Braves' JR Ritchie: Battles control against Mariners
Ritchie allowed three runs on four hits and six walks while striking out two batters over five-plus innings in a no-decision against Seattle on Monday.
The Seattle-born right-hander may have been dealing with some jitters as he battled his control throughout the game and threw just 47 of 93 pitches for strikes. However, Ritchie managed to get through five frames without allowing a run despite walking four batters and hitting another during that span. The free passes finally caught up with him in the sixth; he began the inning by walking the first two batters he faced before serving up a three-run homer to Luke Raley. Ritchie was pulled after that long ball and ended up with a no-decision. The rookie has flashed his potential this year, but walks have been an issue, as he has a 13:12 K:BB through 17.1 frames spanning three starts. His spot in the rotation isn't guaranteed if he isn't able improve his control.
