Bryce Elder Reflects on Missed Challenge in Braves Loss to Mets

The Atlanta Braves fell behind early. The comeback fell short. Another game against the New York Mets was dropped. One decision, or a lack thereof, in the first inning could have changed the scope of the game early on.

We'll never know for certain, but it's hard to imagine what would have happened if one ABS challenge had been made on the same pitch that Sean Murphy threw out the runner at second. The pitch was called ball four was a strike when looking back at the location.

It would have been overturned. It would have been a strike 'em out, throw 'em out. There would have been two outs instead of one.

Starting pitcher Bryce Elder did a half-hearted tap of his cap to indicate a challenge and pointed toward home. Crickets followed from the umpires. The rally continues, and Brett Baty hits a two-out grand slam for the Mets.

Marcus Semien struck out in the previous at-bat. That could have been the out that retired the side and left the game 1-0.

"I think if I had stood my ground and tapped my hat longer, maybe he would have seen me," Elder said after the game. "But, yeah, I didn't. So, you got to make better pitches."

Elder admitted he was surprised that he had the knee-jerk reaction to challenge. He typically doesn't. Pitchers typically don't challenge in general. That tendency, along with everything going on in general during that play, may have just had the umpires looking anywhere but the pitcher.

"I don't think - probably, the umpire's attention doesn't go to the pitcher," manager Walt Weiss said after the game. "They're looking at the catcher for the challenge. There's 99% of the time that's where the challenge is coming from."

Perhaps that's a situation where it could be best to normalize pitchers making the challenge. Elder isn't inclined to challenge more often, but if he were to choose a time going forward, that would be the time.

"I think the only time that I have a chance to challenge is when there's so many moving parts with the steal and the baserunner. So, I don't know. I don't know if there's an answer to it. I think stuff happens so quick out there. Just one of those deals. I guess we'll move on and try to do better."

In the end, it's merely a what-if. All they can do is shake it off. To Elder's point, the game still go out of hand. He still allowed baserunners after the fact and two more runs after the first inning.

He's in the right headspace to not just point to that one moment for everything that went wrong while still understanding that he can still be more assertive with challenges should the situation come about again.

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