The Atlanta Braves appeared to be cruising to a win on Saturday against the Red Sox, holding a 6-2 lead through 6.5 innings thanks to a strong outing from Grant Holmes and home runs from Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna, and Drake Baldwin. But what followed was a bullpen meltdown—and a sequence of managerial decisions from Brian Snitker that only added to the frustration.
In the seventh, Snitker brought in Aaron Bummer to face a string of lefties, which seemed reasonable. But after Bummer allowed two hits, Snitker turned to Enyel De Los Santos—an odd choice given more reliable options were available. De Los Santos promptly surrendered an RBI double. Things went from bad to worse in the eighth, when Rafael Montero got the call, only to exit with two runners in scoring position and two outs. Pierce Johnson, Atlanta’s top reliever in 2025, came in—but gave up the tying hit and then, in the ninth, a walk-off homer to Rafael Devers.
So what happened to the other bullpen arms—Scott Blewett, Daysbel Hernández, Dylan Lee, or closer Raisel Iglesias? Snitker revealed postgame that Iglesias, Lee, and Hernández were all unavailable, which raised red flags.
On the surface, this could be chalked up to workload management. Iglesias had pitched two days in a row, and Hernández threw 23 pitches the night before. However, the reasoning falls apart under scrutiny. Lee hadn’t pitched since May 15, and Blewett hadn’t taken the mound since May 10. Plus, with an off day looming on Monday, the urgency to rest arms on Saturday seemed questionable.
Snitker didn’t help clarify the situation either. His postgame comments were vague: “We’re staying away from a bunch of guys, and just hoping to, you know, get through it somehow.” That uncertainty only deepened concerns.
This hints at deeper issues within the Braves’ bullpen—possibly injuries or illnesses that haven’t been disclosed. If that’s the case, Atlanta may need reinforcements fast. Veterans like Craig Kimbrel or young arms like Jhancarlos Lara might be called upon sooner than expected.
