Atlanta Braves’ Kris Medlen looking to carry momentum forward in remaining games of season - MLB
Ever since carrying out starting job for the Atlanta Braves, Kris Medlen has been incredible. His presence in the rotation has entirely changed the notion that the Braves possess ordinary pitching staff.
He has all of a sudden brought the Braves to a level which the Washington Nationals boast in the season in terms of their pitching staff.
However, the tremendous success he enjoys right now has not rendered him complacent. Far from getting carried away, he is looking for ways to keep his dominance against the batters afloat.
In light of the fact that he had Tommy John surgery, the Braves accorded him special care. In order to lighten the burden on his arm, in the beginning of the season he was employed on the mound as a reliever.
However, they have now included him in their rotation. Medlen has proven to be such an amazing success as a starter that he has surpassed the rest of the hurlers in the team in various categories of pitching statistics.
He has outwitted batters well. His ability to gauge the intent of the hitters and manipulate throws accordingly has hardly left any batter to strike freely against him.
His link to the wins of the Braves has now established so firmly that he is being looked upon as their most reliable arm for the post-season contests. Braves have clinched a place in the playoffs which means he will be bracing for the pressure cooker moments
ahead.
Meeting the expectations will be a huge challenge for him. Outthinking batters that have been so prolific in the season during competitive matches will never be easy.
“I’m not going to change my approach,” Medlen said. “I pitch effectively to where you can be real aggressive against me or you can be really patient. If I’m around the zone and you’re patient, it helps me out. And if you’re aggressive and the pitch is down
in the zone, it helps me too. I don’t know. I think it just comes down to me making some mistakes and guys making me pay for it. I hung a curveball to Bryce Harper and he absolutely smashed it.”
It will be exciting to see whether Medlen can keep his form intact in the playoffs and help the Braves achieve something special.
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