted a 0.56 ERA in the 31 appearances he made before being sidelined.
When asked about Saturday’s velocity, Suarez said, “I know the velo is there.”
Pairing Suarez with Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias gives the Braves the quality bullpen depth needed to overcome their lack of rotation depth.
3. Smith-Shawver’s role
AJ Smith-Shawver surrendered a home run against the Reds on Thursday and he allowed another during Sunday’s game. But the Marlins also whiffed with seven of the 10 swings taken against his pitches.
Griffin Conine’s home run on Sunday came against a 98 mph fastball that was located well in the upper-left corner of the strike zone. So, there’s still a chance Smith-Shawver could end up getting some high-leverage one or two-inning appearances in the playoffs.