Braves’ Medlen faces biggest test of career
ATLANTA— A day before the biggest game of his young career, Atlanta Braves starter Kris Medlen showed no signs he was under any extra pressure.
When his manager Fredi Gonzalez concluded his afternoon news conference, the 26-year-old righthander — who was waiting in the wings to take the podium himself — slow-clapped Gonzalez off the stage in a playful display of mock gravitas.
From many players the facetious gesture may have been seen as disrespectful, but Gonzalez saw Medlen’s good nature and joked right back: “Warmed ’em up for ya.”
Loose would be an understatement to describe Medlen on the eve of his first playoff start, a singlegame knockout against the defending World Series-champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League’s first ever wild-card playoff.
But Medlen, who turns 27 on Sunday, has every reason to feel confident and assured.
He has been the best pitcher in baseball since the all-star break and one of the many fun surprises in this unpredictable season.
Though he started the year in the bullpen and only joined the rotation on July 31, his second-half success is staggering.
He went 9-0 in his 12 starts with a 0.97 ERA, striking out more than a batter an inning, while posting the lowest walk rate in the majors and holding opposition hitters to a chintzy .191 batting average.
The Braves have won Medlen’s past 23 starts, dating back to 2010, breaking a major-league record set in 1937 and matched in 1953.
If there was a second-half Cy Young, he would win hands down.
But the player himself is hardly one to court the accolades of this new-found ace status.
Baby-faced and undersized at 5foot-9, Medlen is goofy but charming. He wears his straight-brim cap low over his eyes and jokes a lot.
He’s the opposite of Roy Halladay, the former Blue Jays ace known for his piercing intensity.
But Medlen has much the same effect on hitters.
He doesn’t throw hard, topping out in the low-90s. But he has incredible command, a sharp twoseam fastball and a nasty changeup, which hitters almost never square up and swing-and-miss more than a quarter of the time.
Unlike most starters, he’s easygoing. He says he follows no superstitious routines, except for a peanutbutter and honey sandwich 30 minutes before he takes the mound.
“It’s a light meal, it’s good energy,” he says, adopting the faux-serious tone to answer the question about his pre-game habit. “It just goes back to one day when I randomly needed something to eat. And I’m not going to eat fried chicken.”
When he says he still enjoys the game as much as he did as a kid and that Friday’s start will bring no added pressure, somehow you believe him.
“It’s kind of how I’ve been my whole life: just give me the ball and let me go play. From high school, Little League, whatever. I just love playing the game and I want the ball.”
The Braves finished the season with 94 wins, which would lead three of six divisions. But they still need one more to keep their season alive. There’s no one else they’d rather have holding the ball.