When Atlanta right-handers Didier Fuentes and Raisel Iglesias combined for six strikeouts over the final three innings of a 6-2 victory against the Houston Astros on Friday — a win that secured the Braves’ eighth postseason appearance over the past nine seasons — the effort exemplified the effectiveness of Atlanta’s bullpen.
Heading into their game Saturday night in Houston, the Braves (90-64) said they might soon welcome back another part of their stellar relief corps. Right-hander Robert Suarez (4-0, 0.56 ERA in 31 appearances) is expected to make a rehab outing for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday and could rejoin the Braves’ active roster sometime after that.
Suarez, a ballyhooed free-agent signing last offseason, has been sidelined since June with right elbow inflammation.
“It’s possible,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Suarez’s return. “Again, it’s just re-evaluating him every day. Things have gone well. They’ve progressed well all throughout this rehab, so I don’t anticipate anything. You just never know. It’d be nice to be able to see him in a big-league game, but I’m not sure if that’s going to happen or not.
“There’s a chance (Suarez returns for the postseason). As we sit here (Friday), I don’t know how that’s going to unfold. All the options are possible.”
With the Braves (90-64) wrapping up a playoff berth on Friday, Weiss has the luxury of trying to map out a pitching plan for the postseason. Astros manager Joe Espada has no such advantage, as his team is 77-77 and still battling for a playoff spot, tied with the Texas Rangers (77-77) for the lead in the American League West.
Houston holds the tiebreaker over Texas.
The Astros are scheduled to face right-hander Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.49 ERA), the Saturday starter for Atlanta. He has no decisions in three starts this month, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and four walks with seven strikeouts across 13 innings. Holmes won three of five starts in August, including two scoreless outings against the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
Holmes will make his first career appearance against the Astros. He is 7-4 with a 3.24 ERA across 23 career interleague appearances (17 starts).
Right-hander Hayden Wesneski (5-2, 3.70 ERA) will start for the Astros on Saturday. He allowed a season-high seven runs (three earned) while working a season-low three innings in a 14-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He has given up four runs over his previous four starts combined, going 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA.
Wesneski is 0-2 with a 3.27 ERA in five career relief appearances against the Braves.
The Braves neutralized Astros slugger and American League MVP front-runner Yordan Alvarez on Friday. He finished 1-for-2 with a double, a run and two walks, with only one of his four plate appearances coming with a teammate on base.
Astros leadoff hitter Jeremy Pena finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while batting ahead of Alvarez and coming off three multi-hit games against the Kansas City Royals this week. Pena struck out to end the third and fifth innings, leaving Alvarez to lead off in the fourth and sixth.
Meanwhile, Daulton Varsho, Christian Walker and Taylor Trammell finished a combined 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts occupying the fifth, sixth and seventh spots in the Houston batting order.
“We’re trying,” manager Joe Espada said. “These guys are working their tails off to really try to put some good at-bats together. (Friday) wasn’t the case.”
–Field Level Media
