Braves Tuning Out Noise About Pitching Staff During Postseason Run

The series is tied. The Atlanta Braves head back home with what is now essentially a best-of-three series again. A bullpen came together and stalled the Dodgers' lineup.

It took one loss in a bullpen game and a absence of a certain veteran lefty to allow a wave of anxiety to kick in from those on the outside looking in. This team can't possibly bullpen another game, right? Surely, it's different when it's a five-game series instead of a three-game series.

Oh, and this team didn't make the right moves at the deadline. Is now when it's finally coming back to bite them?

Nope.

Quite the opposite. False alram, guys. Time to own it.

"Yeah, I said the other day we know our club pretty well - I would think better than most," Walt Weiss said on Monday with a grin. "So, look, it's professional sports. You're only a success, really, in the moment that you're having success. That's it, and then you have to it over again."

Well, they did it over again, and they indeeded succeeded.

"It can get pretty vicious out there, but, I have all the trust in the world in Alex [Anthopoulos], and I think he trusts me, and it's been a good partnership."

Credit where it's due to manager Walt Weiss. He put the right guys in the right place to make it happen.

Say what you want about Alex Anthopoulos. He played with the bullpen a bit during the season and when deciding the roster for each postseason round, and they are where they are.

This comes from the writer who, a day before, said that it was absolutely necessary that Chris Sale get the ball. It's not that it wasn't valid to say it would be important for Sale to pitch, but sometimes a reminder is due that this team has a plan, and it's worked.

Ray Kerr opening. Didier Fuentes out of the bullpen. We all already know these storylines. Yet, we acted like the ending would be any different.

Starting pitching or no starting pitching. Length was made a focus for a reason. A bullpen game doesn't mean they burn through half the 'pen to get through one game. It's more of a collaborative effort among arms with length.

It hasn't been perfect. They likely would've wanted to get more than two outs from Grant Holmes. But they got a lot of ground covered by Ray Kerr and especially Didier Fuentes.

They'll have a day off on Monday, so anybody who tossed any inning or fewer will be available. They now have Chris Sale for Game 3 and Tyler Mahle for Game 4.

Weiss played chess yet again. He avoided getting into check, and he'll have the opportunity to tip the scales against the Dodgers on home turf. Having played with knights, bishops and pawns, he can push forward with the queen and rooks to mate his opponent.

Will some be ready to come out and say, they knew it, when something goes wrong again? Sure. For some, it's never just an off night, this is the true identity. Well, that's not the case. This is a Braves team with the pieces to go on a run.

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