Atlanta Braves Clippings Thursday, August 6, 2020 Braves.com Newcomb progresses in 'best start' of 2020 By Mark Bowman ATLANTA -- Had the Braves' rotation not been fractured over the past few weeks, Sean Newcomb may have already been moved back to the bullpen. But with limited options, the Braves are left hoping Newcomb extends the progress he showed in the Braves’ 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night at Truist Park. The lefty still hasn’t completed five innings through any of his first three starts, but he’s steadily moved closer toward reaching that modest benchmark. “I obviously want to go out and go more than five [innings] and have a better start, but there’s definitely been progress,” Newcomb said. “The offspeed is getting better, and these have been my first three starts in over a year and a half. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment. But I think I’m starting to click again using the whole repertoire.” Once a top pitching prospect, Newcomb debuted in 2017, made an early All-Star bid in ‘18, then was optioned to Triple-A after just three starts in ‘19. He’s 27 years old now. There may not be many more chances for him to prove himself as a starter. And quite frankly, he may not even have this current chance had the Braves not seen Mike Soroka, Mike Foltynewicz, Cole Hamels and Félix Hernández removed from their rotation plans at various points since the start of July. So yes, there was reason for the Braves and Newcomb to feel some satisfaction after this latest outing, in which he was charged with two earned runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. “That was encouraging tonight from Newk,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It was a lot better than his first two [starts]. So hopefully he figures some stuff out.” Quite frankly, Newcomb could have completed five scoreless innings with a little defensive assistance. Austin Riley, subbing in for Freddie Freeman at first base, cut a throw that ensured Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would score on Danny Jansen’s sacrifice fly in the second inning. The Blue Jays added a run in the fifth when Bo Bichette’s two-out sinking liner popped out of the glove of three-time Gold Glove Award winner Ender Inciarte in center field. Newcomb was more efficient than he’d been on July 26, when he needed 82 pitches to record just 10 outs in a 14-1 win over the Mets. Five days later, that same New York lineup tallied six runs against him over 4 1/3 innings. But the command issues that have bit Newcomb on a regular basis influenced Toronto’s first run. Guerrero got ahead with a 3-0 count before drilling a double in the second. Randall Grichuk followed by singling on a 3-2 fastball. With that being said, Newcomb was more aggressive for the most part, looking like he did as he spent last season’s final five months serving as an effective reliever. He got ahead with a 0-2 count against Bichette and Cavan Biggio before they recorded the consecutive two-out singles that accounted for the decisive run in the fifth. “I feel like today was his best start,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. Newcomb threw 46 four-seam fastballs per Statcast. Within those pitches, he got 10 called strikes, three whiffs and 13 foul balls. Further developing the curveball and changeup will help, but commanding the fastball is the key to Newcomb gaining the consistency he’s lacked throughout his career. His heater is an effective one. He used it with 102 of the 134 pitches he threw while coming within a strike of no-hitting the Dodgers on July 28, 2018. “Statistically, the spin on [Newcomb’s fastball] is tremendous, and the axis on it is practically vertical,” d’Arnaud said. “So it’s very hard to get to, even if it’s down the middle. Guys are fouling it off when it’s down the middle. Guys were just able to get the timely hits when they needed them tonight.” Guerrero and Grichuk tallied two of those timely hits after being able to gear up for fastballs after getting ahead with a three-ball count. But the mistakes were fewer, and Newcomb walked away feeling better about what his next start might bring. “There’s progress being made,” Newcomb said. “That’s what we’re looking for.” Adams, Albies to IL; Markakis reinstated By Mark Bowman ATLANTA -- Braves manager Brian Snitker does not know exactly how much time Ozzie Albies will need to properly rest his sore right wrist, but he is hopeful the second baseman will resume his productive ways when he returns within the next couple weeks. “We’ll shut [Albies] down for a week or so from throwing and hitting,” Snitker said. “He’ll get treatment and all of that stuff. It might take two weeks. Who knows? He might be better in eight days and ready to come back. I don’t have any idea.” The Braves placed Albies (right wrist contusion) and Matt Adams (left hamstring strain) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. Catcher Alex Jackson was recalled, and veteran outfielder Nick Markakis was reinstated from the restricted list, which he was placed on after temporarily electing not to play this year. Albies says his wrist has bothered him for a couple of weeks, but he does not remember one specific event that created the discomfort. The plan had been to occasionally rest him over the next couple weeks. But that plan was ditched after Tuesday's 10-1 win, when the ailment became debilitating to the point the switch-hitter opted to bat left-handed against Blue Jays reliever Anthony Kay. Albies recorded three extra-base hits during a July 26 win in New York, but he has gone 2-for-21 over his past six games. A couple weeks of rest could prove to be what he needs to get back to where he was last year, when he hit 24 homers with a .852 OPS. “This is a kid who is on the ground a lot,” Snitker said. “He dives and slides. I didn’t want him to be wary of that. So we’ll just try to get him healed up.” Charlie Culberson started at second base in Albies’ absence on Wednesday night, but Adeiny Hechavarría could get a bulk of the starts at that position over the next week or two. Adams homered in the second inning in Tuesday's win, but then strained his hamstring while running to first base in the fourth. The left-handed slugger could be sidelined for a few weeks with this ailment. His absence created a roster spot for Markakis, who elected not to play on July 5 and then reversed his decision last week. Markakis could play either of the two corner-outfield spots, and he is at least an option to serve as the designated hitter, a role Adams had been filling against right-handed starters. “I don’t think the offensive part is going to be a problem for [Markakis],” Snitker said. “I think at 50 years old, you could bring him out of retirement and he’ll hit.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution Braves held to one run in loss to Hyun-Jin Ryu, Blue Jays By Gabriel Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution On a night Sean Newcomb pitched his best start of the season, the Braves offense couldn’t solve an old foe or the opposing bullpen. Blue Jays lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, formerly of the Dodgers, allowed one hit over five scoreless innings. What transformed into battle of the bullpens resulted in a 2-1 Toronto win at Truist Park. The Braves entered the night leading MLB in runs scored (69). Yet they generated only one run Wednesday, a 402-foot Adam Duvall homer. They had three hits overall, two from Duvall and one from Travis d’Arnaud. Their struggles started with Ryu, who’s long been a thorn in the Braves’ side. Ryu pitched a memorable seven scoreless innings against the Braves in Game 1 of the 2018 NLDS. He also tossed a four-hit shutout against the them last May at Dodger Stadium. He entered Friday with a career 2.73 ERA against the team in five starts. “The cutter, change, he locates really well,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He has great command. It’s hard to get ahold of him.” Newcomb added: “He’s always mixing in and out. That cutter and change-up are real effective. He’ll bring up 90, 91 (mph) heater to the top of the zone. I’m sure it looks a lot harder than that. When he’s in the zone with his off-speed, like any other good pitcher, he’s usually on.” To Newcomb’s credit, he kept pace with Ryu. Newcomb pitched 4-2/3 innings, allowing two runs. The first run came after allowing a pair of hits in the second, including a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double, that positioned Danny Jansen for a sacrifice fly. Unfortunately for the Braves, the difference in the game slipped through Ender Inciarte’s glove. Inciarte, a renowned defender, attempted a sliding catch with two out in the fifth but was unable to hang on to the ball. It was ruled a single for Bo Bichette, who’d steal second and score the eventual game-winning run on Cavan Biggio’s two-strike single.