NEW YORK – The Braves stemmed the losing tide of their early season by winning three of the past five games before Wednesday, and the main factor behind that encouraging stretch was pitching.
Braves starters had a 2.12 ERA in that five-game period, which included three games where starters went six or more innings and allowed one or no runs.
“They can do that,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said before Wednesday’s series finale against the Mets. “They’re young, but they can do that. They’re very talented, and you feel good every time you run them out there that they’re going to give you a quality outing.”
Toss out Mike Foltynewicz’s rough season debut Monday against the Mets — eight hits, four runs in 3 2/3 innings – and the other four starters had a 1.03 ERA in that 3-2 stretch before Wednesday. That group includes Julio Teheran, Jhoulys Chacin, second-year pitcher Matt Wisler and prospect Aaron Blair.
The Mets ended a 17-inning scoreless streak against the Braves when Rene Rivera hit a two-run homer off Chacin in the second inning Wednesday, and the Mets added two more two-run homers off Chacin in the third inning.
But Chacin doesn’t figure in the Braves’ long-term plans, and most of the starters who do are making strides, including prospect Tyrell Jenkins at Triple-A Gwinnett. He could make his major league debut this summer.
Wisler had a career-best performance in his 24th major league start Tuesday, allowing just one hit and two walks in eight innings against the power-hitting Mets in a 3-0 shutout win. Sunday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Teheran limited another power-laden lineup to two hits in seven scoreless innings.
And in Friday’s first game of the rain-shortened series against the Cubs, Blair allowed only two hits and one run in six innings, giving him a 3.18 ERA in his first two major league starts.
“That was one of the criteria this offseason with our front office – we want these guys to get better, and better, and better, the rotation,” Gonzalez said. “And they’ve done that. I think Roger has done a terrific job with these guys. They keep getting better. They throw strikes.”
After struggling plenty in the first weeks of the season, Braves starters whittled their collective ERA to 4.61 before Wednesday, which ranked just 10th in the league but was significantly improved from a week before. It included an 8.74 ERA in five starts for Bud Norris, who was dropped from the rotation last week.
If Norris’ 22 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings are tossed out, the rest of the Braves’ starters had a 3.81 ERA before Wednesday.
“You feel good, like we’re going in the right direction,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not going to predict we’re going to win 120 games or anything like that, but I feel like we’re a better team than we showed in the first three weeks of April.”
