CHICAGO – The Braves have lately carried an extra (13th) pitcher instead of their usual complement of bench players, but after the way they lost Friday against the Cubs, they’ll reconsider that strategy.
They had five right-handed batters and a switch-hitter in their lineup to face Cubs left-hander Jon Lester. When they needed a pinch-hitter with bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning of a tie game at Wrigley Field, the Braves didn’t have a right-handed bat.
It would be one of two left-handers, Jace Peterson, who was 0-for-6 with three strikeouts against lefties before Friday, or Kelly Johnson, who was 2-for-7 with three strikeouts against lefties this season and 1-for-15 in his career against Lester.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez went with Peterson, who has been one of the majors’ best hitters with bases loaded since the beginning of last season, going 10-for-18 with six extra-base hits and 25 RBIs in those situations before Saturday.
Peterson struck out on four pitches, looking at the third strike. Nick Markakis then grounded out to end the inning, and the Cubs hit a grand slam in a five-run eighth inning for a 6-1 lead.
“We were really left-handed dominant on the bench,” Gonzalez said. “You weigh all the options and go over all the numbers, and you say Petey’s been in this situation and always come up big with the bases loaded. You run him out there, and Lester did a nice job to get out of that situation. Then you still had a shot with Markakis, you still feel pretty good. But that didn’t materialize.”
Adding another right-handed bat for the bench, and going with one less reliever, is something the Braves planned to discuss more Friday night.
“We talked about that a little bit this afternoon,” Gonzalez said. “It’s something we’ve got to kick around – what’s the value of a 13th pitcher (compared) to a position player. At the very least, you so left-handed dominant you don’t even get the other manager to think. He (Cubs manager Joe Maddon) has got Lester on the mound and another lefty warming up. So that’s … we need to figure out which one is the best to go forward.
“At least give the opponent something to think about.”
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