In about seven hours, the Braves will take the field in San Diego to kick off postseason play with a best-of-three series, all of which will take place Petco Park.
The talk of the town leading up to the series has been Chris Sale‘s health. The National League Triple Crown winner was scratched from yesterday’s start, and after the game, Brian Snitker said he did not believe Sale would be available for the Wild Card series. Unsurprisingly, Snitker was right. Chris Sale is the one notable omission to the Braves Wild Card roster, with Bryce Elder taking his place.
Your 2024 Atlanta Braves Wild Card Roster!#DigDeepATL pic.twitter.com/6xpLN5T3ID
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 1, 2024
AJ Smith-Shawver is also on the roster in place of Grant Holmes, who has pitched 5.2 innings over the last three days, including 4+ innings yesterday against the Mets. So, it seems possible the Braves are mulling over a decision between Elder and Smith-Shawver to start Game 1.
I’m not sure there really is a correct decision. Elder owns a 6.52 ERA over 10 major-league starts this season, and we all remember the last time he was handed the ball in a playoff game on the road, as he was clobbered by the Phillies in Game 3 of the 2023 NLDS. But on the flip side, AJ Smith-Shawver has made a grand total of one major-league appearance this season, and his numbers in AAA have been pretty unsightly, recording a 4.86 ERA over 20 starts and walking over four batters per nine innings.
The simple fact is there is no good option. It’s not fair for either of them to be asked to pitch in this situation, but the Braves probably don’t want to rely solely on their bullpen after playing five games in four days. The situation is horrible, but baseball is a funny game where anybody can become a hero in October. On Tuesday, the Braves are going to need one from an unlikely source.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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