On Friday night, the Braves started a rookie pitcher for the third consecutive game. For the third straight game, the Braves came out on top.
Jared Shuster had one of his best outings of the season, pitching 5-2/3 innings and allowing just one run as the Braves cruised to an 8-1 victory over the Rockies. He allowed five hits and struck out two.
Shuster recognized his role as part of a very young starting rotation.
“The Braves do a great job developing guys, and obviously, (we’re) seeing that with how well AJ (Smith-Shawver), Bryce (Elder) and (Spencer) Strider have done,” Shuster said. “Super cool to be a part of.”
Shuster’s outing came after a decent performance from Dylan Dodd in Detroit and a good start by Smith-Shawver in the series opener against Colorado on Thursday. Reliever Collin McHugh got the win against the Tigers in Wednesday’s game.
Like Shuster, Braves manager Brian Snitker attributes the success to the strength of the organization.
“Our scouting and player development is pretty much what you credit to that,” Snitker said. “Those guys found these guys, they developed them, and now we’re reaping the benefits of them.”
The Braves scored eight runs off Rockies starter Dinelson Lamet, allowing Shuster to pitch with a cushion. He threw strikes and relied on his defense, benefiting from catcher Travis d’Arnaud catching Ezequiel Tovar trying to steal second in the first inning, and a diving catch from first baseman Matt Olson in the second that prevented extra bases. Olson also threw out a runner attempting to stretch a single into a double, picking up the ball in foul territory in right field, spinning and firing to second.
“Love having him over there,” Shuster said.
The start was the eighth of Shuster’s big-league career. He threw 64 pitches through the first five scoreless innings, tied for his longest in a start, before he ran into trouble in the sixth. He gave up two hits and walked two, giving up a run, but reliever Kirby Yates struck out Jorge Alfaro with the bases loaded.
“It’s always a tough spot to not control [the rest of the inning],” Shuster said, “but I trust Kirby and the guys out there.”
Fastball command was key to Shuster’s success. He struggled to locate his slider early, but relied on fastballs and changeups, attacking the Rockies’ lineup knowing he had a lead.
Shuster is pitching with more confidence. While he has completed six innings just once in his career, he is 4-0 with a 3.31 ERA in his last five starts. He became the fifth Braves rookie since 2010 to earn wins in three consecutive appearances, joining Mike Minor, Matt Wisler, Michael Soroka and Strider.
The Braves’ streak of starting rookie pitchers ends Saturday, as Bryce Elder, in his second year in the majors, will start against Connor Seabold at 4:10 p.m.
