A second straight comeback to complete a doubleheader on Saturday would’ve left the Truist Park faithful in a frenzy. Instead, the Atlanta Braves lost to the St. Louis Cardinals by four.
Braves manager Brian Snitker’s nonchalant presence this season took center stage as Atlanta let a game that it battled to get back in slip away.
Even after the Braves scored three in the sixth inning to make it 6-5 entering the ninth, Snitker ran rookie reliever Grant Holmes out for his third consecutive inning. Holmes proceeded to surrender three runs, leading to a 9-5 Cardinals win.
Meanwhile, A.J. Minter and Jesse Chavez, two relievers with high-leverage capabilities that are in the midst of career years, remained in the bullpen despite not having pitched since before the All-Star break. Minter even began to warm up in the eighth inning but was sat back down.
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Column | Brian Snitker Fell Asleep at the Wheel on Saturday Night
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Column | Brian Snitker Fell Asleep at the Wheel on Saturday Night
OPINION: Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker didn’t show much fight and let a winnable game slip away on Saturday night.
NOAH GRIFFITHJUL 21, 2024 8:00 AM EDT
A second straight comeback to complete a doubleheader on Saturday would’ve left the Truist Park faithful in a frenzy. Instead, the Atlanta Braves lost to the St. Louis Cardinals by four.
Braves manager Brian Snitker’s nonchalant presence this season took center stage as Atlanta let a game that it battled to get back in slip away.
Even after the Braves scored three in the sixth inning to make it 6-5 entering the ninth, Snitker ran rookie reliever Grant Holmes out for his third consecutive inning. Holmes proceeded to surrender three runs, leading to a 9-5 Cardinals win.
Meanwhile, A.J. Minter and Jesse Chavez, two relievers with high-leverage capabilities that are in the midst of career years, remained in the bullpen despite not having pitched since before the All-Star break. Minter even began to warm up in the eighth inning but was sat back down.
That’s not on Holmes, either. He should not have been on the mound in a one-run game in the ninth inning – a situation he’s never been in before in the big leagues. The rookie tossed two scoreless innings prior to the ninth, but running him back out for another frame was asking too much.
In all fairness, Saturday’s doubleheader was the beginning of 16 straight days without an off day for Atlanta, and Holmes was the sixth reliever the Braves utilized on the day. But even if the Braves were trying to save the bullpen, it has to be done while also putting the team in position to win while in a tight contest in the late innings.
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Even in the clutch, Snitker kept the urgency at a minimum.
The manager didn’t even leave the dugout when Holmes was victimized by an outrageous call in the eighth inning. A pitch that obviously floated in the upper portion of the zone on a 3-2 pitch to start the frame resulted in a walk to Nolan Arenado.
It seems like Snitker has just remained quiet while his underperforming squad has been slapped with quite a few ridiculous calls this season.
Snitker is one of six MLB managers that hasn’t been ejected from a game in 2024 – joining only Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League. This isn’t uncharacteristic of the 68-year-old – Snitker has only been tossed five times in the past five seasons (2024- no ejections, 2023- three, 2022- one, 2021- one, 2020- none).
There’s no problem with few ejections, especially when your club is cruising, but the Braves have had some horrid calls that have changed the complexion of games this season (such as a non-strike call leading to an early Max Fried exit in the second game of the year). With the team underperforming, the manager getting behind the team and pleading their case, even if it leads to an ejection, might just light a fire under a team that needs something to help them find their form from a year ago. You’d much rather him argue and get the boot than a player, anyway.
It’s one thing to remain uninvolved when your team isn’t performing, but they are launching a turnaround. That was on full display in Saturday’s doubleheader, as Atlanta’s offense proved relentless while coming from behind to walk off in 10 innings versus the Cardinals in game one and then score three runs in the sixth inning to draw within one in game two.
The Braves are starting to come alive, now their manger needs to follow suit.
