A bullpen decision backfires and the Braves are up against it

The situation didn’t necessarily demand that Braves manager Walt Weiss go with Dylan Lee out of the bullpen, but that hasn’t stopped Weiss before from making decisions that were ultimately proven right.

But in the lengthening shadows Wednesday afternoon at Truist Park, Weiss’ call to put the game in Lee’s hands backfired and now the Braves will play Thursday to keep their season alive.

Win and advance to the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lose and the season is over, gallingly to the Phillies for the third time in five seasons.

Here’s something to rev up your cortisol level: The Braves have not won a winner-take-all playoff game since 1996 (Game 7 of the NLCS over St. Louis), losing six in a row since then.

In the aftermath of the Braves’ 4-3 loss in 10 innings in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series, Weiss’ decision to hand the ball to Lee in the top of the eighth with the Braves leading 3-1 was on the front burner.

In that crucible, Lee surrendered back-to-back home runs to Phillies sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. The obliterated solo blasts tied the game at 3, giving Philadelphia breath and the path to win it in the 10th on an Alec Bohm home run off rookie reliever Didier Fuentes.

“Lee is our high-leverage lefty,” Weiss said. “Put down the same part of the order (Tuesday) pretty easily. Threw the ball really well (Tuesday). So, no, that’s his inning every time.”

Despite Weiss’ confidence, Lee had struggled down the stretch. Over his final 13 regular-season appearances, he had a 9.28 ERA in 10 2/3 innings with a WHIP of 2.25. And, while he had retired Schwarber (strikeout) and Harper (flyout) in Game 1, the at-bats also afforded both hitters a look at Lee before facing him a day later.

“Just got to attack and keep working on my pitches to get those three outs,” Lee told a phalanx of camera lights in the quiet of the Braves clubhouse after the game.

Had his slider – which both Schwarber and Harper pummeled – been giving him trouble?

“Nope.”

So many of Weiss’ decisions have worked out in his first season managing the Braves, who likely wouldn’t have won the National League East without his leadership.

Even in Game 1 on Tuesday, he pushed a button that didn’t make sense on the surface but proved right. He made left-handed Mike Yastrzemski his designated hitter against lefty starter Jesús Luzardo, even though he was 0-for-7 against him in his career and is a .210 career hitter against lefties.

But Yastrzemski validated the move with an early run-scoring single to contribute to the 5-3 win.

After seven standout innings and 95 pitches, starter Tyler Mahle was not an option, Weiss said, especially after suffering an abdominal pull before the game.

Fuentes and lefty Dylan Dodd, who has yet to pitch in the series, did seem like possibilities. Ironically, Fuentes retired Schwarber and Harper in the top of the 10th before giving up the home run to Bohm.

Weiss was steadfast in his choice.

“That’s a perfect inning for Dylan Lee,” he said. “He took that inning down (Tuesday) in a very similar scenario.”

Here’s one way of looking at this meltdown.

There’s no reason why Austin Riley should have hit the game-winning home run Tuesday, given the season he had, against a standout closer in Jhoan Duran.