[Prodigal Son]

For fun, here's a narrated game. Braves versus Marlins.

We come into this game with a well-rested pitching staff. Every HL pitcher is available. SP Brandon McCarthy gets the start, but I tell LL/ML Brad Ziegler to get warm as well. If McCarthy gives up a baserunner, we'll call in Ziegler to keep the ball in the yard and potentially coax a double play. Kris Bryant is the opposing #3 hitter.

Addison Russell smacks a one-out double, so Ziegler sits down and we decide to intentionally walk Bryant. After him is lefty Matt Olson, so do we signal McCarthy to give the ol' "unintentional intentional walk" to give us time to warm up a LHP to face Olson?

I decide that's what we'll do, as the two hitters after Olson actually hit righties better as well. We signal for ML Alex Claudio to get warm. He isn't our best lefty K artist, but he keeps the ball in the park and is an extreme GB pitcher, so we could possibly get the DP. McCarthy takes his time issuing a four-pitch walk, and then I make a mound visit to bring in Claudio. Runners on first and second, one out. This is a big situation.

Olson hits a massive fly ball to center, but he gets under it and Inciarte makes the grab. Russell tags and heads to third. Claudio loads them up with a walk, then goes to a full count on Nick Williams. Huge pitch, and ... he strikes out. Whew.

That took Claudio 16 pitches, so we're going to be going deep into that rested 'pen barring an offensive outburst.

Bellinger takes a walk and goes first-to-third on a single by Khris Davis (he was running on a 3-2 count), and Castro drives him home with a single before the innings comes to an end. 1-0 Braves.

I trot Claudio back out, but with six straight RHB's due up, I get LL/ML Ziegler warm again. With this being his second warm-up, he'll have to come in or else sit the rest of the game. Do I warm up HL Feliz too? Tough call. With a one-run lead and with being on the 6th day of a 9-day stretch with no days off, I leave Feliz sitting. If Ziegler comes on, he's going to need to face a few hitters, period.

Claudio surrenders a leadoff single, so Ziegs comes on. He gets a fly out, then he notches a putout at second base on a poor bunt by the opposing pitcher, then strikes out Anthony Alford for the third out. He is due up third in the inning, so we'll need to warm someone up if the first hitter gets out. Fortunately for us, the first two hitters get on base. Normally I'd still pull the pitcher, but Ziegler is a very good bunter. He promptly bunts into 1-6-4(3?) double play. Then this groundball specialist gives up a solo HR in the next half-inning. Baseball is awesome.

The Braves take a 2-1 lead on the baseball event with the widest disparity between label and excitement level: the wild pitch.

Ziegler does manage to stay on to pitch 3 innings before giving way to a pinch hitter, Ohtani, who crushes an RBI double. He may only be hitting .173, but at least he has 7 XBH in 75 AB's. Still better production than teams get from their pitcher spot in the order.

SP / HL Ohtani stays on to pitch to see if he can make it through the righties. ML / HL Blevins warms up to face the string of LHB, SH, LHB that are due up 4th, 5th, 6th in the inning (or to face them starting the next inning). Ohtani strikes out two and walks Bryant, but Blevins gets the final out. Braves go quietly in the bottom of the innings while Aaron Judge racks up what feels like his 900th strikeout of the year. The score is 3-1 Braves after 5.

Blevins stays on to pitch the bottom of the Marlins' order. We're hoping this is all his inning, as the bullpen sits quiet, and he responds by going 1-2-3 against Miami's worst hitters. His spot comes up in the bottom of the 6th with two outs and a runner on second, so I bring in Maikel Franco and have NL Jordan Lyles warm up. HL Ken Giles stretches and tosses, with the opposing 9-1-2 spots due up.

Lyles gets one out in the 7th before surrendering a single. Giles comes on to face Russell and Kris Bryant, clinging to a 3-1 lead. Big situation with the tying run at the plate. Alford steals second. Russell F-9. Then Bryant lines out to LF to end the inning. Whew. Would have been nice to have Lyles make it through, but them's the breaks.

Judge cranks a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 7th, so I warm up NL Bleier. With Giles having only thrown 5 pitches, I decide to leave him in to attempt to get at least the first out of the 8th. He strikes out Olson. At 10 pitches in, do I leave him in to get one more out? With a 4-run lead, I decide not to. Double switch, bringing in SS Marrero (who is slick with the glove), bumping Starlin to 2B, Lowrie to 3B, and pulling Ian Happ.

Aaron Judge racks up his 4th K. 1-5, HR, 4 k's. Sounds about right. Braves tack on another run, Bleier finishes it up without any drama (and without anyone else having to warm up in the 'pen), and we get the 6-1 win.

Analysis: A nice win. It would have been nice if McCarthy or Lyles could have given us more innings, but in a close game they were on a short leash. All of the top arms pitched like it. We used 8 pitchers who compiled 11 K / 3 BB / 1 HR.

Ziegler gets the W to move to 2-2. Holds go to Blevins (3), Lyles (1), and Giles (5). No scorer's discretion save awarded to Bleier, who came in with a four-run lead and pitched 1.2 innings.