PHOENIX -- After Matt Wisler delivered eight strong innings while making his first big league start in nearly a month during Thursday night's 3-1 win over the D-backs, Braves manager Brian Snitker thanked his young hurler for providing much-needed rest to a bullpen that has been taxed by the starting rotation's second-half woes.
Wisler became the first Braves pitcher to complete as many as seven innings since Mike Foltynewicz and Julio Teheran did so on July 16 and 17. The residual effect of a long stretch of abbreviated starts has been felt by Atlanta's bullpen, which entered Friday having completed the second-most relief innings (140 2/3 innings) in Major League Baseball since the All-Star break.