ATLANTA – The bullpen for the Atlanta Braves has been excellent in the first two games of their four game series against the New York Mets.
They have allowed one run, 10 hits and have combined to strike out 19 Mets batters between seven pitchers.
Wednesday, right hand pitcher and three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer put the Braves’ bats to the test. Scherzer allowed one earned run and two hits before being relieved by pitcher Adam Ottavino. Scherzer finished the game with eight strikeouts, four earned runs and three walks in 6.1 innings pitched.
Tonight, right hand pitcher Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.68 ERA, 28 SO) will start.
The Braves bullpen will have a tall task again of matching and keeping up their excellent play against one of the Mets best pitchers. Right hand pitcher Jake Odorizzi struggled last night finishing with five earned runs, two strikeouts and two walks in five innings pitched.
Braves Manager Brian Snitker knows they’re facing two of the best pitchers in the MLB but hopes his guys can match up tonight to win the series.
“We’re facing two of the [league’s] best the next two days,” said Snitker after the Braves 5-0 win on Tuesday. “They’re two of the premiere pitchers in the league so you know that going in. [We’re] still going to compete and see what happens.”
Right hand pitcher Charlie Morton built off of Spencer Strider’s Monday’s performance Tuesday night finishing with 12 strikeouts, and zero runs in 6.2 innings pitched.
While Odorizzi struggled in the loss Wednesday, right hand pitcher Charlie Fried (10-4, 2.6 ERA, 127 K)who is coming off a concussion, will start tonight in a pitching duel against deGrom.
Snitker mentioned that right hand pitcher Kyle Wright could come in if needed.