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.
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.
That’s frontline results.
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.
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 Austin 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.