Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters show exhaustion as Atlanta Braves tumble in Wild Card race – MLB News
The Atlanta Braves dropped advantage in the Wild Card standings after being blanked by Florida Marlins 0-4 on Wednesday, September 21 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida. Three games ahead the St. Louis Cardinals before this game, the Braves dropped 1.5
games after Cardinals managed to win their clash against the New York Mets.
A major reason for this poor showing, just when it matters the most, has been a dip in form of Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters, both of whom have been dominant as relief pitchers throughout the season. The pair can easily be rated as the best on the circuit
and a sudden plunge in form seems to be more than just a coincidence.
On Sunday, September 18, the New York Mets scored runs off both Venters and Kimbrel. Before that, the pair had never leaked runs in the same game and this is enough evidence of fatigue taking over the best in the business.
Statistically speaking, Venters has made a league-leading 82 appearances thus far while Kimbrel has featured in 77 games to tie for the second-most appearance in the Majors this season. Both pitchers toss above the 95 mph barrier with Kimbrel touching the
100 mph mark.
Their workload increased considerably when Eric O’Flaherty was given rest for a couple of times during the season, citing back strain. The two saved most of their chances to give Atlanta a stupendous lead in the Wild Card standings and increased their odds
of qualifying for the post-season.
However, unrelenting commitment and dedication has taken a toll on the fitness of Kimbrel and Venters and the team is now at a standstill with Jair Jurrjens also out of the ranks. The duo should have been used strategically so as to extend their duration
on the mound and keep them in shape for the playoffs. Their statistics are extremely high, given the complexity and the intensity of competition nowadays and a methodical solution needs to be carved out for the bull-pen to perform impeccably.
The Braves were 5.5 games ahead on September 10 but have since dropped a lead of four games to rekindle the battle for the National League post-season spot.
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