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closeThe quality start statistic is sometimes frowned upon in baseball. It represents a start by a pitcher of at least six innings, with three or fewer earned runs allowed. Critics say if a pitcher gives up three runs in six innings that’s an ERA of 4.50, and that’s not very good.
But in today’s game, a starter giving his team at least six innings has become the norm. The specialization of the bullpen has made the role of a starter a bit different than it was 40 years ago. Now, if a starter gives his team at least six solid innings, he’s giving his team a chance to win.
Last year, the Atlanta Braves had only 75 quality starts. It showed how poor the rotation was with all the injuries and how tired the bullpen became with all the extra work. Just for comparison, the Braves were always around 100 quality starts per season in their glory years in the 1990s.
So Braves general manager Frank Wren fixed the rotation last winter. He traded for Javier Vazquez and then signed Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami. Those three, combined with the graduation of Tommy Hanson from the minor leagues, have given the Braves one of the best rotations in baseball.
The rotation is the reason this Braves team actually has a chance to make it to the postseason. Through Monday’s game, the Braves had five straight quality starts after the All-Star break. The rotation now has 54 quality starts in 93 games, which puts them on pace for 94 this season.
Hanson’s quality start Monday was a remarkable performance. We finally saw the best of Hanson, who despite being undefeated had not really had a dominating game. But his record-setting 11-strikeout game against the San Francisco Giants was pretty impressive for a 22-year-old rookie.
You’ve got Hanson and Jair Jurrjens, two of the best young arms in the game, along with the veterans Lowe and Vazquez. Kawakami is better than most of us thought as a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher. And we all know that Tim Hudson is on the horizon as he rehabs from his Tommy John surgery.
Maybe Hudson goes to the bullpen, which would create a pretty dangerous trio with Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. Or maybe Hudson’s return creates a trade opportunity to bring in another bat for the lineup.
The lineup has been the reason this team is now above .500 and has gone 13-6 since June 28. Atlanta was six games below .500 before a Sunday game against Boston, and it looked like the season was turning into another nightmare. But then the offense woke up, and the Braves have outscored opponents 102-63 in that 19-game stretch.
Since the Braves know they have a good chance at getting good pitching, scoring runs is now the key. Atlanta is 40-11 when they have scored four runs or more and only 6-34 when they have scored three or fewer runs in a game.
The improved offense can be traced to one main change in the lineup, according to Braves manager Bobby Cox.
“(Martin) Prado,” Cox said Monday night. “He took over the second hole. He’s made the lineup go for me.”
Prado has hit .355 since June 1, which is when he started getting more playing time for the slumping Kelly Johnson. Prado has hit .357 as the No. 2 hitter. Putting Prado in the two spot moved Yunel Escobar down, and for a team in dire need of a right-handed threat in the middle of the order Escobar has been outstanding.
And for all the grief I’ve given Garrett Anderson, he has actually becoming more of a threat. Anderson has hit .299 since May 1 with seven home runs and 35 RBI. That’s not bad for someone who still would prefer to be in Anaheim.
We said a month ago the Braves had to turn the corner, and winning 13 of their past 19 games is a great run. The wild-card race is going to be this team’s best chance to make it to the postseason, and if the Braves continue playing well, there’s no reason we can’t see a true pennant race in Atlanta for the first time in several years.
Talk Braves Baseball with Bill this afternoon on The Bill Shanks Show, starting at 3:00 pm on Fox Sports 1670 and online at foxsports1670.com
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