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Brian Snitker Catching Heat for Braves Lineup Decisions to End Road Trip

Originally posted on Atlanta Braves on SI
By Dave Holcomb | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 6:10 PM ET

Baseball can be a tricky sport at times.

It's impossible to win every game. So, stretches where teams win seven out of 10 games or go 4-2 on a cross-country road trips are and should be viewed as successful.

The Atlanta Braves will return home this weekend coming off a West coast trip with that record. They have also won nine of their last 12.

But the Braves also failed to secure a sweep twice during the road trip. On Wednesday afternoon, the team lost to the Colorado Rockies, who previously had just four wins this season.

Social media blamed Braves manager Brian Snitker for the lack of urgency in Wednesday afternoon's game to cap off the road trip.

Most notably, fans were not happy with Snitker's decision to sit leadoff hitter Alex Verdugo in favor of recently acquired outfielder Eddie Rosario.

“Coach Snitker, should you have just played your hottest hitter Verdugo instead of sorry ass Rosario, especially since the Braves are off tomorrow anyway?”

Snitker: Was I supposed to?
— Braves & Tigers Enthusiast (@WeJustMightBe) April 30, 2025

Rosario entered the game hitting .176 in his last 93 MLB games dating back to the start of the 2024 season. Verdugo is slashing .341/.396/.455 with six RBI and six runs scored in 10 games for Atlanta this season.

Rosario went 0-for-3 while batting in the No. 9 spot of the Atlanta lineup Wednesday. The Braves mustered only three hits in the 2-1 loss.

The Braves are about to give the Rockies their 5th win of the season. I’m not quite sure what Snitker was thinking with this lineup today.
— Mya (@LilMya) April 30, 2025

With an off day Thursday, it's hard to disagree with the fans upset Verdugo wasn't in the lineup Wednesday afternoon.

Left-hander Chris Sale made one of his best starts of the young season in the afternoon matchup. But he suffered his third loss of the season due to the lack of offense.

Chris Sale should get to punch Snitker in the face for today’s lineup. That was the @Braves worse loss of the season. Truly pathetic.
— Ricky Mollohan (@3kidsn2beagles) April 30, 2025

Sale's third defeat in 2025 equals the amount of losses he totaled all of last season.

Red-hot catcher Sean Murphy also wasn't in the lineup Wednesday for the Braves. But that's pretty standard for a catcher having started the previous two nights with an afternoon game. That's standard even with an off day coming before the next scheduled matchup.

As great as Murphy has been, it's also a goal for the Braves to get top prospect Drake Baldwin as many at-bats as possible. Despite being a rookie, Baldwin has also been a lot better at the plate than Rosario has been the past 12 months.

Baldwin went 0-for-2 with a walk and scored Atlanta's only run in the defeat.

As frustrated as some Braves fans were with Snitker after the loss to the 5-25 Rockies, some fans also came to his defense on social media.

I cannot believe how much this app loathes Brian Snitker. The guy has taken constantly injury-ravished teams to the playoffs every year. But sure, benching Alex Verdugo (who still has just a 0.3 WAR despite the hot streak) is a fireable offense.
— Wayne Cavadi (@WayneCavadi_D2) April 30, 2025

It was still a very successful road trip for the Braves. The team has played a lot better over the past two weeks.

But failing to win one more game on the trip west means the Braves return home with a record still below .500 at 14-16.

This article first appeared on Atlanta Braves on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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