Braves ask Bryce Elder to maintain his great pitching streak against the Mets.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker believes beginning pitchers can benefit from the momentum created by those who came before them in the rotation.There’s no pressure, Bryce Elder.
The right-hander will seek to continue the Braves starters’ hot run Sunday night, when Atlanta attempts to clinch a three-game sweep of the New York Mets.
Elder (1-1, 5.28 ERA) is set to face fellow right-hander Luis Severino (2-2, 2.93).
Max Fried pitched seven no-hit innings for the Braves, who won 4-1 and came within one out of their first no-hitter in more than 30 years.
Joe Jimenez walked two in the eighth, and Raisel Iglesias got the first two outs of the ninth before J.D. Martinez homered to right center field, ending the Braves’ pursuit for their first no-hitter since April 8, 1994, when Kent Mercker shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It’s really cool to be part of an almost one — (a) 26-outer,” said Braves center fielder Michael Harris II, who denied Martinez an extra-base hit by catching Martinez’s seventh-inning fly and hitting the wall.
So perhaps, this season or soon, we’ll be able to squeeze one out.”
The Braves won their fourth straight, with starters Reynaldo Lopez, Chris Sale, Charlie Morton, and Fried allowing only three runs (two earned) in 25 1/3 innings for an ERA of 0.71.
“I think that little inner competition and things like that — I’ve seen it happen a number of times, where it’s like (pitchers are) just going to keep handing that baton off,” Snitker said on Saturday. “I think it’s a real thing.”
There’s little debate about the Mets’ skid, which has resulted in only six hits, 18 strikeouts, and no lead in the first two games of the series. New York is 6-12 over its last 18 games, scoring two or less runs nine times.
The Mets brought the tying run to the plate on both Friday and Saturday, but Martinez struck out after hooking a possible game-tying homer just foul in a 4-2 loss Friday. After Martinez’s homer on Saturday, Jeff McNeil walked and Harrison Bader singled before Brett Baty flied out.
“I wish I would have hit that (homer Friday) night, when we would’ve tied the game up,” Martinez stated. “But, here we are. We’ve lost two games to the Braves and have another one on Sunday.”
The Mets are expecting to have leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo back Sunday after he left with right intercostal irritation, which causes pain in the nerves of the ribs, chest, and abdomen after the fourth inning. Nimmo stated that he felt uneasy during a third-inning at-bat, but he is not anticipated to get an MRI.
“I’m not too concerned,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I think we caught it early.”
Elder lost his most recent start on May 4, when he allowed seven runs in 3 1/3 innings as the Braves fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-2. He has a 2-0 record with a 5.27 ERA in three career games versus the Mets, including two starts.
Severino did not factor into the decision. May 5 after giving up four runs in five innings in the Mets’ 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two outings against the Braves.
Leave a Reply