Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson had a no-hitter going in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday night against the Houston Astros. After five innings and 76 pitches from Anderson with the Braves leading 1-0, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker opted to pull the rookie right-hander.
Now, the conditions are rainy and messy at Truist Park, and despite the no-hitter, Anderson had some command issues (with three walks, one hit-by-pitch, and 39 of the 76 pitches for strikes). Additionally, doing whatever it takes to win is the priority when it’s the World Series, and Anderson averaged only 68 pitches over his previous three starts (and only threw 100-plus pitches once this season, back in May). The Atlanta bullpen was fresh after a day off on Thursday, and we know teams are now being more aggressive with bullpens than ever before.
The Braves lost the combined no-hitter in the top of the eighth inning, when Aledmys Díaz hit a bloop single vs Tyler Matzek on a very catchable ball.
Here’s a sampling of how Twitter reacted to Anderson’s performance and Snitker’s decision to pull him:
https://twitter.com/JATayler/status/1454279801531949062
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.