Braves Notes: Atlanta will wait to name Game 4 starter

The Atlanta Braves got the split they needed in the first two games of the NLDS up in Milwaukee. They will now try to take the upper hand in Game 3 at Truist Park Monday. Ian Anderson will get the start for the Braves in Game 3 and Brian Snitker said that Monday’s result would likely influence their pitching plans for Game 4 Tuesday.

“Yeah, we’re still talking and kind of going over that, just seeing, again, how we get there,” Snitker said of Game 4.

A follow up question asked about the availability of Game 1 starter Charlie Morton on short rest and Snitker didn’t rule it out.

“Yeah, I think everybody’s in play.”

Morton hasn’t started on three days rest in the regular season since 2008, but he did close out the 2017 World Series with a four inning relief appearance that came on three days of rest.

Ian Anderson made four postseason starts in 2020, including Game 7 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. He allowed a combined 11 hits and two runs over 18 2/3 innings. He struck out 24 and walked just 10 over that span.

“The kid’s been very impressive,” Snitker said of Anderson. “He was impressive as soon as he landed here last year and how he handled everything and his demeanor and how he processes things.”

“He’s learned a lot this year, too, I think, this being his first full year as a starter,” Snitker added. “You don’t surprise anybody. You have to make adjustments because people are adjusting to you. There’s expectations that you have to deal with and the whole thing peeling layers to become a Major Leaguer. I think he’s handled everything really well.”

“I hate that he had the little setback, but he’s bounced back from that, and I think just continued to get better and better since he made starts since coming back.”

The Braves will stick with the same starting lineup as in the first two games of the series for Game 3. Snitker was asked if he had considered using Joc Pederson who is 2-for-2 with a home run in pinch-hit duty during the series.

“No, kind of more the matchup thing,” Snitker said “I know in the past if Joc’s had really good numbers off somebody, we’ve put him in there.”

Pederson is 1-for-6 with four walks and four strikeouts in 10 career plate appearances against Game 3 starter Freddy Peralta.

Eddie Rosario is 2-for-7 in the series with a pair of singles. Jorge Soler is 1-for-8 with a doubled a walk while Adam Duvall is 0-for-7 with a walk and a strikeout.

Peralta allowed 14 home runs in 144 1/3 innings this season but four of those came over his final 23 innings. Snitker was asked if the team would try to alter their approach and try and work the count more against Peralta.

“We’re not that group. Just look, our guys come out, they swing,” Snitker said. “They’re early count swingers. And I don’t see us altering an approach. I mean, they do the video. They’ve got scouting reports. But they’re looking to hit, that’s for sure.”

Monday’s game will start at 1:07 p.m. ET at Truist Park. That was the advertised game time but there was a scenario where the game could have been pushed back to a 4:07 p.m. start time had the Houston Astros finished off the Chicago White Sox Sunday night. The White Sox won Game 3 but the game didn’t end until after midnight which left the Braves and the Brewers in limbo in regards to their start time.

“It probably would have been a lot easier on these guys if they knew for sure it was a 1:00 start instead of the outcome of that game determining when the start was,” Snitker said. “I think that would have been better for them to know that, but they’ll be fine.”

Snitker said that they were forced to prepare for both scenarios.

“Walt got his whiteboard and we had two different scenarios that we sent yesterday afternoon,” Snitker said. “So they were going to have to pretty much set two alarms, one probably about 12:30 if they fell asleep to see who won that game, and then adjust the second one pretty much. We sent two different, totally different scenarios to them depending on the outcome.”

Snitker added that he didn’t think the uncertainty would have an effect on the team but that it would have been better had they known when they were going to play.

“Yes, absolutely it would have,” Snitker said. “It’s something that happens and we’ll adjust and we’ll be fine, but I think it’s always better I think to know. I sat with Bobby (Cox) yesterday for a little bit and asked him if he had experienced anything like that in all the years he went through playoffs. And he couldn’t remember anything.”