Matt Wisler’s unexpected dominance Thursday earned him another go.
Wisler pitched seven innings, allowing one run with eight strikeouts and no walks against the first-place Mets. He became the first Braves starter to reach seven innings.
His spot-start was the result of Anibal Sanchez straining his hamstring during warm-ups Wednesday. The injury wasn't as severe as it first appeared, but Sanchez will be out for at least another pair of starts.
Wisler warranted an additional look, according to Braves manager Brian Snitker. His scheduled slot in the rotation would come up again Tuesday in Cincinnati.
“He pitched well enough to put himself in position to do that,” Snitker said. “Guy pitches that well, it’s almost like you want to get him back out there and hopefully he does it again.”
Wisler, 25, posted a 2.25 ERA across two starts with Triple-A Gwinnett before joining the Braves. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his second start, an outing Snitker said spectators called “the best he’s looked in a very long time.”
Perhaps it was a flash in the pan. Wisler’s done it before – including his eight-inning, one-run start against the Diamondbacks in August 2016 – but he’ll at least be afforded another chance to prove himself.
“You never know when…. He’s not an old kid. He’s still a young guy learning,” Snitker said. “You just never know when guys figure it out or the light goes on. It’s exciting and really encouraging, what we saw last night. It’s a good situation right now.”
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