Braves Use of Old-School Pitching Strategy Logical Choice

The Atlanta Braves picked up a win Wednesday night on the back of a feat we don't see often. Chris Sale pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings, nearly going the distance. It was also the second complete game by a Braves pitcher this season. It was nearly the second complete game in a week, too.

Seeing this happen in a short span isn't a coincidence. Brian Snitker has been trying to give the bullpen a break after a brutal stretch of performances.

If the bullpen is having trouble and the starting pitching is getting the job done, then it's simple: use the starting pitching for more of the game. It's funny how that can be seen as "old school" these days. Think about it, though, consider how much more of a bigger deal it was that both Sale and Schwellenbach pitched into the ninth inning compared to a generation ago. Sale had a season in which he completed six games (2016). Times are just that different now.

But the Braves have allowed two of their starting pitchers recently to either go the distance or be on the heels of it. The Braves won both of those games. Allowing the strong rotation to pitch deeper in to ballgames could be a solution going forward.

It's pretty ingrained in our minds, at this point, the importance of managing the workload of starters. We understand that there is a balancing act, and the argument here isn't to go crazy and have them throwing 130 to 140 pitches per game - unless there's a perfect game on the line, maybe. The argument here is to stretch them out a tad further, say 110 pitches, if he's having a good day.

On the flip side, the value of resting the bullpen can be overlooked. The Braves might not overlook it. The 17 days of non-stop games in May certainly had them hyper aware of it. The average person needs that remain though. With the fixation on matchups, we can forget that the relievers are humans who get tired just like starters.

Sale has emphasized the importance of pitching deeper into games for this reason.

"I've been in the bullpen before. I started my career for a couple years in the bullpen, and I know how important it is to have those guys rested towards the end of the season. They work hard, and they come in some pretty high-leverage situations, so the more we can give them a break, the better off they're going to be when we really, really need them."

He pitched his first two season in the majors out of the bullpen before moving into the rotation in 2012. During that time he finished 25 games and picked up 12 saves. He pitched into the eigth inning 11 times in his first year as a starter. That perspective is there.

We're also in the prime part of the season to start ramping up starters too. It's logical to limit starters earlier in the season. They're coming out of spring training and still getting loose. Now, that we're near the midseason point, these guys are warmed up and ready for more action.

Meanwhile, the bullpen did its job getting the job done as starters got stretched out. Time to return the favor so both parts of the pitching staff are poised for success for the home stretch and the postseason.

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