While Atlanta Braves fans might be content with a series win in Boston, this should have resulted in an easy sweep. Atlanta's bullpen imploded on Saturday night, giving away a 6-2 lead and wasting six great innings from starter Grant Holmes. Still, this wasn't the most egregious part of the lone loss in the weekend series. The Braves' bullpen was in need of rest, and Snitker had only so many buttons to push in what has been an overachieving bullpen.
After the Red Sox had fought all the way back, Atlanta had a runner on and the red-hot Drake Baldwin at the plate. Snitker would pull the rookie catcher to bring in a righty-lefty matchup. While this might be traditionally the correct move, it ignores everything that has happened in the last weeks of the season.
Brian Snitker Must Stop Pulling Impressive Rookie Drake Baldwin in Tight Situations
For the record, Drake Baldwin is hitting .294 on the season against left-handed pitching while Sean Murphy is hitting .250 on the season. Brian Snitker continuing to treat this as a normal platoon is disrespectful to how great Baldwin has been.
While Atlanta fans are content with a series win and a winning record, things could have been far better. Baldwin has been far too impressive in clutch situations to pull for a catcher who hasn't had close to the same offensive impact. Snitker rolling with the older Murphy is a mistake that isn't reading the current state of this team.
It has been a continual roadblock for Snitker and was a glaring mistake on Saturday night. The Braves must understand the team needs to ride with Drake Baldwin as long as the rookie catcher is this hot. Offensively, the numbers are elite, and the rookie has been surprisingly great behind the plate. With this in mind, it is time to consider what the future might hold for Sean Murphy.
The veteran catcher is on a lucrative deal and is a clear roadblock to an exciting young player. If Baldwin's level of production continues, there is reason to wonder if a trade could be in Murphy's future either at the deadline or as part of an offseason blockbuster.
No matter how Atlanta opts to answer this welcome problem, the team is going to make a move to keep Baldwin's bat in the lineup. As long as the rookie is playing to this level, any other choice is an obvious mistake.