Instead of going home Sunday night and having an off day Monday to rest and recoup after the road trip as originally planned, the Braves travel to Chicago to play a makeup game against the Cubs.
Which maybe isn’t a bad thing, depending on your view.
“It’s nice, I guess, to get this game in since we’re kind of in a hot streak right now,” Braves reliever A.J. Minter said before Sunday’s series finale against the Marlins, the sixth game of a trip that began at Tampa Bay. “I mean, I think looking forward to the future, this game could (affect the postseason picture).”
The Braves won 11 of their past 15 games before Sunday including 11 of 13 on the road to move into first place in the National League East.
Monday’s game is a makeup of the April 15 game that was postponed due to wet and freezing conditions. At that time the Braves were in the midst of a 7-8 stretch that included two blown saves in three chances, six losses by relievers and a 6.02 bullpen ERA.
Relievers gave up 37 earned runs in 55-1/3 innings during that 15-game stretch through April 24, including 11 runs (10 earned) in just 2-2/3 innings of an infamous 14-10 loss on April 14 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
You remember, the game where the Braves led 10-2 entering the seventh inning. In a remarkable eighth, Braves relievers gave up nine runs on three hits, five walks (three with bases loaded), two hit-by-pitches, one wild pitch and one error.
The temperature dropped from 38 degrees with a 28 wind chill at first pitch to the low 30s with freezing rain and bone-chilling wind in the late innings, and Braves infielders and pitchers said they couldn’t even feel their fingertips.
But, as some Braves also noted, the Cubs had to deal with the same unplayable conditions.
During the Braves’ 11-5 run since April 25 through Saturday, Braves relievers converted all seven save opportunities and posted a 2.18 ERA, .218 opponents’ average and 60 strikeouts with 23 walks in 57-2/3 innings.
"There's way too much talent (in the bullpen) to continue to put up the numbers that we were doing," veteran reliever Peter Moylan said of the turnaround. "That inning in Chicago, I say that was no fault of ours; obviously you've got to try and pitch through the elements, but pitching through that was really tough.
“But I think the guys out there have gotten really comfortable and know what their role is and are willing to do whatever it takes to get a win.”
Now, the Braves return to the scene of the crime, so to speak. Or the eighth-inning atrocity.
They’re hitting and pitching at a higher level than four weeks ago.
“It’s obviously not ideal, not to mention losing an off day especially in this stretch we’re on right now,” Moylan said of the one-game scenario Monday. “But it’s unfortunately how it worked out and we need to go in there and keep the foot on the pedal like we have been.”
