Braves No. 6 Prospect's Triple-A Debut Part of Nightmare Game

One of the Atlanta Braves' top prospects made his debut during a brutal night for Triple-A Gwinnett on the road in Charlotte

Murphy and the Braves' Triple-A team shared a nightmare of a game | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Owen Murphy’s arrival to Triple-A wasn’t the one he had hoped for. In the Gwinnett Stripers’ 21-1 loss to Charlotte on Saturday night, the Atlanta Braves No. 6 prospect pitched four innings, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks. 

He allowed two of the seven home runs that the Knights hit off Stripers pitching. This is the most home runs the team has ever allowed in a single game in their history. Before the game, Gwinnett’s most homers allowed in a single game was six, also against the Knights in Charlotte (July 18, 2021).

The rough debut inflated his ERA for the year, now split between Double-A and Triple-A, to 6.93 and his WHIP to 1.86 on the year through six starts.

Murphy's promotion to Triple-A was announced earlier this week. This season was also his first at the Double-A level, so he's had a couple quick promotions as of late. He had pitched his previous 16 starts, excluding a rehab assignment start at the complex in Florida, with High-A Rome.

Reagrdless of the fact that he had time away due to Tommy John surgery mixed in, the following promotion came after just five starts.

In his Double-A debut, he struck out 10 batters to get the season underway. Since then, he’s battled inconsistencies. Sometimes, he has gotten through five innings while limiting the damage to a lone run. Other times, he’s been pulled before completing three innings. 

He was part of the Braves' big league camp for the first few weeks of spring training. He made two starts, allowing an earned run on two hits and walk while striking out six.

The buzz around Murphy has been high. It's clear he needs the time to adjust to high-caliber hitting that is seen in the higher levels of the minor leagues, but that doesn't diminish the expectations. We'll in time how he adjusts.

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