Sean Newcomb had a big cushion to work with, but he struggled to command the zone. With the Braves up 7-1 in the bottom of the third, Newcomb walked Yoenis Céspedes on four straight pitches. Two outs should have kept things calm, but instead, Newcomb kept missing. After a few scattered strikes, he gave up a hit, putting runners on the corners. Braves manager Brian Snitker walked out for a mound visit, clearly frustrated. After the game, Snitker joked that he was glad to be wearing a mask so “John Boy” couldn’t lip-read his message to Newcomb. Even with the mask, it wasn’t hard to guess what he said: “Pitch better, dummy.” Newcomb’s lack of focus wasted a comfortable lead and forced his manager to step in early.
