Lack of pitching depth catching up to Braves in NLDS

The Braves had a lot riding on lefty Chris Sale against the Dodgers on Tuesday. It was probably too much for any team that wants to be a serious contender to win the World Series.

Sale is a fantastic pitcher, but he’s been asked to carry a heavy burden in October. He successfully did it twice against the Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series. He couldn’t do it in Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

The Braves are facing elimination after the 3-1 loss at Truist Park. Tyler Mahle will start Game 4 on Wednesday. Even if he goes deep in the game and the Braves win, they would likely use another so-called bullpen game for a deciding Game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

The Braves have gotten more than they could have hoped for from journeyman Ray Kerr and rookie Didier Fuentes. Going to that well against the Dodgers becomes more perilous each time.

The lack of pitching depth is catching up to the Braves. Team president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos invested more in other areas of the roster during the offseason.

Paying shortstop Ha-Seong Kim $20 million was a mistake. But the Braves won the NL East with the help of a fortified bullpen, improved outfield platoon and do-everything utilityman Mauricio Dubón.

The Braves are now down to Sale and Mahle as October starters after injuries sidelined six pitchers. The third active starter, Grant Holmes, has only pitched in relief during the postseason.

Manager Walt Weiss had to get the most out of a thin pitching staff twice at Dodger Stadium over the weekend. The Braves won once and, after a day off, reset with Sale.

Sale worked out of jams in each of the first three innings against the Dodgers, but they scored three runs in the fourth. Andy Pages hit a two-run homer with one out and Freddie Freeman hit a solo shot with two outs.

“One bad inning kind of ruined the game,” Sale said.

That’s a harsh self-assessment. Braves hitters gave him little help, especially the top of the lineup.

Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson combined to go 1-for-11 with five strikeouts and one walk. Baldwin drove in his team’s only run with a groundout against Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Sale threw 95 pitches against the Phillies on Wednesday and 21 pitches in a relief appearance two days later. He needed 95 pitches to make it through five innings against the Dodgers.

Weiss said he doesn’t think Sale, 37, hit a wall Tuesday.

“He had to work hard to get the outs that he got,” Weiss said. “But he looked like Chris Sale to me.”

The Braves will turn to Mahle in Game 4. Weiss said Mahle “changed our rotation” when he joined the Braves before the trade deadline. Mahle was great against the Phillies in the Wild Card Series. Maybe he’ll do the same against the Dodgers.

Braves pitching was stretched thin after three games against the Phillies in the Wild Card Series, followed by back-to-back games at Dodger Stadium during the weekend. That’s why winning Game 3 with Sale was crucial.

The lack of a third quality starter in the postseason behind Sale and Mahle looms large now.

After last season, Anthopoulos identified acquiring a top-tier starter as a priority. He ended up signing Martín Pérez to a minor league deal.

Anthopoulos tried again to find a playoff-caliber starter before the trade deadline. He ended up acquiring Mahle from the Giants for expendable reliever Anthony Molina.

Those were good moves for the Braves. Mahle and Pérez were effective starters during the season. Mahle has made one good start in the playoffs.

Anthopoulos has a knack for getting it right on low-risk, high-reward acquisitions.

“Alex and his team, they do a really good job of identifying these types of guys,” Weiss said before Game 3.

Mahle will get another chance to prove his value. The Dodgers present a different kind of challenge than the Phillies. They have several patient hitters in their lineup.

Mahle faced the Dodgers in April and held them scoreless over seven innings.

“That’s all you can do out there is make pitches,” Mahle said. “I’m not trying to trick them. They know. They’ve seen me. I’m sure they’re going to watch film, whatever.

“So, it’s making pitches at the right times. And that’s all you can hope to do.”

Mahle said he felt “a little tweak” before starting the game against the Phillies, but not during it. He said there were also no issues during his bullpen session between starts.