Newcomb to start for Braves today
Lefty came within a strike of no-hitter vs. Dodgers this year
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
2-0 CHANGEUP: Sean Newcomb will start Game 3 of the Braves’ NL Division Series against the Dodgers instead of Kevin Gausman. With Atlanta trailing 2-0 in the best-of-five series, manager Brian Snitker made the swap Saturday. The 25-year-old Newcomb came within a strike of throwing a no-hitter against the Dodgers at home on July 29, and also threw two scoreless innings in relief in the series opener Thursday.
“You know, the situation is kind of dire right now,” Snitker said. “We need to win. And not that Gausman doesn’t give us that opportunity. We like how Newcomb matches up with them and the success that he’s had against the Dodgers this year.
“So we’re going to let Newcomb get the thing off the ground. And I talked to Kevin, and he was like, whatever we gotta do. And I talked to Newcomb, and Newcomb was actually really excited. He felt good about it. And I told him that we need you to get this thing off the ground. You don’t need to take a no-hitter into the ninth inning with a strike left or whatever. We just want to get this thing flying and be all hands on deck.”
Rookie right-hander Walker Buehler is expected to start for Los Angeles. He allowed one hit in 6 ⅔ scoreless innings Monday during the 5-2 win over Colorado in the NL West tiebreaker and finished 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA.
COMING TO COORS: The Rockies hope the thin mountain air in Denver might help them solve Milwaukee’s pitchers. Colorado is facing elimination in its NL Division Series against the Brewers. It has scored just six runs in four games on the road since slugging five homers in a 12-0 victory over Washington last Sunday.
The Rockies ranked 20th in runs on the road (335) and 29th in batting average (.225), but as usual, they’re a different club at home with 445 runs and a .287 average.
A rest day on Saturday couldn’t have come at a better time after a week that included travel to Los Angeles and Chicago, on to Milwaukee and then back home.
“Clear the mind a little bit,” Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “I’m ready to go. We’ll be ready to go. It’s no problem.”
Colorado’s scuffle at the plate isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. Their .287 average at Coors Field this season was one of their lowest at home in franchise history. Their .256 overall mark remains a team low.
“No doubt there needs to be adjustments made,” Rockies shortstop Trevor Story said. “But it’s a good feeling to be back home, where we feel really comfortable hitting.”
Story is 0 for 8 with five strikeouts in the series. He resembles the Story of last season, when he struck out 191 times, rather than this All-Star version that hit .291 with 37 homers.
His swing in the eighth inning Friday epitomized the Rockies’ difficulty in timing Brewers pitchers, striking out on a breaking pitch from Jeremy Jeffress that hit the dirt way before the plate.
“Story’s a good player. He understands,” Arenado said. “He clears his mind pretty quickly.”
Game 3 features a matchup of contrasting pitchers. Milwaukee’s Wade Miley gets by more with sneakiness than speed. The left-hander is 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA in five career games at Coors Field. Colorado will hand the ball to former Albuquerque Isotope German Marquez, a right-hander who throws heat and had a team-record 230 strikeouts.
BREATHER FOR RELIEVERS: Andrew Miller and Cleveland’s bullpen get a day to rest and recover following yet another rocky outing. Miller allowed a go-ahead, two-run double in relief of starter Carlos Carrasco and failed to get an out in a 3-1 loss to Houston on Saturday.
The Astros can sweep their ALDS in Game 3 on Monday. In the meantime, Miller and company get a day to correct a season’s worth of woes. The Indians’ 4.60 bullpen ERA ranked 25th in the majors this season, and Miller was particularly ineffective amid three DL stints. Before Marwin Gonzalez’s two-run double Saturday, Miller had allowed just one inherited runner to score in his postseason career.