Braves rookie Newcomb settles in
Editor’s note: The Atlanta Braves’ game at San Diego on Wednesday night was not complete at deadline. For coverage, please visit timesfreepress.com.
SAN DIEGO — The Atlanta Braves are undecided about plans for their starting rotation beyond this week, but it’s safe to assume Sean Newcomb isn’t going back to the minors anytime soon — or maybe ever, if the big left-hander keeps pitching like he did again Tuesday night.
Newcomb’s fourth major league start was arguably the best in an impressive string of them. He picked up his first win and allowed six hits and one walk with a personal-best eight strikeouts while working six innings of the Braves’ 3-0 series-opening shutout of the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
The 23-year-old is the first Atlanta-era Braves pitcher to start his career with four consecutive quality starts, surpassing the previous best of three, done twice — by Zane Smith in 1984 and Mike Minor in 2010.
“He was really good again. Lot of strikes, on the attack,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Breaking ball’s good. Real impressive outing. … Every outing he’s had has just been so encouraging and so positive, it’s nice to see.”
With Tuesday night’s win, the Braves reached 15 victories in June, their most for the month since 15 in 2014.
Newcomb lowered his ERA to 1.48 and finally got enough run support and a solid bullpen performance to close out his first win in his first road start and third decision in the majors. He has a 1.86 ERA in his past 12 starts, including his final eight at Class AAA Gwinnett.
“He’s been impressive for us, man,” Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte said. “Just watching him pitch from center field, it looks nasty. Those pitches — that curveball, fastball — he’s been really sharp, and it’s great for us.”
After averaging more than five walks per nine innings pitched in Triple-A, including three or more walks in seven of 11 starts, Newcomb has issued just eight walks in 24 1/3 innings in the majors, with three coming in the sixth and final inning of his second start June 16.
“I’m just competing every single pitch,” Newcomb said, “rather than maybe taking some off like I did in the past.”
Left-handed hitters Carlos Asuaje and Cory Spangenber accounted for half of the hits Tuesday against Newcomb, a 6-foot-5, 255-pounder who has held right-handed batters to a .150 average (9-for-60).
He used his mid-90s mph fastball and big curveball with sharp command against the Padres, getting several big strikeouts when he needed them, including Hunter Renfroe after Wil Myers’ two-out double in the first inning and Erick Aybar with two on to end the sixth inning.
“My command was pretty good,” Newcomb said. “I was going low and away to righties pretty good, getting those lowand-away corners, and then everything else was working off that.”
Hitters are 2-for-17 against Newcomb with runners in scoring position, albeit with seven walks.
“I feel like I’ve always done a pretty good job (with runners on base),” he said. “I just really buckle down and know I have to get the batter; there’s nothing I can do about the guy that’s already out there. So just make sure he’s got his feet still if he’s on second, keep him over at first, and then just make a pitch, just one pitch at a time.”
Said Snitker: “That’s one of the things I’ve liked, is kind of a quiet competitiveness he has in those situations. It’s been refreshing to see from the get-go; it’s like he gets in trouble and kind of gets down that hill and is competing.”