The Braves got back to their winning ways Friday night behind two things that could very much determine how far this team will go in the postseason.
The offense, led by Marcell Ozuna (of course) and Orlando Arcia (surprise), put up six runs as they continue to show signs of turning the corner. Over the Braves last eight games, they’ve scored five or more runs seven times. It wasn’t that long ago we were talking about how this group couldn’t score more than four runs in back-to-back games. Now, they are doing it every night, and the lineup will only look better following the All-Star break with Michael Harris II returning and the trade deadline looming.
But as encouraging as the offense has looked, the Braves pitching staff will always be the heart and soul of this year’s club. Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez are all-stars. Max Fried should be one as well. The bullpen is as good as any in baseball, but Spencer Schwellenbach has the potential to put the entire group over the top.
The rookie made his eighth start last night, and with each passing outing, there’s progress. Fresh off a six-inning performance against the Phillies in which he gave up just one run, Schwellenbach followed it up with his longest outing of the season, going seven innings and allowing just one run on three hits and a walk against the Padres.
The 24-year-old former second-round pick appears to have the total package. His velocity can get up into the high-90s, but it’s his wide array of secondary offerings that makes him so difficult to hit. Spencer Schwellenbach features a legit six-pitch mix, and he’s willing to throw any of those pitches at any given time, keeping hitters off balance and leading to a lot of swings at pitches out of the strike zone. Combine all of that with his poise and maturity beyond his years, and he’s got the making of an arm that can do a lot of damage at this level.
It’s still early in the season, and we don’t know how, or if, the Braves plan to limit Schwellenbach’s innings the rest of the way. He’s already thrown 90 innings this year, and prior to this season, he’d never thrown more than 65, in large part because of Tommy John surgery. I’m not sure if limiting innings for young arms prevents injury, but I do know guys who aren’t used to a 162-game grind can fatigue, leading to poor results, as we saw with Bryce Elder last season.
However, something tells me Spencer Schwellenbach is built a little differently. It’ll be interesting to see how the Braves handle him over the second half of the season, because at this rate, he could end up starting a playoff game.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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