The Atlanta Braves lost 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Philadelphia Phillies were aided by three home runs in the 8th inning and beyond, and now both teams are officially on the ropes with a win-or-go-home contest on Thursday.
Braves manager Walt Weiss opted to go with southpaw reliever Dylan Lee in the 8th inning, and Lee allowed back-to-back home runs to sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper (which tied the game at 3).
Atlanta has burned some arms in its bullpen, and it will be all hands on deck on Thursday in game three against the Phillies.
As is the case with these huge playoff games, the manager’s decisions are usually under a microscope, and after the Phillies game on Wednesday, Atlanta’s skipper is taking some heat.
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Quickly after the Braves’ 4-3 loss on Wednesday, FanSided.com’s Chris Landers handed out some blame to a variety of Braves characters, and manager Walt Weiss didn’t dodge the heat:
“Part of that falls on Weiss, though, who made several questionable decisions in Game 3. First and foremost: Why was Lee on the mound in that spot at all? He was sensational in the first half, but he showed signs of fatigue down the stretch, and he’d just thrown on Tuesday. Instead of turning to him against two great hitters for the second day in a row, why not call on Dylan Dodd, another lefty who was excellent during the regular season?”
But is it right to blame Walt Weiss?
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Should Walt Weiss Be to Blame for Braves Loss?
Hindsight is 20/20, and while a lot will be said about that move to bring in Dylan Lee, he has technically been the best Braves pitcher against left-handed hitters this season.
It looks like a bad move after the game, but what likely has Braves fans irate is going to Didier Fuentes for a second straight night in the 10th inning.
Walt Weiss also caught some flak for sticking with Dom Smith as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 10th inning, as Smith ended up recording the final out, but perhaps the flak will blow over before the Braves and Phillies wrap up their series on Thursday.
However, if Weiss makes the wrong moves in game three, he will be subjecting himself to more heat from the fanbase and media.
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Atlanta Braves Manager Walt Weiss Handed Blame After Phillies WC Game