At least the past two days have helped the Braves in evaluating their postseason rotation plans.
Sean Newcomb lasted three innings, exiting in a five-run hole his offense was unable to combat, and the Braves lost 6-4 to the Nationals on Sunday.
After winning six of seven on their western trip, the Braves returned home and dropped a series to the Nationals. They’re 38-36 at SunTrust Park as opposed to their National League-best 45-30 road mark, an unexplainable baseball intricacy.
They didn’t go down without a fight. Tyler Flowers’ two-run homer broke the Braves through in the fourth, 5-2. Charlie Culberson’s eight-inning shot made it a one-run game, 5-4. It was Culberson’s sixth homer against the Nationals this season - half his overall total.
Washington tacked on an insurance run in the ninth, and the Braves went quietly in their half to cease the comeback.
“We were a hit away from bouncing back in it,” said manager Brian Snitker, whose team has lost 12 of its past 16 home games yet hasn’t surrendered much ground in the standings.
Less than 24 hours after Walk Fest 2018, Newcomb made the Braves dip into their bullpen early again. He required 73 pitches over three frames, allowing two home runs.
The offense was tasked an uphill climb against notable Braves killer Tanner Roark, who entered the day with a 3.08 ERA in 22 appearances against the home team. The righty tossed 5-1/3 innings, his lone mistake the Flowers homer, and his bullpen scattered two hits the remainder of the afternoon.
Newcomb threw 31 pitches against eight hitters in the first inning. Bryce Harper’s two-run blast was the biggest hit, with Matt Wieters adding an RBI-single to make it 3-0 before the Braves came up.
Harper walked to begin the third. Anthony Rendon guided a high flyball into the Chop House. Newcomb finished the inning, but was pinch-hit for Rio Ruiz in the bottom of the frame.
“He’s had a really solid season and expects to do well, and if things go bad - it’s kind of the next step in the journey,” Snitker said. “He’ll figure it out. He’s a bright kid and a really good competitor. He’s just going to have to take the next step.”
The left-hander has been inconsistent since his 134-pitch effort against the Dodgers on July 29. He’s allowed five or more runs in four of his past seven outings.
The borderline All-Star of the first half has only be visible in spurts. Newcomb’s last start was among his best of the second half, when he struck out eight and allowed one run over six innings in defeating the Giants.
“It’s just more mentality,” Newcomb said. “I’ve got to get out there and go after guys. I’m not worried too much about what else is going on. ... Physically I feel good. Mentally, just going back and looking at how the season’s gone and everything that goes with that, it’s been an adjustment, but I think it’s been going well so far.”
It’s Newcomb’s first full season, and he made significant strides along the way. He’s a power lefty who, for much of the year, was realizing his advertised potential. To think the season’s grind might be slowing him is fair as he just passed his career-high in innings.
“I don’t really think that’s it,” Flowers said. “I think he’s still trying to figure out how to be consistent with everything he’s doing. Even early on in the season, there were still these ups and downs along these same lines, having a hard time getting ahead of guys, getting off-speed for strikes. Those are important things to be able to expand the zone and get some swings and some ground balls.”
The Braves wouldn’t require a fourth starter in the NLDS. They could use Mike Foltynewicz, Kevin Gausman and Anibal Sanchez – their three most reliable arms at the moment – across the best of five series. Newcomb and Julio Teheran have another couple starts to end the regular season, with each competing for the fourth slot, if/when the Braves implement it.
“The whole experience of now is something you can’t manufacture,” Snitker said. “You have to go through it and they are. We’re hanging on. We’re doing good.”
With the Phillies’ loss to the Marlins, the Braves protect their 6.5-game lead in the NL East and cut their magic number to eight. The Braves play the Cardinals while the Phillies see the Mets prior to the teams meeting for four at SunTrust Park next weekend.
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