They haven’t put together a sustained body of work that can be mentioned in the same breath as the Braves’ former “O’Ventbrel” bullpen trio, but the team’s current Big 3 relievers lately have been shutting down opponents in comparable fashion.
Luis Avilan and Jordan Walden have filled in ably for injured setup men Eric O’Flaherty and Jonny Venters, and closer Craig Kimbrel has bounced back from a sluggish two-week period to pitch much as he did during 2011-12, when he was baseball’s most dominant reliever.
The three helped the Braves carve a major league-leading 2.68 bullpen ERA and majors-best .610 opponents’ on-base-plus-slugging percentage before Thursday.
“Those guys have done an amazing job,” said Braves catcher Brian McCann, who also noted key performances by relievers Anthony Varvaro and David Carpenter. “To fill those shoes, to fill in for those two guys, O’Flaherty and Venters, with what they’ve done the last four years, has been nothing short of remarkable. Some are stepping into new roles, and they’re answering the bell.”
Kimbrel had a 1.48 ERA, 23 saves in 26 opportunities, and 43 strikeouts with 10 walks in 30 1/3 innings before Thursday. Avilan had a 1.60 ERA in 39 appearances, with a .150 opponents’ average that was tied for second-lowest among all major league relievers (minimum 20 innings).
Walden, after missing much of spring training with a bulging disk and spending time on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, had a 2.63 ERA in 28 appearances before Thursday, with 30 strikeouts and five walks (two intentional) in 27 1/3 innings.
Each member of the Braves’ revamped Big 3 has turned it up a notch or two in recent weeks — after Walden returned from the DL and Avilan recovered from a strained hamstring.
Avilan is a protege of O’Flaherty and pitches a lot like him, preferring to walk a batter rather than “give in” and throw a pitch over the middle when behind in a count. He eschews strikeouts for double-play grounders any time he can get them and will pitch around right-handed hitters to get to lefty hitters he’s confident he can retire.
The young lefty had an 0.77 ERA and an .083 opponents’ average in his past 26 appearances before Thursday, including only two hits and no earned runs allowed in 16 innings over his past 18 appearances.
“I’ve been feeling really good,” Avilan said. “All my pitches are good right now. I just think baseball is about being lucky sometimes. In Kansas City the other day, those guys made good contact, but in the perfect direction (for an out). Maybe today there’s going to be five bloopers and two runs. You don’t control that. You just can control throwing strikes, and that’s it.”
Of his bigger role this season, he said: “I feel like I have more responsibility, but I feel comfortable and I know what I have to do. Don’t try to do too much.”
Walden gave up five hits and five earned runs while recording only four outs in a three-appearance span before going on the DL in mid-May. Since returning, he posted an 0.63 ERA and a .104 opponents’ average in 14 appearances before Thursday, allowing one run (on a homer) and five hits with 14 strikeouts and two walks in 14 1/3 innings.
“My arm feels great,” the former Angels closer said. “Just trying to attack hitters, man. Throw strikes and attack them.”
Kimbrel allowed eight hits, five runs and three homers in 4 2/3 innings over five appearances from April 24 through May 7, blowing three saves in that period and causing some concern in Braves Country.
In 17 appearances since, he converted 13 consecutive saves while allowing 10 hits and seven walks with 22 strikeouts in 17 scoreless innings before Thursday.
“We just try to do our job because we know in the ninth inning it’s going to be Kimbrel, and that’s lights out,” Avilan said. “That’s game over.”
