The Atlanta Braves called up 22-year-old Ian Anderson on Tuesday night, with the intention of starting him for that night’s game against the New York Yankees. They were hopeful he could eat some innings, which the Braves need desperately, given the current state of their rotation. Anderson is the Braves #3 prospect, so the excitement and anticipation were sky-high. However, his debut was postponed to Wednesday as part of a doubleheader, after Tuesday’s game was rained out. But on a sunny afternoon in Atlanta, Anderson proved he was well worth the wait.
Anderson’s final line: six innings, one hit, one run, two walks, six strikeouts, and one hit batter. Shane Greene got the job done in the 9th inning, sealing Anderson’s first career victory.
An Easy Outing
Anderson got out to a quick start, throwing strikes and getting ahead of batters. After starting the first inning with flyouts from Mike Tauchman and Luke Voit, he got Aaron Hicks to wave over a low changeup for his first major league strikeout.
Through high school and much of his minor league career, Anderson’s primary offspeed pitch was his curveball. However, he has taken a greater interest in crafting his changeup, and the pitch was on full display in Wednesday’s game. Four of Anderson’s six strikeouts came on the changeup, including the aforementioned one to Hicks.
Through the first 5 innings, the only men to reach base came on a pair of walks (to Tyler Wade and Mike Ford). Thairo Estrada also reached after being hit by a pitch. However, Anderson still kept the Yankees out of the hit column entering the 6th inning.
With the new rule changes in 2020, doubleheaders are only 7 inning games. This dissipated any hype about a possible no-hit bid, as the MLB only recognizes 9-inning games to be ‘official’ no-hitters. Regardless, it became a moot point with one out in the 6th inning, as Luke Voit hit a solo home run over the right field fence.
The home run did not seem to faze Anderson, however. He fell behind Aaron Hicks 3-1, but got him to pop out in foul territory. He then struck out Mike Ford to end the inning and wrap up his MLB debut.
The Braves are desperate for starting pitchers at this point in the season. It has been suggested they will browse the trade market for possible options before the upcoming deadline. However, if this start is any indication, Atlanta might have one less starting spot to worry about.