Battery Power - May 10: Red Sox 9, Braves 4Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2022-05-11T09:00:00-04:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/228293352022-05-11T09:00:00-04:002022-05-11T09:00:00-04:00Tuesday’s tough start a learning experience for Kyle Wright
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<figcaption>Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A six-run inning put Kyle Wright and the Braves in an early hole, but how he managed himself afterwards gives them hope for the future. </p> <p id="Jbh4YF">The <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> saw their two-game winning streak come to an end Tuesday night with a 9-4 loss to the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a>. Boston came into the game having lost five straight and eight of 10 overall, but were able to put up six runs in the second inning on Braves starter Kyle Wright. </p>
<p id="mRS6rN">Wright allowed two soft singles to Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story. A walk and another single by Christian Vasquez made it 1-0. He then jumped ahead of Jackie Bradley Jr. 0-2, but walked him to force in a run. Two batters later, Rafael Devers delivered the big blow with a grand slam to the Braves bullpen in right center on the first pitch he saw from Wright. </p>
<p id="z69vIS">“I feel like I kind of over thought at first, if you will. I made a couple of good pitches,” Wright said of the second inning. “The first guys I made good pitches on just kind of bloops in there. I feel like from there, I tried to do a little too much. I kind of fell back into a trap that I did some in years past in trying to put up a zero instead of just limiting the damage. I think there’s just a lot of things that I didn’t navigate very well.”</p>
<p id="gRMUag">After that tough inning, Wright showed some progress as he went back out there and was able to get the game into the fifth. The Braves scored three in the third to cut the deficit in half and Wright held them in check before exiting with two outs in the fifth. </p>
<p id="FtQRRF">“The two miss hit balls and then maybe after that. I told him, I feel like a year or two ago, you’d never got out of the second inning and there’d been a lot more damage done,” Brian Snitker said of Wright’s outing. “He hung in there and got us into the fifth, which was good after giving up those runs. We had a chance to come back and we just couldn’t mount anything to get back in it. Still some positives there with how he reacted to the whole thing. I don’t know how he was feeling in that inning, but I know he did regroup and got back on the attack and stretched the game a little.”</p>
<p id="V3pGDk">Wright said that finding himself definitely gave him something to build off of going into his next start. </p>
<p id="T3Fm2z">“Definitely my worst outing for sure. I try not to go back to years past because this is this year and I feel like I’m a different pitcher now,” Wright said. “Years past, I don’t get out of that second inning. Probably give up a lot more runs for all I know. So I think for me, just being able to continue to push through and find a way to go deeper into the game, I think it’s really important. You’ve got to learn from the good ones and all learn from the bad ones. So definitely learn from this and try to do better moving forward.” </p>
<p id="gl07yy">Wright had allowed six runs total over his first 31 innings and had allowed just one run in three starts at Truist Park. He has emerged as a key piece of the Braves rotation during the early going. Handling adversity was not something that he had done well in the past as things often seemed to snowball. Tuesday’s game was ugly for the Braves all around, but Wright showing some maturity could lead to better things down the road. </p>
<p id="Hj80OE">“It’s always going to be a learning experience for these guys. Everything’s going really good and there is going to be setbacks and things aren’t going to just go as planned and perfect and you’re going to have to weather storms,” Snitker said. “I kind of feel like he did tonight. Maybe experiencing that will help him where he can control that inning even better and limit it to three runs instead of six. Knowing that Devers is going to be a dangerous at-bat with runners in scoring position and doing a better job of making pitches in that at-bat to get him out of it. I’m sure there’s going to be things he’s going to draw on that’s going to help him down the road.”</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/11/23066704/red-sox-vs-braves-kyle-wright-comments-brian-snitkerKris Willis2022-05-10T23:23:47-04:002022-05-10T23:23:47-04:00Wright has the wrong stuff as Red Sox pummel Braves, 9-4
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<figcaption>Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Well that could’ve gone a <strong>lot </strong>better, huh?</p> <p id="YOQUIK">Kyle Wright’s worst start of the season and a terrible relief stint from Tyler Thornburg combined to help spell defeat for the Braves on this night. The Red Sox scored six runs in the second inning and then added three more in the ninth to pick up a 9-4 win over Atlanta. </p>
<p id="Tg9scH">The first inning of this game actually went swimmingly on the mound for Kyle Wright, as he sat down the Red Sox in order on nine pitches. Meanwhile, the Braves had a scoring opportunity in the first inning as Ronald Acuña Jr. found himself at third base with just one out. The Braves didn’t score, but they did force Garrett Whitlock to throw a ton of pitches just to escape the frame with the game still scoreless. </p>
<p id="7JtkjC">Unfortunately, the Braves probably could’ve used a run in the first inning because Kyle Wright got lit up in the second inning. After getting the leadoff batter out on a grounder, the next five Red Sox batters all reached base. Alex Verdugo got the first RBI on a hard hit ball up the middle and then Wright somehow walked Jackie Bradley Jr. to make it 2-0. After the Braves traded an out at home plate in exchange for the bases still being loaded with two out, Rafael Devers came up to the plate with a rare opportunity here in 2022 to do some serious damage. He didn’t miss his opportunity and the Braves were suddenly in a six-run hole in the second inning. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">RAFFY SLAM. <a href="https://t.co/KFQAHVRsXr">pic.twitter.com/KFQAHVRsXr</a></p>— Red Sox (@RedSox) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1524179084619788288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a>
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<p id="UYaGn2">From then on out, the Braves found themselves having to scratch and claw their way out of this massive deficit. It didn’t take too long for them to respond, as they gave an answer in the bottom of the third inning following a scoreless top half. Matt Olson led things off with a double off of the bricks in right-center field and then following a wild pitch and a walk, the Braves had runners on the corners. Marcell Ozuna cashed in Olson with a sacrifice fly and then Travis d’Arnaud cashed in both himself and Austin Riley with <a href="https://twitter.com/BravesOnBally/status/1524188625470115840">a two-run bomb to left-center field</a> to get Atlanta back in the game. </p>
<div id="7QflNg"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/garrett-whitlock-in-play-run-s-to-travis-d-arnaud" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="cpBoZo">Both teams traded scoreless innings (with the Braves going into the bullpen with two outs in the fifth inning) until the seventh inning, which is when Atlanta found themselves with another scoring opportunity. Ronald Acuña Jr. made it on base for the third time in this game with his second walk of the contest and then he went first-to-third thanks to a single from Matt Olson. With the heart of the order up and nobody out, this seemed like a prime opportunity for the Braves to have an emphatic inning at the plate. Instead, they managed to scrape by with just one run after Acuña scored on a force out at second base. It was a letdown but at least the Braves had cut a little bit deeper into what was once a huge lead for Boston. </p>
<p id="sc10C9">The game stayed 6-4 in favor of Boston until the top of the ninth inning, which is when things got out of hand for Atlanta on the mound once again. This time it was Tyler Thornburg’s turn to pitch a nightmare frame, as each of the first five batters he faced all reached base. Thornburg walked Verdugo (making this the second time in the game Boston scored a run via a walk) and then gave up a two-run single to the currently-slumping Trevor Story to push Boston’s lead back to five. Following the usage of Tyler Matzek and A.J. Minter out of the bullpen, it was an incredibly curious decision from Brian Snitker to go to Tyler Thornburg in this particular situation, but I suppose none of us would’ve been complaining here on the internet had Thornburg thrown yet another scoreless inning. </p>
<p id="OcNOMs">Either way, that poor inning basically killed off any realistic chance the Braves and it was basically the story of the entire game. Atlanta was essentially doomed by two really bad innings of pitching, and it’s definitely concerning that they got hit so hard by a team that was really struggling to consistently score runs coming into this game. It was also a bummer to see Kyle Wright finally get punished on the mound for not having his best stuff. With that being said, I’m still pretty certain that this is just going to be a blip on his radar and as is usual with baseball at this point in the season, there’s always tomorrow. </p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/10/23066383/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-final-score-recap-highlights-kyle-wright-travis-darnaud-home-runDemetrius Bell2022-05-10T18:30:00-04:002022-05-10T18:30:00-04:00Game Thread 5/10/22: Braves vs. Red Sox
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<figcaption>Photo by Jenn Finch/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The quick two-game series begins tonight</p> <p id="kpEbXE">The Braves are coming into this game after picking up a four-game split on the road against the Mets and a series win against the Brewers to kick off their homestand. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are coming into town and they’re scuffling mightily. Baseball’s a weird game, but hopefully both teams continue going on the path that they’re currently on, since that would likely equate to a Braves victory tonight. </p>
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<cite>baseballsavant.com</cite>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/10/23066060/game-thread-chat-discussion-atlanta-braves-boston-red-soxDemetrius Bell2022-05-10T17:40:00-04:002022-05-10T17:40:00-04:00Braves Notes: Ronald Acuña Jr’s start, Travis Demeritte and more
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<figcaption>Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Acuña continues to check all of the boxes from a medical standpoint. </p> <p id="N7eC6a">Ronald Acuna Jr. will be in the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a>’ lineup for the fifth straight game Tuesday night when they begin a two-game series against the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a>. When Acuña returned, the Braves planned to ease him back into action. That plan hasn’t changed and some recent off days have helped, but Brian Snitker said that Acuña continues to check all of the boxes when it comes to his health. </p>
<p id="kpijtV">“I go with what the medical staff says. We evaluate him every day after the game and when he comes in,” Snitker said of Acuña. “They have a plan and kind of let me know when to put him out there.”</p>
<p id="h7GqSz">Acuña has hit the ground running. He has hit safely in eight of nine games and is currently riding a six-game hitting streak. Despite the injury, he has shown no ill-affects when it comes to his speed. He’s already stolen four bases and has been aggressive on the basepaths. </p>
<p id="LQCYvy">“That’s it, I think he looks faster,” Snitker said. “I think he’s done a great job of just maintaining and being smart about things. He’s been put through probably every conceivable thing that he can do. Whether it’s a rundown, balls down the line, running through the bag hard, scoring from first. He’s passed all the obstacles that he’s had. I think this is just a testament to him and the dedication he had to his rehab.”</p>
<p id="t1FhlT">Acuña has tallied five hits in his last three games including a pair of home runs. He’s hitting .278/.366/.500 with a 148 wRC+ through his first nine games. </p>
<p id="rZ4rxv">“You’re talking about a guy that’s a year older. That was good that he got to play all those days in a row. You could really see his at-bats getting better and the timing coming.”</p>
<p id="6RHzlA"><strong>Kyle Wright’s success</strong></p>
<p id="ufWyaA">Kyle Wright will make his sixth start of the season in Tuesday’s opener against Boston. He has put together a strong start and has solidified his spot in the rotation in the early going. Snitker again talked about Wright’s added confidence and that he was able to find consistency with a full Triple A season in 2021. </p>
<p id="PwlYd9">“He seems like a different guy. He’s more on the attack,” Snitker said of Wright. “He’s more confident and trusting his stuff. He’s got another year of maturation and experience. I think just being the consistency and the starts last year, leaving him in one spot all year.” </p>
<p id="dttuaq">Wright has given the Braves seven innings in each of his last two starts allowing four earned runs with five walks and 11 strikeouts. </p>
<p id="qfPbQK"><strong>Travis Demeritte taking advantage of his opportunity</strong></p>
<p id="34Hjrg">Travis Demeritte returned to the lineup over the weekend and has continued to see action in both outfield corners. He’s hitting .268/.326/.463 with a 123 wRC+. He appears to have locked down an everyday role for the foreseeable future. </p>
<p id="jsHD0j">“He’s done a really good job, a fine job. He’s gotten an opportunity and he’s done something with it,” Snitker said. “There is a kid that’s been around. He keeps grinding and he keeps fighting through different things that he’s faced with. I think in the end, he’s ended up making himself a pretty good player.”</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/10/23065971/atlanta-braves-notes-red-sox-ronald-acuna-jr-start-travis-demeritte-kyle-wrightKris Willis2022-05-10T14:00:00-04:002022-05-10T14:00:00-04:00Kyle Wright gets the ball as Braves host Red Sox
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<figcaption>Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>After getting a couple extra days of rest, Kyle Wright is back on the mound and ready to keep his good 2022 campaign rolling.</p> <p id="al7cK0">Following a successful home series against the Brewers, Atlanta’s homestand continues on with today’s game starting off a quick two-game series against the Boston Red Sox. </p>
<p id="LwZz3z"><a href="https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/9/23063945/braves-vs-red-sox-series-preview-pitching-matchups-time-tv">As mentioned in the series preview</a>, the Red Sox have gotten off to a pretty slow start this season. The three danger men of Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and J.D. Martinez have definitely come out swinging but other than that, it’s been tough sledding for the rest of Boston’s hitters. As much as it seems like the Braves have stumbled out of the gate this season, they’ve at least made it to the league average number of 100 wRC+ as a team. The Red Sox are currently at 79 wRC+ as a unit, which is currently only ahead of the Oakland Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds — two teams who you absolutely do not want to be associated with here in 2022. </p>
<p id="6H0Swd">As you could imagine, this is setting up real nicely for Kyle Wright to have another good night. Despite not having his best stuff over his past two starts, Wright has managed to go seven innings in each of his past two starts — giving up just one run against the Cubs and managing to limit the damage to just three runs against the Mets. With that being said, I’m feeling pretty confident that this is a blip on the radar for Wright and he’s got a golden chance tonight to take advantage of a lineup that has been having some real trouble at the plate this season. </p>
<p id="91Qx2A">Kyle Wright has also got a bit of success in the past against this team. Now usually, I wouldn’t take too much from a game that happened two seasons ago. With that being said, Boston still has a lot of familiar faces on their team who were there back in 2020 and back then, Kyle Wright <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/wins.aspx?date=2020-09-25&team=Braves&dh=0">made a pretty decent start</a> against the Red Sox. Wright made it into the seventh inning with just two runs allowed — one of those was a home run from Jackie Bradley Jr. and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/jackie-bradley-jr-homers-6-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field?q=jackie%20bradley%20jr.%20home%20run%20braves%202020&cp=MIXED&qt=FREETEXT&p=0">no, I’m not lying</a>. So the good news is that Kyle Wright does have a bit of success in the past against the Red Sox and hopefully that translates into success here in the present. </p>
<p id="3BqPYC">Meanwhile, Boston will be leaning on Garrett Whitlock as their starter tonight and he’s been pretty solid after being moved from the bullpen to the rotation. Whitlock racked up seven strikeouts over four innings against Tampa Bay back on April 23 and he’ll be coming into this game after a start where he struck out nine batters over five innings against the Angels, with only two hits and two runs allowed. Both of those outings are no small feat — especially considering that the Angels and the Rays are both currently among the top offensive teams in baseball right now according to wRC+. Garrett Whitlock figures to be a pretty formidable foe on the mound and could very well be a handful for Braves batters to deal with at the plate tonight. </p>
<p id="D1YQYr">Despite Boston’s current record, this should still be a hard fought game. The Red Sox have a few players who are underperforming compared to what’s expected of them and this would be a pretty lame time for them to wake up. Hopefully Kyle Wright can continue to keep things going in the right direction by holding Boston’s lineup at bay this evening. The other hope is that Atlanta’s starting nine can figure out a way to do serious damage against Garrett Whitlock. This game could end up being a pitcher’s duel but if the wheels do end up falling off for the pitchers, then I would still like the Braves’ chances in this one. </p>
<h3 id="59Rpie"><strong>Game Info</strong></h3>
<p id="ogdyIC"><strong>Game Date/Time:</strong> Tuesday, May 10, 7:20 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="IQvdwA"><strong>Location:</strong> Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia</p>
<p id="brA3uG"><strong>TV:</strong> Bally Sports Southeast, TBS (out-of-market only)</p>
<p id="28EiSs"><strong>Streaming:</strong> MLB.tv</p>
<p id="fRxA5B"><strong>Radio:</strong> 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/10/23064875/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-game-preview-time-tv-channel-radio-streaming-kyle-wrightDemetrius Bell2022-05-10T12:00:00-04:002022-05-10T12:00:00-04:00AJ Minter has quietly become elite
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<figcaption>Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We all expected AJ Minter to be great, and quietly, he's done just that.</p> <p id="6TRsxF">AJ Minter is ridiculously good, if you didn't know. And has been for a while.</p>
<p id="bJg5nt">When he was coming up through Atlanta's farm, Minter had a decent amount of hype attached to him as a potential high leverage reliever. And when he made his MLB debut in 2017, he didn't disappoint with 26 strikeouts and 2 walks in 15 innings with a 3.00 ERA and a 0.96 FIP. By 2018, he was viewed by everyone as an impact arm out of the bullpen, ended up splitting closing duties with Arodys Vizcaino that season, and again, didn’t disappoint with his performance. Minter saved 15 games in 2018, with a 3.23 ERA and a 2.72 FIP. It looked like Atlanta had their closer of the future.</p>
<p id="pbTl5s">Then 2019 happened. It started ominously for Minter with a car wreck in Spring Training that hurt his pitching shoulder, and set him back three or four weeks. And once he did get back to pitching, he just wasn’t the same. Between injuries and bad performances, 2019 went about as poorly as anyone expected it to for Minter, who finished the season with just 29 innings pitched, and a 7.06 ERA.</p>
<p id="O1mEY7">That 2019 season, fair or not, brought serious doubt whether Minter was actually ‘the guy” long-term. Braves’ fans will remember 2019 as the year GM Alex Anthopoulos rebuilt the entire bullpen at the deadline, acquiring Mark Melancon, Chris Martin, and Shane Greene. All three were considered high-leverage relievers, and Minter was somewhat forgotten about. That winter, all three of those guys were retained, a minor-league free agent named Tyler Matzek was signed, and on top of that, the Braves added the top reliever on the free agent market when they signed Will Smith to a 3 year, $39M deal. When the 2019 season started, AJ Minter was the closer of the future. By the time the 2020 season started, he was sixth or seventh in the pecking order. It happens that fast with relievers. </p>
<p id="oHIRZ8">Since the start of that 2020 season though, Minter has been nothing short of an elite major league reliever. And because Atlanta has consistantly had two or three or sometimes four guys above him on the depth chart, his ascension to this status has largely gone under the radar. When you’re great in the 9th inning, it brings all the attention and all the eyeballs, just as it does when you're terrible. But when your greatness is happening in the 6th or 7th inning, it’s a little harder to see, and not as many people notice. But make no mistake, going on the the last three seasons, AJ Minter has been a monster.</p>
<p id="uldxTt">Since the beginning of 2020, Minter has pitched 86 innings, faced 350 batters, has a 2.84 ERA, a 2.49 FIP and has been worth 2.3 fWAR. That fWAR ranks him as the 12th best reliever in all of baseball since 2020, and only four spots away from teammate Kenley Jansen, considered one of the best closers of all time. In those 86 innings, Minter has struck out 98 batters and walked 31. I think most fans know Minter has been good the last couple of years. I’m not sure many of them are aware he’s been one-of-the-15-best-relievers-in-baseball good. </p>
<p id="fzayew">In those 350 batters faced, Minter has given exactly three home-runs. Three home runs in 350 batters faced. His 0.32 HR/9 innings is the second best rate in the majors behind only Dylan Floro. You might think, Minter must be a crazy ground-ball rate guy to give up so few home runs, but he really isn’t. His 43% ground ball rate over that period ranks 47th among qualified relievers. He doesn't give up homers because the dude is almost impossible to square up. Here’s his percentile profile for 2022:</p>
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<cite>Baseball Savant</cite>
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<p id="n6J4Lz">So that's ridiculous. Here’s 2021:</p>
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<cite>Baseball Savant</cite>
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<p id="fnfA5h">And here’s 2020:</p>
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<cite>Baseball Savant</cite>
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<p id="AdXHuo">Look at the xwOBA for all three years: 90th percentile, 89th percentile, 99th percentile. Look at the xSLG: 90th percentile, 90th percentile, 96th percentile. Hitters struggle to ever square up the ball against AJ, when they make contact at all. </p>
<p id="yRzc50">Another positive trend for Minter the last few years is how he’s improved his command. Here's his year-over-year walk rate:</p>
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<cite>FanGraphs</cite>
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<p id="W632PN">Looking at this graph, it’s not hard to figure out where the problems in 2019 came from as well as where the improvement have come from since then. And in 2022, he's taken it to whole different level. With a career best strikeout rate of 39%, an ever decreasing walk rate, and the fact that hitters struggle to drive anything when they do make contact, Minter has already been worth 0.5 fWAR in 11 innings as a reliever, 6th best in baseball, and just behind Josh Hader. In those 11 innings, he has 17 strikeouts to 2 walks and his 0.94 FIP ranks 5th best in baseball. He’s been everything Braves’ fans dreamed he would be when he first came up.</p>
<p id="NW0RVl">We all thought Minter would eventually be a great reliever. And then 2019 happened and a bunch different relievers were added, including closers, and we all kind of forgot that was once supposed to be Minter’s job. Since then, he’s quietly turned himself into the elite arm we all dreamed on when he was destroying the minors. Is it easier to do in the 6th and 7th inning than it is in the 9th inning? Yes, of course it is. But don't mistake that for thinking it’s easy. Minter has worked his tale off from injury and ineffectiveness to become one of the best relievers in baseball. And people are starting to notice.</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/10/23064817/aj-minter-elite-reliever-atlanta-bravesStephen Tolbert2022-05-10T11:00:00-04:002022-05-10T11:00:00-04:00Battery Power TV: Braves have momentum, chance to build on it vs. scuffling Red Sox
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<img alt="MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/478IOvl9uY5W3b7T30lflxqGfok=/0x0:3632x2421/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70852379/usa_today_18227272.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kyle Wright and Ian Anderson get the starts as Atlanta hosts lost-place Boston</p> <p id="5X4X68">The Braves earned their first series win over a team over .500 and Ronald Acuña Jr. is producing at an MLB level. Momentum is on the defending champ’s side, and now they have a chance to build in it against the scuffling <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>.</p>
<p id="JKXpSm">Grant McAuley and Cory McCartney set the stage as Atlanta puts Kyle Wright and Ian Anderson on the mound in a two-game series on the AL East’s last-place team.</p>
<p id="oxPxaa">Subscribe to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjPa0drWIAkUN9JStcshyig">Battery Power YouTube channel</a> and turn on notifications to get an alert for every new episode.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2022/5/10/23065033/battery-power-tv-braves-have-momentum-chance-to-build-on-it-vs-scuffling-red-soxCory McCartney