Braves’ Brian Snitker Responses to Second Guessing With Latest Bullpen Decision

Snitker Explains Decision to Let Montero Pitch the Ninth Amid Criticism

After the Atlanta Braves’ 8-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, manager Brian Snitker addressed the decision to let Rafael Montero pitch the ninth inning, which ended in a home run by Corbin Carroll that extended the Braves’ deficit.

Montero had previously thrown two shutout innings against the Washington Nationals three weeks ago, and Snitker hoped for a similar performance on Tuesday. Montero was on the verge of completing another clean inning but allowed three runs, capped off by Carroll’s homer.

This loss, the Braves’ ninth in their last 12 games, dropped the team to 27-32 for the season. While Snitker generally focused on the need for the team to improve both offensively and on the mound, he defended his decision to send Montero out for the ninth.

“He had only thrown nine pitches going into the ninth inning. It’s his job to finish it out,” Snitker explained. “If we start chasing wins in situations like this, it’ll wear out the guys we need for actual winning situations. He had a clean eighth inning, so it made sense to let him finish.”

Snitker also emphasized that the team’s key relievers, like Iggy, couldn’t be overused in non-crucial situations. “We can’t burn out our best guys in games we’re not winning,” he added. “That’s how you end up with bullpen problems down the road.”

Montero retired the first three batters he faced in the ninth but then gave up four consecutive hits, including the three-run homer to Carroll, which put the game out of reach. With Montero unable to finish, Snitker brought in Scott Blewett to get the final out.

On social media, Snitker’s decision was met with criticism, with fans questioning why Montero, who had already given up two hits, was kept in to face Carroll, especially with the Braves coming off a rare off day. Montero entered the game with a 4.11 ERA and 1.448 WHIP for the season, and had pitched more than an inning only twice in 2023, the last being a multi-inning outing for the Astros in early April.