Walks bite Braves relievers again, Ramirez cites shoulder tightness

No other major league bullpen has issued as many walks as the Braves’ pen. And no Atlanta reliever has as many walks as Jose Ramirez after he walked three more at a most unfortunate time for his team Tuesday night, in the 10th inning against the Phillies.

Ramirez walked the leadoff hitter on four pitches in the 10th inning of a 1-1 game, gave up a two-run, two-strike, two-out double, then allowed another walk and another two-run double in the inning as the Phillies pulled away for a 5-1 win. Braves relievers issued six walks to raise their total to 46 in 63-1/3 innings, while no other big-league bullpen had more than 36 walks before Tuesday.

Ramirez told reporters afterward that he’s had trouble with shoulder tightness since spring training and that it worsened lately. Which was noteworthy in that it was the first time he or anyone with the Braves had mentioned anything about his shoulder bothering him.

He was left in to throw 32 pitches in the 10th inning Tuesday which made the tight-shoulder information all the more surprising, three days after he was charged with five runs in freezing drizzle and bone-chilling wind at Wrigley Field.

“Yeah, I’m definitely worried about the walks,” Ramirez said through a translator when asked about his ballooning walks total, which included two in the Braves’ nine-run eighth-inning debacle Saturday at Chicago.

The Braves could point to extremely cold, wet conditions as a big reason for four relievers struggling in that inning with five walks (three with bases loaded), two hit batters and a wild pitch -- including five runs, two hits and two walks charged to Ramirez, who recorded just one out that day.

But the weather was nice Tuesday night, dry and in the mid-60s. Arodys Vizcaino issued a four-pitch walk in the ninth and retired the next three batters.

Ramirez wasn’t nearly as fortunate after issuing a four-pitch walk to Scott Kingery to start the 10th. He has eight walks in 6-1/3 innings; only one major league reliever had more than eight walks before Tuesday. Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run double that broke the tie, and Ramirez walked the next batter before Maikel Franco added another two-run double.

“I feel like I’ve been struggling with the first hitters in the (inning),” Ramirez said before mentioning his shoulder for the first time. “So yeah, I’m trying to get everything sorted out and dealing with my shoulder and everything.”

Asked what he meant, what was wrong with his shoulder, he said, “It just feels tight. And when it feels tight like that it’s difficult to kind of … to be able to throw my off-speed pitches.”

Has the shoulder been bothering him for a while?

“Yeah, it’s been something since spring training,” he said.

Might this be a problem that lands him on the disabled list?

“I don’t know. They haven’t told me anything,” he said.

Just to clarify, he was asked if Braves officials knew of the shoulder issue.

“Yeah, I’ve commented to them before,” he said. “In spring training it felt tight but not like it does now. So I’ve been working with the guys lately to just kind of get it sorted out.”

Braves pitchers issued a total of 10 walks Tuesday including four by starter Mike Foltynewicz. None of his led to runs -- he allowed just four hits and one run and had eight strikeouts in six innings -- but the extra pitches did contribute to his pitch count reaching 105 in just six innings.