Latest news with #Schwellenbach
Reuters
5 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Spencer Schwellenbach K's 11 as Braves blank Red Sox
May 31 - Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. each hit home runs to support Spencer Schwellenbach's strong start and the Atlanta Braves blanked the visiting Boston Red Sox 5-0 on Saturday to even their three-game interleague series. The Braves, who had lost seven of their last nine, took a 3-2 lead in the season series. Boston has dropped six of its last seven. Riley and Acuna both went deep in the fourth inning when the Braves rallied for four runs to take control. Schwellenbach (4-4) pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed five hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts. It was his second straight appearance with 11 strikeouts, matching his career high. Daysbel Hernandez struck out both batters he faced to close the seventh. Dylan Lee pitched a perfect eighth and Rafael Montero worked the ninth to nail down Atlanta's third shutout win. Boston starter Walker Buehler (4-3) threw a season-high 106 pitches, only 64 for strikes, during 5 2/3 innings. He allowed five runs on 10 hits, two walks and six strikeouts. He had allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last six starts. The Braves scored in the first when Acuna singled and scored on Matt Olson's two-out double. Leading off the fourth, Riley drove a knuckle curve 400 feet into the left-center field stands for his 10th home run. Riley had driven the previous pitch into the seats, but it veered foul at the last minute. Ozzie Albies followed with a walk, took second on Buehler's errant pickoff throw and scored when Michael Harris II lined a single to center field. Acuna then drilled a 428-foot homer to right-center, his third in eight games, to make it 5-0. Boston had two hits in both the fourth and fifth innings and failed to score. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy baseball's shocking No. 1 pitcher and other early season risers
Fantasy baseball analyst Dalton Del Don examines the starting pitching landscape, revealing five pitchers on the rise and one trending down. Go here for hitting risers. Greene's 2.75 ERA last season came with a 3.81 SIERA, but he's done anything but regress while looking like one of baseball's best pitchers in 2025. He's increased his K% (31.3) while cutting his BB% (4.0%) by more than half. A favorable schedule has helped, but three of Greene's four starts have come in hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. Greene has averaged a career-high 99.4 mph with his fastball, which is a full 1.5 mph higher than the next best (Paul Skenes). His slider is an even better pitch. Greene leads all starters in CSW (34.2%), so he's been as legit as it gets (and fantasy's No. 1 pitcher). Greene owns a 1.00 ERA, a 0.58 WHIP and a 23.7 K-BB% since July 1 (13 starts). Over those last 80.2 innings, 75 of them have been scoreless. Greene's 0.98 ERA, .175 BABIP and 2.6 HR/FB% have nowhere to go but up (especially considering he owns the lowest GB% among all starters), but he looks like a massive fantasy win with an SP34 Yahoo ADP. Schwellenbach has allowed just one run over 20.0 innings with a 0.65 WHIP over three starts to open the season. His 0.45 ERA is a league low. He posted a 28:3 K:BB ratio over 21.0 innings during spring, and Schwellenbach now owns a minuscule 2.17 ERA since July 1 (112.0 innings). His K/9 (8.55) is a bit down compared to 2024, but his K% (26.8) is actually up (25.4). Schwellenbach has increased his splitter and sinker usage, which has led to the seventh-highest GB% (58.3) among starters. Schwellenbach obviously won't finish with numbers this good, but he looks like a fantasy ace. Strider struck out 13-of-21 batters faced during his final rehab start, and he's set to make his season debut Wednesday. Strider posted a 1.32 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP with 27 Ks over three dominant Triple-A starts (13.2 innings). His four-seamer appears close to normal, and let's not forget this was the best pitcher on the planet before getting injured. The track record has been ugly for pitchers undergoing multiple elbow surgeries, but science has advanced. And because the partial tear from the fragment was near the bone, Strider became a candidate for a relatively new InternalBrace surgery that promises a quicker return (11.3 months on average compared to 18.8 for Tommy John). OOPSY projects a 2.88 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP and a 26.7 K-BB% rest of season. Strider was the SP32 in ADP, but it only took a few weeks of patience for fantasy managers to now have a top-five SP on their teams. Bubic is a former first round pick who became far more effective after moving to the bullpen last season. He's struggled when starting previously during his career, but Bubic has carried over last season's major gains into 2025 while moving back to the rotation. He owns a 0.96 ERA that's accompanied by a 2.87 SIERA that ranks top 20 among starters. Bubic's CSW (31.8%) ranks fifth best. The lefty has reverse splits throughout his career, and he'll continue to have to overcome pitching in hitter-friendly Kauffman Stadium (4.80 ERA at home compared to 0.59 on the road during last season's small sample). Bubic gets a tough matchup in Yankee Stadium his next time out, but his transition back to starting has gone better than expected to say the least. Bubic was the SP90 while going undrafted in more than 90% of Yahoo leagues, but he's been fantasy's No. 6 pitcher to start 2025. Baz tossed another gem (11:0 K:BB) Monday night, and he now owns a 1.42 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP and a 27:4 K:BB ratio over 19.0 innings. That comes with a 2.01 SIERA and a 32.4 K-BB% that both rank second among qualified starters. Baz dominated the Pirates' league worst offense during his season debut, but he's faced two above average lineups (Angels and Red Sox) since. Steinbrenner Field is going to be much more favorable for hitters than Tropicana Field, but Baz has made all three of his starts at home. Baz is a former top 15 pick who was once the top pitching prospect in baseball. His average fastball velocity has been up, and he looks much healthier now compared to last season. Baz was the SP66 in Yahoo ADP and is a clear fantasy riser. Burnes has surrendered three homers and nine walks over just 15.2 innings (three starts) to open the season. A strong spring (27.8 K-BB%) and a new cutter introduced late last season provided optimism for Burnes after joining Arizona, but his decline has only exacerbated to open 2025. Burnes has watched his K% (20.3) drop for the fifth straight season, while his WHIP (1.57) has increased over the last four. Burnes' short outings has him shy of innings needed, but his 4.63 SIERA would rank 74th among 85 qualified starters, sandwiched between Jake Irvin and Davis Martin. His CSW ranks outside the top 60 starters, and Burnes' SwStr% (9.8) is bottom five in the league. His average exit velocity allowed is in the bottom five percentile. Burnes is sure to pitch better after signing a massive $210 million contract during the offseason, but his sinking peripherals have suggested decline for a while. He now calls home to one of baseball's best hitter's parks in Chase Field, and THE BAT projects a 4.14 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP rest of season. Burnes was drafted as the SP6 in Yahoo leagues, but he's a fantasy faller.
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Braves takeaways: Spencer Schwellenbach hits a lull, Ozzie Albies struggles and more
PHOENIX — Even though the Atlanta Braves lost Sunday for the third time in six starts by Spencer Schwellenbach, who's been their ace this season, they left Arizona with their first road-series win, along with a 7-2 record in their past nine games and a 12-8 mark since their ugly 0-7 start. They left feeling rejuvenated. Advertisement It was a decidedly different mood in the clubhouse, even after Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks, than it was when the Braves left Toronto with a 5-13 record on April 16 after striking out 19 times in a series finale. 'I think we all expect to play like this every time,' Schwellenbach said of the Braves' three consecutive series wins. 'We have a really good team, and a lot of confidence in each and every one of our guys that when we come out here, each of us is going to take control of what we can control and come out on top.' Braves manager Brian Snitker put it this way: 'Things are evening out now. We're over the beginning of the year, and things are going to start settling in and being what we're used to here. We've had a really good run, we've got a great stretch of coming back (in games), and we were right there today.' #Braves take the series at Arizona but lose 6-4 in the finale, with Schwellenbach allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in 6 IP. It's just their second loss in nine games, and the Braves are 12-15 headed to Colorado for three games before returning hom. Atlanta is 12-8 since its 0-7 start. — David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) April 27, 2025 Marcell Ozuna's two-out RBI double in the ninth got the Braves within 4-3, and Matt Olson walked before Ozzie Albies flied out to end the game. That gave Albies a total of five runners stranded in the seventh and ninth innings. It's not like Schwellenbach has been bad over his past three starts. But he set such an extraordinarily high standard last season as a rookie and in his first three starts this season, anything less than dominance now seems a bit surprising. From the All-Star break last season through April 10 this year, Schwellenbach had a 2.27 in 18 starts. That included a 0.49 ERA through his first three starts this season, with a .149 opponents' average, .406 opponents' OPS, 19 strikeouts and three walks in 20 innings. Advertisement But in his past three starts, Schwellenbach has looked entirely mortal, allowing 21 hits, 13 runs (11 earned) and three homers in 17 2/3 innings while going 0-2 with a 5.60 ERA. He gave up seven hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings Sunday, and his throwing error led to the unearned run in the second inning. Schwellenbach, a former college shortstop, made a nice stop before the play went awry. 'Well, it's gonna happen as the (starts) mount,' Snitker said of Schwellenbach having less-than-sensational outings. 'I keep thinking that he set that bar really high last year. But I like the way that he minimized damage today. I know teams are starting to be real aggressive early against him, because he's such a strike-thrower. I think that's part of the adjustment, too.' Schwellenbach's average fastball velocity was normal and topped out at 98.2 mph on a third strike to Pavin Smith in the fifth inning, one batter after Schwellenbach gave up a two-out homer to Geraldo Perdomo on a 2-2 fastball up and in. His extensive pitch repertoire and his stuff haven't been an issue. 'My splitter's actually working better than it was the first three (starts),' he said. 'I feel the same. Feel like the pitches are coming out the same. Just kind of comes down to executing pitches in the right spot.' As for the idea that hitters are jumping on his pitches early because they know he'll throw strikes, Schwellenbach said, 'I've said this before, if they jump on me, so be it. I'm trying to get on top of hitters and throw strikes. So I've just got to tip my hat on the early-count hits.' After making his errant throw on a fielder's choice grounder in the second inning to put two runners on with none out, Schwellenbach gave up only a sacrifice fly before getting out of the inning with two groundballs. Advertisement 'I thought it was good that he just minimized that,' Snitker said. 'He's gonna continue to learn every time out. He's fine.' Trailing 6-3 in the ninth inning, the Braves had two on with none out before Austin Riley grounded into a double play. Ozuna followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to 6-4. After Matt Olson walked, Albies came to bat with two on and flied out to center to end the game, continuing his struggles in those situations. In the seventh inning, Shelby Miller pitched around Olson on a four-pitch walk to load the bases with two out and get to Albies, who popped out foul to the third baseman. The Braves trailed 4-3 at the time, and a hit from Albies would've given them a lead. A walk would've tied it. Arizona added two more runs in the bottom of the inning to open up a 6-3 margin. Albies' popout in the seventh and flyout in the ninth dropped Albies to 2-for-16 (.125) with a .301 OPS when batting with runners in scoring position and two outs. He has two RBIs, one walk and four strikeouts in those spots. Snitker was asked about Albies' struggles, particularly in RISP/two-out situations, and whether he chalked it up to a bad month for the veteran second baseman. 'You know what? I hadn't even thought about that,' Snitker said. 'If it is (a bad month), then yeah. But we know what (he can do). Oz has had 30 (homers) and 100 (RBIs) before, and can have some rough patches and still has a way of coming out of it. Oz is great with hanging with himself. 'He doesn't put a lot of pressure (on himself) and he has a lot of confidence and understands that this is a seven-month season and he can rattle off two great months and be right where you want him to be.' Albies is batting .229 with a .664 OPS. He has four homers and 13 RBIs in 27 games, and in his past 10 games he's 8-for-41 with one extra-base hit (double) and three RBIs. Advertisement This, while his defensive range and base running rank just below MLB average and his arm strength is the worst among all qualified infielders. Despite their recent uptick in nearly every offensive category, the Braves are hitting only .183 with runners in scoring position and two outs, which ranks 26th in the majors. Their .606 OPS in those spots ranks 23rd. Only Olson (15) has more plate appearances than Albies (14) with runners in scoring position and two outs. Olson is 2-for-12 with a double, six walks, four strikeouts and a .694 OPS in those situations. Not great, but certainly more productive than Albies. Alex Verdugo has been with the team for 1 1/2 weeks and already has more hits than either Albies or Olson in those spots. Verdugo is 3-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs with runners in scoring position and two outs. That included a fifth-inning two-out double to drive in the Braves' first run Sunday after Eli White continued his recent opportunistic surge with a leadoff double in the inning. White has made four consecutive outfield starts and gone 5-for-15 with two doubles, two homers, six runs and seven RBIs in those games, and all of his teammates seem as thrilled about his performance as anything else in their recent success. The journeyman is that popular and respected among the other players and coaches. 'Yeah, it's been awesome,' Schwellenbach said of White's recent work and the opportunities it's earned him to play regularly. 'Last year, he'd get a chance, maybe late in the game, to run or play defense. It's awesome to see him getting this chance. And he's been putting some really good swings on balls and playing some elite defense for us.' (Top photo of Spencer Schwellenbach: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Both Spencers pitched Thursday, demonstrating 2 reasons not to write off the Braves
ATLANTA — Two reasons not to write off the Atlanta Braves were on the mound Thursday: Spencer Strider in an afternoon rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett at Norfolk, where he piled up 13 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, and Spencer Schwellenbach in a series-finale start against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park. Advertisement Strider's next start is expected to be for Atlanta in the finale of a three-game series at Toronto that begins Monday, one year after having internal-brace elbow surgery. The Braves will gauge how he feels in the next couple of days before finalizing that decision. 'But we kind of feel like he's right where we want him to be before he gets here,' Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Strider, who made only two starts in 2024 before having surgery on April 12 to repair a damaged UCL. Schwellenbach, already regarded as one of baseball's top pitchers after only one full season as a starter at any level, gave up one run, seven hits and three walks in six innings Thursday night before exiting after a 2-hour and 44-minute rain delay in a thrilling 4-2 marathon win against the Phillies that also gave the Braves their first series win of the season. Austin Riley led off the 11th inning with a score-tying double off Joe Ross, and Marcell Ozuna followed with a two-run walk-off homer, the first two hits of the night for the Braves in 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Schwellenbach had his season-opening 16-inning scoreless streak snapped and gave up more than twice as many hits as his combined total from his first two starts, but the 24-year-old former University of Nebraska shortstop's varied skills were demonstrated when he struck out Nick Castellanos with the bases loaded to end the fifth inning and made a slick play and terrific throw to start 1-6-3 double play to end the sixth. Schwellenbach allowed three hits and one walk in 14 scoreless innings over his first two starts. He has a majors-leading 0.45 ERA with 19 strikeouts and three walks in 20 innings. Another reason to believe in the Braves (3-9) despite their stumble out of the gate is Ronald Acuña Jr., and there was a development Thursday on that front. Acuña will have his surgically repaired knee checked out by Dr. Neal ElAttrache next week in Los Angeles, when the right fielder could be cleared to begin full baseball drills, including cutting, starting and stopping. Advertisement That would signal the home stretch of Acuña's rehab from his June 4 surgery for a torn right ACL. No timetable has been announced, but it's reasonable to assume he would begin a rehab assignment by late April and rejoin the Braves by mid-May, barring setbacks. The Braves' offense needs Acuña, a dynamic and potent leadoff man who was a unanimous 2023 National League MVP after hitting .337 with 41 homers, 73 RBIs and a 1.012 OPS. The Braves are last in the NL in runs (38) and better than only eight teams in the majors in OPS (.625). They have been particularly inept with runners in scoring position, lugging a .183 average in those situations that's fourth-worst in the majors, even after the big 11th-inning hits Thursday. While the return of Acuña could be a month away, Strider's return is imminent. The Braves are eager to see 'Quadzilla' back in the rotation, and they need him now more than ever after losing Reynaldo López for at least four months following arthroscopic shoulder surgery last week. By late Thursday afternoon, most Braves players had either seen highlights from Strider's superb rehab outing — where he gave up only three hits, one run and two walks — or heard about it from teammates. Center fielder Michael Harris II was asked about the potential impact of getting back Strider, who had a 20-5 record with 281 strikeouts in 186 2/3 innings in 2023 in his first full season as a major-league starter. 'Even though he's throwing every fifth day, it adds a lot,' Harris said. 'You know what you're going to get out of him. He's going to do things like he did today. He's really dominant. You can just feel his presence when he's out on the field. I guess a lot of teams are fearful of him when he's up on that mound.' 13 Ks for Spencer Strider! The @Braves ace is nearing a return after his expected final rehab outing. — MLB (@MLB) April 10, 2025 Based on pitch command and arm strength that Strider showed Thursday — his fastballs were mostly in the 94-96 mph range throughout — there's nothing more to be gained from facing Triple A hitters again. Strider allowed one hit and one walk through four innings before giving up a one-out walk and consecutive two-out singles in the fifth for the only run against him. Advertisement He was replaced after reaching his prescribed 90-pitch limit, and had a 1-2 count on a batter at the time. With another pitch or two, he likely would've had 14 strikeouts and a new Gwinnett record. But minor league strikeout records were of no consideration in any decision regarding Strider, whose importance to the Braves can't be overstated. 'I think he's got a chance to win a Cy Young, if he can stay healthy,' Braves third baseman Riley said. 'From a position player's standpoint, you get a little bored out there (playing behind him). Especially with the strikeouts and everything. We face guys like him every now and then, guys that just have unbelievable stuff. It makes for tough at-bats, especially if they get in the groove.' Asked if being bored behind Strider was the good kind of bored, Riley laughed and said, 'Oh, 100 percent. I like those kind of boring (games). I like the action, but when he's mowing guys down, we're typically in the win column.' For Braves relievers, games when Strider pitches are similar to starts by Chris Sale last year in his Cy Young season, or Schwellenbach since last summer. They are games when the bullpen typically is going to pitch three or fewer innings, and usually with a lead. 'It sucks to lose Lopey,' reliever Pierce Johnson said, using López's nickname, 'because he's such a good pitcher, but also a great teammate, too. And I feel for him because he was working his tail off. You know, injuries happen, and it sucks. We saw last year, we just had to roll with the punches. But being able to get Strider back is going to be a game-changer.' After Strider struck out the first six batters Thursday, he gave up a soft third-inning double. As if annoyed by the hit, Strider struck out the next three batters in 11 pitches. 'There was a flare double over the first baseman that was not hit more than 27 miles an hour,' Johnson said, smiling while discussing Strider's work Thursday. 'I mean, yeah, it's one of those things where you get to add some serious star power to your team. He's an elite arm. He's fun to watch day in and day out. He's one of those guys that you're just anxious to watch pitch every day.' Strider was a preseason Cy Young favorite a year ago before the UCL injury, which resulted from a calcium deposit that had developed since his 2019 Tommy John surgery and attached itself to the ligament, he said. He made it to the majors throwing almost exclusively fastballs, but Strider has steadily added to his repertoire, now mixing in changeups and a curveball he developed before the 2024 season, to complement his devastating fastball and slider combination. Advertisement The 13 strikeouts tied the Gwinnett record set by Bryce Wilson in eight innings of an August 2018 game, and Strider did it in 2 2/3 fewer innings and on a strict pitch limit. He was also replaced in a similar mid-batter situation after reaching the 75-pitch limit in his previous rehab start. It indicates how strictly the Braves followed rehabilitation protocols with Strider, who they view as far too important to their cause to go even an inch outside the parameters established for his entire rehab program. 'Obviously, with somebody like him, let's make sure he's ready,' Riley said. 'He looked really good in spring. I know there's a ton of hype behind him. I was like, let's just let him run his course, so that when he gets here, let's have him here the whole time. Let's not have any setbacks. But from what I've heard, what I've seen, everything's gone well.' (Top photo of Spencer Schwellenbach: Brett Davis / Imagn Images)
Reuters
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Marcell Ozuna's HR powers Braves over Phillies in 11th
April 11 - Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 11th inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday night. Atlanta tied the game 2-2 in the 11th inning when Austin Riley's double against Joe Ross (1-1) scored automatic runner Ozzie Albies. Ozuna ended the game with a 413-foot homer to left-center field. Jose Suarez (1-0) earned the win despite allowing an unearned run in the top of the 11th when Johan Rojas drew a bases-loaded walk. The teams waited through a 2-hour, 45-minute rain delay after the game was halted with the teams tied 1-1 at the end of the sixth inning. Ozuna had three hits for Atlanta, which won for just the third time in its first 12 games. Bryan De La Cruz and Riley added two hits apiece. Nick Castellanos struck out five times for Philadelphia, which went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Riley drew a one-out walk, moved to third on Ozuna's double and scored on Matt Olson's groundout against Jesus Luzardo. Philadelphia pulled even with two outs in the third inning against Spencer Schwellenbach, on Kyle Schwarber's 429-foot blast to center. Schwarber has a National League-leading six home runs in 12 games. His long ball snapped a 16-inning scoreless streak by Schwellenbach to start the season. Atlanta began the bottom of the third inning with three straight singles. Luzardo escaped unscathed when Albies was picked off at first base and Olson capped a 14-pitch at-bat by grounding into a double play. Luzardo and Schwellenbach each pitched six strong innings before exiting due to the rain delay. Luzardo allowed one run on six hits, with one walk and six strikeouts. Schwellenbach gave up one run on seven hits. He walked two and struck out five. Following the rain delay, Atlanta put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Carlos Hernandez fanned Albies to keep the game tied.
