JUST-IN: Two Pitches, Five Runs, Game Over: Braves’ Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach 2 Big Mistakes That Derail Braves’ Comeback Hopes Against Blue Jays

A Couple of Costly Mistakes from Spencer Schwellenbach Derail Braves’ Comeback Hopes Against Blue Jays

What began as a seemingly routine fifth inning quickly unraveled for Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach in a way that proved costly. After a gritty nine-pitch at-bat, Myles Straw singled to get on base. That brought up Blue Jays rookie Alan Roden, who jumped all over a first-pitch curveball left hanging over the middle of the plate and crushed it for a two-run homer, giving Toronto the lead. While it was a mistake, it wasn’t devastating — the Braves still trailed just 3-1.

However, things quickly snowballed. Back-to-back hits from Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set the stage for newly acquired slugger Anthony Santander. Once again, Schwellenbach served up a first-pitch meatball, this time a cutter, and Santander didn’t miss — blasting a three-run homer that essentially put the game out of reach.

To make matters worse, the Braves tried to rally later in the game with solo home runs from Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies, trimming the deficit to three runs. Had Schwellenbach managed to limit the damage in the fifth, those homers might have been game-changers. Instead, they merely softened the blow in a game that had already slipped away.

This outing may offer a few key takeaways. Both Roden and Santander — left-handed hitters — were clearly aggressive early in the count, which might suggest they had some insight from the scouting report. Still, it’s just as likely that Schwellenbach simply made two poorly executed pitches and paid the price.

Ultimately, it was a tough lesson in execution for the young right-hander. One or two misplaced pitches were all it took to flip the momentum and cost the Braves a potential comeback opportunity.