ATLANTA -- The Braves got exactly what they needed from Hurston Waldrep for most of Thursday night: a starter who could settle things down and keep the game within reach. They also got another reminder that a thin bullpen can turn fast, even when the offense gives you five runs again.
That combination ended in an 11-5 loss to the Cardinals at Truist Park, a game that was tied together by one loud inning, one rough bullpen sequence and a night that got away from Atlanta after it had briefly looked like it might string together consecutive wins for just the second time since June 19-20.
Walt Weiss summed up the shift pretty plainly.
"When you score five in the first and their starter is out of the game in the first, you’re usually going to win that game,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “But the game obviously took an ugly turn in the seventh.”
The seventh was where it all cracked open, and Dylan Lee was the reliever left to absorb the damage. He entered with one out and a runner aboard after Tyler Kinley gave up the tying homer to Nathan Church, then Lee was tagged for three straight singles and managed only one out against four batters. By the end of it, he had allowed three runs in just one-third of an inning.
For Lee, that kind of line is jarring. He came into the finale with a .206 Expected Weighted On-Base Average, second-best among relievers behind only Mason Miller’s .173. His 0.99 ERA ranked third among qualified relievers, trailing teammate Robert Suarez at 0.56 and Miller at 0.78.
But the Braves were already missing Suarez, who has been out for nearly two weeks and won’t return from the injured list until after the All-Star break. The bullpen was also stretched by recent usage: Raisel Iglesias and Dylan Dodd had both pitched the previous two nights, and the Braves decided not to use rookie Didier Fuentes on back-to-back days for what would have been just the second time this season.
Lee’s rough inning came after he had to get loose in a hurry, and the heat in Atlanta may have added to the strain. His slider averaged 81.9 mph, down from his season average of 83 mph, while his four-seamer sat at 91.8 mph, below his 93.3 mph norm.
“He's pitched a lot,” Weiss said. “So, it's something we’ve got to keep an eye on. It’s something we always talk about, trying to keep these guys strong all the way through.”
The night still had a bright spot in Waldrep, whose outing gave the Braves something to build on while they keep trying to steady the rotation. Like Reynaldo López on Wednesday, Waldrep was hit early. Jordan Walker launched a three-run homer before Waldrep could record his second out, a tough start for a pitcher making his first start of the season and only his second MLB appearance after arthroscopic surgery in February to remove loose bodies from his right elbow.
After that first-inning burst, though, Waldrep settled in. He got through the rest of the first without more damage, then retired 12 of the last 14 batters he faced before leaving after a one-out walk in the sixth. He threw 76 pitches, and the only free pass he issued all night was that walk.
That finish mattered. It suggested a pitcher who can move past a rocky opening and still deliver something useful, which is exactly what the Braves need from a rotation that has been under pressure.
Waldrep also showed he can get results without leaning heavily on the splitter that has drawn so much attention. He used the pitch 32.4% of the time last season, but went to it only seven times Thursday.
“When the splitter is not working, like we saw tonight, it's like, if we're getting ahead, we don't have to rely on the splitter because we're going to get an early ground ball [with the sinker],” Waldrep said.
Even with Waldrep and López giving the Braves back-to-back effective starts, the larger picture remains unsettled. Atlanta could still be looking for multiple starters before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, and right now Chris Sale is the only starter pitching well enough to be considered a potential playoff starter.
The Braves also added shortstop Jim Jarvis from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, with part of the move tied to the matchup against Cardinals starter Dustin May. May had entered the game having allowed a .794 OPS to left-handed hitters and a .513 OPS to right-handed hitters.
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