The Braves have the youngest starting rotation in the majors, so they will probably get uneven results from those pitchers from time to time. But lately the starters have been the team's most consistent component.
Entering Thursday, Braves starters had compiled a 3.18 ERA over the past ten games while pitching an average of more than six innings per outing. The Braves on Wednesday traded one of those starters, Jhoulys Chacin, but the five current starters started nine games over that span and posted a 2.18 ERA while averaging 6 2/3 innings.
The solid starting pitching has kept the Braves competitive in most games in spite of their sputtering offense. Another benefit is less wear and tear on relief pitchers after they logged 83 innings over 23 games in April.
“There’s not a bullpen that’s made go to it in the fifth inning three, four, five times a week,” Braves manger Fredi Gonzalez said before Thursday’s game against the Phillies. “It won’t last. These last three games we got deep in ballgames. You can set it up late in the games to go lefty/righty. You can do those kind of things and it makes it a lot easier.
“You can get some (relief) guys some rest. There was a stretch there where guys were pitching four out of five days, six out of eight. That formula doesn’t work when you start getting into July and August.”
