ATLANTA — On an afternoon when there was little to recommend from the Braves’ performance in their series finale against the Phillies, the return of Jesse Chavez was met by a loud ovation from Truist Park denizens and smiles from teammates both during and after a 6-5, 10-inning loss.
Chavez, who missed three months after taking a Miguel Cabrera line drive off his left shin, entered Wednesday’s game with a runner on and two out in the fourth inning, the Braves trailing 4-0. His first MLB pitch since June 14 — and first as a 40-year-old — was a well-located sinker to slugger Kyle Schwarber that produced an inning-ending grounder.
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So began a 2 1/3-inning scoreless appearance in which Chavez allowed one hit (a single) and one walk while throwing as many pitches (25) to get seven outs as starter Bryce Elder needed in a three-walk first inning. Elder lasted just 3 2/3 innings, gave up four runs and three hits, including two homers by Nick Castellanos, and issued a season-high five walks without recording a strikeout.
Braves pitchers walked 15 batters (only one intentionally) in their two losses in the series, and the Phillies had as many runs (16) as hits in the three-game series. They hit seven homers in their two wins.
As we said, there wasn’t much to like about the Braves’ fifth loss in six games since clinching the NL East title, other than the impressive return of Chavez.
“Oh, man, love to have Jesse back,” Braves catcher Sean Murphy said. “You saw what he did today — 2 1/3, really efficient. Glad to have him.”
#Braves lose 6-5 in 10 innings in the series final, drop series to Phillies. They've lost 5 of 6 games since clinching NL East. Elder was bad today, Chavez quite good in return from IL. Nola pitched well for Philly.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) September 20, 2023
Chavez has looked his age with other teams in recent years but seems to find eternal youth in a Braves uniform. He picked up Wednesday right where he left off in June, before the Cabrera screaming line drive left the slender veteran with a shin injury initially diagnosed as a contusion. Three MRIs later, it was revealed to be a microfracture, thus a much longer recovery period than anticipated.
His scoreless streak is 13 1/3 scoreless innings over his past 11 appearances, and Chavez has allowed only 11 hits and one earned run in 21 1/3 innings over his past 20 appearances stretching back to April 27, with 26 strikeouts and eight walks in that span. His 1.44 ERA is sixth-lowest among MLB relievers with 30 or more innings.
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“It felt good — I was nervous,” Chavez said, smiling as he described being back with teammates who respect and love him and pitching for a crowd that has adored the colorful veteran during five stints with the team, the first back in 2010 and four more over the past three seasons.
He had a 2.14 ERA in 30 appearances during the 2021 season for the Braves and reeled off seven scoreless postseason appearances that year, including two in the World Series for the champs. Along the way, Chavez persuaded other Braves relievers to wear dapper and/or eccentric hats, and photos will be displayed forever of that tight-knit and effective bunch of relievers wearing fedoras, cowboy hats and other headwear in the World Series parade.
For three months, fans have asked about Chavez and wondered if he would be back for the stretch drive and postseason. He’s finally back, and not a moment too soon. Several key Braves relievers have struggled in recent appearances, possibly from the workload of a long season.
“It feels good,” Chavez said of pitching well in his return. “I just want to give myself a chance. Been gone for three months, all I want to do is put myself back on the map, to give Snit an opportunity to use me down there during this postseason (drive).”
Braves manager Brian Snitker said the return went great, especially after such a long time away: “Nine pitches through an inning and a third. Good to have him back.”
Of the loud ovation accorded Chavez, Snitker said, “Well, he’s done a lot of really nice things here. He does everything the right way. He’s very professional, what he brings — like I say, what he brings in that clubhouse is something you can’t quantify. So, I was happy to get him back out there.”
After inducing three grounders and a popup while allowing only a two-out single to the first five batters he faced, Chavez walked the leadoff hitter in the sixth, Brandon Marsh. After coaxing a popup from Castellanos, who homered both times he faced Elder, Chavez saw Marsh go to third on a stolen base and Murphy’s throwing error.
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But with a runner at third and none out, Chavez got consecutive groundouts to prevent a run.
“Obviously didn’t expect it to go as smooth as that,” Chavez said. “But being able to get in a little jam there, making sure it’s not that easy, was a good thing to get through the first one. Being able to go out, get the pitches in, get the reps in that I wanted to do at the level that we’re at now, it’s kind of nice.”
Barely a week ago it looked like Chavez might not make it back from the IL in time to be considered for a postseason roster spot, but that changed with his progress at Triple-A Gwinnett, and certainly with the sharpness he showed in his first appearance back with the Braves, one day after being added to the MLB roster.
After feeling some things come together in his last session throwing live batting practice at Gwinnett, and totaling six strikeouts with one walk in 3 1/3 scoreless innings in three rehab appearances, Chavez felt ready. He said his only nervousness had to do with his leg, which was still giving him problems when transferring his weight on the mound a few weeks ago, and even more recently when running at close to full speed.
He was nervous running in from the bullpen when he entered the game Wednesday, and a little paranoid, thinking fans and others would be watching closely to see if he ran with a limp.
“Everybody watching me,” Chavez said, smiling. “Because I know things are getting looked at with how I’m running and stuff like that, being gone for a week and not having eyes (of the training staff) on me, that’s going through the back of my head a little bit. Just focused on getting out there.”
He laughed and added, “I was glad (umpire Laz Diaz) met me about halfway (to check hands). That helped out a little bit.”
Perhaps it was coincidence but after Chavez entered the game, the Braves scored four straight runs to tie, including two in the eighth on an Austin Riley RBI single and Marcell Ozuna run-scoring double off the wall that came within a few feet of being a go-ahead homer.
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“He did his thing and gave us a chance,” Elder said of Chavez. “It was fun to watch. But I’ve got a couple more before the postseason, so I’ve got to get to work.”
Elder’s five walks were magnified by the fact he did it in his second strikeout-less start of the season. In his past five starts, he has a 4.88 ERA with 29 hits, 15 earned runs, 11 walks and 23 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings. Right now, neither Elder nor Kyle Wright is engendering confidence as a potential No. 4 starter for the postseason.
With a chance for a walk-off win in the ninth, Braves pinch-runner Luke Williams was thrown out at the plate on an unusual inning-ending double play. Orlando Arcia hit a soft foul ball that right fielder Castellanos caught after charging in before spinning and making a strong throw to the plate to cut down Williams.
The Phillies got two runs in the 10th against A.J. Minter, who walked Schwarber to start the inning, then got Trea Turner to ground into a double play. But with a runner at third — extra innings begin with a ghost runner at second — Minter walked Bryce Harper unintentionally and, after a double steal, he walked Alec Bohm intentionally to load the bases.
Bryson Stott followed by punching a two-run double to left field on a pitch that got the outer edge of the plate, giving the Phillies a 6-4 lead.
(Photo of Luke Williams: Dale Zanine / USA Today)
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