One of the least experienced starting pitchers in the majors provided the struggling Atlanta Braves with an immeasurable boost Saturday afternoon.
Atlanta rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach’s gem also served to remind the New York Mets how their starting pitching depth has suddenly thinned out.
The Braves will look to salvage a split of a pivotal four-game series Sunday afternoon, when they visit the Mets for the final time in the regular season.
All-Star right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (7-4, 2.12 ERA) is slated to start for the Braves against Mets left-hander David Peterson (5-0, 3.14).
Schwellenbach had the best start of his brief career Saturday, when he allowed two hits, walked none and struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings while earning the win in the Braves’ 4-0 victory.
Schwellenbach authored the gem in just the 10th start of his career and only his 12th above the Class-A level.
The impressive outing came at a pivotal time for the Braves, who entered Saturday mired in a six-game losing streak in which they’d been outscored 39-18. The slide was the longest for Atlanta since a six-game skid in September 2017 — when Schwellenbach was a 17-year-old high school senior in Michigan.
“We had lost six in a row,” Schwellenbach said. “I kind of dug a little bit deeper today. We needed that.”
The win vaulted the Braves past the Mets into a tie for the top wild-card spot in the National League. New York, which trailed Atlanta by 10 games on May 29, briedly leapfrogged Atlanta with an 8-4 win on Friday.
Even with the loss Saturday, the Mets have the best record in the majors since May 30 at 33-16. But New York will have to continue its playoff push without right-hander Kodai Senga, who suffered a high-grade left calf strain during his season debut Friday night and likely will miss the rest of the regular season.
Senga, who suffered a shoulder injury in spring training, was injured four days after rookie right-hander Christian Scott was placed on the injured list with a right UCL sprain.
Of the remaining Mets rotation, only Tylor Megill has pitched into the seventh inning in nine games since the All-Star break. Megill, who hadn’t gone more than 5 1/3 innings in eight starts between the majors and Triple-A Syracuse dating back to June 3, was pulled after opening the seventh inning Saturday by allowing a leadoff homer to Eddie Rosario and walking Sean Murphy.
“We’ve got five legit starters here (who) put us in this position we’re in right now,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said before Saturday’s game. “Guys will step up, guys will get opportunities and we’ll be fine.”
Lopez took the loss Monday, when he allowed four runs over six innings as the Braves fell 4-1 to the Cincinnati Reds.
Lopez is 2-2 with a 2.66 ERA in seven career games (three starts) against the Mets. The 30-year-old tossed six scoreless innings and earned the win in a 6-5 victory over New York on April 9.
Peterson earned the win Monday after giving up two runs over five innings in the Mets’ 6-4 victory over the Miami Marlins. He is 3-4 with a 5.12 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) against the Braves.
–Field Level Media
