If you make a list of “problems” the Braves have had this season (and past seasons), letting starters wither on the vine after their eighteenth batter is probably going to be up there. If you make an honest list of problems the Braves have had recently, an inability to convert balls in play into outs to support the pitching is definitely toward the top of the list. In the series finale in Pittsburgh, both befell the Braves, who fell by a 7-5 score despite jumping out to a 4-0 lead early.
Coming into the game, one thing to watch was whether Bryce Elder’s nightmarish run would continue.