Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Kyle Wright allowed seven earned runs in the first inning on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who took Game 3 of the National League Championship Series 15-3.
Wright, who was pulled after getting just two outs, spoke with reporters postgame about wanting to learn from his outing:
The 25-year-old right-hander excelled in his first postseason start against the Miami Marlins in the NL Division Series, twirling six shutout innings and striking out seven in a 7-0 win.
Wednesday was a different story, as seven Dodgers got on base against Wright, who allowed five hits (two home runs) and two walks before exiting.
The 2020 season marked Wright’s first as a regular in the Atlanta rotation. He went 2-4 with a 5.21 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 38 innings.
The numbers don’t tell the whole story. At times, Wright was electric, like his Marlins start or when he tossed 6.1 shutout innings and struck out six against the New York Mets.
The problem has been control: Wright walked 14.3 percent of batters faced this season, per FanGraphs. His control was off Wednesday when issuing a pair of walks that extended the first inning with two outs.
The good news is that Wright’s performance didn’t put the Braves in a disadvantageous series position. Atlanta is still up two games to one in the best-of-seven matchup, and the Braves didn’t really tax their bullpen, with Gabriel Ynoa and Grant Dayton eating six total frames.
The Braves will look to bounce back Thursday at 8:08 p.m. ET. Clayton Kershaw will go for the Dodgers, and Bryse Wilson will start the game for Atlanta.
