MIAMI -- Clinching the National League East with six regular-season games remaining was nice. But after going through this week with nothing left to play for, beyond getting his pitching staff ready for the playoffs, Braves manager Walt Weiss is looking forward to the meaningful games that await.
“I don't enjoy these types of games with the Spring Training feel,” Weiss said. “The way we’ve been running out our pitching and all of that, it’s just very different. Winning is always a priority, but it’s not the same because you’re more concerned with pitchers getting their pitch counts to where you want them.”
This past week allowed Weiss to set Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle up for their starts in the first two games of this week’s NL Wild Card Series. The skipper also got a feel for how a couple relievers might perform as openers and how Robert Suarez might fare after being sidelined the past three months.
As for rookie JR Ritchie, he spent the regular season’s final day doing far more than just trying to leave one last strong impression. The 5 2/3 innings he threw in a 5-3 loss to the Marlins on Sunday prepared him for the potential playoff start he could get at Dodger Stadium next week...