With Drew Smyly (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) exiting the fifth inning of Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox with a lead, everything seemed to be shaping up for the Atlanta Braves, who had a fresh bullpen.
Instead of tapping into his rested group of relievers, Atlanta Manager Brian Snitker rolled the dice with Smyly and paid the price. The left-hander allowed four runs in the sixth inning of a 9-5 loss at Fenway Park in Boston.
"He was throwing the ball really well," Snitker told Mark Bowman of MLB.com after the game. "What had he given up, two hits? If I'd have known he was going to give up four runs, I'd have probably kept him in the dugout, but I don't have the ability to see that."
Rafael Devers' one-out, go-ahead double highlighted the surge that denied the Braves a fifth consecutive victory and moving their winning percentage above .500 for the first time this year.
Adding to the frustration of the sixth inning was the fact it was followed by a two-hour, 53-minute rain delay. The game resumed at midnight and concluded about an hour later.
"It's part of what we do," Snitker said. "I wanted a crack at it. I know that."
Austin Riley's solo home run off Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta provided a 4-3, fifth-inning lead for Smyly, who kept Boston scoreless in the bottom half of the frame. The Braves southpaw had thrown just 71 pitches, but he was preparing to go through one of the game's best lineups for a third time.
"I felt like I was throwing the ball pretty good," Smyly said. "I gave up two hits, they just happened to be home runs."
Smyly (2-3) surrendered Hunter Renfroe's solo home run in the second inning and Devers' two-run home run in the fourth. The veteran hurler has allowed 13 home runs this season, which tie him with the Tigers' Tarik Skubal for the most in the majors.
The only Braves pitchers who have allowed more home runs through the first eight starts of a season are Mike Foltynewicz (15 in 2019), Phil Niekro (14 in 1970) and Lew Burdette (14 in 1963).
During his pregame media session, Snitker said Chris Martin -- who had been unavailable on Tuesday --and every other reliever was available. The Braves were in a good position to cover the final four innings with bullpen arms.
But Snitker opted to stick with Smyly, who had surrendered three earned runs or less over exactly six innings in each of the three starts he had made since returning from the injured list.
"I never even thought about [removing him], quite honestly," Snitker said.
Smyly was charged with seven earned runs and now has a 5.95 ERA. His improvement over the past four starts is more of what the Braves envisioned when they invested $11 million in him over the offseason.
"I was very efficient with my pitch count, and I wasn't walking anybody," Smyly said. "I mean, it's pretty hard to give up 5 hits and 1 walk and 7 earned runs. But I accomplished that tonight. So, I'm not happy with the results or the outcome."
Kjerstad cleared
Outfielder Heston Kjerstad, the second overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Arkansas, was cleared medically last month and reported to the Baltimore Orioles' alternate training site in Bowie, Md., according to Roch Kubatko of Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.
Kjerstad was held out of last year's camp and fall instructional league while recovering from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that can cause an abnormal rhythm and can be a side effect of covid-19.
The Orioles withheld Kjerstad from spring training and had him report directly to Bowie upon clearance. They will watch him work out and determine later where to begin his professional career.
"I'm going to be an impact player for sure," Kjerstad said after his selection. "I'll bring a left-handed bat to the lineup that has power to all parts of the field -- left, right and center. I also bring a good glove to the outfield, whether it's left or right or wherever they put me. I'll be a solid defender. And also, one of the things that really contributes to helping a team win, which is the most important thing, is my camaraderie that I'm able to develop with my teammates and the type of teammate I am. The type of teammate I am to them really will be a big part for me in the clubhouse."
Around the horn
Reliever Ty Tice (UCA/Prairie Grove) was recalled to the Toronto Blue Jays from Class AAA Buffalo on May 22, sending left-hander Anthony Kay and right-hander Jeremy Beasley to Buffalo in return. ... Reliever Hunter Wood (Rogers Heritage) was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Texas Rangers on Tuesday with right elbow discomfort. ... Infielder Logan Forsythe (Arkansas Razorbacks) was placed on the temporarily inactive list by the Nashville Sounds (AAA Brewers) on Monday.
Information for the report was contributed by Mark Bowman of MLB.com and Roch Kubatko of Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.