How A Strong Braves Defense Feeds into Starting Pitching Success

The at-times struggling Atlanta Braves have had one area of their game consistently providing a top-notch performance. Their defense is arguably the best in MLB, with a leading 55 defensive runs saved so far this season.

Just by watching, you can pick up on how big players take away what should have been a guaranteed hit and prevent runs from scoring. What goes unnoticed is to the extend it benefits the starting rotation. It helps with run prevention, sure, but there's another level to it.

Starting pitcher Chris Sale explained the deepest aspect of it when he joined 680 The Fan for a chat on Thursday. In his Wednesday start, he got within an out of a complete game and attributed strong defense for allowing him to get as deep into the game as he did.

Sale felt that there were some balls hit up the middle that were turned into outs by the defense that had a solid chance of being hits.

"Let's say, on the low end, that saved me five pitches, right" he said. "And I come off the mound at 102 [pitches] in the eighth inning, and you turn that into five pitches, which is 107. Let's call it five to eight pitches. I don't think I have the opportunity to go back out there if I have five more pitches through the first eight inning."

Over the course of multiple starts, the added innings start to accumulate. Those defensive moments get the starters more innings and that, in turn, takes the pressure off the bullpen. If you want to take it a step further, this improved run prevention takes the pressure off the bats, putting them in a better position.

A teammates that Sale discussed was Nick Allen. He's one of the best guys to have in the infield that a pitcher could want.

"This might be a bold claim, but he got about as good of hands as anybody I've ever seen," he said. "How quickly he can get the ball in and out of his glove. He's got some good arm strength. He's got unbelievable range, and you know, he really cares. He's willing to sacrafice himself and to put himself out there to try and make plays."

Allen's performance at the plate can lead to his defense being overlooked, but what he brings can't be overstated. He has a defensive runs saved of eight, which is second among shortstops. His two errors are also the second-fewest among shortstops in the game.

The debate comes up from time to time whether to prioritze defense or bats when deciding the lineup. The Braves are team that needs the bats, even with the recent surge from the offense. But in certain cases, including Allen, having a high-level glove in the field is equally valuable, especially knowing the trickle down effect is can have.

More From Atlanta Braves on SI