Kyle Wright was the winning pitcher in his playoff debut Thursday, no small feat for the rookie. Continuing the Braves' remarkable pitching performances in this postseason, he worked six scoreless innings, allowed only three hits (all singles), struck out seven and retired the last 10 batters he faced.
But perhaps Wright’s biggest feat was successfully navigating through difficulties in each of the first three innings to keep the Braves in position for what turned out to be a Division Series-clinching 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins.
“The more (innings) I went, the better I felt,” Wright said afterward. “I was a little amped up at first, and as the game went on … I was able to relax and pitch as normal.”
Through the first three innings, he stranded six base runners, including three who were in scoring position with one out or less. He got out of a bases-loaded jam to end the third inning and didn’t allow another base runner after that.
“What he did, to battle through when he didn’t have his best stuff and to finish strong and to show who he truly is to the world, it’s not easy,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “... It was really cool to see him flourish like that and be able to finish the game with six innings."
The Marlins collected two of their three singles against Wright in the first inning, putting runners on first and second bases with one out. He stranded them by getting a strikeout and a ground out.
A leadoff walk in the second inning led to a runner on second base with one out. Wright stranded him, again without allowing the ball to leave the infield.
In the third inning, after the Braves had taken a 4-0 lead, the first two Marlins batters reached base on a hit-by-pitch and a single. Wright struck out the next two batters before a walk loaded the bases with two outs. A ground out ended the inning and, as it turned out, the Marlins' chances of getting back in the game.
“You could see his confidence building and building as he got out of those innings,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said.
Wright retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
“I didn’t have a great feel of the fastball at first, but had a good feel of the off-speed,” said Wright, who was pitching in a game for the first time in 13 days. “I think (d’Arnaud) did a good job of switching the original game plan.”
Such a performance in his first career postseason game, especially after his well-documented struggles early this season and an August demotion to the team’s alternate training site, had to be gratifying for Wright -- all the more so because the game sent the Braves to the National League Championship Series for the first time in 19 years.
“Individual accolades are cool, but team accolades are way better," Wright said. "I’m just happy that we’re going to get an opportunity to continue to play this year.
“Getting sent down this year was one of the best things that could have happened to me because I made a lot of changes that have helped me. I always knew I had it in me to pitch this way."
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